JoJo

STANDS HAVE RETURNED!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Ep 3 Review

Oh yes! I know that the Spin Technique is supposed to be the new gimmick or power for Part Seven of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but it’s nothing compared to the sheer creativity of a Stand! They have been an integral part of JoJo since Part Three, and seeing how bizarre and esoteric their powers can get is amazing. I knew it was only a matter of time before we saw the return of Stands in this new continuity, and we’ve already seen our first Stand. And now things have only gotten harder for Johnny and Gyro.

CAMPFIRE AMBUSH

It’s nightfall on the second stage of the Steel Ball Run, and Johnny and Gyro make camp for the night. As Johnny is trying to practice his Spin technique, he ends up seeing some interest in Gyro’s belongings: a book with a royal crest and a newspaper about a boy sentenced to death. Gyro isn’t talking about it, though. I can expect that this will become a plot point in the future.

Things, however, begin to get bizarre when another jockey shows up, Andrew Boomboom, saying he got bitten by a venomous lizard and needs help. But then, he tries to…choke himself out while trying to cut the poison out. That was weird enough, even if I know some people are into that. But then, two more people start riding towards them: his brother and dad, the Boomboom family! They were the ones who killed those people in the first stage.

Then things start to get even weirder as Gyro’s leg gets perforated by metal. Almost like it’s being drawn to his body like a magnet.

STANDO POWER RETURNS!

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that what we’re seeing is the power of a Stand. They’re the only thing capable of defying the laws of reality. In this case, the Boomboom family has Stands, or a Stand, that can manipulate metal. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Stand that can manipulate metal; Risotto’s Metallica could do the same thing back in Part Five, and that nearly killed Diavolo! All the Boomboom family needs to do to use it is get their blood to touch their victims, and the iron will take care of the rest. I also appreciate the fact that Johnny and Gyro don’t question the supernatural events and immediately accept what’s happening; it’s a good part of the plot. Plus there’s also the fact that Gyro sees a Stand attached to Andrew, but doesn’t understand it. Thankfully, they’re not as smart as Risotto, as Gyro and Johnny manage to escape.

Or maybe they are smart. Somehow, Daddy Boomboom uses his Stand to disguise himself as Johnny and tricks Mountain Tim into thinking that he’s the murderer he’s hunting. Now the cowboy is after our protagonists. However, the big surprise is the reveal that Mountain Tim is also a Stand User! In his case, he can separate his body parts and control them remotely! Pretty handy for getting into tight spaces or catching criminals.

STANDS RULE!

The real question isn’t the fact that we’ve got Stand Users in the game now. The real question is how they get their powers. I know that this new continuity has different means of giving people Stands, but I either don’t understand them or don’t want to spoil things. The big clue, though, is that all four Users visited a place that the Native Americans consider cursed: the Devil’s Palm. That certainly sounds like something that would make people feel afraid. Something tells me that it won’t be long until we see this place pop up in the race. I don’t know when, though, as I only know the basic details of how Part Seven goes and I don’t want to spoil myself.

This is getting good, you guys. Now Johnny and Gyro have three killers after them as well as a lawman! Not to mention the fact that one of the jockeys they’re racing against is DIO BRANDO! I can’t wait for the next episode!

I Give “The Desert-Born Outlaws” a 4/5

YEE-HAW!! WE RIDING IN THE WEST NOW!!!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , ,

Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Ep 2 Review

Saddle up, pardners! We riding cross-country on this one, JoJo style!

Remember when the premiere for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run came out earlier this year on Netflix and everyone was excited about it? But then Netflix screwed us over by holding off on the next stage all the way back to the fall! That probably wouldn’t have happened if Toonami was airing! But now that is fall, I’m ready to hop back in the saddle as we go on a trip across the USA in the Old West! And already, things are starting to get bizarre!

By the way, this is likely going to be the only series I’ll be covering this fall for D&A Anime Blog. Both because there are no other series that I particularly want to cover weekly this season, and because, after covering four shows a week for months, I’m tired! Now, cue the intro and get ready to make some memes!

Mundane made awesome

The first stage of the Steel Ball Run is over, but in JoJo’s, even the most mundane of moments can become epic. Case in point, despite crossing the finish line first, Gyro didn’t win the first stage. He got penalized for using his steel balls as weapons on the downhill slope, so Sand Man wins! Which is a load of baloney, because he wasnt even aiming at anyone! He was trying to clear a path to get by! Now, Gyro could have taken it on the chin, but…he got even with Steel by ruining his champagne.

The next stage of the race is going to be a mammoth task. It’s going to be crossing 700 miles of desert in the American Southwest. I’ve only ever been out that way twice in my life, and I can tell you that it’s very hot, dry, and harsh. If you weren’t prepared back in the Old West, you could die. So, it’s best not to go it alone, which is why Gyro and Johnny decide to team up for the next leg of the race. That, and Johnny wants to keep learning more about the Spin to help him walk again.

It’s a good thing that they do. As they break off from the rest of the pack and head into the deep desert, it becomes clear that Gyro doesn’t have the best sense of direction. I think he was even reading the map wrong at one point! Plus, as becomes apparent, despite the rules in place prohibiting violence against competitors, violence will still happen. Either people will do it when the officials aren’t looking, or they will find clever workarounds. Case in point, the pair are attacked by this racer who uses bugs and cacti that shoot out their needles to try and kill them. This wasn’t made up, either. I looked it up, and that type of cactus can shoot out its needles!

I thought for sure that their attacker was a Stand User, but it turns out that he was just a freak! The man had insects nested in his eye socket! But Gyro outsmarted him in the end!

A Killer in the Race

There’s a bigger problem, though. The day before the second stage, the authorities reveal that several of the contestants have been murdered. Gruesomely! The culprit was one of the other contestants, and since they can’t stop the race, they brought in someone to investigate. Mountain Tim, a true cowboy and gentleman if there ever was one, and a skilled detective. He’s able to identify a clue based on the hoofprints left by the killer, and he’s already in pursuit. The bad news? The killer is following Johnny and Gyro.

It looks as though the next leg of the race will continue to heat up, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. There are 700 miles to the next stage, and America is vast! Plenty of strange things can happen!

Cue the outro!

I Give “The Sheriff’s Request to Mountain Tim” a 4/5

JoJo! STEEL BALL RUN!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Ep 1 Review

Calling all JoJo fans, calling all JoJo fans!! PEAK ANIME HAS RETURNED! You are all invited to witness history in the making as Hirohiko Araki’s magnum opus is getting an anime. Come join us for the STEEL BALL RUN!!!

If I sound like I’m super excited right now, you can’t blame me. Ever since the anime went international ten years ago, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has proven why it’s one of the GOATS of Shonen. From the music to the artwork, to the posing and memes, JoJo has become an internet legend. Unfortunately, Netflix had to yank it off the airwaves and make Part Six exclusive to its platform, and the arrival of Part Seven hasn’t changed that. However, if there was ever a reason for anime fans to get Netflix(besides the live-action One Piece and other series), then it’s for Steel Ball Run.

Quick Refresher!

If you are a newcomer to JoJo, then you don’t have to worry about needing any prior knowledge about the series beyond the basics. It’s broken up into separate parts, each of which covers a different character whose initials can spell JoJo or some variation of it. That, and it follows the adventures of the Joestar family, with each part following a different family member. Moreover, Part Seven is when the mangaka, Hirohiko Araki, chose to start fresh in an entirely new timeline as he took the manga from shonen to seinen. And since Araki is a massive westernphile, he decided to start strong with a love letter to spaghetti westerns, giving us Steel Ball Run.

The Ultimate Race!

The year is 1890 on the West Coast of the United States. Business tycoon Steven Steel has invited people from all over the world to participate in the first-ever Steel Ball Run. It’s a massive cross-country race spanning 4,000 miles across the continental US from San Diego to New York City, with the winner getting a grand prize of $50 million!

The premise to this part alone should be enough to excite fans, especially Americans. One of America’s biggest selling points is its sheer size and diversity. From the deserts to the south and west to the plains of the heartland and the forests and mountains, America is truly a land of such diversity. And I think that Araki wanted to use that to his advantage by telling his grandest story since Stardust Crusaders. And the characters are already memorable and memeable.

So Many Cool Characters!

There are hundreds of people taking part in the Steel Ball Run, but this extra-long episode focuses primarily on the five that will be major players in the arc. First up, we have Gyro Zeppeli, the Italian with gold-plated teeth and these mysterious steel balls. And for those debating about sub vs dub, I recommend dub. Zeppeli is voiced by Kaiji Tang, and he brings that signature charm of his to play.

Next up, we have our resident JoJo, Johnny Joestar. And he’s a piece of work. While he’s part of the upper crust of society like his Part One counterpart, that’s where the similarities end. Unlike OG JoJo, Johnny was an arrogant and self-centered horse jockey who was once at the top of the world. But when he cut in line for something, the guy he cut shot and crippled him from the waist down, robbing him of his talent and pride. But then this happens!

And that is enough to make him join the Steel Ball Run, so he can learn the secret of the Spin and how to walk again.

Having spent so much time with the noble and heroic Joestar family, it’s a little surprising to see a JoJo who’s so obviously flawed. Other JoJo’s have had their flaws. Several of them were troublemakers, rude, and delinquents. But Johnny feels like the JoJo with the most overt character flaws, as him losing the ability to walk was entirely his fault. He wrecked his own life, and now he wants to prove that he’s not worthless. Despite that, though, Johnny has the determination and willpower that have defined the Joestars, as he refuses to let his disability stop him from joining the race.

https://twitter.com/KonoYimeDa/status/2034557638122291468?s=20

Friends or Foes?

It wouldn’t be JoJo, though, without Dio, though. And despite him dying back in Part Three, we get an alternate version of Dio, Diego Brando, joining the story as a rival horse jockey. So far, he’s not pure evil like DIO, just arrogant. But we should still give him a wide berth.

Lastly, we have two other characters that are clearly set up to be supporting cast members, Sandman and Poco Loco. One is a Native who’s determined to finish the Steel Ball Run with his own superhuman legs, and the other is lucky to the point that it’s laughable. In fact, I’m pretty sure I did laugh watching what went down in the first leg of the race! And what a leg it was!

BEST RACE EVER!

One thing that I consistently love about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is its ability to turn the most mundane and regular activities into the most exciting things you can imagine. Now, a cross-country horse race is already plenty exciting, but Steel Ball Run manages to make it into the coolest thing ever. I couldn’t hope to capture how crazy it is in words alone, but thankfully, Twitter provides.

I cannot lie to you about this: I was really invested into what was happening in the race that makes up the second half of the episode. It felt like I was watching an actual horse race to the point that I started cheering at one point watching the jockeys. And the artwork! They managed to capture all of Araki’s Louvre-level talent in animation form. Combine that with the peak music, and we have a masterpiece.

Again, I cannot lie to you: I wasn’t sure if I was going to cover it for the D&A Anime Blog. But after what I just saw, I NEED to give it the attention it deserves. Steel Ball Run is a contender for anime of the year in my book! I can’t wait to see the rest of the race!

I Give “Steel Ball Run” a 5/5