ZeekyBoogie Reviews
Review IV • JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
PERSONALITY IS EVERYTHING
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's first season, to my knowledge, isn't exactly seen as a fan favorite. I've been told - and off consensus reviews, seen - that it's the least regarded, so I was certainly surprised to learn such considering how much I loved it off rip.
Maybe I'm just impressionable, but the pure character exuded by this franchise piqued my interest immediately. Jonathan Joestar on first impression did seem like a generic, pitiful protagonist - which I assessed with caution - but the dynamic between him and Dio was everything.
And man, oh man, Dio is something else - by far one of my favorite heels - ahem, villains - in any show I've watched. He's such a dickhead but pulls the personality off magnificently. It's almost like I was waiting to see what absurd way he'd torment England next.
Every character, down to those in supporting roles, stood out nicely. Speedwagon, Will. A. Zeppeli, the list goes on...so much action and dissonance was packed into nine episodes of Phantom Blood that I left it astounded.
Oh, and that's without mentioning Battle Tendency, the longer second-half to an already exceptional first season - which takes the charm of Phantom Blood and multiplies it times ten.
How is this show so good, what the hell?
Joseph Joestar is my favorite character of any anime I've watched yet. His snarkiness, entitled nature, clever actions...I can see it coming off as overbearing, but it was absolutely hilarious to me! I've never laughed at a man's random actions so often, it was an incredibly refreshing dynamic for an otherwise intense series.
His partner-in-crime, Caesar Zeppeli - actually, let me po' one out for homie real quick.
...
...
..was the perfect equally-cocky, yet determined sidekick for him to bounce off of.
We miss you Caesar.
And when considering Lisa Lisa, Rudol von Stroheim, Smokey...it's unfair how colorful this cast is. I developed an emotional connection to them way too fast. It's beautifully painful, because Jojo's isn't afraid to make fans grieve.
HAMON...OVERDRIVE!!!
You know, being set in 1800s England - a rather strange environment to base an anime in - I was unsure how JoJo's was going to get weird. I mean, yeah, it's a cool setting, but what exactly about England - especially this long ago - pops?
Well, aside from Stone Masks and vampires - which instantly shut my skepticism up - the art of Hamon was a charming superpower that made the Joestar family and co. simply marvelous! (Imagine that in a Joseph accent)
It definitely confused me conceptually at first, but understanding the in-world science behind it and how it was used cleared up the air quickly. Oh, and how it makes pretty lights and stuff. I'm easy to please with some good animation, clearly.
...anyway.
Hamon becomes even cooler in Battle Tendency, because it feels like Joseph takes it to a whole 'nother level. Not because he's necessarily stronger, but it's rather how crafty he is with it.
The amount of times I was in awe of how the odds flipped in his favor because of his quick thinking blew my mind. It made fight scenes not only action-packed and exhilarating, but just outright impressive from a writing standpoint. Every foe faced, every location destroyed, felt so unique. And I was rooting for Joseph the whole way.
INCREDIBLE STORYTELLING
Upon beginning Battle Tendency, I did not expect to see such an interconnected storyline - or perhaps, I did not expect the way it was done. I think the prospect of having a different protagonist for each part - but all from the same family - is brilliant and creates so much room for lore and continuity.
The depth behind Battle Tendency's story in particular was astounding. Learning of Joseph's correlation with his grandfather and his experiences, combined with the insane plot twist that was Lisa Lisa, blew my mind on multiple occasions and forced a flurry of smiles out of me. Smiles of pure admiration for this series' writers and how creative they are.
It's also gratifying to see such good pacing - Phantom Blood smacks you in the face like the catastrophe it is, but Battle Tendency is prone to taking its time, and in a great way. There's not really any filler - not that I would've minded it, though - and such a strength allows each mini-arc to feel substantial and justified.
And once the Pillar Men were fully established, there was no turning back.
EPIC CONCLUSION
Speaking of Pillar Men...what an end to the season!
Joseph's creeping takedown of Esidisi, Wamuu and Kars was incredible to see given the unique scenarios for each battle. It felt like bosses in a video game - you not only needed to fight them, but do it in unorthodox ways. I would've never expected a race, and it was absolutely awesome!
But the multi-episode duel between Joseph and Kars was on another plane. For as intimidating and psychotic as Dio was in Phantom Blood, Kars really shocked me on how deliberately ruthless a JoJo's villain can be - what an incredible hurdle for Joseph to overcome.
The means by which he defeated adversity was thrilling. And it all ended in a comedic, wholesome, and Joestar-style grand manner - it left me speechless.
CLOSING STATEMENT
"WON ME OVER, EASILY"
I wasn't sure what to expect from JoJo's besides macho men and eccentric humor, and it delivered that and so much more.
I've already seen Stardust Crusaders at this point, so a review for that will be coming sooner or later, but this franchise has absolutely earned my love and I will be vehemently defending it moving forwards.
I can't believe these two parts are considered the "weak" stretch of JoJo's - weak my ass. Sounds like I have plenty of positive reviews on the way as I explore this world.