My Thoughts on JJBA: Stone Ocean Trailer
Short version: I'm excited
If you're a JoJo fan, or even just closely associated with people who are, then by now you are probably well aware that a trailer for the upcoming Stone Ocean anime adaptation has dropped. As someone who only finished the Stone Ocean manga not too long ago, and still has it fresh in their mind, I was absolutely psyched when the trailer for the anime adaptation finally dropped.
Stone Ocean follows the series' first (and so far, only) female protagonist, Jolyne Cujoh, daughter of Stardust Crusader's protagonist, Jotaro. She is framed for a hit and run and sentenced to fifteen years in a maximum security prison. But she soon finds out that something sinister is going on in this prison. Something targeting both her and her father, who comes to bail her out but is swiftly attacked by an enemy. Left on her own, she now has to ally with other prison inmates who share powers to help save her father.
The art in JoJo has always been top notch. It has the look of regular anime, with Hirohiko Araki's signature crosshatching and shading, paired with flamboyant and imaginative outfits, to give it a look far different from any other manga or anime on the scene. Stone Ocean was the first JoJo manga I'd read, after binging the entire anime and wanting more to fuel my new addiction. Seeing these amazing frames and unique characters come to life onscreen is so exhilarating. I understand now why "manga first" readers get so excited when anime of their favorite manga drops.
We got a sneak peek at the voice acting talents of Fairouz Ai, a fairly new voice on the anime scene, and her voicing of Jolyne. Her voice suits the role extremely well, and hearing her adopt her father's battle cry ("Ora! Ora! Ora!") was absolutely the icing on an already pretty great cake.
Oh, and Jolyne's theme song was also shown in the trailer. And I have to say, it may actually be the best JoJo protagonist theme yet. It has elements of all the previous JoJo's themes, and represents the chaotic nature of the story and its protagonist. Someone pointed out that it bears an uncanny resemblance to the theme used for the 2016 rendition of Wonder Woman.
From the sounds of it, Daisuke Ono will also be reprising his role as Jotaro, which is awesome, as he breathes so much life into that character. I had heard through the grapevine that Takehito Koyasu will also be returning as Dio (minor of a character as he is in this part), but I have yet to see any official confirmation on that. (But I sure hope he does, because his voice is iconic!) What I really want next is a teaser trailer teasing the appearance of Pucci and Dio. Because the "Big Bads" in JoJo are always the most exciting element (in my opinion, anyway).
As a manga, Stone Ocean was a really great read and I loved that it touched on family bonds a bit harder than some of the previous parts. At its core, JoJo is definitely about family. The whole series revolves around a single bloodline and its cursed fate. So I loved that Stone Ocean delved a little bit deeper into the bond between an estranged father and daughter; and how despite their miscommunications and strained relationship, they manage to reach a mutual understanding and respect.
Jotaro is my favorite JoJo (very closely followed by Jolyne), and seeing how he digresses from over-powered, invincible teen in Stardust Crusaders to a broken, trauma-stricken middle-aged dad in Stone Ocean who was never there for his daughter, is something that I loved--because it made him more human. And humans can be disappointing sometimes. But it's still hard to deny that he loves his daughter, even if he isn't the best at showing it. Likewise, Jolyne loves and cares for him, even if she's angry at how he's ignored her over the years. I think seeing this conflicted family dynamic brought to small screen is really going to re-emphasize how important family ties are to this franchise. Dysfunctional as the Joestar family lineage may be, there's still an undeniable love and loyalty that binds them all together.
Anyway, I loved this manga and I hope the anime brings it a lot more attention. I've seen many people say its anime adaptation should be skipped and go straight into a Steel Ball Run adaptation instead. But I'm glad we're getting it adapted. It has so many beautiful panels and emotional moments that I'm excited to see brought to life. If this trailer is any indication of how good the anime will be, then my hopes for this arc are very high.
About the Creator
Jennifer Childers
I just write thoughts on anime, games, music, movies, or other things that are on my mind. Occasionally a poem or short story might come up.
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