God damn it, I love this show.
(A quick note: There was no episode of Hunter x Hunter this week, so of course, there’s no post from me this week, either! I might post something else tomorrow if I’m feeling generous, but more likely than not I will spend the day playing video games and preparing for the balls out craziness that will be December.)
Wow, we’re almost finished with “Phantom Blood” already. I thought this episode went by super quick, in particular the battle with Dio; however, I was informed on Twitter that the manga goes by this quickly, too. Boy, it sure is crazy that a battle manga story is enjoyable when the pacing is streamlined and the battles are developed with some thought behind them, right?! Seriously, though, I actually don’t think I would have minded if David Production had found some way to extend the battle into the next episode. This is, after all, the ultimate battle between Dio and JoJo — doesn’t it feel as if it should be a bit longer? Maybe I’m just so used to turgid shonen pacing that I don’t know what to do when I’m presented with something that actually moves!
But, of course, nobody actually believes Dio is truly dead, yes? He’s already tried to fool us once by appearing to perish in the blaze that consumed the Joestar mansion. Would little things like being cleaved in two and exploded with energy powers meant to mimic the sun really kill an all-powerful vampire in a story like this? Of course not! Dio Brando is no ordinary vampire — he even outlived Vampire Jack the Ripper! Sure, Dio’s body is disintegrated, but only a real LOSER would let something like that kill them for good. Plus, yet again, we see no body; Dio plunges down a chasm after he falls from his castle. This isn’t Disney, folks. No body = not dead.
(Side note: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Takehito Koyasu’s amazing “dying” performance. I wonder how long the poor guy had to record all those gurgling noises? When Dio Brando dies, he goes all the way.)
This episode leaves us with one massive question: Where in the holy fuck did Dio get these creepy ass animals?? I’m almost certain these guys aren’t running around Great Britain, though I have never been there, so I can’t say for sure. Are all you British folk hiding these weird creatures from your friends across the Atlantic? I can see why you would: The shock of seeing such bizarre animals would surely be too much for our simple hearts and minds to bear. The cat owl in particular is sneaky terrifying. It’s not as outwardly horrifying as those other creatures, but you’re giving something with the mind of a cat (and as we all know, cats view humans with utter disdain) wings and talons. Congratulations, Dio: You just made cats better, more terrifying predators. What a bastard!
In fact, now that I think about it, aside from the one animal Dio squashed because it was rude (how very British of him), all these other freaks of nature are still among the living. Who knows what terrifying misadventures these scamps will get into now that they don’t have Dio to rein them in? Remember, friends: If you’re ever walking around Britain in the dead of night, keep your eyes and ears out for the deadly cat owl. It strikes when you least suspect it.
The Cart Driver 
mude muda! I’ve got nothing else to say. This show is amazing.
I think there was a side note about the animals somewhere in the manga. Dio basicly just stuck things together with vampire blood as glue.
And yes this is going super fast, but im actually pretty happy about it since it leaves whole 17 episodes for battle tendency. I love phantom blood and all but battle tendency is just so fucking great.
Only thing that dissapointed me was that there was too little sledgehammer speedwagon.
“Dio basicly just stuck things together with vampire blood as glue.”
I love this show even more now.
“I’m almost certain these guys aren’t running around Great Britain”
Of course not ! They’re herded to Norfolk, and STAY there.
In the manga, Dio says that he created the weird animal hybrids himself, although I don’t think it was actually explained how he managed to do that.
However, the fact that the anime doesn’t even try to explain them at all makes their presence even more hilarious to me. xD
Any explanation beyond “he glued people heads onto dog bodies with vampire blood” would be too ridiculous, anyway. Better to let them speak for themselves (literally and figuratively).
I can’t say I’ve ever seen a native cat-owl around here but I did once see a guy with snakes coming out of his head. At least I think that’s what they were. Possibly.
A scary place!
I don’t know why he decided to make a Led Zeppelin reference in the first place given that he already had one with Zeppeli.
Araki (the creator of this series) makes a lot of musical references on his characters’ names, even when he already did a refence to a musician and his music before he may do it again, an example is ACDC, there are a lot of ACDC references in various characters from jojo.
Its especially funny that it took 20-odd years to finally make this series, and all these musicians are either dead, forgotten, or both. Led Zeppelin is the exception in that everyone knows the name, but nobody cared enough to listen to it for decades.
You can never have enough.
SPACE RIPPER STINGY EYES
oh my god yes
bizarre animals http://i45.tinypic.com/347addz.jpg
Next episode will be epic.
Dio is correct: Those without manners do not deserve to live.
I am increasingly worried about my stupid crush on Speedwagon because he’s LEAVING after Phantom Blood AND there’s like…… no reason for it to be there.
God I’m so pathetic ;___;
You’ll always have Phantom Blood.
ACTUALLY…
No wait, spoilers.
These humanimals kinda reminded me Franken Fran manga… though I guess it should be other way around since JoJo is much older manga.