A Vampire's Unfair Circumstance

Update please we paid for it man !!!

This story is beautiful .... I am loving it so far ...️.

JoJo Part 2 is undoubtedly an exhilarating ride. Regardless of whether you take this part seriously, it's undeniable that it's incredibly entertaining. The madness and its exploration in the best possible ways are what make this part unique. Moreover, it further diversifies the franchise's writing since Part 1. While Part 1 serves as a good introduction to the franchise and is far better than people give it credit for, Part 2 elevates the charm established in Part 1 to another level.

What is Battle Tendency? It's the part that follows Phantom Blood. After the death of Jonathan Joestar and the supposed "defeat" of Dio Brando, Erina became a Joestar and took great care of Lisa Lisa and George Joestar II, who eventually cared for Joseph Joestar until George passed away, leading to Lisa Lisa leaving the family while Erina continued to raise Joseph. Speedwagon now owns a company with the goal of exploring the Pillar Men, the inventors of the stone masks. Joseph remains largely unaware until he faces his first opponent, which leads him to discover the Pillar Men alongside the Speedwagon Foundation. This part is more substantial compared to Part 1 because whereas Part 1 portrays the stone mask as a cursed and mysterious decoration, Part 2 finally reveals how the stone masks are made.

That’s not the only thing that makes Part 2 special; it also excels in worldbuilding. From New York to Mexico to Italy, the journey involves finding clues and battling unique foes in each location, adding depth to the franchise's adventure aspect. We see how Joseph likes to fool around but must progress from place to place to solve each problem alongside his sidekicks. It gives the progression more life by presenting how scenarios are executed from point A to point B. Even as a battle Shounen, it excels at mystery-solving. Notice how Joseph uses Hamon, arguably not as potent as Jonathan’s, yet is more strategic in fighting by finding creative tactics. Not only does he utilize Hamon uniquely but also finds available resources to compensate for a lack of strong punch. While some tactics might be off-putting, they contribute to great fight scenes, both in style and substance.

Another element the series handles well is extending the Joestar bloodline. Its portrayal is tragically beautiful. George II was a great soldier married to Lisa Lisa. Both were loving partners despite Lisa Lisa training hard to master Hamon. However, George II was killed by the last zombie created by Dio, forcing Lisa Lisa to risk killing the zombie, temporarily turning her into a wanted person. She had no choice but to abandon Joseph to protect his reputation. Can you imagine the tragedy? Lisa Lisa wants to be a loving mother but faces consequences that force her to leave her son for his protection. Despite some issues, this portrayal is compelling.

The same cannot be said for the Zeppeli bloodline, however. It's nice to see more extension, especially with a good backstory, but it feels underutilized. We only get glimpses of its significance. It’s understandable that the Zeppeli bloodline ends here, but it could have been explored more deeply. Treating it as a mere plot device seems disrespectful.

Now, let's discuss the characters. Starting with Joseph, the second JoJo and a professional trickster, Caesar, the bubble-making avenger, and Lisa Lisa, the mentor and mother figure to Joseph. Joseph is an excellent character. He's fun to watch and a genius when strategizing. He doesn't rely solely on powers; he finds other ways to win fights. His chemistry with any character, especially Caesar, makes him stand out. However, some of his tricks are absurd and can be considered deus ex machina. Examples include the grenade trick and countering Kars in the final fight. While JoJo isn't meant to be taken seriously, these tricks can still feel too ridiculous. Nonetheless, Joseph is still a great character.

Caesar is decent. His chemistry with Joseph is the best part about his character, but beyond that, he lacks development. His history with his family and motivations aren't fully explored. He can also be hypocritical for the wrong reasons. Lisa Lisa is disappointing. Her dark history with the Joestar bloodline and her role as a main mentor are intriguing, but in the later parts of the story, she becomes more of a damsel in distress. She shows little of her true capabilities, which is unfortunate.

The side characters shine as they exhibit more character depth than the main sidekicks, especially Stroheim, despite his troubled past and actions. However, the Pillar Men are the weakest part of the cast. Satana introduces us to the concept of the Pillar Men but lacks depth. Wamuu is an exception, as he's an honorable warrior who fights fairly. Although his characterization is limited, he's still a good villain. Esidisi is annoying, overly expressive with emotions, and contributes little. Kars is okay. He has a compelling backstory but lacks the charm of Dio. Often, he comes across as a Gary Stu. Kars seeks power without any unique features setting him apart.

Lastly, the finale of Battle Tendency is relatively weak. Sure, seeing Kars transform into the ultimate lifeform looks awesome, but it's more spectacle than substance. The plane fight, while impressive on paper, lacks depth. It makes sense that Joseph has to evade Kars, but there aren’t many contrasts between them besides hitting a mark nicely. It gets worse during the volcano scene. How did Joseph manage to brute force Kars out of the Earth? Even within the series' standards, it doesn't make sense unless considering the Red Stone as hyperreactive and unstable energy.

The art, similar to Part 1, has aged well. It adds detail and expression to both the environment and the cast. Fashion choices are even better here.

Battle Tendency is enjoyable in many ways. It’s wild yet engaging enough to remain entertaining—for the most part. The story and worldbuilding are strong, and the characters are charming. However, this part falls short of being a masterpiece. Even if it intentionally avoids seriousness, inconsistencies can feel jarring. Some characters are underdeveloped, and some strategies could use more elaboration. Nonetheless, if Part 1 isn’t satisfying, Part 2 is a worthy step up.

DISCLAIMER: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is an ongoing series with 7 complete parts and one currently in progress. It's crucial to note that this isn't a single story divided into parts but rather 8 distinct stories within the same universe, following the Joestar lineage, sharing similar elements, plot points, and sometimes motivations.

Because of this, my review and others for JoJo will use a unique rating system specific to JoJo, designed to be beginner-friendly and illustrate whether it's worth investing in the series and how each part compares to others.

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If Phantom Blood drew inspiration from Fist of the North Star for its art style, Battle Tendency does so for its story. Despite being only slightly longer than Phantom Blood, it contains far more plot and enjoyable moments.

Set 50 years after the events of Phantom Blood, we follow our second Joestar hero, Joseph Joestar, as he learns the Ripple to fight ancient superhuman threats awakened by Nazis.

Yes, you read that correctly; much like Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency is essentially a high-quality B-movie in manga form.

Once again, we see Ripple/Hamon users breathing their way to victory, one puff at a time. However, this time the Ripple is used to its fullest potential. If you wondered "why don't they just do __" during Phantom Blood, rest assured that this time they probably will. It's extremely fun to witness the creative tactics Joseph and Caesar employ to win, and speaking of creativity...

Battle Tendency is wild.

It's not just wild; it's insane.

The Ripple is utilized in incredibly ingenious ways to secure victory, and the Pillar Men, the antagonists of this part, are giant, muscular half-naked men with various powers, including heating their bodies so much that throwing their blood causes things to melt.

And let's not forget about the Nazis and a Nazi Cyborg who also feature prominently.

The art is a slight improvement over Phantom Blood, easier to follow, and due to the previously mentioned insanity, the quirky art style actually enhances the series quite well this time around.

Both Joseph Joestar and Caesar Zeppeli are fantastic protagonists with great chemistry. Joseph always has a trick up his sleeve to adapt to situations (or run away), while Caesar is persistent and strives to train and win.

The villains are also highly charismatic and beloved by fans, and they truly deserve that admiration. They are akin to Fist of the North Star bosses, with supernatural abilities complementing their martial arts, and the final villain delivers an awe-inspiring fight.

Overall, Battle Tendency is a significant improvement over Phantom Blood in every aspect, a definite recommendation if you're looking for a solid battle manga, and it genuinely rewards readers for enduring Part 1. The finale is incredibly memorable, especially considering it spans only 7 volumes, which deserves considerable praise.

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It's a straightforward story.  

Part 1 of JoJo is quite distinct from this one. The focus here is primarily on its main character rather than its villain. The ensemble of characters orbits around Joseph and the narrative, unlike in Part 1, where it felt like everything revolved around Dio and his malevolent plans, which made Jonathan seem underwhelming as a character from a writing perspective.  

On top of that, he was already a somewhat "boring" archetype to begin with, so he was at a disadvantage right from the start.  

Here, though, we see a complete turnaround. Joseph grabs your attention right from the beginning, and his strategies, courage, and even his meme-worthy moments (yes, indeed) keep you hooked—forever, really. He remains my favorite JoJo for good reason. Part 2 is an ABSOLUTE MUST-READ.  

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<p>"Battle Tendency" is a work that, after chapter 18, feels like a mental trick from Araki and might be rated as low as 1/10 overall. However, what about the chapters crafted with care directly by Araki? Those chapters are undoubtedly the pinnacle of manga and rank as the second best in literature due to their sheer fun, uniqueness, bizarreness, complexity, density, and quality. Indeed, reading these chapters is akin to diving into one of those classic literary masterpieces. But here's the twist: it surpasses them. Why? Because unlike some of those overrated classics, this is meticulously crafted, offering top-notch entertainment while genuinely enriching or at least satisfying the reader with its high-quality content. These chapters are the sole reason I rate this manga a 7/10.</p>

Story - 9  
This is an extraordinary sequence. Alongside introducing a fresh narrative style, it's executed impeccably and cohesively. Naturally, everything unfolds as a sequence, presenting a more expansive and refined version of Part 1.  

Art - 10  
JoJo at its finest. The artwork radiates charisma with timeless linework, featuring almost no poorly crafted or disproportionate illustrations. It's truly remarkable.  

Character - 9  
Although some characters are less memorable, the majority are outstanding and brimming with charm, as well as being thoroughly developed. Joseph remains the quintessential JoJo to this day, and his allies are incredibly captivating and well-written.  

Enjoyment - 9  
Highly entertaining to read and follow, it may lack the grandeur of entire arcs from Part 1, but it still delivers engaging storylines with certain sections feeling somewhat prolonged.  

Overall - 9  
A superb installment, showcasing one of the best JoJos, a compelling and charismatic plot. The manga is exceptionally enjoyable and so much more... It's truly exceptional.

Part 1 took place in 19th Century England, while Part 2 was set in the late 1930s, just before World War II, spanning from America to Italy. In Part 1, Jonathan Joestar, the first Jojo, was a noble gentleman. In Part 2, Joseph Joestar, the second Jojo and Jonathan's grandson, was a hot-headed, smart, and talented kid who could use Hamon special techniques without training. He loved comics, and it caught my eye that he had a Superman comic in his hands during a flight scene on a plane. By the way, Jonathan and Joseph look visually identical.

I didn't enjoy Part 2 as much as Part 1 because Part 1 had a purely evil villain named Dio, and the ending was bittersweet. I prefer villains with no trace of goodness, and I actually like bad endings more than anything, but a sour ending was close enough to win my sympathy. The naive elements in Part 2 bothered me more for some reason. The villains were larger-than-life: Santana, Wamuu, Esidisi, and their master Kars, known as the Four Pillar Men. These Pillar Men were god-like beings, each with their own special powers, making them bigger threats than Part 1's villain, Dio, who was "just" a vampire. After all, each installment needs to be bigger, and some of the villains in Part 2 had a sense of honor, which made them less appealing to me compared to the purely evil Dio.

The Stone Mask from Part 1 is connected to the Pillar Men, by the way.

Do the names Dio, Esidisi, and Zeppeli sound familiar? If you're into Rock and Metal music, they should. These names are inspired by none other than the famous Metal band Dio, AC/DC (Esidisi), and the Rock band Led Zeppelin (Zeppeli). Mangaka Hirohiko Araki is a Rock and Metal music enthusiast, just like many of his readers, including myself.

Jojo Parts 1 and 2 aren't for everyone. If you can endure or even enjoy some naivety, such as characters falling for half an hour and fights continuing mid-fall, or the outrageously naive ways they survive falls, Joseph's battle strategies, Caesar's bubbles, etc., then you might like Jojo Parts 1 and 2. I started reading Jojo because people said it got really good with Part 3: Stardust Crusaders, so I continued reading in anticipation of better parts. I'm currently waiting for Part 3 to be fully published in English so I can read it from start to finish without long breaks.