Illustration courtesy of Netflix

  Jojo fans: who are they and what do they want? Many students at San Luis Obispo High School know of or watch the popular Japanese show called “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure”, featuring a range of characters from Jojo himself to his stepbrother, Dio. In the past few years, memes have surfaced ridiculing the fanbase of this show. But why are Jojo fans always made fun of?

  “Jojo fans are hated because they’re really annoying. They make the same four jokes over and over and they are the least funny group of people on the face of the earth, “ said junior and Jojo fan Ava Walsh.

  According to the Urban Dictionary, a Jojo fan is defined as an “individual who thinks very highly of the anime thinking it’s the best thing ever created, also becoming very ignorant if you try to disprove them on it. Very comparable to Reddit users.”

  But despite the fanbase, Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure offers a lot more in terms of plot and art style. 

 “The creator, Hirohiko Araki, is one of my art mentors and someone who’s creativity and skill I really admire. JoJo’s was first published in 1986 and has become this huge worldwide phenomenon since. When I was studying in Japan, my host parents would watch the new episodes together on TV every week,” said senior Celia Lober.

  With anime and manga being an influential part of modern entertainment, Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure has remained a popular show for SLOHS students in recent years. The show has also managed to appeal to fans of rock and metal music, with many characters being named after legendary bands and musicians such as Ronnie James Dio, Led Zepplin, Styx, AC/DC, and Metallica, just a handful out of the long list of cultural references.

  “I watch Jojo because it’s got a really interesting storyline and very unique characters. It’s also inspiring to see such a weird and kind of silly story get so popular. As an artist and writer, it’s neat to see a passion project that’s so different and non-conforming become famous. In this way, I could even say it’s a bit inspiring,” said Walsh.

  So why is there so much hate directed at the show? 

  “Jojo’s is a really cool show, and most of the fanbase is pretty cool and really talented, but once you discover this particular part of the fanbase, it can almost ruin the show for you. For me, the people who romanticize the actions of the villains in the show or sexualize underage characters really set me off. On a less serious note, the people who reuse the oldest Jojo’s memes over and over again just get annoying in my opinion,” said Lober. 

  So Is Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure a good show or not? It’s definitely worth a watch and can be found on pretty much any streaming service.

The final verdict: watch the show… just stay away from Jojo fans.