Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the greatest staples in Japanese manga and anime. This series started out as a humble comic that then exploded in popularity. This series started in the 1980s, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Yes, the same magazine that housed blockbuster series like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Bleach, and Chainsaw Man to name a few.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is an interesting series due to its structure. This series has been running since the 80s, but it has always changed its formula. The main stories are divided into different parts. There have been a total of 8 completed parts, with part 9 currently being serialized in monthly Ultra Jump. Now, why does Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 9 feel like it is missing something?
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Formula
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure arguably does not have a formula. The first two parts of the series were so drastically different from everything else that came before it. Usually, most of these super popular manga and anime series have a lasting formula. Look at Dragon Ball. At the start of every new arc, a villain or conflict will appear, and Goku and friends must deal with them.
In Jojo, the main character changes each part. The commonality here is that they are all related to each other. Hirohiko Araki, the creator, author, and artist of the manga, has done this trend in a really unique way as the series goes on. Some characters have been children or grandchildren of previous protagonists, some have been estranged, and some have been barely related by blood at all.
Araki’s Signature Style
Araki has made Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure such a massively successful series due to his creativity. Not just is he creative with the main characters, but in every aspect of the series. This is an action series, so fights between main characters and antagonists come in droves. What makes Jojo such a great series is how cerebral and hard to predict the fights are.
Stands, or a physical projection of someone’s battle spirit, are the main way of fighting in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. These stands started out really simple. Some were super fast and strong, or could throw projectiles, but as Araki went, the stand abilities got increasingly more unique and interesting. And this novelty is what pushes the series to so many fans.
The Jojo-Lands Has Potential
Now we get to Part 9. Part 9 is really early on in its publication, only being around for about a year and a half, but this writer can’t help but feel like there’s something missing. Maybe it’s the wackiness of the setting, or the unrelatable characters. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is at its best when the characters are lovable, yet relatable. Look at Josuke, or Johnny, some of the most beloved protagonists from the series.
The main characters of the series, so far, aren’t the most compelling and are actually quite villainous. Their main goal is to be rich, as opposed to previous Jojo’s characters, who want to save someone close to them or have a noble goal. That might be the point of it admittedly, creating a character that isn’t noble. But us fans will only have to wait and see. Araki certainly knows how to craft a stellar story, so maybe he needs more time.
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