Golden Kamuy.

- Golden Kamuy, vol. 1. Satoru Noda. Saichi Sugimoto, a veteran of the Russo-Japanese war, has been mining for gold in Hokkaido, hoping to be able to fulfill a promise he made to a fallen comrade (well, he has a couple other reasons besides the promise). One night, he hears what appears to be a tall tale about a legendary treasure buried somewhere in the region —and the map leading to the treasure was tattooed on the skin of twenty runaway prisoners. The next morning he discovers that the story is true and he has just found the first piece of the map! Now he sets on a journey along with Asirpa, a courageous Ainu girl who seeks revenge for the murder of her father. It will be a long journey, full of dangerous forces of nature and even more dangerous men…

Terrific adventure story that benefits both from Noda’s gorgeous artwork and from a careful investigation both historical and cultural (Noda credits the help of linguist Hiroshi Nakagawa and this volume includes an extensive list of reference material on Ainu customs and history). The story is quite brutal, yet never gratuitously so. It pulls back no punches regarding inclement subzero conditions or wild animals, nor when depicting hunting and skinning of animals (…and people, when the villains get horribly creative), yet it’s presented less for spectacle than for conveying a specific atmosphere. 

Also notable is the subtle depiction of cultural prejudices —at one point Sugimoto beats up a man who calls Asirpa a “pet dog”, and to her comment that she is used to it, he replies “And why should you have to get used to it?”. Sugimoto himself was despised in his hometown for being the last of a sickly family (all neighbors shunned him fearing contagion —all but his two friends, that is). When a man from the prosperous port town of Otaru thanks Sugimoto for his military service (“It’s thanks to soldiers like you that we were able to take back Southern Karafuto. Thanks to you, this port will continue to prosper. Thank you for all you’ve done”), he bluntly replies “The merchants are the only ones getting rich”. It’s a harsh world, then and now, there and here, but ultimately what we do about it matters. 

A very recommended comic, one that I look forward to continue reading.