Anime Hajime Impressions: Benkyou – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders Season 1 – Episodes 6 to 10

Original Run: April 5, 2014 - June 20, 2015
Number of Episodes: 48
Based on the Series Created By: Hirohiko Araki

As A Reminder:  Anime Hajime Impressions: Benkyou is not a review series. Anime Hajime’s LofZOdyssey attempts to watch an anime in Japanese with no English subtitles. Therefore, misinterpretations and misunderstandings are possible.

Feel free to leave comments, clarifications, and thoughts in the comments section below.

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A hundred years following his fateful battle with Jonathan Joestar, the vampire Dio has reawakened, vowing to destroy the Joestar bloodline once and for all.

In Tokyo, the current generation of Joestars has learned of their family’s oldest enemy’s return. Joseph Joestar and Jotarou “JoJo” Kujo – Jonathan Joestar’s grandson and great-great-grandson, respectively – have recently learned the power of Stand, a mysterious and destructive form of energy. Although Joseph and JoJo are well adapted at wielding Stand, JoJo’s mother (and Joesph’s daughter), Holy Kujo, is not.

To save her, JoJo and Joseph must defeat Dio for good.

Grandson, grandfather, and a group of other Stand Users head to Dio’s last known location, Egypt. On the way, the team runs into countless obstacles, mainly assassins sent by the monstrous vampire.

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Japanese Title: 暗青の月
Romaji Title: Dāku Burū Mūn
English Title: Dark Blue Moon

Episode Summary

Having left Hong Kong, JoJo and his team charter a boat to Singapour. While en route, they discover a stowaway on board, a young child.

Rather than be captured, the kid jumps overboard. However, the kid is unaware that the water is teeming with sharks. Before tragedy strikes, JoJo rescues the child and discovers the stowaway is a girl named Anne.

As JoJo makes his way back to the boat, a Stand attacks from the ocean. While initial suspicion falls onto Anne, JoJo tricks the real Stand User into revealing himself – the ship’s Captain, Tennille.

Tennille is another assassin sent by Dio, who wields Dark Blue Moon and can manipulate water. Tennille manages to force JoJo back into the ocean, where Dark Blue Moon has a clear advantage. But while Tennille dominates most of the battle, JoJo notices a fatal weakness in his opponent’s attacks.

JoJo seizes his opportunity and defeats Tennille. But unbeknownst to JoJo and the rest, the fake Captain had rigged the ship with explosives. After the bombs go off, everyone is trapped on the lifeboats. But before long, an ominous vessel appears, seemingly out of nowhere.

Principle Characters

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Japanese Title: 力
Romaji Title: Sutorengusu
English Title: Strength

Episode Summary

At Dio’s lair, an entire squad of assassins has been sent to stop team Joestar.

Back out in the ocean, with little choice, JoJo, his team, and the surviving crew board the strange boat. Once aboard, the only lifeform on the ship is an orangutan named Forever. As everyone is exploring, people fall victim to the vicious attacks; somewhere, a Stand User has sprung a trap.

While by herself, Anne is cornered by Forever, who turns out to be the Stand User.

Once again, JoJo arrives just in time to save Anne. Forever’s Stand, Strength – which is the ship itself – is tricky for JoJo, at first. However, JoJo manages to distract the ape long enough to catch the assassin off guard.

With Forever dead, the ship disappears, and the team, on the lifeboats, finally makes it to Singapore. They head to a nearby hotel to plan their next move. Unbeknownst to them, a creepy doll is waiting in one of the rooms.

Principal Characters

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Japanese Title: 悪魔
Romaji Title: Debiru
English Title: The Devil

Episode Summary

When checking into their hotel, the Joestar team splits up, and Jean Polnareff gets a room to himself. Upon entering, he senses the presence of a Stand User assassin – Devo the Cursed.

After a brief battle, which Polnareff effortlessly wins, the danger seems to pass. However, a bit of blood had fallen onto the creepy dog sitting in the room. The doll becomes possessed by Devo’s Stand, Ebony Devil.

The doll traps an unsuspecting Polnareff beneath the room’s bed. With his visibility limited, Polnareff’s Silver Chariot loses its effectiveness. Luckily, during the struggle, a mirror is broken. Polnareff uses one of the glass shards to locate where the doll is attacking and defeat it (killing Devo in the process).

Elsewhere in the hotel, Joseph Joestar uses his Stand to decipher a hidden message from Dio. It says to be aware of Kakyoin.

Principal Characters

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Japanese Title: 黄の節制
Romaji Title: Ierō Tenparansu
English Title: Yellow Temperance

Episode Summary

While out on the town with Anne and Kakyoin, JoJo notices that the latter is acting strangely. It turns out that one of Dio’s assassins, Rubber Soul, took Kakyoin’s form using his Stand, Yellow Temperance.

JoJo and Rubber Soul have a fierce fight across Singapore. Eventually, JoJo forces Rubber Soul into the ocean. Needing to breathe underwater, Rubber Soul must lower Yellow Temperance’s guard, thus giving JoJo the chance to win.

Before being utterly beat, Rubber Soul reveals that the last and most dangerous of Dio’s assassins are left. This includes J. Geil, who has two right hands, the tell-tale sign of Polnareff’s sister’s murderer.

With their business finished in Singapore, the group makes their way to India.

Principal Characters

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Japanese Title: 皇帝と吊られた男 その１
Romaji Title: Enperā to Hangudoman Sono 1
English Title: The Emperor and the Hanged Man, Part 1

Episode Summary

JoJo and his group arrive in Calcutta. While stopping at a local restaurant, Polnareff is attacked by J. Geil’s Stand the Hanged Man. Polnareff chases the Stand off and decides to go after J. Geil alone. The rest of the group, particularly Muhammed, is against the idea, but Polnareff doesn’t listen.

Out in the Indian countryside, another of Dio’s assassins, Hol Horse, meets up with J. Geil. The two then head into town.

While searching, Polnareff sees Hol Horse and J. Geil walking down the street. However, in an instant, J. Geil disappears. Polnareff confronts Hol Horse, but the fight does not go well. Before Hol Horse can deliver a finishing blow, Muhammed arrives and deflects the attack.

While readying himself for Hol Horse’s next move, Muhammed does not see J. Geil sneak up behind him. At that moment, J. Geil stabs Muhammed in the back.

Polnareff watches in horror as his friend falls dead to the ground.

Principal Characters

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Thoughts and Impressions

Nothing like a death – an unexpected one at that – to demonstrate how deeply invested in a show you’ve become.

Star Crusaders has been fun, no doubt about that. It has long outpaced its predecessor in insanity, which is shocking. But much like season one, you don’t realize how attached you become to everyone until something horrible happens.

It just didn’t occur to me that anyone from the Joestar team would die this early on. Then again, I might be assuming. We’ll have to wait and see.

Thanks for following along with me. If you’ve seen this series and feel I am wrong in my descriptions, please let me know in the comments below. I wouldn’t want to put this show in an inaccurate light.

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For Anime Hajime, I’m LofZOdyssey, and I’ll see you next week for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders Season 1 Episodes 11 to 15.

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