Why You Should Watch Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood

Introduction

Now... where should I begin?
Since Jojo's day view in 1987, it has been separated into 8 major parts. Each part contains a protagonist in a completely different setting. Usually, the show will focus on the main character, but will through in one or two previous main characters into the mix.

Every main character in the show is part of the Joestar bloodline starting with Jonathon Joestar. Fun fact: every Joestar has a star-shaped birthmark on the left side of their neck. What gives the show its pizzaz is that every single main character has its unique traits and personalities. Though we all pick favorite, you can still enjoy all of them in their way. Araki is probably one of the only manga writers to make the most memorable, hilarious, and well-developed characters.

Where could be a better place to start than the first Jojo that started it all? Jonathon Joestar, inside of the arc known as Phantom Blood.

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The first time I got to experience the lore was in the 2012 anime adaptation. In 1880, Victorian, England, begins the story of two adopted brothers. In the red corner is the upstanding gentleman Jonathon Joestar and in the blue corner full-on psychopath, bad motive written Dio Brando.

Dio Brando

Instead of first focusing on the protagonist, I will start on the more complex character. Dio Brando. I feel as the show is more centered around Dio rather than Jonathon when he comes along. As shown in later episodes Dio commits some rather very irredeemable acts. The show dives in deep water to tell why exactly he acts like this. Dio scenes in the first three episodes cover a lot of background and key points about the character.
For example, one of these scenes shows Dio in a pub and gambling with a stranger in a chess game to then get his head bashed on the table for checkmating the opponent's king.

There are a couple of things that you can take from this scene.

1. Due to the grimy and shaggy look of the pub, you can tell that he and his family are not the most fortunate people when it comes to money.
2. Despite his young age, he can use his wits and defeat an older and more experienced player.
3. He was not in the chess match to get his head slammed. Despite Dio being clever, he could not change the social standpoint of the situation.
4. When Dio reaches for the fork and then pulls away, it is most likely not out of fear, but more out of frustration. He knew that if he did go to stab him that he wouldn't have the physical upper hand in the altercation. Dio calculating and analyzing any problem and put himself within it becomes more important on why he is so dangerous.

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Jonathon Joestar

To put things simply, Jonathon is everything that Dio isn't. He is a very ebullient character who carries ideas of chivalry and helping the little guy. There is one small problem with this character, he can't physically hold these courageous acts. He is not an overly complex character, but his selfless personality doesn't make him the dullest. He isn't the smartest guy in the room but has enough to get done whatever is needed done. All of this is pretty much distinguished within the first couple of episodes.

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When the Brothers Finally Meet

With these two very well developed characters, there is a time and place for them to meet face to face. And oh boy, was it exactly as how I imagined it to be.

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From the beginning, Dio has seen Jonathon as his polar opposite, everything that he wanted to be. He saw him as a stook up, spoiled weakling who deserves nothing of his family's fortune or respect. Dio individually goes through each part of Jonathon's life and crumbles it into a ball. He breaks friendship with his peers, comes between him and his father, and even tries to steal his romantic interest, Erina. This shows Dio as even more manipulative and evil than anything that has been shown yet. As this is going on, we start to see a new side of Jonathon. He couldn't even imagine why Dio was doing all of these horrible things to his life. All he wanted was to be friends. Even though what Dio puts Jonathon through, he endures everything that he throws at him and ends up becoming stronger because of it. At the end of episode 1, it shows Jonathon giving Dio the beating that he deserved. This gives the underdog kinda feel and makes us feel happy for Jonathon.

7 years later, Dio and Jonathon are now best pals (but except they're not). It's crazy how even the foundation is well done even before things get truly "bizarre" (ba-dum-tss). By the end of the first episode, we got two constructed characters, Dio is a very well thought out antagonist but then we know why he's that way, and Jonathon is enduring all of Dio's moves while we watch him get stronger and grow as a person. This is before anything supernatural comes into play. Before Dio becomes an unkillable psychotic vampire cult leader and an Italian man in a top hat teaches Jonathon super magic sunshine karate.

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Now The Show Begins

When Dio turns into a vampire with the mask in episode 3, it's terrifying enough that he's turning into a vampire, but what makes it scarier is that he was enough of a monster when he was human. On the other hand, I enjoy watching Jonathon learn his Hamon battle style. The reason why these two fit so good as the good dude and bad dude are because they constantly foil the other's path. Like how Dio's plans for Jonathon make him stronger and then Dio takes a path of darkness no one would have thought he would do. That is one of the best parts of Phantom Blood.

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If you think that all of this is crazy. Then you are in for a wild ride for when you get into the later parts. Jojo was meant to be weird. It wasn't called Jojo's Bizarre Adventure for no reason. This plot gives a unique feel to the show and characters that are hard for other manga and anime to tap into. From crazy dialogue to commonly known fashion style poses. The action scenes are sometimes so crazy, that their humorous, but the characters take the situation so seriously. For example: here is a crazy scene from the show that is out of context.

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The Visuals

Phantom Blood doesn't seem like the most over-budget anime, but somehow it just works. The visuals are insane and match the tone of the story to perfection. One of the most genius techniques is how they will completely change the color palette of the scene, this makes the show surreal, giving an offbeat but energetic feel. Dramatic counter moves are equally ingenious it gives more emotion to characters than what is already going on in the moment. While it's not the best show in the world, you have to give David Productions creds on making their style from the manga.

Photo taken from Part 2

The voice acting in the show is pretty good. Takehito Koyasu did an amazing job of getting the tone of Dio's voice to match perfectly with his ruthless personality. The English dub also did a good job, but not as good of a job as the Japanese voice actors did.

Phantom Blood may not be the best show, but you have to look at it as the small building bridge to the other 8 parts as a whole. I see the show more as an artifact of the Jojo series.

Watching Araki's art style get progressively better and watch his storytelling grow over time, really seals the deal for me. That is probably my favorite thing about the series. It is the most rewarding thing about the series.

I highly recommend watching Phantom Blood and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure as a whole. It is a very good show with characters about fashion, justice, and having very catchy good openings.
That is all on why you should watch Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood.

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I'll catch you guys on the flip flop.

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