Anubis, Part 1 (Episode)

Anubis, Part 1 (「アヌビス神」その①) is the fifty-fourth episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime, the twenty-eighth episode of Stardust Crusaders, and the Fourth episode of Egypt Arc. It covers Chapter 193 through most of Chapter 195 of the manga.

Summary
Kakyoin's injury is fortunately healable, but he still needs a few days' rest, thus the Joestar Group continues across the Nile river on boat to Kom Ombo. Meanwhile, a young timid farmer named Chaka discovers a mysterious sword laying on the ground. His father and his friends take it immediately from him and try to unsheathe to check on its condition, but the sword appears to be stuck inside it. When Chaka asks to try, he effortlessly unsheathes it only for his father to steal it from his son again. The sword then suddenly moves on its own, killing Chaka's father and one of his friends. As Chaka frightfully takes it, the Stand Anubis reveals itself, corrupting Chaka's mind and ordering him to go kill the Joestar Group. As revenge for being bullied, Chaka also kills the last of his father's friends, cutting him down through a cow. The Joestar Group's boat stops at Kom Ombo for a time, allowing Polnareff to visit the place. Incidentally, a local tries to sell fake papyrus to Polnareff, who is wise enough to see the con. However, Polnareff is separated from the group and wanders into the ruins of a temple, followed by Chaka. The two begin to fight and Polnareff has no idea what is Chaka's Stand. When Chaka cuts Polnareff through a stone pillar, Polnareff realizes that his sword is the Stand. Chaka attempts to make a pillar fall on him and use the stone as cover as he cuts the Frenchman down, but Polnareff uses a secret technique to deflect a piece of Silver Chariot's sword into Chaka's neck, knocking him unconscious. When Polnareff inspects the sword for himself, he comes close to being swayed by its influence before Jotaro and the others arrive. Nonetheless, he keeps the sword until he can go to a police station and have it secured. As Jotaro and Polnareff stop by a barbershop on their way to take the sword to a police station, Anubis possesses the barber, Khan, who prepares to kill Polnareff.

Commentary
"Here's a sword fight that fans have really appreciated. It's thanks to the whole team, with Jiro Fujimoto in charge of the storyboard and direction, and Shunichi Ishimoto, who was responsible for the animation. Several people felt sorry for them because they had landed a sword fight which was bound to be complicated. But the final result was even classier than we had hoped for. I am really grateful to all of them.

Here the story is developing a feeling close to that of a horror story, which we'd ensured to put in the foreground. However, the metamorphosis scene, where a meek Chaka picks up Anubis and transforms, is so sudden I can't stop finding it comical. (laughs)

The beginning of the episode allowed us to have more screentime for Kakyoin. Since he won't recover for a while, it is best to show him while we can.

The scene where Polnareff uses his secret technique and shoots his sword's blade is rendered in 3D. We have fewer occasions of using 3D in the Egypt Arc. It was the first time since Episode 25."

- Naokatsu Tsuda, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries