[Spoiler Review] Anime 'Golden Kamuy' Season 5 Episode 52 "Tokushirou-san's Number One"

Is it just me whose heart can't keep up after watching this week's 'Golden Kamuy'? I had a premonition just from seeing the title, but I never expected such a beautiful yet heartrending conclusion... Private Usami—his story of "love" has concluded in Episode 52, and I'm reviewing it with everything I have.

Overall Impression: Even His Madness is Endearing. All Viewers Trembled at Usami Tokishige's Final Brilliance.

This episode was, without exaggeration, a "villain's final moment" that will go down in anime history.
Calling Lieutenant Tsurumi "Tokushirou-san" and seeking his favor more than anyone—that was Usami. His motivations were always simple, and pure. The production staff's dedication was tremendous, from the high-tempo combat scenes between Usami and Ogata with sparks flying, to the seamless transition to the final silence—I take my hat off to them.

What deserves special mention is the voice acting. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Usami delivers "innocence within madness," while Hōchū Ōtsuka as Lieutenant Tsurumi conveys "a kindness that embraces and exploits everything." The interplay between these two elevated a violent story into a supreme human drama.

Episode 52

The story quickly builds tension from the chase scene in the spreading fire of the beer factory.
Standing before Usami, who has seized the tattooed skin, is the sniper with a fateful connection—Ogata Hyakunosuke. The combat scene between these two was truly a "battle between beasts." The dogfight using not just firearms but bodies and tactics was depicted with animation quality befitting the final arc.

Meanwhile, Asirpa, having wandered into the engine room, encounters the fleeing Ostrog (Jack the Ripper). A desperate situation...! Yet what saved her and moved the story forward was each person's determination.

And then, the climax that surely had many fans holding their breath.
Gravely wounded with his life fading, Usami. The one who rushes to his side is the very man he spent his entire life pursuing as his "number one"—Lieutenant Tsurumi.
"The one I doted on most was you."
The moment I saw Usami's expression upon receiving those words, I felt as if all the crimes he had committed until now had vanished for just an instant. The sound of horses running, the heartbeat, and the voice of his beloved. For him, this may have been the most "blissful ending" possible.

• Usami vs Ogata close combat reaches peak speed
• "That tension" when someone appears in Asirpa's moment of crisis
• The ultimate display of Lieutenant Tsurumi's charm—both terrifying and redemptive

The sense of loss from such a towering personality departing the story is immense, but what Usami left behind has certainly propelled the gold rush into its next stage.

Next Episode Preview

Beyond Usami's death, the story accelerates further.
Will the factory's great fire consume everything, or will it expose new truths?
Episode 53—what "role" is bestowed upon the survivors?
We can only wait, trembling, for next week!