15 Years Later: NBC's Heroes and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

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(This blog post isn't complete yet but it's been collecting dust in my sandbox for over a year now so might as well post the info dump somewhere. Completely forgot that I wrote this months ago until I browsed my old laptop drive. Since the clone dump of the Heroes wiki suddenly stopped working properly, I'm putting this here in hopes that I can rewrite it into a less casual format and publish it somewhere someday.)

I opted to name this blog post as "I Rewatched Heroes to Check For JoJo References So Nobody Else Has To", but then I realized it doesn't sound as flashy as I thought.

I once swore that I will never finish the Heroes saga after my disappointment with the second season and the following ones. However, after realizing that there have been JoJo's Bizarre Adventure references that flew over my head while watching it, I decided to painfully rewatch the series all over again just to see if I missed anything.

There is already a dedicated section for this in the List of References page, so if you want an abridged explanation, you may head there (and maybe even check out the other references). However, if you want a more detailed explanation with context and you're willing to read a Heroes fan explain how the show works, then continue reading. :D

About Heroes

In Heroes, the character Hiro Nakamura is a comic book geek who happens to be an "evo", which is an evolved human with powers in the Heroes universe. Hiro has the ability to warp time, teleport, and time travel. He (surprisingly) makes very few references to JoJo in the TV show but more in his immersive weblog posts that used to be directly hosted in NBC's website. Clearly someone in the writing room was a big fan. This is also one of, if not the earliest JoJo reference in Western TV media - the show's first broadcast and Hiro Nakamura's first blog publication were both released in September of 2006, predating both the 2007 Phantom Blood film and the 2012 JoJo anime.

As a sidenote, all of the links to the weblog are now dead. This is either due to the writing staff's efforts to extensive immersion after the show ended (they previously took down Hiro's blogs since, around the same time in the show, Hiro went back in time and causes a series of events in the past that prevented his future self from writing the blogs) or NBC must have taken them down due to the inevitable downfall of Heroes around early 2013. I had to look through the Wayback Machine just to find them on my own. All links are from the latest and working retrieved snapshots.

For better archiving and for anyone who will be interested enough to check out the show themselves and look back on this post later on, I decided to paste the full entries here instead of just the specific JoJo lines. There will be major spoilers from both JoJo and Heroes in explaining each reference, so PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

Hiro's Blog Entries

It is never explicitly seen in the show but Hiro Nakamura writes on a weblog in order to track down everything he does while time traveling. Most of the posts are "auto-translated by Yamagato Software" - Yamagato Industries is a fictional company that Hiro works for as an office clerk in the first season. However, since he writes them while he resides in different time periods, the posts are instead sorted by "stardates" (the fictional system of time measurement in Star Trek, true to Hiro's geekiness) and were originally published in random order instead of chronologically, depending on where Hiro was in the show's continuity. (To explain this better: there is a point in the show where Hiro accidentally teleports himself to Texas. The post he wrote at that time is the first to appear in the weblog, when in reality it is the eighteenth entry he has written.)

Because Hiro's entries are "auto-translated", there are a lot of the Japanese words that are not properly translated as well as misspelled words. Thanks to the now-defunct Heroes Wiki, the stardates have been listed corresponding to the in-universe dates.

September 25, 2006: Late Again

Captain's Log: Stardate 1739.1

Late Again
Name: Hiro Nakamura
Age: 24
Occupation: Sales, Yamagato Industries
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Favorite Manga: Jojo's Bizzare Adventures
Favorite Comic: X-Men
Favorite TV: Star Trek
Favorite Movie: Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Favorite Singer: Britney Spears
Favorite Game: Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Series
Favorite Phrase:一期一会

Decided to move blog sites, because my old blog site was spamming me.

So, I got in trouble again for being late to work. The count is up to 8 this year. The good news is that I finally defeated Dr. Syd last night! I got to the lighthouse last night so I had to stay up all night till I finished. I hear Bahamut is right around the corner, so I'm almost done with Final Fantasy XII. やったー.

Ugh. I'm so bored. We had a company-wide meeting regarding the future of Yamagato Industries. Snoozefest. But, it made me think of the future of Hiro Nakamura. Is this how it's going to be for the rest of my life? I want to be like Jojo and Van and go on an adventure. I want to have a stand or can cast magic. I want to save the world.

Someday, I'm going to find the magic lamp and the genie is going to grant me my three wishes, or a mutated spider will prick me and I can spew webs all over the place, or after getting a high score on a video game, it will invite me to an elite space battalion to save Earth from an intergalactic war!

Dreams keep us alive, and I want to feel alive. What's your dream?

Ok, off to take a nap. I need to sleep so I can finish leveling up my other characters. Man, I wish I had more time in the day. Must. Finish. Final Fantasy XII.

Live long and prosper,
Hiro

P.S. Happy 40th Birthday, Star Trek!

Auto-Translated by: Yamagato Software

JoJo's influence on Hiro Nakamura is evident as he mentions JoJo's Bizarre Adventures as his favorite manga.

September 29, 2006: I KNEW IT!!!

Captain's Log: Stardate 1742.8

I KNEW IT!!!
Hey, guess where I'm at? I'm at New York! Times Square! Can you believe
it? It's amazing! I told you I could do it. I knew it! やったー！　XD

New York kinda reminds me of Tokyo. Lots of people walking. There are
subways, no kiosks though. Many yatais. Looks like they sell hot dogs and
ice cream. Maybe they sell yaki-soba and tako-yaki too. ^_^ Oooh, better
yet, maybe they have waffle yatais!

You would think because it's called Times Square, there are lots of watches.
I wonder why it's called Times Square? It's more like Akihabara. That
would be cool if they had a maid cafe here as well. Would be funny to see
American otakus go 萌えー！

Wow, lot's of traffic on this blog. Thank you all for your support and
encouragement. Actually, I kinda feel like 電車男。　If I ever need love
advice, I know where to go! Then again, I don't think I'll ever find love.
T_T

I think someone mentioned the New York Comicon I think. If that's wrong,
sorry, sometimes the auto-translater has weird translations. It came out as
NY Comic Scandal for me. o.O When is it? Since I'm in New York, maybe I
can go to it. It would be cool to get some cheap アメコミ。

My favorite Jojo part is definitely the Joutaro adventures. I especially
liked his encounters with the D'arby brothers, the moment when he realizes
Star Platinum's real powers, and when Joseph was resurrected, and answered
"Al Yankovic" to prove he's not Dio. XD And yeah, Toriyama sensei is
awesome too. Loved him since the Dr. スランプdays.

I have seen all of Miyazaki's film. I do like them all, but I'm still a big
fan of Laputa, even though it's his early works. In this world, it's hard
not to feel like orphans many times, and I love that they get chosen and go
on an amazing adventure. His films are cool because not only is it awesome,
they always have a message. I heard when he was about to make a new film,
he always asks himself what message he wants to tell his daughter, it may
have been his niece. That's pretty cool. As for Final Fantasy, I have
played them all, even XI. MMORPGs are a time sink! I had to stop playing.
I literally was glued to my PS2 for 24 hours straight. FF VI probably holds
a special place in my heart. The Magitek stuff was cool and it was the last
of the pre-CD games. I reamember V too, because I also spent many days
grinding for the last blue magic and the dragon's whiskers. Thanks for FF XII ラスボ
ス advice!

Well, I guess I'm taking another "vacation" from work. ^_^ I'm sooo gonna
get fired this time. Maybe スタジオジブリ or Square-Enix will hire me XD

It just hit me, that I'm in New York and I'm spending all this time in an
internet cafe. o.O I'm gonna go explore the world! New York here I come!

Thanks again for all the support. It's really amazing when your dreams can
come real. I hope yours does too one day. If starts with you believing in
it and ends with you believing in it.

Spoon,
Hiro

P.S. I hope the yatais take yen. I'm a little hungry :P

Auto-Translated by: Yamagato Software

October 11, 2006: Let It Ride

Captain's Log: Stardate 1758.5

Let It Ride
んちゃ. I'm back in America! \(^o^)/ And I'm blogging from my cell phone. This is going to be expensive so I gotta make it quick.

So using Mister Isaku's comic as my strategy guide, I came back to the present, saved a girl's life, picked up Ando-kun, and flew to America. How did I save a girl's life? Easy. I froze time. (>_<) (o.o) \(^o^)/
My own Star Platinum's The World!

After my MP regenned, (it took a while before I could stop time again) I tried it again and I was able to stop time just a bit longer. It feels like I can control it. So I think I can master Time Freeze. I just hope I don't hit a peak at 5 seconds like Jotaro.

Teleportation and time travel is a completely separate issue. I thought I was only teleporting to New York, but I travelled through time as well. It does seem that I need to level up my skills more, but how do I level up? Do I need more MP? Raise my Job Skill? How do I get XP? Hmm. Oh no. How would I fight an enemy? ((T.T; )(; T.T)) I can't really fight. No weapons. My current spells would be Quick, Return, and Teleport. I think my Teleport would work on boss fights. I hope. But they would all be non-party casts. It would be good game Ando-kun. So I can't run away and go out of combat. I need my Marle and Lucca or a weapon. Too bad I can't learn Meteo. Hmm. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to approach an encounter with an enemy. I need the XP and the Gil. I digress.

I wish there was a guide on how to teleport and time travel. It would be very handy right now. The comic doesn't talk about how to use the power. I guess that's my own fault for just blindly following a strategy guide rather than figuring it out on my own. And it ended as well. "To be continued..." Boo. Looks like we're on our own now. (O.o) I could use my own personal Dr. Emmett Brown or Yoda right now.

Speaking of Yoda, it looks like we're in Tatooine right now. Supposedly, this is the road to Las Vegas, but it's just sand everywhere. It feels like we're about to be attacked by Jawas. Ooh. We're just like the droids. Dibs on R2D2! I'm on a mission with my cyborg translator, アンドウロイド to deliver a message to Mister Isaku. "Isaku-san, you're my only hope." o(^^o)(o^^)o No, wait. I can't be R2D2. I'm Luke, master Jedi! Must. Find. Lightsaber.

Oops, good game phone bill. (T.T) Vegas, here we come. Red five, I'm going in!

時は動き出す、
Hiro

P.S. Thanks for your help on "landslide". Another question. I was studying my phrase book. What does "Let it ride" mean? What is "it" and what is "it" riding? Rodeo term?

Auto-Translated by: Yamagato Software

Note: The "comic" Hiro references is not JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but the comic book he sees early in the show called "9th Wonders!" written by an evo clairvoyant author. Hiro later uses it to fix things during his time travels, and also to save the protagonists such as when he witnesses the cheerleader Claire getting killed in the future panels.

October 18, 2006: Mudslide

Captain's Log: Stardate 1764.3

Mudslide
I want to apologize to everyone. I've done something that I am very ashamed of. I've broken the cardinal rule of being a superhero. I've used my powers for personal gain. I cheated at Las Vegas. It was very unhero-like.

Now I know why I was sent to Las Vegas by the comic book. This was a test. A test to see if I can resist the temptation to be corrupted. I've failed. I've failed my first test. I'm sorry to have let you down. I've been tempted to the Dark Side.

＿|￣|○

I just hope Karma strikes back at me quick, so I'll be forgiven for my sins. Then I can reset and continue with my mission to save the world.

I'm sure this will be the first of many tests, so I have to stay strong and focused. More than ever I'll need everyone to stay strong. I need to keep asking myself, what would Chrono do in this situation? Would Peter Parker do the same? I can't let Uncle Ben die because of my actions.

On the upside, I have been practicing my time freezing as you guys have said and I think I leveled up my skill. (>_<)(o.o) I think I can release the time freeze when I want. It seems to be pretty stable and haven't felt any side effects yet. However, I don't think I can hold it more than 20 sec. Jojo was wrong! I'm definitely getting better but it's a long road to becoming a master.

I hope that Mr. Isaku, also known as Jojo's Boingo, gets my message soon. Maybe he's deliberately not taking my messages. Hmm. He might be our Dungeon Master and hence we're not allowed to talk to him. That would be cool but also would suck. I guess we can keep driving to New York in the meantime.

Oh, looks like Ando-kun finally finished shopping. Ugh. He's buying expensive suits. I can't believe we're using dirty money for non-mission related personal stuff. Well, at least we can get back to our mission now.

Yes, you guys are right. This isn't a video game. This is real life. There are no save and load games. If I did though, how many megabytes would my saved game take up? I'm going to be strong. I'll need help from time to time, but I'll be strong!

LFM to save the world.

Up up and away,
Hiro

P.S. I also heard some waitresses saying "mudslide". Is that opposite of "landslide"? Like "you lose election by mudslide"?

Auto-Translated by: Yamagato Software

Hiro writes as "Jotaro Kujo"

This is around the same time that an "anonymous" poster writes a post and takes over Hiro's blog, deleting all content from the ground up (they were later uploaded again, but the links don't work anymore these days). None of the cryptic messages include any JoJo reference other than Jotaro Kujo's name and in the third post.

March 12, 2007: Bound by Death and Luck

Captain's Log: Stardate 3000.0

Bound by Death and Luck
How would one find a flower? A ray of hope, a light that will illuminate nature's undisturbed process for looming survival. Mankind has a choice. A pathway, a destiny. Care to remind me of those simple times. Kids could be kids. Adults live caring for the world. Harmony lies in equality. I, an outcast, never belonged. Longed to bleach a dark world. Demons that live within the monolithic souls of cruelty. Yet, the hunter turns to the hunted. We hide in the shadows of factual inaccuracies. The light not to be seen. Branded with blindness. A matter of perception, such visions speak greater than words. Pleasantly resolved, convenient for humanity. When will I be free? When will we be free? Fates timed to precision. We follow a path. It crosses with each other. Realize the moment. Awaken. Unite. Ambivalence is not a solution. Blackness is resolved with truth. Love. Beyond walls of hatred, lies purity. Prisoners of silence. Lacking a leader, we have common goals at the core. Trust no one. Fight to avenge and open the eyes of the beast. Prejudice spawns like spores. Find me. Reach me. Email [email protected]. My search continues for petals. The flower that drops no trace. A flower. Open your eyes so we can talk. Communication is conductor of truth. At the end there are ultimately many futures. At the beginning primarily, there is only one departure. History is delicate. It begins with one. Many butterflies cause too much chaos. One flap, precise catalyst. To see light again, a rift will be chanced. I grow weary of hiding on the 15. In simple times, we used a courier to tell truth. Analogous to death, invisibility to many familiar people. The irony. Once drowned within homogeneity, yearned to be special. Found air to drown myself bearing a mark. To a flower I speak. May I reach you to end this insanity. Preach the truth. Open the minds. There are no monsters. Only visions that are placed within minds.

March 29, 2007: To Flower

Captain's Log: Stardate 12288.0
 
To Flower
Flower,
I shall bring you a game.

Use one part-time worker at a time and for every dollar, add 3000.

0100010001110101010001000100011001001111100001000100111101001000010101110111
0101010101110100011001100001100001000110000101001000010011010111010101001101
0100011001001111010010000100110101000110010011110111010101001111010000100100
1101010001100100111101000010010011110110110001001111010000100101001110000100
0101001101001000010100110110110001011101010000100101110110000100010111010100
1000010101110100011001010111010010000100010010000100010001000100101001010111
0100100001000100010010100110111110000110010101110100101001001111010000100100
1111100001100101011110000110010011010100100001011101010000100101011101001000
0100010010000110010101111000011001101111011011000100010001110101010011010100
1000010111010110110001000100010010100110111110000100010111010110110001011101
0111010101000100011011000110111101101100010111010111010101010011011101010101
0111011011000100010001101100010100110111010101100001011011000101011101001000
0100010001000010010101111000011001011101100001000110111101110101011011110100
0110011000010110110001100001011101010100111110000110010011011000011001100001
0111010101101111100001000100110110000110010011011000010001010111010010100110
1111010001100100110110000100010011111000010001101111100001000100010001001010
0110111101101100010011010111010101000100010010100110000101001010010011111000
0100010011110100011001101111010001100101011101001010010011010111010101101111
0110110001011101100001000101001110000100010011110100011001001111011011000101
0011100001000110000110000100

The key is on the key. A picture is 5.

Auto-Translated by: Yamagato Software

The now-defunct Heroes Wiki has an extensive explanation in decrypting this post. (Should probably copypaste it here before the clone dump stops working again.)

April 19, 2007: For Fun

Captain's Log: Stardate 15000.0
 
For Fun
[insert crossword image here]

ACROSS
1. Wrote number five
6. Glenn, 600 A.D.
10. 48=0
11. Sprague's dilemma
13. A protagonist?
14. Flare caster
15. ^0
16. A Lucas, Coppola, and Disney collaboration
17. Germanic relationship, Susie Q and Jojo
18. A Japanese meeting place, Yojimbo and Tsukino
25. Burnt cacooo
26. Qapla'
27. Ka____x2: Puts out mountain fires
28. Episode VII character?
35. A commune in Pyrenees-Orientales
36. Three minute time limit
37. Enemy vessel
38. /target
39. The Traveling Salesman Problem in the Euclidean plane
40. Kitty family
43. Ante mariposa
44. Unicorn saint
45. Japanese fishing pants or a European camera

DOWN
1. A not so crowded Hawaii minus the wonder?
2. Like Geller's creation
3. Mulligan's aunt, a Diego
4. The world
5. Talks in lisp
6. Adobe's, not GNU
7. Came from an insurance company
8. Legendary director
9. A web request
11. Bullets
12. 107
14. Kuppa
16. Started as a sixsome
19. A commune in Tuscany
20. About 10364.27 Faraday
21. Fields, Gauss, Nevanlinna
22. Raid leader: "He's at 50% and nobody is dead"
23. Muromachi
24. Previous occupant
28. Bantha lover
29. Zeus' consort
30. Tagged
31. Nobility in the air?
32. Brown stormtroopers
33. Parabrahman
34. Japanese mora
39. Paid
41. A kourier
42. Try not.
43. Leopard, Solaris, Mach

The JoJo references in this crossword are "17. Germanic relationship, Susie Q and Jojo" in ACROSS and "4. The world" in DOWN. The answers are OMA and DIO respectively.

April 23, 2007: Final Message

Captain's Log: Stardate 27288.0
 
Final Message
A mask bound by fortune on death row.

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