GW Episode 34

The Requiem Quietly Plays, Part 1 (は静かに奏でられる その①) is the thirty-fourth episode of Golden Wind and the one-hundred-forty-seventh episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. The episode covers from the end of Chapter 571 to Chapter 574 of the original manga.

Struck by the Arrow, Silver Chariot has transformed into Chariot Requiem, which takes the Arrow and protects it. Moreover, Chariot Requiem has manipulated eveyone's souls and caused the heroes to switch bodies.

Summary
Diavolo has taken the Arrow for himself but suddenly, a new person entirely clad in black appears in front of him, walking away. Although Diavolo orders them to stop and say who they are, he inadvertently drops the Arrow and begins to fall asleep against his will. Likewise, Giorno, Mista, Trish, Coco Jumbo and the entirety of Rome including all animals are put to sleep. Meanwhile, the new being proceeds to descend the stairs of the Coliseum to the ground level.

Time passes and the sky lights up for dawn. Giorno and Trish slowly awake and realize that it is nearly dawn, meaning they've just slept through the night. Giorno then realizes that his hands are bleeding, prompting Trish to run to cover and grab both Coco Jumbo and Mista's gun while calling Giorno out to her. Confusion ensues as Giorno calls himself, and Trish then is suprised by her body. As Mista and Narancia wake up, the group understands that their souls have swapped between bodies.

Mista has switched with Trish while Giorno has switched with Narancia. Giorno tries to analyze the situation as the body swap doesn't look like an attack. For her part, Trish takes the situation particularly badly, being disgusted by Mista's body and being embarrassed that Mista is in hers. Narancia worries about Bucciarati lying on the ground but is told to stay away as Bucciarati must have been swapped and the whereabouts of the Boss and their contacts are unknown. Surprisingly, the group then discovers that their Stands have been empowered to some degree which puzzles Giorno even more. Discovering the state of Rome, the group then ponder who is inside of Bucciarati as Trish notices that she cannot sense her father anymore.

Suddenly, Coco Jumbo itself starts to speak. Indeed, Jean Pierre Polnareff's soul has been put inside the turtle. Explaining the circumstances of his demise, Polnareff then declares that this body swap was caused by the new Silver Chariot, Chariot Requiem. The turtle then narrates an incident during which he accidentally pricked Silver Chariot with the Arrow, causing a similar switching of souls then stopping it by taking the Arrow from his Stand's hands; as such, the group may unlock a formidable ability on par with Chariot Requiem's soul manipulation although it requires them to bypass Chariot Requiem. Finally, Polnareff warns the team that Diavolo has somehow been working alongside a mysterious boy in spite of his mistrust.

Narancia suddenly notices someone coming from an entrance and sees that it is Diavolo himself. Positioning themselves into an ambush position, the group see "Diavolo" confronting Chariot Requiem. To their surprise, "Diavolo" summons Sticky Fingers to attack Chariot, cutting off the hand that was holding the Arrow. Bucciarati has swapped with Diavolo and is now in his body.

Commentary
"Episode thirty-four features Diavolo's version of the opening. The lines in Italian aren't me. I'm so glad they didn't ask me to record those lines! I enjoyed reading about the fans' reactions on social media. It was great seeing everyone so hyped up about the new version of the opening!"

- Katsuyuki Konishi, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

"Chariot Requiem is really scary. It's violent, and the fact it doesn't speak is also scary. But being able to see Chariot Requiem animated made me happy as a viewer. The switched consciousness was fun, too. It's a relief to know that the comedy of typical JoJo's dialogue still exists within such tense developments."

- Fuminori Komatsu, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

"1. A Respite During Battle

The story becomes heavier as it nears its end. Director Takahashi aimed to have this episode be a rest stop for viewers before the highs and lows of the following episodes. "We hope this episode prepares viewers for the tragedy ahead. If the interactions amongst the gang in the first half make you laugh, then I'd call it a success."

2. Acting After the Switch, Part 1

Takahashi reveals that most of the recordings were done in one take. "They had all grasped the others' characteristics, so I had no complaints. It was all thanks to the cast members themselves, who had guided each other along on line delivery." Takahashi had nothing but respect watching the cast members aim higher.

3. Acting After the Switch, Part 2

Not wanting to lose to the voice performances, the staff put effort into the characters' movement and poses. Takahashi explains, "We went slapstick for Mista's pose as Trish, while we had Trish walk crudely bowlegged as Mista. Giorno was made to look a bit younger as Narancia. The animators brought out exactly what I was aiming for."

4. Polnareff's Retirement

According to Takahashi, Polnareff had retired to southern France after losing to Diavolo the first time. "We decided he sets himself straight after that battle, and the book on his desk shows him researching the arrow. Of course, he's drinking house red.""

- Kenji Takahashi, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

Trivia

 * According to Lizzie Freeman, Trish's English voice actress, while voicing Mista's reaction to being in Trish's body, she was glad that no one had to see her when recording these lines as she was doing so at home.