Name: As Bizarre as it looks ?
Item: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (TV)
Rating: 69
Author: Zhariv

As Bizarre as it looks ?

You Thought you would have your first kiss with Jojo, BUT IT WAS ME, DIO!

-Dio (Brando)

Just in case, I must say that this is a review from Part I, the review of part II it's going to be another, 'cause they are so different from each other that It wouldn't make sense to do a review of both. So just wait.
And for now,

PHANTOM BLOOD BABY

Well, Phantom Blood is... Weird. Im a really good way, but still weird. I know lots of JojoFags have this as their favorite part, but everyone thats not really into Jojo will take this as their Least Favorite part. About me? Well, let's find out.
There are a huge ammount of Fight-Shonen anime arround Japan, some of them are basic and bad, like Fairy Tail, some are basic and good, like Boku No Hero, and there are some who steps away from the basics and make something new and different, like Shingeki o Kyojin, and Mob Psycho 100.

But Jojo, Jojo it's different, Jojo isn't basic, at all, but doesn't fit on the "different shounen" style, since the story doesn't run away from it's premise, at least at part I. There are the main character that fights the bad guy, magic powers, the sensei, the warriors, and deaths, lots and lots of deaths. But, even though, if you watch like, Naruto, and then watch this, you won't relate it to Jojo, at all. Since the narrative is not conventional, it takes the time it wants to make things happen, and the direction of the anime works toghether with the animator to make the scenes as bizarre as the manga, wich is for one side good, because it all combines into a same narrative with great cohesion, but at the other side, the bizarre levels can be unwatchable. Not that it is so bad that is hard to watch, but maybe the goodness of the anime makes it unwatchable. Do you understand me?

Answering the question from the begining, Yes. I kinda like Phantom Blood, but I genuinely understand whoever dislikes or even hates this part. Because, it's really not easy to watch, and lots of people ran away from Jojo just because of this part. And the worst part of all is that the Anthology series just gets better with the elapse of the parts, and even more enjoyable. The characters become even more intresting and the fights and action scenes become even more creative. But one thing is consistent (besides the fact that all the MCs are blood related), the nonsensical vibe persists through every single episode of every single arc of every single part.
But going back to talking about part one...
Yes, I like Phantom Blood, and the main reason I like this part is because of both Protagonist and Antagonist, that worked so well, but for different reasons.

Jonnathan Joestar is (in my interpretation) the representation of Superman, but in a tragical side of the spectrum, since Superman is unbeatable, while Jonnathan is far from that. But the thing that unites both is their unshakable wish to do the right thing, their pureness and compassion for even the most despicable creatures is a step to make him intresting, but what makes him an awesome protagonist is the fact that his quallities are tested all the time, with people leting him down constantly and the lost of allies. His personallity is great for his friends, but not as great for him, and the ending is the cullmination of all his characterization throughout the season; and I loved it.

And at the other side of the spectrum is Dio (Brando), who isn't exactly the personification of some villain, but as superman was built in 1939 as the representation of good, Dio is the representation of pure evilness, like when he is adopted by upper class gentle people, but still is an asshole with his brother Jonathan, making his life pure torture so he commits suicide and lets all the fortune with him, and all that with 12 years. That's the bizarre part, but what makes him intresting, is that, as the evil is seductive, Dio is bizarrelly charismactic, a perfect combination of the script, the direction, and of course, Takehito Koyasu, embracing the "sedducive" side of this evil being, as stupid as it seems.

And are that confliting personalities that makes the main conflict seems so cool besides so weird. And I apply this to the main powers, the use for the powers, and the (almost) omnipotence of Dio (Brando). But don't misunderstand me, I didn't give all that speech to say that everyone who dislikes part 1 as a whole is wrong, no. Like, if I can (truly) criticize something is the overreaction to everything that some characters show, specially SpeedWagon. (Don't get me wrong, I love my Speed Wagon as much as you, but u must agree with me that his overraction at some really punctual moments it gets anoying.); but it is far from ruining the experience.

Between lots of bizarre stuff, I think I can say that Phantom Blood is a good start for what would become one of the most creative and stylish modern series, and even though not every single Araki's choice actually worked, I can say that this narrative experiment was in matter fact well succeded.

PS: You will understand why I put the "Brando" between parentheses