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Friday, November 22, 2019

"You Should Read JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" by Cameron H


While currently sitting at a whopping 939 chapters in the main story alone and over, reading all of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure will appear as a monumental task to overcome, it is worth reading. Hirohiko Araki’s masterpiece, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, has been in constant publication since its debut in 1986 and has grown to be as influential and as popular in Japan as the big four of shonen1 manga2, Bleach, Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto, though it has not reached quite the same popularity in the west. This massive popularity has lead to several other spin-off manga that have been written and drawn by Araki himself, several spin-off light novels3 that feature illustrations drawn by Araki, multiple video games, and anime adaptations of the first five parts. Araki is also the only mangaka4 to have his art displayed in the Louvre and to have collaborated with famous high-fashion brands as Gucci and Balenciaga. Because of Jojo’s such wide appeal and success, it is difficult to find a shonen manga that does not have roots in, or is in some way connected to Jojo’s, from the poses and quotes to the over the top fight styles and Stand cries of “ORA ORA ORA” and “MUDA MUDA MUDA” to the ever-present use of the katakana digraph ゴ5.
Araki’s system of “parts” is arguably the best part about Jojo’s because it allows Araki to sometimes entirely change fighting styles and powers, as well as, write different, self-contained stories in different genres, so he doesn’t ever get bored or tired of writing the same kind of story, which can lead to a sharp decline in the story’s quality. The parts system allows a newer reader to skip parts (though this is highly advised against) and not be too lost within the story, though much of the prior lore will be lost. This also means that any reader can find a genre they like amongst the current eight parts of Jojo’s such as Dracula-esque vampire horror, Indiana Jones-esque action-adventure, and whodunit murder mystery.
Part 1: Phantom Blood(Chapters 1 - 44)
Phantom Blood is set in 1880s England where the main antagonist, Dio Brando, schemes to steal

the Joestar fortune from the Joestar heir and protagonist, Jonathan Joestar, or Jojo. After worming his way into the Joestar family, Dio finds an Aztec stone mask that Jojo’s father, George Joestar, was studying and discovers that when it is splashed with blood, it turns the wearer into a vampire. After this discovering this newfound power Dio turns himself into a vampire and aims his sights on loftier goals, that being to take over the world. After seeing Dio turn himself into a vampire, Jojo sets out with his companions Robert E. O. Speedwagon and Will A. Zeppeli to learn Hamon, a breathing technique that allows the user to channel the energy of the sun and kill vampires, and put an end to Dio’s reign of terror.
Phantom Blood is the worst and shortest part of Jojo’s when compared to the other parts, which is to be expected as it is Araki’s second major manga series and his first foray into the extensive story that is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure but is still good nonetheless.
Score: Decent 6
Part 2: Battle Tendency
(Chapters 45 - 113)

Battle Tendency is another sun-breathing, action-packed romp set in 1938, where Speedwagon, recruits Jonathan’s grandson Joseph Joestar to help him destroy all traces of the stone masks. After having
1 Shonen manga are manga series that are aimed at teen boys, which are commonly seen in magazines like Shonen Jump.
2 Manga are Japanese comics.
3 Novels that target teenage readers.

4 Manga artist/author.
5 The character ゴis often used as a comic sound effect to connote a menacing atmosphere or to describe a rumbling sound.

been attacked by a comrade that turned himself into a vampire, Speedwagon gets taken in by the Nazis to help with the investigation of a man trapped in a pillar , who turns out to be one of the creators of the stone mask, who is also a more powerful, higher being than the vampires. The Nazis then research further and discover three more Pillarmen in Italy where Joseph teams up with Will A. Zeppeli’s grandson, Caesar Zeppeli to defeat the Pillarmen before they can obtain the Red Stone of Aja, which would allow the Pillarmen to conquer the sun and become ultimate beings.
Battle Tendency is an improvement upon Phantom Blood in both story and fights, but still comes up somewhat lacking when compared to the other parts. The fights are much more interesting and having recurring villains in the Pillarmen lends the plot more overall structure and helps to build up the Pillarmen as better developed villains.
Score: Strong 7 to Light 8
Part 3: Stardust Crusaders
(Chapters 114- 265)

Stardust Crusaders is the most popular and widely known part of Jojo’s and is coincidentally the part where Araki finally comes into his own with a new power system and fighting style in the form of “Stands”, which are the manifestation of the user’s fighting spirit that can only be seen by other Stand users. The introduction of Stands allows the fights to be much better written because a seemingly weak Stand can win against a seemingly strong Stand given the correct conditions or set up, which forces the Crusaders6 to think of interesting and clever ways to use their set abilities, unlike many other shonen series that use the ‘power of friendship’ or being angry enough to become more powerful.
Stardust Crusaders begins with DIO7’s coffin being hauled up from the bottom of the ocean and then flashes forward four years to 1987, where Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Joseph Joestar, has locked himself in prison because he was being haunted by an ‘evil spirit’. Joseph and his friend Avdol go to Japan to convince Jotaro to leave the prison where they learn that Jotaro had developed a Stand, Star Platinum8. Soon after this Noriaki Kayoin, Jean Pierre Polnareff, and Iggy join the group on their journey to Egypt to defeat DIO.
Stardust Crusaders improves greatly upon Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency in story and character writing, but especially in the fights. The era of the punch ghosts9 is the best era of Jojo’s and is one of the best shonen power systems because of its power-scaling and well-defined, limited ability sets because characters are forced to use their powers in clever ways, rather than to become more powerful. Overall the pre-Egypt half of Stardust Crusaders can get somewhat repetitive, but the Nine Glory Gods fights in the Egypt arc are much more interesting and fun to read.
Score: Light to Decent 8
Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable
(Chapters 266 - 439)

Diamond is Unbreakable brings yet another innovation to the system of Stands, small though it may seem, in the form of the naming scheme. Stardust Crusaders used the major arcana of the tarot and the Nine Glory Gods of Egypt as Stand names, which had small breaks like, Tenore Saxand the only pun-based character and Stand name combination, Vanilla Ice’s Cream, whereas the Stands of part 4
6 Crusaders will be used in all further instances to refer to the main group in part 3, which consists of Jotaro Kujo, Joseph Joestar, Avdol, Kakyoin, Polnareff, and Iggy.
7 Dio Brando stylizes his name as DIO after developing a Stand in part 3.
8 「」are Japanese quotation marks and well be used to show Stand names in all further mentions.

9 Stands are often referred to as “punch ghosts” because almost all of the Joestar Stands are humanoid, close-range, power type Stands whose main abilities consist of superhuman strength coupled with an extra side-ability.
and all further parts take their names from musical artists, albums, or songs like, Josuke’s Crazy Diamond, Koichi’s Echoes, and Rohan’s Heaven’s Door.
Diamond is Unbreakable is a murder mystery set in the small Japanese town of Morioh in the summer of 1999. The story follows the main Jojo of the part, Josuke Higashikata, the illegitimate son of Joseph Joestar. At the beginning of the story, Jotaro arrives in Morioh to handle inheritance matters with Josuke when he sees that Josuke is a Stand user. Jotaro then informs him that there is a murderer on the loose that is likely a Stand user. After defeating this Stand using murderer, the Gang learns that the murderer was not the only hidden threat in Morioh.
While Diamond is Unbreakable suffers from a sometimes slow pace because it is the longest part of Jojo’s, it does have some of the series’ best and most interesting Stand abilities and fights, as well as non-combat “fights”, like the “Let’s Go Eat Some Italian Food”, “Yukako Yamagishi Dreams of Cinderella”, and “I Am an Alien” arcs that take the focus away from the hunt for the part’s big bad guy and gives the reader a slice-of-life tinged reprieve. These non-combat arcs help to solidify the characters as well-developed characters rather than one-note fight machines.
Score: Strong 7 to Light 8
Part 5: Vento Aureo
(Chapters 440 - 594)

Vento Aureo10 is the story of Giorno Giovanna, a half Japanese teen and the son of DIO. The plot of Vento Aureois set in Italy in 2000 and follows Giorno as he joins Bruno Buccellati, an officer of the Italian mafia, as he infiltrates the mafia, Passione, to ascend the ranks of the mafia and defeat the boss to eliminate the movement and sale of drugs. Giorno teams up with Bruno Buccellati, Guido Mista, Narancia Ghirga, Leone Abbacchio, and Pannacotta Fugo, to form the part’s main group, as they are given the duty of protecting the boss’s daughter, Trish Una, and thusly pitted against Passione’s assassination squad, La Squadra Esecuzioni, and the boss’s own elite protection force, Unità Speciale on Giorno’s journey to dethrone the boss.
Vento Aureofeatures some of the best Stand abilities and Stand battles, as well as a real sense of power progression and character development, with characters learning to use their set Stand abilities to do new things within the predefined bounds and deeply developed character backgrounds and behaviors. Giorno, unlike Josuke and the Duwang Gang, has a concrete goal from the very beginning, to dethrone the boss of Passione and eliminate the drug trade in Italy, which gives the story a strong, tangible foundation and prevents the plot from wandering or seeming poorly paced at times like Diamond is Unbreakable. Vento Aureo also Araki’s best introduction to the main villain’s Stand, where he intentionally confuses the audience to place them in the shoes of the characters who don’t know what the villain’s ability does either.
Score: Strong 8 to Light 9
Part 6: Stone Ocean
(Chapters 595 - 752)
Stone Ocean is set in 2011 in Florida, where Jolyne Cujoh, daughter of Jotaro Kujo, is framed for

murder and imprisoned in Green Dolphin Street Prison. Soon after being imprisoned and obtaining her Stand, Stone Free, Jotaro breaks into the prison to help Jolyne escape, where Jotaro’s Stand and memories are turned into discs and stolen by a mysterious Stand. The rest of the part follows Jolyne, Ermes Costello, Foo Fighters, Weather Report, Narciso Anasui, and Emporio Alniño as they search for Jotaro’s memories and Stand, as well as hunt down the Stand user that took the discs.
10 Vento Aureois Italian for Golden Wind.
Stone Ocean is often called the worst part in Jojo’s, but while it is odd and has some lackluster story arcs, this is simply not the case. Stone Ocean introduces the concept of Stand and memory discs that can allow almost anyone to wield a Stand and brings back the concept of the evolving stand that hasn’t been seen since part four in Echoes. The part brings more interesting situations, characters, Stand abilities to the table, and like all shonen, takes the stakes even higher than before and does an excellent job of subverting shonen tropes.
Score: Light to Decent 7
Part 7; Steel Ball Run
(Chapters 753 - 847)

Steel Ball Run begins in San Diego in 1890 with Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli teaming up to compete in the Steel Ball Run Race, a transcontinental horse race for $50 million. Johnny, a paraplegic, ex-star jockey, joins the race after encountering Gyro’s spinning Steel Balls that allowed him to stand for a short time to learn the secret of the Spin. As they continue through the race, Johnny and Gyro learn of nefarious goings-on connected to the mysterious Saint’s Corpse, which allows the holder to develop a Stand. Johnny and Gyro forge onward to find all the corpse parts and stop the unknown evildoer that is searching for the parts.
Overall, Steel Ball Run, with its decreased dependence on Stand’s, which function more as enhancements rather than a weapon, focus on the Spin, the race itself makes for an exciting and interesting part. All of these elements, as well as unique and interesting Stand abilities, combine to form one of the best parts in the series.
Score: Decent to Strong 9 Part 8: Jojolion(Chapters 848 - ???)
The only ongoing part and the second part set in the Steel Ball Run timeline, Jojolion is set after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Morioh, Japan. Jojolion follows the part’s protagonist, Josuke Higashikata or Gappy, after he wakes up naked and half-buried in the ground with no memories, as he searches for his true identity with the help of Yasuho Hirose and Rai Mamezuku. There is still much that is unknown, even 91 chapters in, about the plot of Jojolion.
With Araki’s best art to date, character writing, best Stand designs yet, Jojolion is one of the most interesting and mysterious parts in the series. Araki also chooses to include fewer “punch ghost” Stands, which makes for more interesting fights and Stand encounters.
Score So Far: Decent 8 Conclusion
You should read Jojo’ Bizarre Adventure because its an excellent manga series and it has something that everyone can find enjoyable in its more than 30 years of serialization.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

"I, Giorno Giovanna, approve of this blog entry." I started watching the anime for Jojo but this convinved me to go ahead and read the manga if I can get my hands on it. One thing I keep seeing is "Vento Aureo" I always thought it was Il Vento D'oro. -Mj Ibarra

Annabelle Erickson said...

look. this is enlightening. i have been persuaded. thank you for allowing me to ascend to a realm of greater knowledge about the superior entity that is JoJo.

Kori Yun said...

I liked your explanation of the qualities that make JoJo's Bizarre Adventure so enjoyable. It helped that you included an explanation of how Hirohiko Araki has a system of "parts" so that readers are not lost in the vastness of the story. Many iconic types of manga can be overwhelming for new readers so this description does a good job of making new readers feel less intimidated. Good job!

Anonymous said...

Aside from a few grammatical errors, this review has enticed me to read more of the powerhouse that is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. I have already read through about part 2, and I must say that I am really enjoying the interesting style of writing and especially the art style. Thank you Cameron, very cool! - Nathan Sandoval

Anonymous said...

I love anime and manga so seeing this article definitely helped make my day. My friend has been for weeks trying to convince me to give it a try but I've just been lagging on it. Now though, I will absolutely actually go give it a try. The details of the characters helps make me interested in the whole story, so thank you!

Anonymous said...

This review really entices audiences to take part of this series. With your thought-out organization and detailing in describing Araki's work, people know what they are getting themselves into when they read your review. It also helps others understand the work better and have a feel of appreciation when someone else can show that they like the piece. This review is epic!1! -Aaron P

David Garcia said...

This is beautiful! Being into anime myself I thoroughly enjoy the detailed and thorough explanations of the series. I just started watching the series myself so looking at this saddens me that the anime is being spoiled in a blog site but that is okay, it does not matter because English matters right now and you did a splendid job of giving highlights, details and tone that just shows pure excitement about the anime. Great job at delivering to the audience to draw them in and hopefully get them to watch it. Thank you for sharing!

Cedrick Martinez said...

I respect your piece persuading readers to watch anime. Your analysis of JoJo is so in depth that it appeals to the reader so they think that anime is really good and they should watch it. I haven't even watched JoJo yet, but now Im going to watch right now. -Cedrick Martinez

Anonymous said...

I'm not too into anime or manga, but your reviews have me reeled me in a little bit. You provided a great amount of detail for each book and allowed for us to see what we might get ourselves into. Keep up the good work.

CHRISTIAN MIRAFLORES JR said...

Personally, Anime is one of my favorite pastimes and Jojo's is one of my favorites. This review greatly expresses the great qualities of product and the way it was explained was great for people who have not heard of it. I also love how you analyzed each part of the manga thoroughly. Overall, very nice!