In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi "Immortal" Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush on the wild frontier of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it. But Sugimoto is not the only interested party, and everyone who knows about the gold will kill to possess it. Faced with the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers, Sugimoto will need all his skills and luck—and the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa—to survive.

Golden Kamuy Final Season is based onSatoru Noda'sGolden Kamuy manga. The anime series is streaming onCrunchyroll on Mondays.

The first episode of the fifth season ofGolden Kamuy's was an absolute WHIRLWIND and I can't think of a more tonally appropriate way to start this final season! Rather than open with a recap of the series, the anime entirely ignores that it's been two and a half years since we've seen these characters, and instead throws us right into the typhoon of turmoil created by their conflicting motivations, personalities, and allegiances. This decision is an entirely correct one, as each and every major character inGolden Kamuy is so fun and defined that it's easy to fall into the rhythm of their drama even as the details are fuzzy and it takes a minute to remember where the previous season left off.

For those who, understandably, need a reminder, this final season ofGolden Kamuy kicks off with all the major factions either in or on their way to the city of Sapporo to gather the skin of one of the final tattooed prisoners; a serial killer who almost assuredly is the actual Jack the Ripper. This episode also establishes that the absolutely loathsome Keiji Ueji, another tattooed prisoner who gets off on killing children and upsetting other people even when it's not to his benefit, is also in Sapporo. Oh, and the self-interested wildcard of the cast, Ogata, is also in Sapporo and prepared to cause problems until he gets the attention, and/or payoff, he deserves!

After some initial scrapes and information sharing, this powder keg of a situation motivates Sugimoto's group and Hijikata's group to work together to locate Jack the Ripper before the encroaching Tsurumi arrives and uses the firepower and authority of the 7th division to turn the situation entirely to his benefit. This makes the premiere ofGolden Kamuy's final season pretty much everything I want out of aGolden Kamuy episode—that being a masterclass in character writing, intrigue, and fun fights. This premiere makes it clear that theGolden Kamuy anime was ready to return, and I sure as hell am ready to have it back in my life!

If I had to elevate a criticism of this episode, it's that it feels a little rushed and I worry that the entire season might be harmfully expedited based on the precedent set here. Beyond this, though,Brains Base addresses many of my concerns going into this season already, and this premiere is more than serviceably animated. While theGolden Kamuy anime has betrayed me and other manga lovers before, this is the most confident I've ever been in the animation being able to keep up with the action as the spectacle continues to rise.

In retrospect, I could have done with a refresher beforeGolden Kamuy's final season. “Town of Reunions” leapt right back into the action without a moment to lose. But although I was a little hazy on the particulars, it didn't impede me from enjoying every high-octane moment of this explosive first episode. Blending action, comedy, and clever storytelling, this premiere promised an intense concluding season ahead.

Golden Kamuy is well described as a spaghetti western set in the chilly frontier of Hokkaido at the turn of the 20th century. But its wacky cast and over-the-top action set it apart from your average historical fiction. This episode quickly reintroduced viewers to the characters fists-first as all of these warring factions reunited in Sapporo. Ushiyama starts us off by stunting on a depraved child murderer Ueji. The part when he knocks a wall off a house, door still intact, and easily slides it open in pursuit of Ueji, is instantly GIF-able. Later, Sugimoto's group can't even get through a meal of curry rice without brawling with Hijikata's group: a scene with impressive fight choreography. It's only a matter of time untilHello Kitty's pal Ogata rejoins the fray and the delightfully deranged Tsurumi shakes things up. But in the meantime, the gang has got to stop a jack-off happy Jack The Ripper copycat. As fight scene turned into comedy scene turned into comedic fight scene, I couldn't believe how quickly this episode seemed to be over.

Amidst the riotous action, fan-favorite Asirpa had time to shine. The hungry, silly Ainu girl has a regal air about her this episode, effortlessly convincing Hijikata to show her his faction's share of tattooed skins, then astutely separating the real skins from the fakes. It was the least violent scene of the episode but one of the most intense. As characters get ever closer to their shared ultimate goal, every minute counts. If the rest of the reason follows suit with this fast-paced episode, there's not going to be a moment of downtime during season five.