So let me preface this review by saying this is my first time ever writing a review. Along with this, this is not a "critical" review because I rate series based on enjoyment rather than on a critical scale. (What is the point of watching if you can't enjoy the series?) I should also mention that I will have absolutely zero spoilers in this review out of respect to the readers of this review. My hope in creating this review is to encourage people to check out an anime which I consider to be extremely underrated.
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To begin I'm going to address the elephant, or rather bear, in the room when it comes to this anime. Yes this series does have some CGI sprinkled throughout the season. (Video of CGI bear and wolf) If you are someone who is easily turned off by CGI in anime then this series may not be for you. I would encourage you to watch it nonetheless because the CGI is infrequent throughout the series. I'm uncertain whether the decision to utilize CGI the way it was used in this series was a budget decision or a creative decision but it does not gel as intended. The CGI clashes against the animation of the characters and sticks out quite a bit. That being said, CGI is used only occasionally throughout this series and it in no way took away from my enjoyment of watching this anime.

With that out of the way, allow me to talk about what makes this series so great to me. To begin, the plot of this series is incredibly interesting. The story takes place shortly after the Russo-Japanese War in Japan. It follows many different groups of people all fighting to obtain a map to hidden gold stolen from the Ainu people of Japan. The issue with obtaining the map to the gold is that unique portions of the map have been tattooed on the body of 24 different death row inmates by the man who originally stole the fortune of gold from the Ainu people. This means that the only way for anyone to find the gold is to either skin the bodies of these inmates or sketch out the unique designs of their tattoos. Without obtaining the unique designs of all 24 tattooed bodies and piecing them together it is impossible to complete the map and find the gold. All groups hunting the fortune of the Ainu people share a common goal but they all come from different backgrounds and all have their own reasons for wanting to obtain the goal. What this overarching plot does is link all of these groups in a crucial hunt or be hunted adventure. Groups are willing to kill one another in order to obtain just one section of the map. What you see throughout this anime is that the decisions characters make effects their chances of survival. Due to the plot being what it is, combined with the characters having to survive in the wilderness, the death of any main character is a realistic possibility. For me personally this is a welcome change from most anime and it kept me hooked on this anime. Without going into spoilers, the overall plot grabs your attention and keeps you hooked episode to episode.
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With the intrigue of the main plot out of the way I will briefly address the other three elements of this anime that makes it so great to me. These three elements are the characters, the comedy, and the food. Now I know what you're thinking, "FOOD?! How does that have anything to do with a survival of the fittest, adventure style anime?" What this anime does so well is break up the intense scenes related to the overarching plot of this series with meal breaks. (Video of food in Golden Kamuy) What these meal breaks allow is for the viewer to learn about the meals being prepared, their origins, how important hunting is, and also just fun banter between characters. Along with that, the food animated in Golden Kamuy rivals what I have seen from Food Wars (though I have yet to watch it yet). Segueing from food into the comedy aspect of Golden Kamuy as it fills a fairly similar role to the food. The comedy of Golden Kamuy is sprinkled throughout episodes and it is also used to split up the intensity of the plot. From the animation of characters changing to express comedy to the hilarious one liners given in conversations there are very few instances where the comedy in Golden Kamuy did not hit. I also want to mention that these two aspects of Golden Kamuy are never mistimed. When a scene is intense and a critical plot point then the comedy and food does not interrupt the scene. These two aspects are utilized only in a positive fashion and never take away from the overall plot.

Finally, I want to address the characters. Golden Kamuy has without a doubt one of the best cast of characters I have seen in an anime/manga in my time in these mediums of entertainment. Sugimoto, Asirpa, and Shiraishi are an incredible main cast. They all have their own distinct personality and quirks that make them all loveable. What makes the characters in this anime so great to me is that the creators take the time to establish the supporting cast as well. The plot following different groups and the way in which the episodes are structured allows for all of the characters in each group a chance to shine. Every character who gets significant screen time feels well thought out and important to the overall story. Once again, without going into any spoilers, every character feels they could realistically die and it causes you to appreciate the time they have on screen.
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Overall, Golden Kamuy is so much more than the CGI bear that so many people know this anime for. While I have yet to read the manga (which I certainly plan to do), I have heard nothing but great things about this series going forward. If you are unwilling to watch this anime due to a CGI bear in the first episode then you are missing out on an incredible story, a great cast of character, and a lot of great laughs. Golden Kamuy should be on the plan to watch list of anyone who loves adventure anime and it is a hidden gem worth exploring!