Manga Moments That Were Censored In The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Anime

Key Takeaways

• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s censorship can detract from epic scenes, such as Jotaro’s smoking and severed hands being blacked out.
• Some of the censorship in the anime, like Joseph’s finger break and Stroheim’s salute, feels unnecessary and clumsily done.
• The heavy censorship in Diamond is Unbreakable’s Italian food episode can make it hard for viewers to follow the comedic storyline.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was hot in Japan for a long time, but the lack of an adaptation meant that the West had no idea what they were missing out on. Thankfully, David Production’s stellar animation ensured that fans all over the world would finally enjoy the creative mind of Hirohiko Araki at its finest.

The anime adaptation is great and rarely falters, but a person’s enjoyment of the show may be dampened by the ridiculous censorship that plagues almost every part of the series. Fans are better off securing the Blu-Ray prints for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure if they want to avoid the ridiculous black bars that make things harder to discern and enjoy.

8 Jotaro Smoking Is Censored All The Time

One Of The Most Egregious Moments Of Censorship In JoJo

• Story Arc: Stardust Crusaders

One of the most infamous instances of censorship that actively distracts people from the brilliant moments in Stardust Crusaders, casting a shadow on Jotaro’s face whenever he smokes a cigarette fools no one. He may be underage, but there were better ways to work around this issue other than this clumsy so-called solution.

Confrontations with D’Arby the Gambler become harder to get invested in when Jotaro’s face is constantly being covered throughout the intense poker battle. This censorship is rampant throughout Stardust Crusaders, making it clear why most people preferred to wait for the uncensored Blu-Ray version instead.

7 The Severed Hands That Kira Hoards Have Their Stumps Blacked Out

Somewhat Puzzling, Since It’s Clear That These Hands Are Cut Off

• Story Arc: Diamond is Unbreakable

A serial killer like Kira who is obsessed with pretty hands would understandably lead to the creation of some grotesque imagery. Throughout Diamond is Unbreakable, Kira carries severed hands with him that must be replaced whenever they start stinking.

Again, fans are aware that the hand in question is not attached to a body, so blacking out the stump fools no one. It just distracts from the scene and makes people question the lazy censorship rampant in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

6 Joseph’s Introduction Where He Blows Off A Policeman’s Finger Has Its Brutality Reduced

Somewhat Dampens An Otherwise Epic Scene

• Story Arc: Battle Tendency

Joseph Joestar is hailed by many as the greatest protagonist in the series, and for good reason. This character is charismatic, brash, and never backs down from anything. Even when he’s facing off against two racist policemen, the hero doesn’t flinch and gives them a taste of their own medicine.

After smashing a cop’s face for sticking a booger on him, the other pulls out his gun to shoot Joseph in cold blood. Thankfully, his mastery over Hamon allows him to shoot out the cap of a soda bottle at lightning speed, breaking the cop’s trigger finger in the process. It’s an epic moment, but the finger break is clumsily censored, becoming the only low point in what is otherwise a legendary scene.

5 “Let’s Go Eat Some Italian Food” Is Heavily Censored

The Way Okuyasu’s Body Is Transformed By Tonio’s Stand Is Unclear In The Anime

• Story Arc: Diamond is Unbreakable

Diamond is Unbreakable stands out for experimenting with the slice-of-life genre, turning a single visit to a new Italian restaurant into one of the funniest episodes in the series. However, the TV print of this episode is marred with ridiculous levels of censorship, to the point where fans must follow the dialogue to figure out what’s going on.

Tonio’s Stand gives food otherworldly healing properties, but the person eating his food undergoes a drastic change that makes it look like their body is breaking down. This confuses Josuke, who can only stare in horror when Okuyasu’s neck starts disintegrating and his bowels fall out of his stomach. These scenes are censored heavily and can make this episode hard to follow, but the comedic swerve more than makes up for these issues.

4 Stroheim’s Nazi Salute Is Blacked Out

Understandable But Poorly Done

• Story Arc: Battle Tendency

Battle Tendency takes place on the cusp of World War 2, with numerous Germans trying to figure out if the Pillar Men can aid their military. This includes Stroheim, one of the best characters in this story arc, who carries out a controversial salute that was the norm for Nazis.

Given the context of the arc’s setting, it’s understandable why Stroheim uses this salute. Censoring it, however, is unnecessary and just looks clumsy without hiding what this character is doing.

3 Tower Of Gray’s Attacks Are Hard To Understand In The Anime

The Bug Stand Rips People’s Tongues Out, But This Isn’t Made Clear Until Outright Stated By The Heroes

• Story Arc: Stardust Crusaders

The battle against Tower of Gray in Stardust Crusaders is easily the worst way to start this arc after the gang decides to leave Japan and hunt Dio down. The stand may be intriguing, but what destroys this fight’s impact is the ridiculous censorship that hides what Tower of Gray does to his foes.

It’s not until the characters themselves talk out loud about Tower of Gray’s attack that viewers finally figure out that this bug Stand is cutting out everyone’s tongue. The censorship is so rampant in this episode that the fight ends up being a total mess and becomes incredibly hard to follow.

2 Sherry’s Reanimated Corpse Attacks Polnareff Brutally And Eats His Flesh In The Manga

A Horrifying Sight For A Man Who Just Wanted To Revive His Sister

• Story Arc: Stardust Crusaders

Polnareff’s search for his sister’s killer makes it clear that he was distraught at the brutal nature of her demise. So, when a genie in a bottle grants him a wish, he decides to resurrect both her and his friend, Avdol.

He sees Sherry in the distance, only to realize that she was resurrected as a mindless zombie with a thirst for meat. Her attacks are brutal but hard to follow in the anime, since any shot of her biting flesh or using her claws to rip Polnareff apart is clumsily censored.

1 The Imposter Kakyoin’s Dislocated Jaw Is Censored, Which Feels Inconsistent

Totally Unnecessary And Highlights The Censorship Problems In Stardust Crusaders

• Story Arc: Stardust Crusaders

The infamous cherry scene in Stardust Crusaders comes courtesy of a Stand impersonating Kakyoin. His odd mannerisms make it clear to Jotaro that something is off about his travel partner, giving him the leeway to land a solid punch that uncovers this deception.

A single punch from the protagonist is all it takes for Kakyoin’s jaw to be dislocated, which doesn’t look all that gruesome. It’s hard to see why the anime felt the need to censor this shot, especially since there were more brutal moments in Stardust Crusaders that got a free pass.