JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Jojo13.jpg
The cover of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure volume 13, the first of Part 3 Stardust Crusaders.
ジョジョの奇妙な冒険
(JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken)
Genre Action, Adventure, Horror, Supernatural, Suspense
Manga
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Written by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Shueisha
English publisher
Viz Media (Part 3 only)
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run December 2, 1986 – March 23, 1999
Volumes 63 (List of volumes)
Light novel
Written by Mayori Sekijima
Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Illustrated by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Shueisha
Published November 4, 1993
Light novel
GioGio's Bizarre Adventure II: Golden Heart/Golden Ring
Written by Gichi Ōtsuka
Miya Shōtarō
Illustrated by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Shueisha
Published May 28, 2001
Anime film
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood
Directed by Junichi Hayama
Written by Mitsuhiro Yamada
Music by Yasunori Honda
Studio Studio APPP
Released February 17, 2007
Runtime 91 minutes
Light novel
The Book: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 4th Another Day
Written by Otsuichi
Illustrated by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Shueisha
Published November 26, 2007
Light novel
Shameless Purple Haze: Purple Haze Feedback
Written by Kouhei Kadono
Illustrated by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Shueisha
Published September 16, 2011
Light novel
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Over Heaven
Written by Nisio Isin
Illustrated by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Shueisha
Published December 16, 2011
Light novel
Jorge Joestar
Written by Ōtarō Maijō
Illustrated by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Shueisha
Published September 19, 2012
Anime television series
Directed by Naokatsu Tsuda, Kenichi Suzuki
Written by Yasuko Kobayashi
Music by Hayato Matsuo (Part 1)
Taku Iwasaki (Part 2)
Studio David Production
Network Tokyo MX
Original run October 5, 2012 – April 5, 2013
Episodes 26 (List of episodes)
Separated parts
Original video animations
Related media
Portal icon Anime and Manga portal

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1987 to 2004, before being transferred to the monthly seinen magazine Ultra Jump. The current story arc, JoJolion, started in 2011. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is currently Shueisha's second longest running manga series with 107 tankōbon volumes and counting (only Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo, with over 170, has more). It was previously the longest manga not to have a TV anime adaptation.[1]

A six-volume original video animation adaptation of the later half of the series' third story arc, Stardust Crusaders, was released from 1993 to 1994 by Studio APPP. Six years later, they produced a seven-volume series adapting the arc's first half from 2000 to 2002. Studio APPP also produced a theatrical film of the first arc, Phantom Blood, in 2007. From 2003 to 2005, Super Techno Arts released an English dub of both OVA series as one on DVD in North America. Only the third story arc of the manga, which is the most popular and well-known, received an English release in North America by Viz Media from 2005 to 2010. A 26-episode television anime, produced by David Production and covering the first two arcs, aired on Tokyo MX from October 5, 2012 to April 5, 2013.

The JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga has sold over 70 million copies in Japan alone and has spawned a large media franchise that includes several novelizations and video games, action figures, a jewelry line titled Passione, and even snack foods.

Contents

Plot [edit]

See also: List of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure characters

The story of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure centers around the misadventures of the Joestars, a powerful family with English roots. Each member of the bloodline has a star shaped birthmark above their left shoulder blade – Dio Brando, the original nemesis of the Joestar family, and his descendants have this distinguishing mark also, a result from Dio's 'theft' of Jonathan Joestar's body and inheriting the Joestar genes as well. The series spans several generations, with each part featuring a descendent of the Joestars as the main protagonist along with a large cast of characters. Parts 1 to 6 occur in the same timeline while parts 7 and 8 take place in a separate, alternate universe.

The series' title is a reference to the fact that each part's main character's name can be read as JoJo. A nickname derived by putting together the letters "J" and "O" from their first and last names. Later installments have additional variations on the JoJo wordplay. For example, in the name Josuke, the Japanese character representing "suke" can also be read as "Jo", likewise in the Italian name Giorno Giovanna, "Gio" is pronounced very similar to "Jo".

Part 1
Phantom Blood (ファントムブラッド Fantomu Buraddo?)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure volumes 1 to 5. In 1880s Britain, the young Jonathan Joestar meets his new adopted brother Dio Brando who only wants to usurp Jonathan as heir to the Joestar family. However, his attempts are thwarted and when he resorts to using an ancient stone mask, it transforms him into a vampire. Jonathan, with Italian Ripple master Will A. Zeppeli and former street thug Robert E.O. Speedwagon at his side, must now stop at nothing to destroy Dio now that his sights are set on nothing less than world domination.
Part 2
Battle Tendency (戦闘潮流 Sentō Chōryū?)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure volumes 5 to 12. In 1938 in New York City, Joseph Joestar, grandson of Jonathan, learns that Speedwagon has disappeared upon investigating a strange ruin he has found in Mexico and sets there to look for him. This leads to the revival of one of the Pillar Men, ancient creatures who developed the stone masks from his slumber. Later, three even more powerful Pillar Men are revived in Rome and start their search for a mystical artifact that will grant them true immortality. They poison Joseph twice in their first meeting and he ends up forced to undergo a month-long hellish training under Ripple master Lisa Lisa, alongside Will A. Zeppeli's grandson Caesar to have a rematch with them for the sake of retrieving the antidotes in their possession to save his life and stop their plans.
Part 3
Stardust Crusaders (スターダストクルセイダース Sutādasuto Kuruseidāsu?)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure volumes 12 to 28. In 1989, Joseph seeks out the help of his Japanese grandson Jotaro Kujo, as both of them have developed mysterious powers known as Stands since Dio has come back, now using their ancestor Jonathan's body as his own. And as a result, Joseph's daughter or Jotaro's mother Holly is struck ill by her own Stand killing her from the inside out. Jotaro and Joseph, joined by Mohammed Avdol, Noriaki Kakyoin, Jean Pierre Polnareff, and the dog Iggy, travel across Asia to track down Dio to kill him and save Holly from certain death, battling other Stand-using assassins along the way.
Part 4
Diamond Is Not Crash (ダイヤモンドは砕けない Daiyamondo wa Kudakenai?)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure volumes 29 to 47. In the fictional Japanese town of Morioh in 1999, Josuke Higashikata, the illegitimate son of Joseph, is asked by Jotaro to help solve a serial killer mystery plaguing the town, found to be a result of a Stand-user producing arrow and a pair of sons who are trying to create a Stand-user to put their father, cursed by Dio, out of his misery. Josuke and his friends Koichi Hirose, Okuyasu Nijimura, the famous manga artist Rohan Kishibe, and even his father and half-nephew work together to stop the serial killer Yoshikage Kira.
Part 5
Vento Aureo (黄金の風 Ōgon no Kaze?)
Le Bizzarre Avventure di GioGio volumes 47 to 63. In Italy in 2001, Giorno Giovanna, the son of Dio while he possessed Jonathan's body, wants to be a "gang star", an altruistic mafia boss giving their riches to the poor, and to that end joins Passione. His squad, consisting of fellow Stand-users Bruno Buccellati, Leone Abbacchio, Guido Mista, Narancia Ghirga, and Pannacotta Fugo, are tasked to protect Trish Una who is their boss's daughter from other Stand-using members of the gang who want to learn the identity of their boss, Diavolo.
Part 6
Stone Ocean (ストーンオーシャン Sutōn Ōshan?)
Stone Ocean volumes 1 (64) to 17 (80). In 2011 near Port St. Lucie, Florida, Jotaro's estranged daughter Jolyne Cujoh is framed for murder and is sent to prison all because one of Dio's disciples wishes to kill her. Jotaro unlocks Jolyne's own Stand powers so she can defend herself, before he is nearly killed by another disciple. Jolyne teams up with fellow inmates and Stand-users Hermes Costello, Weather Report, and Narciso Anasui, the sentient Stand using plankton Foo Fighters, and the young child Emporio Alnino to save Jotaro and stop one of Dio's disciples Enrico Pucci from recreating the world in his master's image.
Part 7
Steel Ball Run (スティール・ボール・ラン Sutīru Bōru Ran?)
Steel Ball Run volumes 1 (81) to 24 (104). In an alternate timeline in 1890, Gyro Zeppeli travels to the United States to take part in a cross-country horse race known as the Steel Ball Run. His skill in a strange steel-ball-based magic known as the Spin garners the interest of former jockey and paraplegic Johnny Joestar, particularly after a Spin-infused ball briefly restores Johnny's ability to walk. Johnny travels with Gyro on the race, until things go awry when it is revealed that the race is all a ploy set up by President Funny Valentine to gather the parts of a mystical corpse that grants Stand powers and world domination, with Valentine assisted by a series of assassins including racer Diego Brando.
Part 8
JoJolion (ジョジョリオン Jojorion?)
The current arc, which started on volume 105, and is set in the same timeline of Part 7. In 2012 the town of Morioh has been devastated by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and mysterious structures called the Wall Eyes have appeared throughout the town, disrupting roads and utility lines, while granting Stand powers to certain individuals. Young woman Yasuho Hirose rescues an amnesiac young man found unconscious with several anomalies into his body whom she dubs "Josuke". Originally believed to be Yoshikage Kira, a descendant of Johnny Joestar (until they find the real Kira's dead body), Josuke is adopted into the Higashikata clan, but later he finds himself in a quest to investigate a mysterious conspiracy involving someone in the clan who apparently knows the truth about him, but is keeping it concealed for some yet unexplained reason.

Ripple and Stand powers [edit]

Introduced in Part 1 Phantom Blood, the Ripple (波紋 Hamon?) is basically a martial arts technique that allows the user to focus bodily energy into other kinds of energy via proper breathing. As the series originally deals with vampires, the characters most commonly focus it into energy that emulates sunlight.

Part 3 Stardust Crusaders begins by introducing the supernatural power of Stands (スタンド Sutando?). When first presented, Joseph Joestar referred to it as "Ghostly Ripple" (幽波紋(スタンド) Sutando?, but without furigana it would be pronounced yū hamon); it could conjecturally be said to be a semi-physical manifestation of one's ripple powers.

The exact requirements for a person to obtain a Stand are unclear, although the series hints that it can be linked to bloodline, rigorous spiritual/ripple training, and/or exceptionally strong willpower. A Stand may never manifest itself in one's life until it is amplified by certain conditions/factors. However, not everyone able to manifest a Stand has the ability to control it; despite her father Joseph Joestar and her son Jotaro Kujo being powerful Stand users, Holly Kujo, due to her lack of physical strength, resolve, and her peaceful nature, is brought to the brink of death by her Stand, which saps away her lifeforce in an attempt to manifest itself.

One of the known and most commonly used ways to create a Stand is to pierce oneself with arrows created from a mysterious meteorite, which were hinted at in Part 3 and retroactively introduced in Part 4 Diamond Is Not Crash. However, it is often a gamble, as it would easily kill an unqualified person, and there is no apparent way to know if a person is qualified ahead of time; the arrows do, however, tend to seek out qualified people on their own if there is someone to guide them. Another amplifying condition is done by simply being around powerful Stand users, such as the case of Trish Una from Part 5 Vento Aureo. A qualified existing Stand user may also have their Stand "upgraded" by piercing the arrow through the Stand—this results in the Stand becoming a "Requiem" form of its previous self. However, this is also a gamble, as an unqualified Stand user may render their new Stand uncontrollable, and he or she may actually kill themselves in the process.

In Part 5 there are examples of a single person possessing two Stands because of the ability of an extraordinary Stand. Enrico Pucci of Part 6 Stone Ocean was able to produce artificial Stand users with his own, by stealing others' Stands and "inserting" them into regular people. It is unclear as to whether or not these artificial Stand users were capable of having Stands of their own, but Enrico does claim that only certain individuals are qualified to have Stands inserted.

Part 7 Steel Ball Run introduces the Spin (回転 Kaiten?), the restarted timeline's version of the Ripple. It is empowered by the golden ratio and channeled through steel balls (鉄球 Tekkyū?), resulting in the spin transferring from the ball to the struck target. The Spin can be made even stronger by travelling at a certain speed, producing the Golden Spin (黄金の回転 Ōgon no Kaiten?). This more powerful version of the Spin seems to produce a Stand-like manifestation. Also featured are the Saint's Corpse (聖人の遺体 Seijin no Itai?), body parts of a deceased man (hinted to be Jesus Christ) that imbue the user with a Stand. There is a legend within the fiction that if someone were to gather all of the Corpse's parts, he would be able to rule the world. Also shown is the Devil's Palm (悪魔の手のひら Akuma no Tenohira?), a geographic place that seems to move on its own accord and tests those who come across it. If the person survives, he or she is granted a Stand.

Part 8 JoJolion introduces another method of obtaining a Stand, interaction with the Wall Eyes (壁の目 Kabe no Me?), strange fault-like structures that have risen from the ground following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. They disrupt all forms of transportation, communication, and utilities, but all users of Stands have come in contact with the Wall Eyes at some point. Three (Josuke Higashikata, Yasuho Hirose, and Joshu Higashikata) have all received painful bite marks from their proximity to the Wall Eyes, and the three of them have developed Stands as of the 21st chapter. Other users of Stands have either fallen into the faults (as with Daiya Higashikata) or grown up in an area where the Wall Eye has erupted later in their life (Ojiro Sasame).

Media [edit]

Manga [edit]

Main article: List of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure volumes

Written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump in its combined issue #1-2 of 1987, which was released on December 2, 1986. The chapters are collected and published into tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on August 10, 1987.[2] The series is broken into arcs or parts, each of which stars a descendant of the Joestar family. During Part 5, which takes place in Italy, the series' title was written in Italian as Le Bizzarre Avventure di GioGio. After volume 63, each parts' tankōbon have started the number count back at one; see Stone Ocean, Steel Ball Run and JoJolion. The series was switched to the magazine Ultra Jump in 2004, during Steel Ball Run, with the chapters published monthly. JoJolion, the current arc, began on May 19, 2011. In 2012, the first three Parts of the series were digitally colored and released as digital downloads for smartphones and tablet computers.

Araki has also drawn several spin-offs of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The first being Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe ~Episode 16.. Confessional~ (岸辺露伴は動かない〜エピソード16‥懺悔室〜?) published in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1997, which stars Rohan Kishibe from Part 4. Dead Man's Questions is a three chapter story starring Yoshikage Kira from Part 4 and was published in the magazine Allman in 1999. Both of these were later collected in Araki's 1999 Under Jailbreak, Under Execution collection of one-shots. Oingo Boingo Brothers Adventure (オインゴとボインゴ兄弟大冒険?) was released in October 2002,[3] features the titular characters from Part 3 and is drawn in the same art style as Boingo's Stand, which is a fortune-telling comic book. The next four return to starring Rohan Kishibe. Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe -Mutukabezaka- (岸辺露伴は動かない -六壁坂-?) was published in Jump SQ in 2007. Rohan au Louvre is a 123-page full color story created to be shown at the famed Musée du Louvre as part of the 2009 Le Louvre invite la bande dessinée exhibit.[4] The following year it was published in France and ran in Ultra Jump, and in February 2012 was translated and released in North America by NBM Publishing.[5] Rohan Kishibe Goes to Gucci (岸辺露伴 グッチへ行く?), published in the October 2011 issue of the women's fashion magazine Spur, was part of a collaboration between Araki, Spur and the Italian clothing brand Gucci.[6] Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe ~Episode 5: Millionaire Village~ (岸辺露伴は動かない 〜エピソード5:富豪村〜?) was published in the October 6, 2012 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump.[7] Jolyne, Fly High with Gucci, starring Jolyne Cujoh from Part 6, ran in the February 2013 issue of Spur.[8] A free English translation is available on Gucci's Facebook page.

In the early 1990s Viz Media had planned to release an English-language version of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure in North America as "The Strange Adventures of Jojo", evident by an ad in their newsletter at the time, Viz-In.[1] It is suspected the plans were canned after Baoh, another series by Hirohiko Araki, sold poorly. The series was brought up again for talks in 2002, for release as individual monthly chapters.[1] However by this time, that publication format for manga was on its way-out in North America.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure finally received a North American release in 2005, in the graphic novel format, similar to its Japanese tankōbon. However, it is only of the series' third part, Stardust Crusaders, which is the most popular and well-known.[1] Originally published bimonthly, the volumes were later reduced to a quarterly release. The first volume was released on November 8, 2005 and the last on December 7, 2010.[9][10] Viz's release changed the names of several characters and included some censorship; scenes of animal violence were redrawn by Araki himself.[1] JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has also seen domestic releases in Italy by Star Comics,[11] in France by J'ai Lu and Tonkam,[12][13] Taiwan by Da Ran Culture Enterprise and Tong Li Publishing, and in Malaysia by Comics House.

Anime [edit]

Original video animations and film [edit]

Main article: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (OVA)

Two OVA adaptations of Part 3 Stardust Crusaders were produced by Studio APPP. The original six-volume series begins during the middle of the arc and was released from November 19, 1993 to November 18, 1994. A seven-volume prequel series, titled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 ADVENTURE?), was released from May 25, 2000 to October 25, 2002 and adapted the beginning of the arc.

Super Techno Arts produced an English adaptation of both, the original series and the prequel series, releasing all thirteen episodes in North America as a six-volume DVD series between 2003 and 2005, with the episodes in order of its fictional chronology. Due to legal reasons, names which referenced certain bands or singers had to be changed in the English translation.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 ファントムブラッド?), a feature film adaptation of the original first story arc, was released theatrically on February 17, 2007 in Japan. The film was produced to commemorate 25th anniversary of creator Hirohiko Araki's career as a manga artist. The theme song was "Voodoo Kingdom", a single by the group Soul'd Out. This film has yet to be released on any form of home video.

Television anime series [edit]

Main article: List of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure episodes

At a July 5, 2012 press conference celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series and promoting an upcoming Hirohiko Araki art exhibition, Araki and his people announced that an anime adaptation was in production and will premiere in October 2012.[14] A piece of promotional art was published in the August issue of Ultra Jump, depicting Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando,[15] suggesting that the anime will begin with Part 1 Phantom Blood. The September issue of Ultra Jump announced the cast and staff; it is being produced by David Production and directed by Kenichi Suzuki, with Kazuyuki Okitsu starring as Jonathan and Takehito Koyasu voicing Dio.[16] The 26-episode series, which covers both the Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency arcs, aired on Tokyo Metropolitan Television between October 5, 2012 and April 5, 2013.[17][18] For the first part, the opening theme song is "JoJo (Sono Chi no Sadame)" (ジョジョ～その血の運命～?, "JoJo ~That Blood's Destiny~") by Hiroaki "Tommy" Tominaga whilst for he second part, the opening theme was changed to "Bloody Stream" by Coda.[19] For both parts, the ending theme is Yes' 1972 single "Roundabout".[20] For the series will be released on nine DVDs and Blu-rays from January 30 to September 27, 2013, with the Blu-ray releases having the option of English subtitles.[21] A teaser scene for Part 3 Stardust Crusaders was shown following the final episode, although an adaptation of the arc has yet to be officially announced.[18]

Novels [edit]

Several light novels based on the JoJo series have been written, each by a different author, but all including illustrations by Hirohiko Araki. The first, based on Part 3, was simply titled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, released on November 4, 1993 and written by Mayori Sekijima and Hiroshi Yamaguchi.[22] GioGio's Bizarre Adventure II: Golden Heart/Golden Ring (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 II ゴールデンハート/ゴールデンリング?) written by Gichi Ōtsuka and Miya Shōtarō, was released on May 28, 2001 and based on Part 5. Both of these novels received Italian translations and releases; the first in 2003,[23] often with the added subtitle of The Genesis of Universe, and the second in 2004.[24]

In 2000, it was announced that Otsuichi would be writing a novel based on Part 4. The novel proved difficult to complete; in Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 2004, Otsuichi claimed to have written over 2000 pages, but thrown them all out.[25] Intent on writing a novel that lived up to the manga, it took him until 2007 to complete The Book: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 4th Another Day.[26]

In April 2011, it was announced that Nisio Isin, Kouhei Kadono and Ōtarō Maijō were each writing novel adaptations of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure in celebration of the series' 25th anniversary.[27] Kadono's, titled Shameless Purple Haze: Purple Haze Feedback (恥知らずのパープルヘイズ -ジョジョの奇妙な冒険より-、Purple Haze feedback?), was released on September 16, 2011 and is based on Part 5.[28] Isin's was released on December 16, 2011, based on Part 3 and titled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Over Heaven.[29] Maijō's novel, Jorge Joestar, was revealed in July and released on September 19, 2012.[30] It follows George Joestar II, known in his birthplace of the Canary Islands as Jorge Joestar, the son of Part 1's Jonathan Joestar who never appeared in the series, and his story as a pilot in the Royal Air Force.

Drama CDs [edit]

From 1992 to 1993, a drama CD adaptation of Part 3 was released in three volumes, titled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Volume 1: Meet Jotaro Kujo (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険第1巻 空条承太郎見参の巻?), JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Volume 2: The Death of Avdol (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険第2巻 アヴドゥル死すの巻?) and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Volume 3: The World of Dio (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険第3巻 DIOの世界の巻?).[31][32][33] They starred Kiyoyuki Yanada as Jotaro, Kenji Utsumi (volumes 1-2) and Gorō Naya (volume 3) as Joseph Joestar, Akio Ōtsuka as Avdol, Shō Hayami as Kakyoin, Ken Yamaguchi as Polnareff, Keiichi Nanba as Hol Horse, Shigeru Chiba as J. Geil and Norio Wakamoto as Dio.

Video games [edit]

Main article: List of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure video games
North American cover of the PlayStation version of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Several video games based on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure have been created. The first was a titular role-playing video game, based on the third story arc, which was released in 1993 for the Super Famicom. A fighting game for the arcade was also adapted from the third arc by Capcom in 1998, and also titled simply JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (released as JoJo's Venture in the west), with an updated version retitled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future released later that year. The arcade game was ported to both the PlayStation and Dreamcast in 1999, and a high-definition version was released for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in August 2012.[34] These fighting games were the first pieces of JoJo related media released in North America, exposing the characters to many western players. A third Capcom game was based on Part 5, titled Le Bizzarre Avventure di GioGio: Vento Aureo and released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002. This game was scheduled for release in Europe as GioGio's Bizarre Adventure, but this did not come through because of the heavy references to band names, and Araki is unwilling to compromise in the change of names to avoid lawsuits. Capcom originally intended to release the game in the United States, even showing a playable version at the 2002 Electronic Entertainment Expo, but no further plans or official release date has been announced since then.

A game by Bandai, titled JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, was released on October 26, 2006 for the PlayStation 2. The story is based on the first arc and features action/adventure gameplay, similar to Le Bizzarre Avventure di GioGio: Vento Aureo. Araki has personally checked the quality of the game and its faithfulness to the original. The release of the game coincided with the release of the theatrical film and the 25th anniversary of Hirohiko Araki's manga career. The game itself includes a bonus disc celebrating 20 years of the JoJo franchise.

At a July 5, 2012 press conference celebrating the 25th anniversary of JoJo, Araki himself announced JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, produced by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Games, it will be released for the PlayStation 3.[14]

Before the first JoJo's Bizarre Adventure game was released, Bandai released a Weekly Shōnen Jump crossover adventure game titled Famicom Jump: Hero Retsuden in 1989. Joseph Joestar from the second arc is one of the playable characters, while Santana and Speedwagon made cameo appearances. Its sequel Famicom Jump II: The Strongest Seven, released in 1991, features Jotaro as a selectable character. Joseph, Avdol, Kakyoin and Polnareff also appear in this game. Both games were available on the Famicom. Characters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure were also featured in the 2005 Nintendo DS Weekly Shōnen Jump crossover game Jump Super Stars and its sequel Jump Ultimate Stars, including Jotaro Kujo and Dio Brando as playable characters.

Reception [edit]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has sold over 70 million copies in Japan alone.[35] IGN named the series a "must read", declaring the artwork of "a standard virtually unseen in most manga produced today".[36] For the 10th anniversary of the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006, Japanese fans voted JoJo's Bizarre Adventure second on a list of the Top 10 Manga of all time.[37] JoJo ranked 10th in a 2009 survey by Oricon on what manga series people want to see receive a live-action adaptation.[38]

The first volume of JoJolion was the second best-selling manga for its debut week, its second volume was number three and its third was number two.[39][40][41] All three volumes were some of the best-selling manga of 2012.[42][43] The 2013 edition of Kono Manga ga Sugoi!, which surveys people in the manga and publishing industry, named JoJolion the 12th best manga series for male readers.[44]

The first DVD release of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure TV anime was the fourth best-selling animation DVD for the week of January 28 to February 3, 2013, with 4,510 copies sold.[45] Its Blu-ray version was the fourth best-selling animation Blu-ray for that same week, with 14,860 copies sold.[46] The second volume ranked sixth in both animation DVDs and Blu-rays for the week of February 18–24, with 2,764 and 12,501 copies sold respectively.[47][48] The anime's third volume was the sixth best-selling animation DVD, with 2,994 copies sold, and the second best-selling animation Blu-ray, with 13,536 copies sold, for the week of March 25–31.[49][50]

Controversy [edit]

In May 2008, both Shueisha and Studio APPP halted manga/OVA shipments of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure after a complaint had been launched against them from Egyptian Islamic fundamentalists, after noticing a scene in the OVAs that has the villain, Dio Brando, reading a book depicting pages from the Qur'an.[1][51] This recall affected the English-language releases as well, causing Viz Media and Shueisha to cease publication for a year. Even though the manga did not feature that specific scene, Shueisha had Araki redraw scenes that depicted characters fighting on top of, and destroying, mosques for later printings of the series.[1] Viz resumed publication a year later, with the eleventh volume being published on April 7, 2009. Jason Thompson later included Shueisha's changes to the manga in the list of "The Greatest Censorship Fails" in manga.[52]

Legacy [edit]

In 2009, Hirohiko Araki was one of five artists selected by the Musée du Louvre to create original works set at the famous museum. Araki's piece starred JoJo's Rohan Kishibe and was shown at the exhibit titled Le Louvre invite la bande dessinée ("The Louvre Invites Comic-Strip Art"), which was created to show the diversity of comics, from January 19 to April 13.[4]

From September 17 to October 6, 2011, the Gucci store in Shinjuku hosted the Gucci x Hirohiko Araki x Spur "Rohan Kishibe Goes to Gucci" Exhibition, a collaboration between the luxury Italian clothing brand, JoJo's creator and the fashion magazine Spur.[6] The exhibit celebrated the 90th anniversary of Gucci and featured a life-size figure of Rohan Kishibe, as well as numerous illustrations by Araki; including actual pieces of the brand's own 2011-2012 fall/winter collection and his own original fashion designs.[6] The October 2011 issue of Spur contained a one-shot by Araki called Rohan Kishibe Goes to Gucci,[6] in which Rohan goes to a Gucci factory to discover the secret behind a magical handbag. Another story titled Jolyne, Fly High with Gucci, starring Jolyne Cujoh, ran in the February 2013 issue of Spur.[8]

In 2012, in celebration of JoJo's 25th anniversary, a Lawson store in Araki's native Sendai was remodeled to look like the "Owson" store that appears in part 4 of the series.[53] The store was opened from July 28 to September 30, and contained exclusive goods with the Owson name. The October 2012 issue of Ultra Jump contained a special booklet titled 25 Years With JoJo, also in celebration of the anniversary, featuring messages and tribute art from well-known manga artists such as Akira Toriyama, Yoshihiro Togashi, Eiichiro Oda, Clamp and 18 others.[7][54]

References [edit]

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External links [edit]

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