Episode 6

Pluck for Tomorrow (あしたの勇気) is the sixth episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. It is also the sixth episode of Phantom Blood. It covers Chapter 29 through Chapter 33 of the manga.

Bruford is vanquished by Jonathan but Tarkus proves to be a tougher opponent and drives the heroes into a corner. At the same time, Will Anthonio Zeppeli recalls his master's prophecy about his ultimate fate.

Summary
After having barely managed to avoid Jonathan's underwater overdrive, Bruford ensnares the protagonist with his hair once more. However, Jonathan manages to block Bruford's attack and channels an overdrive through a kick into Bruford's sword, which causes one of his arms to disintegrate. From here, Jonathan is able to escape, and unleashes a sunlight yellow overdrive barrage against him. As Bruford's body starts to disintegrate, he regains his human soul, feeling at peace and leaving JoJo his sword before completely disintegrating.

Tarkus steps forward, crushing the remains of Bruford beneath his feet before declaring his commitment to evil. Jonathan and Zeppeli manage to get Speedwagon and Poco to safety using a bunch of leaves as a hang glider. As they make their escape, Zeppeli recalls how he learned to control the Ripple from a man named Tonpetty. Incidentally, Tonpetty predicted a dire fate for Zeppeli.

However, Tarkus leaps after them, causing them to touch down at a knight's training ground in order to stand against him. Tarkus manages to crash into one of the outer walls and enters the training grounds first. Jonathan is pulled inside the grounds, thrusting him into a Chain Neck Deathmatch, in which the two fighters have been bound by an iron shackle around the neck and one must decapitate the other in order to free himself. Unfortunately, Jonathan has trouble breathing because of the collar and Tarkus takes the advantage. Realizing Jonathan will be killed if no one does anything and remembering his sister's uplifting words, Poco overcomes his nerves and enters the grounds via a window, managing to unlock the door so Zeppeli can get inside. Zeppeli steps into the chamber and suddenly remembers Tonpetty's prophecy, which stated that he would die, but steel his resolve and prepare to meet his doom.

Commentary
"It's time for Poco to shine.

There's a lot to see in Episode 6: Bruford's death in the first half, then the duel against the imposing Tarkus in the second one. Bruford's death is an important moment, directed perfectly and accompanied with a beautiful background covered in flowers. For that I greatly thank the color designer Shinichiro Yoshihara, who gave us a beautiful background as usual.

There is also a flashback of Zeppeli, which obliged us to create a young version of his design in this one scene. In JoJo, there are few designs we only use once, as they break our rhythm. Fortunately, the team managed to deal with that in time.

In the first half, Tarkus has this shout that goes "Gobabaa": it's an improvisation for the voice actor, Tetsu Inada, who read the onomatopoeia out loud. We didn't plan on keeping it, but at the end, the result is quite funny.

Lastly, I am fully satisfied by Poco's signature scene. "Tomorrow is now." There's also Zeppeli who dramatically enters the room, as determined as ever. The music perfectly sublimate this instant."

- Naokatsu Tsuda, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries