User:Minedor/Sandbox

"I was very impressed by your lecture earlier, Mr. Head Doctor."

- Taoka to Satoru Akefu

Taoka (田岡) is a minor character featured in the eight part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, JoJolion. He is a reporter from the science journal "Pangea Land" (パンゲア ランド). He attends Satoru Akefu's lecture on regenerative medicine at the TG University Hospital.

Appearance
Taoka is a Young adult Japanese man with an average build. He has short, slightly dark hair tied up into two ponytails. One of his most prominent features are his pimples. He wears a Green coat with a Yellowish tint with pants and shoes that are of the same color.

Personality
Taoka is a mysterious individual. Josuke feels that Taoka is just like him, appearing lonely and melancholic. Despite being a gangster, the man has a strong sense of justice and repays his debts. Although he would keep his distance and only watch Josuke from afar, Taoka treats Josuke with respect, ultimately teaching Josuke the importance of trusting people from their silent interactions. He acts somewhat cruelly by not speaking to Josuke, trying to ensure that Josuke doesn't get involved with gangs.

The anime expands on his personality by adding more to his flashback. He seems to be respected in his community, as the owner of an ice cream shop says the man always takes care of him and gives Josuke a free ice cream. He has no qualms about killing a boy's father because the man was selling drugs on his turf to even women and children. Josuke inherits how the man feels about drugs and eventually gains the dream of ridding Italy from gangsters who sell drugs to children.

History
Man X is first shown hiding in an alley from a group of suspicious-looking men, severely injured with gunshot wounds. When Giorno Giovanna was walking home from school as a child, he finds the man lying on the ground. Soon after that, the group of men ask Giorno if he saw the man running away. Giorno saves the man by lying and unconsciously using his Stand, making grass grow long enough to hide the man's body. Giorno believed the man looked lonely and melancholic, just like he did. The man turns out to be a gangster and promises to repay the child for saving his life.

Soon after that, Giorno's Stepfather stops hitting him and the kids that bullied him at school start being surprisingly friendly, such as giving up their seats to him in crowded movie theaters. The man only quietly watches over Giorno from afar but Giorno learns the importance of trusting people from this complete stranger.

The anime adds a scene of Man X shooting someone in an alley and then speaking with his partner afterwards. Giorno sees him and runs up to him, but the man silently walks away. Just then, a boy runs up to them and points a gun at the man, shouting that the gangster killed his father. Man X explains that he killed the boy's father because he was scum who was selling drugs to women and children on his turf. The boy attempts to shoot him but fails, and breaks down crying thinking that the gangster is also scum. Man X then walks away, inspiring Giorno.

Despite the gangster taking a strict position that Giorno shouldn't get involved in the gang world, Giorno aspires to become a gang-star as he grows up and later joins Passione.

Trivia

 * The gangster is named Man X in the anime credits and Stardust Shooters. He is referred to as Mr. X in the English dub.