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Stardust Crusaders #1
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Vol. 1
An epic horror-action-adventure! Once there was a mighty bloodline of the Joestars. In the 1880s, Englishman Jonathan Joestar gave his life to defeat Dio, a megalomaniacal vampire. Now, 100 years later, Dio is back, and Jonathan's descendants must travel to Egypt to destroy their ancestral enemy once and for all.
In a Japanese jail sits 17-year-old Jotaro punk, fighter, delinquent...and possessed by a force beyond his control! Around the world, evil spirits are "Stands," monstrous invisible creatures which give their bearers incredible powers. To save his mother's life, Jotaro must tame his dark forces and travel around the world to Cairo, Egypt, where a hundred-year-old vampire thirsts for the blood of his family. But the road is long, and an army of evil Stand Users waits to kill JoJo and his friends...
In a Japanese jail sits 17-year-old Jotaro punk, fighter, delinquent...and possessed by a force beyond his control! Around the world, evil spirits are "Stands," monstrous invisible creatures which give their bearers incredible powers. To save his mother's life, Jotaro must tame his dark forces and travel around the world to Cairo, Egypt, where a hundred-year-old vampire thirsts for the blood of his family. But the road is long, and an army of evil Stand Users waits to kill JoJo and his friends...
219 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 1989
26 people are currently reading
1210 people want to read
About the author
Hirohiko Araki
650 books2,036 followersHirohiko 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
May 24, 2015
This seems to be the start to a really interesting story… emphasis on the word seems. The reason I say seems is this series started in 1986 and is currently STILL not finished at 113 volumes. And while I really enjoyed this first volume and definitely want to read more, I am very skeptical that this series can hold my attention for that long. With so many volumes, I have no doubts it’ll quickly fall into a rut and it’ll end up being the same thing over and over again (most likely JoJo and crew fighting tons of people with Stands).
At this point it is also running the risk of becoming a bit like Dragonball Z where there is a timeline to “win” yet the timeline seems to go on and on. Now, at least here they have 50 days and it’s not “That planet is going to blow up in 5 seconds!” and that five seconds lasts 10 episodes. But, 50 days with 113 volumes currently unfinished seems to be pushing it just a bit too much.
But, enough of my doubting complaints about the ridiculous length of this series, let’s get back to the review at hand. I actually really enjoyed this first volume. Granted, JoJo looks more like a 27 year old than a 17 year old, and boy oh boy is he pretty beefy for a 17 year old, the storyline is pretty interesting and the artwork is intense. This volume reminded me a little bit of Shaman King, but a lot more bad ass. It’s cool that the Stands all seem to have different powers, and I like the idea of the Stands in general.
I really do want to read more of this series. According to Goodreads there are only 16 volumes in the series. So perhaps this long series is split up into smaller, sub series, sort of like Saiyuki. I think I’ll give the 16 volumes a read and see how I feel at the end. Perhaps reading the different arks won’t matter. 16 is more manageable than 113.
At this point it is also running the risk of becoming a bit like Dragonball Z where there is a timeline to “win” yet the timeline seems to go on and on. Now, at least here they have 50 days and it’s not “That planet is going to blow up in 5 seconds!” and that five seconds lasts 10 episodes. But, 50 days with 113 volumes currently unfinished seems to be pushing it just a bit too much.
But, enough of my doubting complaints about the ridiculous length of this series, let’s get back to the review at hand. I actually really enjoyed this first volume. Granted, JoJo looks more like a 27 year old than a 17 year old, and boy oh boy is he pretty beefy for a 17 year old, the storyline is pretty interesting and the artwork is intense. This volume reminded me a little bit of Shaman King, but a lot more bad ass. It’s cool that the Stands all seem to have different powers, and I like the idea of the Stands in general.
I really do want to read more of this series. According to Goodreads there are only 16 volumes in the series. So perhaps this long series is split up into smaller, sub series, sort of like Saiyuki. I think I’ll give the 16 volumes a read and see how I feel at the end. Perhaps reading the different arks won’t matter. 16 is more manageable than 113.
October 8, 2015
JOJO = meh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Boys own adventure, rugby, boxing and English manor houses? No reason for the animosity between JoJo and Dio, no reason for anything in the entire series really, especially the oversized male toons and brutalised, marginalised and toy like females.
Overrated, boring and irrelevant. This manga is so so bad that I can easily see myself investing in lighter fluid and burning it.
By giving JOJO'S BIZARRE ADEVNTURE one star I mean only one thing, it is totally and completely crap and can be avoided at great benefit to yourself.
Boys own adventure, rugby, boxing and English manor houses? No reason for the animosity between JoJo and Dio, no reason for anything in the entire series really, especially the oversized male toons and brutalised, marginalised and toy like females.
Overrated, boring and irrelevant. This manga is so so bad that I can easily see myself investing in lighter fluid and burning it.
By giving JOJO'S BIZARRE ADEVNTURE one star I mean only one thing, it is totally and completely crap and can be avoided at great benefit to yourself.
February 18, 2020
Oh BOY my reviews are gonna be full of memes for Part 3... I mean there's so many in this first book alone!
Memes in this volume:
Dio sends Joseph nudes
THE FIRST ONE (This actually wasn't in the manga, but I had to include the beginning of the iconic phrase.)
HEEEEE'S MYYYYYYY CHERRY PIE
Me when I first saw Kakyoin
MONCH that shiny melon
Who's gonna tell him
And so the MILF hunter jokes were born...
DAMN that was a lot... and only more will come...
Memes in this volume:
Dio sends Joseph nudes
THE FIRST ONE (This actually wasn't in the manga, but I had to include the beginning of the iconic phrase.)
HEEEEE'S MYYYYYYY CHERRY PIE
Me when I first saw Kakyoin
MONCH that shiny melon
Who's gonna tell him
And so the MILF hunter jokes were born...
DAMN that was a lot... and only more will come...
August 29, 2021
Honestly, the Stardust Crusaders anime is what truly got me into JJBA (no, I didn't skip the first two parts, but SC was the first one that I truly loved). That's why reading this is so special to me. I can't wait for what's next.
(3,5/5)
(3,5/5)
January 28, 2020
stinky jospeh
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March 2, 2021STARDUST CRUSADERS MY BELOVED ❤️
September 20, 2011
Un lustro después de haber dejado colgada esta fabulosa serie, la retomo con interés y entusiasmo renovados, aunque algo me dice que no voy a poder seguirla todo lo asiduamente que me gustaría. Para retomar la lectura decidí volver al primer número de la tercera generación, unos tomos antes de donde me había quedado, y fijarme si la fascinación que me causó a los veintipocos seguía ahora que tengo veintimuchos. Y la respuesta es un sí parcial. Me sigue pareciendo épica pura y el dibujo, aunque algo rebuscado y desproporcionado, tiene una fuerza única, que ni siquiera tienen autores que me gustan más. La historia pinta relativamente lineal pero muy bien llevada y las peleas, parte fundamental en este tipo de mangas, son de las más ingeniosas que haya leído. Eso sí, ahora que estoy muy sugestionado por el omnipresente TVTropes, no pude dejar de encontrar tropos aplicables a cada personaje y situación. Pero, como ellos mismos dicen, "los tropos no necesariamente son malos". Sobre todo si están en función de una historia entretenida como ella sola.
November 5, 2020
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: StarDust Crusaders manga was better than I thought it was going to be. It contained content that the anime cut out or altered which made it really worth reading even though I had watched the show. Whether it was switching characters dialogue or changing the characters personality slightly. The protagonist of this part is Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Joseph Joestar, who we first meet inside a prison cell. It is said that he put four guys in the hospital without getting a scratch on him. He decided to lock himself in the cell so this so-called evil spirit wouldn’t hurt anyone else. Turns out that evil spirit is actually called a stand that is basically a visual representation of a person's fighting spirit and mental strength. The Joestar bloodline have gained this ability due to Dio taking over Jonathan Joestar’s body and acquiring a stand of his own. Holly, Jotaro’s mother, is a kind hearted person who would never hurt a fly making her unable to acquire a stand. Instead it makes her incredibly sick, which triggers Joseph, Jotaro, Kakyoin, Avdol, and Polneraff to travel to Egypt and kill Dio to save Holly.
A common theme in these books is how the bond we have with the people around us will affect us in some way, even if we have never met them. Take Dio for example, he took the body of Jonathan Joestar making him technically connected to Jotaro and Joseph, pulling them into a family drama that was supposed to be finished almost one hundred years ago. Although none of the present day Joestars have even met Dio prior to fighting him they have this connection to him where they can sense his presence as well feeling his negative intentions due to the Joestar blood running through them. Polnareff is searching for the man who killed his sister man years ago to finally put his guilt to rest. Avdul joins due to his friendship with Joseph he has prior to the adventure. All of these bonds brought these people together and ultimately defeated Dio once and for all. As Kakyoin is dieing during the fight with Dio we learn that he lived a lonely life due to the fact he couldn't find people who had a stand like him. By joining the Stardust Crusaders he finally was able to form friendships with people who understood him. He sacrifices himself to tell the others the ability of Dio’s stand, which leaves him bleeding out with a hole in his stomach. He may have died alone, but he spent his final fifty days with people he could call his friends.
Another theme or concept that could be pulled out from this book is the definition of a good person. The main protagonist of the story is labeled by others as a delinquent due to his harsh words and overly aggressive actions towards others, but things aren’t always as they seem. His father is a famous musician who travels frequently, living Jotaro and Holly alone in a huge house. By what seems to be an absent father he is missing a key parental figure in his life, while the one who is there doesn't discipline him. Holly is extremely kind, to the point where she will act cheerful when Jotaro calls her rude names. Jotaro does deeply care for his mother despite his actions, to the point where he will travel around the world to kill a vampire with the most powerful stand in the world. He risks his life many times during their adventure to save the ones he loves without being told to. Even after Stardust Crusaders he spends his life pushing his wife and child away so they don’t get mixed up with the family drama. He continues to fight evil stand users to protect the ones he loves as well as random people. Another character that is questionable is Kakyoin. Although he is more respectful and refined than Jotaro he is more aggressive while fighting. Although Jotaro has harmed people and been petty about it he has never killed anyone besides Dio. I might be wrong, but Kakyion hasn’t killed anyone either. He fights with the intent to kill, especially with the stand user who was a baby. He comments that he plans to kill him despite him being a child, something that is pretty drastic. His death scene is also very unique compared to everyone else in the group as well. When he dies we don’t see his spirit ascend into the clouds like all the other Stardust Crusaders. Even though he sacrificed himself for a woman he barely knew he didn’t make it to heaven. He may have been kind to those around him; his moral compass may be the reason why he didn’t quite make it to heaven.
I would obviously recommend Stardust Crusaders to people who either read Jojo manga and people who have watched the anime so they can appreciate the story even more. I would also recommend it to anyone who is looking for an unpredictable story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The fights in this book aren’t just about brute strength, but about the mental ability to outsmart your opponent so that they believe they have lost. I wouldn’t recommend this book to those who haven’t seen or read the parts prior to part three. I also recommend it to those looking for a slice of life or romance novel because there is nothing like that in Stardust Crusaders. I don’t think children under the age of twelve should be reading this because there is mature language used, at least in the translation I read, as well as mature situations. Besides that I would really recommend this series.
A common theme in these books is how the bond we have with the people around us will affect us in some way, even if we have never met them. Take Dio for example, he took the body of Jonathan Joestar making him technically connected to Jotaro and Joseph, pulling them into a family drama that was supposed to be finished almost one hundred years ago. Although none of the present day Joestars have even met Dio prior to fighting him they have this connection to him where they can sense his presence as well feeling his negative intentions due to the Joestar blood running through them. Polnareff is searching for the man who killed his sister man years ago to finally put his guilt to rest. Avdul joins due to his friendship with Joseph he has prior to the adventure. All of these bonds brought these people together and ultimately defeated Dio once and for all. As Kakyoin is dieing during the fight with Dio we learn that he lived a lonely life due to the fact he couldn't find people who had a stand like him. By joining the Stardust Crusaders he finally was able to form friendships with people who understood him. He sacrifices himself to tell the others the ability of Dio’s stand, which leaves him bleeding out with a hole in his stomach. He may have died alone, but he spent his final fifty days with people he could call his friends.
Another theme or concept that could be pulled out from this book is the definition of a good person. The main protagonist of the story is labeled by others as a delinquent due to his harsh words and overly aggressive actions towards others, but things aren’t always as they seem. His father is a famous musician who travels frequently, living Jotaro and Holly alone in a huge house. By what seems to be an absent father he is missing a key parental figure in his life, while the one who is there doesn't discipline him. Holly is extremely kind, to the point where she will act cheerful when Jotaro calls her rude names. Jotaro does deeply care for his mother despite his actions, to the point where he will travel around the world to kill a vampire with the most powerful stand in the world. He risks his life many times during their adventure to save the ones he loves without being told to. Even after Stardust Crusaders he spends his life pushing his wife and child away so they don’t get mixed up with the family drama. He continues to fight evil stand users to protect the ones he loves as well as random people. Another character that is questionable is Kakyoin. Although he is more respectful and refined than Jotaro he is more aggressive while fighting. Although Jotaro has harmed people and been petty about it he has never killed anyone besides Dio. I might be wrong, but Kakyion hasn’t killed anyone either. He fights with the intent to kill, especially with the stand user who was a baby. He comments that he plans to kill him despite him being a child, something that is pretty drastic. His death scene is also very unique compared to everyone else in the group as well. When he dies we don’t see his spirit ascend into the clouds like all the other Stardust Crusaders. Even though he sacrificed himself for a woman he barely knew he didn’t make it to heaven. He may have been kind to those around him; his moral compass may be the reason why he didn’t quite make it to heaven.
I would obviously recommend Stardust Crusaders to people who either read Jojo manga and people who have watched the anime so they can appreciate the story even more. I would also recommend it to anyone who is looking for an unpredictable story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The fights in this book aren’t just about brute strength, but about the mental ability to outsmart your opponent so that they believe they have lost. I wouldn’t recommend this book to those who haven’t seen or read the parts prior to part three. I also recommend it to those looking for a slice of life or romance novel because there is nothing like that in Stardust Crusaders. I don’t think children under the age of twelve should be reading this because there is mature language used, at least in the translation I read, as well as mature situations. Besides that I would really recommend this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2024
Nueva generación, nuevos personajes, y agregar el conceptos de Stand lo hace muy interesante, tanto por la nueva gama de habilidades, como también por la caracterización de los poderes. Es un gran arranque para la vuelta del mismísimo Dio, volviendo a los tiempos donde el malo es muy malo, y no importaba nada.
February 10, 2022
i love this french dude
December 11, 2024
If someone only has time for one JOJO, this is THE arc. Runs through 16 volumes and the buildup is masterful!!!
November 18, 2021
JoJo's Bizarre adventure is a brilliantly illustrated manga with tons of detail. There is no real theme of JoJo but it is a really fun manga with constant battle and nerve racking moments. The main idea of JoJo is a main characters mother is diagnosed with a stand that she cant fight back, she is constantly getting sick and only hAS 50 days to live. The main character and 4 other characters form a group called the stardust Crusaders to go and find Dio in Egypt and kill him to cure Jotaro's mothers curse. On their way to Egypt they have to fight constant waves of evil stand users.
December 10, 2019
I read this book as an independent reading novel for my English class. Though I was already exposed to JoJo's in the past through the show, this book gave me a new perspective on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by letting me experience its roots. Stardust Crusaders is arguably the most popular part of JoJo's to the masses, so I thought that it would be a good part to read as an introduction to the JoJo's manga. I would also like to clarify that I have watched the entirety of JoJo's and know the plot, so I am not a part-skipper. Reading the beginning of Stardust Crusaders, I developed an appreciation for the JJBA source material. The characters in this manga are well developed and I know that they keep developing in the future. It is clear to me that David Productions had their work cut out for them to make an adaptation on-parr with the original, though they did amazingly. Hirohiko Araki is, in my opinion, a literary genius whose works are instant classics for those who enjoy the genre. I definitely understand why anyone who experiences JJBA falls in love with it. Suffice to say, I loved this novel. I would definitely recommend reading it to anyone who has read/watched the parts before it.
May 31, 2016
Read this review and more at The Bohemian Housewife Blog
I'm going to be on a manga/graphic novel kick for a while. I'm checking off all the series I have on my list, and there are a LOT of them. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of my husband's favorite animes; Me being me, I had to read the manga first, even though I know they're probably pretty similar. I've seen the first few episodes and I have to agree with their similarities.
The first volume doesn't really get deep into what is going to happen, it's more of a big back story to the actual story line. There is Dio, arguably the biggest a**hole in the world. He has no real reason to be like this in my opinion, but that's just him. JoJo on the other hand, is a true 'gentleman'. He does everything he can to prove himself as one. Of course, the two clash; you can't say you didn't expect that. I feel like this was a huge set up for the plot and it moved a bit slow, but I don't have any real complaints. I can't wait to jump into volume 2! Luckily, I already grabbed it from the library.
I'm going to be on a manga/graphic novel kick for a while. I'm checking off all the series I have on my list, and there are a LOT of them. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of my husband's favorite animes; Me being me, I had to read the manga first, even though I know they're probably pretty similar. I've seen the first few episodes and I have to agree with their similarities.
The first volume doesn't really get deep into what is going to happen, it's more of a big back story to the actual story line. There is Dio, arguably the biggest a**hole in the world. He has no real reason to be like this in my opinion, but that's just him. JoJo on the other hand, is a true 'gentleman'. He does everything he can to prove himself as one. Of course, the two clash; you can't say you didn't expect that. I feel like this was a huge set up for the plot and it moved a bit slow, but I don't have any real complaints. I can't wait to jump into volume 2! Luckily, I already grabbed it from the library.
June 22, 2019
I found this volume a nice place to start my collection. After watching the anime, I couldn't just not read the manga right?
Stardust Crusaders is arguably one of the most popular parts, and for good reason. But in my opinion, you can't judge an entire series by just one volume, so make sure to read all of it before making an opinion on the entire series. I see a lot of people saying they hate it, but only read one volume. You have to have characters at their lowest to bring them up to their highest. I really enjoyed seeing how Araki's art has changed over the years and would recommend this and all of JoJo as a whole to anyone I know.
Stardust Crusaders is arguably one of the most popular parts, and for good reason. But in my opinion, you can't judge an entire series by just one volume, so make sure to read all of it before making an opinion on the entire series. I see a lot of people saying they hate it, but only read one volume. You have to have characters at their lowest to bring them up to their highest. I really enjoyed seeing how Araki's art has changed over the years and would recommend this and all of JoJo as a whole to anyone I know.
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March 3, 2023i like jojo good story good everything
May 10, 2024
I still don't understand what people see in this franchise that leads them to love it sooo much, and it's kind of hot garbage. I mean, I get why guys like it, it's all about big strong men doing crazy things for no reason where women play an extremely passive role in everything going on. But it's still so fun for some reason? And I can't really figure out why. Way more fun to read than it was to watch, but maybe it's because I didn't get past watching part two. I don't typically like unprovoked action, underlying misogyny at every turn, and a complete and utter lack of substance in my media, but I still really enjoyed this volume for some reason and I can't put my finger on why.
The manga reeks more strongly of a certain kind of 80s nerd media misogyny that I haven't caught a whiff of since I played double dragon or read Elf Quest, but even in Elf Quest the female characters hold more agency than this. I genuinely like Holly, but the author clearly has no respect for her as a character. Her bubbly tenderness and her hospitality could serve as interesting character strengths that contrast with the men in the narrative, but instead they're her "weakness" and serve as a reason to make her passive in the manner in which she contributes to the plot. A bunch of little bits like this in the early parts don't necessarily offend me personally, but the lack of power women hold in the narratives of the early JoJo parts just becomes a constant passing irritation that accumulates with each unnecessary busting top on a damsel in distress. It's an especially 80s thing, and I wonder if it will subside as I move closer to the present day in terms of composition. I want the women that I love to contribute to the epic unraveling in SOME meaningful way, but instead Araki casts them aside to only use them as victims, just like the characters do.
I mentioned Elf Quest, and this actually reminds me so much of Elf Quest it's kind of funny.
Idk this was kind of hot garbage with almost nothing going for it. Nothing happens for any real reason ever. The intergenerational conflict has like, nothing motivating it but Dio being hateful for like no reason. Hamon seems to have been completely dropped, which is sad because it was one of the only cool things about parts 1 & 2. There's no grand social commentary going on. I can't seem to pull out any interesting themes that might be being developed at all.
And yet I really enjoyed this volume?? It's so ridiculous and absurd and nothing happens for any interesting reason and yet I'm buying it? Maybe it's just that the art is gorgeous. Maybe it's just that it's super gay in weird ways. Idrk because there weren't even any classic rock references in this volume. It's just silly and fun and ironically moves faster than the anime yet is easier to follow.
I'll keep reading, and I'm excited to see how Araki's style grows and shifts with the times and with age.
The manga reeks more strongly of a certain kind of 80s nerd media misogyny that I haven't caught a whiff of since I played double dragon or read Elf Quest, but even in Elf Quest the female characters hold more agency than this. I genuinely like Holly, but the author clearly has no respect for her as a character. Her bubbly tenderness and her hospitality could serve as interesting character strengths that contrast with the men in the narrative, but instead they're her "weakness" and serve as a reason to make her passive in the manner in which she contributes to the plot. A bunch of little bits like this in the early parts don't necessarily offend me personally, but the lack of power women hold in the narratives of the early JoJo parts just becomes a constant passing irritation that accumulates with each unnecessary busting top on a damsel in distress. It's an especially 80s thing, and I wonder if it will subside as I move closer to the present day in terms of composition. I want the women that I love to contribute to the epic unraveling in SOME meaningful way, but instead Araki casts them aside to only use them as victims, just like the characters do.
I mentioned Elf Quest, and this actually reminds me so much of Elf Quest it's kind of funny.
Idk this was kind of hot garbage with almost nothing going for it. Nothing happens for any real reason ever. The intergenerational conflict has like, nothing motivating it but Dio being hateful for like no reason. Hamon seems to have been completely dropped, which is sad because it was one of the only cool things about parts 1 & 2. There's no grand social commentary going on. I can't seem to pull out any interesting themes that might be being developed at all.
And yet I really enjoyed this volume?? It's so ridiculous and absurd and nothing happens for any interesting reason and yet I'm buying it? Maybe it's just that the art is gorgeous. Maybe it's just that it's super gay in weird ways. Idrk because there weren't even any classic rock references in this volume. It's just silly and fun and ironically moves faster than the anime yet is easier to follow.
I'll keep reading, and I'm excited to see how Araki's style grows and shifts with the times and with age.
November 16, 2020
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is a manga created by Hirohiko Araki. As you might guess, there are more parts to this saga but this review is going to focus on part 3 because it is a major story part that influences the entire rest of the parts.
The story follows the adventure of Jotaro Kujo, Jonathan Joestar, Noriaki Kakoyin, Mohammed Avdol, and Jean-Pierre Polnareff as they travel from Japan to Egypt to kill the main antagonist of the story, Dio Brando. The story starts off with Joseph getting Jotaro out of jail with Avdol, the problem is, Jotaro refuses to leave because he feels that he is a danger to society due to the fact that he has what is Known as a stand. A stand is a physical manifestation of a spirit that has a variety of powers to assist in combat and other things. He cannot fully control his stand well yet because he does not understand that it is a part of him and so, it acts on its own, mostly fetching things for Jotaro but also making sure he stays alive. He demonstrates this by having it steal a police officer’s gun and then firing it at his own head, only for the stand to catch the bullet
After Jotaro is convinced to leave the prison, Joseph explains what the stand is and then tells Jotaro about where they must go. Jotaro refuses at first but then, his mother becomes “sick” because she also inherited a stand. She becomes sick because she does not have the mental strength to control it at all. Jotaro then agrees to go on the adventure to help kill Dio, as he is the cause of them getting stands.
Overall I enjoyed reading this manga, it was very entertaining because it had a good balance of taking itself seriously and joking around so it didn’t get too heavy. I could feel the action as I was reading it and I got immersed into it very quickly. Other than a death that didn’t get an homage to the deceased person, I did not dislike much at all. Someone who likes action and humor would like this very much.
The story follows the adventure of Jotaro Kujo, Jonathan Joestar, Noriaki Kakoyin, Mohammed Avdol, and Jean-Pierre Polnareff as they travel from Japan to Egypt to kill the main antagonist of the story, Dio Brando. The story starts off with Joseph getting Jotaro out of jail with Avdol, the problem is, Jotaro refuses to leave because he feels that he is a danger to society due to the fact that he has what is Known as a stand. A stand is a physical manifestation of a spirit that has a variety of powers to assist in combat and other things. He cannot fully control his stand well yet because he does not understand that it is a part of him and so, it acts on its own, mostly fetching things for Jotaro but also making sure he stays alive. He demonstrates this by having it steal a police officer’s gun and then firing it at his own head, only for the stand to catch the bullet
After Jotaro is convinced to leave the prison, Joseph explains what the stand is and then tells Jotaro about where they must go. Jotaro refuses at first but then, his mother becomes “sick” because she also inherited a stand. She becomes sick because she does not have the mental strength to control it at all. Jotaro then agrees to go on the adventure to help kill Dio, as he is the cause of them getting stands.
Overall I enjoyed reading this manga, it was very entertaining because it had a good balance of taking itself seriously and joking around so it didn’t get too heavy. I could feel the action as I was reading it and I got immersed into it very quickly. Other than a death that didn’t get an homage to the deceased person, I did not dislike much at all. Someone who likes action and humor would like this very much.
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February 7, 2020Stardusts Crusaders is one of my favorite parts out of all 8 parts in The Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure series, Stardust Crusaders being the third.
The plot of the manga follows Jotaro Kujo, who is being “attacked” by a powerful evil spirit monster that only he can see. This soon is to be interpreted by his grandfather, Joseph Joestar as an extension of himself called a “Stand” that he needs to learn how to control. He is very stubborn, but is a very strong protagonist, hidden behind all of his edge is a kind, caring 17 year old who loves his mother and cares about the people around him. Like the other main characters, Jotaro is accompanied on a journey to defeat Dio, with numerous other characters such as: Joseph Joestar, Muhammad Avdol, Noriaki Kakyoin, Jean-Pierre Polnareff, and Iggy. They have to defeat Dio, to weaken Jotaro’s Mom’s stand that’s attacking her. They all have unique personalities, and their own stands. Their stand abilities are vastly different on how they can be used. Some can be useful in a fight, some are only needed in certain situations. Leading up to the great battle with Dio, they fight different stand users in Bizarre situations. Some things in it are basic, or some villain fights are boring, but that’s the only bad thing I have to say about it. There are a couple plot holes, too. Like, if Holly’s (Jotaro’s mom) stand was weaken to save her, why weren’t the rest of the crusader’s, villains and future characters stands weakened?
The story keeps going on through generations, and all main characters have “Jo” in the first part of their name, the reason why it is called Jojo’s Bizarre adventure. It really reeled me in with the great artwork and compelling story. 8/10 would recommend to people who enjoy action-horror adventure comics
The plot of the manga follows Jotaro Kujo, who is being “attacked” by a powerful evil spirit monster that only he can see. This soon is to be interpreted by his grandfather, Joseph Joestar as an extension of himself called a “Stand” that he needs to learn how to control. He is very stubborn, but is a very strong protagonist, hidden behind all of his edge is a kind, caring 17 year old who loves his mother and cares about the people around him. Like the other main characters, Jotaro is accompanied on a journey to defeat Dio, with numerous other characters such as: Joseph Joestar, Muhammad Avdol, Noriaki Kakyoin, Jean-Pierre Polnareff, and Iggy. They have to defeat Dio, to weaken Jotaro’s Mom’s stand that’s attacking her. They all have unique personalities, and their own stands. Their stand abilities are vastly different on how they can be used. Some can be useful in a fight, some are only needed in certain situations. Leading up to the great battle with Dio, they fight different stand users in Bizarre situations. Some things in it are basic, or some villain fights are boring, but that’s the only bad thing I have to say about it. There are a couple plot holes, too. Like, if Holly’s (Jotaro’s mom) stand was weaken to save her, why weren’t the rest of the crusader’s, villains and future characters stands weakened?
The story keeps going on through generations, and all main characters have “Jo” in the first part of their name, the reason why it is called Jojo’s Bizarre adventure. It really reeled me in with the great artwork and compelling story. 8/10 would recommend to people who enjoy action-horror adventure comics
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2020
best jojo part this isnt even an opinion im just right since the emotion and everything else is just 11/10. dio is so iconic and amazing, jotaro as well (best boy). the emotions you felt for characters that died like kakyoin, avdol, and iggy. truly well written, and the final battle with dio was one of the best fights in shounen. just stardust crusaders makes jojo my all time favourite manga/anime/show. truly an amazing part. i cant even say in detail how good it is, its just too good for words to explain. jotaro's character development throughout the parts is very impressive but in just stardust crusaders without much development his personality is so unique and whoever says he doesnt care for anyone hasnt payed any attention to his character whatsoever. he may swear and yell but he just doesnt know how to show his emotions properly so he pushes people away. as shown in the scene where holly is about to get up to make dinner for him, he tells her to lay back down and rest since she isnt feeling well. also when dio mocks him about joseph's "death" he clearly gets agitated even when joseph told him to not do anything reckless no matter what dio said or did. in holly's flashbacks of young jotaro in the beginning of stardust crusaders, it shows him as a nice sweet person because he is! his stand star platinum also has the most beautiful design of all the stands in my opinion. overall, this part is magnificent and there will never be something else like it. irreplaceable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2021
Man, if there is one thing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as a series is valuable for, it's this: it will teach you how to suspend your disbelief and get lost in this over-the-top world.
This is a supremely creative series. There is nothing else like this. This series is funny and beautifully-drawn. For me personally, the pacing lags a bit as we get through each Stand User and eventually I started thinking to myself, "Meh, nobody's going to die until we get to the Big Bad," which isn't THAT big of a problem since it is indeed really cool to see all the creative things all the different Stand Users can do, but, still, it does keep the stakes pretty low. ...until they EXPLODE with the final climactic battle, at which point, yeah, this is an action-packed masterpiece.
A great example of International Friend Ensemble Cast. I love the distinct and memorable relationships and dialogue and character interactions.
This is a supremely creative series. There is nothing else like this. This series is funny and beautifully-drawn. For me personally, the pacing lags a bit as we get through each Stand User and eventually I started thinking to myself, "Meh, nobody's going to die until we get to the Big Bad," which isn't THAT big of a problem since it is indeed really cool to see all the creative things all the different Stand Users can do, but, still, it does keep the stakes pretty low. ...until they EXPLODE with the final climactic battle, at which point, yeah, this is an action-packed masterpiece.
A great example of International Friend Ensemble Cast. I love the distinct and memorable relationships and dialogue and character interactions.
February 14, 2020
I’ve never read a manga before, so this review is pretty brutal unfortunately but i have to get it out there. This book was wild, not unlike its title but almost a bit too much so. Now, having nothing to compare it to is really unfair so I do recognize that my exposure is so limited that it’s hard to form a reasonable opinion. I read this cover to cover, and given its popularity had to check it out for myself.
Mostly my low rating is due to my ignorance and lack of knowledge of manga, and so it’s my downfall.
I did however want to branch out of my typical reading habits and try something different.
The story is so nuts that it’s hard for me to grasp even though I enjoy fantasy and sci-fi novels but I’m glad I read it, even if it was a bit bizarre.
Mostly my low rating is due to my ignorance and lack of knowledge of manga, and so it’s my downfall.
I did however want to branch out of my typical reading habits and try something different.
The story is so nuts that it’s hard for me to grasp even though I enjoy fantasy and sci-fi novels but I’m glad I read it, even if it was a bit bizarre.
July 20, 2021
3 estrellas.
Un nuevo comienzo para la familia Joestar en esta nueva saga.
Esta nueva parte para mi está siendo un poco pesada, en algunos puntos, en otros está siendo super rápido, aunque algo que me causa un poco de molestia, y no sé si sea spoiler, pero por el momento no se ha mencionado nada del hamon, puede que lo toquen más adelante, pero por el momento es algo que fue muy importante en anteriores sagas y ahora está siendo de lado.
Jotaro me parece un personaje, al igual que sus antecesores, que no me está cayendo bien al inicio, se que necesito ver como es que se desarrolla en los siguientes volúmenes, pero por el momento no está siendo mi favorito, se que después puede que diga todo lo contrario.
Un nuevo comienzo para la familia Joestar en esta nueva saga.
Esta nueva parte para mi está siendo un poco pesada, en algunos puntos, en otros está siendo super rápido, aunque algo que me causa un poco de molestia, y no sé si sea spoiler, pero por el momento no se ha mencionado nada del hamon, puede que lo toquen más adelante, pero por el momento es algo que fue muy importante en anteriores sagas y ahora está siendo de lado.
Jotaro me parece un personaje, al igual que sus antecesores, que no me está cayendo bien al inicio, se que necesito ver como es que se desarrolla en los siguientes volúmenes, pero por el momento no está siendo mi favorito, se que después puede que diga todo lo contrario.
August 23, 2021
JOJO's deserves a 5 star. The amount of drastic changes which happen throughout the story are really well done, and does not break continuity. It literally goes from an English man fighting an evil vampire to an African-American Priest resetting the universe to a paralyzed man fighting the 23rd president of the United States. The story is so wacky and 'Bizarre', yet everything still makes sense. The character design is also amazing. Each character has their own backstory, with an interesting motive. The art style is also entrancing, as each part changes its style. Jojo's is overall a very solid manga. Also check out the anime, its really good too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2020
Honestly, I love Jojo but I didn't enjoy Part 3 as much as the other parts. With the exception of the final battles, the majority of the series had the same old stand-of-the-week formula, which would have been fine because Part 4 also has countless minor antagonists, but many of the stands were very uninteresting (e.g. The Sun, Wheel Of Fortune, Khnum). Honestly, the last four major battles are probably what saved me from giving it a two-star. Alas, we also must appreciate the great wealth of memes such as the Kakyoin-MILF-Hunter memes and the Joseph-Avdol-( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) memes.
July 14, 2025
Similar to Steel Ball Run, I’m just going to comment on the entire Stardust Crusaders arc in a single review. Reading an arc of Jojo’s (or any manga really) is pretty much the equivalent of a novel.
This is the part of Jojo’s that made me fall in love with the series. It is longer than it should be, which is why it isn’t perfect in my opinion. But Jotaro is my favorite Jojo and Dio is the most iconic villain in perhaps all of manga/anime. Great cast of characters and a fun journey to experience.
This is the part of Jojo’s that made me fall in love with the series. It is longer than it should be, which is why it isn’t perfect in my opinion. But Jotaro is my favorite Jojo and Dio is the most iconic villain in perhaps all of manga/anime. Great cast of characters and a fun journey to experience.
December 27, 2017
Este fue el primer manga que leí en la vida y la experiencia fue muy buena. Lo pude entender a pesar que es como el primero de la tercera parte!
Me enganchó e interesó totalmente la historia, no puedo esperar para hacerme con los demás volúmenes (aunque ya no sé si con las dos partes anteriores o seguir con esta tercera).
Me encantó el ritmo llevado para contar la historia, totalmente recomendado!
Me enganchó e interesó totalmente la historia, no puedo esperar para hacerme con los demás volúmenes (aunque ya no sé si con las dos partes anteriores o seguir con esta tercera).
Me encantó el ritmo llevado para contar la historia, totalmente recomendado!
September 22, 2025
Amateur delinquent Jotaro has only just learned that the strange being haunting him is a Stand, an extension of one's life force, when his grandfather Joseph reveals a terrifying twist of their family legacy - one that will threaten the Joestar lineage, and place a timer on his mother's life! Araki brings fans an exciting new arc, an invigorating entry brimming with promise and action. What has awoken in the Joestar blood, and how will it alter the fate of their family...?
December 19, 2019
I'm going with a changeup here. From now on, I'll be reviewing individual volumes of Jojo as collected in the Japanese tankobon, instead of the recent omnibus-style releases. Additionally, I will be reading the fan-colored version of Jojo. By the time I finish Stardust Crusaders I will be out of official translations anyway, so might as well make the jump now. That way I can enjoy full color manga and more frequent review now, rather than later.
The translation for the colored manga is largely consistent with Viz's. Where it does stray, it tends to be worse. There are more typo's as well. But the slight drop in localization is well worth it for the sheer majesty that is Jojo in color. Where Berserk lives in black and white, Jojo comes to life in color. I've tried to get into colored manga in the past with a fan coloring of One Piece, but I quickly realized that I prefer the black and white version of that series. But with Jojo, it's not even a comparison. Maybe there are a variety smaller factors that influenced my decision. I'm reading Jojo for the first time when my attempt at colored One Piece was a reread. Maybe the coloring is just better done in Jojo. But I think there's more at play. Jojo is a series about the bold, striking, and bizarre. It's offbeat in just about every regard. But it is also brazenly confident in that strangeness. Just look at the costume designs, or the poses. Even in scenes when the characters aren't blatantly striking a flamboyant pose, the way their bodies are positioned values form over function. Anatomy is often defied for the sake of visual appeal, or at the very least standing out. Similarly battles are solved through strange means, with icicle ropes, sneaky knots, and self-immolation. Such a series is only going to pop more with addition of color. Araki's art has improved without a doubt. But color takes things to the next level.
Anywy, Stardust Crusaders knows how to start things off on the right foot. I had a couple of concerns going in. The first was things having to start again from scratch. Were we going to get tons of chapters establishing the stakes, a new cast of characters, and so on. But the sheer efficiency that Araki displays in establishing characters by showing over telling, while also setting up the story for this part is amazing. While Joseph is coming to see Jotaro to discuss the return of Dio, Jotaro is using his stand powers to steal stuff. Simultaneously, we are having the goal established, the new power system demonstrated, and Jotaro's personality illustrated. And it's all done with enough style and deftness that we don't even realize how information dense the first couple of chapter really are.
My other concern was with Jotaro himself. I didn't know much about the character, but I knew he was an angry white asshole. Which is not the kind of character I enjoy. But everything comes down to execution. And Jotaro's character is executed wonderfully. We're not supposed to think he's cool or right to be pissed off. We see that he's mean to the immensely lovable Joseph and Holly, both of whom just melt my heart. Joseph berates him for this and tells Holly not to reward Jotaro, but she just can't help herself. He's still that little baby in her eyes. Meanwhile Jotaro tries to hide from moments of genuine emotion by acting tough and aloof, but has caring moments, such as when Holly is sick. I love how it's almost a rule that if a Joestar lives to be over 35 they turn into the most wholesome people, and all of the Jojo's are big momma's boys. These little things hit me harder and give the Joestar family a kind of realism that more grandiose writing is incapable of. In such a short amount of time, I have already become so endeared to this family.
Dio's return feels ominous, even though I knew it was coming before I started the series. He's so far removed and mysterious that he works as a villain outside of the surprise factor. We know he's out there somewhere, anybody could be working for him, and the squad's got 50 days to track him down. Hiding his face in shadow was also a clever move, making him feel inaccessible and unknown. All we get to see are glimpse of Jonathan's stolen body, which paints the conclusion of Phantom Blood in a different light. Instead of the original battle between pure good and evil ending in a heroic sacrifice, we find out that Jonathan died in vain. Such a pure good boy, he did his best. It's fun to imagine how he'd handle Jotaro if he were still around.
Stands are another good idea. They give Araki the freedom to use whatever powers he wants, without having to come up with an explanations like how hamon can effect stuff because the hat was made of wool or because Joseph carries around vegetable oil for such an occasion. Instead it's just "fuck it, Joseph's power is that he karate chops a camera to see stuff". Araki introducing stands feels like Rock Lee dropping the weights (that makes 2 references to this moment in a few days!). And thanks to the expert storytelling, we are quickly off on a quest to fight a bunch of stand users without feeling rushed into things. I'm still kind of unclear why some people have stands and some don't. And I don't remember it being explained that people become injured when their stands do. But those are small issues.
Alright, I'm going to cut myself off here!
The translation for the colored manga is largely consistent with Viz's. Where it does stray, it tends to be worse. There are more typo's as well. But the slight drop in localization is well worth it for the sheer majesty that is Jojo in color. Where Berserk lives in black and white, Jojo comes to life in color. I've tried to get into colored manga in the past with a fan coloring of One Piece, but I quickly realized that I prefer the black and white version of that series. But with Jojo, it's not even a comparison. Maybe there are a variety smaller factors that influenced my decision. I'm reading Jojo for the first time when my attempt at colored One Piece was a reread. Maybe the coloring is just better done in Jojo. But I think there's more at play. Jojo is a series about the bold, striking, and bizarre. It's offbeat in just about every regard. But it is also brazenly confident in that strangeness. Just look at the costume designs, or the poses. Even in scenes when the characters aren't blatantly striking a flamboyant pose, the way their bodies are positioned values form over function. Anatomy is often defied for the sake of visual appeal, or at the very least standing out. Similarly battles are solved through strange means, with icicle ropes, sneaky knots, and self-immolation. Such a series is only going to pop more with addition of color. Araki's art has improved without a doubt. But color takes things to the next level.
Anywy, Stardust Crusaders knows how to start things off on the right foot. I had a couple of concerns going in. The first was things having to start again from scratch. Were we going to get tons of chapters establishing the stakes, a new cast of characters, and so on. But the sheer efficiency that Araki displays in establishing characters by showing over telling, while also setting up the story for this part is amazing. While Joseph is coming to see Jotaro to discuss the return of Dio, Jotaro is using his stand powers to steal stuff. Simultaneously, we are having the goal established, the new power system demonstrated, and Jotaro's personality illustrated. And it's all done with enough style and deftness that we don't even realize how information dense the first couple of chapter really are.
My other concern was with Jotaro himself. I didn't know much about the character, but I knew he was an angry white asshole. Which is not the kind of character I enjoy. But everything comes down to execution. And Jotaro's character is executed wonderfully. We're not supposed to think he's cool or right to be pissed off. We see that he's mean to the immensely lovable Joseph and Holly, both of whom just melt my heart. Joseph berates him for this and tells Holly not to reward Jotaro, but she just can't help herself. He's still that little baby in her eyes. Meanwhile Jotaro tries to hide from moments of genuine emotion by acting tough and aloof, but has caring moments, such as when Holly is sick. I love how it's almost a rule that if a Joestar lives to be over 35 they turn into the most wholesome people, and all of the Jojo's are big momma's boys. These little things hit me harder and give the Joestar family a kind of realism that more grandiose writing is incapable of. In such a short amount of time, I have already become so endeared to this family.
Dio's return feels ominous, even though I knew it was coming before I started the series. He's so far removed and mysterious that he works as a villain outside of the surprise factor. We know he's out there somewhere, anybody could be working for him, and the squad's got 50 days to track him down. Hiding his face in shadow was also a clever move, making him feel inaccessible and unknown. All we get to see are glimpse of Jonathan's stolen body, which paints the conclusion of Phantom Blood in a different light. Instead of the original battle between pure good and evil ending in a heroic sacrifice, we find out that Jonathan died in vain. Such a pure good boy, he did his best. It's fun to imagine how he'd handle Jotaro if he were still around.
Stands are another good idea. They give Araki the freedom to use whatever powers he wants, without having to come up with an explanations like how hamon can effect stuff because the hat was made of wool or because Joseph carries around vegetable oil for such an occasion. Instead it's just "fuck it, Joseph's power is that he karate chops a camera to see stuff". Araki introducing stands feels like Rock Lee dropping the weights (that makes 2 references to this moment in a few days!). And thanks to the expert storytelling, we are quickly off on a quest to fight a bunch of stand users without feeling rushed into things. I'm still kind of unclear why some people have stands and some don't. And I don't remember it being explained that people become injured when their stands do. But those are small issues.
Alright, I'm going to cut myself off here!
June 4, 2020
Amazing story with interesting and likable characters, if there is one character you dislike, your feelings about the said character will probably be overshadowed by your feelings of another character since the characters are incredibly good and everyone has their favorite characters in this book. The plot is also very simple and precise and the action parts of the book are drawn amazingly.
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