"JoJo ~The Fate of That Blood~" (ジョジョ ～その血の運命～, JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~) is the first opening theme song of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It is performed by Hiroaki "TOMMY" Tominaga and was his debut solo release. Kamikaze Douga produced the opening animation sequence. It is used throughout the adaptation of the first part of the series, Phantom Blood, and as an insert song in the final episode of the season, which adapted Battle Tendency.
"JoJo ~The Fate of That Blood~" was written by Shoko Fujibayashi, composed by Kohei Tanaka, and arranged by Kow Otani. Fujibayashi and Tanaka are notable for contributing to various popular opening theme songs, and they previously worked together on the first opening theme song of One Piece, "We Are!".[2]
The single was released in Japan on November 21, 2012.[1]
It begins with a quick montage of manga panels of Jonathan's descendants shown in reverse order (Jolyne, Giorno, Josuke, Jotaro, and Joseph), each having at least two animated panels of their iconic scenes. Jonathan then appears in a monochrome panel recreating the pose from Volume 4. After color fills his body, he swipes downward with his fist causing the title to appear.
The logo flashes and zooms in as the camera moves through a tunnel towards a door, which slams open into a stylized version of the Joestar Mansion. Jonathan stands on the stairway framed like a portrait. The scene pans to Dio jumping out of a painting of a carriage, like he did when arriving at the mansion, and the two stare each other down. It shifts over to a rotating Statue of the Goddess of Love. A sudden spin of the statue turns it into an arm holding the Stone Mask and another spin turns it into Jonathan's arm holding a knife, carving his and Erina's name into a tree. Erina is shown blushing and attempts to move in for a kiss from Jonathan, but is surprised and horrified when Dio kisses her instead. The scene then changes to Dio's perspective, as an enraged Jonathan appears and punches the camera, causing its gaze to shift onto the Stone Mask as blood splatters on it. The Stone Mask's eyes glow and the camera rotates behind it, as tendrils emerge from the mask and pull the camera in.
The scene changes to when the police attempt to shoot Dio after he has put on the Stone Mask. Dio flies back after being shot and the window shatters. One of the broken pieces of glass shows the reflection of Jonathan holding his dying father. A moment later, Jonathan's arm points toward the sun. Dio, after gaining his new vampire abilities, walks up the wall of the burning Joestar mansion. The room spins and Dio appears up close holding the Stone Mask. He stabs a knife into the camera and another montage of scenes from the manga, featuring him as a child to an adult, commences.
After a quick worried glance from Erina, the scene blinks to Jonathan staring at the darkness at the top of a stairwell. Swinging his arm, the Ripple shoots through his body. Jonathan then proceeds to walk up the stairs. He gradually picks up speed and starts running until his eyes are close up with his pupils filled with the flames of rage. At the top of the stairs, Dio sits on a throne, holding the Stone Mask in front of his face. A quick zoom into a reverse montage of scenes from the manga starts up, including one featuring Zeppeli at his last moments with Jonathan, which starts with the confrontation before their fight and ends with Dio and Jonathan meeting as children. Jonathan charges his Ripple overdrive and punches Dio, who attempts to block it. The camera rotates and zooms out from the battle up a long flight of spiral stairs. A moment later, the Stone Mask is seen falling into the ocean and slowly sinks to the bottom.
In the U.S. airing of Phantom Blood on Toonami, the opening was edited down to less than 30 seconds to fit American television guidelines for several more commercials than Japanese television broadcasts.
Furueru hodo kokoro
Moetsukiru hodo atsuku
Sono te kara hanate kodō
Karada minagiru yūki de
Mayoi naki kakugo ni kassai wo!
~Sono chi no sadame~ JoJo
Throbbing hearts burn
As if aflame
The pulse which beats forth from their palms
The courage which runs through their veins
Bravely embracing their fate!
~The fate of that blood~ JoJo
賽は投げられた 進むしかない
奇妙な螺旋の中 転がり続ける
永遠を彷徨う冒険者
Sai wa nagerareta susumu shikanai
Kimyō na rasen no naka korogaritsuzukeru
Eien wo samayō bōkensha
The die is cast! He can do nothing but advance
The eternally-wandering adventurer
Tumbles through a bizarre spiral
恐怖を認め 克つ者に 黄金の魂を
そして出会った 二人のために…戦いを
Kyōfu wo mitome tatsu mono ni ōgon no tamashī wo
Soshite deatta futari no tame ni... tatakai wo
A golden soul for the man who conquers his fears
Fighting for the two who met, fight
Maku ga aita yōda
Owarinaki monogatari
Inochi ga butsukaru hibana
Seishun no hibi wo terase yo
Kimi to iu mirai ni kōun wo
~Sono chi no sadame~ JoJo
The curtain rises
On an endless tale
Sparks of life collide
Lighting up the days of youth
May fortune shine on the future you bring
~The fate of that blood~ JoJo
二度とほどけない 絡み合った運命
すべてはここから始まっていたのさ
Nidoto hodokenai karamiatta sadame
Subete wa koko kara hajimatteita no sa
Two fates knot into one inseparably
It all began at that moment
震えるほど心
燃え尽きるほど熱く
その手から放て 鼓動
身体 漲る勇気で
迷い無き覚悟に喝采を
Furueru hodo kokoro
Moetsukiru hodo atsuku
Sono te kara hanate kodō
Karada minagiru yūki de
Mayoi naki kakugo ni kassai wo
Throbbing hearts burn
As if aflame
The pulse which beats forth from their palms
The courage which runs through their veins
Bravely embracing their fate
Maku ga aita yōda
Owarinaki monogatari
Inochi ga butsukaru hibana
Seishun no hibi wo terase yo
Kimi to iu mirai ni kōun wo
~Sono chi no sadame~ JoJo
The curtain rises
On an endless tale
Sparks of life collide
Lighting up the days of youth
May fortune shine on the future you bring
~The fate of that blood~ JoJo
"JoJo ~The Fate of That Blood~" did moderately well in the charts, peaking at 14th place on the Oricon's Weekly Album Charts.[3] On Billboard Japan'sHot 100, it debuted at 52nd place[4] and peaked at 19th.[5] On Billboard Japan's Hot Animation chart, it debuted and peaked at 5th place.[6][7] On their Top Singles Sales it debuted and peaked at 10th place,[8] and left the charts after the week of February 25, 2013, after a 12-week run.[9] When the subsequent theme song, "BLOODY STREAM," by Coda entered the charts, "JoJo (Sono Chi no Sadame)" jumped from a ranking of 65th to 41st in one week on Oricon.[10]
Jun Yamamoto from Billboard stated that TOMMY's vocals and the accompanying brass band were said to be heart-pounding and reminiscent of classic anime theme songs. The lyrics resonate with the story of Phantom Blood, hinting at the fate of Jonathan Joestar in his fight against Dio Brando, and he believed the song would be loved by JoJo fans.[11]
The TV broadcast version of the song is included in the limited edition "Anison" version of the Weekly Shonen Jump crossover fighting game, J-Stars Victory VS. It is one of the 21 anime theme songs included in the edition and can be used as background music during battles.
A cover of the song is selectable in various iterations of the rhythm game series Taiko no Tatsujin. In the arcade game Taiko no Tatsujin: Sorairo Ver., upon clearing the song without missing a single note, the player will be rewarded with the title "I Won't Stop Playing Until I Get A Full Combo!" (フルコンボまで演奏をやめないッ！, Furu konbo made ensō o yamenai!), a play on Jonathan's line from Chapter 4, "I won't stop beating you until you cry!" (君がッ 泣くまで 殴るのをやめないッ!, Kimi ga naku made naguru no o yamenai!).
When blood is splattered onto the Stone Mask in the opening animation, the same Japanese onomatopoeia "バッ" that appears in the referenced manga scene is formed from some of the blood on the wall.
