Violence and Culture and Its Impact on Morality in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable

Abstract

This senior project is focused on the long-running manga series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure penned by Hirohiko Araki. The argument is focused on the fourth part of the series, Diamond is Unbreakable, and its portrayal of violence in relation to several cultural and psychological aspects. I examined the history of violence in Japan and how it has transmuted into the 1990s, affecting males and their relationships with their fathers through the antagonist. Additionally, I utilize sources covering the psychology and history of serial killers and their culture as a lens to understand what Araki is saying about violence. I concluded that the serial killer Yoshikage Kira is just another manifestation of the contemporary feeling surrounding violence, our desensitization to it and how it is just another product of its representation in entertainment.