Not many manga can boast of having the same level of longevity as Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Araki began writing manga all the way back in 1987, which makes it one of the longest-running manga. Throughout the years, Araki has improved his writing and his illustrations.
The constant improvement has led to the series becoming extremely popular, which is always a good thing. There are several things that make JoJo's Bizarre Adventure unique, one of them being that it is them being that the manga is divided into different parts. This particular thing provides room for improvement and gives Araki a lot of flexibility.
What Is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure?
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is manga/anime series that focuses on different protagonists and their bizarre adventures. Each part of the series features a new protagonist and numerous new villains. The story starts with the adventure of Jonathan Joestar, a gentleman who was forced to learn about fighting to stop his adopted brother, Dio Brando from wreaking havoc. The second part is called BattleTendency, and it features Joseph Joestar, who must fight against a unique race known as the Pillar-Men.
After Joseph's adventures are over, his grandson, Jotaro Kujo takes the center stage. Jotaro and his group need to travel to Egypt in order to save Holly from death. Jotaro faces many enemies along the way, but he eventually makes it to Egypt, where comes face-to-face with the biggest enemy of the Joestar family.
The next part is set in the town of Morioh, and it is called Diamondis Unbreakable. The main character is Joseph's son, Josuke Higashikata. An ordinary high-schooler from appearance, Josuke soon meets Jotaro, and his life changes completely. Josuke takes on a maniac, who has terrorized the town for years. With the conclusion of Part 4, the story moves to Italy, where one of DIO's sons— Giorno Giovanna is planning to change the entire mafia. Giorno's journey to take over a mafia organization suffers a lot of setbacks, but his friends help him along the way.
Part 6 or StoneOcean focuses on Jolyne as she tries to get her life together, while helping to bring her father back to life. Jolyne is the only female protagonist of the series so far. SteelBallRun comes next, and it is considered to be the best-written part and Araki's Magnum Opus. The lead character is Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic who has fallen from grace. Finally, Part 8 or JoJolion features a confused amnesiac, who is looking for a way to regain his memories.
Where Can You Watch It?
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has unsurprisingly been adapted into various anime. The anime is produced by the highly respected studio, David Production. So far every JoJo part has been exquisitely created, which is a big reason behind the popularity of the series.
Currently, the studio is focused on StoneOcean. The anime can be enjoyed on Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime, VRV, and Funimation. Netflix has all the six parts of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and StoneOcean is currently available to watch on the platform.
Where Can You Read It?
The JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine in 1987, but moved to the monthly Ultra Jump magazine during Steel Ball Run's serialization. A total of 131 tankōbon volumes comprised of parts 1-8 have been released in Japan, with the North American releases of the series steadily catching up.
As is the case with almost every anime, the manga is ahead in terms of the story. Recently the eighth part ended and there has been a confirmation that a ninth part is on the way. There have also been several spin-offs; Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, Dead Man's Questions, and Oingo Boingo Brothers Adventure. Araki has also authorized the production of many light novels. Some of the most popular of these light novels; Purple Haze Feedback, Jorge Joestar, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Over Heaven, have gained strong following from fans of the main series. The manga is available to read on Viz, and the official ShonenJump app. Hard copies of the manga can be found on most book retailers' websites and stores.