Jolyne Kujo makes her anime debut with the Netflix release of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean. Like the previous anime releases Stone Ocean follows the manga arc of the same name initially released in 2000. Jolyne Kujo has been accused of murder following a hit & run and looks to prove her innocence. When her father Jotaro re-enters her life she’s introduced to the world of Stands changing it forever.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean is a 2021 shounen anime series, it is produced by David Productions, and licensed by Netflix & Viz Media (home media). It is currently available on Netflix in English & Japanese.

Editor’s Note: Near complete spoilers for Stone Ocean and the overall JoJo lore may present within this review.

When you’re a JoJo fan life is tough. As soon as the next part begins you’re left immediately remembering that it’s going to end. And with Netflix releasing Stone Ocean in batches the wait feels especially unbearable. Following the release of 2019’s Part 5/Golden Wind, Part 6/Stone Ocean takes place in 2011 where Jolyne Kujo; the estranged daughter of Jotaro Kujo finds herself arrested for a hit and run & murder charge. Upon reuniting with Jotaro she learns about her Stand Stone Ocean and a plot against herself & father Jotaro.

THE GOOD: In 2011 Jolyne Kujo & her then-boyfriend Romeo seemingly kill a person in a hit and run. She’s later arrested and charged with murder. While speaking with her lawyer he informs her of a charm that Jotaro wanted her to have. Jolyne cuts herself on the charm and is gushing blood but instantly heals. After befriending fellow inmate Ermes Costello Jolyne unlocks her stand ability Stone Free using it to protect the former from corrupt guards. She later uses it to attack her lawyer whom she discovered tricked her into pleading guilty. In her cell she meets Gwess a psychotic woman with mood swings. Gwess obtains Jolyne’s charm after she dropped it down a drain. She looks at the charm and notices the picture of her mother & father are missing along with the arrow piece that cut her.

Jolyne learns that Gwess’ pet bird is actually a shrunken guard who Gwess used her Stand on. She instead turns her attention to Jolyne who she shrinks with her malevolent Stand Goo Goo Dolls. She has Jolyne pose as a rat in an escape attempt, but Jolyne is ultimately caught by a guard. She unlocks her manifested humanoid version of Stone Free which she uses to beat Gwess until she helps her escape. Gwess aligns herself with Jolyne following her defeat and teaches her about how the system within the prison between prisoners works. While returning to her cell a boy named Emporio appears and warns her not to meet her visitor scheduled for today. This turns out to be Jotaro much to Jolyne’s disappointment. Jotaro informs her that an assassin prisoner named Johngalli A. aligned with a group of Dio Brando loyalist framed her for murder.

Johngalli A attacks them with his Stand Manhattan Transfer which allows him to snipe with ease via air currents. Jolyne tricks the Stand by triggering the fire sprinkler system & Emporio helps her & Jotaro escape through a secret passage leading to the sewage system. Jolyne appears to have defeated Manhattan Transfer after it goes for Emporio, but this turns out to be a dream. An awakened Jotaro & Jolyne escape the visitor room which was surrounded by goo-like acid. Jotaro and Jolyne head for the exit where the Speedwagon Foundation are waiting on the beach. Johngalli A. attacks them disguised as a guard and Jotaro discovers a second enemy Stand user named Whitesnake who is responsible for the dream. Whitesnake steals Jotaro’s Stand Star Platinum & memories turning them into discs. Jolyne defeats Johngalli A. leaving Jotaro who appears to be dead to be found by the Speedwagon Foundation after making amends as she searches for his discs. Whitesnake reunites with a beaten Johngalli A., but kills him making it look like a suicide. Ermes awakens in the infirmary having unlocked her own Stand which duplicates items via a special sticker she was earlier revealed as the person who sold the charm to Gwess.

 She encounters suicidal guard Thunder McQueen who connects with her through his Stand Highway to Hell. Each time McQueen attempts suicide Ermes feels the effects, she tries to talk him down but fails and knocks him. Emporio tells Ermes the situation with Whitesnake & Jolyne, as she takes McQueen’s Stand disc she vows revenge as her own Stand Kiss manifests. Ermes reunites with Jolyne doing field work with other prisoners, they deduce that a sentient rogue Stand has been killing people. After learning that the Stand can also possess the dead they defeat it and realize that it has no alliance to Whitesnake. The Stand, now named Foo Fighters or F.F. aligns with Jolyne after she spares it taking on the identity of a prisoner who was killed by a wrist bomb. The identity of Whitesnake’s user is revealed as Father Pucci a friend of Dio. Jolyne and co. become the target of Miraschon; an ally prisoner of Pucci looking for parole. She challenges them to a ball throwing contest Ermes accepts and upon her defeat she is attacked by Miraschon’s Stand Marilyn Manson. Jolyne later accepts the bet with the prize being $1,000 and the return of Ermes’ kidney & the discs. Jolyne and F.F. are forced to play all across the prison. Jolyne is able to defeat Miraschon thanks to a loop hole. Jolyne uses the money to buy phone time getting in contact with Speedwagon Foundation who instructs her to bring the discs to Savage Garden.

Emporio takes Jolyne to a former music room of the prison where he introduces her to Weather Report who has amnesia. Weather report is tasked with guarding Jolyne on the way to Savage Garden, but are followed by Lang Rangler a prisoner with the Stand Jumpin’ Jack Flash which allows him to manipulate gravity. Weather Report creates a suit made of cloud to protect himself and Jolyne from losing air. Rangler attacks the duo with a weapon that fires metal like bullets. Jolyne defeats Rangler after she tricks him into coming into contact with her threads. In 1988, Dio revealed to Pucci that he discovered how to reach Heaven without being dead he died before he could reveal the info to Pucci causing Pucci to swear revenge on the Joestars. Jolyne heads to the garden, but is shot by a guard being controlled by Whitesnake. Weather Report releases a rain of poisonous dart frogs to buy Jolyne time to come up with a plan. Thinking Jolyne is dead, Whitesnake searches for her, but she fools him and uses her stand to send the discs to a Speedwagon Foundation trained carrier pigeon. Jolyne nearly identifies Pucci as Whitesnake’s user but he escapes. Pucci meets up with Sports Maxx and asks him to use his stand on Dio’s bone.

Imagine waiting twenty years for the anime adaptation of a manga. This is the level of pain JoJo fans often go through, and since becoming one myself a few years ago I too now understand this pain. Fortunately, the team at David Productions are some of the biggest JoJo fans alive and go above & beyond with their adaptations of the franchise. Jolyne is a fantastic Joestar which is great for the first run of a female main lead. The OST as usual breaths a unique sense of life into the world as does the animation & art direction. 

THE BAD: Outside of some minor manga to anime censorship absolutely nothing.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:The  more than twenty year wait was more than worth it for JoJo Stone Ocean/Part 6. The passionate drive and love of the franchise from studio David Productions is just as high as those of the JoJo fandom. And because of this the the latest JoJo anime always feels like an event. Otaku Dome gives JoJo Stone Ocean Part 1 a 100 out of 100.