Kei Nijimura
Kei Nijimura (虹村 京, Nijimura Kei) is a secondary ally featured in the eighth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, JoJolion. Appearing as an antagonist in the "Paisley Park and Born This Way" story arc, she then becomes an ally in "The Wonder of You" story arc.
Nijimura is the Higashikata family's housekeeper. She is eventually revealed to be the daughter of Holy Joestar-Kira and thus Yoshikage Kira's younger sister. Kei is a Stand user who wields the autonomous, chilling Stand, Born This Way.
Appearance
Nijimura is a young woman with long, dark hair which is normally tied in a bun with the exception of her meeting with Josuke with her hair down. She wears a maid's uniform consisting of a dark blouse with an apron. Her apron is decorated with two pins that resemble lightning bolts and the letters "GU", which likely stands for her Stand's original name, Going Underground, on each pin, and pantyhose patterned with stars. She wears a chin-strapped dark-colored hat that is also decorated with the letters "GU", and each of her shoes is designed with a bow knot.
When confronted by Josuke, it is revealed that she bears a star-shaped birthmark near her left shoulder.
In the colored manga, Nijimura's eye color is changed from Blue to Brown in her reappearance in Chapter 102.
Color Schemes
Personality
Nijimura typically performs all the duties expected of a maid and shows no emotion whatsoever. It is eventually revealed her emotionless demeanor is a facade when Josuke asks her if she attacked him on the Higashikatas' orders. Nijimura reacts harshly to this, showing that she hates the Higashikatas, calling them "the goddamn Higashikatas." She also threatens to kill Josuke if he approaches Holy because she is revealed to be Holy's daughter, shedding tears and becoming more emotional.[5]
After Josuke finally gives in to her demands, she breaks down and reveals that they knew each other in the past, and she is surprised that he has really lost all of his memories. She also points out the seams in his halved eyeballs and tongue.[6]
Kei's great love for her mother is shown again when she cares for Holy at TG University Hospital, cleaning her up and referring to her as "mama" as she does so.[7]
Abilities
Stand
Nijimura's Stand Born This Way is an automatic Stand that activates when the person she has targeted opens something. It manifests as a humanoid Stand riding a motorcycle that produces extremely cold winds, capable of freezing water vapor in the air.
History
Background
Kei Nijimura was born around 1989 to Holy Joestar-Kira and Yoshiteru Kira, and she is Yoshikage Kira's little sister.
Although aware of her mother's illness, Nijimura took no part in helping Yoshikage steal and keep the Locacaca from the Locacaca Smuggling Organization. Instead, wary of the Higashikatas, she infiltrated the Higashikata Family, posing as an unrelated maid and taking the name "Nijimura" to investigate their secret.
After the earthquake of March 11, Nijimura discovers the supernatural properties of the soil near the Wall Eyes, which can exchange parts between two buried objects.
JoJolion
"Paisley Park" and "Born This Way"
Upon entering the Higashikata household, Josuke Higashikata is coerced into taking a family photo. Nijimura appears and attempts to remove his hat, causing Josuke to feel threatened, and ask who she is. Norisuke Higashikata IV answers for her and introduces her as the Higashikata family's housekeeper. When Norisuke shows Josuke around the house, he tells him to ask Nijimura for anything he needs. Later, as she helps Yasuho Hirose exit the premises, she relays a message from Norisuke, stating that Yasuho is not allowed near the Higashikatas' house again.[8]
Seeing that Josuke has investigated her family tree and taking him for an enemy, Nijimura unleashes her Stand, Born This Way, on Josuke just as he decides to go see Holy. Nonetheless, Josuke escapes Born This Way and surprises Kei standing near the hospital. Nijimura tries to summon Born This Way one last time by tossing an opened pen to Josuke but Soft & Wet knocks her out before it can attack. Josuke manages to defeat her, but Nijimura stays aggressive and warns Josuke not to approach her mother. Josuke decides to be diplomatic and concedes, leading Nijimura to trust him. Examining his face, Kei notices that Josuke's eyes and tongue are in fact a blend of two organs.[6]
Nijimura subsequently leads Josuke to the Wall Eyes and shows him that he is a fusion of her brother Yoshikage Kira and another person. She demonstrates using a lemon and a tangerine, burying them underneath the soil. She then unearths the fruits and then slices each of them in half, showing some of their sections swapped.
It's a Summer Vacation Everyday
After Jobin returns from his trip, he gives souvenirs he's bought from the trip to his family, including Nijimura and Josuke. He gives Nijimura an Oscar statue from a trip to Southeast Asia, which Hato grows jealous of.
Hato Brought Her Boyfriend Home
When Hato brings her boyfriend Tamaki Damo home, Nijimura is the first to be liquefied by Damo's Vitamin C as she tries to wipe off strange hand prints on the windows and furniture of the house. She spends the rest of the fight in a liquefied state.
Ozon Baby's Pressure
During Poor Tom's attack on the Higashikata family, Nijimura falls under the effects of Ozon Baby's pressure-based attack, passing out while bleeding.
The Wonder of You
During Toru's pursuit in the Higashikata household, Yasuho immediately eats a Locacaca fruit after realizing that Toru himself is the user of Wonder of U, who is then causing the calamity. She proceeds to use Joshu's phone to contact Kei Nijimura. At the TG University Hospital, Nijimura takes care of her mother in bed until she receives Yasuho's call. Yasuho tells her to hand the phone to Josuke as soon as possible. Nijimura notices that Holy has written notes about Josuke and his whereabouts and thus Nijimura is now able to go find Josuke in the secret Locacaca lab.
In the Locacaca laboratory, the Stand Wonder of U manages to take down Josuke and nearly incapacitates him. As it approaches Josuke, Born This Way breaks into the room and freezes Soft and Wet's bubbles, which then strike Wonder of U multiple times. Kei then enters the laboratory. However, the attack has broken Wonder of U's cane, which lodges itself into Nijimura's eye. Before she collapses and dies, Nijimura barely has time to inform Josuke that she's come to give him her cell phone so that he can talk to Yasuho. Later, Josuke somehow feels her hand touching him even though she's still on the floor.
After Wonder of U flees, Josuke walks over to Holy's room and takes a moment to think about Nijimura, Holy, and Rai Mamezuku.
Chapters
- JoJolion Chapter 6: Soft & Wet, Part 5
- JoJolion Chapter 7: Josuke, Go to the Higashikata Family
- JoJolion Chapter 8: California King Bed, Part 1 (Flashback)
- JoJolion Chapter 10: California King Bed, Part 3 (Flashback)
- JoJolion Chapter 11: Family Tree
- JoJolion Chapter 12: "Paisley Park" and "Born This Way", Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 13: "Paisley Park" and "Born This Way", Part 2 (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 16: "Paisley Park" and "Born This Way", Part 5
- JoJolion Chapter 17: The Lemon and the Tangerine
- JoJolion Chapter 18: "Shakedown Road", Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 26: Tsurugi Higashikata's Goal, and the Architect (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 27: Norisuke Higashikata, Tsurugi Higashikata, and Yotsuyu Yagiyama, Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 33: Josuke! Go to the Higashikata Fruit Parlor (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 34: It's a Summer Vacation Everyday, Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 41: Doobie Wah, Part 3
- JoJolion Chapter 43: Love Love Deluxe, Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 44: Love Love Deluxe, Part 2
- JoJolion Chapter 47: Hato Brought Her Boyfriend Home, Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 48: Hato Brought Her Boyfriend Home, Part 2 (Under Vitamin C's ability)
- JoJolion Chapter 49: Hato Brought Her Boyfriend Home, Part 3 (Under Vitamin C's ability)
- JoJolion Chapter 50: Vitamin C and Killer Queen, Part 1 (Flashback)
- JoJolion Chapter 53: Vitamin C and Killer Queen, Part 4 (Cover only)
- JoJolion Chapter 55: Walking Heart, Breaking Heart
- JoJolion Chapter 56: Milagroman, Part 1 (Cover only)
- JoJolion Chapter 58: Dawn of the Higashikata Family
- JoJolion Chapter 59: Dolomite's Blue Lagoon, Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 61: Dolomite's Blue Lagoon, Part 3 (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 72: North of the Higashikata House. The Orchard
- JoJolion Chapter 75: Ozon Baby's Pressure, Part 3
- JoJolion Chapter 102: The Wonder of You, Part 19
- JoJolion Chapter 103: The Wonder of You, Part 20
- JoJolion Chapter 104: The Wonder of You, Part 21 (Death) (Ghost)
- JoJolion Chapter 107: When All Curses Are Broken (Flashback)
- JoJolion Chapter 110: Higashikata Fruit Parlor (Flashback)
Quotes
- “The Higashikata Family... that family has secrets. In order to find those secrets and in order to protect my mother, I infiltrated that house as Nijimura the maid. The only living member of the Kira family left are my mother and I.”—Kei Nijimura, JoJolion Chapter 17: The Lemon and the Tangerine
- “You are you... I know that... It's the same for everyone in this world... you are your own self.”—Kei Nijimura, JoJolion Chapter 17: The Lemon and the Tangerine
- “I can say this decisively... I'm sure of it. Your true identity is my older brother, Yoshikage Kira... there's no doubt about it. But that's only part of you. There's another person. You are a fusion of Yoshikage's body and your own. Your minds are fused as well. Your spirit taken form, your Stand, it's different from the shape of Yoshikage's Stand. Your Stand is also a combination of two.”—Kei Nijimura, JoJolion Chapter 17: The Lemon and the Tangerine
- “Y-Yasuho, I understand... I know where Josuke is right now!”—Kei Nijimura, JoJolion Chapter 102: The Wonder of You, Part 19
- “Josuke... I came here... to give you... to give you... this. It's from... Yasuho...”—Kei Nijimura, JoJolion Chapter 104: The Wonder of You, Part 21
Gallery
Trivia
- When she was first introduced, her name was written as "Kyo Nijimura" (虹村
京 , Nijimura Kyō).[9][10] This name persisted until JJL Volume 24 when it was changed to "Kei Nijimura" just before her appearance in JJL Chapter 102. According to Araki, "Kyo" was a mistake caused by him not having checked the furigana, and that "Kei" was the correct reading of her name.[11]- In 2023, reprints of the older volumes and digital versions were also updated to reflect this change.[12]
- In the Higashikata House, a few minutes before the harvest of the new Locacaca fruit, Nijimura is seen missing in the family photo taken when Jobin returns home from a business trip whereas she was initially shown being featured in the photo.[13][14]
References
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 17: The Lemon and the Tangerine - Kei reveals that she is part of the Kira family
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 11: Family Tree, p.6
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 16: "Paisley Park" and "Born This Way", Part 5, p.28
- ↑ Timeline for JoJolion
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 16: "Paisley Park" and "Born This Way", Part 5, p.21, 23
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 JoJolion Chapter 16: "Paisley Park" and "Born This Way", Part 5, p.28-29
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 102: The Wonder of You, Part 19, p.35
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 7: Josuke, Go to the Higashikata Family
- ↑ JJL Volume 4
- ↑ JOJOVELLER
- ↑ Ultra Jump - December 2020 Comment
- ↑ JoJolion Volume Reprints Remove Josefumi Kujo’s Star Birthmark
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 83: The New Locacaca, p. 30
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 34: It's a Summer Vacation Everyday, Part 1, p.1