scoobygirl93's review against another edition

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5.0


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bohboh's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I bought into the hype surrounding this series and tried really hard to enjoy it. I did find myself liking some parts of it. Unfortunately the characters fell so flat and uninteresting. Every emotion they displayed felt so forced and disingenuous.

The art is hit-or-miss; Araki cites the musclehead culture of the time ('80s) inspiring the evolution of JoJo and Dio's design. This was not well executed, however, with some of the body frames just ridiculously out of proportion and off-putting.

I did try to like this, and may try the second book to see if the series gets better, but I was unenthused with the content of this book.

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sknappy1's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0


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_zrtx_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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stormywolf's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 This month's pick in Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club was a first for me: my very first official (not fan-translated) Manga ever, and also my first foray into the world of JoJo. Sure, I've seen enough of JoJo here and there to know of him—his style, the references, and what have you—but I'd never actually gone and experienced it for myself. Not even an episode of the anime. So, with an open mind and bated breath, I took the plunge into the bizarre world of JoJo and DIO!

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, I'm glad I took a chance with Phantom Blood. While it suffers a bit from its over-reliance on action over characters (possibly a product of its 80s publication), it still has enough quirkiness to keep it endearing. If you enjoy gothic horror, over-the-top villainy, 80s-inspired musclemen, or other Japanese entertainment (anime/manga) and you haven't checked out JoJo yet, I'd definitely recommend it. And if you're interested, check out the Vampire Book Club's synopsis and discussion, and join us in the future for more fangtastic and bizarre tales. 

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