Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is among the most well-known manga series in the entire world. Araki began working on the series in 1987, and he hasn’t stopped since. The series is divided into different parts, which makes each part unique and filled with new protagonists and villains that drive its narrative forward.
The manga is adapted by David Production, and they have done an incredible job of making the anime enjoyable to watch for series veterans and newcomers alike. Recently, the anime for Stone Ocean came out and has been a hit with anime fans. However, according to many fans of the series, the best JoJo part has not been animated yet.
While it is difficult to say which is the best JoJo part, there are websites such as MyAnimeList, which have ratings that give insight into what the community thinks. These ratings often help readers to see what the common consensus is. So, according to MyAnimeList, the best JoJo part is Steel Ball Run. It has a rating of 9.26 on the website, which makes it one of the highest-rated manga in the world. Originally, Steel Ball Run was not a part of the JoJo series, however, it was later included as Part 7.
Steel Ball Run follows the story of Johnny Joestar and his friend Gyro Zeppeli as they compete in the Steel Ball Run race to win its prize money. But, as the story continues they encounter various mysteries and characters, all revolving around the enigmatic Saint’s Corpse. The two are both sucked into the events at hand, and decide to find the different parts that are scattered all over the course of the race.
The two jockeys face a lot of threats in the form of villains and wildlife. Despite all their hardships, they continue to race towards the finish line to claim the prize, building a unique and unbreakable bond in the process.
Steel Ball Run has many unique things that set it apart from the other JoJo parts. First and foremost, the protagonist, Johnny Joestar is different from the rest of the JoJo protagonists. Once a famous horse jockey, Johnny had everything that a person could hope for, however, his life was completely changed when a young man shot him in the spine.
The gunshot turned Johnny into a paraplegic and he lost everything. As a man who had everything, it was really difficult for Johnny to get used to his new life. He remained hopeless until he finally met Gyro. After meeting Gyro, Johnny found the motivation to keep fighting to improve his life. During the Steel Ball Run race, Johnny’s resolve got stronger and he was ready to risk life and limb to get ahold of the Saint’s Corpse. He also learned that some things were far important than his own dreams as he was ready to sacrifice his goals to save his friend.
Another highlight of Steel Ball Run is Gyro Zeppeli. Gyro came from the Zeppeli Family in Italy with the sole purpose of winning the race. Gyro’s cheerful spirit helped Johnny to get through tough times and it made him realize that even when everything seemed lost, there is still hope. Gyro also helped Johnny to learn about the Spin, which proved to be very important as Johnny’s Stand relied on the same principle.
The main villain of Part 7— Funny Valentine is extraordinary. He had very high ambitions; he wanted to get his hands on the Saint’s Corpse to make the United States, the greatest country in the world. He was willing to go to any length in order to achieve that. One can say he was blinded by his patriotism towards his country.
Oddly, Funny Valentine was not bothered by sacrificing Americans to achieve his goal. He only believed in making the country better. Steel Ball Run also had Diego Brando, who was just as interesting as Funny Valentine. Throughout the entire race, Diego formed various alliances, but much like the original Dio, he only remained loyal to himself.
Overall, Steel Ball Run has an incredible cast of characters and they’re all very amazing. The protagonist, the side characters, and the antagonist are all very good. It is one of the few series where even the minor villains are interesting and very well written. Some of the minor villains such as Sandman, Blackmore, Ringo Roadagain left a deep impact on the series. They had unique Stands and they had personalities, and so they weren’t just normal henchmen that were sent by Funny Valentine.
The allies in Steel Ball Run were nothing short of spectacular. From Mountain Tim, to Lucy Steel, Gyro, and Hot Pants, Steel Ball Run introduced one of the strongest supporting casts the series has ever had. All these characters aided Johnny on his journey to find the Saint’s Corpse and contributed significantly throughout.
Finally, the setting of Part 7 is very different from most previous parts. All the previous parts had mostly;y been isolated to a handful of specific locations, but with Steel Ball Run, fans actually got to experience a cross-country journey throughout America in the 1890s. These all play a part in what made Steel Ball Run a timeless classic and a must-read for every manga lover. So, it is only natural that the fans are very hyped for the manga to get its own anime adaptation.
