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Chapter 171. Green Dolphin Arise, Pucci Reigns
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Stand.
At first, when Pucci decided to abandon the original concept for two works, not only did the audience accept it well, but he also managed to perfect the Hamon technique introduced in "Battle Tendency." It reached a state of complete maturity, almost perfect.
However, when he chose to introduce a new system for "Stardust Crusaders," the third part of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", Cujoh Jolyne couldn't help but think Pucci had lost his mind. She even felt that Pucci, whom she had carefully selected as the director, had proven himself unreliable in a single word—reckless!
How could anyone come up with such a ridiculous script?!
That was what she thought before... But afterwards, the events that followed felt like a slap in the face for Jolyne's arrogance!
Pucci, reckless?
No, the real reckless one was her, who agreed to introduce the Stand concept in the first place!
Compared to Hamon, Stand abilities were much more complex and diverse. Each person could have a unique Stand, and as creators, they could never truly find the limit of these powers. As long as the imagination was vast enough, even abilities as trivial as "string" or "bubble-blowing" could turn into captivating and engaging content, preventing the story from becoming boring.
In simple terms, other works' power systems are linear. Once you understand the final destination, you know that the protagonist can only reach that point and won't break beyond those bounds. Even "Battle Tendency" was merely an extension of the abilities and techniques previously introduced in "Phantom Blood."
But Stands? They are more like a branching tree!
Each Stand has an unknown potential that goes beyond past iterations. Just because a previous user unlocked "Requiem", it doesn't mean the next one has to follow that path.
They could reach "Heaven" or even "surpass Heaven".
Even "Requiem" could manifest differently depending on the arrow used, creating unique abilities like "Fallen Requiem" or different "Requiem" forms based on the Stand.
It all depends on how daring the creators are!
Moreover, the naming conventions based on tarot cards carried a sense of fate intertwined with the Stand users themselves! Take Polnareff's [Silver Chariot] as an example. The Chariot tarot card is linked to both "failure and conflict" in its reversed form (his argument with Avdol, which led to Avdol's death) and "success through effort" in its upright form (Polnareff's revenge with Kakyoin against J. Geil).
Then there's [Star Platinum], connected to the Star tarot card symbolizing hope. The line in the opening song "STAND PROUD", "let the platinum light cut through fate," leaves no room for doubt—this symbolism sparks imagination!
Why else would tarot readings still be used by scammers on television?
In other words, the success of "Stardust Crusaders" and the Stand power system can also be attributed to how tarot cards fill the audience with curiosity and anticipation regarding the fate of these Stand users.
But if you were to replace those Stand names with things like [Crazy Diamond] or [Red Hot Chili Pepper]...
Who would even understand what that means?
Diamond? Pepper? What on earth do those have to do with fate?!
And this... was the second pit Jolyne dug for Pucci.
Just like Kishibe Rohan, who, upon seeing her naming ideas, immediately saw through her intention to obtain the ability he named [Heaven's Door].
So why couldn't Jolyne give the fourth part's protagonist a terrible Stand ability?
For example… a healing ability!
Didn't the success of "The Emperor and the Hanged Man" arc lie in the audience's satisfaction from the thrill of revenge?
Then she would give the protagonist a Stand that can't even kill people, turning him into a saintly figure incapable of revenge—completely going against the audience's expectations!
And with the amplified terrible suggestions she had previously given Pucci...
The fourth part was doomed!
…
"Director Pucci, should we consider hiring a new batch of actors?"
After receiving the actor profiles from Cujoh Jolyne and listening to her explanation of new ideas, Pucci brought the suggestions back to the team.
And almost immediately, everyone urged him, "While President Cujoh is a great president, she doesn't understand the filming process or its many details!"
"Exactly. With the suggestions she's made and the actors she's recommended, I can't even imagine what kind of story this fourth part will end up telling!"
"Yes, Director Pucci! Let's not follow President Cujoh's ideas this time!"
"..."
The entire crew was there, bickering and arguing.
Luckily, Jolyne understood that establishing a new work would require giving Pucci a break. And the upcoming shoot was the showdown between Old Joseph and the [Empress], so handing it over to Akiyuki Shinbo's team, who were familiar with Joseph's character from "Battle Tendency," wasn't a problem.
But even though the situation seemed chaotic, everyone agreed on one thing.
That was to throw Cujoh Jolyne's ridiculous suggestions straight into the trash.
Then everyone began to chant "Green Dolphin Arise, Pucci Reigns," imitating the sound of a howling fox.
"Hahaha, it seems no one is buying into President Cujoh's ideas. However, I think a work based on these suggestions could actually be interesting, such as…"
At this point, Pucci drew out the profile of Josuke Higashikata, showing it to the crew.
He said, "Aren't we now in the perfect situation to make a chaotic mess with a cow dung head harassing innocent office workers?"