JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

[Fish and Chips]

Because this thread was needed.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a long running supernatural/horror/action-adventure Manga by Hirohiko Araki, and is both the second longest running and second most popular Manga in it's native Japan to date, influencing several current Mangaka including Hiroyuki Takei, Kouta Hirano, and CLAMP (yes, CLAMP). Featuring expansive generational plots, exotic locals, increasingly bizarre special abilities and extravagant violence, a distinctive evolving art style, and copious Western rock music references, it's a crazy ride.

And since talking about it occasionally eats up the What Manga Are You Reading thread, this is for fans and newcomers to ask questions and discuss the series at length. Arcs, stands, characters, and etcetera. Travel the world, meet interesting people, and kill them.

Availability: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is currently licensed and published by VIZ Media, staring from the third and most popular plot arc Stardust Crusaders. As of today, 9 volumes have been released.
Continent Warning: Violence, some language and (usually brief) sexuality, and the occasional bad joke.

[WrestlingOtaku]

I've been meaning to get into this, but I can't find it at Books-A-Million, which means I'll have to go 30 miles to the next closest bookstore, Borders Books. That and I don't have much money now, because work is cutting down on my hours. :/

[uc pseudonym]

I would be glad to discuss this series at length, but I suspect most here already know many of my basic thoughts. As a starting point, perhaps everyone should post what they have read of the series and perhaps favorite arc? For myself:

Read: Volumes 1-63 (I-V) + Steel Ball Run
Favorite: Battle Tendency (II)

Continent Warning: Violence, some language and (usually brief) sexuality, and the occasional bad joke.

Readers should also beware of Australia.

[Fish and Chips]

Australia? The continent?

Clearly, I need to hurry up my reading habits.

I would be glad to discuss this series at length, but I suspect most here already know many of my basic thoughts. As a starting point, perhaps everyone should post what they have read of the series and perhaps favorite arc? For myself:

Read: Volumes 1-49 (I-IV and some V) + Steel Ball Run
Favorite: Battle Tendency (II)

Currently reading Diamond is Unbreakable at volume 33, having polished off the first three arcs. I've also checked out the first three volumes of Stone Ocean and the first five volumes of Steel Ball Run. Battle Tendency and Steel Ball Run are my favorite arcs, but if SBR continues its current track, it'll probably overtake Part II in the near future.

Speaking of which, I've been busy browsing some of the untranslated volumes of SBR. Araki has a couple of fairly interesting stands (and stand users) slated for the next batch of releases. Let me see if I can dig up some good teasers.

[MasterDias]

I've read all of Parts 1 & 2, about half of Part 3, and all of Parts 4 & 5. Overall, I do enjoy it when I read it(well, mostly, I found Part 1 rather...dry...) but there are a number of things that manage to irritate me. So, as such, it's far from my favorite series.

What is everyone's favorite stand/power? I'm somewhat partial to Aerosmith in Part V.

[Fish and Chips]

I've read all of Parts 1 & 2, about half of Part 3, and all of Parts 4 & 5. Overall, I do enjoy it when I read it(well, mostly, I found Part 1 rather...dry...) but there are a number of things that manage to irritate me. So, as such, it's far from my favorite series.

Actually, I have an arc question. How is Part V? I've been hesitant to read it, in part due to the character design, though it's pretty much par for the course in JoJo.

[MasterDias]

Actually, I have an arc question. How is Part V? I've been hesitant to read it, in part due to the character design, though it's pretty much par for the course in JoJo.

Heh. Yeah, Araki went from this 1980s/Fist of the North Star-looking artstyle and character design in the first few parts, and then in Part V, it starts looking sort of like this quasi-bishounen/comic bookish design.

Part V follows the same basic structure as Part III. Go to location -> Fight -> Go to another location -> Fight -> Fight -> Go somewhere else, etc. The protagonists have an interesting selection of powers, although the main villain's ability is really broken (well, actually, several characters have broken powers, and I don't think Araki handled this very well).
But, regardless, if you liked the other Jojo arcs, you will probably enjoy this one. Overall, it's a pretty decent arc.

[uc pseudonym]

One of these days I will start up Part V again, as my schedule is balancing, but I can't remember exactly where I stopped. It seemed alright to me, but I didn't have time.

What is everyone's favorite stand/power? I'm somewhat partial to Aerosmith in Part V.

Ah, good question. There a variety of interesting minor abilities that I should consider more carefully, but a major one is coming to mind at the moment: Jotaro's Star Platinum The World. The basic form is simple, but he manages to use it in a variety of interesting ways. Then stopping time just adds to the fun.

[Fish and Chips]

What is everyone's favorite stand/power? I'm somewhat partial to Aerosmith in Part V.

I'm rather fond of Rohan Kishibe's Heavens Door. Yeah, it's "Broken," but I like the mechanics of it. Not sure how much mileage he gets out of it, though.

[Mega.EXE]

How long is the manga, and is it finished or not? The second longest ever? That'll have to be pretty long, from the characters that I've seen in Jump Ultimate Stars it looks pretty cool.

[Fish and Chips]

How long is the manga, and is it finished or not? The second longest ever? That'll have to be pretty long, from the characters that I've seen in Jump Ultimate Stars it looks pretty cool.

The entire Manga spans 80 volumes (94+ if you include SBR), and has been running in Shounen Jump since 1987 until 2005 when it was moved to Ultra Jump (for chapter length and possibly content).

However...

Because JoJo is generational, those 94+ volumes can be divided into several smaller, easily digestible arcs, most of which can be read by themselves with only a brief summary of the overall backstory and concepts of the JoJo universe (vampires, stands, etc). The first 12 volumes cover the first two arcs, Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency. The third and most popular arc, Stardust Crusaders, runs from volumes 13-28 (16 total), and is currently all that's available in English. After the Stardust Crusaders, the next three parts (Diamond is Unbreakable, Golden Wind, and Stone Ocean) are more side-stories featured within the JoJo universe, so if you're uncomfortable with following such a long series, you can quit at volume 28 with decent closure to the first three arcs. The seventh and current arc, Steel Ball Run, is sort of a series reboot pending the after-effects of Stone Ocean, and can also be read separately, though it makes a lot of inside references to the rest of the series.

This is probably more than you ever cared to know. To be brief:

The Long Haul - 80+ volumes
The Essentials - 28 volumes
American Publication - 16+ volumes

[Mega.EXE]

What's the longest one then? That'd be pretty hard to beat. I couldn't imagine trying to collect all that

[KeybladeWarrior]

If you mean manga series then it would be the Shonen Jump title Kochikame which has 150+ volumes. But if you are referring to the arcs in the discussed manga then I have no clue. :/

[Mega.EXE]

150?!?!?! That's way too long. That just doesn't really make sense. The longest that I would I would even attempt to collect is around 50-60 max.

[MasterDias]

Keep in mind that Kochikame is basically an episodic sitcom which has been running since 1976. It's sort of the Japanese equivalent to The Simpsons.

Part IV - Diamond is Unbreakable should be the longest JJBA arc I think at around 18 and 1/3 volumes.

[uc pseudonym]

For comparison, most SJ series run 30-40 volumes. So while JoJo has far more than that overall, the individual arcs aren't that long, relatively. This is because most of them really have only one "scenario" that takes that many volumes to resolve because of constant fighting.

Only Battle Tendency has a story that develops somewhat, which is part of why I like it. Steel Ball Run looks to be broken into around 15 plot segments and thus will probably be the longest arc if it is included with the others.

If I recall volumes 1-2 covered the first race segment and 3-5 took us some distance into the second. At that pace Steel Ball Run will definitely be 30+ volumes, as I don't imagine he'll skip any of the race segments.

[Fish and Chips]

Only Battle Tendency has a story that develops somewhat, which is part of why I like it. Steel Ball Run looks to be broken into around 15 plot segments and thus will probably be the longest arc if it is included with the others.

If I recall volumes 1-2 covered the first race segment and 3-5 took us some distance into the second. At that pace Steel Ball Run will definitely be 30+ volumes, as I don't imagine he'll skip any of the race segments.

Actually, I can see Steel Ball Run ending in roughly 25 volumes. The race being 9 stages, some of those considerably shorter than others, the Manga currently in the 7th Stage "Philadelphia." Still the longest arc though.

I also enjoyed the first two arcs because they actually had a developing plot (much moreso Battle Tendency than Phantom Blood), one of my disappointments with Part III pending it's fairly straight-forward "Goal" rather than storyline, and Part IV in taking half the arc to actually decide on a functional plot. One of the reasons I enjoy Steel Ball Run is because it looks like it's bringing back some of those plot elements.

[jon_jinn]

Keep in mind that Kochikame is basically an episodic sitcom which has been running since 1976. It's sort of the Japanese equivalent to The Simpsons.

yes. as Master D. said, Kochikame is much like a Japanese version of the Simpsons.

[uc pseudonym]

Actually, I can see Steel Ball Run ending in roughly 25 volumes. The race being 9 stages, some of those considerably shorter than others, the Manga currently in the 7th Stage "Philadelphia." Still the longest arc though.

I also enjoyed the first two arcs because they actually had a developing plot (much moreso Battle Tendency than Phantom Blood), one of my disappointments with Part III pending it's fairly straight-forward "Goal" rather than storyline, and Part IV in taking half the arc to actually decide on a functional plot. One of the reasons I enjoy Steel Ball Run is because it looks like it's bringing back some of those plot elements.

Nine race segments? I could have sworn my translation said fifteen. But yes, that would be < 30 volumes, unless there is a post-race fight that goes on for a while (like the final battle in Part III).

We're thinking the same as far as plot structure goes. I haven't skimmed any Steel Ball Run raws, though, so I'll have to see what I think. They definitely have a number of elements on the table, though.

[Fish and Chips]

Reading through Part V, when something clicked. Aside from the necessary of the Shounen process, how do half these stand users end up with the powers they have? I mean, the arc bad guy (Dio Brando, Kira Yoshikage, Diavolo) always has some conveniently awesome stand, whereas more than a couple minions get the short draw. Not to say they aren't all dangerous in some way, but a number really aren't all that impressive. I mean, Khnum was pretty much a throw-away ability. When Avdol and Joseph get the report that nine (more) men and women were seen hanging out at Dio's, I was kinda hoping they'd all be top-tier threats (by Final Fantasy rules, anyway). So two of them ending up as joke characters killed it a little bit for me. Only N'Doul, Anubis, Daniel D'Arby, and Petshop really met my expectations, two of whom aren't even "Men and women." The Oingo Boingo brothers failed, and the rest were just pretty decent. I know they can't all be winners, but after being spoiled by "better" stands like Death XIII, Hanged Man, Judgment, and a lot of the Tarot stands, the last wave kinda seemed like a step backwards.

And then there's Terence D. D'Arby, who aside from having a carbon copy of his brother's stand, his secret to life is playing video games? Meh. And I liked his character design too, so it feels like a waste. They should have stuck with the YES YES YES NO NO NO deal instead. I actually thought that was interesting.

Applies to the other arcs too (gratuitously so in Part IV).

[uc pseudonym]

What struck me at the end of Part V was that I really would like some endings. Even one chapter of epilogue would be nice. The first part did this well, showing us the characters and telling us some about what happened to them. Whereas Part V gave us... a two page spread.

However, the fact that Bucciarati spends much of the story dead and he just keeps going makes up for some of this.

Aside from the necessary of the Shounen process, how do half these stand users end up with the powers they have? I mean, the arc bad guy (Dio Brando, Kira Yoshikage, Diavolo) always has some conveniently awesome stand, whereas more than a couple minions get the short draw.

Casting aside all caution, I am going to attempt to apply logic to a shonen series.

Theoretically, Stand powers are randomized. If the distribution of people in the world is somewhat even between evil and good, there is guaranteed to be a collection of Stand users on both sides of any given conflict. Before that, however, the villains probably fight amongst themselves, or at least have conflict. It stands to reason that the ones with the strongest Stands would become dominant and hence be the primary antagonists once some main characters come strolling along. But any villains in league with the antagonist are stuck with whatever power they were given. They also tend to be randomly distributed over the world when the story takes place, and all the stories tend to happen within a short period of time. Hence I expect the abilities to be a mixed bag... though I really could have gone for a final arc with a group of elites as well.

Lastly, what did you think of Metallica? That's a pretty nasty ability. Not the most effective by a long shot, but...

[Fish and Chips]

Actually, that theory makes a lot of sense. I'll buy that. Still, a couple odd stands are definitely the bottom of the barrel. Notorious B.I.G. and Cheap Trick only activating on the death of the user? Unless automatic death stands carry on the conscious of their users, that's a fairly bad deal.

Though I did enjoy that Notorious B.I.G. was lost as sea and became a local urban legend.

Nearing the end of Part V, so I'll write on the ending when I get there.

However, the fact that Bucciarati spends much of the story dead and he just keeps going makes up for some of this.

I ended up liking Bruno a lot. Giorno's been a bit flat in recent chapters, so I see Bruno as a protagonist substitute at times. Which he kinda is, but he grew on me during the Grateful Dead chapters.

Lastly, what did you think of Metallica? That's a pretty nasty ability. Not the most effective by a long shot, but...

Metallica, man....even knowing who Doppio was, I still wanted him to defeat Risotto. That's just cruel and unusual. Then again, Doppio's fond of sewing peoples' mouths shut with their own shoestrings. Lose-lose scenario either way.

[uc pseudonym]

Still, a couple odd stands are definitely the bottom of the barrel. Notorious B.I.G. and Cheap Trick only activating on the death of the user? Unless automatic death stands carry on the conscious of their users, that's a fairly bad deal.

Also, that raises a very important question: how did they learn their Stands' abilities?

I ended up liking Bruno a lot. Giorno's been a bit flat in recent chapters, so I see Bruno as a protagonist substitute at times. Which he kinda is, but he grew on me during the Grateful Dead chapters.

He was my favorite character (not power) in Part V overall, actually.

Metallica, man....even knowing who Doppio was, I still wanted him to defeat Risotto. That's just cruel and unusual. Then again, Doppio's fond of sewing peoples' mouths shut with their own shoestrings. Lose-lose scenario either way.

I kind of liked the guy, for a random character. His fate was obviously death, given his opponent, but I thought he was interesting while he lasted. Then the secondary effect (iron deficiency) is the kind of trivial realism I find entertaining.

[Fish and Chips]

Also, that raises a very important question: how did they learn their Stands' abilities?

A couple stands have shown self-awareness, and both Anubis and Cheap Trick were able to possess users after the deaths/defeats of their original user, so I'd say all automatic death stands possess/adapt to new hosts after the death of their initial users, turning them into human bombs.

I kind of liked the guy, for a random character. His fate was obviously death, given his opponent, but I thought he was interesting while he lasted. Then the secondary effect (iron deficiency) is the kind of trivial realism I find entertaining.

Part V has a fair number of pretty intriguing side antagonists and stands. I thought Prosciutto was one of the best of the lot, since it's rare to see selflessness from a villain.

[MasterDias]

Personality-wise, I liked Bruno quite a bit as well. The "plot twist" about him was heavily hinted at in previous chapters, but was still pulled off rather effectively.

Power-wise, as I said before, I rather liked Aerosmith. Airplanes, ahoy.

Part V did quite a few interesting powers. But, sometimes, I don't think Araki really thought things through. Pannacotta Fugo was apparantly written out of the story because his Stand was so broken. Far from my favorite character, but I felt this was sloppily handled nevertheless.
And Diavolo's Stand soft of came off rather convoluted...

Still, a couple odd stands are definitely the bottom of the barrel. Notorious B.I.G. and Cheap Trick only activating on the death of the user? Unless automatic death stands carry on the conscious of their users, that's a fairly bad deal.

It strikes me that Notorious B.I.G. would have been virtually unstoppable had they been on land.

[Fish and Chips]

NOTORIOUS B.I.G. IS THE CLOVERFIELD MONSTER.

Part V did quite a few interesting powers. But, sometimes, I don't think Araki really thought things through. Pannacotta Fugo was apparantly written out of the story because his Stand was so broken. Far from my favorite character, but I felt this was sloppily handled nevertheless.
And Diavolo's Stand soft of came off rather convoluted...

Popular opinion has it that not even Araki knows how Diavolo's stand is supposed to work. Though with his habit of writing final bosses with time-based abilities, probably looked good on paper.

And yeah, Fugo left the party early.

[uc pseudonym]

Personality-wise, I liked Bruno quite a bit as well. The "plot twist" about him was heavily hinted at in previous chapters, but was still pulled off rather effectively.

In my mind that wasn't too much of a plot twist (at least I assumed it from the first hints). But it's still a cool development.

Pannacotta Fugo was apparantly written out of the story because his Stand was so broken. Far from my favorite character, but I felt this was sloppily handled nevertheless.

I really assumed he was going to show up again and fight against them, fight with them, or some combination of the two. Instead he kind of just disappeared.

Popular opinion has it that not even Araki knows how Diavolo's stand is supposed to work. Though with his habit of writing final bosses with time-based abilities, probably looked good on paper.

I thought I understood how this Stand worked, then it kept doing things that shouldn't be possible under those rules. After a while I decided to stop trying.

But really, the same is true for Dio's Stand. If he stopped time, why do things he throws stop part way?

[Fish and Chips]

But really, the same is true for Dio's Stand. If he stopped time, why do things he throws stop part way?

If Dio can move freely in stopped time, and the rest of the world is motionless until he forcibly interacts with it, time is acting as friction. The knives stopped short because once he threw them, momentum could only carry them for so long before they "Slowed down" back to stillness.

[uc pseudonym]

If Dio can move freely in stopped time, and the rest of the world is motionless until he forcibly interacts with it, time is acting as friction. The knives stopped short because once he threw them, momentum could only carry them for so long before they "Slowed down" back to stillness.

That is at least a logical way to think about it. On a scientific level, however, it breaks down in so many ways. But JJBA has never really been about physics, much less temporal physics, so perhaps we can all sit peacefully and drink cups of tea with our suspension of disbelief.

[Fish and Chips]

That is at least a logical way to think about it. On a scientific level, however, it breaks down in so many ways. But JJBA has never really been about physics, much less temporal physics, so perhaps we can all sit peacefully and drink cups of tea with our suspension of disbelief.