In a controversial shift, Araki succeeds his immensely action shounen series after Stardust Crusaders with a slow paced slice of life comedy/murder mystery. And you know what? It works. Diamond is Unbreakable is one of the greatest accomplishments in Araki's career.

STORY: 9/10
Diamond is Unbreakable takes place 11 years after Stardust Crusaders. Jotaro discovers Joseph had an affair with a woman in a small town in Japan called Morioh, giving birth to Josuke Higashikata, the 4th Jojo. He travels to meet him to investigate recent Stand activity in the town and get to know his new uncle and eventually aids him and Josuke's interesting friends to take out a Stand User serial killer in the town.

DiU has a near perfect story. There is ample character development and lots of time dedicated to fleshing out the world. The actual plot doesn't really kick in until halfway into the manga. The buildup to meeting Kira is great and it makes his first appearance all the more worthy. Character dynamics, chemistry, and interaction fuel Diamond is Unbreakable and thankfully it succeeds almost flawlessly. I knock off a point because there is a gaping plot point left unresolved in the end, which I won't spoil. However, if you're a Jojo fan, you probably know what I'm talking about.

ART: 10/10
The art in DiU is probably the pinnacle of Araki. It goes through three big shifts. First it's an improvement on Stardust Crusaders's style. Second, it's much more anime-like with larges expressive eyes and a great attention to facial detail, making for some truly great reaction pictures. Finally, it becomes a preview for Araki's more feminine artstyle that's seen in his future Parts. The art shifts match the tone of DiU very well and character designs are on point.

CHARACTERS: 9/10
Everyone in DiU is nearly equally lovable and it's hard to pick out a select few as the "best". Koichi is very easy to root for, and his Stand Echoes is hilarious. Okuyasu is one of the greatest buddy characters ever made, pretty much a Japanese human Patrick Star; endlessly hilarious, entertaining, and stupid. Rohan Kishibe is a complete asshole, but that's what makes him so great. Even Jotaro gets significant character development and you know what? He was probably my favorite Jojo when I read this Part for the first time. A minor character, Tonio, is one of my favs ever, and he was only in like 5 chapters. Some fall slightly under the radar. Without spoiling, Josuke's friend Shigechi only exists for plot and is utterly revolting but he's thankfully not around long. Mikitaka, who I won't go into for spoilers also, is very mysterious and open ended and thus his appearance late into the Part may turn some people off.

The real stars are Josuke and Kira. Josuke is a perfect mixture of all 3 Jojos before him. He is an aloof loveboy like Jonathan, a smug trickster like Joseph, and can be ruthlessly badass like Jotaro. Even still, he has his own very unique personality, and is one of the more fleshed out and realized Jojos. He loves money and will do anything for it, evne screw people over. But he makes up for it in the end (Unless you're Rohan), especially with the help of his Stand Crazy Diamond, which can repair broken things. His co-existence and comradery with Okuyasu is pitch perfect chemistry and coemdy gold. Kirai s one of the best Jojo villains too. He's cruel but he's sympathetic. A misogynistic fetishist who murders women for their hands, he is still easy to root for, and his desire to "live a quiet life" seems true and innocent. One can't help but feel bad for him at times, eh can't help it. Even still, he can lavish in his villainous role and feels as 80-90's cartoon villain as the likes of Cobra Commander and Skeletor. He's goofy and aloof, but there's still an evil and trulyscrewed up darkness in him. His Stand, Killer Queen, help this, as its power is literally making people explode.

ENJOYMENT: 10/10
DiU is relentlessly hilarious while still having a story that can pack an emotional punch. While it may not be DIO'S WORLD, the final story arc, Crazy Diamond is Unbreakable, paired with Kira's Bites the Dust, is a fantastic and fitting conclusion. The fact that one cares so much for these characters makes the tension and payoff all the better.

OVERALL: 9/10
Diamond is Unbreakable is one of the most fun and entertaining experiences I've had. A nearly perfect story arc, DiU is loaded with an equally great ensemble of characters, Araki's pinnacle of artwork, and a story that's half endlessly entertaining slice of life and half murder mystery. It's very reminiscent of the likes of Scooby-Doo, Ed Edd n Eddy, Persona 4, Seinfeld, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In fact, I'd say it's a pretty perfect combination of all 5. A radically different but nonetheless fantastic turn for Jojo, DiU was, for a time, the pinnacle arc of the entire series. It's hard to believe that this isn't even the best Part of Jojo.