Why JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Changed Stand Names For The Anime
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is, as the name implies, a story like no other. Originally a manga by Hirohiko Araki that started in 1987, the multi-generational tale became a successful anime series in 2012. It begins with a young man in Victorian England named Joseph Joestar and his evil vampire foster brother, Dio Brando. After Joseph dies, the series follows his various descendants as they have their own struggles against the forces of evil.
The third part of the saga, which comprises season 2 of the anime, introduces the concept of "Stands." A Stand is the physical manifestation of a person's life energy, which appears as a metaphysical being that often resembles a robot. Those who can manifest Stands are referred to as Stand Users, and each Stand has its own unique set of superpowers. Additionally, each Stand has a name, and many fans noticed that quite a few of those names had changed when the anime reached the U.S.
So why did Viz Media change the Stand names? In short, because they had to.
Copyright concerns lead to innovation
JoJo fans know that creator Hirohiko Araki is a huge fan of American rock and pop music, and he loves to reference that music when coming up with Stand names. But when the anime came to the U.S., a lot of those names presented potential copyright problems. Thus, for example, the Stand formerly known as Crazy Diamond becomes Shining Diamond. It's still a recognizable reference to the Pink Floyd song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," but it's no longer the same words in the same order. Similarly, Gold Experience, a Stand named after a Prince album, becomes Golden Wind. Red Hot Chili Pepper (yes, there's really a Stand with that name) is shortened to the non-legally-actionable Chili Pepper.
There are tons of changes like this over the course of the series. A Stand named Bad Company hilariously becomes Worse Company. Pearl Jam becomes Pole Jam. Earth, Wind, and Fire becomes Terra Ventus. Moody Blues is changed to Moody Jazz, Sex Pistols becomes Six Bullets, and Purple Haze becomes Purple Smoke. The Grateful Dead becomes the Thankful Death, and a Stand named Green Day becomes Green Tea. Araki's names are so on the nose that a lot of times the altered ones could be considered a bit more clever.
More importantly, nobody wants to hear that their favorite anime has been sued by Pink Floyd.