JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 1: Phantom Blood
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood

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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has only recently experienced a big boom over in the English-speaking parts of the world, due to the recent anime adaptation taking off in a big way, and beforehand was merely a cult series with a small but devoted fanbase. However, in Japan, it has been huge for a very long time - it's tremendous influence spans to everything from Hunter X Hunter to Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei, and it still stands as the 9th longest manga of all time, and still going. And through all this (well-deserved) attention and acclaim, it's pretty easy to forget that this, where it all began, really just ... isn't very good.

The story begins in England, during the 1800s. It opens with a petty thief, Dario Brando, attempting to rob a fallen carriage and the dead nobles inside. However, it turns out that the noble in question survived - and thinks that Dario saved his life. Many years later, after Dario's death, he repays what he thinks he owes Dario by taking in his son, Dio Brando. Dio is incredibly embittered by his life in the slums and his abusive father... and upon meeting Jonathan "JoJo" Joestar, the son of the noble Dario supposedly saved, he begins to take it out on him and attempt to ruin Jonathan's life.

It's obvious that a premise like that couldn't possibly launch 107 volumes (and counting), so to say the least, the plot goes to very, VERY different places as it progresses. The strife between Jonathan and Dio doesn't last that long, relatively speaking, but it does feel pretty long at the time - it takes almost two volumes before the supernatural aspect takes over the plot. Much as I can appreciate that it doesn't baby the viewer by introducing the entire premise as fast as possible (as shonen series are oft to do), the beginning can be a real struggle to get through.

It isn't helped by how generally appalling the art is art first. By the end of this arc, it's passable, but at the very beginning, body proportions are appalling (the 12-year old Dio and Jonathan look like bodybuilders), the anatomy is ridiculous, lines are far too thick and cartoony-looking, and darker pages are very hard to follow due to how unclear and smudged-looking everything becomes. In this day and age Araki Hirohiko is one of the best artists in the business, but looking back on this you'd be hard-pressed to believe it.

While the slow start is definitely the biggest flaw with Phantom Blood, it's far from the only one. The rest of the series is littered with a number of small issues that collectively build up into something very problematic. Perhaps the most obvious is Jonathan Joestar himself. I haven't said much about him thus far in this review, and there's a very simple reason for that - there isn't much to say. The "JoJo" in the title is something of a legacy character, passing onto a new character every arc, and Jonathan is arguably the worst, and definitely the least interesting. He's little more than a generic noble and chivalrous shonen hero, complete with idiotic idealism. To make matters worse, every single fight in the series revolves around him. This is especially irritating, because his comrades, Will Zeppeli and Robert E.O. Speedwagon (I'm not making this up, that's actually his name) are actually interesting characters, and yet fail to be anything more than likeable because of how much Jonathan hogs the spotlight.

And now, I'll stop beating up on Phantom Blood, because for all it's faults there are still plenty of things it does right.

The first, and most obvious, is Dio Motherfucking Brando (expletive sorely needed). Don't get me wrong - he's not a deep character by any means. His utter nefariousness is given little reason, and his Freudian excuse does very little to explain his behaviour. He is completely, atrociously, unspeakably evil, and pretty one-dimensional for it. However, once he gains vampire powers, Dio becomes mind-bogglingly fun to watch. Perhaps the best thing about him is that unlike so many other shonen villains, Dio does not fuck around. Whether he's using his newfound superstrength to chase his Jonathan by digging his feet into the walls, or digging an entire, intact artery out of Jonathan's neck and playing with it just to let him known how easily he could kill him on the spot, Dio is unflinchingly brutal in the most disturbing, almost playful way.

And while Dio is the patron saint of this (for Phantom Blood at least), this is the key strength of Phantom Blood and one of the key strengths of JJBA as a whole - it does not pull a single punch. Looking at other shonen series after reading JJBA, it's remarkable how much the characters use their powers in utterly pedestrian and obvious ways. Let's face it - if you had anything that extraordinary, one of the first things you'd do is find out how many ways you can use it. And this is something Araki seems to truly understand - what with not only the enourmous variety of vampiric techniques that go above and beyond the generic bloodsucking bat-transforming fodder you'd usually see. Much as the setting owes itself to classic vampire horror, the vampires themselves are wholly original (Battle Tendency would later elaborate on why). Similarly, the Hamon technique (often translated as "Ripple") that the protagonists use is a wonderful slice of applied pseudoscience, effectively using breathing techniques to channel the energies of the sun, and playing around with a wonderful variety of ways to channel and conduct it.

Finally, the cherry on top is of course the naming conventions. By this point you'd have to be blind, dense, or just plain unfamiliar with rock music in it's entirety to have not noticed Araki's love for music. Almost every character is named after some sort of band or musician - JoJo himself is a reference to a certain Beatles song, Dio is named for the small man with the big voice himself, and hilariously, there is actually a character named Robert E.O. Speedwagon (as mentioned before). Then there's a pair of Hamon disciples named Dire and Straights, trained under master Ton Petti, a quartet of vampires named Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham... the list goes on. It's a colourful little addition that makes for a nice finishing touch.

So for all that... Phantom Blood is a heavily flawed manga. However, it has numerous redeeming features in of itself, and more importantly, it's the weakest arc by far - not to mention the shortest. Phantom Blood clocks in at a meagre 5 volumes, far less than most arcs. And as it is immediately followed by what is one of if not THE best of the arcs, any patience you're willing to exercise with Phantom Blood will soon be rewarded.

Final Words: Has plenty of issues but it's one hell of a worthy investment.

Story/Plot: 7/10.
Characters: 5/10.
Art: 3/10.

Overall: 5/10.

For fans of: Fist of the North Star, Toriko.

If I were to tell you that I though JoJo part 1 was the best in the series you would probably think I was some mediocre pretentious pseudo intellectual reviewer who has no idea what he is talking about , but it was ME! Speak The Weak!!!

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1 deconstructs the shounen genre through its dynamic story line that bends clichés and tropes in order to craft a unique in a manner that only Hirohiko Araki (JoJo mangaka) could. The story focuses on a rich boy named Jonathan Joestar (JoJo) who lives with his father, George in England. One day Jojo's father ... takes in an orphan named Dio Brando because Dio's father who passed away saved George's life! To Jojo's surprise Dio wants to ruin his privileged life and take the Joestar family fortune all for himself! What JoJo does that most shounen don't is portray a rich privileged character as a protagonist and the poor tragic character as a villain. Dio started from the bottom and when he got to the top he abused his newfound power to wreak havoc (not to mention act like a total badass)!

Unlike other shounen works JoJo part 1 also features a wide array of characters each with their own role in the series, no character in the Jojo series, part 1 in particular is forgettable. Who could ever forget famous lines like "Even Speedwagon is afraid!" and "It was me! Dio!!!" and even "WRYYYYY". Though its wit and general badassery Jojo part one offers a one of a kind experience that none of the other installments can even try to imitate. Jojo part 1 also incorporates a unique fighting system called hamon, I don't want to go too in depth about it though because I want to avoid spoilers so read it for yourself to find out.

The art in JoJo is perfect similar to the rest of it, it pays homage to the other classic shounen manga of its time such as Fist of the North Star while also maintain its own unique manly style, unlike the later parts which make use of a much more feminine and ugly style which is inspired by fashion magazines instead of classic works in the medium of manga.

The characters in JoJo are as I mentioned before unforgettable and extremely badass, there are no dense, intensive protagonists, no disgusting fan service, and no boring moe pandering. Only men in their most masculine state.

JoJo Part One is a masterpiece that defined the shounen genre and kick started a series that would go on for many years and attract a wide array of fans, sadly the work does not get as much praise as its deserves despite being one of the best works of literature in the shounen demographic.

In the world of Manga and Anime you're likely to find many unusual stories that are massive and incredibly unique in scope, several of which garner high praise and several more that fall into obscurity. In this case while the aptly named JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has left a massive cultural impact on the Manga industry overall, its first saga "Phantom Blood" only brings a small (but very important) part of the overall appeal of the series.

To put things bluntly Phantom Blood's story isn't anything ground breaking: it is essentially what you'd get if you tried to cross Castlevania with a dark adventure series and feels ... more like a Seinin series than a Shonen series (what it actually is). It takes place in the 19th century and begins with the recently orphaned Dio Brando being adopted into the aristocratic Joestar family, where he proceeds to make his adoptive brother Jonathan Joestar's life a living hell by alienating everyone close to him in an attempt to become the favoured son in the Joestar family and presumably to become the biggest bastard that the world has ever seen in the process. Dio eventually becomes a vampire by way of a mysterious stone mask (just go with it) and like most villains sets his sights on world domination. Jonathan and his companions Robert E.O Speedwagon and Ripple master Will A. Zeppeli go on a mission to hunt Dio down and to destroy the accursed stone mask in the process. To summarize despite being weird the narrative is extremely linear and should not be taken too seriously, as it serves little more than a framing device for the fight scenes and gore. Which is all it really needs to do honestly.

As far as the characters are concerned the truth is that there isn't a whole lot to most of them; Jonathan is your typical naïve, idealistic hero on a mission to save the world and is easily the least interesting JoJo in the entire franchise, Speedwagon is Jonathan's sidekick and while he's not useless he mainly plays a supportive role in fights and frequently has the job of exclaiming about just how awful their current situation is and Zeppeli is the mentor figure with a sordid past involving the stone mask. Supporting characters while occasionally superficially interesting generally lack characterisation and are at worst are relegated into being two dimensional cannon-fodder. The character who really deserves special mention is Dio, who despite being a deplorable evil monster of a man is both extremely entertaining in a twisted sense and more fleshed out as a character than anybody else. Dio simply steals the show away from Jonathan whenever he's on the scene, the show and whatever he fancies taking away from his adoptive brother.

By far the strongest thing that Phantom Blood has going for it are the fight scenes, which are both highly entertaining and well thought out. Battles in this series are almost always about outsmarting the other person as opposed to the more common "overpowering the other guy" and this is something that continues on through the other parts. To combat Dio and his vampiric minions the series introduces a fighting style that utilises an energy source referred to as the Ripple (think chi combined with UV rays from the sun), which is used in conjunction with physical attacks. It's explained that only select few individuals can harness the power of the Ripple as it requires constant focus on the rhythm of ones own breathing (which of course Jonathan is capable of doing). While the concept of Ripple energy is interesting in itself, it is hardly anything unique and lacks anything to make it really stand out over similar concepts in other series. It's not until the next part in the series, “Battle Tendency” that it becomes something more unique and even then the concept is abandoned in the third series for something much more creative.

As for the art style of the series, it is quite reminiscent of "Fist of the North Star". Araki takes joy in drawing extremely muscle-bound main characters, wearing well designed and unique clothing and will almost always have a handsome face to top things off (Jonathan and Dio are prime Examples of this). Minor villains aren't quite as privileged in this regard as quite a few of them can be described as looking like hulking trolls, which can be distracting at times when its focusing just the two extremes without a sense of middle ground. Scenery is often inventive with a few locations later on that distinctly look like something out of a horror film, which again is very appropriate given Dio's vampiric nature. Overall despite some minor gripes, the art remains pleasantly consistent throughout the series' run.

In conclusion if you're just interested in an over the top action series or are just interested in the premise then this may be worth a look, if you want to get into JJBA however then it is a must read as it will give you a greater appreciation for the later parts in the series. In any case while Phantom Blood may have its flaws it is a truly unique journey that you're not likely to forget.

《TO BE CONTINUED|\|

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood may not be as engaging as what follows it, but with interesting art and a well-defined rivalry at its core, it still serves as a sufficiently strong opening chapter.

The story of Phantom Blood follows Jonathan Joestar and his sinister adopted brother Dio, and their rivalry. The story initially portrays Jonathan as being inferior to Dio, who actively works to undermine him, but gradually Jonathan not only catches up with Dio, but surpasses him. However, a wicked plan is brewing, which may impact far more than the Joestar family. One of the strongest points of the story is that little of ... it, with the exception of a supernatural catalyst and the occasional henchman, is not a direct result of an action carried out by a main character. There are few coincidences, and the story progresses at a steady rate, providing sufficient build-up and pay-off. On the down side, this does in a sense feel like a prologue to the superior follow up, Battle Tendency, as you are left with many questions regarding the vampires and superhuman powers, and neither the aforementioned build-up or payoff are significantly large. However, this is good in some ways, because it leaves the viewer enough to get a general idea of the world without overloading them or biting off more than it can chew. The story, viewed alone, isn’t quite as fulfilling as it is alongside its contemporaries, but is still moderately entertaining.

The characters are what drive the story forward, and they do it effectively and with an abundance of style. Jonathan, our main protagonist, is a fairly straight-thinking, simple man, but one with heart and determination. Dio, his adopted brother, on the other hand is much more sinister, manipulative and insincere, and these two characters mirror each other excellently, each illustrating qualities that the other lacks. The portrayal of these characters from their adolescent years helps to establish their individual characteristics and dynamic, which only becomes more intense and consequential as the story continues. The supporting characters are also quite interesting, particularly Speedwagon and Zeppeli, and the villains are sufficiently challenging and visually appealing to serve their purpose.

Jonathan’s father, however, is not depicted in a way that makes him seem wise or endearing, which is problematic given that the manga seems to be asking the audience to become emotionally invested in him outside of his role as a father. Also, though Jonathan’s honourable attitude juxtaposes Dio quite well, it does lead to him being a slightly dry and predictable character, outside of battle scenes. Dio is the most enthralling character, stealing the audience’s attention whenever he appears, and is perhaps Phantom Blood’s greatest achievement. He’s not Johan (Monster) or Griffith (Berserk), but he oozes malice and charm.

The art for Phantom Blood is distinct, high quality and memorable, with every male character being built like a house. The visual highlights are Jack the Ripper, Zeppeli and the two resurrected soldiers, all of whom are simply radiant with style and character. The facial expressions are also notable, as they blend in with the style while simultaneously feeling authentic and believable. The style does improve over time, but even though this isn’t quite as bombastic in design as Stardust Crusaders, its humble, down-played visual look helps to ground the art with the narrative.

All in all, Phantom blood is not quite as outstanding as the other entries in the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise, but is nonetheless a triumph in both artistic and character-building integrity.

If you're looking for a shonen horror filled with MANLY characters then continue reading. This is part 1 of the entire JoJo's Bizarre Adventure working best as a trilogy with Battle Tendency & Stardust Crusaders.

The beginning of JoJo seems a bit rough at first but manages to give the outline for its primary themes of the series. Taking place in the late 1880's in England, we are introduced to a prologue of an Aztec civilization having a ritual with a Stone Mask which would later embark as the symbolic plot device for this arc. The next few pages reveal the Joestar family & the ... Brando Family. The story starts to move when Dio Brando is adopted into the Joestar family as Dio is an ambitious jerk who wishes to rob the family of its fortune & would resort to murder.

Jonathan Joestar is our JoJo for the series whose life changes once Dio discovers the stone mask using it to make himself a vampire. The rest of the series involves Jonathan learning the Ripple martial art to battle against Dio & his vampire army & going on an adventure involving zombies, Jack The Ripper, martial artists, bizarre super powers, over the top dialogue & manly tears.

Being inspired by Fist Of The North Star & possibly Bram Stroker's Dracula, Phantom Blood is a blend of manly characters & horror elements making it a unique short tale. The flaws are part 1 are its rough artwork as Araki at the time was still pretty new to the business. To some people, Jonathan comes off a rather too "good hearted", however having experiencing Fist Of The North Star (specifically The Shin Arc chapters 1-10/episodes 1-22) the "corny moments" come off as very tragic to me.

While the concepts of Stands & its much later "Bizarre" quality weren't developed yet, this story almost works as a stand alone with its tragic finale giving much highlight to fans of Manly series such as Sakigake Otokojuku, Riki-Oh, Cyber Blue, Kongo Bancho & Fist Of The North Star respectively.

Phantom Blood may not be the best part of JoJo but serves as a teaser of what the series can become (at least in parts 1-4 when the tone slightly shifts in parts 5-8). Overall Phantom Blood expresses the original themes Hirohiko Araki thought of: The struggle of humanity, the temptation of evil, the strive for perfection & the importance of family.

Every great franchise has a beginning, whether humble or loud. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the notoriously flamboyant and massive manga series falls under the first category. It's first story arc, The Phantom Blood is relatively normal and short compared to its future successors. Thus, it's unfair to compare it to the other Parts. The Phantom Blood is a fighting shounen tragedy with Victorian and Gothic horror elements. It follows an aristocrat's son named Jonathan Joestar in 1800's Britain. When he discovers his adopted brother, Dio Brando, seeks to destroy the Joestar family and manages to do so, Jonathan, also known as Jojo, must go through hell ... and back to take his vengeance on Dio.

Story: 7/10
The Phantom Blood's story is short but sweet for the most part. It suffers from an overlonged exposition featuring Jonathan and Dio's childhood. It adds some character, but it could be easily abridged, and has been in the latest anime adaptation. The Phantom Blood also partially suffers from being a Hokuto no Ken clone at times. However, there is separation, and the tow can't be called carbon copies. For starters, Phantom Blood's weird mix of action and horror works very well not only at delivering a good style but also heightening the tension behind the actions committed by the characters. Add that to the fantastic and tragic conclusion and you have a brief prelude to an epic series to come.

Art: 7/10
Jojo has one of the most unique and distinct artstyles in manga history, and here is no exception. Rather than the androgynous fatuousness later on in the series, Phantom Blood's art style is very testosterone filled and is a love letter to being a man. Characters are impossibly buff and mangaka Hirohiko Araki doesn't do proportions well at all. The section of Phantom Blood where Jojo and Do are children thoug,h yeah that art is grody. But everything after is pretty damn good, and the use of shading is excellent, even though it lacks the distinctive style Araki develops later on in favor of a Hokuto no Ken lookalike.

Characters: 9/10
It has a fraction of protagonists that future Parts have, but I loved everyone pretty near equally. Jojo's best friend, Robert E.O. Speedwagon, is hilarious and lovable. He ends up becoming arguably the most significant protagonist in the entire series later on and is one of the most selfless and kind characters ever conceived. Jojo's mentor, Will A. Zeppeli, is fun and easy to root for, even though his time spent with the reader is short. Dio is a fantastic villain and is certainty one of the most easily hateable ever made.

However, the real star here is Jonathan himself. He is one of the single greatest actions protagonists of all time, period. Jonathan is also one of the most perfect characters ever made in terms of temperament and beliefs. Jonathan is a truly selfless and righteous hero. He is the epitome of humanity, a perfect gentleMAN. He's manly in all sense of the word. He is ripped as all Hell and is a fearless and fierce fighter. However, he is also a noble and kind man at heart who believes in and fights for absolute good. This is a man who despite living a life of true suffering holds to the true ideals of the knight stories he grew up on. He never falls into "white knight" territory though because he only gets involved in matters that concern him. Rather than fight other people's battles, he seeks to better that person so they can fight for themselves. Jonathan's angelic and divine demeanor makes him impossible to not root for. He lost his family, fortune, love (For a bit at least), and dignity, and thus has nothing to lose. But as time goes on and he matures and begins to have a family of his own, he has everything to gain through vanquishing all evil that comes into his life, all coming from Dio. The ending is a testament to this. Because of Jonathan's struggle, his family is able to survive through generations and events he couldn't possibly conceive.

Enjoyment: 8/10
The fights are excellent and there is true raw emotion behind them. This is a fight to the death by two brothers that eventually encompasses much more than a family feud. Jonathan, unlike most action heroes at the time, is neither unstoppable or stone cold, and without going into spoilers he faces true tragedy and reacts realistically to it. And just as Jonathan sheds manly tears, I can say I'm feeling the chills up my spine recalling Phantom Blood's climax.

Overall: 7.8/10
Despite being considered the worst Part of the entire series, The Phantom Blood is nonetheless a fantastic action epic and a damn good Gothic horror story to boot. It sets the stage perfectly for the entire series and never overstays its welcome. Jonathan and Dio are both icons and inspirations to the medium as a whole and it's easy to see why. Araki's writing is strong and is only brought down by his young and inexperienced style, that only gets refined as the series goes on for the most part.

before i get started i just want to say this is a review for the entire series that include parts 1-7 i will later wxplain why 8 isnt there

just to make you know the series better here is the name of the parts:
part 1 - phantom blood
part 2- Battle Tendency
part 3- stardust crusaders
part 4- diamond is unbrakable
part 5- Vento Aureo (golden wind)
part 6- stone ocean
part 7- steel ball run
... part 8- jojolion

each part have a different stroy. part 1-6 exist in the first universe and part 7 and 8 exist in SBR universe (SBR=steel ball run AKA part 7) the first part was a little annoying at first but at the middle it begun to develop and it left me in awe/ the second part was as amazing as the first one but for me it was more interesting because all the traveling and the powers of the pillar men. part 3 had an interseting story and it developed in such an amazing way that i fell inlove with this part the first time i read it. part 4 didnt have a straight story line like the previous part but it was like a sitcom and i loved it because it was hillariously funny. part 5 was weird at first but at the end it became so interesting and there was alot of action and plot twist there that i LOVED. part 6 started strong and remained strong for the whole time this part had some romantic interst in it that i absolutely loved. part 7 started very weak but in the middle it became intense and unique like no part have been before. the reason i didnt wrote the shortened version of each part stories it that it contains ALOT of spoilers and i dont want to ruin you the franchise. part 8 is still going but its just at the beggining so i cant judge it.

the art, oh what can i say about the art?
well: at parts 1&2 the art was completely disproportionational and the battles were so hard to inderstand
part 3 made a HUGE difference in the art with the coming of stands (you gonna read the series to find out what it is) and everything was fixed
since part 4 and until now the art have been changed dreasticly. there were no more muscular character but now they were "bi-shounen" characters as the mangaka says.

now for the characters. they are pretty standart in every part there is:
the hero AKA Jojo
the idiot
a kind of old awesome man
and a woman that appear useless but in some cases she is stronger than most characters
but there is one thing i loved in jojo is that every character have flaws. one of my favourite characters is cripple and he is a protagonist in part 7 and the face that the mangaka made a cripple protagonist made me fall inlove AGAIN in the series. the fact that not every character is perfect and the realisem of everything that involve emotions made it truly amazing.

the enjoyment i had while reading this series was outstanding. not a thing that the major shounens of today can do. i truly got addicted and obssesd and i never had this thing with a series before i read jojo. one of the things that made me enjoy this series sooooooooo much is that there are alot of cultural references and it made me laugh alot of times

overall this manga was amazing for me. i fell inlove with every single detail and it quickly became my favourite all times. basically this manga is perfect (except the art in parts 1&2).

"I came back from hell, Dio!"

Well, this is my second review on this site and I decided it to be the review of one of the most popular Anime/Manga franchise of all time with the name of: "JoJo's Bizzare Adventure". Part 1 to be more specific

JoJo is quite loved by many anime fans and one of them is me. I love it for many reasons, for example: Good antagonists, likable characters, good power system, comedy, music etc.
Why did I decide to read it from part one? To be honest even I can't really answer that question quite well. Maybe because I just wanted to ... read it.

That being said, I think we can start the review now, with my very basic but good format. (at least for me)

Story: 5/10

Let's be honest here, part 1 of jojo's really doesn't have that great of a story, I would say it's very basic & generic story of "good vs evil" with vampires in it. but I wouldn't call it bad. Hamon is an ok-ish power system, compared to stands it's really not as good. sometimes it feels really dragged out, I would say there's many unimportant information that doesn't really matter and is really boring. Start is also quite slow. Comedy also doesn't really exist here. I will say tho, story was way more enjoyable in the manga more than in anime. Paceing in anime was very slow, but in the manga it doesn't feel as dragged out as in anime.

Characters: 3/10

Characters in part 1 are really forgetful and trash, they're pretty bland and one-dimesional. Out of antagonists I can only remember about Dio, But I'll say it tho, Jonathan is not as bad as I thought he was, he's still pretty generic "good boy" but he still also has some cool and "badass" moments, Erina is really just there to get pregnant and have a child of Jonathan so the series will continue.

*SPOILERS* Zeppeli also was not all that good but at his last moments I appreciated him *SPOILERS END*

Now let's talk about Speedwagon, while yes he's a good waifu material, I still dislike one thing about him: DON'T FUCKING EXPLAIN EVERY MOVEMENT, I'M NOT BLIND DUDE, SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Now let's talk about Dio, our main villain. To be honest, I don't really like part 1 Dio as much as I like part 3 Dio, he seemed like some angry kid who really didn't have any reason to be evil, he's not really complexed character at all, and he also has some pretty basic motives. (oooo I'll rule the world!!!!!1111) But he's still kinda entertaining villain.

I can't really say much about that 3 random dudes that came out of nowhere and did nothing but THUNDER CROSS SPLITTO ATTACK!

Art: 5/10

I don't really like the artstyle of part 1, character designs are kinda bad, compared to character designs from later parts, sometimes it's really hard to guess what the fuck is going on in fights. But I still don't hate it tho.

Enjoyment: 6/10

I would lie if I say that I didn't enjoy part one, it has some good moments and fights. But it also had some really dragged out and boring moments as well, Also it takes some time to get interesting.

Overall: 5/10

Part one is really dated, by everything it does. I still enjoyed it way more than the anime because Manga overall is superior to Anime. I wouldn't recommend Manga of part one to someone. But I would recommend it to some jojo fans, because why not?

DISCLAIMER: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a currently ongoing series with (at the moment of writing), 7 complete parts and one ongoing one. It's important to first make the distinction that this is NOT one ongoing story split into parts, but rather 8 stories in the same universe following the Joestar bloodline, that share similar elements, plot points, and even motivations in some cases.
Due to that, this and my other JoJo reviews will follow an unique JoJo rating system, since in my opinion it cannot be easily compared to other manga, done in a beginner-friendly way so as to illustrate whether or not it is worth ... it to get invested in the series, and how it compares to other parts of it.
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Being a rather short manga, it has a concise story that doesn't overstay its welcome and is perfectly summed up in the synopsis of it. Dio Brando is a rather complex character in this part, and seeing his desperation as he tries to become unstoppable is wholly enjoyable, even if the plot itself isn't anything new.


Phantom Blood deals with Ripple/Hamon, a technique which draws upon perfect breathing to imbue the user with a hell of a lot of supernatural energy that "ripples" across their body. This is the core of Phantom Blood's fighting and it's basically yoga-powered fist fights. Enjoyable, not very original, and definitely not used to its full extent.

Phantom Blood isn't too crazy, unlike later parts. If you can accept the Ripple as being a legit power, you can accept almost anything this manga throws at you. There are a few crazy moments that might have you questioning "how did that even happen?", but for those you just have to enjoy the spectacle and try to not think too hard.

Now the art, it's not very good. It takes inspiration from Fist of the North Star but the anatomy is all off, and some panels require a few extra moments to really understand what's going on. That said, it's still very iconic despite all that.


The protagonist, Jonathan Joestar, is the most standard shonen protagonist you could think of. He's a goody two-shoes with a love interest that gets betrayed and still forgives them and just wants to stop them and have them be fairly judged for their wrongdoings.

Compared to him, our antagonist, Dio Brando is just about the best character in the manga. You feel for him during his backstory, and just as you are about to warm up to him (like Jonathan), he does unspeakable things that make it really clear that he is the villain, and that he's a hell of a charismatic one at that. It's no surprise he is one of Shonen's most popular villains of all time.



Overall it's one of the craziest shonen works out there, featuring superpowered men fighting superpowered vampires and zombie-vampires in a desperate attempt to stop one of the most charismatic villains from winning over the world. For a five-volume manga, it's also surprisingly deep with its themes although you'll have to dive a bit deeper to get the most out of it.

I have it rated as a 5 simply because there are other works that did these concepts and characters better, but seeing as it is very short to read, it's at least worth a try, which you can do in a lazy afternoon.

This is where it all began.

From the standpoint of Stardust Crusaders, Diamond is Unbreakable, and the like, it's hard to believe Phantom Blood is actually JoJo, but hark - Araki went for a simpler approach before dipping his toes in the world of Stands and homoeroticism. Anyway, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Phantom Blood, while a bit predictable at times, is highly enjoyable and a great start to this wonderful series. I almost forgot just how much I enjoyed this story from watching the anime.

STORY
The story of Phantom Blood, which follows Jonathan Joestar in his battle against his childhood friend, Dio Brando, is overall ... a very typical Hero's Journey story. Jonathan has a goal and intends to see it through - you can't get more textbook than that. However, Araki decided to throw in obstacles for JoJo and his gang and twists for the reader that ultimately enhance the story. There are a few rough spots, to be sure, but the presentation of Jonathan's journey ultimately makes Phantom Blood an enjoyable read.

ART
One thing that has always been typical of JoJo, whether in the manga or the anime, is the near-refusal to hold back on showing whatever it needs to in order to tell the story right, and I fully commend Araki for this. And beyond the blood and gore, the art is still amazing. The characters and settings are drawn in a way that emanates the vibe of an R-rated Archie comic - very primitive when it comes to manga, yet it comes at no cost to the reading experience. Combine all of that with the superb digital coloring job by Shueisha Inc. (if you choose to read it that way), and you'll see just how much of a treat to the eyes Phantom Blood ends up being.

CHARACTERS
Phantom Blood has great control of its characters. At its center, we have Jonathan Joestar, a protagonist with perhaps the biggest heart of any JoJo I have seen. Despite Dio effectively being his adopted brother, he knows exactly what he has to do to save his people. On the other hand, however, he also laments the situation, wishing it had never come to all of this. Opposite Jonathan, we have Dio Brando, an antagonist who is truly evil yet, in some moments, has you cheering him right on. Past these two individuals is a lovable cast of supporting characters, such as Robert Speedwagon, Baron Will Zeppeli, Dire, Straizo, Tonpeti, Poco, and Erina Pendleton, who all aid Jonathan in his fight in some way. Archetypal as they may be, all of these people put together make Phantom Blood that much better.

ENJOYMENT
While Phantom Blood may not be the deepest of stories, and it has a few rough spots, as mentioned earlier, I very much enjoyed this - maybe even more than I liked the anime adaptation (which I already enjoyed quite a bit).

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
My purpose for reading Phantom Blood in the first place was simply to refresh myself on the story after not having seen the anime in several months. That said, whether you are an anime-only JoJo fan who is entirely caught up with the series in that regard, or you are someone who has never touched JoJo in your life, I would very much recommend this story as I believe it is something pretty much anyone can enjoy. My rating: 7.3/10

Prompted by the popularity of this manga, I decided to watch the series first. Since I didn't have much interest and time for the series, I decided to read the manga.
It took me a little over a month to read it. Although I had trouble understanding what was drawn (in the original uncolored editions), I can say that I enjoyed it. As far as I have watched the series, it seems they adapted the scenes from the manga very well.
The story itself is fine. We have a good-natured protagonist who wants to avenge his father against his evil adopted brother. What I liked the ... most was the concept of "hamon" powers. Very creative and well put together in my opinion. In addition, the fight scenes seemed cool. The drawing style itself doesn't have the complete charm and uniqueness that the later parts of the manga have. I don't have much to comment about the characters, except that the unusual Zeppeli and Dio's ambitions stood out to me.
I can say that ,while reading, I wanted to know more about the story's plot and that I actually enjoyed reading it (which is quite tricky for me because I rarely have the motivation to read/watch something).
I would recommend the manga to anyone who wants moderate action, something "fresh and unusual" and to those who are not used to such things. This is because they might find something completely new that they will like. I can't wait to read the other parts because I have high expectations of them.

(TLDR Review at the bottom, as always, thanks for reading)

THE MAN! There was a time where the image of a man was this big muscular guy, sometimes even going around kicking ass, beating the hell out of bad guys, and saving the day. Oh yeah. What a time that was.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a series most anime/manga fans have heard of. Whether it be because of, "ZA WARUDO", "Yare yare daze", Thunder Cross Split attack, what have you. Or just how you just caught onto it because of how popular it was. It is one of those series that has been engraved into defining the ... animanga culture as we know it today. However, as I started this series. I never expected it to have a simple but great start.


Narrative:
The story is interesting because it takes a rather important historical setting, Victorian Britain as well as a great piece of film history, being old school action, you know, big strong guys fighting people. The Stallone and Schwarzenegger times. In fact, the characters were actually based on their aesthetics. In any case, the fusion between the setting and style made for an interesting story to get into. In a time when light bulbs were being made, all kinds of new things came into knowledge, especially things that didn't make sense, such as magic. Who would have guessed punching and kicking people would make its way into the story? But even so, the use of old school action being brought as the way of life for these characters fit perfectly in the story. Everything connects together like some kind of puzzle. Apparently, butt-kicking action pretty much fits in everything.

On the other hand though. Jojo Part 1's story is very simple, and although it is obvious that there will be more to add onto there is still some dissatisfaction from it nonetheless. If I could sum it up for you then about 50% of the story is just, fighting the bad guys, the other moments are either character development or the plot moving forward without there being a fight, such as meeting new characters. I hate to be that guy who oversimplifies everything and uses that as an excuse for criticism, but it really does come off like that. Some of the longest fights I have seen in a while taking place. For something with a short story as itself. It doesn't make it look particularly interesting. The fights come off as slightly cheesy too, with patronising dialogue every time a special move is about to be pulled off. To be fair, you could use that as a reason to support the fact that it only adds to the classic elements the story tries to give out. Though, cheesy things are cheesy, though I won't exactly say that that is bad. If anything, it is to be expected, this came out in the 80s and was probably the hype to shout finishers at your Mario question box of a TV back then. I wouldn't exactly call cheesy things bad, but they are cheesy regardless.

Characters are very good. Jonathan in particular is the pinnacle person of whom is affected by the story atmosphere the most. He is shown to have excelled in his studies, which relates to the Victorian professors of their time, as well as always upholding his good morals, as a gentleman of his time should do, and enforcing them as so with his muscular MAN physique. Very unprecedented, but a cool combination to put together. His development is loveable too, like most movies (for example Karate Kid) where a character starts off as weak, then goes off to gain skills/powers from the foreign ancient times in order to defeat the evil that terrorises the world. It is very basic, but it works well with his British gentlemanly behaviour. It is so odd, but it works so well. Jonathan is pretty cool, seems like the kind of person people would look up to as well due to his contribution of "the age of muscles", wouldn't be surprised if people did as well.

Dio is an interesting guy. He is a classic villain, the "I will rule the world! Muhahaha!" kinda guy. Again, very cheesy, as well as the fact that there was probably not a great deal of thought put into his detail. Everything about him is what you would expect a villain of his kind to do. Though he is probably the best character foil for Jonathan because the style enforces it as so. There isn't really a lot to go on about Dio at this point of the series. Everything he does is already stated at the beginning and with him just sending out his minions to do what he pleads, then there isn't much I can say. He is your generic classical villain, but when this was peak character for its time, I must say he does a good job at being one.

Side characters are funny in Jojo Part 1, in that, they come and go faster than anything I have seen. The only noticeable exception is Speedwagon. They come, do whatever they must, and die off like they never exist, probably because the story was so short is why it happened. But to see a character like Zeppeli come and tell Jonathan one day that, "you must defeat Dio! It is your destiny!" wails nothing but a character plot device. Though with Zeppeli, he is that sensei type character that allows for the hero to progress on to their goal. But other characters I cannot say the same, I mean look at Dire… Side characters had their flaws and it would have been better if they had some more attention to them. Otherwise, on the whole, they were decent.


Art:
The art is great. It really does a good job of sparking out the MAN in characters with incredible detail, more so Jonathan than anyone. But even so, it does a good job at highlighting what makes a character in the story themself. Jonathan the MAN, Dio the villain, Speedwagon that one dude in the corner, Zeppeli the weird sensei. The art does so much in using the correct tone for each character attribute. Not anything I haven't seen before but that is a very creative way to go around things. Not anything I have seen in the past too.


Enjoyment:
Seeing a ton of MAN action has made me want to eat some iron now. But seriously, with all its old school, classic vintages squished into one action-packed story full of expected events but executed in a decent fashion anyways, it was going to be a good read. Another thing to enjoy is the references to pieces of history and cultures the story gives, such as Tudor England queens, Jack the Ripper makes an appearance, and the ancient techniques the Asians used and have passed down all the way to current world time in the story. I knew I was going to enjoy this a lot. And I so well did.

Overall - 7.75 (8)



TLDR Review:
Story - 7: Nice combo for the Victorian era and 80s action/martial arts
Art - 9: Art brings out the best in all characters relative to their personality, greatly detailed too. Aged very well.
Character - 7: Classic attributes to characters. Jonathan is a nice mix, Dio is a good old school villain played well. Side characters can be seen as plot devices, except Speedwagon.
Enjoyment - 8: THE MAN action is on point. History and culture references are good to see from too.

Overall - 7.75 (8)



Heh. I was expecting the essence of Jojo to be in the first part, but instead, I was greeted with some old school fun. I can't say that I am disappointed, because honestly, it is probably a great way to start the series. Now I will just venture on to see where the real fun is at.

I love Jojo. I seriously do. Honestly though, I think Phantom blood is my least favorite story. Not because I hate it, but because Jojo just gets better and better over time. This part did set up a strong foundation for the rest of the series though. It is a story of a wealthy boy, Johnathan Joestar, suddenly having his life turned to hell by his adoptive brother Dio Brando. As they grow into young adulthood, Dio suddenly becomes a vampire and only Jojo can stop him. This part isn't as flashy as the other parts of Jojo, but it does maintain the solid jojo ... characteristics of "good-of-heart" and honor. Part 1 also does a good job at establishing Araki's credibility as a writer. Araki is able to maintain a unique story atmosphere, while keeping things detailed and appealing. Araki had a similar approach to his first published work, Baoh, but it was not nearly executed as well as in Jojo.

The best thing part 1 does is introduce Dio. Dio is a really amazing character, and VERY IMPORTANT to Jojo. Part 1 is the only time we get to see real character development in Dio, and it gives us the context we need to understand his influence.

This part might be a bit a bit on the bland side, but it is still enjoyable. Seeing characters like Dio do there thing is exciting,and will have you on the edge of your seat sometimes. With this though, the big thing with part 1 is context. Is Phantom Blood a strong start? Not necessarily, but it is a required start. Every part (even later alternate universe parts) are built around the key points of Phantom Blood.It is needed to better understand the rest of the series. It is because of this that it holds a special place in fans' hearts, even if it isn't the best part of the epic manga series.

How do I say this in a nice way... People, if you think you suck too much at drawing the human body to make comics/manga/doujinshi, please read JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Pt. 1.

That's such a dumb thing to say, I could never draw as well as Araki did in the 80s when he made this, but still. Sometimes the art is just so charmingly ridiculous. Never the less, I get why this spawned a long series.

When I decided to read this, I was specifically in the mood for hyper-masculine macho action/adventure. And boy howdy, does JoJo deliver. I generally do prefer it when it's ... about the plot and not the fights. I tend to get bored during long fights in manga, anime, any medium, really. And while the plot is zany and weird, it is compelling and keeps you turning the page. Overall I recommend it, it's a solid tale, though I do get the impression that later stories will improve upon just about every single thing Araki did in this one.

Part 0: Whole Lotta Love
I loved JoJo since the first time I’ve read it years ago and I still love it now, it’s one of the few manga series that personally resonated with me like none other. While I hope to be as fair in this review as possible when it comes to pointing out the highs and lows of Phantom Blood, keep in mind that all this is coming from someone who’s a fan of series despite all the flaws than be found within.

Part 1: Brothers in Arms
Phantom Blood is the first part of the gigantic franchise JoJo has become and I think many ... consider it to be least distinct one. There’s a very good reason for it. While the later parts delve deep into high concept super powers and weird plots that on the surface shouldn’t make as much sense as they do, Phantom Blood is a far more conventional narrative.

After his carriage crashes off a cliff, George Joestar is knocked unconscious, the driver is impaled on a broken wheel and his wife sacrificed her life trying to protect baby Jonathan. Dario Brando, Dio’s father sees this as an opportunity to get some valuable loot but George comes to consciousness. He mistakingly thinks that Dario was trying to save him and promises him a handsome reward and gratitude. Some years later Dario is on his deathbed and uses kindness of George to send Dio to his house where he would live as an adopted son of Joestar family.

What follows after is an ever-escalating clash between Dio and Joseph. From their design to their personality the two are entirely different. Jonathan is an embodiment of justice and virtue, he’s a man who will do everything in his power to protect others. On the other side Dio is an incredibly evil and calculating bastard who will do everything he can to gain more wealth and power.

This central conflict is why I believe the overall goal of the manga was to tell a story about virtue and honor triumphing over depravity and corruption and Dio represents. In a I feel it’s similar to Hokuto no Ken which beyond being an action packed martial arts manga followed a strong character with a bleeding heart who without fail would save others from overwhelming evil.

Part 2: Strange Highway
So far Phantom Blood sounds fairly mediocre, right? Well it would be if not for Araki’s creativity and passion for crafting exciting stories that can be traced all the way from his debut works. Phantom Blood has a lot to offer when it comes to eccentric characters and imaginative action scenes. While Jonathan is fairly standard for a story like this but his companions include a street thug with overwhelming respect for strong willed and natured people and has a tendency to narrate his own feelings, more so than anyone else at least. Next in line you have Zeppeli, an italian sailor who resigned his life to training in Sendo, finding the stone mask and destroying what is and should never be while looking fabulous in the process. While this will very much depend on the reader I found their dynamic to be amusing throughout, from Speedwagon’s nearly comedic overreactions to Zeppeli’s unusual training methods that include trying to destroy a vampire without spilling a drop of wine.

Hamon or Ripple is another part of what makes Phantom Blood so entertaining. While the concept of versatile superpowers is as old as dirt in shonen the applications for Ripple remain fresh and sometimes surprising throughout the 44 chapters. From standing on water and sending out wine shurikens to making a leaf glider or spraying out your own blood or other liquids through wounds to avoid poisoning or other unwanted effects. While it might seem convenient I think it accomplishes a lot to make the adventure feel exciting in unpredictable ways. On top of that when used it combat it makes for some pretty gruesome attacks as sunlight energy melts whoever tries to oppose a ripple user.

It’s interesting to me how much effort Araki puts into establishing the superpower itself. Instead of going the usual route and saying “well it’s just a special thing some people can do let’s get back to the story” he actually made up its own backstory and the method behind it which feeds into thematic core of the manga. It also serves as an example of another thing I like about Araki, which is his enthusiasm in fleshing out his settings or just plain sharing some information with the viewer that he finds interesting like the occasional tidbits he throws in about 19th century England. This is much less prominent in Part 1 than it is in future manga but I find it charming nonetheless.

Part 3: Damn the Torpedoes
Obviously however, not everything is good. There are some noticeable flaws in Phantom Blood that need to be acknowledge.

One of the most prevalent I think is Araki’s reliance on narration to add nuance to either characters or their surroundings that doesn’t always need to be there. While yes the nuance is there there are many moments where a reader could’ve been informed about them in a way that’s much more subtle. Does Speedwagon really need to comment on how hard Erina was overworking herself to take care of Jonathan when it already would’ve worked without text? There’s an example of something like this in every other chapters and while it’s not especially egregious in my opinion it does sour the taste.

Next comes the Ripple. Yes, while the scenes it was used for are universally entertaining, it occasionally feels like new powers and techniques just sort of come out of nowhere only to get a brief explanation shortly after they’re used as if to justify their existence. Araki has gotten a lot better at introducing powers as it went on and I doubt he’d leave Ripple as is, seeing how The Spin’s execution in Part 7 was much more consistent.

The art is also often cited as one of the weaker aspects of Phantom Blood and it’s understandable. When it comes to inanimate objects Araki’s grasp of fundamentals is strong throughout but when it comes to people I feel like he valued dramatic exaggerations a lot more than accurate anatomy. While I do agree that it’s not always a pleasure to look at the dramatic aspect does come true. It’s hard not to feel the sheer energy, impact and threat emanating from certain attacks when they are drawn as if jumping out of a page or dominate entire panels where the target feels like a bug compared to the magnitude of force that’s about to crash on them. So, while on technical aspect it’s far, far from perfect the art still serves a tangible purpose. Some people might not agree with this but I feel like this sort of flawed art is still a lot more entertaining than something that feels like it was drawn my a machine cause there’s a very human charm to imperfections.

Lastly I’d like to sandbag the series a little and offer my two cents on something that people always bring up when talking about why Part 1 is the worst or the weakest in the series.

“Jonathan is a boring, bland protagonist and a bad character”. This is something I can’t agree with. Yes he’s a simple character without complex goals or struggles but that doesn't make him bad. If you’re willing to pay attention there are many beats in first two volume that work towards building up Jonathan’s personality. From how he came to form a relationship with his dog to his mentality when it comes to fighting which can be traced from his very first fight and is kept consistent throughout with exceptions only serving to prove the rule. At the same time Jonathan’s naivety is often conveyed to be a flaw since a character that’s much less restricted by moral code would have an easier time (see Joseph). It drives him to take risks which ultimately drove the story forward.

Another complaint I saw being thrown around is that he’s a reactionary character which seems to stem from people thinking that there’s never a case where such a character is acceptable. All it means is that Jonathan more often than not reacts to ploys caused by Dio instead of being in control of events and serving as their catalyst. When the main antagonist is nigh on a mysterious force of nature what else is expected of the main character but to react while trying to figure out a way to fight back? This is nothing new in fiction and I find it hard to take this complaint seriously.

Part 4: Pieces of Eight
To sum it up. Phantom Blood is a unique and unforgettable adventure that succeeds despite any flaws thanks to the charm and sheer creativity behind it and while future parts do overshadow it by turning down the flaws and cranking up pros to 11, it wouldn't be fair to judge Part 1 based on what it’s not. It set out a goal and achieved with flying colors. It’s a manga that deserves to be read.

The illustrious JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, despite its success and fame, has a notably self contained fanbase. With the exception of an OVA from the early 1990s, the franchise has not branched out much into other communities. Araki, like George Lucas, cultivates this kind of engagement through his artistry. Despite his enormous talent that can be appreciated at any time, Jojo is a series that typically relies on prior fandom to be fully enraptured with. Araki's vaporous strangeness and lack of typical mangaka flair (the character designs in his manga are never as expressive as contemporaries such as Akira Toriyama, Eiichiro Oda, Kentaro Miura) would ... be a death sentence for his opus if not for its self referential nature. Odd and frequently repetitive plotting is forgiven by Jojo fans (such as myself) on the grounds of connections to other arcs and characters in the story. This is not to deny Araki's artistry, but rather to say that he has built this story around the momentum of the fans' self motivation.

All of this is to say that the oft derided Phantom Blood, the first part of the series, is quite possibly the only chapter of the story that truly avoids this pitfall. Despite weaker artwork than later parts and a lack of the humor and wit that many JoJo fans treasure, Phantom Blood has truly broad appeal as its core story of the battle between Jonathan and Dio is a powerful one that requires no prior knowledge to be not merely appreciated but felt. This epic and concentrated story can come off as simplistic, yet that supposed simplicity is echoes of a culture built on the stories that Phantom Blood is inspired by. It's mythologizing with historical and cultural basis that takes bravery to write.

Phantom Blood is not charming, but who needs charm? The contrast between the clunky, powerful Part 1 and the suave, creative Part 2 is akin to that of their protagonists. The kind hearted Jonathan Joestar is defined at one point in the series as plucky as opposed to lucky, which could not be more true. Jonathan isn't street smart, and his straightforwardness often leads him into pain, but in the end it also defines his righteousness. Joseph is quick witted and famously tricky, cautious even. These traits are charming and engaging to watch, while Jonathan's are sturdy, even dull in comparison. This is a microcosm for both series in their entirety.

The iconic "intelligent" battle strategy the JoJo franchise is known for is almost nowhere to be seen in Phantom Blood. Aside from a few brief moments, the fight scenes are driven purely by the emotions of the characters, and aren't traditionally memorable. This is certainly an aspect of Phantom Blood feeling less "JoJo" and generally less special than the later parts, as Araki had not yet come into his own yet, but this is not a crippling issue. Phantom Blood is fundamentally old school, with some manga-ish elements but mostly inspired by literature and architecture, without too much crazed input from Araki himself.

Recent discussions about "skipping parts" have aggravated JoJo fans on both sides of the conversation, and Part 1 tends to be a center of these arguments. Its general uniqueness and the lack of many classic "JoJo" qualities turns many people off, and the Part tends to be viewed as one of the weakest. This is reasonable on an individual level but has also created a placebo. The weight of the franchise is carried by Phantom Blood, and the emotional heft of its story echoes throughout the later parts. Art is impressionistic and fluid, as life is, and these echoes aren't always literal, or don't always mean that an outsider will be completely confused by what's going on in a later part. Yet they are no less essential. JoJo's self contained nature is absent from Phantom Blood but was also created by it. The lineage of characters, themes and stories created here is a pool from which Araki draws from to this day. It's a great and powerful work that reflects Araki's heart more than his intellect, yet is built on more of the latter than is usually appreciated. It's a testament to the variety of this franchise that such disparate ideas and genres can both exist separately, powerfully, while also working together as a whole.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a franchise that continues to pick up steam in the west with it’s recent anime adaptations, but the series humbly began all the way back in 1986 with the release of Part 1: Phantom Blood in Japan.

Phantom Blood is set in 1880’s England and follows the story of our protagonist, Jonathan Joestar (JoJo), who starts off as an annoying, spoiled child, but grows into a true hero who fights to protect all of humanity. Enter Dio Brando, the adoptive son of the Joestar family, who wants to steal the family’s fortune by becoming the only remaining heir, and who may be ... the most evil and vile character I’ve read in recent years. These two characters are extreme opposites of one another and naturally develop such a toxic relationship over their seven years together that the two can’t help but fight whenever they see each other, eventually leading to a climactic battle to the death. Jonathan and Dio are the driving force of Phantom Blood and are what makes the arc feel so exciting whenever they occupy the same page.

Dio is the highlight character of Phantom Blood. In the beginning panels of the story I felt sorry for Dio because of his life of abuse and neglect from his late alcoholic father, but just as quickly began to despise him when he immediately hit Jonathan’s innocent and loving dog, Danny, when he arrived to the Joestar mansion. Hirohiko Araki has crafted Dio to be the literal embodiment of Satan in manga form. Every time you think he’s reached the peak of his evil, he continues to surprise and awe readers with just how sinister and vile he really is. Despite all these things I hate about Dio, I can’t help but keep my eyes glued to the panels whenever he appears. He refers to himself in the third-person as if he were a God, he has no compassion for anyone but his own well-being, he kills for the joy of the feeling, and he gets high off of other peoples suffering. Dio’s presence is just so addicting and perfectly contrasts to Jonathan’s heroic persona.

The first JoJo of the series isn’t a pushover either. Jonathan is still the only JoJo protagonist to date that really embodies noble and heroic qualities. While this sounds like the typical, shounen hero trope mainstream manga is known for in today’s generation, Jonathan grows on you as a gentleman full of charm and charisma over the arc. Whenever the two rivals battle each other it feels so satisfying to cheer for Jonathan as he embarrasses Dio with his natural born skills and talents.

Phantom Blood’s story will keep you engaged over the three-volume run, but there are distinct moments where the pace of the story becomes agonizingly slow, specifically with the large side battles against the undead knights, Blueford and Tarkus. In later JoJo arcs, such as Battle Tendency and Stardust Crusaders, Araki begins to master the art of creating amazing side-villains with bizarre, situational powers, but these knights are easily on the bottom of a very long list.

However the same can’t be said for the supporting cast of the slum dog, Speedwagon, and the baron, Anthonio Zeppeli. While their introductions are a bit weak, they are a lovable pair that works well off each other. Zeppeli teaches Jonathan the art of Hamon Energy (or The Ripple) and is quite the capable combatant in the art himself. His crazy antics and unconventional fighting methods, along with his jester like persona, add a very humorous addition to Jonathan’s party. Speedwagon is the necessary darkness that Jonathan needs. As a man who has lived his life as a thief until he met the young Joestar, Speedwagon can recognize when people are trying to deceive Jonathan and use his power to fulfill their needs. He’s a trusted friend and treats Jonathan with the utmost respect.

The unique thing about each part of JoJo is that they are essentially a self-contained story. While further parts will reference events in Phantom Blood, it’s not a necessary read. Phantom Blood primarily serves as Dio’s origin story and provides great context for the aspects that make him such a compelling and dark villain. Casual fans will know him more for the events that transpire in Part 3: Stardust Crusaders, where he returns from the dead to challenge Jonathan’s descendants, Joseph and Jotaro. Despite some parts of Phantom Blood moving at a snails pace, there’s still a lot to enjoy about Part 1 of JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone as the very first arc to read if I was getting someone into the series, because the content is a bit gorier and horrific compared to other parts, but it’s a pit stop every true fan should experience at least once.

The weakest part of Phantom Blood is easily the first volume for its inconsistent art. I love Araki as a mangaka, but JoJo Part 1 is definitely not the shining star on his resume. You can tell that he hasn’t developed his style fully and the details aren’t as sharp as the later volumes. I love how he draws his characters in such expressive poses, but he gets a bit too wild at the beginning, refusing to draw the same expression on any characters face twice. However by the end of the journey, every panel is brimming with beautiful detail that blows today’s shounen manga out of the water.

Final Thoughts:

7.5/10

Phantom Blood may not be the best introduction to the series, but Dio’s origin story is a highlight every fan should experience.

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) is the manga that got me into manga. It's first part is the weakest, but that doesn't mean it isn't still amazing.

The main character, Jonathan Joestar(JoJo) is a bit too innocent in my opinion. He is put into the horrible situation with Dio(Main Antagonist) and he barely does anything about it until years later! This is just a minor issue though.

After the seven year time-skip, we start to see characters put on this muscly form like an 80's action movie, which I think is a great attribute. We get to see two men built like mountains brawling it ... out and it's amazing.

Though this first part to an epic saga has it's flaws, it's still a great read overall. It has gory action, great art and character design, and an amazing story. Would recommend.

When I first heard about JoJo's Bizzare Adventure this was a fairly underground manga in the West. It was a known series, but there definitely were more people that knew the name but never bothered reading than the ones that did. Things started to change, however, in 2012 when a new anime adaptation of Jojo started and as it adapted more and more parts of the story, the amount of fans grew and grew. It's hard to be an anime fan now and not have heard of Jojo or met a fan of the series. It was only recently that I decided to cave in ... and check what the hype was all about, so join me as I go through the series and tell you what I think. Put your seat belts on as we go all the way back to 1986.

Now, Jojo is huge and there's a lot of people that love it to death, but lets be fair, most of them will tell you that Part 1 is weak compared to the rest of the series. Sure, there's a lot of fans of it, and even people who prefer it, but the consensus is that it's not the best part, and I can see why.
When I first started reading I liked a couple of things, I like the atmosphere, that Castlevaniaesque vibe it had, it's definitely different than most manga that I tend to read, and I think that's probably because it's not a Japanese setting. It had this mysterious and Gothic aura to it that I really appreciated.

It's in this setting, in Victorian England, that we meet our main characters, the titular JoJo, Jonathan Joestar, who was very happy boy until the day his father introduces him to the newest member of the family, "It was me!" Dio Brando, who is basically Satan. Phantom Blood works around the fact that these two characters are the basic opposites of one another, natural enemies in a battle between morally good and morally bad. This is very cool in concept, but in reality, Dio is somehow the best character in the manga and even then, he is just "evil" and Jonathan is the most bland main character I think I've read. It's easily the worst character in the Jojo parts I've read and it's probably the worst character I've ever encountered.

And this is my main problem. I definitely have more gripes with part 1, that I'll talk about in a bit, but I would've excused it if I enjoyed the characters. If you read my reviews, or just know me, you may notice that I like works that have a good cast in it, and maybe I give it more importance than other people might give, depending on the story told, but I still think it's a very important aspect regardless. Because the story itself isn't bad, I like the setting, I like the mask a lot, I think it's interesting, the story around it is probably the best part of the first two parts of Jojo's, but alone it can't save it. And the main character is the one that I have more problems with, but I can't say that I found any of the supporting cast interesting. Really didn't care for Zeppeli or Speedwagon, and much less for characters like Dire or Straits.

Plus, it's not just the characters, there's a lot of points that, to be fair happen in a lot of other manga that I read from the time, like Devilman and Saint Seya, so one could blame it's age, but I've also read other manga from the same time that doesn't really have these flaws. I'm mostly talking about the dialogues, they are clunky, they feel unnatural, which doesn't help the characters either, because now they're not only bland, but every time they talk I feel a disconnect from the series, because people just don't talk like that.

The art too, I appreciate the designs, I think that amidst everything that I'm criticizing about the characters, their designs are unique and it helps them look varied, but the art itself is not that great. The poses they do, I know it's a meme now and part of the appeal to some people, but they don't look good to me, they are just... well... bizarre and look very ridiculous and non-human. Before I read Part 1 I've seen some artwork of Araki, so I know that he is good, that his art is amazing, but it's amazing now, definitely wasn't in 1986, and that's fine, I appreciate that he improved a lot, but we're judging Phantom Blood for what it is, and while it's not the worst art that I've come across, or course not, but it's quite ugly.

Ultimately, even knowing that the first part was probably the weakest, I still got considerably disappointed. It has a good concept, but there's too many flaws to make this an enjoyable experience. Thankfully a lot of problems I talk about would be improved in later parts, but talking about Phantom Blood on it's own, is it a mark on manga history? Yes, definitely! But is it good? Well, in my opinion, not so much.

This review will be broken into two parts. First a spoiler free review, then one with spoilers.

Spoiler Free Review

My spoiler free review portion of this review is simply to inform those who might be considering getting into JoJo what to expect. This is easily the most underrated parts out of JJBA and personally, I love it. However, I do understand that this is not an easy series to get into when you begin with this part. Here are a couple options I reccomend:

1) Try the anime. If you're an anime guy or both anime and manga then this is the route you should start. Many ... people have a difficult time getting through Part 1, even though it's the shortest part. But! The anime does an excellent job adapting the manga and surpasses it in almost every regard (I say almost because there are a few art choices I love in the manga). It even cuts out a few moments that are considered to be the most boring in Part 1.

2) This is the route I reccomend if you are dead set on going for the manga. Read the color manga!! I know this won't be an option for people who only read their manga physically, but man, the color manga is so beautiful and for some of the JoJo parts, I much prefer the manga. Though again, I do prefer the anime for this specific part. But, with Araki in his early art style many people tend to get turned away easily. But the color manga helps it a little better.

Now with those two options out of the way, I'll talk about the overall qualities of the manga. I'll do my best to stay away from spoilers.

Story- 8/10

The story is basic and does lack a lot of originality. The Fist of the North Star manga series and the novel Dracula are essentially the blueprint for these few chapters. Araki himself has credited these two sources as being his inspiration. But I'm not usually one who hates a piece of work just because it is extremely similar to another. I mean, when you look at it, there are major aspects of Berserk that are scarily similar to Fist of the North Star as well. But they are both amazing stories. Anyway, there is a story here that I think is worth engaging in and for most people, it only goes up from here. So what's to lose?

Art- 8/10

I give the artwork an 8/10, which might be slightly too critical. I could possibly bump it up to a 9, that's mainly because I've seen how better Araki's art gets in the future. Still though, I think Part 1 has some great art and some amazing panels that I still love looking at. It does receive some harsh and somewhat unfair criticisms, people have become a bit spoiled (so have I at times). But if you are at all familiar with the many memes that have come from the series it will add to your enjoyment. Honestly the characters look so goofy it makes you laugh at times, but to me, it just makes it better.

Character- 9/10

Okay, so the characters are also a bit underrated. I'm giving them 9/10 enjoyment wise and I'll be a bit harsher on them in my spoiler review. I love Jonathan as a lead and DIO is fantastic villain. He's goofy, fun, evil, and of course, iconic. To me, DIO is up there as one of the most iconic villains like Frieza from Dragon Ball Z.

Enjoyment- 9/10

I don't think there's anymore to be said in terms of my enjoyment. This really is a fun part and I was hooked into the series right away when I watched the anime. Many people have given me a hard time for liking this part as much as I do, but I simply believe it doesn't receive enough credit.

I hope this convinces you to read or watch JoJo!

Side note: Please do not skip Part 1 and/or Part 2, they are important to understanding the plot and you will be confused and lose a great deal of experience.

Spoiler Review

Okay, this is where it comes down to being a bit more critical and of course where the spoilers come in. Now the first part of this review was just praise, praise, praise. But I'm going to be honest, Part 1 has many issues.

Reinforcing of Victorian era Stereotypes

As someone who is well read in Victorian literature and has done research on the era, as well as written a 10 page research paper for Graduate school on Victorian literature, I have a bit to say regarding this.

Jonathan Joestar is our main protagonist hero. The prim proper gentleman nobleman. The good guy. Dio Brando is our main antagonist villain. The selfish greedy scoundrel invader low-class peasant. The evil-doer. I think already you can see the problem here. The lower class in the Victorian era were treated horribly and that was often reflected in its literature. Many authors however, tried to expose the upper class by showing through literature how horribly the lower class was treated. An example of this being Wuthering Heights. Where the main character, Heathcliff who is full of racial stereotypes, is constantly oppressed because of his class and appearance.

The idea of an "invader" coming into a noble person's home or country was a common thing in these types of novels. And it usually was symbolic for immigrants. London was the most populous city during the time and there was a boom in wealth. For a better opportunity and life, many people across Europe (and other places too) came to London to also attain this wealth. This however brought an extremely xenophobic era. It was worse to be an immigrant than a British lower class, as you were automatically seen as the lower class if you were an outsider.

Dio is this outside character, though he is not an immigrant. But he is of the lower class. I believe Araki meant ZERO harm when writing this and that Dio is not meant to be symbolic of this type of character in anyway. But he is still reinforcing Victorian era stereotypes. You might think this is a silly thing to mention, but what if Araki had reinforced African American stereotypes in Part 2? Yes, it was a long time ago, but we still are sensitive and careful about these sort of things. I'm not blaming Araki and this didn't take out any of my enjoyment of the manga. I'm simply pointing out the facts.

Lastly, this comes as so surprise. As Dracula is one of the biggest inspirations for this part. Dracula is also a symbolic novel regarding immigration. Dracula's entire character as a vampire is also representative of immigrants with the way he is treated with fear and disdain. Dracula drinking the blood of English women and tainting their blood is a fear that the Victorian English had regarding immigrants breeding with English women. They literally believed that an immigrant having a child with an English woman would result in the child being tainted and sinful.

Lack of Originality: From Fist of the North Star to Dracula

I probably don't need to say more regarding Dracula and most of it can be pretty obvious. Fist of the North Star however may be a tad less obvious. The first is Hamon, a power system based on Ki (I recall it was called that anyway) from Fist of the North Star. It is immediately introduced to us as a means to heal others, in both series. There are some differences between the two power systems. But the differences lie in Hamon basically being able to do, well, anything. It was a power system that was entirely built of plot convenience and could do whatever the plot called for. It rarely felt special and was poorly explained. It did however have some cool concepts with it being similar to the sun, making it the vampire's ultimate weakness. The ice ability the vampires had was also a cool touch that added an interesting dynamic for these two abilities. Something I wish was expanded upon a little more, but that I feel was done a bit with Vanilla Ice in Part 3. One of a few reasons why he is my favorite minor antagonist in JoJo.

The last part of the Fist of the North Star is Jonathan and Dio's relationship and characters. Both of them are heavily moulded after Kenshiro and Shin. At times Jonathan and Dio's dynamic can be even closer compared to Kenshiro and Raoh. But Jonathan and Dio's designs look a great deal like Kenshiro and Shin, especially Jonathan. Dio also is raised as Jonathan's brother, isn't in love with Erina but does try to get involved like Shin does, and betrays Jonathan creating an ultimate rivalry. This is the same thing that happens in the FotNS. Though admittedly, I think it's done much better in JoJo. As the beginning of FotNS is not its strongest part, which is when Kenshiro vs Shin is. Araki however isn't the first author to do this. As Kentaro Miura also does the same thing with Guts and Griffith and these two are even better than the rest.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately that was me critiquing the series and probably harsher than I ever have. My intention is not for you to label Araki as a classist, racist, xenophobe, or any of that. Because I think Araki is a good man who has never tried to insult anyone through his work or words. There are simply flaws to this piece I've noticed and that I thought I'd share.

Thank you for reading.