Gang Initiation (Episode)

Joining the Gang (ギャング入門) is the fourth episode of Golden Wind and the one hundred seventeenth episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. The episode covers from Chapter 451 to Chapter 455 of the original manga.

Summary
Black Sabbath impales the old janitor in front of Giorno Giovanna with an Arrow but the janitor dies, not having the potential to be a Stand User. The Stand tosses the janitor aside, whose body is caught by Giorno. When the young boy walks into the shadows, Black Sabbath detects him and leaps to attack but Giorno evades the strike and jumps up the staircase handrails. However, the enemy Stand is so swift it grabs Giorno's shadow and drags Gold Experience out of it, ready to shoot it with the arrow.

Gold Experience struggles to escape Black Sabbath and narrowly grabs the Arrow meant to pierce him. Giorno, wary of what could happen, decides to seriously fight back against the capo's Stand and manages to escape, pummeling Black Sabbath away. However, the enemy Stand disappears again. It is only when it emerges from the shadow and sneakily grabs Gold Experience that Giorno understands Black Sabbath's ability is tied to the dark. By chance, Black Sabbath is directly exposed to sunlight and releases its grip, allowing Giorno to fall into the courtyard.

Giorno experiments with the shadows and understands that Black Sabbath is confined to them, although he moves at an amazing speed within them. However, the setting sun means that soon Giorno won't have anywhere safe to run to. Koichi barges out of the dormitory, asking Giorno what he did to the old janitor. However, by doing so, he attracts Black Sabbath who attacks him with the Arrow. Giorno transforms the handrails into morning glories, completely exposing Black Sabbath to the sunlight. The Stand is in agony but manages to escape back into the dark nonetheless.

During this reprieve, Giorno explains to Koichi that despite his thieving ways and the death of the old janitor which he feels responsible for, he is determined to do the right thing. Somewhat calmed, Koichi explains that the Arrow is used to awaken Stands and that Black Sabbath must be an automatic Stand following preset instructions. Unable to get to Polpo the User, they have no choice but to lure it into the light and defeat it. However, when Giorno and Koichi move, Black Sabbath outmaneuvers them by using birds to move between shadows. When Giorno steps inside the shadow of a tree, Black Sabbath emerges to grab it. Neither Gold Experience"s kicks nor Echoes' "freeze" can make Black Sabbath budge. But, Giorno tells Koichi to keep the "freeze" active. Thanks to Echoes, the tiles on the ground have shattered, enabling Giorno to reach the roots of the tree nearby. Using Gold Experience, he overcharges the tree and makes it spend the remainder of its life. Thus the tree withers, exposing Black Sabbath again to the sunlight. Now considerably weakened, Black Sabbath is pummeled into disappearing for good.

Afterward, Koichi rushes to call Jotaro Kujo for help against the Arrow, but Giorno stops him. Learning from Koichi's experience that Polpo is probably unaware of the battle thanks to the automatic nature of Black Sabbath, Giorno sees an opportunity to continue infiltrating the gang and tells Koichi that even if he made the call, he would alert an entire organization of dangerous criminals. He then reveals something to him.

The next day, Giorno returns to the prison and meets with Polpo, his lighter being unchanged. Busy stuffing himself in food, Polpo barely remembers Giorno's name, pointing to the blood rushing into his stomach instead of his head. Before officially allowing him inside the gang, Polpo takes the time to lecture Giorno on the honor code of gangsters, which is founded on trust and respect that every gangster will fight to the death for. Giving him his badge, Polpo resumes stuffing himself, allowing Giorno to stealthily summon Gold Experience within the cell. Seeing the young boy immediately departing, Polpo wonders that happened during the 24 hours but is sure that one way or another, Giorno will be a pawn to him. At this moment, he notices that his fridge is open and closes it.

Out of the prison, Giorno then goes to meet with Bruno Bucciarati and confirms his admission within the gang. Meanwhile, Koichi calls Jotaro to tell him that Giorno may not prove dangerous but wishes to explain himself in person, to which Jotaro agrees. Hanging the phone, Koichi thinks that after his conversation with Giorno and observing his attitude, Giorno definitely carries him the righteousness of the Joestar Family just as Joseph Joestar, Jotaro Kujo, and Josuke Higashikata do. Thus, carrying Giorno's secret with him, Koichi departs to go sightseeing. While Bucciarati and Giorno walk the street, Polpo decides to go for another snack. Giorno reminisces what Polpo told him about murder being forgivable when it came to honor, Giorno tells Polpo mentally that he just insulted the janitor's life thus is should be acceptable for him to murder his own superior right now and wishes him to savor his last meal. When Polpo grabs a banana and eats it, it turns back into a revolver, and Polpo shoots himself in the mouth, destroying Black Sabbath and the Arrow with him.

Giorno then asks where they are going, to which Bucciarati replies that he'll now meet his team of Stand Users, all waiting at a restaurant, giving a glimpse of Leone Abbacchio, Guido Mista, Narancia Ghirga, and Pannacotta Fugo.

Manga/Anime Differences

 * When Gold Experience knocks Black Sabbath away, it disappears behind a splash of water upon knocking over the janitor's pail; in the manga, the pail was empty.
 * Giorno's sudden explanation that Gold Experience's life energy also affects Giorno himself and his own movement speed when used offensively is omitted. Gold Experience's struggle against Black Sabbath's grip remains a result of the enemy Stand's surprise attack and superior strength despite its slowed movements.
 * When Gold Experience intercepts the Arrow to save Koichi, it uses its right hand instead of its left. The Stand also attempts to close its hand to grab the Arrow.
 * Because of this, when Giorno tells Koichi about his regret of letting the old janitor be killed, the hand he holds the lighter in and the hand he's bleeding from are switched.
 * Koichi asking Giorno if he knew about the Arrow is removed.
 * While Koichi is explaining how he received Echoes, Giorno internally realizes that a "chosen one" is a person whose awakened their Stand.
 * Koichi no longer narrates the scene leading up to Giorno's leg being grabbed by Black Sabbath. Because of this, it is Giorno whom uses the imagery of a scooter as an example of a method for defeating Black Sabbath. The strategy is also revealed earlier, while Giorno and Koichi try to flee from the area.
 * After pinning Giorno down, Black Sabbath briefly dodges Gold Experience's kicks before grabbing its other leg.
 * When Echoes uses 3 Freeze on Black Sabbath, its profanity ("MUTHAPHUKKIN" and "BEEYATCH!") is omitted.
 * Black Sabbath continues attempting to stab Gold Experience with the Arrow while under the effects of 3 Freeze.
 * The tree whose life Gold Experience accelerates to the point of expiration has more branches and leaves at the peak of its life.
 * The scene where Polpo officially makes Giorno a member of Passione is moved to before Koichi's explanation of Giorno being a Joestar. As a result, Giorno tending to the deceased janitor is shown as a flashback.
 * Polpo is shown flicking the badge of Passione onto the platform for Giorno to take.
 * When Giorno extends his arm past the badge towards the minifridge in Polpo's cell, he summons Gold Experience's arm.
 * Giorno is shown receiving another body check on his way out of the prison.
 * A new scene with Koichi explaining the situation to Jotaro over a payphone is added. Koichi's last appearance is him running off to go sightseeing. This is the same scene with the flashback showing Koichi realizing Giorno's Joestar lineage.
 * Giorno and Bucciarati are seen walking together to the restaurant where the rest of Bucciarati's team is the next day.
 * Polpo's death is moved to the middle of Giorno and Bucciarati's trip. Giorno is seen turning around with a look of disgust on his face as he internally tells Polpo to "enjoy [his] last meal".
 * The narration detailing Polpo's death being ruled by suicide is omitted.
 * Bucciarati reveals to Giorno that his team is composed entirely of Stand Users as the episode ends.

Trivia

 * Wrathful_Gio.pnger purposefully or because of a coloring error, Giorno's eyes flare up red instead of the usual turquoise at the precise moment Polpo claims that murder is forgivable even by God when it comes to honor.
 * Unlike previous seasons of the TV anime broadcast where blood and gore are censored into black patches, Polpo's death is the first time where gore is left uncensored.