A manga series written by Hirohiko Araki first published in 1987 in Weekly Shonen Jump, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure has become one of the most popular anime and manga franchises to exist. I don't have to tell you this, unless you haven't used the internet in like... 10 years, you probably at least know of Jojo's. If you haven't used the internet in 10 years, or live under a really large rock, here's a brief run-down.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is an action-adventure series inspired by the likes of Fist of the North Star. Each part follows a different 'Jojo' on a... bizarre adventure. The titular Jojo will get up to antics, make friends, people will die, they will save the world, and all they will get for it is trauma and a continuation of the cycle. I think it's a wonderful series, and one that is also very impactful. For as simple as the premise sounds, a lot of strange and unique things about it are what really makes it stand out as a series, and why so many poeple like it. It's interesting in part because of its weirdness and Araki's ability to suspend your disbelief for just long enough to go "yeah, I guess this is happening now."

The cultural impact of JJBA has been... very widespread. Even before getting into the series, I can think of countless memes that I had seen all over the Internet, and passed the manga and figures every time I went to the local bookstore. Most of my pre-reading experience came from my friends, who loved to torment me by telling me things that occured without any further context. Stuff like stand powers, weird things that happened, or just specific character quirks they found funny were the subject of MANY conversations. The same people who got me into Dragon Ball got me into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, So you have them to blame for why I am like this about multiple pieces of media.

Jojo's have been something my friends have been recommending me for literal years. Since 2020, I've had at least one friend telling me that I would really enjoy it, but I always avoided actually reading it because... well. Of course I would like it. I knew this, and also knew I'd get really fucking annoying about it, and felt bad about the idea of subjecting my friends to that. In late 2024 I finally caved, and started reading Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood. I was instantly hooked. It has effectively taken over my life. Not a day has gone by lately where I haven't thought about this stupid fucking series. I needed an outlet for my love of Jojo's, so I wasn't exclusively talking my friends ears off, and now here we are.

My love for Jojo's also feels a tad... predictable. I love manga about fighting, and I love stories about cycles of trauma and the burden of responsibility. The series talks about way more than just that, but it's part of what has so endeared me to the series. How can you not love these protagonists, who are forced to fight when they never asked for it? How can you not root for them, while also mourning the path they have been forced to walk? The burden these characters are forced to shoulder at such young ages is, in large part, what draws me to the series. I too have been 15, 17, 19, and now 20, in a world that felt too big and scary, dealing with a world of problems that feel too overwhelming to consider. Them continuing to live and fight is, in all honesty, a very powerful reminder to keep going.

This series has made me feel fucking Crazy. Capital C Crazy. I love it dearly, and I hope that you leave this shrine feeling some of that love.