While there are many series similar to Hunter x Hunter that offer about the same things to fans who have been patient throughout the many hiatuses that lasted years, there is one underrated gem of a manga that will undoubtedly scratch the itch left by Togashi's masterpiece. Not only are there a lot of similarities in the plot, but it also excels in almost all the things that Hunter x Hunter is known to be unrivaled in.

Serialized from August 2014 to April 2022 in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine, Golden Kamuy is a historical adventure manga that is written and illustrated by Satoru Noda. Set in early 20th Century Japan after the Russo-Japanese War, the series follows the veteran Saichi Sugimoto who travels around Hokkaido and surrounding northern regions with a young Ainu girl, Asirpa, in search of a huge sum of gold. The key to discovering where the gold is lies in the tattoos of several escaped convicts from Abashiri Prison.

With Sugimoto looking for the money to help his dead friend's wife and Asirpa wanting to find who killed her father and stole her tribe's gold, this adventure series takes the two on a dangerous adventure that ropes them into military and national conspiracies, while showing a great historical picture of Japan in a time period that isn't often explored by media.

Hunter x Hunter and Golden Kamuy's Plots Have a Key Similarity

The Stories Revolve Around a Father and Child

While the overarching storyline is very different, the plot does have some key similarities. Both stories are about a young child going on an adventure that was initiated by their fathers, with Ging and Wilk both creating circumstances and facilitating things for their children to find out more about them, although it is revealed much later that Wilk prepared for his daughter to travel and learn about him. In both series, the central topic is about a child going out into the world to find their parents, and they continuously meet people who know about them and learn who their father was.

Both stories have the main duo going through all sorts of side quests and adventures as they work towards their main goal. Golden Kamuy especially nails this, as the premise of looking for individual pieces in a puzzle lends itself to the main characters going to all sorts of places and meeting the most interesting and diverse people. Even though the series is limited to a small part of Japan, there is never any dull location, as Noda makes sure to portray the intricacies and nuance of different cultures and lifestyles.

From a trek into the mountains, a hunt in the forest, a dive into the ocean, a march through blizzards, an invasion of prisons, and many more, Golden Kamuy exemplifies everything beautiful and deadly about adventure and depicts the geographical diversity of Japan very well. The series spares no detail when it comes to explaining the geography and nature. How the tribes lived and what they believed, how they sustain themselves, how wild animals interact, the consequences of modernization, and even how to cook tribal food, Golden Kamuy is a deep dive into cultures, and it even uses the different languages of the people for maximum accuracy.

Flora, religion, history, landscapes, and many more aspects of life are depicted, showing just how much research went into it. While the exposition can sometimes get long, it is a small issue in the grand scheme of things, and the depth at which the series goes into the explanation of different lifestyles is commendable and enhances overall enjoyability. The Ainu language in the story is supervised by Hiroshi Nakagawa, an Ainu language linguist from Chiba University.

Golden Kamuy Is as Hilarious as Can Be

Comedy Is a Key Aspect of Golden Kamuy

While the humor may not appeal to everyone, Golden Kamuy is a hilarious manga for those who appreciate adult comedy. The series doesn’t take itself too seriously, and its plot points are often bizarre yet amusing, with some even going viral. With quirky characterizations, humorous aspects of Ainu naming culture, and exaggerated facial expressions, Golden Kamuy is sure to make anyone laugh with its absurd comedy.

As funny as Golden Kamuy can be, it also deals with very serious issues and can switch to a darker tone at the drop of a hat. It explores war trauma, suicide, and PTSD, among other darker themes related to war and violence. The series also talks about how smaller tribes are affected by the expansion and modernization of Japan and Russia, and the impact of Christianity and missionaries on the lifestyle of small tribes. While the series is funny a lot of the time, it is equally tense and grim, and the constant shift in tone, particularly in the last third of the series, always makes the series exciting to read.

The Antagonist Cast Is Unbelievable

Hunter x Hunter is unmatched when it comes to antagonists, but Golden Kamuy does come close. The race to find the gold births some incredible foes for Asirpa and Sugimoto, as many people are fighting to acquire this treasure, each with compelling reasons and motivations. From the manipulative lieutenant Tsurumi, the master swordsman Hijikata, the heroic revolutionary Kiroranke, the psychotic sniper Ogata, and more, Golden Kamuy has incredible villains and antagonists who never fail to challenge the protagonists.

The overall cast is excellent as well, as many characters, such as Nihei, Huci, Tanigaki, Shiraishi, and many, many more managed to stand out as great characters and make Golden Kamuy's side cast one of the best. The character dynamics, interactions, drama, and conflicts are brilliantly executed and Noda manages to create a strong and likable all-around cast that spoils the readers rotten.

Golden Kamuy's Fights Are Some of the Best in Manga

You might not expect high-level battles from a manga that focuses on culture and nature, but Golden Kamuy proves that it delivers top-tier fight scenes. The ing and flow are excellent and easy to follow, while the choreography is impressive. Each fight showcases advanced strategies, reflecting the skills of experienced veterans and convicts. From encounters with bears and sharks to confrontations with deadly serial killers and distinguished soldiers, Golden Kamuy features fights that sur those in most battle shonen manga.

The list of things that Golden Kamuy does well is almost endless, and it is the series that keeps on giving. The art is just fantastic, the backstories are amazing, the pacing is great, and there are many more praises that one can sing for Noda's masterpiece. While Hunter x Hunter fans would enjoy this series a lot, this manga is also for anyone who can appreciate a good story and is interested in an often unexplored aspect of Japanese culture and history.