GW Episode 28

Beneath a Sky on the Verge of Falling (今にも落ちて来そうな空の下で) is the twenty-eighth episode of Golden Wind and the one hundred forty-first episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. The episode covers from Chapter 548 to Chapter 550 of the original manga.

Although Risotto Nero is defeated, the Boss is not yet out of trouble as his fight has alerted Team Bucciarati. Still weakened from his fight against Risotto, he must find a way to replenish his blood's iron as Bucciarati and Narancia approach.

Summary
After a gruesome battle, the Boss has outsmarted Risotto Nero and has had him shot by Aerosmith. On the beach, Team Bucciarati notes that their enemy is down and discusses what to do next. Bucciarati orders Abbacchio to replay the past to uncover the Boss's face as soon as possible, but Abbacchio reminds him of Carne and Notorious B.I.G, highlighting the need to confirm the identity of the enemy. Thus, Bucciarati and Narancia leave to check the dying enemy while Giorno and Mista remain to guard Abbacchio and the turtle.

Up the cliffs, Aerosmith flies past the dying Risotto, who is heavily bleeding and on the ground. The Boss fully manifests himself but the blinding sun hides his features. Congratulating Risotto on his ability, the Boss demands him to return the iron back to his body. In exchange, he will finish him off and spare him the humiliation of being seen by Bucciarati in this sorry state. Risotto whispers something, causing the Boss to lean forward but the assassin suddenly grabs him. Still defiant, Risotto attempts to kill the Boss with him. Thanks to the sprayed blood, Metallica has stuck to Aerosmith and now manipulates the plane to Risotto's advantage. It fires at the Boss from behind but King Crimson then erases time for half a second, letting the bullets fly past him and hit Risotto in the face, killing the assassin for good.

Nonetheless, the Boss remains in deep trouble: his anemic body starts to fail him as Bucciarati approaches. The Boss crawls toward the rocks and starts eating the wildlife to replenish his iron supply while Bucciarati and Narancia arrive to see Risotto's body. However, Bucciarati notices the severed foot and guesses that the assassin was fighting someone else; he thus orders Narancia to increase his radar's sensibility to search for the hidden foe. Despite detecting hundred of sources coming from the surrounding wildlife and tourists nearby, Bucciarati and Narancia find a suspicious source slowly but surely going away from them. Meanwhile, Giorno and Mista stand guard from a vantage point and see that Abbacchio has reached the month Donatella Una's photo was taken.

Following the source, Bucciarati and Narancia see a large blood trail and surround their target's likely hiding spot. Bucciarati takes the time to announce himself and ask for the man hiding behind the rocks to come out, subsequently splitting the rock with Sticky Fingers to uncover his target. To their shock Bucciarati and Narancia discover a boy, his mouth sewn shut and his face pale as if he's been drained of his blood. Meanwhile, Abbacchio incidentally confronts a group of children whose ball is stuck up a tree. Seeing Moody Blues being busy rewinding time, Abbacchio knocks the ball down the tree for the children. The children thank Abbacchio and take their leave, but then King Crimson punches through Abbacchio's chest, killing him on the spot. The Boss, hidden among the kids, has eliminated Abbacchio, leaving him to die as Moody Blues begins to crumble apart.

Abbacchio sits at a table and enjoys a quiet lunch, but then hears clinking glass. Discovering a policeman gathering the fragments of a broken bottle, Abbacchio asks him what he is doing to which the man explains that the fragments could solve a mugging case. As the policeman steadfastly searches for fingerprints, Abbacchio asks why he keeps working considering the corruption of the law in Italy. The cop thus explains that he is not looking for results as this mindset leads to corruption, but is maintaining his will to seek the truth, believing in an eventual good end. In turn, Abbacchio confesses that he envies the policeman's resolve and says that he lost his will. Revealing that he knows Abbacchio, the policeman assures him that he has gained this resolve back. Startled, Abbacchio starts to remember the policeman and more importantly that his team needs him. But, realizing that the man he's speaking to is his former partner who died on patrol, Abbacchio understands that he is dead.

Back to the Costa Smeralda, the whole team is shaken by Abbacchio's death. Unable to accept the truth, Narancia demands that Giorno heals him but it is too late. Bucciarati then orders the team to prepare to leave, as the beach now has no interest for them, causing Narancia to become angry at everyone's coldness. As Giorno tries to reason Narancia, the latter knocks him over. Suddenly, Giorno spots a suspicious piece of rock in Abbacchio's hand and turns it into a ladybird with Gold Experience, leading them to the stele and a. Abbacchio has fulfilled his mission even in death, and Team Bucciarati can leave the beach with a solid lead to the Boss's identity.

Commentary
"The flowers near where Abbacchio lay were original to the anime. Of course, I like the manga's more tragic, harsh depiction, too, but this way of sending him off made me emotional. And the cast credits roll truly surprised me. I cried for real watching this episode."

- Junichi Suwabe, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

"When Risotto asked to see the Boss's real face, he knew he was going to die, but wanted to at least take the Boss down with him. His final moments of pride as a leader show, and the Boss pays him respect for that. I also liked Abbacchio's scene with his police partner. I think most people would like those words spoken to them when they die. The ending was beautiful, too."

- Shinshu Fuji, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

"1. Directing and Re-Staging

Director Hideya Takahashi knew the importance of preserving one of the best moments of the manga. However, he supplemented two spots that would have been awkward when animated:

A. The Moment Abbacchio Recognizes His Partner: Having conversation continue after the policeman's face was revealed would have been unnatural, so the table hides his face and the scene is monochromatic until Abbacchio recognizes him. "The rest is for Abbacchio's emotions to process."

B. The Moment Narancia Accepts Abbacchio's Death: Takahashi decided to clarify this moment so that the voice actors could switch gears emotionally. Abbacchio's face is not revealed until the sun shines through, echoing Narancia as he finally accepts his death. "We had to map the clouds, too, which was surprisingly difficult."

2. The Anguish of the Famiglia

"I wanted crying as the crew walked away, so we amped up Narancia's crying. I loved Daiki Yamashita's crying performance when we worked together before, so I knew he'd pull it off," says Takahashi. Yugo Kanno composed a piece exclusively for this scene. "I made him a reference video where I voiced all of them. I think I did a pretty good Narancia!"

3. The Flowers

After discussion with Producer Takamitsu Sueyoshi of Shueisha, the flowers in the last scene were added to pay tribute to Abbacchio. "The yellow sultan means strong will.' Production Coordinator Shiori Yamaguchi chose the flower. It was a perfect choice!""

- Hideya Takahashi, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries