The fighting shounen manga is possibly the most widely read and widely published genre in circulation today. Hence, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders faces a great deal of competition for the attention the reader. However, JoJo's visual flare, entertainment value, and unrelenting creativity make it the cream of the crop among shounen adventures.
The story takes place 40 years after the events of Battle Tendency (the second part of the JoJo saga). The protagonist is none other than the grandson of Joseph Joestar -- Jotaro Kujo. When the coffin of the vampire Dio (the antagonist of part one, rival of Joseph’s grandfather Jonathan Joestar) was excavated ... off the coast of the canary islands, the ancient enemy of the Joestars awakened mysterious powers known as "stands" in Joseph, Jotaro, as well as Jotaro's mother Holly. However, Jotaro's mother is unable to control the consuming power of her stand and falls gravely ill. In order to save Holly from eventual death, Jotaro, Joseph, and Joseph's stand-user companion Avdol must embark on a journey to Cairo in order to destroy the root of her illness: Dio, while making new friends along the way. However, Dio's army of stand-users await our heroes at every turn to impede their progress.
While the outlandish premise of JoJo may not blow anyone away, the sheer creativity employed in the numerous fights will. The term "fight" is used loosely here, as many of the encounters don't rely on the trading of fists, but rather a test of wits and quick-thinking. This is largely due to the dizzying array of abilities that the enemies possess. While the stands of protagonists have more or less conventional superpowers (save for Joseph Joestar), anything is fair game for their foes, with powers ranging from bestowing magnetic pull to the bodies of opponents to the ability to merge with mineral objects, demanding a combination of brains and brawn from the heroes. The action is often visceral, suspenseful, and full of intrigue, especially as the series progresses onwards, when the more outlandish enemies make their appearances. The occasional emotionally charged encounters further enhances the intensity of the story, especially towards the end of the adventure, producing an adventure that is not merely flashy in its action, but truly a memorable journey.
The characters of JoJo are simple and straightforward, each with their own undeniable charm. The strong and reserved Jotaro is the embodiment of "cool", while Joseph makes for spectacular comedic relief with his offbeat attitude, especially for a man of his age. However, most of the villains the group encounters don't have much character behind their stand powers -- they either fall in the "hopelessly psychotic" category, or are bound by their greed for wealth and power, though there are a few exceptions. This is forgivable flaw, given the format of the story, which is a fast-paced ride from one opponent to another, with only brief introductions to the exotic locales in between. There is no mistake in that JoJo does not take itself seriously, as it gives no pretence of plot and character depth, but rather opts to focus on entertainment value, and to this end, JoJo succeeds spectacularly.
The art of Stardust Crusaders, like the previous instalments of the JoJo saga, remains one of the key selling points. The distinctly bold and detailed art style makes it difficult to believe that JoJo was produced weekly. Like the previous incarnations, the characters in part 3 all sport heavily muscled builds, though their bulkiness has taken a step towards moderation from the ridiculous flesh fortresses that appear in the previous two instalments. The fashion sense of the characters is equally wild -- one only needs to take a glance at Jotaro to notice the logic-defying style employed in the manga. Author Hirohiko Araki makes good use of his outrageously stylish artwork by producing action on the page that's ready to leap out at the reader. The fights are kinetic and brutal in presentation, locking the reader's attention and never lets go.
In the end, finding a concrete flaw in JoJo proves to be a difficult task. Its lack of depth is obviously intentional, as JoJo is meant to be a thrill ride -- and what a thrill ride it is. With style, creativity, and exciting bursting at the seams, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders is a no-brainer for any fan of the shounen fighting manga. Even to those who don't usually read works of this genre, JoJo has plenty to offer, and one is bound to be charmed by one of the many positive aspects of Hirohiko Araki's highly influential work.
Pros:
-- Endlessly creative
-- Outrageously stylish
-- Superb action, enhanced by stunning bold art
Cons:
-- The first few encounters don't measure well with the later encounters, though respectable in their own right.
-- Over-muscled men may be a turn-off for some readers.
Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Kuujou Joutarou: Mirai e no Isan, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Legacy to the Future Japanese: ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 スターダストクルセイダース InformationType: Manga Volumes: 16 Chapters: 152 Status: Finished Published: Mar 20, 1989 to Apr 14, 1992 Demographic: Shounen Serialization: Shounen Jump (Weekly) Authors: Araki, Hirohiko (Story & Art) StatisticsScore: 8.111 (scored by 57,989 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #6082 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #142 Members: 97,480 Favorites: 3,368 Resources | ReviewsFeb 19, 2009 The fighting shounen manga is possibly the most widely read and widely published genre in circulation today. Hence, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders faces a great deal of competition for the attention the reader. However, JoJo's visual flare, entertainment value, and unrelenting creativity make it the cream of the crop among shounen adventures. The story takes place 40 years after the events of Battle Tendency (the second part of the JoJo saga). The protagonist is none other than the grandson of Joseph Joestar -- Jotaro Kujo. When the coffin of the vampire Dio (the antagonist of part one, rival of Joseph’s grandfather Jonathan Joestar) was excavated ... Aug 17, 2014 Stardust Crusaders is the third, and most famous part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. This is for a lot of reasons - it's the arc that introduced Stands, the core mechanic of the series that has stuck with it for the last 25 years. It marks the return of Dio Brando, JJBA's most instantly recognizeable character. It stars the iconic Jotaro Kujo, who is the poster-boy for the series. It was, until recently, the only arc to have an official translation in English, and it produced multiple games based on it. So, with that in mind, it's kind of surprising that Stardust Crusaders isn't really one of ... Apr 21, 2015 The most popular and famous Part of Jojo, Stardust Crusaders is considered one of the most iconic and influential manga ever made. But is it really THAT good? STORY: 5/10 Stardust Crusaders picks up 48 years after Battle Tendency. In it, an elderly Joseph Joestar teams up with his grandson Jotaor Kujo and others to stop a resurrected DIO, who has cursed the Joestar family and is hiding in Egypt. They go on a 50 day adventure to Egypt fighting DIO's army along the way with newly developed Stands, spiritual forces that live within one and grant a special power or ability. And what a long ... Nov 29, 2012 By far the most recognised part of the series, Stardust Crusaders is the third part in the long running manga franchise Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. While Part 3 is a clear step in the right direction for the series to head in, it is not without the stumbles that come from the introduction into a different focus point (namely the Stand based combat) and does affect its overall effectiveness. Notably the first thing that a fan of the previous two parts will notice right off the bat is that in terms of the narrative’s strength, JJBA is at its most linear in Stardust Crusaders. The story opens ... Jul 30, 2014 Not sure why I haven't heard of JJBA until very recently, but I watched the new anime for the first season and decided to try out the manga so I started with part 3 and, let me tell you, it was one hell of a ride. You should know this already (if you don't then here it is), but here's a quick brush up on what JJBA is. It's a manga that has been around for an extremely long time and is very popular. It contains lots of action, gore/blood shed, super bulked up men, and each protag has the nickname "Jojo" hence why it's called ... May 15, 2014 Stardust Crusaders is the third part of the JoJo series so please read or watch parts 1 & 2 first. After the events of Phantom Blood & Battle Tendency, Jotaro Kujo makes his debut as this arc's Joestar who discovers his new STAND power & his visited by his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, warning him of the danger that is DIO Brando. After Jotaro's mom, Holly Joestar, is taken ill by DIO's curse, Jotaro, Joseph, Avdol, Kakyoin, Polnareff & Iggy embark on a road trip to Egypt to put an end to this family feud of The Joestars & The Brandos. Part 3 is the most hyped ... May 21, 2021 This is an amazing Battle Shounen Manga in every way. It was The 80s in the Jojo world, now. The main character, Jotaro Kujo, The 3rd Jojo in our story about the multi generational Joester family blood line. And i haven't read the later parts yet, but probably the most bad ass Jojo ever. Really a hard boiled delinquit, hard boy character in a modified all black japanese high school boy uniform with a chain hanging from the colar and a cool hat on his head and his ...Yare Yare Daze.... One liner. Joester family arch nemesis Vampire Dio was back ! and that was literally killing ... Jan 10, 2015 Art - JoJo's always has great art, and part 3 is no exception. The uniquely styled faces are wonderful and the stylized dramatization of panels are awesome. Character - The cast of characters in Stardust Crusaders is very good. Each party member is unique and lovable in their own way. DIO is also such an evil character that it's great. Story - To clarify, I'd rate the story itself about a 7, but the writing is a 9. The way Araki can kill off main characters is great, because one of the worst things is when characters have plot armor because they are main characters. Overall - The ... Dec 26, 2012 Despite this being the original break out part in both Japan and the west, I really feel like the popularity is misplaced when compared to the rest of Jojos. It's a good part, no doubt, and the inclusion of stands was a fantastic idea since Ripple was a very weak, undefined ability. The story is solid following the long fued of the Joestars and the Brandos and putting a nice epic ending to it all. Araki's art style is something that takes a long time to get used to, at least I think, but somewhere around Parts 2 and 3, his muscular style definitely started growing ... Sep 27, 2015 One of the most influential manga of all time. Redefined battle systems in shonen manga and has an actual cast who are useful, a rarity in 80s manga, let alone current ones. Simply a masterpiece, you owe it to yourself to read this at least once in your lifetime. The art is fantastically detailed and the story is simple and linear, but straight to the point and never pulls any punches. The fights are the biggest highlight of the manga, each one being radically different and unique. It's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's rise to greatness and the start of the creative pinnacle that is Hirohiko Araki. READ ... Jan 26, 2020 Stardust Crusaders is about genetics and psychic ghosts and vampires and memes. This manga is consistently beautiful and hilarious. JoJo's kept me consistently laughing and rereading entire volumes, however why did I rate this down when i gave Aho-Girl and Grand Blue 10's for these very reasons. At a certain point I felt like it was just going too far to be funny and that pandering was awful. The characters barely develop with the exception of best boy Polneraff and some characters are kept on more than they should or brought back in the most dumn and insulting ways possible. Seriously *** and *** should have ... Dec 16, 2021 SPOILERS AHEAD Pretty much everyone is familiar with the third part of JoJo at this point, and for good reason. This part is when Hirohiko Araki really found his niche, what with the introduction of "stand" abilities, something that would be present in every part from here on out. In the later parts, we're introduced to crazy abilities like being able to erase time, travel between dimensions, and uhhh... make zippers and stuff, but in Stardust Crusaders, it's nice and simple. You got fire, fists, a sword, emeralds, and some vines that read technology or something, I don't know. Things are simpler in part 3, ... Apr 25, 2024 It's funny that the last part was called "Battle Tendency" when this part is nothing but battles. Jojo Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is the point in the series that becomes recognizably Jojo. Not only are the iconic Stands introduced, replacing hamon, but this is the part with most of the memes that people know Jojo for. In between all the "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA"s and "OH NOOOOOO"s, Jotaro Kujo and his grandfather, Part 2's protagonist Joseph Joestar, must race against time to defeat Dio. Along the way, they make a few friends and find themselves in many, many more fights. And that's the part that will make or break ... Apr 11, 2023 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is the third part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, created by Hirohiko Araki. Originally published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1989 to 1992, Stardust Crusaders is known for introducing the concept of "Stands", which would become an integral part of the series going forward. The plot centers on Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Joseph Joestar, the protagonist of the previous part. Jotaro has a special ability called Stand, which allows him to manifest a spiritual entity to fight other Stands. Jotaro and a group of allies embark on a journey across the globe to defeat Dio Brando, ... Feb 23, 2019 First chapters of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, pt.3 are disappointing: the concept behind renown stands may seem childish, first battles result in ‘classic’ enemy-becomes-friend scenarios and protagonist Jotaro Kujo reminds too strongly of his predecessor. But hold out for thirty chapters and you will start to realize how brilliant the creation of Hirohiko Araki is. Stands will become just another form of superhuman abilities, shounen tropes fades quickly and and Jotaro will transform into unique, awesome character. In fact, most of characters of Stardust Crusaders are awesome because of Hirohiko Araki one-of-a-kind approach to the story. He never tries to *teach* which opens up an opportunity ... Mar 1, 2022 JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure Part 3 Stardust Crusaders Story: The story this time is excellent. The fact that araki brought the OG villain back is very exciting. And This time rather than the non-japanese MCs like the previous two parts. Also rather than having the plain Hamon this part introduced the game-changing STANDS. Art: The artstyle is just like the other parts, the inhumanely buff men but since this time we also got stands and they are even buffer. I really loved panel where Jotaro is super buff with the small head. Characters: Kujo Jotaro is my favorite character out of the whole franchise. This part introduced Jotaro the most ... Feb 24, 2022 The Name of the Game is Consistency. My least favorite thing in a story is lack of consistency. That being said the deviation of the power system is shockingly genius, incredibly influential, and incredibly fun even though it didn't go all out in it's conception. But Flying Ghost Beings are an incredible welcome change of pace. Jotaro's a badass, Characters are fun, and the moment to moment battles come with an incredible euphoric feeling once our heroes prevail. This is the first time I've come to terms with the outcome of our characters before the events happen and even after the events I'm beyond shocked, ... |