JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese anime/manga series made by artist Hirohiko Araki and published by Shueisha. The series consists of many parts and each part has a different main character but all bear the nickname Jojo. The story is known for its unique drawing style and special plot, with many supernatural and bizarre elements.
The first chapter of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was published on January 1, 1987 in Weekly Shonen Jump issues 1&2. In 2005, it moved to the monthly seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump. Here are the things that you should know before watching this interesting anime.
Overview about JJBA
The current series is divided into 8 parts:
Part I: Phantom Blood (1987 – 1988) – The main character of this part is Jonathan Joestar. The story follows the bizarre relationship between him and his adopted brother Dio Brando in 19th century England. Hamon (Wave of Life) is introduced as a form of martial arts using the energy of the sun.
Part II: Battle Tendency (1988 – 1989) – Jonathan’s nephew – Joseph Joestar appears. The story takes place in the late 1930s, when Joseph must battle the Pillar Men, members of an ancient race of vampires.
Part III: Stardust Crusaders (1989 – 1992) – The story of this part takes place in 1989, revolving around Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Joseph Joestar and his journey around the world in search of the still living Dio Brando. This story also introduces “Stands” – symbolizing the spiritual strength of its owner. This is also the last part where Hamon (Wave of Life) is used.
Part IV: Diamond Is Unbreakable (1992 – 1996) – The main character of this story is Josuke Higashikata, the illegitimate son of Joseph Joestar. The development of the story revolves around his adventures with his friends in the Japanese town of Morioh. The story takes place in 1999.
Part V: Vento Aureo (1996 – 1999) – The story is set in Italy in 2001. The main character is Giorno Giovanna, son of Dio Brando, who wants to become a gangster and join Passione – A Mafia organization using Stand, ruled by a mysterious boss.
Part VI: Stone Ocean (2000 – 2003) – The story tells about Jolyne Cujoh, the daughter of Jotaro Kujo, being imprisoned in the Green Dolphin Street prison in Florida, USA for murder. This story takes place in 2011.
Part VII: Steel Ball Run (2004 – 2011) – Taking place in another timeline in 1890 in the US. The story follows Johnny Joestar, his ally Gyro Zeppeli, and the race across America, named Steel Ball Run.
Part VIII: JoJolion (2011 – Ongoing) – Set in 2012, in the same universe as Steel Ball Run. The town of Morioh was devastated by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The main character of this part, Josuke Higashikata (not related to the main character of Part IV), was found buried alive. half of his body under the rock and lost his memory.
Unique plot different from adventure-themed series
JJBA revolves around the story of the Joestar family and the young Jonathan Joestar, an English aristocratic family with supernatural powers: They have the ability to summon guardian spirits, against hostile forces: like vampires. , ogre. One day, when the family was returning home, the carriage had an accident that caused Jonathan’s mother to die. At that time, a thief named Brando happened to appear and claimed to have saved the family’s life. 12 years later, his son Dio Brando appeared and was adopted by the Joestar family. But Dio is a cruel, aggressive and fame-crazed man. He plotted to kill his father Jonathan Joestar and sell his soul to the devil, becoming a dangerous vampire.
The confrontation between Jonathan and Dio – the evil vampire plus the destruction of the demons protecting the good people made him a hero. The story continues through many generations, creating JJBA with 8 arcs full of magic, charisma and bravery. Below is a scene of the confrontation between Jotaro and Dio.
How to build unique clashes
The special thing about Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is the construction of clashes. Not too bloody and using a lot of magic skills, not too heavy on “knowing techniques” and not too bloody tragic, the applications in JJBA are always characterized by the harmonious alternation of 3 elements. above factors, plus unique qualities from the character’s appearance and posture.
Confrontations often raise the intellectual level of both sides when the characters continuously use tricks to win, know how to take advantage of the opponent’s weaknesses and themselves to “turn the bet”. No one will know who will win in that collision! The author is very successful in taking the reader on an “emotional roller coaster”. The collision bets have a balance between tactics and personal strength, so it is not boring.
Wide brand coverage attracts more new readers
Because of the unique appearance of its characters and costumes, JJBA has an advantage that can be considered a “win-win” for brands and the studio / author of the series itself – JJBA especially covers famous fashion brands like Gucci, in addition to snack and figure brands. Therefore, more and more new readers are curious, learn and… addicted to this series of stories.
When will Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure end?
Araki revealed in an interview that he will end the series when he is 60 years old. Currently, part 8 “Jojolion” has lasted from 2011 to now and shows no sign of ending, while the author is 59 years old. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the series will end in part 8 or the author will take a little longer to write part 9. There have not been any further revelations about this yet. It also means that we fans will have more time to mull over this unique manga and anime, right?
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean will premiere in December 2021 on the Netflix
The release date of the Stone Ocean part of the Jojo anime series has been set for December of this year. Expected to be released on Netflix but it’s not yet certain if Netflix will show all episodes at once. In addition, many also think that there is a possibility that Attack on Titan season 4 and Demon Slayer season 2 will also be released in December. Making Winter 2021 the most anticipated anime season.