"JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~" (ジョジョ ～その血の運命～, lit. JoJo ~ Destiny of That Blood ~) is the name of the first opening of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The Animation. Associated with the first arc of the series, Phantom Blood, the song is the debut solo release of Hiroaki "TOMMY" Tominaga.
The song is written by Shoko Fujibayashi, composed by Kohei Tanaka, and arranged by Kow Otani. Both Fujibayashi and Tanaka are noted for their contributions to theme songs, having previously worked together on "We Are!" for One Piece[1]. Tominaga's vocals and the accompanying brass band were said to give the whole song an "anime song groove" that harkens back to much older and love-theme songs. The lyrics resonated well with the story of Phantom Blood, and Jun Yamamoto for Billboard said he "could almost feel the passion and ambition that Jonathan Joestar had in his fight against Dio Brando"[2].
"JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~" did moderately well in the charts, peaking at 14 on the Oricon's Weekly Album Charts[3]. On Billboard'sJapan Hot 100, it debuted at 52[4] and peaked at 19;[5] on the Japan Hot Animation chart, it debuted and peaked at 5;[6][7] and on the Japan Hot Singles Sales it debuted and peaked at 10,[8] but as of February 25, 2013, it remained on the chart, having done so for 12 weeks.[9] When the subsequent theme song, "Bloody Stream," by Coda entered the charts, "JoJo (Sono Chi no Sadame)" was seen on the Oricon to jump from a ranking of 65 to 41 in one week[10]
The opening consists of the main events in the first few episodes of Phantom Blood. It begins with a quick montage of manga scenes featuring the first six JoJo protagonists shown in reverse order (Jolyne, Giorno, Josuke, Jotaro, Joseph, and finally Jonathan), and from there moves into a tunnel with the title displayed. The tunnel opens up and Jonathan and Dio are seen as children staring each other down in the Joestar Mansion. The scene 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 what is presumably Jonathan's arm holding a knife, carving his and Erina's name into a tree. Erina is shown and attempts to move in for a kiss from Jonathan, but is surprised when Dio is kissing her. Jonathan appears and punches the camera causing its gaze to shift onto the Stone Mask. The Stone Mask's eyes glow and the camera zooms into the scene where 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, is seen walking up the wall of the burning Joestar mansion. The room spins and Dio appears up close holding the Stone Mask. He smashes the mask into the camera and another montage of scenes from the manga, featuring him as a child, commences. After a quick glance from Erina, a scene starts up with Jonathan staring at the darkness at the top of some stairs. 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 aflame. 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 montage of scenes from the manga starts up, including one featuring Zeppeli at his last moments with Jonathan, and ends with Dio and Jonathan's final face-off. Jonathan charges a Ripple overdrive and punches Dio. Dio 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.
Lyrics
Japanese Kanji
Japanese Rōmaji
English Translation
(ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
空ッ！こぼれ落ちた 二つの星が
Sora! Koboreochita futatsu no hoshi ga
Twin Stars! Streaking through the heavens
光と闇の水面 吸い込まれてゆく
Hikari to yami no minamo suikomareteyuku
Stir the surface of light and darkness
引き合うように 重なる波紋
Hikiau yō ni kasanaru hamon
Their ripples echo together
誇りの道を行く者に 太陽の導きを
Hokori no michi wo yuku mono ni taiyō no michibiki wo
The sun leads those who seek the path of glory
野望の果てを目指す者に 生贄を
Yabō no hate wo mezasu mono ni ikenie wo
Demanding a sacrifice from all who pursue their ambition
(ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！)
(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
Furueru hodo kokoro moetsukiru hodo atsuku
Throbbing hearts burn as if aflame
その手から放て鼓動 体漲る勇気で
Sono te kara hanate kodō karada minagiru yūki de
The pulse which beats forth from their palms, The courage which runs through their veins
迷い無き覚悟に「喝采」をッ！
Mayoi naki kakugo ni 'Kassai' wo!
Bravely embracing their fate!
～その血の運命～ ジョジョ
~Sono chi no sadame~ JooooooooooooooJo
~The fate of that blood~ JooooooooooooooJo
賽ッ！は投げられた 進むしかない
Sai! Wa nagerareta susumu shikanai
The die is cast! He can do nothing but advance
奇妙な螺旋の中 転がり続ける
Kimyō na rasen no naka korogaritsuzukeru
The eternally-wandering adventurer
永遠を彷徨う 冒険者
Eien wo samayō bōkensha
tumbles through a bizarre spiral
恐怖を認め立つ者に 黄金の魂を
Kyōfu wo mitome tatsu mono ni ōgon no tamashī wo
A golden soul for the man who conquers his fears
そして出会った二人のために 戦いを
Soshite deatta futari no tame ni tatakai wo
Fighting for the two who met, Fight
(ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！ジョジョ…ッ！)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
(JoJo! JoJo! JoJo! JoJo! JoJo!)
幕が開いたような 終わりなき物語
Maku ga aita you na owarinaki monogatari
The curtain rises on an endless tale
命がぶつかる火花 青春の日々を照らせよ
Inochi ga butsukaru hibana seishun no hibi wo terase yo
Let the sparks as lives clash cast light on the days of your youth
君という未来に「幸運」をッ！
Kimi to iu mirai ni 'Kōun' wo!
May fortune shine on the future you bring!
～その血の運命～ ジョジョ
~Sono chi no sadame~ JoooooooooooJo
~The fate of that blood~ JoooooooooooJo
二度とほどけない 絡み合った運命
Nidoto hodokenai karamiatta sadame
Two fates knot into one inseparably
全てはここから始まっていたのさ
Subete wa koko kara hajimatteita no sa
It all began at that moment
震えるほど心 燃え尽きるほど熱く
Furueru hodo kokoro moetsukiru hodo atsuku
Throbbing hearts burn as if aflame
その手から放て鼓動 体漲る勇気で
Sono te kara hanate kodō karada minagiru yūki de
The pulse which beats forth from their palms
迷い無き覚悟に「喝采」をッ！
Mayoi naki kakugo ni 'Kassai' wo!
Bravely embracing their fate!
幕が開いたような 終わりなき物語
Maku ga aita you na owarinaki monogatari
The curtain rises on an endless tale
命がぶつかる火花 青春の日々を照らせよ
Inochi ga butsukaru hibana seishun no hibi wo terase yo
Lets the sparks as lives clash cast light on the days of your youth
君という未来に「幸運」をッ！
Kimi to iu mirai ni 'Kōun' wo!
May fortune shine on the future you bring!
～その血の運命～ ジョジョ
~Sono chi no sadame~ JoooooooooooooooooooooooooJo
~The fate of that blood~ JoooooooooooooooooooooooooJo
JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~ Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi / Composition: Kohei Tanaka / Arrangement: Kow Otani
JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~ ~ORIGINAL KARAOKE~
Trivia
The sinking Stone Mask into the ocean foreshadows what ultimately happens to Jonathan and Dio: sunken to the bottom of the ocean and not to be heard of until the events of Stardust Crusaders.
In the US airing of Phantom Blood on Toonami, the opening was edited down to 30 seconds to fit American television guidelines for several more commercials than Japanese television broadcasts.
