JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 01:
Fuck this guy twice in every orifice with a rusty harpoon coated in bubonic plague.
I'm conflicted about this show. I mean, it's okay as it is, but I can't get over the feeling that, given its notable place in the history of manga, it deserves
more than what it's getting. David Production is doing an admirable job of compensating for the lack of budget by employing several interesting little techniques to convey emotions and make
JoJo feel more like a manga in motion, but I just don't like the look of the overall product. The digital art is sometimes cheap-looking and unattractive and the color palette is garish, but fortunately every other aspect of the production was enjoyable enough to counteract this.
JoJo and Dio's rivalry certainly seems on track to become the stuff of legend, and it was in the moments of greatest emotional impact that the production team seemed to nail whatever was necessary to sell the scene. Action had weight and impact, expressions were consistently excellent, and the visual flourishes were used more smartly. There's nothing subtle about Dio's rise to assholedom, but he's just so monstrously loathsome that the compulsion to know what happens next and to see justice done is irresistible. I actually kind of enjoyed the brisk pace of events, and even if I didn't, I can still kind of understand the necessity of establishing Dio as an evil piece of shit as quickly as possible from a viewer retention standpoint.
Those familiar with the manga seem to still be enjoying the anime adaptation, so this may be as good a motivation as I'll ever have to finally read the manga and simply use the series as a companion piece.
