Title : JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Written by : Hirohiko Araki
Published by : Shueisha
Magazine : Weekly Shōnen Jump(1987–2004), Ultra Jump(2005–present)
Original run : 1987 – present
Volumes : 131
Destiny is not something that is given to you, but something you carve out.
Synopsis
The Aztecs prospered in ancient Mexico. They had a strange “stone mask” handed down to them. It was a miraculous mask that brought eternal life and the power of a true ruler. However, after a certain time, it disappeared from history. Time passed, and in the late 19th century, Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando met at a time when people’s thoughts and lives were undergoing radical change. The two boys soon meet their strange destiny over the “Stone Masks.”
Review
Despite its royal storyline, in which the main character cooperates with his friends to defeat powerful enemies and becomes stronger as the story progresses, the manga has a strong sense of uniqueness. The special ability called “Stand,” the cool and stylish character designs, the unique screen compositions, and the many hand-pulling head-to-head battles will draw you deeper and deeper into the world of JoJo. While the story is consistently about the Joestar clan and their strange destiny, each part of the book is unique in that it takes place in a different country and has a different protagonist. The author Araki says of Jojo, “I wanted to depict the protagonists overcoming crises without relying on machines or gods,” which directly leads to Jojo’s theme of a “hymn to humanity.”
