Can You Start Reading At Part 7?

Summary

Steel Ball Run introduces a new timeline and partnership in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Characters in Part 7 have unique personalities despite echoing old counterparts.
Starting at Part 7 is possible but not recommended; early parts help appreciate themes and style.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, as a series in general, has always had an interesting format. Rather than breaking up the story into specific arcs or seasons, JoJo’s is broken up into specific parts. Although this doesn’t seem too unique, what makes this concept special is that every part has its own unique cast of characters, including a new protagonist.

However, since there is very little, save for a few characters and references that connect the parts, fans who don’t want to read or watch certain parts will simply skip to the next one. This is especially common for a part like Steel Ball Run, which takes place in a completely different timeline than the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure most fans are used to. This leaves many fans wondering; is it okay to skip parts one through six and start reading right at JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run?

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Every Major Villain, Ranked By Design

The Jojo family may have some eye-catching designs, but this also applies to the many villains of the series.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run Starts A New Timeline For The Series

While Characters Are Similar To Those From The Main TImeline They Are Completely Unique

The plot of Steel Ball Run follows the adventures of the newly formed partnership between Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli as they join a race across America. Set in the year 1890, while they both joined the race for their own reasons, eventually the duo gets mixed up in a plot that could affect the entire world. Through usual bizarre JoJo’s shenanigans, including strange characters and interesting Stand abilities, the duo embarks on amazingly well-told quest, featuring one of the best told friendships in anime.

I always tried to take the fastest shortcut in this Steel Ball Run race… – Gyro

Of course, compared to the rest of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, this takes place in an entirely different universe. After JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6, rather than continuing with that timeline, Araki chose to create an entirely new continuity where he could retell various parts of the original series. For example, Part 7 is a retelling of Part 1, with characters like Johnny, Gyro, and Diego acting as counterparts to Jonathan, Will, and Dio respectively.

It Is Possible To Start JoJo’s At Part 7

It Is Not Recommended To Start This Late

While You Can Start At Steel Ball Run This Isn’t The Best Move
Many References To Earlier Parts Exist In Part 7

Due to the alternate universe aspect of the arc, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7 feels like a fresh start for the series. With no continuity coming before it, almost every concept, even down to how a Stand abilities manifest in characters, is completely new. Despite characters echoing old characters from the series, their personalities are completely unique. For example, while Johnny Joestar is the new Jonathan, the two share nothing in common. Based on this fact alone, while there are potential downsides, it is possible to start reading JoJo’s in Part 7.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Every Part, Ranked By Length

Each new part of JoJo’s features a new cast and story, but they are also all wildly different when it comes to their length too.

However, on the other hand, despite being possible, there are numerous reasons to start JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure from the very beginning. Firstly, while Steel Ball Run doesn’t feature any characters from the old universe exactly as they once were, there are plenty of counterparts in the newer series that only fans who have read the rest of the series will notice. Although this doesn’t add too much to the individual story, overall, it creates a nice parallel between the two universes in which Araki chose to set his stories.

The Early Parts Of JoJo’s Help Fans Appreciate Part 7 More

The Style And Themes Are Established In These Parts

More importantly, Parts 1-6 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are amazing examples of storytelling in their own right. Each arc slowly starts to establish the themes and trends of the series that are carried well into Part 7 and beyond. Although it may sound strange, it really does take a few parts to get used to JoJo’s style of storytelling. Due to this, fans who have read the previous parts are more likely to enjoy Steel Ball Run at a deeper level.

The shortest route was a detour. It was the detour that was our shortest path. – Gyro

In the end, choosing where to start reading a story like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is completely up to the reader. Although Part 7 may feel like a great starting place, and is entirely plausible as one, by starting here, the reader misses out on some amazing experiences throughout the series. On the other hand, for those who have seen the anime up to Part 6, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run is a great place to start.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Release Date: October 6, 2012
Showrunner: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
Directors: Naokatsu Tsuda

Kazuyuki Okitsu

Jonathan Joestar
Tomokazu Sugita

Joseph Joestar

Source link