In describing this next set of episodes, Giorno says it best, “Forget everything you know about Stands.” This mini-arc features one of if not the most busted Stands in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. But that’s also not to say this Stand is the star. This arc also brings a character to the spotlight that’s been pushed aside for a while. And that’s for better and for worse.
This will be a fun one, so let’s get rolling!
The gang arrives at Marco Polo airport and obtains a plane to fly to Sardinia. The plan is for Abbacchio to use 「Moody Blues」 to fly the plane. But while boarding, a mysterious man appears on the tarmac, heading towards the plane. Mista warns him to leave, or else he’ll be shot. The man ignores him, continues walking toward the group, and reveals he’s a Stand user. Mista guns him down instantly. But even though his death is confirmed, Giorno is suspicious, believing he went down too easily. Dismissing the thought, the gang heads out for Sardinia. During the flight, though, startling incidents begin to occur.
The first starts when Giorno and Mista discover some fingers in the plane’s mini refrigerator. It’s immediately assumed they belong to the dead man. Bucciarati uses 「Sticky Fingers」 to dispose of the fridge by dropping it off the plane. All seems calm until Giorno discovers some writing on the plane’s wall. This turns frightening when the messages threaten the gang’s life and that they’re being pursued by a Stand called 「Notorious B.I.G」. Giorno then makes the shocking and terrifying discovery that the Stand has attached to his arm. Giorno cuts his arm off, and Mista proceeds to shoot it, but 「Notorious B.I.G」devours some of 「Sex Pistols 」’s Pistolettes. Narancia is also attacked in the scuffle. However, Giorno quickly states that the Stand targets its victims through movement. Using this knowledge, Giorno lures 「Notorious B.I.G」away and off the plane but loses his other arm in the process.
With half of the team out of commission, things seem grave. While Bucciarati stays in the cockpit with Abbacchio, Trish waits in the passenger area. That’s when she notices a strange object on the wings of the plane. It turns out 「Notorious B.I.G」 survived the fall from the aircraft and breaks back inside. Trish decides to head to the plane’s closet and hide. But that’s when she notices something else on the plane floor: one of Giorno’s broaches. A hand slowly takes shape as it pulsates on the ground. Trish realizes that Giorno was already making a replacement hand for himself when he initially threw 「Notorious B.I.G」 from the plane. At first, Trish decides to leave the broach in favor of hiding, but through instinct, she goes after it anyway. This plan almost kills her when the Stand attacks her foot, but something causes her boot to fall off. A handmark similar to the one seen in Episode 16 appears on an armrest. That’s when Trish meets her Stand.
Called 「Spice Girl」, it can make inanimate objects elastic and rubbery. This comes in handy as Trish grabs the broach and runs to the closet. She’s pursued by 「Notorious B.I.G」all the way to the closet, but 「Spice Girl」 turns a clock inside to rubber, leading 「Notorious B.I.G」. to attack it because of the ticking. Trish then uses 「Spice Girl」 to grind the flesh-eating Stand to a bloody pulp.
Following this, Trish heads to the cockpit to tell Bucciarati what happened. But upon seeing him, he appears uneasy. To Trish’s horror (and that of Bucciarati and Abbacchio), 「Notorious B.I.G」. has taken over half of the plane. Molecular pieces of it traveled through the vents of the plane and to the engine, where it’s currently devouring it and causing the plane to crash. Trish makes a mad dash for the cockpit and seals it off from the rest of the plane using 「Spice Girl」. However, 「Notorious B.I.G」. isn’t done yet as it begins to revive in front of the three. But 「Spice Girl」 knocks it out of the sky and to the Tyrrhenian Sea below, where it continues to live.
The crash makes headlines throughout Italy, reporting that no survivors have been found.
There’s another bit of information to cover here, but I wanted to get into the discussion first.
Among one of the first things to cover is 「Notorious B.I.G」. This is a Stand ability that breaks all the rules of Stands. It’s the most broken ability in Jojo. Then again, Stands can talk now in this Part, which is already pretty broken, but I digress.
In addition to the fact that it’s able to survive after its user is dead—Carne is one of the most short-lived villains in Jojo that he’s never properly introduced—, 「Notorious B.I.G」. is dangerous for its ability to consume anything and grow from that and for its ability to nail targets through movement. Anything that moves faster than itself is a goner.
This is a deadly Stand that gives us one helluva battle. Honestly, the whole setup is something straight out of a horror movie. Even 「Notorious B.I.G」. ’s appearance looks like a body horror monster. There’s a lot about this Stand that makes it stand out—no pun intended there—and I love it for that!
Though speaking of standing out (now that was a joke), I have to mention 「Spice Girl」. 「Spice Girl」 is a unique ability that can change any surface into rubber. Aside from the finale, I can’t think of any other time it’s used, but it serves its purpose here. Though it doesn’t stop 「Notorious B.I.G」., it does slow it down. It’s a decent Stand overall, but it works great for this match-up.
Now, while these two episodes deliver an awesome Stand, I had one issue with them: Trish. Trish is simultaneously the best and worst part of these episodes. At her best, there’s a decent amount of development, especially when 「Spice Girl」 is awakened. She also becomes a lot bolder here. But what gets me is that this personality change comes from nothing.
At one point, Trish says she’s “flying to Sardinia for my [her] own benefit.” Well, what benefit is that? Nothing up to this point indicates Trish had any feelings for the situation involving Passione, her father, and her connection to all of it. Even when we first meet her, while she acts like a spoiled brat, she’s as dull as a rock. And given this is Jojo, even rocks have their shining moments. Trish had no personality or motivation up to this point, so this boldness she displays now honestly comes from nowhere.
So honestly, for all anyone knows, she’s just another Stand user who happens to be the boss’s daughter.
That’s the only letdown here, but this is only one issue in a pair of episodes that left me on edge. It’s an upgrade from yesterday’s battle; this is a hair-raiser you cannot miss. But as the gang near Sardinia, the story continues.
Towards the end of the episode, we cut back to Venice. The boss is pouring over a collection of pictures on a laptop. Not long after Pericolo took Trish into his custody, La Squadra raided the apartment where she and her mother lived. An essential item the group missed was a particular picture of Trish’s mother, Donatella, posing against a statue at Costa Smeralda on the Sardinian coast. The boss recognizes it as one he took himself fifteen years ago.
On top of that, the boss knows that Team Bucciarati survived the plane crash and that Trish has gained a Stand. He fears that the gang, particularly Abbacchio, will arrive at the place in the picture and use 「Moody Blues」 there. The boss decides he’ll go on his own to take care of the situation, and the episode ends with his clean getaway.
In tomorrow’s episode, we will see the beginning of that mission and meet a certain pink-haired boy. Have your phones ready, whatever they may look like.
Until then, enjoy the rest of your duwang!
-Hanime on Anime
Hanime on Anime 