PART FOUR IS NOT CRASH

TONY T. - Managing Editor, 3rd Year, Economics and Data Science

"Aria-core."

As I mentioned in my prior article on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, I’m not a huge fan of most parts of the series. With two exceptions, each part is either too formulaic for my liking (Stardust Crusaders, Vento Aureo, Stone Ocean), fun but too simplistic (Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency), or something I have very little desire to finish (Jojolion). This obviously excluded Steel Ball Run, which I found to be a refinement of earlier parts’ structures in how it better focused on its principle cast and delivered extremely satisfying emotional climaxes to character arcs via symbolism with their fighting abilities. Steel Ball Run is, in a sense, a series I find next to flawless in how it fairly concisely portrays the story of one man’s journey to redemption. While slight issues prohibit me from considering it a 21st century version of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, it is superb. Don’t worry, I’m (mostly) kidding with that comparison.

That obviously leaves out the fourth part of the series, Diamond is Unbreakable. Unlike Steel Ball Run, Part Four is not what I’d consider to be a perfect work in that it isn’t “clean” in how it portrays its characters and their development. For that matter, I really only think that one Part Four character has an excellent arc, a direct consequence of the series’ cast being perhaps too big. The series doesn’t have any aspects I consider perfect, in that no part of its narrative is in any way such a pure distillation of any idea to where I think it is the epitome of representing that concept. Yet still, Diamond is Unbreakable has certain outstanding qualities that I believe more than makes up for its flaws and I overall consider it extremely highly.

Part Four’s biggest strength is directly stated in the first opening of its animated adaptation, “Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town”. More than any character, the town of Morioh serves as the effective protagonist of Diamond is Unbreakable, in much the same way I once described Neo-Venezia as the greatest part of the Aria series. The intrigue of Morioh isn’t really in individual unique inhabitants, but rather how the plethora of strange individuals residing within coexist in a web of strange relations. A great touch that the adaptation made was putting a special highlight on certain landmarks of the town, which goes a long way in making such a wacky, strange location feel alive. While Part Four still goes with the same formula of having villainous individuals attack members of the main cast in various mini arcs that make up much of its middle stretch, this still feels integrated within the world. These fights often begin while characters are doing more mundane tasks, like walking down the street or wondering about a mysterious abandoned house in town.

Where Part Three’s structure was rooted in a largescale quest spanning a vast distance, Part Four’s decision to scale down the conflicts to suburban slices of life does wonders. In this sense, I strongly stand by that Aria comparison - Diamond is Unbreakable has far more in common with that than the rest of Jojo. It also makes frequent departures from what the audience would expect. Even the “stand of the week” opponents aren’t all villainous. There are petulant but innocent children, well-intentioned foreign chefs, and somewhat misguided yet ultimately friendly female classmates. For that matter, the town even has elements that have nothing to do with stand abilities, like a mysterious ghost alley that has properties akin to the Greek myth of Orpheus. All of this just further emphasizes Morioh as a town that, while strange, has its own contained history, culture, and society that breathes.

In subverting the laws of this (somehow) functioning society, Kira Yoshikage serves as an excellent antagonist. I could perhaps make the argument that his passive behavior makes him particularly opposed to Hirose Koichi, who develops in a very “battle shounen” manner and upholds a sense of proper status quo in the town. Indeed, Koichi’s abilities are brilliantly tied into this, with his stand developing in a way that almost certainly inspired Johnny Joestar’s growth in Part Seven. Yet, Kira is probably best described as a foil to Morioh itself, with how he turns the town’s society on its head. What was once a (somewhat) trusting society becomes intimidating, as this mass serial killer can seemingly loom around any corner, posing as anyone. In particular, the arc wherein an otherwise not relevant grade schooler begins to feel as though something is deeply wrong with his father, who Kira poses as, is great. It embodies a complete opposing feeling to the sitcom tone that Morioh has thus far represented. The majority of Diamond is Unbreakable’s world building serves to make more mundane aspects of daily life more interesting with bizarre abilities, locales, and self-described possible aliens. Hence, Kira’s presence in another person’s body and home is the antithesis, creating tension and anxiety in otherwise innocuous situations. In this way, while I wouldn’t necessarily call Part Four’s characterizations excellent in the same way as Part Seven, its establishment of Morioh makes up for it in spades. This is especially notable by contrasting the series’ feel before and after Kira’s introduction, as, while Kira isn’t exactly a character I’d call deep or complex, the impact he has on Morioh as a whole is notable.

Surprisingly, the animated adaptation is also probably the best version of the story. While the manga is fine (I actually started with the old Duwang scans), readers clearly see the author transitioning his art style from the muscular builds of earlier parts to the more slender designs featured prominently starting from Vento Aureo. The inconsistency is fine, but occasionally distracting. The backgrounds, while adequate, don’t necessarily exude the above mentioned feeling that Morioh should express. Both of these issues are improved upon in the anime, where they choose a firm middle ground between muscular and slender physiques in addition to having many wider shots that show the town in all its glory. Another point in favor of the anime is its pacing. To compare to Stardust Crusaders, the manga for Diamond is Unbreakable is actually 22 chapters longer. Yet, the Part Three anime is a full four cour whereas Part Four’s is only three, as Diamond is Unbreakable makes good use of its time and doesn’t stretch out arcs like its predecessor often did. The manga for Part Four isn’t bad – I still firmly love it. Yet, even with my general preference towards older media, the anime outclasses it and I daresay makes it obsolete. The anime simply offers so much in addition to what the manga provides, and its new inclusions never detract from the overall product. The animated adaptation of Diamond is Unbreakable expands the manga into what it always strove to be, and then some.

In short, Diamond is Unbreakable is nothing short of amazing. A fittingly bizarre shift to suburban Japanese slice of life after three prior entries of world-spanning adventures, Part Four manages to transition the action formula seamlessly. Its highest point comes with its worldbuilding, making a truly inconceivably strange world believable. Despite being a crazy noisy bizarre town, the idiosyncrasies of Morioh come across akin to the strange elements that any small town might possess, which adds to the show’s interesting atmosphere. Other elements support this like the slight tone shift from unstoppable foes to normal civilians. Furthermore, its animated adaptation manages to actually improve on the source material, with small effects that further emphasize Morioh as an excellent setting. Beyond that, it keeps the character art far more consistent and thus easy to follow and features excellent pacing especially compared to other Jojo adaptations. Diamond is Unbreakable is not a perfect series, in that I still find some faults with its usage of battle shounen elements and the overall Jojo structure itself. Yet, the 2016 anime adaptation