To Be Continued
"To Be Continued" is a staple of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, first appearing in Chapter 167 of the manga, and then later appearing in almost every episode of the series's anime adaptation. It is typicially represented by a uniquely-styled arrow pointing left with the English words "To Be Continued" written within.
In the anime adaptation, it usually shows at the very end of that episode's story, whether that be before or after the closing credits, although there are some exceptions as listed below. When the arrow appears, the frame also usually freezes with a special filter style and colors. In the case of Season 1, a part of Roundabout will also play alongside the arrow's appearance to then transition into the ending credits' animation.
Exceptions
Manga
- Several chapters have the "To Be Continued" text typeset rather than hand-written. These include:
- Chapter 167: Sun, Part 2
- Chapter 173: Death Thirteen, Part 6
- Chapter 237: D'Arby the Player, Part 11
- Chapter 245: The Miasma of the Void, Vanilla Ice, Part 8
- Steel Ball Run Extra Chapter 1: ~How the Steel Ball Run Race Got Started~
- JoJolion Chapter 1: Welcome to Morioh
- In many cases, the arrow containing the "To Be Continued" text is expanded to hold additional text. Examples include:
- Chapter 341: Shigechi's Harvest, Part 7
- Chapter 409: Enigma Boy, Part 6
- JoJolion Chapter 56: Milagroman, Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 71: The Qing Dynasty Hair Clip
- In Chapter 173 and Chapter 245, the "To Be Continued" text is accompanied by the Japanese translation "つづく."
- In Chapter 245, Chapter 302, and SBR Extra Chapter 1, the "To Be Continued" text is written without an arrow, and is instead housed within a box or dedicated panel.
- Chapter 384 and Chapter 540 feature a TBC arrow midway through the chapter; the latter example also features an arrow at the end of the chapter, making it the only chapter with two TBC arrows.
- The TBC arrow in Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5 folds in on itself to fit within a narrow panel at the edge of the page.
- The arrow in JoJolion Chapter 42: Doobie Wah, Part 4 does not accompany the last panel or paragraph on the chapter's final page, instead highlighting the first of the page's four panels.
- JoJolion Chapter 70: Urban Guerrilla and Doremifasolati Do, Part 3 features an arrow at the end of the chapter, but the typical "To Be Continued" text is missing, and the text inside instead confirms the status of Urban Guerrilla and Doremifasolati Do.
Anime
- There are a few episodes in the anime that lack any To Be Continued whatsoever. A common cause for these is instead finishing with "Part X: End", although the endings to Part 1 and Part 2 are exceptions due to teasing their subsequent Parts. The episodes that do not contain TBC are as follows:
- Stardust Crusaders Episode 48: The Faraway Journey, Farewell Friends
- Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 39: Goodbye, Morioh - The Golden Heart
- Golden Wind Episode 28: Beneath a Sky on the Verge of Falling
- Golden Wind Episode 39: Sleeping Slaves
- Stone Ocean Episode 38: What a Wonderful World
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 16: Ripple Teacher Lisa Lisa is unique in that it has no image to accompany the TBC arrow, only having a crimson background and the TBC big and center.
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 17: Laying a Deeper Trap! has the only TBC shot to include visual narration text.
- There was a case where the TBC was only added later on in the Blu-ray release, this being JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 26: The Man Who Became a God.
- Stardust Crusaders Episode 28: Anubis, Part 1 has the only TBC shot that continues to move after the arrow appears, the frame slowly zooming in.
- Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 13: We Picked Up Something Crazy! has the only TBC shot that continues with the animation rather than freeze-framing. It's therefore also one of the few to not have the iconic TBC filter over itself.
- Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 19: Shigechi's Harvest, Part 2 has the narrator say "To be continued!" as well.
- Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 28: Highway Star, Part 1 is the only to have multiple instances of the TBC arrow shot, one happening halfway through the episode to wrap up the I'm an Alien story arc, and another at the end of the episode as normal. This is due to Chapter 384: Highway Star, Part 1 also having a To Be Continued arrow midway through itself.
Usage
Ever since it's debut in the JoJo manga, the To Be Continued arrow has been used many times throughout other JoJo media, still being one of the most recognisable symbols of the franchise today.
Besides official usage, To Be Continued has been referenced many times by other works and become one of the more popular icons in internet meme culture. Many examples of this can be seen on the References to JoJo page.
Manga
Expand/Collapse All
Chapter 167: Sun, Part 2
Chapter 173: Death Thirteen, Part 6
Chapter 216: D'Arby the Gambler, Part 6
Chapter 221: Hol Horse and Boingo, Part 5
Chapter 226: The Gatekeeper of Hell, Pet Shop, Part 5
Chapter 237: D'Arby the Player, Part 11
Chapter 245: The Miasma of the Void, Vanilla Ice, Part 8
Chapter 302: Yukako Yamagishi Falls in Love, Part 9
Chapter 324: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 7
Chapter 329: Let's Go Hunting!, Part 5
Chapter 341: Shigechi's Harvest, Part 7
Chapter 347: The People of Morioh
Chapter 353: Yukako Yamagishi Dreams of Cinderella, Part 6
Chapter 364: Sheer Heart Attack, Part 11
Chapter 376: Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid is Coming!, Part 6
Halfway through Chapter 384: Highway Star, Part 1
Chapter 391: Highway Star, Part 8
Chapter 395: Cats Love Yoshikage Kira, Part 4
Chapter 397: Cats Love Yoshikage Kira, Part 6
Chapter 403: Let's Live on a Transmission Tower, Part 6
Chapter 409: Enigma Boy, Part 6
Chapter 417: Cheap Trick, Part 6
Chapter 455: Joining the Gang, Part 6
Chapter 461: Moody Blues Strikes Back, Part 2
Chapter 467: Sex Pistols Appears, Part 6
Chapter 477: Narancia's Aerosmith, Part 8
Chapter 485: Man in the Mirror and Purple Haze, Part 7
Chapter 499: The Grateful Dead, Part 12
Chapter 506: Baby Face, Part 7
Chapter 507: Head to Venice!
Chapter 515: White Album, Part 7
Chapter 523: The Mystery of King Crimson, Part 6
Chapter 531: Clash and Talking Head, Part 7
Halfway through Chapter 540: Spice Girl, Part 2
Chapter 540: Spice Girl, Part 2
Chapter 549: King Crimson vs. Metallica, Part 6
Chapter 590: Epilogue: "Sleeping Slaves"
Stone Ocean Chapter 2: Stone Ocean, Part 2
Stone Ocean Chapter 9: Stone Free, Part 2
Stone Ocean Chapter 25: Ermes's Sticker, Part 5
Stone Ocean Chapter 32: Foo Fighters, Part 2
Stone Ocean Chapter 39: Debt Collector Marilyn Manson, Part 6
Stone Ocean Chapter 50: Torrential Downpour Warning, Part 3
Stone Ocean Chapter 57: Kiss of Love and Revenge, Part 7
Stone Ocean Chapter 74: Enter the Dragon's Dream, Part 7
Stone Ocean Chapter 95: New Moon! New Priest
Stone Ocean Chapter 102: Jailbreak...
Stone Ocean Chapter 110: Bohemian Rhapsody, Part 7
Stone Ocean Chapter 117: Sky High, Part 6
Stone Ocean Chapter 137: Heavy Weather, Part 13
Steel Ball Run Extra Chapter 1: ~How the Steel Ball Run Race Got Started~
Steel Ball Run Chapter 87: Ball Breaker, Part 5
JoJolion Chapter 1: Welcome to Morioh
JoJolion Chapter 6: Soft & Wet, Part 5
JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4
JoJolion Chapter 42: Doobie Wah, Part 4
JoJolion Chapter 46: Love Love Deluxe, Part 4
JoJolion Chapter 53: Vitamin C and Killer Queen, Part 4
JoJolion Chapter 56: Milagroman, Part 1
JoJolion Chapter 71: The Qing Dynasty Hair Clip
JoJolion Chapter 97: The Wonder of You, Part 14
JoJolion Chapter 109: The Radio Gaga Incident (1941)
Anime
Expand/Collapse All
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 1: Dio the Invader
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 2: A Letter from the Past
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 3: Youth with Dio
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 4: Overdrive
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 5: The Dark Knights
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 6: Pluck for Tomorrow
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 7: The Successor
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 9: The Final Ripple!
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 10: JoJo of New York
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 11: Master of the Game
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 12: The Pillar Man
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 13: JoJo vs. the Ultimate Being
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 15: A Hero's Proof
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 16: Ripple Teacher Lisa Lisa
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 17: Laying a Deeper Trap!
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 18: Stroheim's Unit Strikes Back
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 20: Caesar: A Lonely Youth
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 21: The Hundred vs. Two Strategy
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 22: A True Warrior
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 24: The Bond That Binds JoJo
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 25: The Birth of a Superbeing!!
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 26: The Man Who Became a God
Stardust Crusaders Episode 2: Who Will Be the Judge?!
Stardust Crusaders Episode 3: DIO's Curse
Stardust Crusaders Episode 4: Tower of Gray
Stardust Crusaders Episode 5: Silver Chariot
Stardust Crusaders Episode 6: Dark Blue Moon
Stardust Crusaders Episode 7: Strength
Stardust Crusaders Episode 8: Devil
Stardust Crusaders Episode 9: Yellow Temperance
Stardust Crusaders Episode 10: Emperor and Hanged Man, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 11: Emperor and Hanged Man, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 12: Empress
Stardust Crusaders Episode 13: Wheel of Fortune
Stardust Crusaders Episode 14: Justice, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 15: Justice, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 16: Lovers, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 17: Lovers, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 18: Sun
Stardust Crusaders Episode 19: Death Thirteen, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 20: Death Thirteen, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 21: Judgement, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 22: Judgement, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 23: High Priestess, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 24: High Priestess, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 27: "Khnum" Oingo and "Tohth" Boingo
Stardust Crusaders Episode 28: Anubis, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 29: Anubis, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 30: "Bastet" Mariah, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 31: "Bastet" Mariah, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 32: "Sethan" Alessi, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 33: "Sethan" Alessi, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 34: D'Arby the Gambler, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 35: D'Arby the Gambler, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 36: Hol Horse and Boingo, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 37: Hol Horse and Boingo, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 40: D'Arby the Player, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 41: D'Arby the Player, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 45: DIO's World, Part 1
Stardust Crusaders Episode 46: DIO's World, Part 2
Stardust Crusaders Episode 47: DIO's World, Part 3
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 6: Koichi Hirose (Echoes)
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 10: Let's Go Eat Some Italian Food
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 11: Red Hot Chili Pepper, Part 1
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 12: Red Hot Chili Pepper, Part 2
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 13: We Picked Up Something Crazy!
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 16: Let's Go Hunting!
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 17: Rohan Kishibe's Adventure
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 18: Shigechi's Harvest, Part 1
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 19: Shigechi's Harvest, Part 2
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 23: Sheer Heart Attack, Part 1
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 24: Sheer Heart Attack, Part 2
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 25: Atom Heart Father
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 27: I'm an Alien
Halfway through Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 28: Highway Star, Part 1
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 28: Highway Star, Part 1
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 29: Highway Star, Part 2
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 30: Cats Love Yoshikage Kira
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 31: July 15th (Thursday), Part 1
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 32: July 15th (Thursday), Part 2
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 33: July 15th (Thursday), Part 3
Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 34: July 15th (Thursday), Part 4
Golden Wind Episode 1: Gold Experience
Golden Wind Episode 2: Bucciarati is Coming
Golden Wind Episode 3: Meet the Gangster Behind the Wall
Golden Wind Episode 4: Joining the Gang
Golden Wind Episode 5: Find Polpo's Fortune!
Golden Wind Episode 6: Moody Blues Strikes Back
Golden Wind Episode 7: Sex Pistols Appears, Part 1
Golden Wind Episode 8: Sex Pistols Appears, Part 2
Golden Wind Episode 9: The First Order from the Boss
Golden Wind Episode 10: The Hitman Team
Golden Wind Episode 11: Narancia's Aerosmith
Golden Wind Episode 12: The Second Order from the Boss
Golden Wind Episode 13: Man in the Mirror and Purple Haze
Golden Wind Episode 14: Express Train to Florence
Golden Wind Episode 15: The Grateful Dead, Part 1
Golden Wind Episode 16: The Grateful Dead, Part 2
Golden Wind Episode 17: Baby Face
Golden Wind Episode 18: Head to Venice!
Golden Wind Episode 19: White Album
Golden Wind Episode 20: The Boss's Last Orders
Golden Wind Episode 21: The Mystery of King Crimson
Golden Wind Episode 22: The "G" in Guts
Golden Wind Episode 23: Clash and Talking Head
Golden Wind Episode 24: Notorious B.I.G
Golden Wind Episode 25: Spice Girl
Golden Wind Episode 27: King Crimson vs. Metallica
Golden Wind Episode 29: Destination: Rome! The Colosseum
Golden Wind Episode 30: Green Day and Oasis, Part 1
Golden Wind Episode 31: Green Day and Oasis, Part 2
Golden Wind Episode 32: Green Day and Oasis, Part 3
Golden Wind Episode 33: His Name is Diavolo
Golden Wind Episode 34: The Requiem Quietly Plays, Part 1
Golden Wind Episode 35: The Requiem Quietly Plays, Part 2
Golden Wind Episode 36: Diavolo Surfaces
Golden Wind Episode 37: King of Kings
Golden Wind Episode 38: Gold Experience Requiem
Video Games
This section requires expansion.
Capcom Fighters
In JoJo's Venture and its revisions, the arrow appears at the end of every battle, excluding singleplayer battles lost by the player. It also appears at the end of either arcade revision's Location Test demo in the Japanese region setting. The end-of-match arrow is heavily based on the one seen in Chapter 226: The Gatekeeper of Hell, Pet Shop, Part 5, while the Location Test arrow is instead taken from Chapter 221: Hol Horse and Boingo, Part 5. Ellipses are added to both arrows to better match those seen in later Parts.
GioGio's Bizarre Adventure
In GioGio's Bizarre Adventure, the arrow appears whenever the player clears a stage, either by defeating an enemy, surviving until a timer expires, or triggering an alternate win condition. The arrow itself is sourced from the final page of Chapter 523: The Mystery of King Crimson, Part 6, though the shape has been slightly redrawn.
All-Star Battle
The "To Be Continued" arrow makes a minor appearance in All-Star Battle at the end of JoJolion's Story Mode, as well as the end of most DLC battles' ending text (with the exceptions of Fugo's and Ikuro's battles, which take place after the main story). The text is sourced from Stone Ocean Chapter 2: Stone Ocean, Part 2, while the shape of the arrow itself is taken from Stone Ocean Chapter 50: Torrential Downpour Warning, Part 3.
Last Survivor
In Last Survivor, when the winner defeats the final opposing player, the arrow appears as the loser falls to the ground in slow motion. The arrow itself is identical to the one seen in the anime.
Other official media
This section requires expansion.