Asirpa

**Overview**
Story
Gallery

* Manga
* Anime

**Asirpa** (アシㇼパ) is a young Ainu huntress and the deuteragonist of Golden Kamuy series. After Asirpa saves Sugimoto's life and learns the story of the hidden gold, the two start their search for the treasure.

## Appearance

Asirpa is a short Ainu girl with a small frame. She has dark hair which reaches the middle of her back, and blue eyes with tints of green, the same eyes her father had.

Asirpa wears a white Ainu robe made from bark called *attus*, complete with traditional swirling motif at the edges of the cloth over a purple band. Underneath she wears a purple kimono, which is tucked at the back. Asirpa wears dark leggings and deerskin boots called *yukker*. In cold weather Asirpa puts on a wolf fur mantle to cover herself in the wild.

She also wears a number of accessories, most notably a purple embroidered headband with swirling motif called *matanpushi*, matching *tekunpe* hand coverings, and two *ninkari* earrings that she received as heirloom from her mother. In warmer weather, she can be seen wearing a *rekutunpe* necklace.

Asirpa carries many items, most notably her longbow and quiver, but also several knives in carved sheathes.

## Personality

Asirpa is an independent and capable young girl. She initially appears cold and withdrawn but that quickly changes once she warms up to the other person and exposes a more jovial and childish side.

As revealed by her uncle Makanakkuru, Asirpa changed after her father died. After being left alone, Asirpa relied on Retar and spent times with him in the mountains. One night, Retar left Asirpa while she begged the wolf to stay. Asirpa broke down in tears, being abandoned once again. Since that day she rarely smiled until she befriended Sugimoto; Makanakkuru notes that spending time with Sugimoto has given Asirpa back her smile. However, she still struggles with the fear of being abandoned, uncertain whether Sugimoto still stays by her side if they find the gold.

When with her friends and family, Asirpa is a playful and cheerful girl. She enjoys cooking and is enthusiastic about hunting. She occasionally likes to tease others, especially Sugimoto and Shiraishi.

As a hunter, Asirpa is aware of the cruelty of nature. She knows that in the wilderness weakness leads to death and thus is very pragmatic about survival. She acts mature and serious when hunting her prey or discussing the plans of finding the gold. However, Asirpa has strict principles and beliefs, as she refuses to murder people even if her life is at stake.

Asirpa deeply respects the Ainu culture. The Ainu revere nature and consider animals godlike beings *kamuy*, so Asirpa always honors her prey and everything she uses as gifts from the *kamuy*. Asirpa will never eat the meat from a man-killing animal, believing it to be a *wen kamuy*. However, she considers herself a new kind of Ainu woman and occasionally dismisses Ainu customs such as tattooing her mouth or believing in fortune-telling.

More than anything, Asirpa wants to protect the Ainu and preserve her people's independence. After her journey to Karafuto and the many revelations that followed, she has decided to find the gold to assure that the Ainu and their culture will never be erased or forgotten.

## Abilities

* **Hunting**: From young age, Asirpa was trained by her father to become a hunter. As such, she possesses many skills that are necessary for a successful hunter: trapping, poison brewing, knowledge of traditional medicine, archery, deep knowledge of Hokkaido's flora and fauna, harsh winter survival.
* **Ainu cuisine**: Asirpa is a great cook and can prepare many traditional Ainu dishes from the animals she hunts and what she forages in the forest.
* **Drawing**: Despite having little training, Asirpa is a good artist. She was the one responsible for copying prisoners tattoos by sketching them on paper.

## Equipment

* Bow wrapped in cherry tree bark (*karimpaunku*)
* Deerskin boots (*yukker*)
* Hiking stick (*ekimnekuwa*)
* Hunting knife (*tasiro*)
* Knapsack (*saranip*)
* Quiver (*ikayop*) and arrows (*ay*)
* Snowshoes for use on crusty snow (*cinru*)
* Short knife for women (*menokomakiri*) with a netsuke made from deer antler
* Condiments (such as dried Alpine leeks and soft windflower)
* Cooking oil
* Winter clothes
* Tableware
* A small pot
* Deer whistle
* Punishment rod (*sutu*)

## Quotes

* (To Sugimoto) *"The weak get eaten."*
* (To Sugimoto) *"I don't want to kill anyone."*
* (To Sugimoto) *"'I'm a new kind of Ainu woman, for a new age!"*
* (To Shiraishi) *"Sugimoto survives because he walks in the shadow of death, but never lets it consume him. That's why he is Sugimoto the Immortal!"*
* *"Hinna, hinna!"*

## Trivia

* Wilk named her Asirpa, which means "new year" but can also mean "future". Her childhood name was *Ekasiotonpuy*, which means "grandfather's butthole".
* Her Japanese name is Asuko Kochoube (小蝶辺 明日子). ”明日”, meaning 'tomorrow' or 'future', and ”子”, meaning 'child', is a common ending for feminine names.
* Asirpa likes salted brains and Sugimoto's *osoma* (miso) but dislikes snakes.
* In 2018 Golden Kamuy All-Stars popularity poll, Asirpa ranked 4th, gaining 9,458 votes.
* When asked what occupation Golden Kamuy characters would have if they lived in the present time, Satoru Noda said Asirpa would be a student in Otaru.
	+ When asked the same question, Asirpa's voice actor Haruka Shiraishi said Asirpa would work in a restaurant.
* According to Golden Kamuy anime character reference sheet, Asirpa's height is 121 cm (3'11).
* She still carries the fish cake she thought was Ushiyama's head bump.
* Asirpa is older than Cikapasi but younger than Kantarou.
* Asirpa is shorter than Ienaga and Nagakura but taller than Cikapasi.
* Asirpa is lighter than Inkarmat but heavier than Cikapasi.
* Asirpa's fur mantle is made from the fur or Retar's deceased parents.

## References

1. ↑ Golden Kamuy official fanbook
2. ↑ Character report cards from the double 22-23 issue of Young Jump, Piduai, Tumblr
3. ↑ Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 314
4. ↑ Q&A section from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
5. ↑ Q&A corner from the DVD bundle of the 15th volume of Golden Kamuy
6. ↑ Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 1
7. ↑ Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 2
8. ↑ Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 12
9. ↑ Golden Kamuy Manga: Chapter 18
10. ↑ 「ゴールデンカムイ北海道オールスターズ総選挙」
11. ↑ “What would the occupation of Golden Kamuy characters be if they live in the present time?”
12. ↑ Golden Kamuy Central, @KamuyCentral, Twitter
13. ↑ ゴールデンカムイ　設定
14. ↑ Q&A section from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
15. ↑  Q & A section with Noda Satoru
16. ↑ Character profiles from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
17. ↑ Character profiles from the Golden Kamuy fanbook