JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was first serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine in 1987, before transferring to the monthly seinen magazine Ultra Jump in 2005. The series is divided into distinct story arcs, each following a different member of the Joestar family across generations, all of whom possess a star-shaped birthmark and can be identified by the recurring "JoJo" nickname.
The first arc, Phantom Blood, is set in 1880s England and introduces the series' core conflict. It follows Jonathan Joestar, a young aristocrat, as he battles his adoptive brother Dio Brando, who becomes a powerful vampire using an ancient stone mask. The story blends gothic horror, martial arts, and supernatural elements, establishing the themes of family legacy, honor, and the struggle between good and evil that would define the entire series.
Araki's work is renowned for its distinctive art style, which has evolved significantly over the decades, drawing inspiration from classical sculpture, high fashion, and Western pop culture. The series is also famous for its creative battle system, which later introduces "Stands" — psychic manifestations of a character's fighting spirit with unique abilities. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has become one of the best-selling manga series in history, with over 120 million copies in circulation, and has spawned a massive multimedia franchise including multiple anime adaptations, video games, novels, and films.