2014 will forever be known to me as “The Year of JoJo”, not because of the airing of the much anticipated Stardust Crusaders, but because this is the year I finally decided to sit down and enter the world of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and it was a glorious decision. Not only did I get a new obsession out of the decision, but I also gained a new love for the action/adventure wing of anime.
Assuming everybody reading this knows all there is to know about JoJo, I’ll just talk a little about why I’ve been so captivated with this show.
Over the summer, a friend recommended me to watch this strange show called JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, a strange show that started airing in 2012. So, in my infinite laziness, I watched the first episode, thought it was okay, then didn’t watch it again for another two months. I don’t know why I have this mentality of not watching shows that are obviously good (I’m doing the same thing with Kill la Kill right now, I just need to motivate myself to watch the second episode for some reason), but it just seems to be the way I am. I eventually brought myself back to watch the next 25 episodes that made up Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency. I decided that I’d enjoy the series by limiting myself to one episode per day. That was quickly disregarded, as I finished two days later.
Once I started watching the show, I felt as if I literally couldn’t stop. It was like a couple of years ago when I first started watching the original Star Trek show, and I binge watched it and became the Star Trek nerd I am today. Now, I’ve been drawn into the exciting world of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, so much that I’ve actually started to check out the manga – I’m not a big manga fan, to be honest – and get in to the story more than I though I would initially. Then, I started to realize something; this series was initially started in 1986. 1986! That’s 26 years before the series get a long-running anime adaptation! Needless to say, I’m hooked on the series at this point.
Now it’s obvious that JoJo has become huge. That’s obvious just by looking at the manga and how long it has lasted. It’s obvious by looking at the reception the anime has been getting. I have to admit, when I finished the first season of the anime, I was so overwhelmed that I actually gave it a perfect 10 on MAL (one of only 4 shows: JoJo, Nichijou, Durarara!!, and 5 Centimeters per Second), and months later, I strongly stand by that decision. But why is now the right time for JoJo, though? Why has this series been thrust into the limelight now? I know that previous attempts to make an OVA of the series have gone over well, but not this well. I just think that with the constant influx of bad show after bad show, it’s nice that one big-budgeted show actually delivers what it promises. If you haven’t started watching this show yet, then what’s your excuse? And if you don’t like it, then that’s fine, I understand that it won’t be for everybody. All I can say for sure is that 2014 is the year of JoJo for me, and my fascination with the show will reach beyond 2014 as the show continues.
I can’t wait for the conclusion to Stardust Crusaders, and hopefully parts four, five, and six to come in animated form. Just thinking about that makes me say, “OH MY GOD!!!“
