This Post is a JoJo Reference — The Sophisticated Simplicity of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Hah, you thought this post is gonna be a pompous rant, but it was me, Dio-
Sorry about that start. But I assure you that this post is going to be a simple rant about why I really liked the storytelling of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and why I found it so unique.
Note that I’m fully aware of the inevitable unoriginality of my ideas because this is literally what everyone thinks about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (probably). So in short- JoJo is unique, my post may not be.
Either way, I wanted to rant about why not taking itself too seriously has worked out nicely for the ridiculously blissful ride that is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Whoa there! Now you’re thinking “This post is bound to have some spoilers”, aren’t you?
For those of you who haven’t read or seen JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure yet, no, this post won’t have any specific spoilers. I will be talking about a few themes and ideas presented through the story but nothing will be ruined for you.
You may however stumble upon a bunch of nonsensical phrases, GIFs and images being thrown around; those infamous “JoJo References”, but this is nothing to worry about. Alright, into the rant we go.
What makes JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure so unique?
The first opinion that I ever had about JoJo when I saw its pictures and clips was something like this: “Why does it look like that?? I’d never watch it”
You can call me uncultured all you like but let’s admit it, most JoJo fans started from there. The art in JoJo looks so painfully alien to the “normie” eye that it can successfully put them off the thought of giving it a try.
But if you do decide to give it that chance, then you’ll find that the art style really grows on you; So much so that, a few months into the franchise you’d be spewing out nonsense like “JoJo has one of the most thought provokingly exquisite art that has ever been created”- trust me, first hand experience.
And that brings me to the first topic in the list of things that makes JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure so unique:
The art style
Heavily influenced by anatomical depictions of Renaissance sculpture and color schemes of French artist, Paul Gauguin, JoJo’s art style is something straight out of a fever dream (even more so in the manga and the creator, Araki’s original hand drawn posters than in the anime).
I mean when was the last time you gazed upon purple hills and yellow skies? The reason why one look at this series immediately sets it apart from its contemporaries, is because of these eccentric color schemes. Hirohiko Araki’s inspiration is French artist, Paul Gauguin, who also didn’t seem to show any interest in actual hue pallets that we see in real life. Like in this work below:
Apart from this we also get to see a bunch of allusions been made to Michelangelo. Araki revealed that Giorno Giovanna, the protagonist and the “JoJo” of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure part 5: Vento Aureo, was based off of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, David.
I could sit here for a whole day and talk about the intricacies behind Araki’s art style in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure but I won’t waste any time on it because if you read this wonderful article on Anime News Network, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to do the same. What I do want to say however, is that it is unique and refreshing to see this much thought and passion being put into the main storytelling element of a manga/anime- the visuals. Because as surprising as it is, this is rather rare in anime/manga today, than it probably should be. With this, it really shows that Araki is, first and foremost, an artist, more than anything else.
But art is not the only thing that has references in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Yes, I’m going to say it. This brings us to our next topic:
JoJo’s bizarre musical references
Honestly this is one of the best things about JoJo. So basically Hirohiko Araki is apparently a huge fan of old Western Rock classics and one day he was so overwhelmed by his love for it that he just went “What the hell” and began drawing the series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure to share his God Tier playlist with the world. Yes, this is actually what happened and it’s why JoJo exists.
Please be informed that I’m joking.
But it is true that Hirohiko Araki is a big lover of old Western classics and that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is filled with references he has made to them. Most notably he names the “Stand powers” acquired by characters, after famous rock bands or their songs/albums. But you can also find that some characters and their names themselves are references to old rock singers that Araki loves.
Before JoJo, I never expected a Japanese manga/anime to introduce me to English songs I haven’t heard before. I mean who expects that?? You expect Japanese things to introduce you to more Japanese things. But that’s not the case with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. And the best part about this is that if you were to head over to the comments section of any of these music videos you’re sure to find dozens of comments alluding to the manga/anime.
It’s always so fascinating to read through some of these comments because you can’t help but feel a sense of community while watching this fraternizing of generations unfold before you. And this only happens with JoJo.
What else happens only with JoJo?
Bizarre, to the truest sense of the word
The style of storytelling in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has been constructed in such a way that even when things get dark or emotional, the over-the-top weirdness of the universe, the characters and the whole story line, somehow manages to shine through. This is because Araki himself doesn’t cling too firmly to the messages or lessons of the story. The one thing that he always stays faithful to, and rightfully so, is the bizarrerie of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
To him, it seems like conveying strangeness is more important than conveying emotion or social commentary. And bizarrely enough, it connects with a deeper, more unconscious side of us than anything emotional does. Emotion is tapped into constantly in today’s popular media and pop culture. You see that everywhere: people obsessed with creating things that can make you cry etc. But as much as we don’t generally accept or admit it, we’re weird. Humans are weird. We have strange thoughts sometimes, strange ideas, strange preferences, strange habits, strange behaviors and strange opinions.
We simply don’t bring them out that often (maybe for the fear of being judged). We may even be ashamed of them. But deep inside we like seeing strange things out in the open to satisfy the strange human being within us. This is where creations like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure shine. But don’t get me wrong, while being bizarre, JoJo manages to tap into happiness, sadness, fear, worry, humor and so much more in its own unique way. This is why the series doesn’t really fit in with any one demographic or genre. Or rather it’s like its own genre.
There’s no such thing as a power-level system (I totally didn’t see this on Reddit or anything)
I know. Then what are these:
Right? Right?? Okay hold up. Go back to the topic. I said “There’s no such thing as a power level system” . Sure, they have powers and these powers go by certain rules. It’s just the way that these rules apply to the different individuals wielding them, that sets the change in its course from typical “shounen” anime/manga.
If you looked closely…. no, you don’t even have to look closely, it’s pretty obvious, that this story has no TRAINING ARCs.
Alright, let me re-phrase that: it’s pretty obvious, that this story has no TRAINING ARCs since stands were introduced. And I think “stand” is a really meaningful concept and some people only pretend to prefer hamon over it on the internet because stands are flashier and “flashy things are shallow” (the same reason why people pretend that FMA 2003 is better than FMAB, if you ask me 😜)
Stands are really interesting because as we all know, they’re manifestations of the soul. This preface automatically gives a sense of individuality to the power that is the stand. It establishes that each person has a completely unique power that is only dependent on their discrete souls, instead of having a few categories or types of powers.
This individuality in turn expels the need for training arcs. Araki’s approach is that since it’s something that is born from within you, based on who you are, it’s up to you to figure out how to use and control your stand.
And now with the need for training arcs and power categories gone, there isn’t really a leveled system or power ladder that you can climb up through practicing, like in classic shounen such as Naruto and DBZ. When it comes to stands, all that matters is your creativity, quick wits and the true understanding of your stand AKA your own soul. Refer to fights like Harvest vs Killer Queen and this becomes really clear. And I think this is just genius.
In real life, when faced with challenges, there is simply no way to overcome it by “powering up”. I don’t even know what powering up in ordinary real life situations would look like- Ironically, quite bizarre, I’d suppose.
The only way that we can ultimately deal with our real life problems is by utilizing the strengths that we do have, creatively and wisely. And there is simply no way we can harness the full creative potential of our strengths without cultivating a deep understanding of our own soul and who we are inside.
Much like having a stand isn’t it?
Like I said I first found this idea on a Reddit thread and I’m glad that I did because it changed the way I thought about stand powers. And that change made a huge difference in how I perceived the depth of this series.
The sophisticated simplicity of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
This is one of those rare creations that actually fits this paradox: sophisticated simplicity.
With all its art and sculpture influences, high-end fashion influences and all the inspiration drawn from music and even Western movies, the look and feel of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has become nothing less than extravagant and stylish. The meticulous detailing of the character designs and their ability to stand out (no pun intended) at any convention as a JoJo’s character showcases Araki’s confidence in what he does.
Araki manages to make a statement with this confidence and that gives so much credibility to a series that could have otherwise ended up like most other mainstream Shounen anime/manga we see today. This elaborate extravagance is not just a result of the art style and character design but a collective outcome of the expansive story line that spreads across generations and across geographical borders.
The simplicity of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure kicks in with its story lines. As bizarre as they are, Araki has entwined this bizarrerie with simple plot lines and characters that are easy to get into and come to love (or hate). So while its elaborate in its presentation, its silly, goofy, dramatic and almost always comedic in its core. The whole thing is like a thrill ride in a world that feels like a bizarre alternate reality. And for that, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is quite awesome.
Watch JoJo!
….Or not
Look, I know I really tried to hype up the series up there but I’m not recommending it for everyone. And by this I’m not saying it’s this special flower of a series that deserves no criticism or hate hence doesn’t have to be watched by people who can’t appreciate it (that’s exactly what I’m saying)
But jokes aside, JoJo is at the end of the day not your typical anime. And it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not just another anime that you can watch and forget. The thing with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is that if you start liking it, then it means that it’s right up your alley; it has everything you look for in a series, from great art to entertaining characters and stories; from friendships and fellowships to grand rivalries and dramatic showdowns; from epic adventures to meme-worthy moments and dialogues; all served with a dash of weirdness and extravagance that you just love.
But if you somehow don’t like it…
….then it’s everything you try to avoid when choosing a series: really weird looking art and animation; unnecessary elegance and over-the-top posing; oversimplified plots hidden behind a facade of grandeur; awfully timed jokes and humor; generally bizarre stuff that you just can’t get into; all thrown in with a premise of adventure and fellowship to make it passable as a valid story.
You see the problem? It’s either so good that you can’t get enough, or, so not-your-thing that you can’t bear to watch another episode.
So before embarking on this ridiculous anime/manga journey with the JoJo’s and JoBros, ask yourself if you’re open-minded with unique art and storytelling styles when it comes to anime/manga. (Yes, ask yourself. This is the law). If you really are a person who doesn’t let surface things like that get in the way of enjoying an anime/manga then yes, by all means, give JoJo a try. I’m sure you’ll find something to love about it.
Okay
This post is officially over. Thank you for taking the time to read it even if you haven’t read or watched JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure at all. Especially if you haven’t read or watched JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure at all because getting through all those JoJo references must have been pretty annoying. Anyways I hope I did it justice by making at least some of you want to give it a shot. And for those who have already fallen into the dark hole of JoJo’s, if there’s anything you’d like to add to this post, drop it in the comments 😄 I’ll be back with a new anime post soon but in the meantime you can check out my other anime-related post too!
See ya!
