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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Author: Hirohiko Araki

Volumes: 9 parts across 132 volumes (Ongoing at 950+ Chapters)

Publisher: Shonen Jump parts 1 to 6 Ultra Jump for part 7 onward [click HERE for digital chapters]

It’s the comic with a magic system as good as Nen, if not better! I think for anybody familiar with both, this seems like somewhat of a bold claim at face value, but it really isn’t.

Although the series started with the original spiritual breathing fighting style (Hamon) that would later see a spiritual successor in Demon Slayer, Hirohiko Araki would go on to create one of the greatest power systems in all shonen action comics “Stands”. Named as such because oftentimes the power somebody has takes on a humanoid form that stands next to them, it’s a magic system with inherent balances and checks, without the need for the categories that Nen has to explain it all.

Without ever requiring a grid or a poor excuse for a powerpoint presentation, stand powers and what they can do are shown not told to us (mostly). For example, Part 3 lead protagonist Jotaro Kujo has a speed+power based stand, but for balance, its effective range is 2 meters where as less physical, or even special effect stands may have a range 10 times this. It may seem a little too simple at first, but it’s all the series really needs when it constructs each confrontation, and the variety in each and every one. Even 9 parts in, Stands can still be seen today with fresh and interesting problems to solve.

What I love most about JoJo however, is how beyond the magic system, it’s impossible to easily summarise, one part we might be globe trotting, another we might be in a slice of life turned murder mystery, or even racing horses across america while looking for body parts. I think everyone has their favourites too. For me I can’t decide whether it’s part 4 or 7, but I would say part 7 is a sort of reboot in the timeline, and so it’s the easier of the two for a newcomer to jump to if they only wanted to go in on recommendation alone.

That said, I think that you only really appreciate your favourite part because of what came before and after it, not one of the parts is bad in my opinion. So like I say, I can’t sum JoJo up, and it’s easier to try it and find out whether or not it’s to your liking… worst case if you do want to skip any parts, parts 1 and 2 are very much their own thing when compared to part 3 onwards.