While I often see this episode as a prelude to one of my all-time favorite fights in Jojo, its importance cannot be denied. The most prominent element of this episode that makes it worth watching is that we learn a crucial detail about the boss himself.
I’m excited to share my thoughts on this episode, so let’s get it rolling. And what better way to start it off than with a backstory?
Don’t worry! This one is actually worth talking about.
The episode opens with Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s take on I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant. In 1965, an all-women’s prison inmate mysteriously gives birth to a baby boy with pink hair. What makes this occurrence strange is that not only did the woman show no signs of being pregnant, but she’d been imprisoned for two years and also claimed the father had long since died. Regardless of the odd circumstance, the baby is taken away and adopted by a priest in a village in Sardinia. The boy grows up years later to be a shy and naive young man who eventually meets a young woman named Donatella. Close to this time, the priest decides to get his adopted son a car. But while building a garage in his home, he makes a startling discovery: a woman’s body. What’s more terrifying is that this woman is not only the boy’s mother, but she’s alive. The same night this happens, a fire breaks out in the village, supposedly killing the priest and the young pink-haired man.
Cutting to present-day Sardinia, we watch a child play in the street before he’s saved by a pink-haired young man named Vinegar Doppio. This turns out to be a cruel prank as Doppio is nearly hit by an oncoming truck. Fortunately, he survives the ordeal. A fortune teller witnesses the incident and then encourages him to have his fortune read. It’s here he makes some unusual observations. The pink-haired man carries a dual personality that allows him a life of power and control, and he’s coming to Sardinia to find his daughter. The reading goes too far when the fortune teller insists on reading Doppio’s palm. That’s when the young man snaps, attacks the fortune teller, and transforms into the boss himself.
The boss tells the fortune teller that anyone who knows his true identity cannot live but offers him a merciful death at a price. He tells the fortune teller to give him the location of Risotto Nero, the last remaining member of La Squadra. While he’s not able to give his exact location, he does tell the boss that he is, in fact, in Sardinia and after the boss for revenge. And while the fortune teller reads his palm, he’s killed. The boss returns to being Doppio and takes a cab for Costa Smeralda. Not far away, Risotto receives word of the plane crash off the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Doppio arrives at Costa Smeralda and attacks the cab driver when he tries to overcharge him. He mistakes an envelope containing Donatella’s picture for cash. The driver is spared when Doppio receives “a call” from the boss. He’s actually talking to a hood ornament, and his comments on potentially killing the driver scare the driver away. The boss warns Doppio to be wary of Risotto, who’s followed the cab to the beach. When the boss “hangs up,” Doppio has no memory of the call. It’s at that moment he encounters Risotto.
Suspecting him as a member of Passione, Risotto confronts him on the envelope with Donatella’s picture. Doppio manages to hide the picture under his shoe. But Risotto becomes even more suspicious when he hears Aerosmith nearby, indicating Team Bucciarati is in the area. Risotto realizes that Doppio is someone of great importance if several members are converging on one spot. At the mention of this, Doppio snaps and runs to attack Risotto. But during the mad dash, Doppio begins to vomit blood and razor blades and later has needles pierce his cheeks. Risotto escapes for the time being. The boss calls Doppio to go after Risotto. But Doppio voices his fears of being attacked again.
As the episode ends, the boss reminds him of the extraordinary power granted to him by 「King Crimson」, Epitaph.
I’ll admit, this episode is a prologue to the 「King Crimson」 and 「Metallica」 fight. But on its own, it holds a lot of merit. The most prominent aspect we get out of this episode is the boss’s true identity. Well, kind of.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple or Split Personality Disorder) has been portrayed in anime before. The best examples are Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul and Suikotsu from Inuyasha. The boss definitely goes the Suikotsu route, as there’s a physical and mental transformation. Still, I think it works here, showing what a terrifying person the boss is. Doppio is used as a cover and an ally. Who would suspect a young man being a mafia boss? Better yet, who better to trust with your secrets than yourself?
In my opinion, there’s a lot more that can be read into about the boss and Doppio. The one in particular that I like to consider is which personality is the dominant. I have a theory on who that is in a later post, but it’s a thought that’s been debated amongst Jojo fans for a long time. Regardless of what can be read into this, there’s no doubt that this is a significant revelation.
And while this episode is admittedly one of my favorites, I have little to no issues with it. Everything here works the way it should. And surprisingly, the backstory isn’t an issue here. Even though it repeats some details already known about the boss, it gives us some necessary and helpful information.
It’s weird to say that a Golden Wind backstory is necessary for once, but it’s just as odd for me not to find a single issue with this episode. But with this being a prelude for the next battle, I don’t think much should be expected. That’s a good thing!
Speaking of the next battle, we’ll sleep with one eye open and grip our pillows tightly as the next Stand battle takes us to Never Neverland. Put another way, if you’re not a metal fan, you will be tomorrow.
Until then, it’s arrivederci for now, so enjoy the rest of your duwang!
-Hanime on Anime
Hanime on Anime 