Review: JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

The first season of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is far and away the best this series has to offer across the board. Truth be told, if it weren't for the second and third series, it would easily top the list of my favorite anime of all time. We'll dive further into my gripes with Stardust Crusaders here in a bit but, for now, let's focus on the positive. The first season of this series had it all, and when I say "all," I mean...

• Intense action sequences
• Excessive gore
• Evil Vampires
• Late 19th Century scenery
• Kung fu
• Classic rock references galore
• Jack The Ripper exploding out of a horse corpse

That just touches on some of the things you see that make you say, "Okay, this show earns having 'bizarre' in its title." Following characters named DIO, Robert E.O. Speedwagon, and Jonathan Joestar, we are pulled into this 2,000-year old war reviving in 19th century England. I can't really go too much into the plot because I will invariably spoil some of the crazy twists that make this series so great, but I will tell you this is a series that needs some time to develop.

First episode in, you'll think you are just watching some basic cheese ball anime with an Americanized pop art style, and you are, but things develop very quickly from Episode 2 on. Rather intentionally I would presume, the series gets progressively weirder as it goes. It's something to appreciate, as you begin to develop a love for the story before you become enamored to the quirkiness and BIZARRENESS (omg he said it) it's known for.

This series looks beautiful, which is hilarious as Japanese audiences panned its art style, citing it as "cheap" upon its release. This is supposedly because Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is the most commercially successful manga on the market and its art style is supposedly museum level, but I ain't reading manga so I think the s*** looks great. You will too, and if you're a classic animist connoisseur like I am, you'll love the random color swap scenes ala most '90s anime.

Like I mentioned before, I won't go into the first season's plot too much but just to give you a brief 'what-you're-getting-into' sort of synopsis, here's what you need to know:

• This series is about a 2,000-year war between two tribes: Hamon and The Pillar Men. Hamon users possess supreme superhuman abilities through altered breathing, and Pillar Men are a dominant race of human species who wish to convert humanity into a new era of existence.
• The story primarily takes place throughout the course of the 20th century. Lots of old world goodness to be seen.
• There will be twists, and some won't make sense. But don't worry, the bizarreness of the show will make it forgiven.
• Dio is a bad mother*****

In terms of evil anime villains, Dio may very well top my list in the first episode. Sure, I've seen others slaughter planets, children, entire galaxies... but nothing will wrench your gut more than witnessing a dog being cooked alive inside of a wood-fired oven. I almost turned it off because I was so distressed over an imaginary dog, and I think that's when this series won my love. It's also its ending credits that gave me a love for the band Yes.

This series capitalizes on grizzly action and gut wrenching heartache. And at 9 hours, it's worth your time. The only downside? After it's over you'll really want to see where the story continues from there and then you'll really be disappointed when you experience...

JOJO's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

That title alone should tell you this is not what the first series is. Let me begin by saying that Stardust Crusaders is not at all bad, but it is in no way as good as the first season by any stretch. In fact, the only reason I held onto it was that tiny glimmer of hope that it was all a slow burn to return to the series' original form. Instead, I was exposed to a changed product that was just lesser in every respect.

Gone is the power of Hamon and Kung fu, and instead everyone has this new thing called a Stand. Stands are basically spirits within your body that fight and have special powers. Things aren't nearly as bizarre, and the whole thing plays out like some crappy marriage of Sailor Moon, Zatch Bell, and Johnny Quest. Each character, including the now Japanese Joestar Jotaro, are very much paper thin in terms of character, and no character becomes developed enough for you to gain any attachment.

Dammit, it's just so okay and that's not enough after watching such a fantastic first season. I do recommend you watch the first season, but the finale will make you want to watch the rest and you'll be disappointed. It's okay, just hold onto that first season and power through the rest.