Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure — How to use an OST
At this point, almost everyone knows of the ending to the original series of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure — something interesting or unique is cut off in a cliffhanger as the screen fades to sepia, the iconic ‘To Be Continued’ logo appears, and the opening section of 70’s band Yes’ Roundabout begins to play. For many, this is iconic as not just an ending to an anime, but as a personification of everything good about David Productions’ use of music in the series and, as you look across the four currently aired seasons of the show, it’s apparent just how well it uses its original sound track (OST) to enhance the experience.
For those who don’t know, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (Jojo) is a manga adaptation consisting of four main series across four seasons. One of the most interesting things about the anime, and the main reason I’m writing this article, is the variety across all four of these segments. Rather than choosing a style they felt was fitting for Jojo, and sticking with it throughout the entirety of the show, David Productions instead chose to give each part a completely unique style befitting it while simultaneously contrasting the previous part. Whether it be Phantom Blood’s darkly orchestral soundtrack, or the jazz fusion style of Stardust Crusaders, Jojo’s soundtrack gives every season it’s own unique identity.
There are no two songs that sound the same, no one song that sounds like what you’d expect — every piece of music in the show adds both to every scene that it’s used in, and the show at large. Just listening to the ‘main theme’ of each part is enough to tell you everything you need to know about it, but it will leave you wanting to know more.
The first part, Phantom Blood, has possibly one of the most generic soundtracks one could expect from an anime set in 1800’s England. Yet this works in favour of the segment — a more grounded introduction to the absurdity that is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Next, Battle Tendency immediately grabs the viewer with it’s sudden, bombastic energy, a soundtrack filled with action and bravado to fit the sudden jump in to total insanity that is part 2.
Then comes Stardust Crusader’s mix of upbeat jazz and orchestral, a perfect fit for a more toned down, and yet still fantastical, adventure across the globe, with heroic themes for every single character in the cast to emphasize the larger focus on the group.
Finally, we have Diamond is Unbreakable’s eclectic mix of the over-the-top rock of our heroes and the calm, creepy themes of the towns darker events and villains. It immediately tells the viewer that part 4 has a dual focus on the good and the bad, as opposed to the simpler stories in previous parts.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure continually surprises and impresses the viewer with it’s OST, with no two parts sharing a general theme or leitmotif. It speaks volumes as to David Production’s understanding of the series that they are able to consistently use the soundtrack of the show to exemplify everything that it’s supposed to be — which brings me to my main point.
Why don’t more shows do this?
Many anime have very well crafted and fitting soundtracks of course, some of my favourites have OSTs that I would consider outstanding. But so few have managed to use their OSTs in a way such as Jojo, to really draw out the core themes of the show and do exactly the same thing it sets out to do. As Jojo is a series that throws tropes out of the window, and aims to constantly amaze the viewer, the soundtrack is carefully planned out across multiple seasons to supplement this aim perfectly. It probably sounds like I’m just gushing (and to an extent I am), but I’m distinctly confident that a majority of my enjoyment for the series comes from David Production’s outstanding musical work.
It always seemed a shame to me that it’s rare to find such an OST. I’ve got no problem with making a soundtrack that simply fits, but to once again experience the way that Jojo’s brought out the best in the show, while simultaneously being great songs in their own right, would be pretty damn cool.
So I’ll leave you with this scene. It contains spoilers for the fourth part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, but I believe that it perfectly encapsulates all that I’ve written here. So either go out and watch the show, or listen to it’s soundtrack… and then go ahead and watch the show. It’s good.
