In this unforgettable hit film by the late great Kon Satoshi, Paprika, based on the novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka, is a story about psychologists who wish to help by entering the dreams of patients. Through a machine called the DC Mini, it allows individuals to be inside people’s heads while they dream. Due to the machine being incomplete, the treatment is still not 100% approved. Chiba Atsuko, a doctor in the project, beings to use the machine as Paprika.

So what makes this movie similar to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Diamond is Unbreakable? Granted their stories are very different but if you are someone who truly appreciates anime exclusively for the art, then art-oriented fans are likely to be attracted to both products for its uses of psychedelic imagery. If anything, the entire town of Morioh with its unique bright color palette feels like a trip. JoJo is more influenced by Araki-sensei’s love for progressive rock, while Paprika is meant to stimulate what goes in in the subconscious. Both do a good job of pulling viewers into an immersing trance of the insanity that happens.

Based on the hit visual novel and video game franchises by Type-Moon, the original story centers around Emiya Shirou, a high school student who is also learning the dark arts. He is a resident of Fuyuki City and uses his abilities to take place in a secret battle known as the Fifth Holy Grail War which includes various kinds of magical based beings. Whoever wins, their wish shall be granted.

Like Josuke, Shirou is motivated by a strong sense of justice which they get from their parental figures. Shirou gets his from both his natural and foster fathers, while Josuke is influenced by his grandfather. As the bow and arrow from Diamond is Unbreakable is the source of people getting powers, the grail also contributes as the motivating factor to this magical war and the parties involved. In addition, both supernatural battles take place in a fictional rural town surrounded by intrigue.

In this prototype to Tsukihime and the Fate/stay night series, Kara no Kyoukai takes place in the late 1990s and tells the story of Ryougi Shiki and Kokutou Mikiya and how they deal with the supernatural and other crazy real world problems from suicide, rape, to murder. Together, they must stop these threats but the threats may be closer than they could ever imagine.

One instant comparison is of course both series taking place around the same time period. In addition, both share plots on how rural towns are being haunted by crazy instances and a teenager with powers due to her lineage gives her the obligation to put a stop to it. But both Shiki and Josuke don't do it because it's something their families wanted them to do, they do it because it's the right thing. Though JoJo tends to have more humor, Kara no Kyoukai has a much darker atmosphere and can be pretty creepy.

In the second animated adaptation of Garo, based on the hit Tokusatsu franchise, the Crimson Moon series takes place in medieval Japan and tells the story of Raikou, the bearer of the Garo armor. Together with his assistant Kintoki and his guardian/mentor Senmei, they use their unique abilities to fight the horrors that threaten the future of Japan. In the midst of all of this, the characters must confront their pasts and the politics that could limit their activities. What makes this series similar to JoJo and why fans should check one or the other out is on a foundational level, they both share stories of the supernatural. What also makes them similar is that the incidents that are happening in both animes is that they tend to take place in one town/city, and if things go wrong there, then it could have consequences that could affect the whole world and both main characters are teenagers that have the abilities and support that can prevent it.

In addition to these superficial similarities, both series also tackle themes on how the characters embrace their legacies. As the illegitimate son of Joseph, Josuke’s bloodline puts something of a target on his back from Dio’s (the villain in the first and third story arcs of the series) remaining henchmen. Since Joseph was never in his life, the only person he sees as a parental figure is his maternal grandfather, a humble and respected police officer. Like Josuke, Raikou grew up without his father (or the rest of his natural family for that matter) and like Josuke, Raikou embraces his situation as a “it’s just the way it is” kind of mentality, and just accepts people who have always been there for him as his family and does the right thing for the sake of it.

Based on the hit manga series by Togashi Yoshihiro (who initially made fame through Yuu Yuu Hakusho), it tells the story of Gon Freeces, who wishes to become a Hunter, or more specifically a treasure hunter just like his father. Together with Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, they face the hardships of meeting the demands to becoming qualified as Hunters, and later on becoming the best at what they do.

Though different in their own unique ways, both Diamond is Unbreakable and Hunter x Hunter share very unique action sequences. Famous through Yuu Yuu Hakusho, Togashi-sensei demonstrates his approach to action by once again being more tactical oriented such as trapping and other means of psychological games. JoJo is likewise psychological but in a very different matter. As stated before, a lot of the battles are expressed through stands, astral projections of the combatants. Each stand has its own unique ability and its own limitations. Like Hunter x Hunter, Diamond is Unbreakable expresses its battles through mind games and goes no holds barred when it needs to. In both series, they are also motivated by their fathers and/or paternal figures. Gon is motivated by his father’s achievements as a Hunter, while Josuke’s sense of right and wrong comes from his maternal grandfather.

Just like the original PlayStation 2 game it is based on, the story of Persona 4 is about how Narukami Yu, your typical teenager, moves into the fictional town of Inaba to stay with some relatives while his parents work overseas. Haunting this town is a Midnight Channel that appears on rainy days and the town is plagued by unsolved murders. With his new friends Yosuke and Chie, they set out to solve this mystery. Thankfully, they found clues to what's going on and in order to combat this threat, Yu develops his Persona power.

As you can tell, both Person 4 and Diamond is Unbreakable on a foundational level (town haunted by a mystery and teenagers must band together to stop it) tend to share virtually almost every quality. Altus has openly admitted to saying Persona’s are based on stands from JoJo, and even asked Araki-sensei permission to use them. The concept that the Persona’s take influence from the personality of the user is also the same as the stands from JoJo. While JoJo takes its influence from music, this installment of Persona takes its influence from Japanese mythology. Though not as trippy in the same way as JoJo is artistically, Persona has its own unique ways of getting the viewer to challenge their views on reality.