"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]
Opening Animation
The opening depicts the major highlights of Phantom Blood from the childhoods of Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando up to their climactic battle in adulthood.
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 in the manga. 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.
Appearances
Lyrics
The Japanese kanji lyrics for this song, written by Shoko Fujibayashi, were officially included in the disc's booklet.
(ジョジョ！ジョジョ！)
(ジョジョ！ジョジョ！ジョジョ！)
(JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
空 こぼれ落ちたふたつの星が
光と闇の水面 吸い込まれてゆく
引き合うように 重なる波紋
Sora! Koboreochita futatsu no hoshi ga
Hikari to yami no minamo suikomareteyuku
Hikiau yō ni kasanaru hamon
Twin stars streaking through the heavens
Stir the surface of light and darkness
Their ripples echo together
誇りの道を往く者に 太陽の導きを
野望の果てを目指す者に 生贄を
Hokori no michi wo yuku mono ni taiyō no michibiki wo
Yabō no hate wo mezasu mono ni ikenie wo
The sun leads those who seek the path of glory
Demanding a sacrifice from all who pursue their ambition
(ジョジョ！ジョジョ！ジョジョ！)
(ジョジョ！ジョジョ！)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo!)
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
～その血の
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
(ジョジョ！ジョジョ！ジョジョ！)
(ジョジョ！ジョジョ！)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo!)
幕が開いたようだ
終わりなき物語
命がぶつかる火花
青春の日々を照らせよ
君という未来に幸運を
～その血の
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
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
幕が開いたようだ
終わりなき物語
命がぶつかる火花
青春の日々を照らせよ
君という未来に幸運を
～その血の
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
(ジョジョ！ジョジョ！ジョジョ！)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
Tracklist
All lyrics are written by Shoko Fujibayashi; all music is composed by Kohei Tanaka, all arrangement by Kow Otani.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "JoJo ~The Fate of That Blood~"  (ジョジョ～その血の | 4:22 |
| 2. | "JoJo ~The Fate of That Blood~ ~ORIGINAL KARAOKE~" | 4:22 |
| Total length: | 8:45 | |
For the "Archetype MIX" versions, see the album JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The Anthology Songs 1.
Reception
"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's Hot 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]
Credits
Animation Staff
Music Staff
- Drums: Noriyasu "Kasuke" Kawamura
- Bass: Chiharu Mikuzuki
- Guitar: Hiroshi Imaizumi
- Trumpet: Luis Valle, Yuma Takeuchi (竹村悠馬)
- Trombone: Kanade Shishiuchi
- Alto Sax: Masato Honma
- Tenor Sax: Ryouchi Daigou
- Baritone Sax: Naoya Takemura
- All Synth: Kow Otani
- Program: Kow Otani
- Recording Engineer: Toshiyuki Yoshida
- Mixing Engineer: Toshiyuki Yoshida
- Recording Studio: GREENBIRD, SOUND CITY
- Mixing Studio: SOUND CITY
- Mastering Engineer: Shigeo Miyamoto
- Mastering Studio: form THE MASTER
- Music Production: IMAGINE
- Producer: Hiroyuki Omori (Warner Entertainment Japan)
- A&R: Akihiko Okada (Warner Entertainment Japan)
- Promoter: Takashi Iida, Hideki Nakanishi, Yuki Maeda (Warner Entertainment Japan)
Illustration Staff
Usage
Anime
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Video Games
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！), a play on Jonathan's line from Chapter 4.
Gallery
Jolyne Cujoh in the shadows of a jail cell from SO Chapter 96
Stone Free coming back to Jolyne after she defeated Viviano Westwood from SO Chapter 66
Jolyne's resolve to seal the new power Pucci obtained from SO Chapter 96
Giorno Giovanna striking his signature pose from Chapter 444
Giorno showing off his Star Birthmark from Chapter 441
Giorno beating down Cioccolata from Chapter 562
Josuke Higashikata using Crazy Diamond to destroy and quickly repair a motorcycle from Chapter 387
Josuke "fixing" Pearl Jam's spaghetti from Chapter 305
Jotaro Kujo throwing the first punch in his fight against Dio from Chapter 256
An edit of Jotaro from Chapter 256 with Star Platinum from Chapter 165
Joseph Joestar using his Clacker Volley technique against Wamuu from Chapter 68
Joseph's rage against Kars from Chapter 106
Joseph tightening Caesar's Headband on his head from Chapter 97
Jonathan striking his signature pose from the cover page of Volume 4 of Phantom Blood before the transition to series title
A Young Jonathan and Dio stare each other off
The Stone Mask
Jonathan carves his and Erina's name into a tree
Erina shocked as Dio approaches to kiss her, his face reflected in her eyes
Dio steals Erina's first kiss
Jonathan angrily punches Dio after finding out about the kiss
The mask is splattered with Dio's blood after Jonathan's punch
Dio is encompassed by the mask
Various police officers, poised to fire at Dio
Jonathan holds his father during his final moments
Jonathan points to the sun, the same energy as Ripple
Dio walks up the Joestar mansion wall, the mansion on fire
Dio stabs down with a dagger, like he does to try and stab Jonathan in Chapter 11
Jonathan filled with Dark Determination
Jonathan confronting Dio for their final battle
Jonathan and Dio meeting each other for the first time
The stone mask is lost at sea
Opening Videos
Trivia
- 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.
- This is the first and only opening of the anime series in which the majority of the credits are rendered vertically from top to bottom akin to how Japanese text is traditionally rendered in manga dialogue.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 JoJo-Portal
- ↑ "「ジョジョの奇妙な冒険」OPテーマの着うた・着うたフル配信中！ アニソンニュース - Newtype アニメ ミュージック ダウンロード" (Archived), Listen.jp, March 17, 2013.
- ↑ ジョジョ〜その血の運命〜 富永ＴＯＭＭＹ弘明のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE
- ↑ Billboard Japan Hot 100 - November 26, 2012
- ↑ Billboard Japan Hot 100 - December 3, 2012
- ↑ Billboard Japan Hot Animation - December 3, 2012
- ↑ Billboard Japan Hot Animation - December 10, 2012
- ↑ Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales - December 3, 2012
- ↑ Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales - February 25, 2013
- ↑ "「ジョジョ」第2部OPテーマがオリコン初登場4位! イエスのEDテーマもセールスが20倍に!" (Archived), Listen Japan, February 5, 2013.
- ↑ "富永ＴＯＭＭＹ弘明「ジョジョ～その血の運命～」" (Archived), Billboard-Japan, November 29, 2012.