JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 3: Stardust Crusaders
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders

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It's funny that the last part was called "Battle Tendency" when this part is nothing but battles.

Jojo Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is the point in the series that becomes recognizably Jojo. Not only are the iconic Stands introduced, replacing hamon, but this is the part with most of the memes that people know Jojo for. In between all the "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA"s and "OH NOOOOOO"s, Jotaro Kujo and his grandfather, Part 2's protagonist Joseph Joestar, must race against time to defeat Dio. Along the way, they make a few friends and find themselves in many, many more fights. And that's the part that will make or break ... you on this entry: either you enjoy the nonstop fights against other Stand Users, or you get tired of them all. And personally, I greatly enjoyed each of the fights.

There is a great variation in the battles Jojo and friends face in Stardust Crusaders. Each of the stands has incredibly unique abilities, and even when some have similar attributes Stand Users' strategies still make each fight different. Likewise, each of the ways the characters defeat the respective antagonists vary. It's not always an "ORAORAORA" until victory. Sometimes the team even gets split up, and only half of them are there to face the foe.

While the constant battles leaves little room for characters to sit down and talk, there are still plenty of big moments for characters to grow, shine, and leave an impression on the reader. In particular, the goofy side character Polnareff has several moments that can endear him to the audience. However, my favorite of the group is easily the lead. Jotaro Kujo has earned a privilege that few characters have. Alongside Guts the Black Swordsman, Kenpachi Zaraki, and Sachiko Fujinuma (the mom from Erased), he has become an Anime Gigachad. The moments this man has that are just sheer badassery are perhaps too many to count, and my favorite endings to fights are always because of him. Best Jojo so far.

If I were to make any critiques, it would just be one and two tiny ones. One small is that there's a subplot that kind of just ends at a point. It's not a big part or anything, but it felt weird that there was quite a bit of attention to it and then the character in question just leaves. Tiny number two is that a particularly awesome fight would've been even better, but Joseph decides to not use an ability that he is known to have. I'm not even saying that it would've changed the overall flow, it's just that he uses a different tactic for effectively the same result. The last is that one of the conflicts gets a little uncomfortably weird. Not the fight itself--that was really tense, and it is another moment of Polnareff's that I like. Without putting it into spoilers, I'll just say that it's a fanservice-y scene that gets a bit weird.

Other than those, Stardust Crusaders is a blast. The fights come at you like punches from Star Platinum, and they never let up until the very end. I'm now looking forward a lot more to reading more of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. If you haven't gotten started and are considering skipping the first two parts, feel free. Most of the important details get covered by the usual Jojo exposition, so you can jump in at Jotaro's adventure and just hit the road from there.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is the third part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, created by Hirohiko Araki. Originally published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1989 to 1992, Stardust Crusaders is known for introducing the concept of "Stands", which would become an integral part of the series going forward.

The plot centers on Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Joseph Joestar, the protagonist of the previous part. Jotaro has a special ability called Stand, which allows him to manifest a spiritual entity to fight other Stands. Jotaro and a group of allies embark on a journey across the globe to defeat Dio Brando, ... the series' main antagonist, who has awakened from his 100-year slumber and seeks revenge against the Joestars.

What makes Stardust Crusaders so interesting is the introduction of Stands, which offer a new dimension to character battles and abilities. Each Stand has a unique and often bizarre ability, leading to creative and exciting matchups between characters.

In addition to the main characters, Stardust Crusaders features a host of memorable supporting characters, each with their own Stand and fighting style. The narrative unfolds through a series of confrontations against Dio's minions, which become more challenging as the story progresses.

In terms of art, Araki continues to refine his style in Stardust Crusaders, with more detailed and expressive character designs than in previous parts. The action scenes are impressive and full of energy, and the Stand designs are creative and often bizarre.

Overall, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is an exciting and action-packed continuation of the series. With the introduction of the Stands and a host of memorable characters, it's easy to see why Stardust Crusaders is one of the most popular parts of the series.

Not a fan of this at all. The reason why the rating is not any lower is only because of the final 2 fights which were great but everything else sucked. The Around the World in 80 Days is a cool concept but the formula is so repetitive that you actually forget about the globetrotting. Some of the stuff that I thought was particularly poor were:
1) No tension. It's the story of a Jotaro and his grandfather (Joesph from part 2) in a race against time to save Holly, Jotaro's mother. The idea is emotional but the story lacks any tension whatsoever.
2) Stand of the ... week concept. Here's the formula: Get to a new place -> Meet an enemy stand -> Fight and defeat him -> Move to a new place and repeat
The worst part for me is that in spite of the numerous battles there is neither any character development nor does any character get stronger, learn new stuff like how the mc in the previous 2 parts learned Hammon through fighting