GW Episode 39

Sleeping Slaves (眠れる奴隷) is the thirty-ninth and final episode of Golden Wind and the one-hundred-fifty-second episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. The episode covers from Chapter 592 to Chapter 594 of the original manga.

Mista encounters Rolling Stones, an automatic rock-like Stand that predicts Bucciarati's impending death. Mista is ready to risk anything in order to save his leader from both Rolling Stones and his Fate.

Summary
Although he is shocked to see a statue of a dying Bucciarati, Mista quickly incapacitates Scolippi, makes the elevator go up, and begins to interrogate him. Scolippi reveals that he's a sculptor unaware about Stands except for his own ability, Rolling Stones, which acted on its own and followed Bucciarati. Mista then notices that the stone has disappeared and Scolippi explains that Bucciarati's fate has been sealed, just like how stones are fated to take the form of a given statue. Skeptical, Mista tries to intidimate Scolippi into bringing back the stone by forcing a russian roulette on the sculptor as Scolippi explains that Rolling Stones predicts future deaths and confronts its target to let them die peacefully when they touch it, claiming this ability to be the true cause behind his girlfriend's death. Mista shoots Scolippi in the mouth, but his gun misfires, as Scolippi isn't supposed to die. After pistol-whipping Scolippi, Mista calls Fugo to warn him and Bucciarati, only to learn that Bucciarati had already decided to go in to help and is currently in the range of Rolling Stones.

Shooting three of the Sex Pistols to seek Bucciarati, Mista makes the elevator go down and begs a barely conscious Scolippi for a way to stop Rolling Stone. Scolippi then mentions the possibility of destroying the stone although he isn't sure it can work. Bucciarati is already at the seventh floor and Rolling Stones is already near its target. Shooting up the elevator shaft, Mista manages to delay the stone by shooting it so that he can join Bucciarati and explain the situation. However, in doing so he's aggravated the wounds present in Bucciarati's statue. Mista holds the stone down but it then sinks into the stairs and reappears from a wall to ambush Bucciarati. Using Sticky Fingers, Bucciarati zips to the outside of the building, closely followed by Rolling Stones. The stone almost touches Bucciarati but Mista is able to grab it and throws himself off the building while still holding the stone. Mista then lands on a car's roof and Rolling Stones breaks on the concrete. Trusting Scolippi's word, Mista performed this daring action knowing he wasn't fated to die this day. Incidentally, Mista lands on Fugo's car, as he had come back to give Mista the tape recorder he had forgotten.

With the stone destroyed, Mista is satisfied to leave the whole affair as is, and Bucciarati decides to investigate the case of Luca's death. However, Scolippi appears, seeing that Mista has in the end not prevented Bucciarati's death as the rubble, unbeknownst to the gangsters, takes the form of Abbacchio and Narancia as well, signalling their deaths. As a silver lining, Scolippi notes that Mista was ready to die for his leader and, admiring this determination, hopes that the youths' arduous road will fulfill some purpose.

Back to the present, Giorno is staring at the Arrow in his hand, causing Mista to chew him out for his tardiness. Suddenly, Trish suddenly trips on a round rock reminding Mista of Rolling Stones. Trish disappears briefly but it simply turns out that Coco Jumbo has caught up to the team, having accidentally sucked Trish into his room. Moreover, Jean Pierre Polnareff's soul has clung to the room inside of Coco Jumbo, allowing him to linger a bit more in the world of the living. As Mista reminds the group that Bucciarati is still in the Colosseum, Polnareff begins to recall that Bucciarati's soul has since departed but Giorno silences him with a look. Mista is then distracted as he remembers Trish critizing him for his body odor earlier and begins to agree with her, but she reassures him and says that she doesn't mind anymore. As the group heads to the Colosseum, Giorno tells Polnareff that he wont destroy the Arrow, claiming that those who carry on the will of the departed must keep moving forward. Polnareff respects Giorno's decision, and advises that he keep the arrow inside Coco Jumbo.

Golden Wind ends with Mista opening the windows of a chamber in which several mafiosi are present to kiss the hand of Giorno, showing their respect torwards the new head of Passione.

Commentary
"1. Scolippi

Scolippi is the pillar of this prologue-epilogue. Director Kimura requested him to be portrayed mysteriously, a fragile college student who at times speaks with powerful conviction. "I think the metal elements on his clothes are chisel tips, a must-have for any sculptor. And as you can see from the holes in his hands and his crucified pose when Mista pins him down, he's based off of Jesus Christ."

2. The Daughter's Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones that appear in the scene with Scolippi and the daughter of the flower shop were designed exclusively for the anime. Kimura says, "I asked the episodic director Yasutoshi Iwasaki to draft a stone in the form of the daughter with bleeding feet, and asked the background artist Reki Taki to render it.""

- Yasuhiro Kimura, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

"3. Golden Wind

According to Director Takahashi, the shot of Giorno stopping to feel the golden wind after storing the arrow inside the turtle links back to the golden wind at the beginning of the season. The older, more mature Giorno of the finale contrasts with the youth eating ice cream that viewers met in the first episode.

4. The Post-Credits

The story ends with a man kneeling before Giorno, now head of the syndicate. Takahashi compares it to the florist kneeling before Bucciarati: "It was the perfect foreshadowing. And now, Bucciarati's will resides within Giorno." The penultimate shot brought about disagreement amongst the three directors. They ended up following the manga, but showing the streets free of drugs and having Fugo and Trish appear were ideas that came to the table."

- Hideya Takahashi, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

"5. "Let's Go... To the Colosseum" For Chief Animation Director Ishimoto, closing with Polnareff's narration was emotional. "His words have weight because of what he experienced in Stardust Crusaders. It was moving to see Polnareff in a position to guide the young. I was the animation director for the epilogue, so I'm glad I was able to close the curtains on Golden Wind""

- Shunichi Ishimoto, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

Trivia

 * Giorno's outfit in the final scene is taken directly from the cover of Volume 61.