| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure | |
The cover of the first volume of the official English manga release. |
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| ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 (JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken) |
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| Genre | Action, Adventure, 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 | 1987 – 1997 |
| Volumes | 63 |
| Manga | |
| Stone Ocean | |
| Written by | Hirohiko Araki |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Original run | 1998 – 2002 |
| Volumes | 17 |
| Manga | |
| Steel Ball Run | |
| Written by | Hirohiko Araki |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump, Ultra Jump |
| Original run | 2004 – 2011 |
| Volumes | 24 |
| Manga | |
| JoJolion | |
| Written by | Hirohiko Araki |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Ultra Jump |
| Original run | 2011 – ongoing |
| Game | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure | |
| Developer | Winkysoft |
| Publisher | Bandai Cobra Team |
| Genre | Role-playing video game |
| Platform | Super Famicom |
| Released | Japan - March 5, 1993 |
| Original video animation | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders | |
| Directed by | Hideki Futamura Hiroyuki Kitakubo Kazufumi Nomura Noboru Furuse |
| Written by | Hiroyuki Kitakubo Kenichi Takashima Takao Kawaguchi |
| Music by | Marco D'Ambrosio |
| Studio | A.P.P.P. |
| Licensed by | Super Techno Arts |
| Released | November, 1993 - January, 2002 |
| Episodes | 13 |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Mayori Sekijima Hiroshi Yamaguchi |
| Illustrated by | Hirohiko Araki |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Published | 1993 |
| Game | |
| JoJo's Venture | |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Genre | Versus fighting |
| Platform | Arcade PlayStation |
| Released | Japan - December 2, 1998 United States - 1998 |
| Game | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure | |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Genre | Versus fighting |
| Platform | Arcade Dreamcast |
| Released | Japan - September 13, 1999 United States - 1999 Europe - 2000 |
| Light novel | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure II: Golden Heart/Golden Ring | |
| Written by | Gichi Ōtsuka Tarō Miyashō |
| Illustrated by | Hirohiko Araki |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Published | 2001 |
| Game | |
| GioGio no Kimyō na Bōken: Ōgon no Kaze | |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Genre | Action |
| Platform | PlayStation 2 |
| Released | Japan - July 25, 2002 |
| Game | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood | |
| Developer | Anchor Entertainment |
| Publisher | Namco Bandai Games |
| Genre | Action |
| Platform | PlayStation 2 |
| Released | Japan - October 26, 2006 |
| Anime film | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood | |
| Directed by | Jun'ichi Hayama |
| Written by | Mitsuhiro Yamada |
| Music by | Yasunori Honda |
| Studio | A.P.P.P. |
| 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 | 2007 |
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken) is a manga written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Every main character's name in each part can be read as JoJo. The manga, published by Shueisha, first ran in the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1987 to 2002, before being transferred to the seinen magazine Ultra Jump in 2004. The current story arc, JoJolion, started in 2011. It is currently Shueisha's second longest running manga series with 104 volumes and counting (only Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo, with over 170 volumes, has more). It is the longest manga not to have a TV adaptation, although there are two OVAs and a feature film.
The third story arc of the manga, the most popular and well-known, was published in English by Viz Media from 2005 to 2010. Originally published bimonthly, it was later reduced to a quarterly release.
The September 1, 2011 issue of the magazine Weekly Bunshun reported that a live-action film and multiple animated films based on the series are currently in development from different studios; stating that a "super-popular idol" will star in the live-action film and that formal release dates for the projects aren't expected until Summer 2012, at the earliest.[1] However, JoJo's publisher Shueshia downplayed the report, saying "We don't know where that story came from, but nothing has been decided at this time."[2]
Contents |
The story of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure centers around the misadventures of the Joestars, a powerful family with English roots; most of its members attract the most particular trials and tribulations when confronting their enemies. Each member of the bloodline has a star shaped birthmark above their left shoulder blade – Dio, the nemesis of the Joestar family and his descendants have this distinguishable mark also, as 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.
Despite the series' title, no character is named "JoJo": it is a nickname derived by putting together the letters "J" and "O" from the protagonists' first and last names. Later installments have additional variations on JoJo wordplay. For example, in the name "Giorno", "Gio" can be pronounced "Jo"; and in the name "Josuke," the character representing "suke" can also be read as "Jo".
A "Stand" (スタンド sutando) is a supernatural power in the manga and anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. When first presented in Part 3, Joseph Joestar referred to it as a "ghostly ripple" (幽波紋(スタンド) sutando, but without furigana would be pronounced yū hamon); it could conjecturally be said to be a semi-physical manifestation of one's hamon (ripple) powers as seen in Part 1 and Part 2.
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/hamon training, and/or exceptionally strong willpower. However, 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 and resolve, is brought to the brink of death by her Stand, sapping away her lifeforce in an attempt to manifest itself.
One of the known and most commonly used amplifying factors is to pierce oneself with "Stand arrows" created from a mysterious meteorite. 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 Trisha Una's Spice Girl 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 himself or herself in the process.
Enrico Pucci of Part 6, Stone Ocean, was able to produce artificial Stand users with his Stand, Whitesnake, 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. It is still unclear for the condition that one person can possess two Stands. In Golden Wind there are examples of a single person possessing two Stands because of the ability of an extraordinary Stand.
In Part 7, Steel Ball Run, a third surging factor is introduced by fusing parts of oneself with "The Saint's" body parts. However, Stands generated by this factor disappear as soon as the body parts defuse from one another. Both Johnny Joestar and Diego Brando "appeared to keep their Stands even after losing the body parts they possessed". In actuality Diego Brando kept the left eye to use his "turning anything to a dinosaur in any shape he liked" stand, and Johnathan Joestar kept his abilities "tusk" due to the fact that Hot Pants left a vertebrae of the "saint" inside of him.
There have been seven parts to the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure saga, each featuring a descendent of the Joestars/Kujos as the main protagonist along with a large cast of characters.
Two OVA adaptations based on the Stardust Crusaders story arc was produced by Studio A.P.P.P. The original six-episode series was released in 1993, which begins during the middle of the original arc. A seven-episode prequel series was released in 2001, adapting the beginning of the story arc.
Super Techno Arts produced an English adaptation of both, the original series and the prequel series, releasing all thirteen episodes as a six-volume DVD series between 2003 and 2005, with the episodes ordered by 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, a feature film adaptation of the original story arc of the manga, 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.
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.[3] 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.[4]
In April 2011, it was announced that Nisio Isin, Kouhei Kadono and Ōtarō Maijō are each writing novel adaptations of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure in celebration of the series 25th anniversary.[5]
Several video games have been adapted from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The first was a role-playing video game, based on the third story, which was released in 1993 for the Super Famicom. Later, two fighting games for the arcade were also adapted from the third arc by Capcom, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (released as JoJo's Venture in the west) and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future, both in 1999 for arcade. The arcade games were ported to PlayStation and Dreamcast. The fighting games were the first piece 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 GioGio no Kimyō na Bōken: Ōgon no Kaze 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 new 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 Golden Whirlwind. Araki has personally checked the quality of the game and its faithfulness to the original. The release of the game coincides with the release of the new movie and the 25th anniversary of Araki Hirohiko's manga career. The game itself includes a bonus disc celebrating 20 years of the JoJo franchise.
Before the first JoJo's Bizarre Adventure game was released, Bandai released a 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 appears in this game. Both games were available on the Nintendo Famicom.
Characters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure were also featured in the Weekly Shōnen Jump crossover game Jump Superstars and its sequel Jump Ultimate Stars, including Jotaro Kujo and Dio Brando as playable characters.
In May 2008, both Shueisha and Studio A.P.P.P halted shipments of JoJo after a complaint had been launched against them because the series depicted the Qur'an as a book related to cold-blooded execution. A scene in the anime adaptation depicted the main villain, Dio Brando, reading the Qur'an, which was construed as an insult. While the manga did not feature such a scene, Viz Media and Shueisha ceased publication of the English language edition of the series for a year in 2008.[6] Viz resumed publication a year later, with the eleventh volume being published on April 7, 2009.
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