English Dub Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind “Verso il Colosseo di Roma”

After mourning the loss of Abbachio who was shockingly killed in the last episode, Abbachio did at least manage to leave behind a template/mold of the Boss’ face and fingerprints using his Moody Jazz stand powers for Bruno’s gang to work with as a potential lead. But for how elusive the bastard is, Bruno and Giorno attempt to hack into the police and Interpol databases to see if the evidence they have corresponds to anyone but it’s unsuccessful. However, their efforts catch the attention of an unidentified voice of a man who speaks to them through their laptop who calls them and convinces them that they’re on the same side in the fight against the Boss and even goes as far as to reveal his true name. He then shares that there’s possibly one chance to defeat the “Emperor Crimson” Stand.

The voice then tells an interesting history behind the Stand Arrows which goes a far back as the 1970s but it changes everything we know about the concept of Stand’s and their mysterious power along with the material the Arrows are made from which gives anyone who survives a piercing from it can get superhuman abilities. The voice then makes a deal that he’ll share the secret of the Arrow’s power to stopping their ex-boss once and for all on the condition that one of Bruno’s members meets up with them at the Colosseum in Rome.

Meanwhile, The Boss reluctantly orders Doppio to send out the two most despicably sadistic remaining members of his elite guard by the names of Cioccolata (pronounced “Chocolata”) and Secco, with Cioccolata being a murderous surgeon and Secco as his silent camera-holding gimp after Bruno’s team. When the team arrives at a coastal village, there’s a memorable yet horrific scene where you begin to see several drunks get murdered in shockingly gruesome ways that in a big reveal is the power of Cioccolata’s Stand named “Green Tea” (“Green Day” in Japan). The episode ends on a very suspenseful cliffhanger when Bruno’s crew nearly face mortal danger from Green Tea’s Stand, only to figure out a temporary solution to counter it in the most unexpected way imaginable, which further catches the interest of Cioccolata, while Secco, is filming the whole ordeal from a vantage point.

Our Take

After the long break due to the COVID crisis, we’re currently in, It’s good to be back covering the show as many twists & revelations were unraveled within Jojo’s lore. After 28 episodes we finally have the name of the elusive Passione Boss who shares a body with Doppio as a Jeckyl & Hyde kinda deal. The name itself makes sense to Jojo Creator Hirohiko Araki’s love for Italian culture and the subtle themes behind it. I was equally fascinated to learn the origins of the Stands, but if I have any minor complaints, it’s that for any longtime fan of the Jojo franchise, they also made the identity of the unknown dude who contacts Bruno’s crew a bit too obvious for me to connect the dots, especially if you look at a certain detail when he’s telling the story (which should reward anyone who’s watched Stardust Crusaders).

I always appreciate the villains in Jojo, as Araki knows how to personalize them enough to effectively make you feel the right amount of malevolence, revulsion, and sometimes entertainment value from each one. The introduction of Cioccolata and Secco was pretty intense, and while their backstories were not really essential to the main plot, it really emphasized how batshit crazy the duo are, with even their Boss apprehensively unleashing two out of desperation against Bruno’s crew. It’s also easy to assume that the Doppio scene on the plane was to establish that both Doppio/The Boss are on their way to Rome to tame them before they go too far. Given the horrific nature of Cioccolata’s stand powers, I’m even more curious to see Secco’s Stand powers in action as well.