JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Part II: Battle Tendency, tomo 03

Battle Tendency Deluxe #3

by Hirohiko Araki, Pablo Tschopp (Traducción)

¡¡Penúltimo tomo de la segunda saga!!

“JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken” (La extravagante aventura de JoJo), más conocida mundialmente como “JoJo's Bizarre Adventure”, narra la historia de la familia Joestar a través de las décadas y sus continuos enfrentamientos con el malvado vampiro Dio Brando y su legado. Una de las características más reconocibles de la obra es que está dividida en distintas partes o generaciones, totalmente autoconclusivas e independientes entre sí; aunque conectadas por la sangre, sudor y lágrimas de sus estirpes. Cada una transcurre en un tiempo y lugar distintos, y hasta gozan de su propia estética, ambientación y temática particular. De este modo, cada una de las "series dentro de la serie" puede disfrutarse por separado, y a su vez complementarse con las otras, ya que es muy común ver a los supervivientes de cada saga haciendo cameos (o directamente coprotagonizando) alguna de las siguientes.

Los protagonistas reciben el apodo de "Jojo", normalmente una conjunción de su nombre y apellido -en orden de aparición: Jonathan Joestar, Joseph Joestar, Jotaro Kujo, Josuke Higashitaka (el kanji de "suke" puede leerse también como "Jo"), etc.- y por más que compartan características físicas y nominales, cada uno cuenta con una personalidad, habilidad y hasta escala de valores completamente propios. La Inglaterra victoriana, el México de mediados del siglo XX o el Japón actual, son algunos de los muchísimos tiempos y lugares que se recorren en los más de 130 años que abarca esta épica historia creada por Hirohiko Araki hace ya tres décadas. JoJo's es la obra más larga y característica del mangaka, un autor que en Japón está a la altura del mismísimo Akira Toriyama en cuanto a permanencia, fama e influencia en el imaginario colectivo. Son innumerables las series y franquicias que le deben muchísimo a “JoJo's”, y no es raro encontrarse alguna de sus características poses superflexibles en los lugares más dispares, desde otros mangas hasta videojuegos, e incluso en grupos musicales.
Hoy por hoy, JoJo’s abarca ya ocho sagas en el manga (Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, Stardust Crusaders, Diamond is Unbreakable, Vento Aureo, Stone Ocean, Steel Ball Run y Jojolion -esta última sigue publicándose en Japón-). Fue adaptado a numerosos formatos, incluyendo dos series de OVAs a finales de los años 90s y principios del nuevo milenio, y en estos años se produjo una serie de televisión que va adaptando de manera fiel y detallada toda la historia del manga, hasta el momento llegando a Diamond is Unbreakable. Anime que por fortuna puede disfrutarse en Argentina a través de Crunchyroll.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction, Action, Adventure, Shonen

354 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2002

About the author

Hirohiko Araki ( 荒木飛呂彦) is a Japanese manga artist. He left school before graduation from Miyagi University of Education.

He enjoys the baseball manga Kyojin No Hoshii (Star of the Giants); the video games Mario Kart and Bomberman; and likes Prince and other African-American singers, as well as jazz, rock, and rap.

He is a recipient the Tezuka Award for manga.

Reviews

[Jane Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Ceasar...



and poor Joseph


THAT was heartbreaking.

The best bromance has ended in such painful way.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part 2 of Jojo's is still one of my favourites in the series and is heavily underrated.



Not only that, but Caesar is a complex character, especially for one so...short-lived. Wamuu is, along with Kira, a fantastic villain in the series and is more than just the "Mwahaha" villain that is Dio in part 3.

[Monsour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect it to end like this.. Goodbye Caesar

[Olly · Rating 3 out of 5]

numero indimenticabile, copertina stupenda.

[Raychelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohmygodwhy 😭😭😭 I think this was my favorite book so far. I loved everything about it, especially the character development. I'm excited to start the next one, but I think I'm going to need to heal my heart first. 💔

[Tomasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dobra, po poprzednim, lekko słabszym tomie, wracamy na prostą. Czysta rozrywka, bawię się wspaniale.

[amalie bokorm · Rating 4 out of 5]

CAESAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR 😭😭😭

[Grace Arango · Rating 4 out of 5]

CAEEEEEEEEEESAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency Volume 3 heats up as JoJo and Caesar's fight against the Pillar Men continues but Tragedy is Lurking around the corner which could see the end of the Epic Bromance between Joseph and Caesar.
As always, great artwork and characters and just an all round great manga collection.

[Gustavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro volumen entretenido, lleno de peleas y personajes locos. El trío de Ceasar, Jojo y Lisa Lisa me parece genial, aunque hubiera querido más interacción de Lisa Lisa en el grupo, hasta ahora es una figura bastante misteriosa.

Las peleas en Italia y Suiza me parecieron increíbles e imaginativas, aunque me sigue haciendo ruido el personaje de Stroheim (en un momento le dicen "si no sos tan arrogante podés venir con nosotros", ¡Como si el problema fuera que es arrogante y no un Nazi!).

Vamos a ver que pasa en el tomo final.

[Alex Richey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ramped up mysogyny and low-key Nazi sympathizing made this much harder to enjoy than the last volumes. Sad that Caesar died.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm literally so devastated i can't even begin to explain it

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always finish a volume of Jojo's feeling like I've run an obstacle course, and one where I wasn't sure I was going the right way. This volume is no exception, and honestly, between the crazy plot, zany characters, and ludicrous bodies, there is nothing quite like reading Jojo's. It's the weird dessert of the manga world, made of ingredients that shouldn't work but keep you eating way too many servings.

Full review eventually appearing on the Anime News Network.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAESAAAR!!!!!

So much feeling, so much humor, and expert character development. This might be the only book that has the line "Hey Nazis! I'm starving." I love the scene where Kars and Joseph are falling off the cliff. They somehow manage to have a reeaally long conversation as they're falling. Also funny how Caesar knows what Joseph is planning simply from the fact that it's a terrible idea.

I love them. So sad.

[maddie ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. changed the trajectory of my life in the worst way possible. the beginning of the theme of my favourite jojo character of the part dying. will be getting caesar zeppeli tattooed on my back.

[Goober Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second half of this volume really shines for me and just exemplifies what I really like about JoJo as a whole, I mean later parts definitely get more heart wrenching than this but god damn. God I love the tiny little moment where Joseph points out that Lisa Lisa has her cigarette backwards, just these minuscule details really sell the emotions. I really like Wammu’s character too, probably one of my favorite examples of the honorable warrior archetype personally.

I just like JoJo a lot

[Vendea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Srdcový díl, který mi vždycky láme srdce a ukápne i nějaká slzička. Caesara miluju celým svým srdcem a jeho souboj s Wamuuem je prostě top. A taky plus za Stroheima - víc cool nacistu jsem ještě nepotkala.

5/5*

[sapquaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

hasta lloré 😭

[Manal (✿◡‿◡) منال · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ow..

[The Inked Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

In the end of this I felt like Katniss in the Hunger Games movies giving her salute. If you know you know.

[Aleixo Vieira · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAESAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR RAAAHHHHHHHHHH 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting to get a little bored of these Pillar Men. The action scenes are bizarre but getting a little too “nothing is happening other than fighting”

[Tessa Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

that was so sad what the hell

[Claire Solej · Rating 5 out of 5]

The soul of humanity

[Xirimoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOOOO MIS NOVIOS

[Bumbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite things about Jojo is the multigenerational aspect of the story. Here we have the two grandsons of character from the first part, taking on different interpretations of what happened. Caesar has is the 4th of his family tree to fall victim to the mask. He has an almost spiritual reverence for the dead, in a way resigning himself to the same fate as his forefathers. Jojo is much more pragmatic. He has a reverence for his ancestors as well, but that is mostly limited to those he has known. He has a degree of appreciation for those who have died, but he does not feel as though he has any obligation to them. He is entirely concerned with the living. However, getting to meet your elders is a privilege Caesar never had the chance to experience. All he has is the memory of his father's lineage. Both of them have lost 3 generations of fathers to the mask, but Caesar didn't have as many people to fall back on as the Jojo family had.

In a way, they both come to the same sort of conclusion. They both greatly admire the family the preceded them. Joseph arrives at this conclusion in from individualist, while Caesar has a collectivist approach. This makes this disagreement understandable and relatable. Their values are derived from their life experiences and their cultures of origin. Araki's art has improved over time, but the faces of Jojo and Caesar as they argue over this a high point.

When considering these previous points, Jojo's generation-spanning narrative begins to shape into something special. Phantom Blood changes from a decent manga in the moment you're reading it, into this mythical point of origin for a generation spanning saga. We watch as the largely standard events of one generation are turned into mythology when passed through the filter of three generations of oral history. And suddenly Phantom Blood is turned into this legendary origin point for a century spanning saga in a totally organic way.

The resulting battle with Wham might be favorite of the first two parts. It's quick and decisive. The advantage is won very quickly; changes in an instant; and the finishing blow is quick and devastating. That page where Wham turns things around while in Caesars shadow... Just shit son.

And his death was handled very well. Eyepatch Wolf already talked about this, but his death happens suddenly and quickly. Things go left unsaid. Nobody gets a final goodbye. He doesn't get to pass on in the arms of those who love him. The way Jojo and Lisa Lisa process this is so real it gives me goosebumps. Jojo was afraid to call Caesar's name because he couldn't bear the possibility that Caesar wouldn't be there to call back. Lisa Lisa tries to play it cool, but she holds her cigarette backwards, giving away how crushed she is. When Jojo points it out, she can't hold hide her feelings any more. Jojo realizes that she was trying to be strong for him and renews his resolve. But when they both realize they're standing beside the rock that crushed Caesar, they can't contain it any more.

This is such a brutally honest depiction of death. I previously talked about how Araki finds interesting ways to get from points A to B. Ways to make the journey to an obvious conclusion different and striking. Here, he does that in a way that isn't flashy or exciting.

It's obvious that this scene is going to be Jojo and Lisa Lisa being upset over Caesar's death. But Araki shows the emotional back and forth that goes with grief. The way we try to deny or hide our feelings. The way we can rationalize the loss, but then something so emotionally visceral hits us that we just can't keep ourselves together any more. It's just one chapter, but it encapsulates the entire emotional roller coaster that loss is. One of the best chapter of manga I have ever read.

Anyway, I really liked the encounter with Kars. It was a different approach rather than a straight up fight. And the icicle trick worked for me because it was something that most people would be capable of coming up with, even if it is still a pretty out-there idea.

I didn't mention this earlier, but seeing characters like Speedwagon and Erina come back just melts my heart. This sweet veterans of the previous part of had such a rough go of things, but they're still doing their best to foster the next generation. An Jojo is such a softie when it comes to his family. It's so heartwarming and sweet, but they don't belabor the point. What I'm trying to say is I will die to protect Speedwagon and Erina.

This volume is a moment where all of the strengths of Jojo come together into something special.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

- posession, of course!
- i don't like the continuing theme of nazi buddies
- i can't help myself laughing at the dramatic over the top fight scenes! (and the commentary)
- liked the story of how ceasar came to inherit the zeppeli legacy
- ceasar's fight with wamuu was epic.

[jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I miss Caesar :((((

Another absolute banger of a volume that went from Kars being an absolute badass, the supremacy of german science, to end on one of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire series.

There were two things in particular about this volume that I felt were really smart, and I wanted to specifically highlight: 1) the setup of Kars' respect and love for nature given his arc of becoming the pinnacle of natural selection is absolutely fantastic. Not just in concept (which is also awesome), but in the setup itself - it's incredibly subtle, with there never (I think) being a scene where his unwillingness to harm nature is explicitly recognized or stated, it just happens with the dog and the flower in a way that is clearly noticeable but not overly obvious. 2) the build up to the emotional climax of Caesar's death is really something as well. On the second read it annoyed me a bit because I know its coming and I immediately feel that emotional pain resurface, but I think on a first read/watch the way it's done is really cool; Joseph and Lisa Lisa recognize his death logically before they do so emotionally, blatantly confirming the death to the audience while holding off on the final emotional payoff for a significant amount of time. It ends up, I think, sort of mirroring the emotions of the audience themselves as you go through first disbelief and then heartbreak as the reveal sinks in. Also, that image of Joseph screaming his heart out for Caesar will be burnt into my retinas for the rest of my life.

In honor of our best jojo's boy, I will include TWO quotes for this volume, both related to his passing but the first as an obituary honoring of sorts, from Wamuu himself:

"I shall keep you in a corner of my memory for eternity, Caesar. A man who was as graceful and ephemeral as a bubble."

Quote of the Volume:

"CAEEEEESSSSAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!"

- Joseph Joestar

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this, this is The Shit.

After the somewhat underwhelming first arc, the comic almost gives you whiplash with how quickly it switches to the high gear, with a frankly insane action-adventure story around the world, in pre-WWII Europe and beyond. Joseph Joestar couldn't be more different from his grandpapa - his character rubs off of the others much better than the previous protagonist's kind reserved politeness, bringing the best and funniest sides out of his companions as well; and his tricky, conniving, and unscrupulous personality, combined with a fair dash of intelligence and cunning, make each fight scene a treat where he's involved. Gone are powering through sheer willpower and Sunlight Yellow Overdrive - say hello to tricks, to traps, and to throwing off his opponent with even predicting what the other one's going to say. I said before that I appreciate Jonathan for his personality, but Joseph still has him beat on every level.

The villains are an immense step-up from the one-note Dio as well. There's a whole three of them, for one (technically four, but nobody cares about Santana), and these guys are diverse and wacky and a lot of fun to be around. One of them is even a genuinely nice guy.

And one of the other guys is a cyborg Nazi. This guy's fucking amazing.

Overall, Battle Tendency is easily my favourite arc of JoJo. What comes after this can't help but be a bit of a let down, even though a lot of it (perhaps even all of it) is still quite good.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jojo survives his fight with Esidisi but Esidisi isn't dead yet, oh wait, now he is.
Anyway, Jojo then finds out that the concept of snail mail is actually quite fast so we're going to Switzerland!

We meet an old ally(?) who helps Jojo fight Kars, but Kars escapes to a creepy old hotel to hide from the sun. Jojo shows caution but Caesar rushes headlong (alone) and ends up fighting Wamuu. And predictably, when you split the party, someone ends up dead (or at least terribly injured).

There's only one book left and two pillar men to finish. Oh boy. Honestly, I'm more curious about Kars's obsession with not hurting nature, first a puppy, then some flowers. What's next? Kars trying to save the whales?


Part 2 - Battle Tendency has 4 volumes.