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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: The Anime as a Whole
Author: Hirohiko Araki
Episodes: 109 (and counting)
The Praise
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a series defined simultaneously by its parts and its experience as a whole, making the series a unique viewing experience for any fan of anime. The stories told in each part feel self-contained and were built on extremely unique characters yet each part only adds to the whole experience. Seeing Jonathan and his crew of Zepelli and Speedwagon hunt down Dio while fighting more and more absurd vampires was enjoyable in and of itself but the setup was something that could only be appreciated in later parts. Similarly, being able to watch Jonathan and Caesar fulfill their destinies while still carving their own paths out was a satisfying conclusion to the stone masks. Jotaro’s battle against dio, too, felt like a strong sendoff to the villain and his legacy (at least as far as animated parts are
concerned) and despite part 4 getting away from more legacy-passing themes, Josuke and Jotaro’s interactions felt very much like a passing of the torch of stand-users. What I’m trying to say is that each part of the series alone is an experience but nothing can compare to the whole feeling of the story playing out amongst different generations. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a show about legacies, destinies, and finding your own path and that is something that isn’t very common in any anime.
Story beats aside, another strong quality of the show that kept me going back to it was the variety. Early on in the series, Araki experimented with having different powers in the same groups of people to a varying degree of success. From vampires that shot blades to vampires that could freeze or pillar men that could control wind to pillar men that could control boiling blood, there was never a shortage of interesting powers that the early crews had to face. While some of these powers might have felt a bit out of place or left field, the addition of stands brought this sense of variety to an absolute peak. Now there was a reason that someone could shapeshift their face or stop time or punch someone really fast and hard and that reason was that a Stand was a reflection of one’s inner self and life energy. The sheer variety of powers in the series alone was and is mind-boggling and the ways that the Stand-using protagonists won in their respective parts was just as intriguing. Yes, some stand powers are worthless or dumb, but each brought an element of surprise to the show.
A final note I want to touch on about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is how it is true to its name: This show is very bizarre and is definitely better for it. Bizarre shifts in color scheme, Bizarre sense of fashion, Bizarre powers, and Bizarre conflicts highlight the differences in this show than the rest of the anime field. There are no harems to be found here, no pointless moments of fanservice, no insane “power of
friendship” boosts, and no plot armor for characters. If there was an anti-modern series out right now it would be JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure but this uniqueness, as I’ve tried to convey, is what elevates the series. It isn’t afraid to dress an extremely buff main character up in a crop top, give him a power that lets him turn people into books, and have said character die many times over thanks to someone else’s power. At the same time, it isn’t willing to let characters take steps back in their development and is always focusing on some sort of progress. This series goes at its own pace for sure, and it is stronger for it.
The Critique
The unfortunate side effect of each strength’s nature in the case of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is that they can be weaknesses. With each part featuring a new cast of characters, despite relations to others, it is very easy to find oneself pining for the older days of the series or looking forward to the newer parts. Likewise, the shift from a more focused and tangible Hamon-based series to a more abstract and confusing Stand-based one can be a HUGE turnoff for people. In an interview, Araki said that he wanted to focus on battles of the spirit over battles of the body and such a shift can be truly jarring. I know many a person that stopped watching the series because Stand battles felt too abstract for them or because a lot of the battles felt like filler later on. On that note, the pacing when it comes to the Stand-era parts can
be a bit dull at times, falling into the lull of a “Stand of the week” format before offering any juicy main-plot revelations. Coupled with how, for lack of a better word, bizarre this show is, it could be easy to get so lost or distracted that a viewer wouldn’t even know what’s going on. With the main plot and feel of the show being only truly enjoyable through the viewing of each part, the character shifts, stands, pacing, and weirdness of it all could easily be too much of a slog for the average anime fan to get to. Oh, and if you watch the dub the first two parts are horrible because of some bad accent work. While I only watch subbed anime, it hurts me to struggle to recommend this to dub-only fans because of the cringe-inducing voice acting of the first two parts.
The Verdict
I’ve said it so many times that many might find this repetition unimportant but I have to say it again: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an anime experience unlike any other. Taken as separate parts, it is a fine experience but taken as a whole, with looming themes of destiny, legacy, pride, and individuality, the series ascends to a whole new level. Never have I been as satisfied as I was watching Joseph finally put an end to the stone masks or Jotaro finally destroy Dio. Likewise, the death of Caesar in line with the rest of his family remains one of the saddest moments for me. This show is an emotional rollercoaster to say the least: It has its very high highs and its admittedly low lows, but at the end of the day there is no experience like it and it is one that I would experience, and have experienced, many times over. Also, keep an eye out in modern series for JoJo references, they're everywhere haha.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Anime Rating: 10 gold nuggets out of 10
Arc by Arc Rating (Arc Ratings / Total Arcs): 83% (50/60)