Araki pt. 5 afterword

Afterword written in the last volume of the second printing of Vento Aureo

translated by twitter user @macchalion from the Japanese volume

Jotaro Kujo, protagonist of part three "Stardust Crusaders", sets off for his journey accepting the bond that

connects him to his grandfather and his grandfather's great-grandfather (Jonathan's father). There are six

generations between them. In this case I can say that Dio Brando, the enemy, represents both destiny and

fate.

I don't think there's anyone who can assert they know anything about an ancestor from six generations

previous.

From his point of view Jotaro completely ignores if his ancestor was someone who did good things or,

rather, someone who made wrong choices. He just takes upon himself that blood bond that connects them,

considering it an honor even!

While I was writing this fifth series, Vento Aureo, I kept asking myself: "How should someone behave,

having to live with the fact that just them being born is source of sadness?"

Men can't choose how they come into the world.

Some of them find themselves in happy families, others grow up in terrible places from the first moment.

So what should this second group of people do, if destiny and fate were something already decided by gods

or some kind of law that makes stars move in our vaste universe?

This is Vento Aureo's main theme and both the protagonists and their adversaries need to face it. Giorno,

Buccellati, Fugo, Narancia, Abbacchio, Mista. Every single one of them grew up, or rather was forced to

grow up, at the edge of society and family. The same can be said about Trish really.

Could they ever challenge fate, destiny and change them? This was my most recurring thought while

working on this story.

I was really down during that period for certain personal matters. What to do? If it were easy for humans to

change them just with efforts and will, destiny and fate would lose their meanings. It would be too easy.

How could the protagonists fight against this sense of unavoidability?

The answer, surprisingly, was given to me by the protagonists themselves. They don't try to change their

destiny and even in their situation, they choose not to give up their spirit's purity. They firmly believe that

happiness and sense of justice are the same thing.

I mean, I'm the author and yet while I was writing I ended up learning from my characters and this is what

truly gave me courage.

In these terms, thinking back, I feel I had the illusion of being accepted among them as a friend, more than

just growing fond of Vento Aureo's protagonists myself.

There was one part in this fifth series I absolutely had to delete though. An episode I couldn't write at all.

In my head the story went that between Mista, Narancia, Fugo and Abbacchio would be a spy working for

the boss and betrayed Giorno and Buccellati. At first I had decided this traitor to be Fugo, but I couldn't do

it.

My state of mind was so dark that the stories I wrote were becoming more and more evil, but in my heart I

was starting to hate this behavior as time passed. Also, my heart broke just thinking about how Buccellati

would feel.

I absolutely can't understand betrayal from a trusted friend and this is why just thinking about it physically

hurt me. I would have accepted any criticism saying that I "hadn't had the guts to do it" as an author, but I

assure you I couldn't write that episode no matter what.

Maybe Giorno would have had to kill Fugo then and I'm sure this would have given a really bad impression

to my youngest readers.

This is what lays behind that farewell scene in Venezia, with the publication of Vento Aureo's novel then

(Golden Heart, Golden Ring) I was able to have a story written about how Fugo would continue to help his

companions from inside the organization.

To conclude allow me to say something to my characters: thank you, you are the Golden Wind that blows

during the most difficult and sad moments.

Hirohiko Araki