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Golden Kamuy's Live-Action Adaptation Continues With 'Karafuto Pursuit Arc' Series in January
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
WOWOW announced on Friday it will stream a new live-action series based on Satoru Noda's Golden Kamuy manga starting on January 24 at 10:00 p.m. The series is titled Golden Kamuy: Karafuto Tsuiseki-hen (Golden Kamuy: Karafuto Pursuit Arc).
Kenji Katagiri is returning to direct the new series alongside new director Masaaki Yoshimura. Tetsuo Kamata (live-action BLUE LOCK film) is the new scriptwriter. Yutaka Yamada and Yoshiaki Dewa are returning to compose the music. Hiroshi Nakagawa and Debo Akibe are again serving as the Ainu language and cultural advisers. CREDEUS is again producing the series.
The first live-action Golden Kamuy film opened in Japan in January 2024 and topped the Japanese box office in its first weekend. The film sold 356,000 tickets for 533,848,690 yen (about US$3.44 million in current conversion) in its first three days. Netflix began streaming the first film in May 2024.
Shigeaki Kubo directed the first film at production company CREDEUS. Tsutomu Kuroiwa wrote the script. Yutaka Yamada composed the music. Hiroshi Nakagawa and Debo Akibe were credited as Ainu culture advisers.
Kenji Katagiri, Ken Ochiai, and Yōsuke Satō joined the film's director Kubo on directing the follow-up Golden Kamuy -The Hunt of Prisoners in Hokkaido- live-action series. Similarly, Yoshiaki Dewa joined the film's composer Yamada for the series. Japanese rock group ACIDMAN performed the theme song "Kagayakerumono" (Those Who Shine). The live-action series debuted in October 2024, and Netflix added the series in February 2025.
Kento Yamazaki reprises his role as Saichi Sugimoto and Anna Yamada as Asirpa. Yū Inaba, Sōkō Wada, and Tetta Sugimoto joined the film's cast as Tokishige Usami, Toshiyuki Kadokura, and Anji Toni, respectively.
Kenji Katagiri directed the film at CREDEUS based on a script by returning writer Tsutomu Kuroiwa. Yutaka Yamada was also back to compose the music, and Hiroshi Nakagawa and Debo Akibe served as Ainu culture and language supervisors.
Rock band 10-FEET performed the theme song "Kowarete Kieru made" (Until It Breaks and Disappears).
Noda launched the manga in Shueisha's Young Jump magazine in 2014, and ended it in April 2022. The manga has inspired four anime seasons. The show's final arc premiered on January 5, and will continue this winter with the climactic "Runaway Train" arc.
Sources: Golden Kamuy film series' website, Eiga Natalie
