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Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1-Phantom Blood, Vol. 1 by Hirohiko Araki
1 review
seriouslybookedup's review against another edition
dark
2.5
From the first few pages, it's apparent that this is one of those mangas that was A Product of Its Time. Everything about it screams 1980's. Right in the beginning we get an egregious characterization of Aztecs as murderous cannibals in possession of magical objects. Then, we go right into a fever dream of a plot that should have ended with Dio being spectacularly KO'd after he kicks JoJo's dog. I know we're supposed to think JoJo is a forgiving, stand-up guy for attempting a relationship with Dio after that incident, but I just thought he was a pathetic idiot.
I wanted to read this because I'm newish to manga and this seemed like a seminal piece of work that kept cropping up - I wanted to be in "in the know." I can admit, there's a certain appeal. The art style is so bizarrely cartoonish, it's hard NOT to keep turning the pages to see these figures warped and expanded in some truly outlandish proportions. I kept having to remind myself that these beefy, grotesque dudes are supposed to be young boys in the first half of the volume and not roided-up swolbros.
The story is manic. I literally laughed out loud when JoJo, in a fit of despair, rolls himself down a hill and into a creek. Or when he was sobbing in bed, thinking about his dead mother then abruptly stops crying when he spots a chocolate bar on his nightstand and eats it like the Cookie Monster - apropos of absolutely nothing. So clearly, this manga is not taking itself too seriously.
I can't help but want to know what happens next but I can't say I'm enjoying myself or see myself sticking with the series long-term. There are at least two graphic depictions of dog abuse that I didn't think would bother me but it did. (Edit: I'm coming back after watching episode one of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on Netflix to point out that the graphic scene of the dog jumping out of the furnace is conspicuously missing from the anime. Ah, so I wasn't alone in thinking it was a bridge too far...).
Plus, Dio is an obnoxious villain who I hope dies soon. And JoJo, so far, is a real wimpy twit of a protagonist. The dialogue and story assume the audience has the mental reasoning of an 8-year old boy with characters loudly and declaratively stating every thought or action that's taking place. But the violence also assumes the audience should have the emotional intelligence of at least a teenager. There's absolutely no nuance.
I plan on getting the second volume to see if it improves (or at least get some satisfaction if Dio dies) but I may just move ahead to a newer story arc and hope that I've learned enough lore for it to make sense.
I wanted to read this because I'm newish to manga and this seemed like a seminal piece of work that kept cropping up - I wanted to be in "in the know." I can admit, there's a certain appeal. The art style is so bizarrely cartoonish, it's hard NOT to keep turning the pages to see these figures warped and expanded in some truly outlandish proportions. I kept having to remind myself that these beefy, grotesque dudes are supposed to be young boys in the first half of the volume and not roided-up swolbros.
The story is manic. I literally laughed out loud when JoJo, in a fit of despair, rolls himself down a hill and into a creek. Or when he was sobbing in bed, thinking about his dead mother then abruptly stops crying when he spots a chocolate bar on his nightstand and eats it like the Cookie Monster - apropos of absolutely nothing. So clearly, this manga is not taking itself too seriously.
I can't help but want to know what happens next but I can't say I'm enjoying myself or see myself sticking with the series long-term. There are at least two graphic depictions of dog abuse that I didn't think would bother me but it did. (Edit: I'm coming back after watching episode one of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on Netflix to point out that the graphic scene of the dog jumping out of the furnace is conspicuously missing from the anime. Ah, so I wasn't alone in thinking it was a bridge too far...).
Plus, Dio is an obnoxious villain who I hope dies soon. And JoJo, so far, is a real wimpy twit of a protagonist. The dialogue and story assume the audience has the mental reasoning of an 8-year old boy with characters loudly and declaratively stating every thought or action that's taking place. But the violence also assumes the audience should have the emotional intelligence of at least a teenager. There's absolutely no nuance.
I plan on getting the second volume to see if it improves (or at least get some satisfaction if Dio dies) but I may just move ahead to a newer story arc and hope that I've learned enough lore for it to make sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Animal death, Violence, Blood, Bullying, and Cultural appropriation
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