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JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 1: Phantom Blood
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood
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JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 1: Phantom Blood

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Dai Ichi Bu Jonathan Joestar: Sono Seishun

Japanese: ジョジョの奇妙な冒険ファントムブラッド

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 5

Chapters: 44

Status: Finished

Published: Dec 2, 1986 to Oct 13, 1987

Genres: Action, Adventure, Horror

Themes: Historical, Vampire

Demographic: Shounen

Serialization: Shounen Jump (Weekly)

Authors: Araki, Hirohiko (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.29¹ (scored by 80,904 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #4986²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #97

Members: 134,506

Favorites: 2,549

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Dec 30, 2012

Lindle

Mixed Feelings

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has only recently experienced a big boom over in the English-speaking parts of the world, due to the recent anime adaptation taking off in a big way, and beforehand was merely a cult series with a small but devoted fanbase. However, in Japan, it has been huge for a very long time - it's tremendous influence spans to everything from Hunter X Hunter to Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei, and it still stands as the 9th longest manga of all time, and still going. And through all this (well-deserved) attention and acclaim, it's pretty easy to forget that this, where it all began, really just ...

Mar 23, 2015

TimeStopSamurai

Recommended

If I were to tell you that I though JoJo part 1 was the best in the series you would probably think I was some mediocre pretentious pseudo intellectual reviewer who has no idea what he is talking about , but it was ME! Speak The Weak!!!

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1 deconstructs the shounen genre through its dynamic story line that bends clichés and tropes in order to craft a unique in a manner that only Hirohiko Araki (JoJo mangaka) could. The story focuses on a rich boy named Jonathan Joestar (JoJo) who lives with his father, George in England. One day Jojo's father ... takes in an orphan named Dio Brando because Dio's father who passed away saved George's life! To Jojo's surprise Dio wants to ruin his privileged life and take the Joestar family fortune all for himself! What JoJo does that most shounen don't is portray a rich privileged character as a protagonist and the poor tragic character as a villain. Dio started from the bottom and when he got to the top he abused his newfound power to wreak havoc (not to mention act like a total badass)!

Unlike other shounen works JoJo part 1 also features a wide array of characters each with their own role in the series, no character in the Jojo series, part 1 in particular is forgettable. Who could ever forget famous lines like "Even Speedwagon is afraid!" and "It was me! Dio!!!" and even "WRYYYYY". Though its wit and general badassery Jojo part one offers a one of a kind experience that none of the other installments can even try to imitate. Jojo part 1 also incorporates a unique fighting system called hamon, I don't want to go too in depth about it though because I want to avoid spoilers so read it for yourself to find out.

The art in JoJo is perfect similar to the rest of it, it pays homage to the other classic shounen manga of its time such as Fist of the North Star while also maintain its own unique manly style, unlike the later parts which make use of a much more feminine and ugly style which is inspired by fashion magazines instead of classic works in the medium of manga.

The characters in JoJo are as I mentioned before unforgettable and extremely badass, there are no dense, intensive protagonists, no disgusting fan service, and no boring moe pandering. Only men in their most masculine state.

JoJo Part One is a masterpiece that defined the shounen genre and kick started a series that would go on for many years and attract a wide array of fans, sadly the work does not get as much praise as its deserves despite being one of the best works of literature in the shounen demographic.

Dec 29, 2011

WandererRedux

Recommended

In the world of Manga and Anime you're likely to find many unusual stories that are massive and incredibly unique in scope, several of which garner high praise and several more that fall into obscurity. In this case while the aptly named JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has left a massive cultural impact on the Manga industry overall, its first saga "Phantom Blood" only brings a small (but very important) part of the overall appeal of the series.

To put things bluntly Phantom Blood's story isn't anything ground breaking: it is essentially what you'd get if you tried to cross Castlevania with a dark adventure series and feels ... more like a Seinin series than a Shonen series (what it actually is). It takes place in the 19th century and begins with the recently orphaned Dio Brando being adopted into the aristocratic Joestar family, where he proceeds to make his adoptive brother Jonathan Joestar's life a living hell by alienating everyone close to him in an attempt to become the favoured son in the Joestar family and presumably to become the biggest bastard that the world has ever seen in the process. Dio eventually becomes a vampire by way of a mysterious stone mask (just go with it) and like most villains sets his sights on world domination. Jonathan and his companions Robert E.O Speedwagon and Ripple master Will A. Zeppeli go on a mission to hunt Dio down and to destroy the accursed stone mask in the process. To summarize despite being weird the narrative is extremely linear and should not be taken too seriously, as it serves little more than a framing device for the fight scenes and gore. Which is all it really needs to do honestly.

As far as the characters are concerned the truth is that there isn't a whole lot to most of them; Jonathan is your typical naïve, idealistic hero on a mission to save the world and is easily the least interesting JoJo in the entire franchise, Speedwagon is Jonathan's sidekick and while he's not useless he mainly plays a supportive role in fights and frequently has the job of exclaiming about just how awful their current situation is and Zeppeli is the mentor figure with a sordid past involving the stone mask. Supporting characters while occasionally superficially interesting generally lack characterisation and are at worst are relegated into being two dimensional cannon-fodder. The character who really deserves special mention is Dio, who despite being a deplorable evil monster of a man is both extremely entertaining in a twisted sense and more fleshed out as a character than anybody else. Dio simply steals the show away from Jonathan whenever he's on the scene, the show and whatever he fancies taking away from his adoptive brother.

By far the strongest thing that Phantom Blood has going for it are the fight scenes, which are both highly entertaining and well thought out. Battles in this series are almost always about outsmarting the other person as opposed to the more common "overpowering the other guy" and this is something that continues on through the other parts. To combat Dio and his vampiric minions the series introduces a fighting style that utilises an energy source referred to as the Ripple (think chi combined with UV rays from the sun), which is used in conjunction with physical attacks. It's explained that only select few individuals can harness the power of the Ripple as it requires constant focus on the rhythm of ones own breathing (which of course Jonathan is capable of doing). While the concept of Ripple energy is interesting in itself, it is hardly anything unique and lacks anything to make it really stand out over similar concepts in other series. It's not until the next part in the series, “Battle Tendency” that it becomes something more unique and even then the concept is abandoned in the third series for something much more creative.

As for the art style of the series, it is quite reminiscent of "Fist of the North Star". Araki takes joy in drawing extremely muscle-bound main characters, wearing well designed and unique clothing and will almost always have a handsome face to top things off (Jonathan and Dio are prime Examples of this). Minor villains aren't quite as privileged in this regard as quite a few of them can be described as looking like hulking trolls, which can be distracting at times when its focusing just the two extremes without a sense of middle ground. Scenery is often inventive with a few locations later on that distinctly look like something out of a horror film, which again is very appropriate given Dio's vampiric nature. Overall despite some minor gripes, the art remains pleasantly consistent throughout the series' run.

In conclusion if you're just interested in an over the top action series or are just interested in the premise then this may be worth a look, if you want to get into JJBA however then it is a must read as it will give you a greater appreciation for the later parts in the series. In any case while Phantom Blood may have its flaws it is a truly unique journey that you're not likely to forget.

《TO BE CONTINUED|\|

Jun 18, 2015

AmbiguousMonster

Recommended

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood may not be as engaging as what follows it, but with interesting art and a well-defined rivalry at its core, it still serves as a sufficiently strong opening chapter.

The story of Phantom Blood follows Jonathan Joestar and his sinister adopted brother Dio, and their rivalry. The story initially portrays Jonathan as being inferior to Dio, who actively works to undermine him, but gradually Jonathan not only catches up with Dio, but surpasses him. However, a wicked plan is brewing, which may impact far more than the Joestar family. One of the strongest points of the story is that little of ... it, with the exception of a supernatural catalyst and the occasional henchman, is not a direct result of an action carried out by a main character. There are few coincidences, and the story progresses at a steady rate, providing sufficient build-up and pay-off. On the down side, this does in a sense feel like a prologue to the superior follow up, Battle Tendency, as you are left with many questions regarding the vampires and superhuman powers, and neither the aforementioned build-up or payoff are significantly large. However, this is good in some ways, because it leaves the viewer enough to get a general idea of the world without overloading them or biting off more than it can chew. The story, viewed alone, isn’t quite as fulfilling as it is alongside its contemporaries, but is still moderately entertaining.

The characters are what drive the story forward, and they do it effectively and with an abundance of style. Jonathan, our main protagonist, is a fairly straight-thinking, simple man, but one with heart and determination. Dio, his adopted brother, on the other hand is much more sinister, manipulative and insincere, and these two characters mirror each other excellently, each illustrating qualities that the other lacks. The portrayal of these characters from their adolescent years helps to establish their individual characteristics and dynamic, which only becomes more intense and consequential as the story continues. The supporting characters are also quite interesting, particularly Speedwagon and Zeppeli, and the villains are sufficiently challenging and visually appealing to serve their purpose.

Jonathan’s father, however, is not depicted in a way that makes him seem wise or endearing, which is problematic given that the manga seems to be asking the audience to become emotionally invested in him outside of his role as a father. Also, though Jonathan’s honourable attitude juxtaposes Dio quite well, it does lead to him being a slightly dry and predictable character, outside of battle scenes. Dio is the most enthralling character, stealing the audience’s attention whenever he appears, and is perhaps Phantom Blood’s greatest achievement. He’s not Johan (Monster) or Griffith (Berserk), but he oozes malice and charm.

The art for Phantom Blood is distinct, high quality and memorable, with every male character being built like a house. The visual highlights are Jack the Ripper, Zeppeli and the two resurrected soldiers, all of whom are simply radiant with style and character. The facial expressions are also notable, as they blend in with the style while simultaneously feeling authentic and believable. The style does improve over time, but even though this isn’t quite as bombastic in design as Stardust Crusaders, its humble, down-played visual look helps to ground the art with the narrative.

All in all, Phantom blood is not quite as outstanding as the other entries in the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise, but is nonetheless a triumph in both artistic and character-building integrity.

May 17, 2014

THEAnimeHERO

Recommended

If you're looking for a shonen horror filled with MANLY characters then continue reading. This is part 1 of the entire JoJo's Bizarre Adventure working best as a trilogy with Battle Tendency & Stardust Crusaders.

The beginning of JoJo seems a bit rough at first but manages to give the outline for its primary themes of the series. Taking place in the late 1880's in England, we are introduced to a prologue of an Aztec civilization having a ritual with a Stone Mask which would later embark as the symbolic plot device for this arc. The next few pages reveal the Joestar family & the ...

Apr 19, 2015

Realhumanbean

Recommended

Every great franchise has a beginning, whether humble or loud. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the notoriously flamboyant and massive manga series falls under the first category. It's first story arc, The Phantom Blood is relatively normal and short compared to its future successors. Thus, it's unfair to compare it to the other Parts. The Phantom Blood is a fighting shounen tragedy with Victorian and Gothic horror elements. It follows an aristocrat's son named Jonathan Joestar in 1800's Britain. When he discovers his adopted brother, Dio Brando, seeks to destroy the Joestar family and manages to do so, Jonathan, also known as Jojo, must go through hell ... and back to take his vengeance on Dio.

Story: 7/10
The Phantom Blood's story is short but sweet for the most part. It suffers from an overlonged exposition featuring Jonathan and Dio's childhood. It adds some character, but it could be easily abridged, and has been in the latest anime adaptation. The Phantom Blood also partially suffers from being a Hokuto no Ken clone at times. However, there is separation, and the tow can't be called carbon copies. For starters, Phantom Blood's weird mix of action and horror works very well not only at delivering a good style but also heightening the tension behind the actions committed by the characters. Add that to the fantastic and tragic conclusion and you have a brief prelude to an epic series to come.

Art: 7/10
Jojo has one of the most unique and distinct artstyles in manga history, and here is no exception. Rather than the androgynous fatuousness later on in the series, Phantom Blood's art style is very testosterone filled and is a love letter to being a man. Characters are impossibly buff and mangaka Hirohiko Araki doesn't do proportions well at all. The section of Phantom Blood where Jojo and Do are children thoug,h yeah that art is grody. But everything after is pretty damn good, and the use of shading is excellent, even though it lacks the distinctive style Araki develops later on in favor of a Hokuto no Ken lookalike.

Characters: 9/10
It has a fraction of protagonists that future Parts have, but I loved everyone pretty near equally. Jojo's best friend, Robert E.O. Speedwagon, is hilarious and lovable. He ends up becoming arguably the most significant protagonist in the entire series later on and is one of the most selfless and kind characters ever conceived. Jojo's mentor, Will A. Zeppeli, is fun and easy to root for, even though his time spent with the reader is short. Dio is a fantastic villain and is certainty one of the most easily hateable ever made.

However, the real star here is Jonathan himself. He is one of the single greatest actions protagonists of all time, period. Jonathan is also one of the most perfect characters ever made in terms of temperament and beliefs. Jonathan is a truly selfless and righteous hero. He is the epitome of humanity, a perfect gentleMAN. He's manly in all sense of the word. He is ripped as all Hell and is a fearless and fierce fighter. However, he is also a noble and kind man at heart who believes in and fights for absolute good. This is a man who despite living a life of true suffering holds to the true ideals of the knight stories he grew up on. He never falls into "white knight" territory though because he only gets involved in matters that concern him. Rather than fight other people's battles, he seeks to better that person so they can fight for themselves. Jonathan's angelic and divine demeanor makes him impossible to not root for. He lost his family, fortune, love (For a bit at least), and dignity, and thus has nothing to lose. But as time goes on and he matures and begins to have a family of his own, he has everything to gain through vanquishing all evil that comes into his life, all coming from Dio. The ending is a testament to this. Because of Jonathan's struggle, his family is able to survive through generations and events he couldn't possibly conceive.

Enjoyment: 8/10
The fights are excellent and there is true raw emotion behind them. This is a fight to the death by two brothers that eventually encompasses much more than a family feud. Jonathan, unlike most action heroes at the time, is neither unstoppable or stone cold, and without going into spoilers he faces true tragedy and reacts realistically to it. And just as Jonathan sheds manly tears, I can say I'm feeling the chills up my spine recalling Phantom Blood's climax.

Overall: 7.8/10
Despite being considered the worst Part of the entire series, The Phantom Blood is nonetheless a fantastic action epic and a damn good Gothic horror story to boot. It sets the stage perfectly for the entire series and never overstays its welcome. Jonathan and Dio are both icons and inspirations to the medium as a whole and it's easy to see why. Araki's writing is strong and is only brought down by his young and inexperienced style, that only gets refined as the series goes on for the most part.

Jul 29, 2024

21kkn

Recommended

"You can skip Part 1 and 2" Okay, but would you skip the first 30 minutes of a movie? More likely than not you wouldn't. JoJo's is one of those series that it's worth reading every part.

Where it all started, and the beginning of one of the longest continuously running manga series to date, Phantom Blood sets the stage for the biggest drama and enemy for a simple Victorian wealthyman and his son that lasts generations. You meet the main man himself, the first JoJo in a long line of similarly gold hearted main characters. You'll be rooting for the Joestars till the very ...

Jun 17, 2014

ryukuzaki

Recommended

before i get started i just want to say this is a review for the entire series that include parts 1-7 i will later wxplain why 8 isnt there

just to make you know the series better here is the name of the parts:
part 1 - phantom blood
part 2- Battle Tendency
part 3- stardust crusaders
part 4- diamond is unbrakable
part 5- Vento Aureo (golden wind)
part 6- stone ocean
part 7- steel ball run
... part 8- jojolion

each part have a different stroy. part 1-6 exist in the first universe and part 7 and 8 exist in SBR universe (SBR=steel ball run AKA part 7) the first part was a little annoying at first but at the middle it begun to develop and it left me in awe/ the second part was as amazing as the first one but for me it was more interesting because all the traveling and the powers of the pillar men. part 3 had an interseting story and it developed in such an amazing way that i fell inlove with this part the first time i read it. part 4 didnt have a straight story line like the previous part but it was like a sitcom and i loved it because it was hillariously funny. part 5 was weird at first but at the end it became so interesting and there was alot of action and plot twist there that i LOVED. part 6 started strong and remained strong for the whole time this part had some romantic interst in it that i absolutely loved. part 7 started very weak but in the middle it became intense and unique like no part have been before. the reason i didnt wrote the shortened version of each part stories it that it contains ALOT of spoilers and i dont want to ruin you the franchise. part 8 is still going but its just at the beggining so i cant judge it.

the art, oh what can i say about the art?
well: at parts 1&2 the art was completely disproportionational and the battles were so hard to inderstand
part 3 made a HUGE difference in the art with the coming of stands (you gonna read the series to find out what it is) and everything was fixed
since part 4 and until now the art have been changed dreasticly. there were no more muscular character but now they were "bi-shounen" characters as the mangaka says.

now for the characters. they are pretty standart in every part there is:
the hero AKA Jojo
the idiot
a kind of old awesome man
and a woman that appear useless but in some cases she is stronger than most characters
but there is one thing i loved in jojo is that every character have flaws. one of my favourite characters is cripple and he is a protagonist in part 7 and the face that the mangaka made a cripple protagonist made me fall inlove AGAIN in the series. the fact that not every character is perfect and the realisem of everything that involve emotions made it truly amazing.

the enjoyment i had while reading this series was outstanding. not a thing that the major shounens of today can do. i truly got addicted and obssesd and i never had this thing with a series before i read jojo. one of the things that made me enjoy this series sooooooooo much is that there are alot of cultural references and it made me laugh alot of times

overall this manga was amazing for me. i fell inlove with every single detail and it quickly became my favourite all times. basically this manga is perfect (except the art in parts 1&2).

Mar 15, 2019

heartattacks

Mixed Feelings

DISCLAIMER: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a currently ongoing series with (at the moment of writing), 7 complete parts and one ongoing one. It's important to first make the distinction that this is NOT one ongoing story split into parts, but rather 8 stories in the same universe following the Joestar bloodline, that share similar elements, plot points, and even motivations in some cases.
Due to that, this and my other JoJo reviews will follow an unique JoJo rating system, since in my opinion it cannot be easily compared to other manga, done in a beginner-friendly way so as to illustrate whether or not it is worth ... it to get invested in the series, and how it compares to other parts of it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being a rather short manga, it has a concise story that doesn't overstay its welcome and is perfectly summed up in the synopsis of it. Dio Brando is a rather complex character in this part, and seeing his desperation as he tries to become unstoppable is wholly enjoyable, even if the plot itself isn't anything new.

Phantom Blood deals with Ripple/Hamon, a technique which draws upon perfect breathing to imbue the user with a hell of a lot of supernatural energy that "ripples" across their body. This is the core of Phantom Blood's fighting and it's basically yoga-powered fist fights. Enjoyable, not very original, and definitely not used to its full extent.

Phantom Blood isn't too crazy, unlike later parts. If you can accept the Ripple as being a legit power, you can accept almost anything this manga throws at you. There are a few crazy moments that might have you questioning "how did that even happen?", but for those you just have to enjoy the spectacle and try to not think too hard.

Now the art, it's not very good. It takes inspiration from Fist of the North Star but the anatomy is all off, and some panels require a few extra moments to really understand what's going on. That said, it's still very iconic despite all that.

The protagonist, Jonathan Joestar, is the most standard shonen protagonist you could think of. He's a goody two-shoes with a love interest that gets betrayed and still forgives them and just wants to stop them and have them be fairly judged for their wrongdoings.

Compared to him, our antagonist, Dio Brando is just about the best character in the manga. You feel for him during his backstory, and just as you are about to warm up to him (like Jonathan), he does unspeakable things that make it really clear that he is the villain, and that he's a hell of a charismatic one at that. It's no surprise he is one of Shonen's most popular villains of all time.

Overall it's one of the craziest shonen works out there, featuring superpowered men fighting superpowered vampires and zombie-vampires in a desperate attempt to stop one of the most charismatic villains from winning over the world. For a five-volume manga, it's also surprisingly deep with its themes although you'll have to dive a bit deeper to get the most out of it.

I have it rated as a 5 simply because there are other works that did these concepts and characters better, but seeing as it is very short to read, it's at least worth a try, which you can do in a lazy afternoon.

Jan 16, 2022

MeanMrMusician

Recommended

This is where it all began.

From the standpoint of Stardust Crusaders, Diamond is Unbreakable, and the like, it's hard to believe Phantom Blood is actually JoJo, but hark - Araki went for a simpler approach before dipping his toes in the world of Stands and homoeroticism. Anyway, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Phantom Blood, while a bit predictable at times, is highly enjoyable and a great start to this wonderful series. I almost forgot just how much I enjoyed this story from watching the anime.

STORY
The story of Phantom Blood, which follows Jonathan Joestar in his battle against his childhood friend, Dio Brando, is overall ... a very typical Hero's Journey story. Jonathan has a goal and intends to see it through - you can't get more textbook than that. However, Araki decided to throw in obstacles for JoJo and his gang and twists for the reader that ultimately enhance the story. There are a few rough spots, to be sure, but the presentation of Jonathan's journey ultimately makes Phantom Blood an enjoyable read.

ART
One thing that has always been typical of JoJo, whether in the manga or the anime, is the near-refusal to hold back on showing whatever it needs to in order to tell the story right, and I fully commend Araki for this. And beyond the blood and gore, the art is still amazing. The characters and settings are drawn in a way that emanates the vibe of an R-rated Archie comic - very primitive when it comes to manga, yet it comes at no cost to the reading experience. Combine all of that with the superb digital coloring job by Shueisha Inc. (if you choose to read it that way), and you'll see just how much of a treat to the eyes Phantom Blood ends up being.

CHARACTERS
Phantom Blood has great control of its characters. At its center, we have Jonathan Joestar, a protagonist with perhaps the biggest heart of any JoJo I have seen. Despite Dio effectively being his adopted brother, he knows exactly what he has to do to save his people. On the other hand, however, he also laments the situation, wishing it had never come to all of this. Opposite Jonathan, we have Dio Brando, an antagonist who is truly evil yet, in some moments, has you cheering him right on. Past these two individuals is a lovable cast of supporting characters, such as Robert Speedwagon, Baron Will Zeppeli, Dire, Straizo, Tonpeti, Poco, and Erina Pendleton, who all aid Jonathan in his fight in some way. Archetypal as they may be, all of these people put together make Phantom Blood that much better.

ENJOYMENT
While Phantom Blood may not be the deepest of stories, and it has a few rough spots, as mentioned earlier, I very much enjoyed this - maybe even more than I liked the anime adaptation (which I already enjoyed quite a bit).

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
My purpose for reading Phantom Blood in the first place was simply to refresh myself on the story after not having seen the anime in several months. That said, whether you are an anime-only JoJo fan who is entirely caught up with the series in that regard, or you are someone who has never touched JoJo in your life, I would very much recommend this story as I believe it is something pretty much anyone can enjoy. My rating: 7.3/10

Aug 31, 2021

TotallyMonoFan

Mixed Feelings

"I came back from hell, Dio!"

Well, this is my second review on this site and I decided it to be the review of one of the most popular Anime/Manga franchise of all time with the name of: "JoJo's Bizzare Adventure". Part 1 to be more specific

JoJo is quite loved by many anime fans and one of them is me. I love it for many reasons, for example: Good antagonists, likable characters, good power system, comedy, music etc.
Why did I decide to read it from part one? To be honest even I can't really answer that question quite well. Maybe because I just wanted to ...

Oct 14, 2024

Mara2463

Recommended

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures Part I: Phantom Blood – Spoiler Free – Recommended

TLDR
Story – 7/10 – 7 x 0.275 = 1,925
Art – 7/10 – 7 x 0.2 = 1,4
Characters – 10/10 – 10 x 0.225 = 2,25
Enjoyment – 8/10 – 8 x 0.3 = 2,4
Total: 7,975 -> 8

Story – 7/10
... This is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures’s Phantom Blood, the first instalment of the legendary manga made by Hirohiko Araki. It introduces the backstory of the Joestar family and of many of the predecessors of the future characters of the series.
The story is comic, relaxing, and engaging. Although not complex in any way, the beginning of the first part is a delight to behold.
Phantom Blood also has a predecessor, called the Hamon, to Jojo's more well-known fighting style—the “stands.” This style is quite interesting in itself and covers the first two parts of the series.
The rivalry between both main characters – Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando – is nothing short of epic and very well done. Without giving spoilers, the story is action-packed and has a lot of dialogue to set the scene for the characters. One of the characteristics of each part is that they reach a conclusion, thus one not needing to read the first part to understand the second (for instance). This is achieved in the first part, although it will help to add a layer of lore to the third instalment of the series, Stardust Crusaders.
There are also supernatural elements, mainly through the stone mask and the research surrounding it. The story is well done and does not have leaps of faith – at least none worth mentioning –, although it is frequently over-the-top, which also serves as critique of the shounen genre.

Art – 7/10
JoJo’s art style is unique, and rightfully so. Even though it can get quite messy (not in a bad way), it always remains sharp, with a terrific and unique character design. The fight scenes are also well-done and a pleasure to read. The art style may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for it is not all that well polished, although technically impressive, but it is undoubtedly unique and functional.

Characters – 10/10
This is the strongest point in JoJo. The characters are likeable, and it is impossible not to vibrate with the adventures of Jonathan Joestar. Moreover, the minor characters are also impeccably well done, being a good mixture of helpful and comic. The villain – Dio Brando – is an exceptionally well-written character. There are almost no forgettable characters, quite on the contrary: the first instalment of JoJo is a statement on how to write good characters and sets the tone for further parts. Characters such as Jonathan Joestar, Dio Brando, Erina Pendleton or Speedwagon are impeccable. It is also fascinating that these are the predecessors of some of the characters that appear in later instalments. We thus feel a progression and a sense of lore that one simply does not get quite so easily from other mangas. More than anything, watching characters interact with one another is a joy.

Enjoyment – 8/10
While JoJo defined the shounen genre, the main component in the series was definitely its charm and the characters, and not the story in itself. The story supported the characters and fit the overall atmosphere, but it is not the main point. However, the story isn’t bad at all. Although they make a point of creating separate, quasi-independent parts, I believe it is fundamental to read the first part of JoJo to truly understand the wonderful characters that the story entails and the lore surrounding the legendary Joestar family.
JoJo is a chaotic—in the good sense of the word—manga with many elements of parody of the shounen genre, and it is masterfully done so. JoJo lays the foundation for a new type of shounen parody, such as One-Punch Man, having influenced many other mangas and being the beginning of a path to stardom. JoJo more than deserves a recommendation for being what it is, but mostly for being the beginning of an incredible journey with its unique allure.

Sep 8, 2020

Wyatt

Recommended

The illustrious JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, despite its success and fame, has a notably self contained fanbase. With the exception of an OVA from the early 1990s, the franchise has not branched out much into other communities. Araki, like George Lucas, cultivates this kind of engagement through his artistry. Despite his enormous talent that can be appreciated at any time, Jojo is a series that typically relies on prior fandom to be fully enraptured with. Araki's vaporous strangeness and lack of typical mangaka flair (the character designs in his manga are never as expressive as contemporaries such as Akira Toriyama, Eiichiro Oda, Kentaro Miura) would ... be a death sentence for his opus if not for its self referential nature. Odd and frequently repetitive plotting is forgiven by Jojo fans (such as myself) on the grounds of connections to other arcs and characters in the story. This is not to deny Araki's artistry, but rather to say that he has built this story around the momentum of the fans' self motivation.

All of this is to say that the oft derided Phantom Blood, the first part of the series, is quite possibly the only chapter of the story that truly avoids this pitfall. Despite weaker artwork than later parts and a lack of the humor and wit that many JoJo fans treasure, Phantom Blood has truly broad appeal as its core story of the battle between Jonathan and Dio is a powerful one that requires no prior knowledge to be not merely appreciated but felt. This epic and concentrated story can come off as simplistic, yet that supposed simplicity is echoes of a culture built on the stories that Phantom Blood is inspired by. It's mythologizing with historical and cultural basis that takes bravery to write.

Phantom Blood is not charming, but who needs charm? The contrast between the clunky, powerful Part 1 and the suave, creative Part 2 is akin to that of their protagonists. The kind hearted Jonathan Joestar is defined at one point in the series as plucky as opposed to lucky, which could not be more true. Jonathan isn't street smart, and his straightforwardness often leads him into pain, but in the end it also defines his righteousness. Joseph is quick witted and famously tricky, cautious even. These traits are charming and engaging to watch, while Jonathan's are sturdy, even dull in comparison. This is a microcosm for both series in their entirety.

The iconic "intelligent" battle strategy the JoJo franchise is known for is almost nowhere to be seen in Phantom Blood. Aside from a few brief moments, the fight scenes are driven purely by the emotions of the characters, and aren't traditionally memorable. This is certainly an aspect of Phantom Blood feeling less "JoJo" and generally less special than the later parts, as Araki had not yet come into his own yet, but this is not a crippling issue. Phantom Blood is fundamentally old school, with some manga-ish elements but mostly inspired by literature and architecture, without too much crazed input from Araki himself.

Recent discussions about "skipping parts" have aggravated JoJo fans on both sides of the conversation, and Part 1 tends to be a center of these arguments. Its general uniqueness and the lack of many classic "JoJo" qualities turns many people off, and the Part tends to be viewed as one of the weakest. This is reasonable on an individual level but has also created a placebo. The weight of the franchise is carried by Phantom Blood, and the emotional heft of its story echoes throughout the later parts. Art is impressionistic and fluid, as life is, and these echoes aren't always literal, or don't always mean that an outsider will be completely confused by what's going on in a later part. Yet they are no less essential. JoJo's self contained nature is absent from Phantom Blood but was also created by it. The lineage of characters, themes and stories created here is a pool from which Araki draws from to this day. It's a great and powerful work that reflects Araki's heart more than his intellect, yet is built on more of the latter than is usually appreciated. It's a testament to the variety of this franchise that such disparate ideas and genres can both exist separately, powerfully, while also working together as a whole.

Oct 25, 2024

TheScarletCutter

Mixed Feelings

Let’s talk about JoJo’s first part. Phantom Blood is definitely the simplest of all JoJo parts in terms of how the story is built but also one of the most complicated when it comes to how we view how it goes. Now, it’s clear why it’s the first thing that JoJo has ever created and therefore, the simplest. It reminds you of the simple, classic tales you learned or heard about before, most notably in this case, vampire stories. I, myself, like vampire stories, I think they’re fun but at the same time, though, it can get a little stale with writing whenever they tend ... to run out of ideas. JoJo part 1 is similar to that but with a bit of unique magic injected into it. This has been regarded as JoJo’s weakest part and while I do understand that assessment and agree that it’s flawed, I don’t think it’s bad or even mediocre either.

Now, what’s the story of Phantom Blood? As the first installment of the franchise, Phantom Blood slowly introduces quite a lot of interesting features, surprisingly enough. It’s about two men in the United Kingdom who go by the name of Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando respectively. Both Jonathan and Dio possess the same determination yet are polar opposites of one another. They have a very complicated, competitive, and hateful relationship with each other. While they’re at it, both of them equally explore the stone mask, a mysterious artifact that will turn you into a vampire and once discovered by an Aztec tribe. The stone mask may look like a simple doomsday item at first but it holds a lot of questions that need to be answered. How does the mask affect you? Will it be carried any longer in the future? Or hell, shall it be destroyed for the better?

That’s where we talk about the story in practice. The story, while simple, is a little hard to think about. The first few parts of Phantom Blood are surprisingly solid. Sure, those may be that bizarre contrary to what the title says but they slowly build up well. From there, we see both Jonathan’s and Dio’s introductions and how they interact with one another. Jonathan represents courage, heroism, and honesty while Dio represents selfishness, dominance, and lies. Even if they’re introduced as children from the start, the story tackles their personal symbolism nicely as they treat them as brothers who fight over who will be on the hills or below. It’s also nice how they keep the stone mask a secret for a little while. Portraying it as a decoration until both Jonathan and Dio fight each other in a mansion and afterward, Dio’sbit of blood after his defeat suddenly activates the mask.

The slow build-up of how both Jonathan and Dio discover the mask on their own as now adults is also pretty good. Again, we still see how the story develops on how the two represent. After Jonathan finds out what Dio is plotting, Dio has no choice but to reject his humanity. Dio figures out the true potential of the stone mask embraces the greater evil and, by extension, kills Jonathan’s father. Jonathan lost nearly everything but he still avenges his ruined family. This is the best part of the story personally because not only did we see a major cycle of two people interacting with each other, finding out mysteries, and starting a major clash but also the consequences Jonathan has to face, whether it’s his fault or not. Despite his beef with Dio, he wants him to know better even with his gentlemanly acts. Their contrasts with each other only motivate them more and more.

This, however, is slightly bumped down with the introduction of Hamon. Hamon is a power that is channeled after practicing outdoor martial arts. It comes with a variety of moves depending on how anyone who learns it fights. Hamon is actually a cool power system but since it was utilized, the story from here doesn’t necessarily have the same charm it has before. Now, it still extends the compare and contrast between the two main characters but we’re going slowly from here. A vampire that creates a zombie army is sick as hell, even if it’s not the most unique type, but with the focus on zombies, it becomes your everyday battle Shounen. That being said, the story still holds potential but aside from the penultimate battle between Jonathan and Dio which is the most interesting part of the Hamon arc, it can feel a little too stiff for its own good. I mentioned before how this part resembles a lot of the classic and simple vampire stories. The use of Hamon pretty much proves that. Thankfully, though, the final clash with Jonathan and Dio where both of them indirectly embrace each other at the end despite their characteristics while Jonathan successfully saves Erina is the saving grace.

Now, for characters. Starting with the main cast consists of Jonathan, the first JoJo and a gentleman, Dio, the main villain, and an invincible vampire, and Will A. Zeppeli, the man who first showed us Hamon and is Jonathan’s mentor and companion. Jonathan is kind of an endearing protagonist, contrary to what one would say. His will to be a gentleman and motivation to protect both the world and his future family not only is pleasing but also add to his character. Sadly, however, he can also come off as quite bland. He’s a very honest and honored person with a few silly moments of him being a dork, especially before the time skip, but that’s much about what he could offer. He’s still a solid character but he could have done more with his development, especially as the JoJo of this part.

The main villain of this series is, funnily enough, the true protagonist. Dio pretty much carries the whole series. He’s the villain that started it all. What really makes him special is how he gets away with things as long as he wants to reach what he wants. He has a tragic backstory where he lives with a poor and foul family and he admits what went wrong with both his life and his doings and yet, he doesn’t care because he wants to be known better. Even after becoming a vampire, he’s a great villain because of how his evilness is portrayed. Not only that but even though he wants to lower Jonathan (although he respects him more as the story goes on), he also uses him as a tool because Jonathan shows some kindness to him. He’s a despicable and loathsome character done right in my books.

Will A. Zeppeli is a little disappointing. He may introduce the concept of Hamon and is a helpful sidekick to Jonathan but he could have developed more. He could have explored more about the future of his family. A similar case can be said with the side characters. They help Jonathan but that’s about it. Yes, Speedwagon is one of the most important characters in the franchise as he’s the future of the later JoJo parts, mainly with his legacy, but aside from that and the memes, he still comes off as a little flat. Nonetheless, he’s still decent overall and the best side character in this part.

The art surprisingly aged well. Even though some of the body proportions tend to look off, the art is very unique and differs from a lot of anime/manga art styles. It gives more detail and expression to both the environment and the cast. Fashion choices are good too, although I’m not a fan of Dio’s second vampire outfit.

And that does it. Phantom Blood has its flaws but it still shows more heart than you would like to admit. It can be slow despite being the shortest part but it’s still a good introduction to the franchise. The story and characters could have done better but they still manage to show their own unique charms. The whole part isn’t too great or anything but even then, it still should not be skipped all things considered.

Nov 11, 2020

NextUniverse

Recommended

(TLDR Review at the bottom, as always, thanks for reading)

THE MAN! There was a time where the image of a man was this big muscular guy, sometimes even going around kicking ass, beating the hell out of bad guys, and saving the day. Oh yeah. What a time that was.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a series most anime/manga fans have heard of. Whether it be because of, "ZA WARUDO", "Yare yare daze", Thunder Cross Split attack, what have you. Or just how you just caught onto it because of how popular it was. It is one of those series that has been engraved into defining the ...

Jul 2, 2022

sweetenedcoffee

Recommended

Prompted by the popularity of this manga, I decided to watch the series first. Since I didn't have much interest and time for the series, I decided to read the manga.
It took me a little over a month to read it. Although I had trouble understanding what was drawn (in the original uncolored editions), I can say that I enjoyed it. As far as I have watched the series, it seems they adapted the scenes from the manga very well.
The story itself is fine. We have a good-natured protagonist who wants to avenge his father against his evil adopted brother. What I liked the ...

Dec 22, 2019

DuwangCrusader

Mixed Feelings

Jojo part 1 is the weakest jojo part, its characters are bland and the story is forgettable, although the art is still good, its simply no jojo, it feels like Araki is still struggling with what he wants to do, while I still enjoyed myself, the absurd characters and over the top macho of part 1 is really what makes it fun, characters like speed wagon and Dio are infinitely fun to watch, there still mainly very bland their either underdeveloped or boring, for.example Jonathan, Jonathan is the most boring jojo and is the worst jojo.

overall: 6/10
story: 6/10
Art: 8/10
character: 4/10
Enjoyment:8/10

May 28, 2020

CrashRHCP

Mixed Feelings

When I first heard about JoJo's Bizzare Adventure this was a fairly underground manga in the West. It was a known series, but there definitely were more people that knew the name but never bothered reading than the ones that did. Things started to change, however, in 2012 when a new anime adaptation of Jojo started and as it adapted more and more parts of the story, the amount of fans grew and grew. It's hard to be an anime fan now and not have heard of Jojo or met a fan of the series. It was only recently that I decided to cave in ... and check what the hype was all about, so join me as I go through the series and tell you what I think. Put your seat belts on as we go all the way back to 1986.

Now, Jojo is huge and there's a lot of people that love it to death, but lets be fair, most of them will tell you that Part 1 is weak compared to the rest of the series. Sure, there's a lot of fans of it, and even people who prefer it, but the consensus is that it's not the best part, and I can see why.
When I first started reading I liked a couple of things, I like the atmosphere, that Castlevaniaesque vibe it had, it's definitely different than most manga that I tend to read, and I think that's probably because it's not a Japanese setting. It had this mysterious and Gothic aura to it that I really appreciated.

It's in this setting, in Victorian England, that we meet our main characters, the titular JoJo, Jonathan Joestar, who was very happy boy until the day his father introduces him to the newest member of the family, "It was me!" Dio Brando, who is basically Satan. Phantom Blood works around the fact that these two characters are the basic opposites of one another, natural enemies in a battle between morally good and morally bad. This is very cool in concept, but in reality, Dio is somehow the best character in the manga and even then, he is just "evil" and Jonathan is the most bland main character I think I've read. It's easily the worst character in the Jojo parts I've read and it's probably the worst character I've ever encountered.

And this is my main problem. I definitely have more gripes with part 1, that I'll talk about in a bit, but I would've excused it if I enjoyed the characters. If you read my reviews, or just know me, you may notice that I like works that have a good cast in it, and maybe I give it more importance than other people might give, depending on the story told, but I still think it's a very important aspect regardless. Because the story itself isn't bad, I like the setting, I like the mask a lot, I think it's interesting, the story around it is probably the best part of the first two parts of Jojo's, but alone it can't save it. And the main character is the one that I have more problems with, but I can't say that I found any of the supporting cast interesting. Really didn't care for Zeppeli or Speedwagon, and much less for characters like Dire or Straits.

Plus, it's not just the characters, there's a lot of points that, to be fair happen in a lot of other manga that I read from the time, like Devilman and Saint Seya, so one could blame it's age, but I've also read other manga from the same time that doesn't really have these flaws. I'm mostly talking about the dialogues, they are clunky, they feel unnatural, which doesn't help the characters either, because now they're not only bland, but every time they talk I feel a disconnect from the series, because people just don't talk like that.

The art too, I appreciate the designs, I think that amidst everything that I'm criticizing about the characters, their designs are unique and it helps them look varied, but the art itself is not that great. The poses they do, I know it's a meme now and part of the appeal to some people, but they don't look good to me, they are just... well... bizarre and look very ridiculous and non-human. Before I read Part 1 I've seen some artwork of Araki, so I know that he is good, that his art is amazing, but it's amazing now, definitely wasn't in 1986, and that's fine, I appreciate that he improved a lot, but we're judging Phantom Blood for what it is, and while it's not the worst art that I've come across, or course not, but it's quite ugly.

Ultimately, even knowing that the first part was probably the weakest, I still got considerably disappointed. It has a good concept, but there's too many flaws to make this an enjoyable experience. Thankfully a lot of problems I talk about would be improved in later parts, but talking about Phantom Blood on it's own, is it a mark on manga history? Yes, definitely! But is it good? Well, in my opinion, not so much.

Jul 7, 2016

dodge2461

Recommended

NO SPOILERS
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a marvel. A true epic spanning over 30 years in publication, however the series is only starting to get popular in places that aren't Japan. And for anyone coming into the series, most likely watching another part in the series, they might wonder if this part is worth going back to. I'd say yes, however, prepare for a bizarre manga that, while it may not live up to other parts in the series, is a wonderful read.

STORY
-----

The story follows Jonathan Joestar, son of the rich Jorge Joestar, embarking on a quest to stop his evil adopted brother Dio from taking ...

Jul 15, 2016

RichtheLionheart

Recommended

Let me first start off by saying that I have never read or watched JoJo before reading Part 1 Phantom Blood. This is my first entry to the series and thus this review is from the perspective of a JoJo virgin.

Story: The story starts off by giving you a flashback about a cursed mask and then moving to modern day. This is a foreshadowing to future events and a central element of the plot. Ultimately, the story is about the duality struggle of good and evil, justice and wickedness. The author himself states that this extreme form of duality was purposefully used as a ... platform for the beginning of the series. This may put off some modern viewers who expect extreme depth in their characters; however, for a 1980s series JoJo does a solid job of making you care about the characters and the story.

Art: The art in Part 1 is nothing short of outstanding. I cannot for the life of me understand how this was published in weekly Shonen Jump because the quality of the art is just that good. Also, to the point about it being published in Shonen jump, this series is NOT a Shonen. There is blood, gore, grotesque imagery, cursing, and elements that make this series closer to a Seinen. The art isn't always perfect, minor and background characters could use work, though that would be nitpicking. I know some people aren't fans of the 80s muscle style and this series certainly embodies it like a stereotype. I'm personally a big fan of the art, maybe a bit less muscle would've been nice. They just don't make art like this anymore.

Character: The story revolves around 2 central characters and the struggle of good and evil. They each embody their respective elements of good and evil, with little signs of deviation. It may be a little too black and white for modern tastes. I personally enjoyed the characters and I knew going into it that this was an older series. Context is always important.

Enjoyment: It was a thrilling read throughout and very fast paced. The characters were built up and this only enhanced the latter parts of the series where things got quite intense.

Overall: I feel this series is certainly a worthy manga. I'm sure the lower score comes from the fact that the other parts are better. I can't comment on that how it compares to the anime. On its own, coming from a new fan, I'm very excited for the rest of the series. Fighting, horror, and seinen fans need to check this series out!

Viz Release: Let me just say that the hardcover Viz releases are the best I've ever owned. The translation is great, the quality of the pages are fantastic, and all this allows the art to shine at its highest levels. The interviews with the author at the end help you understand and appreciate the series even more. Worth every penny.