More on Jojo, net of influences, etc.

[petronia]

Now somewhere around the end of volume 8 of Jojo. I am going to be sporked for saying this but it completely reminds me of what I used to like about Anne Rice, because... it's sort of the same story. >_> Except instead of falling down a pit of philosophical wangst and attempted Deep Meaning(tm) Araki transmogrifies the basic idea into an 80s-style action movie, complete with Indiana Jones Nazis and Jackie Chan comedic timing. It's probably easier to avoid the temptation to take yourself seriously when your ancient, unthinkably powerful uber-vampires are named Santana, Cars, AC/DC and Wham**. *scratches head* The influence of the Ricester on pop culture is subtle and moves in mysterious ways. For better or worse she's to vampire novels what Tolkien is to epic fantasy and everyone who comes after her is either following or working against her in some sense, regardless of whether they'd claim her as an influence.

...Come to think of it I should be worried re: TRC. While I doubt we'll ever see Hokuto screech "WRRREEEEEYYY" I'm at best the fifth person on earth to make that joke, counting the four members of CLAMP. orz|||

Further thoughts: Joseph (Jojo #2) is awesome. XD He's a total smartass and punk hero, but really it's something about the way he reacts to things that makes the character. Like:

Someone has just responded to you in a food fight by punching chi-stiffened strands of spaghetti through your wine glass. Do you:

a) freak out
b) riposte with an even more ridiculous attack
c) eat the spaghetti then freak out, no use letting good pasta go to waste

(This was one of the throwaway gags I'm still laughing at the next day. XD The other one was the look on Jojo's face when AC/DC swallowed that stick of dynamite. Holy shit what a Kodak moment. XD)

Apart from blaming Caesar for my sudden 2AM pasta craving, I blame him for the ridiculous poses! Before that there was a lot of improbable contortion during battles and whatnot (which is one of the things that makes the fights hard to follow - never mind the rampant crosshatching and "time-delayed" frames where everyone has five ghostly arms, how do you parse who's hitting whom where if their joints aren't even bending the right way), but intentional "..." stuff only started after Caesar showed up. Although he's no worse an offender than anyone else in the series.

I have a suspicion that the whole talking up of awe-inspiring special attack -> "...WTF, are you in Sailor Moon?" is a recurring theme. Though Caesar pre-dates Sailor Mercury if you think about it. =_= Nevertheless it can be pretty suspenseful, despite the ridiculousness and the occasional urge to show random people frames and ask, "So in your unsullied opinion, what do you think is happening in this picture?"

Lisa Lisa is totally the spiritual antecedent of Chiba Kuukaku (and to a certain extent Yoruichi, since she trains the boys). XD The two huge dudes are the giveaway although the fez hat ended up on Jidanbou IIRC - that and the phallic symbol in the back yard. Sure we all made fun of Andrew when he insisted Kuukaku's cannon was the size of her metaphorical wang but at least no one in Bleach had to climb a greasy pole. ...A spurting greasy pole.

** Does Wham actually bear a physionomic resemblance to Boy George or what? Is it just the makeup?

In non-manga related news, my Macromedia Flash course is starting tonight. Pondering whether I should put off the second half til the winter session though as T may be going back to visit Moscow in August and if she does I'll go with her. (Not to mention I will need my copious free time to study for the GMAT. WTF I should not have to do these things to prove a point and yet... I'm doing it to prove a point. orz)

Comments

[dipping_sauce]

What time does your class start? We could have coffee beforehand.

[petronia.livejournal.com]

6PM-8PM I'm afraid, there's not much time. ^^;

[dipping_sauce]

No time at all, since I'm leaving work at 6 tonight :(

(GMAT? You're going to get an MBA? O_o)

[petronia.livejournal.com]

I'm going to shut my mother up. Whether or not this will require an MBA is a separate question. XD (But I think I've told you about this)

[corneredangel.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I'm looking for the first couple of weeks of August for my own (next) Russia run. At the thought of running into you in Moscow, of all places, the mind boggles.

[petronia.livejournal.com]

:D :D Show me your haunts!

[naanima.livejournal.com]

AH!

*attempting to muffle laughter because omfg! JoJo is such a crack series and your descriptions of teh 80's bright tears to my eyes*

[petronia.livejournal.com]

You should read it. :P Araki-sensei clearly has the special spaghetti sauce. (Though really what's worrisome is not so much that JoJo is on crack, it's that by all the evidence JoJo is immensely influential.)

[naanima.livejournal.com]

I never had the opportunity to read it, only watched the OAVs (and it is really, really, really fascinating. The characters are hot in a complete manly kind of way. This brings joy to my heart especially I discovered JoJo after my major fallout with certain shoujo manga/groups *kpffs*CLAMP*koffs*).

One day (after teh mid-terms, the internships and so forth) I shall buy and read JoJo

[petronia.livejournal.com]

If you're like me it'll make you think about CLAMP much more than you'd like. =_=

(It also has a way of reminding me of Bleach, but in tiny increments/details. Either KT's takeaways were completely different from CLAMP's, or he just... has the same outlook as Araki on certain things.)

[naanima.livejournal.com]

It isn't the character design (though now that I have started thinking about it, the Triangle uppder body thing minus the muscles and the clothing is beginning to make much more sense now. omg. I am like you.)

(I suspect it may be a bit of colummn A and a bit of column B.)

[angrybabble.livejournal.com]

hey, help us out, Yosi's trying to write a PWP fanfic full of stupidity where Caesar and Jojo get it on in that pit of oil (what, they're down there for THREE DAYS). We all thought this would be hilarious mainly because of the setting. We're still sure it would be if we could figure out how to start the porn. I know what you're thinking, "HOW CAN YOU NOT START THE PORN WHEN YOU HAVE TWO MUSCULAR 18-YEAR-OLDS ALL ALONE AND THIGH-DEEP IN LUBE" but we are just incredibly unimaginative. Suggestions welcomed. XD;

I really like your comparisons of part 2 to Indiana Jones btw, that's kind of how I felt about it too... I always felt if Part 1 is a quasi-epic vampire/zombie story, Part 2 is just pure fun adventure. (where Part 3 is a Eurasian travelogue/fighting game, Part 4 is Stand User High School, Part 5 is the Backstreet's Back Gangsters, and Part 6 is... er... I dunno, a prison break with lesbians and murderers? And part 7 is a gay western.)

Speaking of Lisa Lisa, a lot of people think she inspired Rose from Street Fighter Alpha. (And if you can't guess what Street Fighter character those fanboys at Capcom based on Stroheim, then you need a beating. XD)

[angrybabble.livejournal.com]

PS: dunno about the Wham/Boy George thing, but recently we noticed a distressing physical similarity between everyone's favorite stat-screaming fanboy Speedwagon and Dee Snyder (http://www.fecalface.com/whatever/dailies/archives/twisted-sister.jpg) in the heyday of Twisted Sister. >_> Sigh.

[petronia.livejournal.com]

Amazingly, that in and of itself didn't occur to me, but you are right. IT IS A LUBE PIT.

(It's like... like building a shounen manga out of Lego blocks, only the Lego blocks are made from shredded recycled gay pr0n. My metaphor makes no sense but I can't think of a better way to express it.)

I don't think I could even begin to conceive of fic at the moment, though, my brain needs to build up its tolerance. XD

P.S. but everyone had hair like Speedwagon back in the day!

[angrybabble.livejournal.com]

He has such a beak of a nose and a long face though... XD I dunno, it seems probable. XD

SHABON SPRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(We love how Jojo is JEALOUS OF THE SHABON SPRAY. WTF! Jojo, even your lame JOJO CRACKERS are better and more manly than SHABON SPRAY. Geez, Caesar! Uke much?! Of course it is not poor Caesar's fault that Jojo is a manly 6'5 while Caesar is a frail, delicate 6'1. XD)

[tsutanai.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, I have to order books from Japan (knowledge and diaries in Heian and Kamakura, and another on reading the Taiheiki... unless I have it already, which I should check). Any recommendations while I'm at it, then? XD