‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean’ Part 3 Changes Everything for the Series
5/5 stars!
Stone Ocean batch 3 is finally here, and there was no typical hurrah for our heroes—not that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure can ever have a season without some heart-wrenching events. But the final batch of episodes for Stone Ocean changes everything for the series. Jolyne (dubbed by Kira Buckland) and co. weren’t prepared for what Pucci (dubbed by Yong Yea) had planned. And as a result, there were a lot of deaths after the crew broke out of the prison.
Spoiling character deaths that occur in batch 3 isn’t my aim here. Many folks in this fandom have read unofficial translated pages of Stone Ocean. Then there are those of us who are slowly reading the manga and are aware of what happens. But if you belong to neither camp, it would be a shame to spoil episodes you have yet to watch.
Minor spoilers for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean part 3 ahead.
In part 3, we’re thrust into not only a chain of events, but also moments from the past. Pucci and Weather Report (Netflix localized name: Weather Forecast)’s backstories unfold (they are twins, surprise!) and ignorant fans can finally shove their shitty theories about Pucci and Weather Report not being Black into the toilet. Accept that they have a Black parent and move on! Essentially, all of our main characters have tragic pasts they’re trying to sort through. Pucci’s just the only one destroying everyone else in the process.
Poor Jolyne spent this whole batch trying her hardest alongside her allies. Unfortunately, Pucci is usually a step ahead of them. We get to see how deeply he affects his own allies (who happen to be Dio’s other biological children) and how Pucci’s self-righteousness is unwavering. Jolyne does get some licks in before her father shows up to join the fight again. Normally, this is when JoJo and their allies come through and save the day (usually with some casualties)—only this time it’s a different, more heartbreaking story.
The characters you root for throughout this part don’t come out unscathed. In fact, they are not the people we’ve come to love by the end of it. And there’s something significant about how everything is stacked against them, yet they still fight. That’s essentially the core of every JoJo story and, by extension, the stories of their respective allies. It’s worth noting that Jolyne embodies the spirit of her lineage and is more like her father than she initially accepted.
Overall, Stone Ocean as a whole is a fantastic batch and there’s no question why it’s a favorite for many fans. The characters are memorable as always and the plot is more bonkers than anything we’ve seen before. Jolyne is everything folks could ever want in a female JoJo. Also, her part marks the return of 3D openings, and we did indeed get a second opening in this batch. “Heaven’s Falling Down” by sana (sajou no hana) is *chef’s kiss* and there are Phantom Blood references littered throughout the visuals. All in all, you’ll laugh and you will definitely cry as you finish Stone Ocean.
(featured image: Netflix)
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