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Dissertation
“The most beautiful things I’ve ever seen” –diegetic and extra-diegetic found families in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, and their Fandoms
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Spring 2025
DOI: 10.25820/etd.007857
Abstract
This project utilizes close reading and affect theory to create an autoethnographic reflection and analysis of three bodies of work—the American urban fantasy serial Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind (manga 1995-1997, anime 2018-2019), and the fandoms of these series. This dissertation explores the idea of found family, which is the informal name for kinship bonds between those who are not genetically related, in these works and in fanworks written by the author falling into the popular fanfiction genre of hurt/comfort. Using the framing of being an acafan, the author interweaves her own experiences in academia, graduate school, and fandom spaces to create a wholly unique narrative of personal growth, self-discovery, and the importance of media’s effect on audiences and their identities.
The Introduction, “I Think I Like TV Shows,” close reads the 2024 cult hit film, I Saw The TV Glow, a tender, yet imperfect, tale of queer coming of age through fandom. Chapter 1, “The Most Important Friends You’ll Ever Have—The Diegetic and Extradiegetic Found and Failed Families of Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” maps the complex kinship bonds between the characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while showing how the fandom for the series has grown closer after the fall from grace of the showrunner Joss Whedon, using the watching experience with the author’s own close friends—her “found family.” “‘No daughter ever worries about that.’ – The Conflict Between Blood Bonds and Found Family in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind,” the second chapter, builds off the exploration of found family in the previous chapter through analyzing Hirohiko Araki’s long-running serial manga, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and its 2012-present anime adaptation—specifically the series’ 5th arc, Golden Wind. Using the platonic relationship between two characters—Trish Una and Bruno Bucciarati—and comparing how the series portrays found family and the famiglia of a fictionalized Italian Mafia, an alternative, yet extremely similar view of found family is found. Finally, Chapter 3, “Katie’s Bizarre Adventure – An Account of The Author’s Work in the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind Fandom,” recounts not only the author’s time in fandom spaces and meeting internet friends at the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts in 2024, but also analyzes fanfiction that the author wrote herself, connecting the focus on found family in h/c fic to the grieving process and healing.
This study is a vital contribution to the fields of literary studies, media studies, queer studies, Japanese media studies, and fandom studies. In analyzing these seemingly disparate works, the resonances reveal that found family as a trope—and in practice—is an essential aspect of fans’ lives.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- “The most beautiful things I’ve ever seen” –diegetic and extra-diegetic found families in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, and their Fandoms
- Creators
- Katherine Randazzo
- Contributors
- Brooks Landon (Advisor)Kendra Strand (Advisor)Kendall Heitzman (Committee Member)Deborah Whaley (Committee Member)Doris Witt (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- English
- Date degree season
- Spring 2025
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.007857
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xiii, 260 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2025 Katherine Randazzo
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 04/11/2025
- Description illustrations
- illustrations
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-252).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- "I think I like TV Shows.” This is what Owen, the protagonist of Jane Schoenbrun’s haunting 2024 drama, I Saw The TV Glow, says when he is asked about his sexuality. This quote also accurately describes how many fans view the works that they devote their love—and in some case, lives—to. These works were what got me through the toughest years of my life in graduate school. Among the media that I engaged with during this time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, specifically the series arc Golden Wind, were the ones that consumed my imagination. Both of these works and their respective fandoms focus heavily on found family, or kinship relationships between those who are not related, and conflicts within genetically-based families. I show using lived experience how fanworks allow for networks of found families to grow in real life and on the internet. Using my personal experiences as a fan doing fandom studies work in academia (acafan) and my time in fandom spaces, this project offers a fresh take on the classic series of JoJo’s and Buffy, discussions of found family and queer kinship bonds, and gives an in-depth look at a side of fandom studies that is often unexplored— that of the acafan both in and out of fan spaces, and of fanworks as a vehicle of personal discovery and healing, especially in the context of grief and trauma.
- Academic Unit
- English
- Record Identifier
- 9984831023302771
Metrics
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