Is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read
Quick Answer
Yes — if you've got patience for a series that gets better as it goes. JoJo is one of the most creative and influential action manga ever made, built on bizarre powers and fights you win with your brain, not just your fists. The catch is that it's nine parts long and the early ones are the weakest, so where you start matters.
Quick Verdict
“Few manga are this inventive or this influential — and once Stands enter the picture, almost nothing else fights like it.”
Best for: Readers who want wild creativity, clever fights, and a series they can sink years into.
Not for: Readers who want realistic art, a single continuous story, or fights decided by raw strength.
- Type
- Manga
- Genres
- Action, Supernatural
- Status
- Ongoing
- This review
- Minor Spoilers
- Author
- Hirohiko Araki
- Publisher
- Shueisha
- Platform
- VIZ
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga, 158 chapters, 17 volumes |
| Run | 1999–2003 · ongoing |
| Community score | AniList 8.2 · MAL 7.8 · MangaUpdates 8.1 |
| Content | Violence, gore, body horror |
| Where to read | VIZ — official |
Overview
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is Hirohiko Araki's sprawling action epic, running since 1987 and still going. It isn't one story but nine and counting: each "part" follows a new member of the Joestar bloodline — almost all of them nicknamed "JoJo" — across different eras, from 1880s England to the modern day and beyond. The early parts run on a martial-arts energy called Hamon; from Part 3 on, the series introduces "Stands," manifested fighting spirits with bizarre powers, and never looks back. If you've seen the memes, the poses, or heard someone yell "ZA WARUDO," this is where they come from.
What it does well
The fights are the reason JoJo endures. Instead of who-hits-hardest, battles play out like puzzles: each Stand has strict, specific powers, and the fun is watching characters work out how to beat an ability that looks unbeatable. It rewards paying attention, and the best matchups feel like two people playing chess with superpowers.
Araki's imagination is the other engine. Every part resets the board with a new hero, a new setting, a new tone, and a fresh batch of powers and outrageous designs. That structure keeps the series from going stale — when one part ends, you're not getting more of the same, you're getting something genuinely different. It's why a manga this old still feels fresh, and why later parts like Steel Ball Run rank among Araki's best work rather than a tired victory lap.
And it's iconic in a way few comics are. The fashion-plate poses, the bold sound effects, the sheer confidence of the whole thing — JoJo has shaped manga, anime, and internet culture for decades. Plenty of series you already love borrowed from it.
Where it falls short
The art is the first hurdle. It's wildly stylized — everyone is enormously muscular, anatomy bends to fit the drama, and the look changes hugely from part to part. Some readers love it on sight; others need time to adjust. The first two parts especially look and read rougher than what comes later, with simpler plotting and broader characters.
That ties into the bigger issue: the series is uneven, and where you start matters a lot. Begin at Part 1 expecting peak JoJo and you might give up before it gets great. The Stand powers, for all their cleverness, can also tip into convoluted, with the odd fight that feels like it's inventing its own rules on the spot. And because it's an anthology, you "restart" every part — great for variety, less so if you wanted a single cast to follow the whole way through.
Verdict
JoJo is a genuine landmark — one of the most creative and influential action manga ever made, and once it hits its stride it's hard to match. It asks for some patience: the art won't click for everyone, the early parts are the weakest, and you're signing up for a very long, episodic ride. Stick with it, or start at a stronger part, and you get fight writing and pure invention that almost nothing else touches. For action fans it's essential reading; for everyone else, it's at least worth seeing what all the fuss is about.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- The fight design is the heart of it — battles are puzzles where strange powers clash by their own rules, so wins come from outsmarting the enemy instead of out-punching them.
- Araki's imagination never quits; every part brings new powers, new settings, and character and costume designs you won't see anywhere else.
- Each part reinvents the series with a new hero and tone, so it stays fresh across decades instead of running one idea into the ground.
- It's hugely quotable and iconic — the poses, the sound effects, and the sheer confidence have shaped manga and pop culture for a reason.
Weaknesses
- The art is divisive — wildly stylized, super-muscular, and always changing — and the first two parts in particular look and read rougher than what follows.
- Quality swings from part to part, so newcomers often bounce off if they start at the very beginning instead of a stronger entry point.
- Stand powers can get convoluted, with the occasional fight that seems to invent its rules as it goes.
Similar Titles
Another action series where fights are won by clever use of strange, rule-based powers.
Modern shonen that clearly inherits JoJo's puzzle-like power battles and sense of style.
JoJo's muscular, larger-than-life 80s Jump cousin if you enjoy that era's action.
Where to Read Officially
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIZ | Print & digital volumes | Free + Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure?
Most fans say Part 3 (Stardust Crusaders) for the classic Stand action, or Part 1 if you want the full ride from the start. Part 7 (Steel Ball Run) is a favorite but lands best once you know the basics.
Is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure finished?
Not as a whole. Each part wraps up its own story, but Araki is still writing new parts, so the overall series is ongoing.
Do I need to read the parts in order?
Mostly. Each part stars a new hero and stands fairly well on its own, but reading in order pays off because later parts build on what came before.
