JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 3: Stardust Crusaders

Objectivley, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusader, the third arc of the Jojo saga, is not a perfect anime. Monster of the week format, unusual art, somewhat silly plot. These are not, however, bad points, to one who is willing to accept something like Jojo. However, just like with it's predecessor, Stardust Crusaders is one of the best anime of the year. Part 3: Stardust Crusaders focuses on Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Jospeth Joestar, the main character of Part 2: Battle Tendency. Part 3 introduced the concept of stands - kind of like a spirit that fights for you. It is soon discovered that themain villan from part 1 - Dio Brando, now styled himself DIO, has returned, causing the awakening of Jotaro and Josepth's stands. However, Jotaro's mother has had her own Stand awaken, but it is slowly killing her. Jotaro must go on a journey to defeat DIO, in 50 days, before his mother dies. Overall, the plot of the first half of Stardust Crusaders isn't the most special thing in the world - there a few interesting twists, but the overall plot isn't incredible. It features a Monster of the Week format, which some would likely not enjoy, but I felt it worked fine with the JoJo formula. Where the show really shines is it's characters, who are both badasses, idiots, and clowns at the same time. Jotaro and Jospeth are joined by Avdol, an Egyption Fortune Teller, Kakyoin, a student at Jotaro's school, and Polanareff, a Frenchman on his own mission. Each of the characters have at least one or two episodes dedicated to them, and each of them have their own moments to shine. In my own opinion, Jospeth is just as funny as his part 2 version, as he occasionally swears loudly in English - to hilarious effect. He easily is the funniest character. Of the newcomers, I enjoy Polenareff the most, probably. What is also very special about this show are the crazy fights that take place every episode - they are all terrible people, but they are invariably all cheesy, funny, or over the top in each of their own special ways. They range from old men with a fast bug Stand, to strangely attractive men like Steely Dan (Dan of Steel in official subs). Personally, my stand out was the Wheel of Fortune fight, as it just amps up the hilarity to 11. The visuals are very...unique. The show looks great, and the fights are animated well, but to a newcomer it might seem all a little insane, as occasionally the whole scene will just be inverted by palette swaps, turning characters green and clothing pink. The soundtrack is also pretty damn good, and this is taking into account the sound effects that are ever-present in the Jojo-Universe. Overall, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders is an absolutely blast of an anime - it's not perfect, but with the sheer amount of enjoyment that can be taken from it, there is no need to pick apart it's short comings. Featuring a cast of insane characters, manly fights, and sheer crazy villains and Stands, this anime is sure to be loved by fans of the battle anime genre.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures: Stardust Crusaders is more than just a classic adventure filled with bizarreness. Taking a journey into this show is an experience like no other when it comes to creativity. It’ll be like riding a roller coaster that will leave you with the impression of giddiness and “oh what the bloody hell”. But if you think that now, just wait until you find out what our heroes has to blaze through. It’s more than just hell as they become crusaders in this adventure to fulfill their destiny. Continuing from where Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012) left off, Stardust Crusaders adapts Araki Hirohiko’s manga of thesame name. The series takes place in the year of 1989 where we meet Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Joseph Joestar. After discovering that he is possessed by a mysterious psychic force, Jotaro comes to realize that this manifestation is dubbed as “Stands”. The story gets more complex as Jotaro’s own mother, Holly develops a Stand of her own (due to family origins) that threatens her very own existence. Realizing that Dio Brando is responsible for such development, Jotaro starts the crusade to rid of his influence. An important element to take notice from Stardust Crusaders is the introduction of Stands. The concept becomes a prominent device for progress as we witness how they function and adapt to present a credible story. Essentially, Araki experimented with the idea of these Stands as manifestations. The first Stand we see in the series, the Star Platinum, becomes a pivotal figure. What originally seemed like a mad idea becomes enveloped with creativity as witness the diversity of the Stands presented throughout the series. Characters who develop Stands utilize them for a variety of purposes. But what’s more important is that some of them even reflect a side of their persona. The show succeeds with this concept by connecting the idea of Stands with its characters and story to bring about a Jojo pantheon. It does seem like a gamble at first but the risk pays off. The show colorfully depicts Stands through their powers and inspirations that are thought provoking. No Stand looks alike and all of them possess a different power. It creates a thrilling atmosphere of eccentricity as it will make you curious. It will make you wonder and evoke a process to dissect what Araki does with his idea. And honestly, this idea is pure genius. Like the previous series, Stardust Crusaders also follows the adventure of Jojo and his experiences. Joining him includes Joseph Joestar from its prequel as well as new characters. What’s important about these new characters is that they all have their own Stand. But even more so is the way they develop over as the story progresses. Nothing is really complex about their persona and is fairly straightforward. Perhaps it could be even colored bizarre such as some of the habits of our main characters such as Kakyoin or Polnareff. The show also offer a fair chance for each of the main characters to get their spotlight. This is justified by some of the reasons why these characters join Jotaro on his journey. For instance, Polnareff brings himself along in order to deliver vengeance against a man that took the life of his dear sister. The show intertwines sub-plots during the journey to provide a closure to various story driven plots. Like its main character cast, the antagonists of the series offer a complex mixture. It’s like a theatrical showdown every time as our heroes deal with threats throughout their journey. They meet antagonists with diverse personalities, some with definite purpose while others treats our crusaders like a game. I think it’s safe to say that the hunters become the hunted. Furthermore, the man pulling the strings behind the scenes (Dio) is often portrayed as a mastermind. And as a man of complex nature, the show crafts its story carefully as Dio’s arsenal of militias goes to work at the most strangest of places. The antagonists’ Stands are also named after tarot cards with some incredible powers to really push the limits of our heroes. Their unique nature and complexity of their powers bring about Araki’s creativity. His ideas comes to crucial play here as each Stand find their niche in this adventure. It expands more than just inventiveness though as some of the Stands also provoke laughter and emotions. For what it’s worth, the Stands and antagonists are like a pair of column that holds the story in place. They not only test the wits of the crusaders where they must think outside the box to prevail but also stimulate emotions. As the story progresses, we find out more about the true nature of some of the main characters as well. Starring protagonist Jotaro remains the most prominent cast member of the crusaders. Even to this date, he is perhaps the most well-known Jojo from the franchise. On the surface, he may be seen as a cold figure with an indifferent outlook on life while displaying his delinquent-like personality. Yet deep down, he truly does care about his friends and family. This is clearly shown throughout the journey with his words and action with characters such as Ann. Similarly, other main characters show their selfless nature. While some shows it differently than others, it’s evident that they truly care about their comrades. It becomes a highlight reel once you stay with the focus involving the main characters because of their personalities. Each of them may come from different backgrounds but their union together as crusaders is like a brotherhood. It has the feelings, bonding, and is amazing to realize that a journey can bring some strangers together in full circle. With its adventurous mood, the show also explores a variety of territories featuring all sorts of terrain. The show covers a decent amount of ground in the first half as they journey towards Egypt to stop Dio. Throughout this journey, the wonders of the adventure can be felt with what characters discover involving different cultures. And despite its supernatural conventions, the show also has bits of realism and can even be relatable when it comes to culture. It can be easily indulged to fulfill elements of creativity through Araki’s concepts. Although the story itself sometimes may feel like a “Monster of the Week” formula with limited development, it’s also important realize the experiment that the author is bringing into his work. In retrospect though, the series isn’t very well written when it comes to explaining certain points. The series has many plot holes that perhaps will never be explained and is left to the imaginative minds of the viewers. While this may seem like a backstabber at first, the show instead cleverly delivers its dynamics and entertaining factors. With or without the bizarreness, Jojo SC’s plot isn’t one that strives to achieve logic. It aims to achieve its purpose to deliver bizarreness. This might come as a mixed bag for some people as the oddball humor could get out of control. The ‘monster of the week’ formulation might not also be suitable for some viewers through its context. The artwork of Jojo SC is formidable when it comes to visual presentation. Character designs reflects the classic style of the franchise while retaining its purpose. Every Stand in the show looks different with emphasis on their design and the bizarreness. The fights are also well coordinated that explodes onto the screen with energy. To add to the flavor are humorous gimmicks and dialogues coming from the heart of our characters. And similar to the previous season, trademark phrases such as ‘ORA ORA ORA’ are timed fabulously to grab a viewer’s attention. As discussed before, the show’s settings have a variety of backgrounds and each of them convey it well when it comes to delivery. Ranging from mountainous terrain, to foggy ghost towns, or even aboard an aircraft, the show achieves its adventurous tone. David Production surely deserves some praise for their superior animation quality here. Similarly, soundtrack plays a strong role throughout the show. The OP song "STAND PROUD" by Jin Hashimoto envelops itself with a fast paced coordination with decorative montages of the main characters with hints of foreshadowing. On the other hand, the ED song "Walk Like an Egyptian" delivers its theme of Egypt to the core. OST is also impressive especially during climatic scenarios. Even when the mood seems to be calm, the OST creates a feeling of thrilling experience to show that our heroes are always in danger during their journey. Characters voices are impressive to say the least on most parts whether it’s Jotaro’s stoic mannerisms, Kakyoin’s outgoing personality, or Joseph’s wisdom. Oh and of course, don’t forget that ORA ORA ORA on the door to the way out. An epic journey is perhaps what Jojo Stardust Crusaders should be essentially known for. But it expands more than that with the characters, gimmicks, and overall clever writing. While it’s not one of the smartest adventure tale with the history books, Jojo SC is a blockbuster with its exceptional creativity. I’m not just referring to the Stands or characters but also the humor it strives to deliver. It doesn’t go diehard mode with its comedy but instead scales the performance of the characters to bring them at their best during the journey. Perhaps the story plot holes can be a bit frustrating to deal with at times. However, mincing it down is silly when a show with this amount of bizarreness. If for some reason that you decide to go full Sherlock Holmes and try to find these plot holes, then the experience of this show would not suit you well. You’ll be missing out the entertainment as Stardust Crusaders elevates bizarreness in a fashionable way like never before.

I was apprehensive about starting part 3 as I wasn't too keen on it in the manga and until recently rated it as my second least favourite entry in the series. With this review I'll explain why I began to love it after watching the animation. Story: Part 3 is essentially a road movie with numerous delays before the destination. Jotaro and co. are required to defeat Dio in Egypt so that the curse placed on his mother is lifted. In the past I had qualms with the story taking second place to the desire for a phoned in endless battles. I mean come on...ENEMIES BASEDON THE TAROT CARDS... Ok we've defeated them... EGYPTIAN GODS... it felt kind of aimless. I was wrong though. How stupid of me. The battles are the best part. Araki wrote various styles of different battles (some quite clever) so that each time audiences interact with part 3 they get to enjoy some nice variety. Which when it comes to entertainment is greatly important I think, don't you? Art: All of David Production is very faithful to the manga, perhaps more so than the majority of anime adaptations to be released in the market. The issues I had with season 1 (part 1 and 2 of the story) when compared to their manga counterparts is that I found the art to be lacking (which would be always tough considering what an amazing illustrator Araki is) and whilst DP employs interesting techniques such as switching up colour schemes and visible Japanese sound effects on screen, their poor application of character skin shading was often too much of a distraction as it rendered the characters ugly. Case in point - look at Smokey Brown. This was a black character who often had white skin patches all over his face depending on what scene he was in. Thankfully these transgressions don't come on board for season 2 as I am pleased to say that it is the best looking entry in the series until this point and the animation quality is top notch. Bright, vibrant and coordinated well. Sound: While not necessarily indicative of Araki's crazed playlists that he concocts when naming his characters after musicians, songs or albums, the soundtrack to this thing is amazing. At times it feels pretty damn avant garde switching between glitchcore, dubstep, drum solos and horror film like ambience. Character: So here it is. The main reason I love part 3. The fault is probably on me but originally when engaging with the manga I found each character in Jotaro's party to be a generic muscley guy, lacking in personality. I didn't feel anything for them when I read the manga as I didn't necessarily notice any strong characterisation. With the advent of this animation I believe that the voice acting has done wonders for the characters; in particular I enjoyed the performances of Komatsu as Polnareff and Ishizuka as Joseph. Of course it goes without saying that Ono was perfect as Jotaro and was exactly how I imagined Jotaro (whom I felt to be the strongest character in the manga) to be. Catchphrases such as "Yare yare daze" and "OH MY GOD!" stick with you. As I mentioned earlier, the animation is a very faithful adaptation of the manga so any failure to engage with the characters probably requires my speedreading self to take some accountability. I do believe however that the anime expanded on the characters through the voice actor's performances. These characters felt like friends and you know what? They will be sorely missed. Enjoyment: For any disparaging remarks I ever made about part 3 in the past, I'm truly sorry. It's amazing and I enjoyed the hell out of it. I hope more and more people do as well.

We see jotaro is the best jojos. From history I have nothing more to add. No lie, this part of the arc is full of fights too many for my liking. It becomes very, very repetitive whenever they get close to the goal, something happens again that delays them like that until the end of the season. For better or for worse that is the season if you have patience for it you will enjoy it a lot because what is coming in the second part is glorious. The group of characters that is put together is very epic, although they always beat the Frenchman toomuch. I think he is the character with the most identified, he tries to be a good person and go out with girls but everything goes wrong. The animation is very good, always very regular that I like to maintain a very good level is always appreciated. I highly recommend it so I hope you see it. Be patient with this season it may be a bit dense but what is coming is epic. En español: Vemos jotaro es el mejor jojos. De la historia no tengo mas que agregar. No mentira, esta parte del arco este llenas de peleas demasiadas para mi gusto. Se vuelve muy pero muy repetitivo siempre que se acercan al objetivo v8uelve a pasar algo que los atrasa así hasta el final de la temporada. Para bien o para mal eso es la temporada si le tenes paciencia lo vas a disfrutar un montón porque lo que se vienen en la segunda parte es glorioso. El grupo de personajes que se arma es muy épico aunque siempre lo golpean demasiado al francés creo que es el personaje con el mas identifico trata de ser buena persona y salir con chicas pero todo le sale mal. La animación muy buena, siempre muy regular eso me gusta mantienen un nivel muy bueno siempre se agradece. La recomiendo un montón así que espero que la vean. Tengan paciencia con esta temporada puede ser un poco densa pero lo que se viene es épico.

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