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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable
Episode 13

by Sam Leach,

How would you rate episode 13 of
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable ?
Community score: 4.3

There's something I find very endearing about this old, old Joseph Joestar. Every now and then we get the usual outburst of goof from him (I think he has a single "Oh My God!" in this episode), but for the most part he's far too slow and tired to be his usual self. There's something a little depressing about it, with the realization that even the lively Joseph isn't able to escape the throes of aging and eventual death, but at the same time there's a peacefulness here. It's a chance for us to accept that this is somebody else's story now, and the times, they are a-changin'.

It's likely not a coincidence that the first episode where we really get to meet this new version of Joseph also involves a baby. We've got an old man close to death and a newborn baby girl who's got her whole life ahead of her. Josuke is busy trying to adjust to a life where he knows his biological father, and while the two are out and about, they happen upon an occurrence that could only be possible in the Stand-happy town of Morioh: an inexplicably invisible baby. We don't know where her mother is or even necessarily why she's invisible, but the two JoJos can't do nothing.

So much of this episode revolves around Josuke's opinion of his dad. For one thing, he's not ready to call him "dad" just yet, so for now it's "Mr. Joestar" and such. The two have to work together in order to take care of this baby, and Josuke finds himself more and more frustrated with Joseph's carelessness. What seems like a pure comedy sketch of an old man being duped into overspending on baby supplies by way of an overzealous store clerk also stands as an example of all the ways Joseph screws up in his son's eyes. There's a push-pull throughout the episode, where Josuke is ready to have a change of heart, but he keeps finding himself disappointed instead. Joseph is more weaknesses than strengths these days.

The climax comes when the two have done all they can. They've bought her clothes, a stroller, and far more. For a moment, they can at least physically see her as long as she remains clothed, but then her invisibility powers come raring right back when she gets stressed out and cries, and all physical objects within a certain radius get turned invisible as well. In the middle of the chaos, her stroller gets bumped, rolling her straight into the river where she becomes impossible to find.

Josuke is beyond fed up with his father at this point, blaming him for the whole situation. The two were determined to keep this baby safe, and now their means of protecting her are gone. Josuke has no idea what to do until Joseph brashly cuts himself with a knife and uses the the spilling blood to highlight the invisible field. This is another example of Joseph being the careless type. He even mentions that the blood loss is extra dangerous due to his age, but it works. The music during this scene was especially interesting. There's a hint of sweeping magic and fantasy, the kind we haven't indulged much during Diamond is Unbreakable. We know Josuke's Crazy Diamond can probably heal Joseph's wound, but there's a definitive respect that's found in this sequence. "No one else would think to do this," Josuke comments as the baby is lifted out of the water into safety. "Not for someone else's child. They wouldn't go that far." "I wanted to look cool in front of you," the dying old man says like a boss. It makes you think about how hurt he must have been to let Josuke down, but it's great to see him continue to be so smooth.

This sequence is probably my favorite of everything we've seen in Diamond is Unbreakable so far. There's a poignancy to all the strength and resilience that Joseph has lost with the years, but he can still pull through with the best of them. We've spent this whole episode with Josuke wanting to believe that his dad is a good guy, but having very high standards that Joseph can't reach. This last ditch gesture seems to have done the trick, as that smile of Josuke's to cap off the episode feels pretty earned. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure doesn't delve into real earnest stories about families and relationships that often, but it shows quite a bit of savvy when it does.

Rating: A

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Sam Leach writes and records about One Piece for The One Piece Podcast and you can find him on Twitter @LuckyChainsaw


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