Why 「JoJo Sono Chi no Kioku ~end of THE WORLD~」 is the greatest anime opening

When it comes to the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime adaptation by David Production, one of the most anticipated things about a Part being animated is the opening(s) that will come with it.

JoJo Sono Chi no Kioku ~end of THE WORLD~ is the second opening of the Part 3 Stardust Crusaders anime, and in my opinion, is one of, if not the best anime openings ever created, JoJo or otherwise.

I will give a disclaimer that I am analysing the opening as a whole here, and not just the song on its own. There are so many pieces to a good anime opening, and Sono Chi no Kioku definitely hits the mark.

The Song

Now, despite what I just said, the song of an opening is obviously a big contributor to how good it is. However, as music tends to be, it's also the most subjective part of an opening.

Personally, I love it musically, and I think it goes really well with the message of time running out for the Crusaders as they approach DIO.

However, like with openings, there are layers to a song too:

Artists

The song is sung by the JO☆STARS, a trio consisting of Hiroaki "TOMMY" Tominaga, Coda, and Jin Hashimoto.

For those who don't know, these are the same people who sang the previous 3 openings individually, and they come together for the final opening to further signify the end to the - as I like to call it - Stone Mask Trilogy.

Lyrics

One of the last things a non-Japanese JoJo fan will check on is the lyrics of an opening, but Sono Chi no Kioku has very relevant stuff, as well as references to the story and characters.

The sum it up: the song starts off by introducing the returning nemesis of the Joestar bloodline, DIO. It then goes on to sing about how the end to the story is rapidly approaching, with the fates of everyone involved looming closer. It also interestingly sings of Star Platinum as if Jotaro is shaping his own destiny. It is then followed by a barrage of "ora"s, and so ends the shortened version of the song.