expr:class='"loading" + data:blog.mobileClass'>

Featured Post

RIP, TinyLetter & Webs!🪦

Doomsday has arrived for TinyLetter newsletter. Now, I really don't know what to do. Had Vistaprint NOT shut down Webs, I'd still ...

My Blog List

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Cartoon Sunday: Horror References In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure And The Roots Of Dio's Wickedness


How's it going lurkers? So, did you enjoy the ominous tones of Hayato Matsuo's compositions for Song Saturday? I enjoyed "Giwaku," which is "Suspicion" in Japanese. When it comes to horror, it definitely gave me creepy vibes.

After listening to "Suspicion," I imagined JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's super villain, DIO, Phantom Of The Opera, and ABC's 1966 Gothic Horror Soap Opera, Dark Shadows. 

I don't know much about reading or playing musical instruments. Therefore, I won't pretend to know what exact notes were played in the preceding music scores

You see, I got the short end of the stick; Everyone in my immediate family can play at least 1 musical instrument, whereas I only sang in choir for graduation requirements, during my youth

Anyway, those low piano notes for Hayato Matsuo's "Suspicion" were as bone-chilling as watching Classic Horror Movie trailers from 3-4 decades ago.
During Matsuo's score, I could actually feel my blood running cold. This is coming from someone, who is a mostly desensitized Horror fan.

Speaking of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise and the Horror genre, I recently questioned some fans about the continuation of Stardust Crusaders. 

Those, who have read my blogs and have been subscribed to me over the last 5 years, should recall the 3 Cartoon Sunday blogs I published, last year. 

In the following blogs, I explained about the music references featured in Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, and Stardust Crusaders. 

Cartoon Sunday: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood + Battle Tendency Music References

Cartoon Sunday: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Recap With Stardust Crusaders Music References 

Cartoon Sunday: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders + Stands 

According to some JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fans from AnimeNation, Hirohiko Araki was influenced by Bram Stoker's Dracula, while creating Phantom Blood. There is horror throughout this franchise. However, there is supposed to be more horror in the "Battle In Egypt" Arc for Stardust Crusaders.

Last year, Stardust Crusaders premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami block. Even though there is horror throughout the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise, catching all the horror references can be difficult. 

There are so many music references, that they eclipse the horror references. Over the last several months or so, I managed to notice a few Stephen King references. 

For example, Stardust Crusaders places a major emphasis on stands and stand users. Horror novelist, Stephen King published a Post-Apocalyptic Horror Fantasy novel titled, The Stand in 1978. 

By 1994, ABC broadcasted the miniseries of the same name for viewers. 

Jotaro's last name is most likely another King reference. Have you noticed, that Jotaro's last name is "Kujo"? 

Because the character is Japanese, his last name is bound to be spelled differently in Japanese than the rabid dog's name in Stephen King's Psychological Horror novel, Cujo. 

Also, did you happen to notice the red Plymouth Fury? You know that red, possessed car? In Stardust Crusaders, it is known as The Wheel Of Fortune Stand. That same stand somewhat resembles the red car in Stephen King's Christine.
 
Meanwhile, the stand, Yellow Temperance resembles The Blob from the 1958 Sci-Fi Horror film.

A few episodes before the "Battle In Egypt" Arc, a baby with fangs known as Mannish Boy, uses his stand, Death 13. Death 13 appears in Kakyoin and Polnareff's dreams. 

Much like Freddy Krueger from Wes Craven's 1984 Slasher Horror film, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Mannish Boy tries killing them in the dreamworld. 

With all this talk about horror, let's NOT  forget about the super villain Dio Brando, who is now known as simply "DIO.

If you look back at JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, it was already shown from the very beginning how incredibly evil and cunning Dio Brando was as a character.

Some may justify, that it was all because his father, Dario Brando, was an abusive drunk, who forced Dio into becoming a lying, power hungry, con artist. 

It took for Dio to commit patricide (basically kill his own father), Dario to be free of him by poisoning Dario to death. Dio used that same poison to kill Jonathan Joestar's father, George. 

Since the time Dio Brando poisoned his own father, he was overtaken by that ancient, South American stone mask. 

Once blood flew on it, during Dio's soap opera brawl with Jonathan, the stone mask was activated. The ancient South American stone mask transforms the person, who wears it into a vampire

After Dio Brando obtained the stone mask, he became not only a lying, power hungry serial killer, but also a man-whoring vampire. 

With the resurgence of Dio in Stardust Crusaders, it is only fitting to return to the roots of his wickedness. 

For today's Cartoon Sunday, lets take a look back at the root's of Dio Brando's wickedness in Phantom Blood.

The Roots Of Dio Brando's Wickedness In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (2012)

2 comments:

  1. This anime is so good that it has been made into a subculture of memes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is somewhat like watching a Japanese animated soap opera with music and horror references. This is especially when it comes to watching Phantom Blood. At least you can't say it's boring. There is always a new twist. 😀

      Delete

Blog Archive

Search This Blog

Popular Posts

Contact Me

Name

Email *

Message *

Translate

Total Pageviews

Followers