Hirohiko Araki's long-running fantasy epic JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has attracted a massive following since the late 1980s, and the franchise's manga has brought it to the current "Part Eight." This series is a bit of an anthology, with each part starring a different hero nicknamed JoJo who must fight vampires, ancient Aztec gods, serial killers, mobsters, and much more. Each part has its own thrilling battles and support crew to see the hero through to the end.
But it all has to start somewhere, and JoJo's first part is known as Phantom Blood. Set in Victorian England, Phantom Blood follows Jonathan Joestar, the first JoJo, as he battles his wicked foster brother Dio Brando. In some ways, this short part may be the series' finest, but in other ways, it definitely shows its age in a bad way. How does Phantom Blood stack up against later parts of this series?
10 Best: The bittersweet ending
Jonathan Joestar dies a truly noble death on board a steamship, and he's not the only Phantom Blood hero to perish in battle. Zeppeli gives his life in the fight against the vampire lord Dio, and Jonathan also makes the ultimate sacrifice to put a stop to Dio's madness.
Jonathan's widow is already carrying his child, so she has hope for the future. The Joestar family line is in good hands, and the series ends with mingled mourning and optimism in a finely delicate balance.
9 Worst: No stand battles
Phantom Blood and the subsequent "Part Two," Battle Tendency, are entirely devoid of this series' trademark: Stands. Introduced in Stardust Crusaders, Stands come in a dazzling variety of forms and powers, and some are villainous and powerful while others are clever and fun.
Phantom Blood's action scenes are pretty ordinary and plain by comparison, even during the climactic battles. While these fights are not boring, after seeing all the stands, Phantom Blood will feel pretty bare-bones in hindsight.
8 Best: The cool Victorian setting
Victorian England has long since captured the imagination of American and especially British audiences, and some of our favorite tales are set there, such as the majority of the Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper tales.
What makes Phantom Blood feel so distinct is the sight of horses and carriages, snow swirling around brick buildings and clock towers, and of course, the fantastic outfits. The gentlemen of Phantom Blood dress to impress with the best the time period has to offer.
7 Worst: The arc is too straight-laced
Most fiction needs some good humor or at least some cheery scenes to contrast the tension and drama. A story doesn't need slapstick wackiness to relieve the tension, but Phantom Blood still feels oddly grim compared to the later installments, even factoring in the Victorian setting.
A viewer might get the impression that the show is taking itself a bit too seriously, and that might not sit well with everyone. This certainly changes when Jonathan passes the torch to his grandson, Joseph Joestar.
6 Best: Dio is a thrilling foe
Dio returns as the villain of "Part Three," otherwise known as Stardust Crusaders; until then, he makes for a memorable villain in the 19th century. He starts off as an ambitious boy with everything to prove, and viewers watch as he slides into madness and, ultimately, vampirism.
Dio has a whole host of powers, ranging from deadly ice attacks and eye lasers to blood-sucking and immortality. Don't forget his castle and his freakish half-human, half-animal minions. Not even Ripple could put him down for long.
5 Worst: Jonathan Joestar, ho-hum hero
While the first JoJo's final battle against Dio is a brave feat, Jonathan is actually pretty plain up until then. His motivations and behavior are stock shonen fare, no more and no less. He does little to set himself apart from similar shonen heroes, such as his quest to learn a new power and his "I must protect the people I love!" attitude.
That's hardly a crime, but compared to the soft-spoken but hard-hitting Jotaro Kujo or punk-with-a-good-heart Josuke Higashikata, Jonathan falls short.
4 Best: The tight pacing
While Phantom Blood is a pretty short first act, it wastes no time, and every minute feels well-used. Anime is notorious for padding things out, and later JoJo parts are also guilty of this. Phantom Blood fits plenty of story into just nine episodes and by the time of Jonathan's heroic sacrifice, it may be hard to believe that only nine episodes have passed.
Not long after Dio becomes the ultimate vampire, Jonathan and Speedwagon embark on a quest to slay him, with the action heating up fast.
3 Worst: It's brief
Yes, Phantom Blood is tightly plotted, and that's a good thing, but one can't help but feel that the stylish, action-packed Victorian setting could have been expanded upon a little more.
Certain characters, such as Baron Zeppeli and Speedwagon, get only a handful of minutes of screen time before Phantom Blood ends. If only Speedwagon could have spent a little more time wearing that excellent top hat he got from Zeppeli...
2 Best: The horror elements
JoJo is not a horror anime, but Phantom Blood has some chilling scenes and backgrounds that may unsettle the viewer (in a good way). Dio's freakish hybrid minions are a disturbing sight, even if they are not powerful fighters, and his spooky castle set against the full moon may terrify any interlopers.
There's also the blood-curdling scheme to poison George Joestar and thus stab the entire Joestar family in the heart. Oh, and seeing the early vampires is quite a fright, too, especially in snowy midnight London.
1 Worst: No memorable moments
Phantom Blood can be great fun to watch, and fans may cheer on Jonathan Joestar as he fights to take down his twisted foster brother, Dio. That said, very few classic JoJo moments hail from this short first act.
"Part Three" features Jotaro's tough-guy talk with Dio, such as the classic "Oh? You're approaching me?" and "I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer." And "Part Four's" villain, Kira, is unforgettable with his blood-chilling hand fetish. But Phantom Blood? It's a thrill to watch, but little, if any of it, will stick in a viewer's mind after they move on.