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| A few manga panels from the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Manga |
During the pandemic, we were all confined and had all the time in the world to lay back and enjoy our favorite TV shows and movies. New pearls of the cinematic world were also discovered by hundreds of people. Personally, I discovered anime, a genre defined by Japanese animated series, often based on mangas (think about a comic book, but Japanese). Fun fact about mangas, they actually read from right to left and the book is manufactured "upside-down"!
On that note, welcome to my very first blog entry. This time, I will be briefly introducing you to my favorite anime entitled Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. The storyline of this show is quite complicated and intricate, as it has multiple small details and explanations scattered around the different episodes. Therefore, even though my source explains some elements of the plot, I will instead be focusing on the influence of pop culture found in Jojo, as well as its history.
To read more about the subject of my blog, I invite you to consult this Looper article
A brief summary of the article
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, written by Hirohiko Araki, has been an ongoing manga since 1987; yes, it is, in fact, still being written and drawn as of 2022! The incredible storyline following a bloodline of heroes started off in the popular Japanese magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1987 to 2004. The manga then got published in Ultra Jump, another magazine for more mature audiences, before being adapted on screen in 2012. The title of the anime actually comes from the heroes of the show, whose nicknames are always Jojo: Jonathan, Joseph, Jotaro, Giorno, and Jolyne!
Araki has a very distinctive style that makes his manga stand out from others in the industry. With their muscular, often male, bodies contorted in unique and weird poses, you surely can't miss the Jojo style. His way of manipulating color also jumps to the eye; this is actually inspired by Paul Gauguin, an artist from the French movement of post-Impressionism.
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| The Joestar Bloodline |
Besides
its unique art style, Jojo's Bizarre adventure is also
characterized by its numerous musical references to British and American pop
and rock. Lots of characters are named after singers and music groups, here are
a few names: Dio, Esidisi, Sex pistols, Rolling Stone, Killer Queen, Robert E.O
Speedwagon, etc. Do you know where these references come from?
Finally, Araki’s love for fashion is clearly shown throughout the anime and the manga. Indeed, all the characters wear unique clothes that stand out enough for big brands like Gucci and Glamb to make a collab with the anime!
My opinion on the subject
I think this article precisely describes why Jojo’s Bizarre
Adventure is such an interesting piece of fiction! Of course, my
opinion might be biased on the subject, but I greatly enjoy this anime and I am
always excited when I can find bits of pop culture on my own! There is a vast
creative diversity found through the outfits, the songs, and the art style that
makes it just that more interesting!
Now, if I can, I would also like to give you my opinion on the
anime itself. I suggest everyone interested in Japanese TV shows to watch it;
for me, it is one of the best ones out there! Its unique plot and storyline,
the fight scenes, and the intricate superpowers given to the characters are
eye-catching and keep the
watcher on edge! Also, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is a classic in
the anime community; western media even showcase subtle references to the show,
like in Gumball,
an American children’s TV show.
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| A reference to the unique art style of Jojo in the show Gumball |
After reading the article, which describes more of the
plot and storyline aspects, would you watch this show? Why or why not?
Psst, for all of you that are interested, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
is currently available on Netflix! 😉
Hi, my name is Laurent Langlois-Demers and I will be commenting this blog.
ReplyDeleteHello Jade. This has been an interesting reading and your passion for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure clearly transpires throughout your blog. Although this anime would not normally grab my attention, your description and the source’s description are definitely making me want to give it a try.
ReplyDelete“Each section of the story is set in a different time period and stars a different JoJo.” (Elle Collins). Even though there seems to be a plethora of unique characteristics to this anime, those are the words that convinced me to give it a try. Compared to all those 8 or so seasons long shows using the same formulaic characters for the entire duration, having a rotation of main characters feels like a healthy change of pace.
As mentioned by you and the source, there seems to be a lot of pop culture references in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The weird thing is, I don’t know much about pop culture, which might make you wonder why I would be interested in such a show. I guess that my curious nature pushes me to try different things, and Jojo is definitely looking unique. Oh, and I also want to understand all those memes about Jojo. Very important.
Being more of a science guy, I can appreciate the source’s informative and neutral nature. I can start Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure without any bias and simply enjoy it for what it is. Looking forward to when I’ll have the time to watch this anime!