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Jojo’s Bizarre Adventureis one of the most successful anime/manga franchises of all time, and there are a lot of reasons why that’s the case. However, there’s one reason in particular which sets it apart from many shonen series, and that’s its division of the story into easily digestible parts.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventurebegan in 1987, originally telling the tale of the blindingly heroic Jonathan and his incredibly evil adopted brother, Dio. However, something surprising happened during Jonathan and Dio’s ultimate confrontation: Jonathan died. Where would the manga go from there? Fans at the time must’ve been shocked, but series creator Hirohiko Araki had already decided that this would be a generational tale, and started up the second part, knownasBattle Tendency, following Jonathan’s grandson, Joseph. This was something revolutionary, and Araki’s editors worried if fans would take to the new protagonist.
Splitting Jojo into Parts Makes it Easy for Fans to Get Started
Of course, fans did take to Joseph quickly, and part 2 became even more of a success than part 1 had been. The story then moved on to part 3, this time following Joseph’s grandson, Jotaro. It introducedthe concept of Stand abilities, and really took off in popularity, with part 3 arguably being the most popular part to this day. While Part 3 brought back characters from previous parts, like Dio and Joseph, part of the magic of part 3 is that it wasn’t necessary to have read parts 1 or 2 to follow along adequately.
With each installment ofJojofeaturing a new lead, it meant that each part also acted as a perfectly good point to start reading from. Each part is its own self-contained adventure, and instead of being highly dependent on continuity with previous parts, the continuity was kept from interfering with the ability of new readers to jump in. EachJojoprotagonist has his or her own story and world around them, giving their story a distinct flavor that sets it apart from the other parts. The stories are still joined by shared concepts, like Stands, and characters may cross over, but each is very much its own thing.
The total length ofJojo’s Bizarre Adventureas of writing is 976 chapters across 9 parts, meaning thatJojoisn’t that much shorter thanother absurdly long-running manga serieslikeOne Piece. However, whereasOne Pieceneeds to be read to be fully understood,Jojohas the advantage of fans being able to pick up whatever part they like most and start there.It makes approachingJojoas a newcomer much more manageable, and has allowed the series to cultivate new fans over the years in a way other long-runners sometimes struggle with.
Jojo’s Structure in Parts Gives Araki Creative Freedom
By Splitting into Parts, Jojo Can Evolve and Change
Approachability is far from the only advantage of this style, however. With each part being a separate story of its own, Araki has almost carte blanche to create a new story each time he begins a part. This is what allowed him to move from Hamon todeveloping Stands in part 3, something that became such an iconic and essential part ofJojothat it’s hard for some new fans to understand it wasn’t always there.Jojohas been able to play around with different genres as well, with part 3 being something of a globetrotting road trip story, while part 5 is a crime drama.
Aside from some blood connection, the protagonists don’t have to have much in common with each other, either. Jotaro is a very different character from Joseph, who was in turn a very different character from Jonathan. Their distinct personalities helped to shape their stories and gave them attributes that set them apart from the other parts ofJojo. Even the nature of their lives, such as Jolyne’s imprisonment, helped to shape their stories in unique ways that immediately give them a different tone from what came before.
Of course, if something isn’t working, this approach also allows for the problem to be written out with relative ease in between parts. While it’s not instant, the part structure allows for Araki to change things up in response to feedback. There are many artifacts and concepts throughoutJojothat are only relevant in a single part of the story, and while they logically still exist in the next part, the use of a different cast of characters means that no one is aware of it, and thus it becomes a non-issue when writing.
Jojo’s Continuity References Reward Long-Time Fans
Jojo’s Parts Are Still Held Together by Recurring Elements
The amount of variety that exists across the variousJojoparts allows for fans to find a part that’s specifically to their taste to enter the world of the series. It would be easy for these diverse parts to feel divorced from one another, but that’s rarely the case.For long-time fans who’ve loyally read everything that comes before,Jojooften includes continuity nods and other elements from previous parts to help the series feel more like a cohesive world.
For example, a character is likely to cross over from the previous part, like Speedwagon assisting Joseph in part 2, or Koichi appearing in part 5. Often times it’s not necessary to understand exactly who they are, but for those who are caught up, there will be an added sense of recognition that reassures the reader of their shared universe. This may be a new Jojo,but they’re still a Jojo, and come with all the baggage that name carries.
Jojocleverly uses continuity to hold these diverse stories together into one overall narrative, telling the tale of the Joestar family for generations, and emphasizing that family history. Each member of the family has their own story which can be enjoyed out of context, but together they form a beautiful chronicle of a family struggling against evil. Perhaps more shonen series should take afterJojo’s Bizarre Adventureand be willing to switch up their protagonists.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese multimedia franchise created by Hirohiko Araki. It follows the adventures of the Joestar family, spanning generations, each with unique abilities and battling supernatural enemies. Known for its eccentric characters, distinctive art style, and creative battles, it includes manga, anime, games, and merchandise.
