Yeah I really struggled with the fights for the same reasons, the manga was very awkward and it didnt help parts 4-6 had awful scans and translations back then too.
The anime has done such an amazing job of clarifying the fights and abilities, even the most confusing ones aren't so bad now haha. Yet King Crimson is the one that gets all the hate for some reason! KC is pretty straightforward tbh! There are far more confusing stands here and soon to come in future parts too, wooo!
Yeah I wasn't really enjoying the fights either. I hated
Dio's sons in the past and although I enjoyed them now, well Rekiel and Versus especially, I ironically absolutely hated Bohemian Rhapsody this time unlike the sheer majority of the community and was just cringing massively during it lol.
Araki started doing some real asspulls and random shit too. We did have stuff like that since Part 2 at least or even Part 1 if you really want to scrutinise ofc but it felt much worse by Part 6 too imo.
This is definitely the most experimental part by far, especially given the direction it takes too and thus the massive risks and choices Araki makes.
I did feel after Part 5, Araki was trying too hard to make the series Bizarre and it got too self indulgent. Some Part 7 and 8 stands are awful too and made reading though those parts a chore at time, given how SBR is overwhelmingly the longest part too and Part 8 was monthly too with 1 break a year too and 110 chapters by the end too for such a "humble" part/story as well...
I do feel the simpler days of Jojo were better too, I used to chastise them for being too simple but in hindsight I prefer them now. Its better for something to be simpler and thus more versatile and layered in how it can be used instead. LIke a puddle that appears shallow but is much deeper than the surface reveals.
I've been revisiting some of the earliest fights and moments of JJBA and forgot how truly great some of them were too!:
(Spoilers for major deaths for Parts 1-4):
I really love how simple Jolynes stand is too and the verstality and thus ingenuiety of how she uses it is truly incredible! Really some Luffy-level shit right there! A true combat and adaptional genius!
Ermes vs Sports Maxx was amazing too imo, especially in the anime! That was a truly emotional/powerful storyline with such a great payoff!
I did get confused a lot with some fights in Part 6 and such both in the manga back then and now in the anime too, it did feel like Araki was trying too hard this time.
But yeah I definitely agree wholeheartedly.