History Manga / GoldenKamuy

* EatTheDog:
** The Ainu eat squirrels, which Sugimoto thinks are cute.
** PlayedForLaughs in a chapter where Sugimoto is separated from Asirpa and Shiraishi by thick fog; he befriends a sparrow with a broken wing, and at the very end of the chapter tearfully has him breaking its neck and eating it on a skewer...seconds before the fog clears and Asirpa finds him.

** The prominence of the Ainu in the story is analogous to the importance of Native Americans in many Western works.
** [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Hijikata]], as a former Samurai still intent on waging war against the Meiji government, is akin to a [[StillFightingTheCivilWar Confederate Lost Causer.]]

** Sugimoto is a war veteran who, at the start of the series took up gold panning, a la cowboys who went West during the 19th century California gold rush.

* TheWestern: The series has many elements reminiscent of the genre, even though it's set in Hokkaido in the Meiji era. The cover of Chapter 59 is designed to look like a Western poster.

* CoolGuns: The Arisaka Type 30, Tsurumi's Borchardt C-93, the Herring Magnate's Maxim gun.

A live-action movie version is due to be released in Japan on January 19, 2024.

As the manga is far ahead of the anime, '''BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW'''.

** A short-term (but chronologically, ''really'' long-term one occurs in chapter 288. [[spoiler:Kimuspu's flashback explaining how he and the other Ainu became acquainted with Hijikata had the latter struggling to reach a certain spot on Mount Hakodate marked with a statue of the Kannon. Two chapters later it's revealed that behind the statue is a hidden room containing the Kaitenmaru’s main [[JustForPun cannon]], which Hijikata was planning to use as his last desperate gamble against the Meiji Government. Kadokura and some of Sofia's revolutionaries then proceed to use the it to blast the destroyers floating in the harbour, sinking at least two of them and accidently taking out the observation balloon vital to the bombardment Tsurumi was using to pressure the fort's defenders]].

* {{Pixellation}}: Violent deaths? OK. Extreme gore? OK. Nipples, asses, [[ItMakesSenseInContext naked flying spinning prostitutes]]? Ok. Poop? [[RunningGag Always]] pixelate [[JustForPun that shit!]]

* HomoeroticSubtext: From Nihei's introduction onward, characters begin to show more and more homosexual traits (Henmi has a VillainousCrush on Sugimoto, Ushiyama is bisexual when drunk, most of Tsurumi's subordinates adore him, etc). Finds its peak at the sea otter hot pot scene, when it effectively becomes text.

* ArmsDealer: An American one is willing to sell guns to Tsurumi's 7th Division.

* BadassAndChildDuo: In this case, the child is just as capable as the Badass though.

* CultureClash: Sugimoto and Asirpa have difficulties with the finer points of each other's culture, particularly the [[ForeignQueasine culinary ones]]. One example is that the brains of squirrels are a delicacy to Ainu.

* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Asirpa has nothing but fond memories of her late father. [[spoiler:Subverted with the reveal that her father is still alive and is actually Noppera-bo, the main antagonist.]]

* GoodScarsEvilScars: Many characters are left extensively scarred by the war, and the treasure hunt.

* HostageSituation: Tanigaki takes Asirpa as a hostage, and pulls out a PutDownYourGunAndStepAway.

* LoveIsInTheAir: The four men of Sugimoto's group (plus Ogata but he's unconscious) are trapped in the same fishing hut while some sea otter meat is boiling in a pot. Little do they know that otter meat is an aphrodisiac, and everyone perceives everyone else as being incredibly attractive and lewd. HilarityEnsues.

** [[spoiler:Asirpa uses the Ainu land deed as leverage to neogtiate with the Japanese government throughout her life. While unable to secure all the land in the deed, much of the remaining land given to the Ainu is preserved as national and quasi-national parks in Hokkaido. Her efforts ensured the continued survival of Ainu culture to this present day. The epilogue shows her and Sugimoto living together at her home.]]

* AnnoyingArrows: Averted, as even bears can't just tank arrows, especially when they're poisoned.

* TheBarber: One serves as a recurring character and MrExposition during the Barato arc.
* BarbieDollAnatomy: Averted for a change, as male characters have their nipples drawn. Hilariously, when Sugimoto has a (not very attractive) gangster strip, he is outraged at the sight of the gangster's nipples, and even orders him to cover them up so that Asirpa can't see. He also remarks on how troupe leader Yamada's nipples are huge.

* BlockingStopsAllDamage: Averted with Second Lieutenant Koito. His ''Jigen-Ryu'' sword style includes a brutal overhead strike which Japanese swordsmen agree mustn't be blocked, but dodged since the strength of the strike will just drive your own sword into your forehead. [[spoiler:The only one to successfully block him is Kiroranke, and the blade is still driven almost halfway through the stock of his rifle.]]

* BottomlessMagazines: Averted. Reloading rifles is taken into account, and Asirpa can run low on arrows even though she's using them sparingly.

* CassandraTruth: Averted, Asirpa quickly believes Sugimoto's story about the treasure. Of course, her father was killed because of it so she has reasons to believe.

* ConservationOfCompetence: Averted. Every member of the 7th Division is competent in their field of work, which is killing stuff.

* SexualKarma: Averted, as the characters having the best sex in this series are a pair of {{serial killer}}s. While Tanigaki gets good sex with Inkarmat, the best the protagonists get is a sexually-charged homoerotic sumo fight under the effects of an aphrodisiac stew, which while implied to be pleasant is considered a shameful secret by the group.

* CriticalResearchFailure: (No, not of the author. InUniverse example that the author uses as {{Foreshadowing}}.) In one chapter a man makes specific mention of the characteristic sound made by ''geta'' (wooden sandals), while we're shown a detailed close-up of ''waraji'' (straw sandals). [[spoiler:Turns out he was wrong: the sound was [[OutsideContextProblem something completely different]].]]

** [[spoiler:Koito and Tsukishima work to protect the surviving soldiers of the 7th Division that supported Tsurumi’s rebellion from Central's revenge. The narration reveals that Koito would eventually be promoted to Lieutenant General and would become the last commander of the 7th Division, with Tsukishima serving as his right hand man.]]

* SexualKarma: Averted, as the characters having the best sex in this series are a pair of {{serial killer}}s.

* TheGreatestHistoryNeverTold: The series features the Battle for Hill 203 very prominently in its opening. The protagonist, Sugimoto, is a legendary veteran of this war who single-handedly captured a Russian machine gun nest and fought like a demon through the trenches, earning him the reputation of being [[RedBaron "Immortal Sugimoto."]] Other veterans of the war serve as major antagonists throughout the story, specifically 2nd Lt. Tsurumi and his troops from the 7th Infantry Division who have [[DangerousDeserter deserted the Imperial Japanese Army]] and are now out to found their own country.