Review of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind

Don and capos, Stands, Italian architecture and a banger OST. What could go wrong with this spicy combination? Much, apparently. For all of this part’s technical merits, there are quite some points I feel the need to address, as it “being Jojo” can make shielding it from criticism too easy, by the excuse of it being campy and self-aware. ~~~ Let’s proceed with the review. ~~~ [1. On both story and characters...] Much like the pre-part 4 series of the franchise, this part follows an action adventure approach, the story this time involving a (literal) gang journeying throughout Italy while fighting mafiosos. Not much to note, other than thatunlike more heroic if still flawed characters of previous parts, the gang are antiheroic if still relatively noble, ruthless and occasionally, downright sociopathic (often in a comedic way). This on its own is okay, serving as a refresh to prevent Jojo from becoming stagnant, and can set the tone for more mature thematic exploration and bolder if dark comedy, alongside (a)typical Jojo campiness and exaggeration. In practice however, I hardly found this approach working, because of plenty of poor or unremarkable writing.

One of my primary qualms was how often and blatantly inconsistent and convenient this part could get, even for Jojo. From a huge “Araki forgot” on an established effect of Golden Experience, to a never explained revive to some (admittedly minor) details such as a radio magically reforming after braking, there was too much carelessness to brush off.

There was also excessive rule-breaking connected to Stands. From some Stands becoming fully tangible to humans (consistently established throughout Jojo as being impossible), to an user operating with two Stands, to a post-mortem Stand operating on its own, I believe there was quite some disrespect to Jojo’s own rules and setting. It did not help that this part is less comedy-oriented than say the third, as it became harder for me to suspend any disbelief.

Another qualm was the plot becoming too monotonous and predictable, in part due to the nature of its cast. Most characters reverted to the formula of Stardust Crusaders: many more disposable villains, less recurring and hardly any with some sort of complexity. This extends to the main cast as well, as their interactions could be frequently amusing or heartwarming, but outside Bruno and Abbachio they are too static and/or limited in traits. And yes, this includes the protagonist. Outside Bruno, I hardly found myself caring too much for anybody else. The main villain was also a dramatic downgrade to the previous part’s, mostly because of the sheer nonsense behind their personality disorder. Anything else I say will veer into spoiler territory so I’ll leave it here.

That is not to say though I was fed up with each and every aspect of the story. Comedy could sometimes really hit the spot, including its darker jokes and memes, and I could enjoy the changes of scenery. Some battles could be entertaining and dynamic, such as a frost-skating-snowboarding-gunfighting battle and an original urban dogfight.

Also, one note on a detail (not a spoiler, but something only one who completed understands). Unlike other people, I don’t mind the Requiem, it can be perfectly justified, from previously established details. Also, its power can make sense, if one wraps their mind around the "cause and effect" aspect.

[2. And on audiovisuals...]
I find character designs to be hit-or-miss, way too extravagant in hair and fashion sense. Not much to say on those, just a matter of preference.

There is plenty of good background artwork, including natural or semi-natural landscapes (e.g. Italian countryside), iconic Italian cities (e.g. of Naples and Venice) and landmarks (e.g. Pompey). In fact, as somebody who has travelled in quite some of those regions and cities, I was delighted to see the attention behind their design. Animation was functional but not too remarkable; most of fights get carried by direction in this part. A point of criticism on the production is the occasional poor CGI used for water, which could look jarring when juxtaposed with the drawn backgrounds and characters.

On audio, it’s highly impressive. Despite relative lack of too renowned seiyuu, voice acting was great, and certainly on its finest during the more memetic scenes (such as the infamous licking and beatdown scenes). There were many memorable sound effects, such as zippers opening, revolver fire, fighter machine guns, ice breaking, you name it. Sound was never ill-matching, and music was harmoniously blending with scenes in question.

Speaking of which, I daresay this part includes the richest Jojo OST so far. And no, I won’t limit this to mentioning Giorno’s iconic orchestral-jazz theme. There is a surprising variety of genres among its tracks. The openings are dramatic and pompous rock-orchestral pieces, whereas other tracks (e.g. leitmotifs or endings) run the gamut from techno to erotic R&B to ominous orchestral. One is even a terrifying track with biohazard sirens, one which I would expect to encounter in a horror-mystery game or slasher movie. I'm including the last, listen to your peril.

All in all, there is frequent technical competence in this part, but could not enjoy that much because of its flaws becoming too transparent for me to ignore. Consistency, for one, can and does matter, and lack of it can pose problems for a narrative.

~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~