JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Started by Dr. Ensatsu-ken, October 14, 2012, 02:04:35 PM

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Lord Dalek

Maybe David had a falling out with Kamikaze Douga.

LumRanmaYasha

#196
I liked both OPs of Stardust Crusaders more than it's EDs, myself. But I think all of JoJo's OPs and EDs have been great so far, and DiU is no exception.

Though the lack of Rohan makes me suspect they'll change the OP/ED after a cour or so.

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

You know, I didn't even take notice to the fact that there was no CG in this opening until VLord mentioned it just now.

To be honest, it doesn't really bother me. Actually, I remember not liking the use of CG in the openings at first, but then it grew on me over time. Even so, I still prefer the charm of the hand-drawn style of animation, so I quite liked that this OP utilized that over the CG of the previous ones, myself, even though I do really like those OPs as well (and in fact, OP 4 from SC is my personal favorite).

Anyways, I can't wait for Mother's Basement to do a "What's in an OP?" episode on this.

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

#198
To be clear, I like all JoJo OPs and EDs, but I decided to rank them from my least favorite to the best ones so far, so while all are good, not all are equal. Additionally, I'm not ranking these JUST based on the songs, but rather how well the songs and visuals work together to portray that era of the story which the corresponding episodes of the anime are adapting.

5. JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~ - Good song and strong visuals, but the reason that I rank it last is because while it does a great job of summing up the rivalry between Jonothan and Dio, as well as establishing the eventual legacy of the Joestar line and how epic the story of their family will be, it doesn't really capture the Period Piece and Gothic Horror tone of Phantom Blood. It's an OP that's more about its iconic status rather than the story arc itself, IMO. That's by no means a bad thing, but something had to give in a list like this.

4. BLOODY STREAM - From what I understand, this is most people's favorite JoJo OP. And, for good reason, it's an excellent song and has very evocative and intriguing visuals. However, this is where personal preference really comes into play for me. While I really love the song used in this OP, and while the visuals do a very good job of summing up the tone of this arc, I also must admit that I'm personally not a fan of the over-use of abstract imagery in OPs like this, and while it IS done well here, I still prefer the more straightforward animation of the other OPs. It may be weak reasoning, but it's my list and my opinion, so if that's not good enough for you then go eat a dick. :bleh:

3. STAND PROUD - Excellent song (my personal favorite of all of them so far) and really bad-ass visuals. Honestly, I can't say much else other than the fact that my only strike against it is that I happen to like two other JoJo OPs a little bit better.

2. Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town- Now, I've listened to this song numerous times since the last episode came out, so I'm sure of my opinion. This song is clearly an homage/throwback to 90's anime, and is very much in tone with the arc. It evokes a simple sense of light-hearted fun, and really sums up the tone of this arc better than arguably any other OP in the series, so far. Also, I love the use of coloring and imagery in the visuals. Personally, the lack of CG doesn't bother me at all. On the contrary, it actually took me quite some time to get used to the CG of the previous openings, whereas I've always liked the traditional style of animation in my anime, so this was not a negative by any means in my book.

1. JoJo Sono Chi no Kioku ~end of THE WORLD~ - And this is where I differ from a lot of people. From what I gather, this is most people's least favorite OP for JoJo's so far, but I've always loved it. First, I want to direct people to the Mother's Basement "What's in an OP?" episodes on JoJo's to see some good explanations for why this OP is excellent, but to be clear I had always loved it even before having seen those videos. What I love is that this OP actually has the best use of visuals in the entire series so far. It actually tells a narrative story if you are really paying attention. It's less about crazy wild imagery and more about really highlighting what JoJo's (and this arc itself) is really about when you boil it down to its bare essentials. Despite the music sounding a bit darker than the other OPs, it's still not completely devoid of any fun, as you can see from the non-vocal portions with guitar-heavy track. I also thought that it was really cool to have all of the bands from the previous three OPs come together for this one, which is appropriate since it finally puts an end to the century-long rivalry between the Joestar's and Dio. All in all, it's the most powerful OP in the series thus far, IMO.

And as for the EDs:

5. Last Train Home - Fine
4. Walk Like an Egyptian - Fun
3. I Want You - Good
2. Oingo/Hol Horse and Boingo - Funny
1. Roundabout - The Best

Dr. Insomniac

5. Sono Chi no Sadame - Cool, and it reminds me of the Zorro opening for some reason.
4. Stand Proud - Great song, and I like the visuals illustrating Jotaro as the last of the old Jojos but the first of the new in a way.
3. Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town - One of the funnier OPs because of the characters dancing for most of it, and for that Koichi pose I've seen a hundred times on other forums.
2. End of THE WORLD - I really like the ragnarok tone it alludes to in regards to the Dio fight.
1. Bloody Stream - Just for that part where the Pillar Men pose while Joseph and Caesar prepare for combat.

LumRanmaYasha

All of JoJo's OPs & EDs so far have been great so you can't go wrong no matter how you order your list. That said, if I were to make an order:

OPs:

5. Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town - I've already rewatched this opening over two dozen times by now, and I just can't stop. The colors are stylish, and the song is funky as all hell. I love the beginning where the main four put the spotlights on themselves, the montage of all the Stand Users in Part IV in silhouettes whooshing by backgrounds of various key locations in the part, the sequence introducing the main three and hinting at their loved ones through their shadows, the poses everyone makes with their stands, and of course, the montage with all the protagonists/allies doing silly dances. There's a whole lot to love here. That said, I don't think it's as visually interesting as the other OPs, which is why I'm putting it last.

4. Stand Proud - I love how this one depicts the gang's adventures and the montage with them walking through the various locations they visit. In terms of capturing the feel of Stardust Crusaders, this one is the most emblematic.

3. JoJo Sono Chi no Kioku ~end of THE WORLD~ - I too watch Mother's Basement's videos and have of course seen his JoJo's ones, and he makes great points about why this is the most visually interesting as a credits sequence. The fact they got all three previous singers to sing it was a great touch, since the season effectively closez the "Stone Mask" era of JoJo's. And I've always loved the way the beginning showing the rivalry the Joestars have had with Dio over generation, and how the OP hints at the fates that befall the group during their battle with Dio. What ultimately puts this above Stand Proud for me, though, is the variant where Dio uses The World and walks by Jotaro with the smugest expression on his face and then the following "ORA ORA ORA" vs. "MUDA MUDA MUDA". I remember my jaw dropping in excitement when I first saw that - it's just too awesome.

2. JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~ - I love the way it illustrates all the key events in Part 1 and the rivalry between Johnathan and Dio. Personally, the fact that it also pays tribute to the legacy of the series as a whole is also something that I really love, especially since it was the first opening for an anime adaption of a manga that had so much history and legacy behind it. It was the perfect first opening to kick off a JoJo's anime adaption and the more JoJo's I read the more I appreciated it.

1. Bloody Stream - Yup, still pretty easily my favorite. The song is my favorite of all of them so far and the kind of hip, jazzy beat that never fails to stir my imagination and get me pumped. I love the psychedelic visuals, the colors, the roughly drawn scene of the pillar men unleashing their attacks, Joseph and Caeser staring down the Pillar Men during a full moon night, and of course the ending where Joseph puts on Caeser's bandana and screams into the night, while a shooting star flies by in the starry sky. Just everything I like about an OP here in one irresistible package.

EDs:

5. I Want You - I like the trippy visuals in this one and the way the song and imagery compliment each other stirs the imagination and fits the part in an interesting way. A Savage Garden song wouldn't have been my first choice for a DiU ED, but it still works really well.

4. Walk Like an Egyptian - This was the most appropriate song they could've chosen for the Part III ED and I was so happy they did.

3. Oingo/Hol Horse and Boingo - Novelty EDs, but hilarious all the same. These were fun ways to close out the silliness of the Boingo episodes, and I'm very glad they made them.

2. Last Train Home - I love how melancholy and reflective this song is. It's perfectly fitting for the last quarter of SC and I love how it depicts the gang hanging out in various visually stunning locations during their travels as day turns to night then day again, of course ending with the iconic group picture being revealed as Jotaro walks away from the desert of Egypt and leaves these adventures and memories behind.

1. Roundabout - Naturally. My favorite versions are the ones used for part 2, particularly because I love the image of Johnathan passing the torch to Joseph, among the other cool poses and images.

VLordGTZ

OPs:
5. Stand Proud
4. Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town
3. JoJo Sono Chi no Kioku ~end of THE WORLD~
2. JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~
1. Bloody Stream - It's also my favorite anime opening in general.

EDs:
5. I Want You
4. Walk Like an Egyptian
3. Oingo/Hol Horse and Boingo
2. Last Train Home
1. Roundabout

Dr. Ensatsu-ken


The Shadow Gentleman

OPs
4. Stand Proud - Pretty good but not as strong as the rest (much like the first half of SC).
3. Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town - dat Koichi
2. End of the World - Took a while to grow on me, but I've grown to really love it. The best visuals and use of sound effects so far.
1. SONO CHI NO SADAME/Bloody Stream tie - Don't make me choose.

EDs
5. Oingo/Boingo/Hol Horse - Laughed a lot when I first saw it.
4. I Want You - Surprising but really fitting.
3. Last Train Home - Araki's excellent taste shines through as usual.
2. Walk Like An Egyptian - I do love me some 80s music.
1. <===TO BE CONTINUED===

Spark Of Spirit

"The world will never starve for want of wonders, but for want of wonder." - G.K. Chesterton

gunswordfist

Bloody Stream's obviously the best. I need to rewatch to rank the others but the final version of Stardust Crusaders final OP is my 2nd favorite.

As for episode 3, a lot was revealed. I didn't expect them to hear so much from Anjuro. I heard about the bow and arrow but nothing beyond it giving people Stand powers and something about Part 4 being confirmed. Mostly in the youtube comments for a SD video that showed it on Enyaba's wall. I of course loved that they incorporated her into this arc's mystery.

I'm glad to finally see Okuyasu. Heard about him from some big fan of his online. I love how he has a space manipulated power kind of like what I assumed Dio had before the reveal. This episode was very colorful and used a good amount of distortion and rewind like effects and sounds. Makes sense.
"Ryu is like the Hank Hill of Street Fighter." -BB_Hoody


Dr. Insomniac



I hope some kind soul will animate an episode of Part 4 in Araki's current art style.

Spark Of Spirit

I'm sure manga readers can tell me if "Part 3" next week bodes well for the anime's overall pacing, but I'm enjoying this part so far. Also interested to see what Koichi's stand is.
"The world will never starve for want of wonders, but for want of wonder." - G.K. Chesterton

Dr. Insomniac

That would mean that so far, 5 episodes of the show translates to 18 chapters of the manga. So with 174 chapters, it's going slower than I expected.

Dr. Ensatsu-ken

The pacing in and of itself is fine (it's the same as it has always been for JoJo's), but I'm not exactly sure how this anime can cover all of JoJo's Part 4 in just 39 episodes at this pace without cutting some entire segments out.