@TLC:
I don't understand how anyone can not like this part after last chapter's fight ended with dude getting run over by a bus dressed like a person! And epic stag beetle fights! And did you see that parfait?
This part probably works best as a complete picture but I'm finding the characters engaging enough and I don't feel the plot is as sporadic at this point, things are starting to connect more and more with the stone men and the fruits. This new character is there to tie in Josuke and Kira into that probably. It's not my favorite part but it's fun enough.
Guy run over by a bus is a great example of Jojolion and what I feel of it. He was this paranoid guy whose girlfriend cheated on him while he was petrified under his bed while she was doing it. . .a flashback that came out of nowhere (and told us little about the man, if anything) while he was throwing ¿stones? ¿his shoes? at some birds that just shat on him, right after he had delivered a fruit that let a grandpa screw his wife in a car while losing his eyes. Hey, it's fucking bizarre, what do you know? Probably the most bizarre Araki has ever been. But it's also sooooo fucking ugly and tasteless. I find myself constantly asking Araki's sanity, but I'm no longer sure I'm doing it in a good, "oh you crazy bastard!" way anymore. More like "really, Araki, did we REALLY have to see THIS?".
And Araki just keeps running this mistery but. . .are we sure he's going in the right direction? He's been adding so many things, so many "keys" to the plot that I'm not even sure he's keeping all this stuff in his notes. Remember we even had a direct link with SBR and the corpse? Yeah, that feels like a millenia ago, what of that? What about the wall eyes? That place where you mix people and things and. . .that? Stone disease? The Higashikatas secrets? The buttler? The mom? There's just SO much stuff to take care of that every time Araki comes up with MORE stuff to keep up with it just dazes me. And, sorry, but I don't think he has the writing chops to make everything fall perfectly into place, and he's built the entire arc so it all NEEDS to fall perfectly into place. First Morioh was about monster of the week, fuck consistency and overall plot, second Morioh is all plot consistency and yet it doesn't feel consistent so far. First Morioh wins so far by a landslide.
And while the parfait was great, I. . .did not enjoy the beetle fight. I liked the first fight with the snakes and razors and shit, and the one with the motorbike stand was probably the best, but trouble with the curve wasn't even remotely decent, and the fight against Rock Guy 1 was also kinda weak. So even if you say "just let yourself go and enjoy what Araki is really good at", even those elements I'm not finding as good. This last fight with Rock Guy 2 was ok, but beyond its conclusion it wasn't thaaat good.
And finally, most of the secondary cast ranges from unmemorable to simply fucking disgusting, specially that fucker, forgot his name, the "rival" guy that's also disgustingly and creepily in love with Yasuho. Holy shit, from his design to his personality, this guy is a fucking abortion of a character. That face, that fucking face. His dialogues. His reactions. His behaviour. I loathe him with every fiber of my body.
I guess I'm being overly negative with Jojolion and it's not even bad, it's decent, but man, it's JoJo and I want to enjoy it more, I want to get into the bizarreness, to embrace it, not get alienated by it.
@TLC:
4>3>7>2>5>6> 1
2> 4>7=3>5=6>1
I'm extremely tempted to put 3 above 7 considering I enjoyed it more, but I know 7 is just. . .better. The art, the writing, the different situations, the flow. . .I just had a personal problem getting into its world and its setting, I found some of the fights confusing and not loving Valentine as much plays a big part in its enjoyment. Climax was so good, though. 3 receives tons of flack, but it still has the most charismatic group of protagonists and some incredibly iconic and memorable moments. 5 has Italy wankery all over it, that sells it for me. And the fucking train fight. 6 is somewhat unpleasant, fights are 50/50 with some being great, others okish and others simply bad (Jongalli A, hello?) and the cast is ok but not great, but there's this jaded, fucked up feeling that makes it both a downer and refreshingly different at the same time, which is. . .good?
But 2 is just beastly. I will never be able to top the definition someone gave it, "Indiana Jones on fucking steroids". The writing is less than stellar, who fucking cares? Every set piece is memorable. Every Joseph scene is memorable. Every pose is memorable. It comes in a tight package. And it's just 25 tons of fun. It's simply one of my favorite things in the entire manga world. It's entertaining to the point of exhilaration, and nothing in the rest of this great series comes close to it.
