Episode Guide
Bohemian Ecstatic: 3.5/5 Sky Guy: 3.5/5 Heaven is at Hand: 3.5/5 Netherworld: 4/5 Heavy Forecast: 3.5/5 Gravity of the New Moon: 3.5/5 See Moon: 4/5 Maiden Heaven: 4.5/5 It’s a Wonderful World: 4/5 ..
The Stone Ocean finale is finally here. The previous parts had their faults but offered enough content to keep you entertained and excited for more. The second part was more enjoyable than the first. The second part featured a great mix of villains with intriguing powers and backgrounds. It also spent more time fleshing outside characters like Ermes and F.F.
The second half of the book had some problems. Some fights didn’t leave a satisfying stinger, and outcomes felt too contrived to warrant authenticity. Specific side characters’ personalities didn’t vibe with me. Various sound elements were grating to my ears. The part also suffered from poor handling of time, and the artwork for characters and Stand models looked rough at points.
With that said, the final batch of Stone Ocean episodes falls short in comparison to the previous two drops. This third part covers episodes 25-38, with each episode lasting about 25 minutes. While Stone Ocean’s finale offers more engaging and emotionally impactful content than the previous two drops, it has issues. ..
In the third part of this story, we follow Jolyne, Ermes, Emporio, Weather Report, and Anastasia as they search for Enrico Pucci. They plan to stop Pucci before he completes his and Dio’s dream of obtaining Heaven. This leads Pucci to bestow several Stands to shady individuals named Ungalo, Rikiel, and Versus. Numerous fights ensue.
Although our heroes triumph over these threatening individuals, Pucci murders Weather Report and achieves a new Stand called C-Moon, granting him the power to control gravity. Jolyne and her friends combat C-Moon but fail to defeat him. Eventually, Jotaro arrives to offer a helping hand, but it only allows Pucci to achieve his new Stand called Maiden Heaven. This gives Pucci the power to accelerate time to his liking.
Our heroes try to combat Pucci but fail, leading to him resetting the universe. Fortunately, Emporio survives the universal reset–to Pucci’s dismay. Enraged, Pucci hunts Emporio down, leading to their final face in Emporio’s Ghost Room. Emporio places Weather Report’s memory and Stand disc inside his head to attain his fallen comrade’s ability and memories. Emporio defeats Pucci, resulting in another universal reset. ..
In the series finale, Emporio discovers a new world where Pucci no longer exists. This new world is one where everyone from Jolyne to Weather Report has taken new peaceful lives free of crime, murder, and hardship. In the third part of Stone Ocean, your typical Stand of the Week formula is followed. It offers new villains for our heroes to defeat as they embark on their quest to stop Pucci.
This chapter fleshed out Pucci and Weather Report’s brotherly background wonderfully. This information filled me with sorrow as it gave viewers just enough intel to see how these characters became who they are today. This chapter contained some fabulous twists and turns I didn’t anticipate but adored. ..
The finale of “Versus” left some fans upset and glad. Unfortunately, the narrative isn’t without its faults. For instance, there were multiple times when the story felt rushed, poorly explained, or had me questioning our character’s decisions. A few examples include Jolyne leaving Versus alive and the show’s handling of Ungalo’s power.
In part three, some scenes felt unnecessary and left the story feeling incomplete. One moment that sticks out is when Weather Report’s demise is at the hands of Pucci. We learn of what happened to him from Anastasia’s mouth. It made his death feel less heavy, as I would’ve preferred if the anime showed Pucci committing the act before Jolyne and her friend’s eyes.
The fight scenes in this book were exciting and well-paced. I was always looking forward to the next turn in the story. However, I found myself a little disappointed with how quickly some of the solutions came about. Showing a lead-up to our characters discovering a solution would have been best. Nevertheless, each fight carried the same intensity and strategy from the previous parts’ bouts to make me cheer.
The plot of “Anastasia” was interesting, but some of the characters were disappointing. I especially loved Emporio, who got a lot of development in this book. However, I had some problems with Anastasia’s romantic relationships - she seemed to be very interested in Jolyne, but then acted like she was the only person who mattered to her. I also found out a lot about Weather Report’s vendetta against Pucci in this book, which made it feel more impactful.
Jolyne and Jotaro reunited after a long absence. Hearing him praise her for her growth since their encounter in part one filled me with glee. Unfortunately, Emporio doesn’t receive much characterization. However, he develops out of his cowardly shell when he fights Pucci with Weather Report’s Stand. Pucci stole the show and met my expectations as Stone Ocean’s final antagonist.
He reminded me of many pop culture villains whose ideals may not be entirely horrible in retrospect. His desire to create a universe where people can change their fate is a kind gesture. However, his attitude and actions toward achieving that goal will leave viewers questioning his ideals. Whether it’s his twisted ideals or epic confrontations, Pucci is a villain worthy of his role. ..
Overall, Stone Ocean’s final part handled our cast well and gave more life to the characters who needed it most. You’ll likely walk away happy with how our cast’s storylines are wrapped up. Visually, this is the best JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean has ever looked. This part contained little to no CGI, and while some CGI environmental elements looked jarring, they likely won’t hamper your experience. ..
The newly introduced Stands had extraordinary designs that matched their abilities well. This part demonstrated each Stand’s horrific nature substantially. It’s difficult to look away from your screen because of how well they appeared! JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure wouldn’t be as popular as it is if its fights looked subpar. While some bouts featured questionable resolutions, the battles themselves never bothered me.
I cringed when our hero’s bones snapped and applauded when they bashed each villain’s lights out. The animation saw massive improvement when Pucci activated Maiden Heaven. Seeing Emporio soar across a galaxy and the civilians tremble at the sight of speeding clouds was amazing. David Productions deserve a pat on the back for their excellent work in this part. ..
This part had some incredible music to go along with its immaculate action too. The voice actors and actresses performed their roles well and made our characters emote effectively and authentically. It also included Yes’s Roundabout theme from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood; a nice homage to that part.
This finale was a fun and mesmerizing send-off for this saga of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. You can tell everyone at David Productions put their heart into this one. Even if David Productions don’t return to animate future parts of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, I’m sure fans will cherish their work from Phantom Blood to Stone Ocean for a long time to come!
