JoJo: Phantom Blood Spoiler-Free Review

Pure Good versus Pure Evil, a perfect blend of drama and action combat while portraying the themes of good vs evil, sacrifice and justice.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood marks the beginning of a massively well known franchise, displaying the iconic origin of Dio Brando and the righteous but naive Jonathan Joestar. The story begins with George Joestar, Jonathan’s father who gets caught in an accident in which he believes an elderly passerby saved his life. Little did George know, the man was a conniving thief who wanted nothing more than to rob his unconscious body. Several years pass and believing he owed a debt to the old man, George adopts his son, Dio Brando. The naive and weak but high-spirited Jonathan welcomes Dio in friendly arms but Dio wants nothing of the sort. Dio seeks to turn Jonathan’s life into a catastrophe but also has something far more sinister in motion. Jonathan must put an end to Dio’s schemes and reveal them to his father before it’s too late.

Phantom Blood displays a far more serious tone than anything that comes in the later parts of the franchise. With the nine episode runtime, the series is heavily plot driven requiring the need for simple and straightforward characters, Jonathan as the pure good and Dio as pure evil. While the two characters don’t have much progression, they are masterfully developed through the many choices they make on their journey. They are sharply contrasted by how they acquire their powers, and the sacrifices they must make. Dio receives powers from external sources whereas Jonathan must struggle to master techniques and abilities. While Jonathan must put everything on the line to defeat Dio, Dio has absolutely nothing to lose. The hero is consistently tested through heartbreak and turmoil, but it is exactly that which makes him stronger, far stronger than anything Dio can hope to be. Whatever the outcome of their final showdown, it is made abundantly clear that the one who places the entire world over himself will inevitably succeed.

I rate this anime 8/10.