Jul 23, 2021
Battle Tendency is my favorite part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure which is already my favorite anime/manga series. It perfectly highlights what JoJo is all about.
Story: 8/10
While it's not the greatest plot the series has to offer, I enjoyed it a ton, and it has the best pacing out of every part. It builds on the foundation set by part 1 while being its own thing. Battle Tendency is where Araki started to find his voice as a writer, which is evident in in the themes, but also the way all the scenes carry themselves. Araki was making big moves all the way back in the
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80's with things like a female mentor, (and a really sick one at that) a completely new main character, and all characters being prone to death with no plot armor whatsoever. Character development in Battle Tendency is highly upgraded since Phantom Blood, and I would argue that it's even better than many other parts.
Art: 10/10
Some may say that Araki's art wasn't the best until around Part 4, but I would say that the early parts work incredibly well too. It has traits from other manga from the time while being unique in its own way. Araki's use of shading not only sets his art apart, but also makes all the images feel more full. The pages may be in black and white, but the shading is so well done that it has about the same effect as colored manga. Araki is also very confident when it comes to energy-filled action scenes and bizarre poses. Characters and settings always look stunning in the pages of JoJo.
Characters: 9/10
With Best JoJo and one of the most iconic jobros, Battle Tendency has a perfectly-sized and memorable cast. Joseph and Caesar start out with a perfect dichotomy that introduces the themes of the part and where their character arcs are going. Their arcs are perfectly-paced and play around each other very well. The two of them build a mutual respect that is satisfying to see and has impactful consequences. Every character's design is very creative and flexible. They each have what can be described as a signature outfit, but they aren't confined to those designs all the way through. For example, Joseph is shown in promotional art wearing his tank top and jean-like pants, but in his first appearance we first see him wearing a thick puffy jacket over a shirt and tie. Even the villains share this trait. The Pillar Men aren't the most fleshed-out villains in the series, but they are too iconic to overlook. They are incredibly intimidating and provide a perfect challenge for the protagonists to overcome. All the characters in this part of JoJo work so well together to make one of the best and most memorable casts.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Battle Tendency really puts the "bizarre" in "bizarre adventure" even better than its predecessor and some of the later parts. The main character Joseph utilizes the most clever and downright crazy strategies and tricks in combat that I've ever seen in anime and manga. From the grenade trick to the icicles, I could never predict what he would come up with next. Speaking of predictions, his signature trick of predicting people's lines is one of the greatest things about the series. It emphasizes the nature of the series, and is just plain fun when it comes to memes and jokes. Caesar and Joseph are some of the best bros I've seen (second only to the duo of Part 7) and I was very happy to see them in action. It's the little things all throughout Battle Tendency that make it so good.
Overall: 10/10
As the best part of my favorite series, I was constantly enthralled by every single chapter. This part showed me what JoJo's Bizarre Adventure can be, and that has stuck with me ever since I first experienced it. Because of this, my favorite part is undoubtedly Battle Tendency.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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