Golden Kamuy live-action movie quietly starts streaming on Netflix

A live-action film based on Golden Kamuy released in Japan in January 2024, and it’s just started streaming on Netflix without much fanfare.

Golden Kamuy has gone a little under the radar since the anime show debuted on Crunchyroll in 2018. The historical adventure, about Japanese veteran Saichi Sugimoto helping young Ainu girl Asirpa get revenge for her father’s death, hasn’t enjoyed the popularity of the likes of Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen just yet, despite being a very charming watch so far.

Nonetheless, a live-action film came out in Japan this year, becoming the sixth highest-grossing movie in the country in 2024 so far, ahead of Spy x Family Code: White and Demon Slayer: To The Hashira Training. The popularity was high enough for Netflix to take interest, leading to now, when the US and UK rollout happened without many noticing.

Well, you can stream Golden Kamuy on Netflix right now. The movie follows much the same plot as the anime, based on Satoru Noda’s manga, and it’s directed by Shigeaki Kubo, who also oversaw the recently High&Low series of Japanese action films.

Who’s in the Golden Kamuy movie cast?

Kento Yamazaki portrays Saichi Sugimoto in the Golden Kamuy movie, opposite Anna Yamada as Asirpa. Yes, it’s another unwitting father figure who makes it their mission to help a young person find salvation. This has less zombies than The Last of Us and less blasters than The Mandalorian, though.

Yûma Yamoto plays Yoshitake Shiraishi, the escape artist Saichi eventually adds to the party, which is rounded out by Ryohei Otani as Genjirō Tanigaki. They navigate a plethora of other parties who’re trying to find Ainu treasure in a post-Russo-Japanese War climate.

You can’t go far wrong for some popcorn escapism, and if nothing else, it makes for a fine distraction while we wait for more on Tower of God Season 2, Solo Leveling Season 2, and other upcoming anime this year.