JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012)

What the critics said

Otaku USA named it one of the best anime of 2012. Joseph Luster, who made that call, also noted the budget was tight. He called parts of the animation "a butt hair above motion comic standards," though he acknowledged the show usually compensates with sheer style. Michael Toole of Anime News Network echoed the concern, writing that strong writing, art direction, and pacing were sometimes obscured by grade-Z animation. Critics generally agree the adaptation helped spark a Western surge in popularity for the franchise. Danni Wilmoth at Crunchyroll later ranked it among essential viewing, and Polygon named it a top series of the 2010s. It’s a stylish mess that still works.