Golden Kamuy: Bousou Ressha-hen Announced — Who Will Finally Claim the Ainu Gold?
Golden Kamuy: Bousou Ressha-hen has officially been announced! The race for the Ainu gold enters its final stretch, but who will survive to claim it?
Although this may sound very weird, after the Final Season of Golden Kamuy, the story has now entered its last and most intense part: the Bousou Ressha-hen, also known as the "Runaway Train Arc." In Japanese, it is called Bousou Ressha-hen, while in English, it is referred to as the "Runaway Train Arc." Both names carry the same meaning and refer to the same event, as the train the characters are riding will become the battlefield for these forces.
Ever since the Attack on Titan: Final Season, it has become common for a "Final Season" to include a "to be continued" message. Golden Kamuy's Final Season is a great season; not only does it give us an intense and exciting war, it also explains many mysteries, including the meaning of the title "Golden Kamuy”, and shows us the significant character development of Asirpa. Asirpa has changed from an innocent young Ainu girl who didn't know much about the outside world to someone carrying a huge burden and the chance to save the future of all Ainu.
While Asirpa still sticks to her principles, refusing to fall into dark desires or kill anyone while truly caring about the future of the Ainu—her mind and soul have been crushed by harsh realities and the many cruel events that happened, especially in the final season. There were good people in Golden Kamuy, but most adults around Asirpa are not easy-going; they will hunt her down no matter where she is, as she remains the final key to the hidden gold.
On AnimeOshi, Golden Kamuy Season 1 scored 96%, while Season 2 achieved a 91% high score. These results show that both are great seasons, making them a solid choice to rewatch before the Bousou Ressha-hen. After rewatching, remember to leave your reviews on AnimeOshi!
Even just within the Golden Kamuy Final Season, Asirpa has gone through a lot and witnessed so many deaths that it isn’t hard for us to guess how she is feeling. She has reached a point where she wants to give up so that no one else dies, but she can’t; if she gives up, the gold will end up in the worst possible hands. She has to keep moving, but as she moves, people die. It is incredibly hard, both mentally and physically, for Asirpa to keep going, but luckily she has Saichi Sugimoto by her side.
As the story enters its final part, Sugimoto has determined that he will go to hell for Asirpa and fight for her until the very end. It is hard for Asirpa to stay composed at this point, but with someone like Sugimoto—who truly thinks of her, cares for her, and definitely won’t leave her—she can at least fight through to the very end of the Bousou Ressha-hen. Since the continuation has been officially announced, let’s discuss it and see what kind of story it will present to us.
Source: TVアニメ『ゴールデンカムイ』公式Official X account
One of the Most Intense and Exciting Seasons: Golden Kamuy Final Season
Before we dive any deeper, let’s have a quick rewind of the previous season, Golden Kamuy Final Season. Please note that this post focuses strictly on the Golden Kamuy anime. While the manga is incredibly popular and I am a hardcore fan myself, this post is manga-spoiler-free; however, it does contain spoilers for the anime. If you aren't caught up with the latest episodes or want to avoid spoilers entirely, stop scrolling and leave now!
In the previous season, Golden Kamuy Final Season, a lot of things happened: finding Jack the Ripper, encountering Keiji Ueji (the weird guy who enjoys pranking and lying to others), the death of "Pirate" Boutarou, the backstory of Norabo (nickname of Saichi Sugimoto), and of course, the most intense and exciting war at Goryōkaku. While the first few episodes, such as finding Jack the Ripper and encountering Keiji Ueji, aren't actually that important, is okay for everyone to skip, once Lieutenant Tsurumi kidnapped Asirpa and Sofia, the story suddenly became intense, exciting, and a must-watch for everyone.
Every event in the Golden Kamuy Final Season is worth discussing, but the one I want to focus on in this post is the intense and thrilling war at Goryōkaku. The war at Goryōkaku is truly the best; for those who haven’t watched it yet, I strongly recommend that you do. The battle is portrayed so beautifully, please believe me, once you watch it, you will definitely love it.
The war at Goryōkaku is just so great, but first of all, what is Goryōkaku? I think many may have noticed that Goryōkaku actually refers to the real building located in Hakodate (函館) on the island of Hokkaido. Golden Kamuy has many parts that refer to real-life history, including Hijikata Toshizō, the Ezo Kyouwakoku (蝦夷共和国) also known as the Republic of Ezo, the Nichiro Sensou (日露戦争) also known as the Russo-Japanese War, and Goryōkaku itself.
Speaking of Hijikata Toshizō, please let me dive a little deeper into him in this post, as he is a surprisingly important character. He not only has a deep relationship with Goryōkaku but also with the overall story of Golden Kamuy. As a fan, I have watched every episode and season of the Golden Kamuy anime, but since Hijikata often acted as Sugimoto’s rival, I didn't think he would be so important in the Final Season. The Hijikata in Golden Kamuy refers to the real-life historical figure(土方歳三 famous person from the Shinsengumi), and in the Final Season, the young Hijikata also has a surprisingly huge impact on the story.
While the standard older version of Hijikata is voiced by Jouji Nakata, the young Hijikata is voiced by the "strongest" voice actor, Yuichi Nakamura. Both versions of Hijikata are voiced by legendary actors, and had a surprisingly large impact on the story. In Golden Kamuy the young Hijikata was the one who actually fought at Goryōkaku and was also the one who contacted and helped the old Ainu man who hid the gold there. Because the young Hijikata built a relationship with him, the old Ainu decided to make him a key figure in the mystery of the hidden gold.
As his past self fought in the war at Goryōkaku, the current Hijikata is able to take the lead in the battle and even find a way to break through Lieutenant Tsurumi’s attack. Since the past Hijikata built a relationship with the old Ainu, the current Hijikata is able to locate the gold and grasp the chance to rebuild his dream empire. The past always affects the future; this is one of the beautiful ways Golden Kamuy portrays its story. Both Hijikata and Tsurumi are driven by their pasts, and because of those experiences, they have climbed to a level that no one else can reach.
Besides Hijikata, there is another character based on real Japanese history: Enomoto Takeaki (榎本 武揚). In Golden Kamuy, Enomoto made deals with the Ainu elders, including Asirpa’s father, Wilk, and used brilliant methods to ensure the Ainu would secure the land of Hokkaido. Enomoto is incredibly clever; knowing the Meiji Government wouldn't just hand over the land easily, he devised a plan to make sure the Ainu could claim it. From the dialogues between the Ainu, it seems Enomoto is still alive, so I am really looking forward to him making a physical appearance to hand over the land deeds to Asirpa and the others.
Golden Kamuy Final Season: The beautiful hope and the cruel reality
In the Golden Kamuy Final Season, a very important fact is revealed to Asirpa. Although Asirpa’s father, Wilk, dragged many people into his search for the gold and placed a heavy burden of sin onto Asirpa’s shoulders, he also left her and the other Ainu a great gift: the land deeds that can be used to reclaim the lands of Hokkaido.
When Asirpa saw the land deed and learned everything Wilk and his team had done for her and all the Ainu, she felt relieved; at the same time, she was finally able to grasp a brighter future. What Wilk and his team did was truly brilliant, as the Ainu don't really need a lot of money since they love and are willing to live with nature—all they need is land. With this tremendous amount of land, the Ainu can have a great life and stay away from the dangerous Japanese army and their government forever.
The current Asirpa has a beautiful dream and a real chance to fulfill it, but the main problem is that the war for the gold isn't over yet. Lieutenant Tsurumi and his army have arrived and will do whatever it takes to obtain Asirpa, the land deeds, and the remaining gold. Although Wilk and his team bought a tremendous amount of land, it seems they didn't use all of their gold; there is still a lot hidden somewhere inside Goryōkaku.
While having the land deeds and finally finding the gold is exciting news for Asirpa and her team, it also means that Lieutenant Tsurumi has a chance to fulfill his own crazy dreams. In the Golden Kamuy Final Season, Lieutenant Tsurumi shared his plans with his soldiers: he wants to use all the land to plant opium poppies, sell them to mainland China to make a huge profit, and build his version of a "dreamland" in a single day.
On AnimeOshi, Golden Kamuy Season 3 scored 99%, while Season 4 achieved a 98% high score. These results show that both are great seasons, making them a solid choice to rewatch before the Bousou Ressha-hen. After rewatching, remember to leave your reviews on AnimeOshi!
For those who don't quite understand his dream, it is deeply related to real history, so please allow me to briefly explain it. During the era of Golden Kamuy, mainland China was still controlled by the Qing Dynasty, and there was a massive demand for opium. People were addicted to it and needed it every day; therefore, opium was incredibly profitable in China during that time, which is why Lieutenant Tsurumi needs land for opium poppies.
If Lieutenant Tsurumi can generate a huge profit from opium and combine it with the remaining gold, he will have the chance to truly take down the Meiji Government. Although it seems like he doesn't have many soldiers left in the Golden Kamuy Final Season, if he succeeds, he can easily rebuild his army and wage endless wars again. In order to fulfill this crazy dream, he will kill anyone who stands in his way.
In the current situation, it would be quite easy for Asirpa to run away by herself and use the land deeds to reclaim the land Wilk bought, since Sugimoto and her best friend, Yoshitake Shiraishi, will protect her until the very end. The chances for Asirpa to fulfill her dream are quite high, but they come with a huge price. Since they are heavily surrounded by Tsurumi’s soldiers, the chances of everyone staying alive are incredibly low.
If Asirpa fulfills her dream, the other Ainu won't have to face the worst possible future, but she will be building that dream on top of everyone’s corpses. It is hard to say, but if Asirpa builds her dream on the bodies of Sugimoto and Shiraishi, she is no different from Tsurumi or Hijikata. All of them are building their own desires by using others; the only difference is whether they are doing it for the Ainu or not. Right now, Asirpa is doing the same thing as Tsurumi and Hijikata: she is betting everyone’s lives on her dream.
Source: TVアニメ『ゴールデンカムイ』公式Official X account
The ultimate question for everyone: Is the gold for oneself, or for everyone?
It is definitely a good thing that Asirpa finally has a chance to grasp a brighter future and build something great for the rest of the Ainu, but she will have to pay a huge price for it—just like her father and Lieutenant Tsurumi. If she is willing to sacrifice everyone’s lives, including her best friend, Yoshitake Shiraishi, and the person most important to her, Saichi Sugimoto, she definitely has the chance to do it.
I am not trying to curse Asirpa; it’s just that the war she is currently facing is so cruel, and it is incredibly hard for her to bear these things all by herself. In the war at Goryōkaku, she lost two important people: the Russian, Sofia Golden Hand, and Genjirou Tanigaki. These were people who were important to her and with whom she shared great times, but in the end, they were killed by Tsurumi because they helped her.
The temptation of the land of Hokkaido and the remaining gold is so great that everyone is willing to sacrifice everything to get them. Asirpa isn't the only one who has paid a price for her dreams; Lieutenant Tsurumi has also paid a lot. Although from a viewer's perspective, we root for Asirpa’s team and might feel some hatred toward Tsurumi’s team, if we look at things more fairly, Tsurumi has actually paid far more than Asirpa or even Hijikata Toshizō.
In the Golden Kamuy Final Season, Tsurumi lost his beloved and unstable subordinate, Kouhei Nikaidou. Kouhei was a loyal subordinate; although his hatred for Sugimoto was extreme, he was truly devoted to Tsurumi, would do anything for him, and was never afraid of the Meiji Government. Although I personally don't like Kouhei that much, he is actually a tragic character who just wanted to reunite with and avenge his brother, Youhei. As viewers, we root for Sugimoto and don't think twice about him killing Kouhei, but if we look at the two brothers’ lives, they were just pitiful characters. It isn't necessarily true that they were simply "used" by Tsurumi, but the fact is they weren't lucky enough to live to see the results with their boss.
Source: TVアニメ『ゴールデンカムイ』公式Official X account
Besides the death of Kouhei, Tsurumi also faces another problem: the once-comedic character Otonoshin Koito is leaving him, and Hajime Tsukishima is wavering. Since we root for Asirpa and Sugimoto’s team, we might not feel the weight of this, but Tsurumi is plotting something truly terrible. Although his motives may sound touching and he is clearly an ambitious man, in the end, he is trying to overthrow the Meiji Government—which is a major taboo for the military.
Koito is a very loyal character who has worked for Tsurumi for a long time; the two of them shared many significant moments, but this is simply the fate of being in the military—it is hard to maintain trust forever. Koito trusted Tsurumi for a long time, and I personally don’t think that was an act. However, once he started questioning Tsurumi, he found he could no longer trust him and eventually began to fear the future. Although Tsurumi has great dreams, how many people will it take to fulfill them, and more importantly, how long will it take?
Through the Golden Kamuy Final Season, we learn that the Meiji Government is actually aware of Tsurumi’s actions, and the chance that the Government has set them up is incredibly high. Throughout the anime, Tsurumi always acts as if the Meiji Government is under his control, but the story suggests the complete opposite may be true. While Tsurumi’s men have surrounded the train in the current episodes and it looks like he will win the war, what comes next is the most important question.
It wouldn't be hard for Tsurumi to wipe out Asirpa and Hijikata’s teams since he has them outnumbered, but the real problem is the civil war that will follow; the chances of Tsurumi losing that are incredibly high. Even if Tsurumi is able to fulfill his dreams, his loyal men are almost all gone. Even if Tsukishima stays with him, Tsurumi has lost so much that it will be hard to fight against the Meiji Government. It is a tough thing to say, but both Asirpa and Tsurumi are trying to do something for a larger cause. They are two sides of the same coin, but in the end, they have dragged everyone else into their personal dreams, and now no one can escape.
Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.
Golden Kamuy Bousou Ressha-hen: Who will be the final winner?
Since the Bousou Ressha-hen has been officially announced, let’s guess who will be the final winner. Of course, since Golden Kamuy is about the journey of Asirpa and Saichi Sugimoto, Asirpa will almost certainly be the one to get the gold; the main question is who will be by her side when she does. The best possible scenario for Asirpa is, of course, obtaining the gold with Sugimoto and Yoshitake Shiraishi, while the worst possible scenario would be getting the gold all alone.
In the final episode of the season (Episode 13), because they mistakenly boarded a train filled with Tsurumi’s soldiers, even Hijikata Toshizō had to show his determination. He views this train as his last battlefield and knows there is a great chance he won't make it off alive. For better or worse, Tsurumi has started a war that he must win no matter what. If he loses, not only will his dream be shattered, but he and his soldiers will also face the revenge of the Meiji Government. He must put in everything he has to win the war and secure the gold.
Besides Hijikata, Sugimoto has also made up his mind: he isn't fighting just to survive or to get the gold, but to ensure Asirpa goes free safely. As long as Asirpa has the land deeds, she will be able to create a new future for the Ainu; since she knows where the gold is hidden, she can reclaim it any time after this war. From now on, Sugimoto’s side will be fighting for Asirpa, while Tsurumi’s team will be fighting for their ultimate dreamland.
In truth, none of these goals are strictly right or wrong. In Golden Kamuy, every character has been driven to the edge by war, death, and killing. Even Sugimoto isn't "normal" anymore, as he has been through so much. With this kind of mental state, everyone believes they are right and the others are wrong—just like Hyakunosuke Ogata. Although he may look normal on the surface, he was broken a long time ago.
Source: TVアニメ『ゴールデンカムイ』公式Official X account
From a viewer's perspective, we root for Hijikata because he helped Sugimoto and Asirpa find the gold and became their ally, but it might actually be better for him to end his endless war during the upcoming battle on the train. Hijikata is just like Tsurumi; both are two sides of the same coin, chasing a dreamland that cannot truly be built. If Hijikata were to take the gold, he would try to recreate the Republic of Ezo and start endless wars all over again.
I understand that Hijikata has great dreams, and it’s amazing that he still wants to fight for them, but unfortunately, no matter what kind of dream he has, it is simply too difficult for him to reach his goal. As this is the final part of Golden Kamuy, I don’t think there is space left for Hijikata and his dream, and Asirpa will definitely not allow his plans to unfold. Realistically speaking, it will be very hard for Hijikata to make it through the Bousou Ressha-hen.
The same goes for Tsurumi; although he seems capable of becoming the final winner, there simply isn't any space for him to create his poppy fields, profit from mainland China, and fight the Meiji Government. Tsurumi may seem to have everything under his control, but we cannot underestimate Sugimoto’s fighting spirit or the Meiji Government. Realistically speaking, Tsurumi isn't actually that safe, as he has to face Sugimoto and Hijikata at the same time while the Meiji Government is closing in on him. More importantly, his army is slowly tearing itself apart.
If Tsurumi wins the war, Koito might stay quiet and keep up the act, but what if something goes wrong? While Tsurumi wants Tsukishima to stay by his side, Tsukishima remained quiet and said nothing. We don’t know if that is a "yes" or a "no" for Tsurumi, but we do know that his army is no longer the powerhouse it was at the beginning of Golden Kamuy. Both Tsurumi and Hijikata are awesome characters; they have great dreams and the courage to do anything for them. Personally, I love their spirit, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there are any seats left for them in the upcoming Bousou Ressha-hen arc.
Source: TVアニメ『ゴールデンカムイ』公式Official X account
Conclusion:
The upcoming arc, Bousou Ressha-hen—also known as the "Runaway Train Arc"—is scheduled for release next winter. While as a viewer I hope Golden Kamuy can have a warm ending where nobody else dies, that feels like a dream that simply can't come true. In the upcoming arc, many people will likely die, just as in every other season of Golden Kamuy.
To be honest, it will be hard for Sugimoto to break through every difficulty and create a bright future for Asirpa, but we must remember: he is "Sugimoto the Immortal." I am sure he will show us something amazing in the upcoming arc. Although I have read the Golden Kamuy manga, I haven't read the final part yet because I want to have the same experience as everyone else. I am looking forward to the upcoming story just like you all, and I hope Sugimoto and Asirpa are able to create the future they want.
Source: TVアニメ『ゴールデンカムイ』公式Official X account
Thank you for reading! I will be publishing more content soon, including plot explanations, character deep-dives, and much more, so please stay tuned. While you wait for my next post, feel free to leave as many episodic reviews as possible, as there are plenty of challenges waiting for you on AnimeOshi! Plus, AnimeOshi has just launched a new Dropkick on My Devil! campaign , so everyone is welcome to join!
Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.
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