OVA 1

## The Barato Bodyguards

* The Barato Bodyguards
* Attack of the Mysterious Winged Terror!

**The Barato Bodyguards** (茨戸の用心棒, *Barato no Yōjinbō*) is the first OVA of the Golden Kamuy anime. The OVA contains two stories, **The Barato Bodyguards** and **Attack of the Mysterious Winged Terror!**

## Synopsis

Toshizou Hijikata and Shinpachi Nagakura travel to Barato upon hearing rumors of a strange tattooed skin passed there. The rivaling clans of the town drag the two Shinsengumi into their battle, while a lone sniper joins the opposing side.

Meanwhile Asirpa, Sugimoto and Shiraishi are hunting a legendary eagle.

## Plot

### The Barato Bodyguards

**Note**: *The beginning and ending of The Barato Bodyguards were shown in Episode 12; those events are transcribed from the corresponding episode page.*
Toshizou Hijikata and Shinpachi Nagakura arrive in Barato, where they are immediately engaged in a fight. Hijikata shoots his attacker, blowing his hand away. Yamamoto, the local barber, closes the doors to his barbershop and gets back to his customer, commenting on how Barato used to be run by the Hidoro clan, which is now at war with Umakichi Kusuda, who used to be one of their own men. The barber assumes his customer is a bodyguard and wonders which side he is going to pick. The customer asks him whether he has seen men with strange tattoos and watches as Hijikata and Nagakura pass by the window of the barbershop. Hijikata meets the man's gaze, who turns out to be Hyakunosuke Ogata.

Hijikata and Nagakura head to a local restaurant where they discuss the ordeal of the feuding clans. Hijikata reminisces of Umakichi Kusuda asking him to kidnap the Tamotsu Hidoro's pregnant mistress for 50 yen. Nagakura wonders which side first started spreading the rumors of tattooed skin in town. The two men are interrupted by Shinpei Hidoro and his mother who came to offer 60 yen for joining the Hidoro clan's side. When the woman leaves, Nagakura comments that the Hidoro matriarch must be the actual boss of the Hidoro gang. He doubts that a mistress would be an important hostage for the boss, surprising Shinpei. The Hidoro heir nervously mentions the strange thing they got from a man who gambled all of his money away and offered the skin of an Abashiri prisoner instead.

Back in the barbershop, Ogata discusses the town's situation with Yamamoto: the police chief wants to let Umakichi take over all the gambling in town and claim all bribes for himself; moreover, he is interested in the tattooed skin. In that moment, the police chief enters the barbershop, asking about the skilled samurai who came to town. He then sees Ogata, who he immediately takes for a thug. The police chief tells Ogata to join the Umakichi side, warning that if he joins the Hidoro clan instead, he will regret it. Ogata smiles and nods, then stabs the police chief with a pair of scissors in his chin. As the police chief withers in pain on the floor, Ogata tells him he's got some questions, then proceeds to give the Barato chief a derogatory nickname — *Chief Ass Chin.*

The Umakichi gang gathers outside the barbershop. They're shocked to see the police chief all beaten up and dragged by Ogata by his hair. Ogata sees Hijikata in the distance and takes the opportunity to prove his sniper skills by shooting a bell on the watchtower from long range. Ogata follows Umakichi and leaves, and Hijikata comments that the bell that the sniper hit was the signal of something serious beginning. Shinpei asks Hijikata to help with protecting the pregnant mistress, revealing that he is the father of the child she is carrying.

The men come to the house where Chiyoko is staying. Shinpei tells her to cover her face with a wrap and come with him. After the two leave, Hijikata closes the door from the inside and shoots all of the Hidoro men. He then orders Shinpei to tell his mother that their bodyguards were killed by Umakichi's men, saying that, although she may be an evil woman, evil people are the weakest when it comes to blood ties. Hijikata then demands they give him the tattooed skin as the reward for eradicating the Umakichi gang.

Following Hijikata's instructions, Shinpei shows his mother the aftermath of the shooting. He tells her that the Umakichi men left a note where they say that Chiyoko is held hostage and they want the tattooed skin in exchange for her life. However, the Hidoro matriarch refuses to give up the skin. Shinpei claims that Chiyoko's baby is the matriarch's grandchild, which prompts her to hit her son in anger.

Meanwhile, Ogata is walking through the town with Umakichi and Barato chief, still holding the latter by his scalp and sarcastically commenting about "cutting that cleft chin so wide" that the man will "turn into a full body ass crack". Ogata insists the chief tells him about the tattooed skin. The chief says that the Hidoro family is probably hiding the skin in some secret room in their lodge, to which Umakichi adds that he planned to kidnap the mistress to force the Hidoro clan to give up the skin. They go to the house where Chiyoko was hiding but see dead bodies of the Hidoro men inside. Ogata finds a .44-40 Winchester cartridge on the floor and realizes Hijikata used one of those as well.

Shinpei tells Hijikata and Nagakura that he's always been a coward since he never liked violence and now only wants to leave Barato with Chiyoko to start a new peaceful life with her and their child. Nagakura replies that they don't think of Shinpei as a coward at all. After the man leaves, Hijikata and Nagakura pay a visit to Yamamoto, asking him to participate in the hostage exchange.

The families are gathering and their men take positions, ready to attack at signal. The Hidoro family comes to Yamamoto's barbershop, where the man is waiting with Chiyoko on a horse. The Hidoro Boss throws the box with tattooed skin on the ground, telling the barber to go check it. As Yamamoto stretches his hand out to take the box, the matriarch puts her hand inside her kimono, ready to give the signal to her men. Shinpei, who notices it, attempts to stop his mother, but they're interrupted by the sound of the gunshot. The person who posed as Chiyoko falls down from the horse as the real Chyioko watches from the window. The impostor turns out to be Nagakura (who surprises Shinpei with his bright red lipstick). Ogata, who was the one who made the shot, smirks and says he knew that it was one of the "old geezers". Tamotsu Hidoro tries to pick up the skin, but is shot through his hand; Shinpei drags him away as he cries. Ogata then commands Umakichi to go grab the skin while it's still lying on the ground. Nagakura proceeds to take cover behind the horse.

Some of Hidoro's men hesitate and want to turn back, but they're stopped by Hijikata who threatens to cut down anyone who dares to retreat. Ogata sees the Umakichi gang members struggle with real fighting, so he tries to help by explaining how to move from cover to cover more effectively. Meanwhile, Hijikata leads a small group of Hidoro thugs with Kantarou and Kamezou through the townsfolks' houses. Seizing the moment, the police chief takes a sabre and runs to grab the tattooed skin, but he is quickly killed by Hijikata's shot. Hijikata orders his men to drive off the enemy and move forward so they can later take out the sniper. Their group is attacked by Umakichi's men, and Hijikata asks Kamezou to cover him while he is taking down other thugs.

Ogata sees the Hidoro Boss leave the tattooed skin without attempting to get it back. He comments on how strange it is, since the Hidoro matriarch is rumored to be very greedy. He is then distracted by a shot in the bell — Hijikata and his men have surrounded Ogata and are firing at him. As Ogata tries to retreat from the watchtower, he is pierced by the bullet and falls down.

Nagakura, who has been hiding from the gunfire all that time, gets out from his cover and tries to pick up the skin. He is stopped by Umakichi, who threatens him with a gun. Nagakura picks up the sabre from the ground and attacks Umakichi and his men, swiftly killing them. Kantarou gleefully comments that the fight is over since the rest of Umakichi's men ran away. One of Hidoro thugs notices that some building in the distance is on fire. Shinpei realizes that it must be their herring lodge, which alerts the Hidoro matriarch. Nagakura opens the box with tattooed skin and sees that it's a fake.

When Shinpei and his mother reach the burning lodge, the matriarch tells Shinpei to grab as many valuables as he can while she takes the tattooed skin. Shinpei is heartbroken to hear that his mother would trade the life of her grandchild for some tattoo. Tamotsu Hidoro, who followed them to the lodge, overhears it and asks what it means. The Hidoro matriarch reveals that Chiyoko is actually pregnant with Shinpei's child and not Tamotsu's because he is infertile, as she checked his sperm in secret long time ago. The mother runs into the lodge and Shinpei follows her, leaving shocked Tamotsu outside.

In the house, the Hidoro Boss gets the tattoo while Shinpei begs her to get rid of it. She scolds him for being just like his real father who was just a regular fisherman. Suddenly, Tamotsu attacks his wife and bludgeons her with a rake. Shinpei watches in horror and pleads him to stop, but Tamotsu accuses him of deceiving him all that time and threatens to kill him too. As his father belittles him, Shinpei breaks down in tears, saying he will build a new life without the help of his family. Tamotsu reaches for the gun on the floor, but he gets shot in the head by Ogata, who was watching everything from above. Ogata proclaims that killing one's parents is like a rite of passage before one truly can become independent, then says that it's weaklings like Shinpei that piss him off more than anything.

As the streets are covered with dead bodies lying on the ground, the Barato showdown between the fighting clans has come to its end. Shinpei and Chiyoko leave the town, ready to start their new life. Hijikata and Nagakura walk into a building to acquire the tattooed skin, but instead they meet Ogata who has already found it. Ogata offers his service as a bodyguard to Hijikata and hands him the tattooed skin.

### Attack of the Mysterious Winged Terror!

Early in the morning, while Asirpa and Shiraishi are still asleep, Sugimoto notices a large bird outside their hut in the forest. He realizes that it could be the legendary bird *Huri* that Asirpa told him about, so he tries to catch it by using *kapacirap* — a hunting hook. Sugimoto manages to trap the bird and yells for Asirpa and Shiraishi to wake up and help him. Asirpa quickly snaps the bird's neck and smiles as she seizes her prey. Suddenly, a giant bird appears and picks up Asirpa in the air. Shiraishi and Sugimoto scream in horror and hit the bird, releasing Asirpa from the animal's grip. Asirpa watches the bird fly away, amazed by the legend of the *Huri* being true.

## Adapted Chapters

### The Barato Bodyguards

* Chapter 55
* Chapter 56
* Chapter 57
* Chapter 58
* Chapter 59

## Character Appearances

* Toshizou Hijikata
* Shinpachi Nagakura
* Kantarou Okuyama
* Kamezou
* Tattooed Prisoner *(Debut)* *(Cameo)*
* Yamamoto
* Hyakunosuke Ogata
* Hidoro Boss *(Debut)*
* Tamotsu Hidoro *(Debut)*
* Shinpei Hidoro
* Umakichi Kusuda *(Debut)*
* Matasuke Ejiri
* Chiyoko *(Debut)*
* Tokushirou Tsurumi *(Mentioned)*
* Asirpa
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Yoshitake Shiraishi

## Trivia

* The premise of the Barato storyline is a homage to Akira Kurosawa's film Yojimbo, where a wandering ronin joins the fight between two rivaling bosses of gambling trade in town.