I've started JoJolion multiple times, but its monthly release schedule kept causing me to drop off after catching up. I have many times criticized its pacing for not working well with a monthly schedule, as single arcs frequently would take over half a year, but now that the entire story is available, it's not as much of a problem outside of the drawn-out, 22-chapter arc "The Wonder of You".
(This post will include some spoilers, but I try to keep it vague)
Even still, some issues remain: the story often feels aimless, often repeats very simple concepts as if afraid the reader won't get it, and yet also often doesn't explain others much at all. I guess I don't need Yasuho's stand Paisley Park to be explained and given clear-cut rules of what it can and can't do - in part because it's not written as a sonic screwdriver that will undercut the tension, but more as a mysterious stranger that occasionally offers guidance - but Go Beyond and the way it works together with calamities absolutely needed more set-up and explanation.
Another big problem I had was how the characters often felt under-utlized. Jobin, one of the most compelling characters and one of the primary antagonistic forces, quickly and unceremoniously gets thrown to the side during the finale, only to be replaced by the much less developed and interesting antagonist Toru. Nijimura is barely a character, only appearing for a while early on, and then re-appearing much later at the end. We only just get to know Rai before he's abruptly out. Despite what I said about Paisley Park, its only-occasional usefulness and vagueness also contribute to Yasuho often getting left out.
This is a symptom of poor planning, and I wouldn't be surprised if Rai specifically were introduced as a band-aid for the Yasuho issue. I get the sense that Araki often made things up as he went in previous parts as well, but there's a difference between bullshitting your way to the end when you and the reader already know that Jotaro will go from Japan to Egypt, and when you're writing a mystery. Did Araki forget the "Holly's sickness" plotline, or realize he didn't have time for it? It was very important up until the finale - and then dropped without resolution. Conversely, the resolution to the "Josuke's identity and memory loss" plotline was powerful and resonant... but undercut by how we early in the story saw him having a fragment of a memory of his past life.
All this said... I still did have a good time overall. Individual arcs and moments are often good, and I enjoy the chemistry between the main characters the times when we do get to see them together. I only hope that the time between this and the upcoming part 9 will mean that The JoJoLands is better planned - or written in such a way that it doesn't need to be as greatly planned out in advance.
Originally posted on Cohost.