Why I don’t recommend newcomers to “JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE” to watch from the very first episode.

When fans of “JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE” recommend “JoJo” to others, they are always scratching their heads, “What part should I start from? Why not from the first episode of the first part? There is a hidden dilemma of love that only “JoJo” fans can face.

| It’s “JoJo”, but it doesn’t have enough “JoJo”?　The dilemma that plagues fans of the first part

When a work is interesting, you want to tell people about it, but it is rare that a work makes you want to recommend it as much as “JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE” (hereafter referred to as JoJo, written by Hirohiko Araki).

The series has been running for over 30 years, and the total number of copies sold of the comics has surpassed 100 million. JoJo”, the eighth part of which is still being serialized in “Ultra Jump”, is undoubtedly a masterpiece of humanistic drama that represents Japan. On the other hand, it is also a fact that there are still people who “don’t like it” due to the overwhelmingly unique designs of Hirohiko Araki. The existence of these “haters” is one of the reasons why fans are so enthusiastic in their recommendations.

The question that plagues “JoJo” fans is “what part should I start from? I’ll be focusing on the anime version of “JoJo” from now on, but if it’s a normal anime work, the theory is to watch it from the beginning. However, there are a few “JoJo” fans who seem to be a bit reluctant to recommend the first episode to beginners. The reason for this is quite simple. If a beginner watches “JoJo” from the very first episode, he or she may feel that it’s different from what they expected, and as a result, they may end up not liking it. ……

Let me emphasize this first. Part 1 is a preface to “Jojo”, a masterpiece that has had a great impact on the history of Japanese manga, and it shows the beginning of the relationship between the Joesters and Dio, which will be the axis of the following “Jojo” series. The story is filled with many famous characters, scenes and lines, including Speedwagon and Mr. Zeppeli. Even “JoJo” fans want to watch it from the very first episode. However, if you watch the anime “JoJo” from the very first episode, you might have a slight discrepancy with the image of “JoJo” in the world. It may sound strange to say, but the first part of JoJo (especially the first few episodes) lacks the “JoJo feeling”.

The name “JoJo” is synonymous with the ability to embody spiritual energy, “幽波紋 (Stand)”. In addition, the clever brain games created by Hirohiko Araki’s characters with exploding personalities are also a major factor supporting the popularity of “JoJo. From this point of view, “幽波紋 (Stand)” appeared in the third part of the series, and the brain battle to outsmart the opponent came to the fore in the second part. In the first few episodes of the first part of the anime, the story consists of idyllic scenes set in the English countryside and classical horror scenes, and no stand or ripple energy appears yet.

The director of the film, Mr. Naokatsu Tsuda, also said that the daytime scenes in the first part of the film had a “World Theater-like atmosphere”, and due to circumstances, the first part had to be “sped up and rushed”, so the production was done with the second part in mind from the beginning.
　
Of course, from the perspective of “JoJo” fans, the first few episodes are very important as the “calm before the storm,” but there is a tendency to think that the “calm” is the main story. The first few episodes are very important as the “calm before the storm”, but I think it is difficult to recommend watching the first episode of the first part without giving it up.

So far, I’ve discussed why “JoJo” fans don’t recommend beginners to watch the first episode of the first part, but the question of “what part should I start from” is also a matter of debate. The question of “where to start” is also a matter of debate. Some people think “start with Part 3, where Jotaro is the main character,” while others think “start with Part 4, which has been made into a live-action movie and has a lot of familiar incidents,” or “don’t say anything, just read Part 5 and get into the swamp of Bucharati.

　Aside from the conclusions, asking the question, “How many parts should I recommend first to make the other person like JoJo?” will naturally lead you to face your own love for JoJo head-on, and it also involves the strategic aspect of estimating the other person’s tastes. The act of recommending “JoJo”, an adventure tale of human love and intellectual strategy, to others is in itself a mysterious way for readers to embody the theme of the work. You may feel that you are receiving a stand …… without knowing it.

[speech_bubble type=”drop” subtype=”L1″ icon=”surprise.png” name=”Nazuna”] You can watch the anime “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” on distribution services such as “Netflix,” “U-NEXT,” and “dTV,” and you can enjoy “JoJo” no matter how many parts you watch. [/speech_bubble]