This is a story about the relationship between Dio and the Joestar Family which spans over a century….

Overview

The manga was serialized in Shueisha’s weekly shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from 1987 to 2004, and in the same company’s youth manga magazine Ultra Jump since 2005.

An adventure fantasy that pictures the hapless encounter betweenthe Joestar family, who are prepared to challenge the fate and take pride in being human, and “the Heritage of Darkness”, which has hibernated behind the world’s history, and about the weird karma, which spans over 100 years, between the family and the man who created such destiny, Dio.

The series is divided into Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3…, and each contains a complete story centering on different heroes and different stages, but the basic settings of Volume 1 and Volume 2 are based on Hamon, and that of Volume 3 and after are based on Stand. In addition, in some parts the world view is consistent, characters from previous works would reappear, and items related would appear as well.

Regarding the Adventure in the title, since Volume 4, there are also some series that do not develop like a travelling story which fits the image of the word “adventure”. However, since the original meaning of “adventure” is “To place yourself in a situation full of danger for some reason in a circumstance that is far from everyday life” , the developing of the series, in which all the surreal situation strikes, is exactly in line with the meaning of “adventure”.

With its unique drawing style, frame dividing, onomatopoeia, poses and lines, this work is still getting a lot of core fans now. Many entertainers and talents become fans of Jojo, such as Kendo Kobayashi, Shizu-chan from the group Nankai Candies, Shoko Nakagawa and Oriental Radio. Also, there are a great number of artists show respect or influenced by Jojo, such as the manga artist group CLAMP who created Card Captor Sakura, and Kazuki Takahashi of the series Yu-Gi-Oh, ZUN of Touhou Project.

With the almost overly unique posing style, best represented by Jojo Stand, dramatic styles with clearly-depicted shadows and lips, onomatopoeia represented by Memeta, famous quotes like “However, I refuse” and so on, scenes which leave a strong impression like “I am road roller”, the whole work itself is like the incarnation of uniqueness. Therefore, the amount of parody is also overwhelming. Not to mention fanworks in Pixiv, there are also all kinds of original manga works and animations, light novels, in which we can find countless “Jojo memes” used.

The total number of the separate volumes sold exceeds 70 million. In 2006, it was awarded the second place in the Manga category in the event “Japan’s 100 Best Media Arts” which was held by Agency of Cultural Affairs as the 10th Anniversary of the Agency of Cultural Affairs’ Media Art Festival.

Basically, coloring is free. Although there is a certain color image, the author Hirohiko Araki’s style was not limited by it. Not only characters and stands, but also objects and backgrounds are often colored weirdly. This weird coloring style was well reproduced in the TV anime version which was broadcasted in 2012.

There’s also a joke spreading around, about the remaining long-term serialization, that “The author seems to have been possessed by Stone Mask”.

Tags of Works

Series in General

Volume 1 Phantom Blood

Volume 2 Battle Tide

Volume 3 Stardust Crusaders

Volume 4 Diamonds Is Unbreakable

Volume 5 Golden Wind

Volume 6 Stone Ocean

Volume 7 Steel Ball Run

Volume 8 Jojo Lion

Media Mix・Spin-off

Manga Works

Novel Work

Anime

OVA/ Theater Version Animation

Both produced by A.P.P.P.

Currently, it cannot be viewed by official means due to various circumstances.

TV Animation

Broadcasted on TOKYO MX, MBS, BS11, etc.

All produced by david production. The release date is decided by TOKYO MX.

Furthermore, the TV anime version features Western music used in ED.

It seems that the author has a liking for Western music, and the names of characters and stands often have their sources from Western music.

The mysterious Toei animation version

Although the truth is uncertain, from the late 1980s to the middle of 1990s, Jojo’s memes are found in various forms in Toei Animation’s works. Therefore, a rumor that Toei Animation is considering making a Jojo flowed.

Fuji TV Theory

In the late 1980s, it was rumored to be the next program after Fist of the North Star, and since in the true following program of Fist of the North Star, Sakigake!! Otokojuku, there’s a scene that Heihachi Etajima was reading Jojo manga, it was also rumored that Jojo would follow it to be the next program. Since that frame was abolished in Sakigake!! Otokojuku, the rumor ended.

If the rumor came true, it might have been forced to end at best in Jotaro Kujo part, and at worst in Jonathan Joestar part because it was affected by the notorious Tsutomu Miyazaki case.

TV Asahi Theory

TV Asahi

In the mid-1990s, JoJo was rumored to be the next show of either Sailor Moon or Slam Dunk? But this also ended just as a rumor.

If it was true, and there would be no house riot in TV Asahi, it might be made around volume 4 or 5 of Josuke Higashikata, or if the house riot occurred, it might be the same as the Fuji Television theory which is around the part of Jotaro Kujo, may be produced.

Web Radio

JOJOraDIO

Orao-radio!

Morioh RADIO 4GREAT

game

Video game

Smartphone games

Smartphone games are adding characters and making campaigns every time the next work is animated.

Arcade game

Fan production Free game

Em, Live-action version-Live action movie of Volume 4? What is that?

Related Article

Other related items

Roundabout-TV anime ending theme (used in both Volume 1 and Volume 2).

Walk Like an Egyptian-ending theme for TV anime (Volume 3)

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Other languages

ジョジョの奇妙な冒険