There’s a stand wielding serial killer on the loose in the once peaceful town of Morioh. Jotaro Kujo on behalf of the Speedwagon Foundation works with local Josuke Higashikata and his friends to find the deadly Yoshikage Kira as he makes his move on the small Japanese town in a string of deaths with a unique M/O.  

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is a 2016 shounen anime series, it is produced by David Productions and licensed by Viz Media. It is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray in English.

Editor’s Note: A review copy of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable Part 2 was provided by Viz Media in support of this review. Near complete to complete spoilers for Part 4 of the manga &  2012 anime adaption of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure may be present within this review. You can read our full review of Part 4’s anime adaptation here.

Josuke Higashikata was once a normal teenage boy until he came to realize that he is apart of the Joestar family. Illegitimate son to Joseph Joestar, Josuke under the guidance of his older big brother figure nephew Jotaro Kujo learns about his stand Crazy Diamond which has the power to repair and heal anything it touches though it’s limited in the fact that it can’t heal it’s wielder. After getting revenge on the man responsible for his uncle’s death Jotaro meets Koichi & Okuyasu who help him defeat a wanna be rocker stand wielder only to learn that a dangerous serial killer has been hiding in the shadows. This killer; a man named Yoshikage Kira has also unlocked the power of his stand “Bites the Dust” which completely obliterates anything he touches once activated. Having killed one of their friends Josuke and the others make it their mission to end him.

THE GOOD: In the last Diamond is Unbreakable set we left Josuke and co. going up against remote stand Red-Hot Chili Pepper. After killing Okuyasu’s brother he and the former attempt to stop his continuous creation of stand wielders with the legendary stand creating arrow that has become a staple in the JoJo lore. Following his defeat the previously careful Yoshikage Kira killed in the shadows, but once he unlocked his stand “Bites the Dust” it was as if a switch went off and a curse was placed on him. When he kills a member of the Morioh Joestar clan through a chance meeting he’s faced with a hurricane of problems from the group out looking for revenge. The Joestars corner Kira and after nearly being defeated he’s able to escape and take over a work colleague’s identity which makes finding him impossible for Josuke and co. With things quieting down on the Kira front he continues his peaceful existence while trying to fight his killer instincts. This is naturally unsuccessful for him and the murders spring back up alerting the Joestars and getting them back on Kira’s trail. Meanwhile the son of the man whose life Kira stole Hayato, begins to suspect that his father had his identity stolen and after a series of events is able to confirm his theory only for Kira to hold him hostage with Bites the Dust. Feeling trapped Hayato struggles to find a way to give his findings on Kira to Josuke and the others after coming into contact with Rohan. After successfully gaining the attention of Josuke and the others Kira is forced to cancel the active Bites the Dust he has on Hayato in order to protect himself & this gives Josuke confirmation of Kira’s new identity. A battle ensues and Okuyasu is nearly killed by Bites the Dust, but his recovery helps Josuke and Jotaro defeat Kira who is killed by an ambulance rushing to the scene of the explosions. Kira is dragged to hell in the spirit world after meeting the spirit of Reimi and her dog Arnold two of his first victims that befriended the Joestars. With Kira brought to justice she and Arnold are able to move onto the after life and Josuke, Joseph, and Jotaro go their separate ways.

As I’m fairly new to the JoJo I’ve noticed several things. The memes and referencing is literally everywhere, and the fandom is rather divided on part 4. On one hand most agree that it’s cool seeing Jotaro again on the other Josuke feels like an unlikable protagonist compared to the other Joestars due to his lack motivation and desires. This obviously changes with the death of his grandfather at the hands of a stand user and people gradually warm up to his character. Noticeably on the Western side of the fandom Josuke seemed as though he was an instant hit. In set 2 Josuke’s budding character development continues following Kira’s murder of one of his friends. The JoJo franchise is known for powerful character development throughout each arc it’s just a bit strange that most of Josuke’s comes from murder and a man with a pompadour that saved him. Josuke aside development of characters is stronger elsewhere like Okuyasu & Kira for example. The action & animation is some of the best in franchise history.

THE BAD: Josuke’s likability is a slow build, but ultimately works. Some of the plot does get a tad bit repetitive with the whole “someone we know was killed, revenge time!” deal.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Diamond is Unbreakable is another excellent entry into the JoJo franchise. While the lead does tend to lack in interest at times, it’s a footnoted flaw compared to an otherwise complete anime package. Otaku Dome gives Diamond is Unbreakable Set 2 Blu-Ray an 0 out of 100.