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Welcome to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Hirohiko Araki's Profile
Date of birth: June 7, 1960
Zodiac sign: Gemini
Blood type: B
Place of birth: Miyagi Prefecture
Favorite artist: Prince
Favorite actor: Clint Eastwood
Favorite movie: Unforgiven (1992)
Favorite fashion designer: Gianfranco Ferrè
Favorite country: Italy
Greatest strength: Unshakable curiosity
Places he wants to visit: Prison (for an interview)
Favorite games: Bomberman, Mario Kart
Hirohiko's Bizarre Conference: A Special Interview with Hirohiko Araki
What do you treasure most?
I've been taking photos a lot recently, and I am able to incorporate that hobby into my work. When I look back on photographs, I find them quite fascinating or touching in some way, so I suppose I could call them my treasures.
What do you make sure to keep in mind?
The thing I keep in mind is that there are always going to be restaurants that are acceptable to the public at large, and very prosperous as a result. But is that really all there is to it? Wouldn't it be nice to go to a restaurant with a little bit of flavor instead? I want to bring that to my manga as well, that feeling of being able to taste the food and say, "It's so good! It's so delicious!" I never want to write comics any other way.
What's most important to you?
Time. It has to be time, above all else. I really like the chair I sit in when I'm working. Also, my favorite soba noodle restaurant recently went out of business, so I'm really sad about that. When your favorite restaurant closes, you tend to feel the loss of another source of happiness in your life. Also, this isn't important, but one of my eyebrows has grown longer than the other one. It feels ominous, like it's about to fall off, but it also feels a bit nice, somehow. Oops.
Q: What do you do on your off time?
Since I'm always sitting down, my lymphatic system is in a bit of a strange predicament. I go to the gym, I swim for a while, I watch TV or a movie, and by then my day off is usually over.
Q: Do you have any kind of food you'd like to try?
I'd like to try an unconventional dish sometime. Something like maggot stew.
Q: What do you want most right now?
A ticket to go on a trip. Being able to come here fills me with joy.
What are your thoughts on Italy?
I like traveling in and of itself, but the countries that really appeal to me are the ones with a history behind them. For that reason, I'm not as interested in the U.S. as I am in, say, Europe or Egypt. With that in mind, when Shueisha brought me to Italy for this interview, the country greatly impressed me. What's great about Italy is that it gives off the sense of a manga come to life. You could call it a sense of artisticism. I've come here to relish in that, and maybe even study it.
What would you do if you weren't a manga artist?
Maybe it's because I enjoyed reading Star of the Giants, but at one point I thought of becoming a baseball player. That would have been a reckless dream to pursue, though. That said, I was really into fashion when I was in school. It all looked so gorgeous, and I was drawn to the composition behind it, so I thought I might become a fashion designer.
A Special Message from Hirohiko Araki
JoJo can't be adequately described in a single word, and I think that's both its biggest flaw and greatest strength. I want to celebrate the people living in this world, and create many types of characters while doing so. Whether you read the printed volumes or just watch the video release, I hope you will enjoy the humanity of the characters as much as I do.
