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MANGA.TOKYO > Anime Reviews > Summer 2019 > JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Episode 38 Review: Golden Wind Requiem

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Episode 38 Review: Golden Wind Requiem

by Jennifer Grainger

8 months ago

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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Anime Visual

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The penultimate episode of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure brings us the climax of the battle between Giorno and Diavolo. However, the series doesn’t end here, as we meet a strange Stand which at first glance looks like nothing more than a simple boulder.

Original Japanese tile: ゴールド・E（エクスペリエンス）・レクイエム

Highlights

The cold open was great, starting with a flashback and then returning to where we left off last episode. The flashback then restarts after the commercial break, continuing with the same conversation we saw in the cold open. It’s a very interesting use of episode composition and certainly makes us feel as if we are really reaching the end of the series.

I very much enjoyed the fact that one of Diavolo’s deaths was being killed by a drug addict likely high on drugs supplied by Passione.

It was quite emotional to see the sacrificed members up in heaven. Giorno will make sure that their deaths had meaning, and he will use what he learned from them to become a better leader.

We get to see Fugo again! This is a highlight for me, as I really came to love him over the course of the anime adaptation.

Bucciarati is a good man. He gives the florist the choice to back out before getting involved in the mafia. This small scene pretty much sums up Bucciarati’s morals when it comes to the innocents.

Trivia

Not only does the opening reflect the ability of Gold Experience Requiem, but Giorno’s pose is a direct reference to the photograph of DIO he carries in his wallet.

‘Do you pay your taxes?’

For many viewers, the Giorno vs Diavolo battle may seem a little… anticlimactic. However, that’s something that I personally really liked about the composition of this series. The focus of this series isn’t about powering up and beating up the bad man. If you were expecting the final two episodes to be a huge awesome fight between Diavolo and Giorno, then you will be sadly disappointed as this is no simple rehash of previous JoJo parts. The pacing here was very well-done, from the uncomfortable look at Diavolo’s fate to the building of tension within the flashback. If you are part of the faction that is disappointed at the lack of fighting between the ‘bad guy’ and the ‘good guy’, then I can’t urge you enough to just sit back and think a little about what this series is trying to say. Otherwise, just rewatch Stardust Crusaders (which you should do anyway because it’s awesome).