I want a book about Asirpa and Hijikata, I do. After seeing the news.

Saichi Sugimoto, a protagonist who is too strong

Saichi Sugimoto is undoubtedly a compelling protagonist.
His vitality, which earns him the nickname 'The Immortal,' his overly straightforward sense of justice, and the glimpses of his incredibly genuine kindness.
I believe it is precisely because he drove the story that 'Golden Kamuy' became a work with blood, laughter, and warmth.

Even so, where my heart leans

—Even so, I can't help but think.
If a book about Asirpa and Hijikata were released, I would definitely want it.

Asirpa is a presence that the word 'heroine' cannot fully capture.
She is a storyteller who reconnects the lives of the land, beasts, and people through cooking, prayer, and words.
If there were a volume re-edited from her perspective, it wouldn't be about the struggle for gold, but rather,
I feel it would be a book that quietly teaches us 'what it means to live in the northern land.'

To dream, even in old age

Toshizo Hijikata is now closer to a ghost.
A man who aged, was wounded, and yet never abandoned his dream.
A being who, while left behind by the era, never let go of the resolve to bring that era to an end.

If a volume were released that followed only him,
it would be a history book, a requiem,
and it would undoubtedly be an incredibly 'cool manga about an old man.'

The protagonist and the gravity of the world

Sugimoto is the engine that pushes the story forward.
However, I think Asirpa and Hijikata are the 'gravity' of this world itself.

If a book were released that gathered only that gravity—
I am the kind of person who would turn the pages without hesitation.

(C) Satoru Noda / Shueisha

#GoldenKamuy #SaichiSugimoto #Asirpa #ToshizoHijikata #CharacterBook #MangaEssay #ForNote #WorkAnalysis