Waifu Wednesday: Lisa Lisa (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Today’s waifu is Lisa Lisa from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, a formidable pick if ever there was one.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is, as the title suggests, bizarre. (Starting strong there, keep it up – Ed.) It goes from Victorian period drama to vampire epic so fast it will give you whiplash, and is filled with the most dramatic, over-the-top characters and dialogue you’ll ever encounter.
For the first several parts, it is largely bereft of women of consequence, instead focusing on the muscle-bound men of the Joestar line. Only Lisa Lisa stands among the hulking men of the show and contributes something beyond needing to be rescued — until the welcome arrival of Jolyne in part six of the ongoing JoJo saga, but that’s a story for another day.
Because I’ve been on a JoJo kick for the past several weeks, this week we’re celebrating the master of Hamon and mentor to Joseph Joestar, Lisa Lisa, for our Waifu Wednesday.
Who is Lisa Lisa?
A key part of what makes JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure work is the escalation of weirdness. In part one, we see the chaos a single vampire can cause. In part two, we find out there are even more powerful creatures waiting in the wings in the form of the Pillar Men. Joseph Joestar, the grandson of the original JoJo, manages to take one down – with the help of a friendly Nazi – before being utterly dismantled by the remaining three. Given one month to become strong enough to take on Whammu, Esidisi, and Kars, he seeks the only remaining master of Hamon (or Ripple Energy, depending on what translation you’re reading).
He arrives in Venezia to seek training under the tutelage of Lisa Lisa, the statuesque and beautiful master of Hamon. Her methods are harsh and her demeanour is unforgiving, but she makes Joseph strong enough to take the fight to the Pillar Men and save the world from their impending rule. She doesn’t just sit back and let her students handle all the fighting; Lisa Lisa proves that she is even more capable than them in many of the dangers they face.
Why we love her
Lisa Lisa is easily one of the best mentors in anime history. She knows exactly how to get the most out of her students, pushing them into a friendly rivalry so that they continue to push and grow throughout their time with her. She is strong and fierce in battle, holding her own against the mighty Kars without any help from her students, but she is also exactly as extra as they are when it comes down to it. After hitting Joseph on the head with an oar, she taunts him by posing and standing on the water just out of his reach because she wants to get the boy motivated to learn.
Her aloof and distant exterior is to help her hide the shocking secret of the Joestar line. Because this whole manga is just a soap opera, Lisa Lisa turns out to be Joseph’s long-lost mother in a twist that wasn’t hard to see coming but fits perfectly with the overall feel of the manga. Lisa Lisa cares deeply for both her students, more than they are likely to ever know, which is shown perfectly when she believes Joseph dies after flying a volcano into space to defeat Kars.
This show gets seriously weird.
Why you’ll love her
Lisa Lisa marks the turning point in Joseph’s life. Before he had gotten by on his good looks, abundant luck, and ability to improvise better than anyone else. However, it took Lisa Lisa and her firm hand to show him how to reach his full potential. When facing off against the incredible power of the Pillar Men, he had to do more than just stumble toward victory. He had to become his best self and he wouldn’t have been able to do that without Lisa Lisa’s help.
Not seen JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure? You’re missing out on a wild ride, but it’s never too late to catch the anime on Netflix.
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