Rai Mamezuku

"That branch is a demon plant, there's no human who can tame it! So, I'll go collect it!"

- Rai Mamezuku, JJL Chapter 74

Rai Mamezuku (豆銑 礼) is a major ally featured in the eighth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, JoJolion.

Introduced in the "The Plant Appraiser - Rai Mamezuku (31)" story arc, Mamezuku is a reclusive plant appraiser, secretly employed by the Higashikata Fruit Company and only known by Norisuke Higashikata IV. Once attacked by the Rock Humans, he joins with Josuke Higashikata in order to protect himself.

Mamezuku is a Stand User, and his Doggy Style confers him the ability to transform into band-like strings.

Appearance
Mamezuku is a well-built man with braided dark hair. He wears a jumpsuit with a vine and peapod pattern over a light-colored shirt and a tie, as well as a hat with an oversized flap covering the whole back of his head.

Mamezuku's left hand is missing four fingers due to Brain Storm infecting his hand.

Personality
Rai Mamezuku is an eccentric and brusque individual with little care for politeness. He is highly analytical and quick-witted in his way of approaching problems. As soon as he learns of what is happening in Morioh and that he is under attack, he takes the initiative in joining with his allies. With a single phone call with Norisuke about Josuke's confusing issue, Mamezuku manages to grasp the stakes for every party involved and see the best course of action for him. He tends to carefully observe his surroundings and verbally takes notes of everything remotely interesting to him; this habit allows him to discern the nature and subtleties of the attack against him. Mamezuku also regularly calculates probabilities, like the chances of someone being safe through selected factors.

Mamezuku is very coldhearted in his methods, repeatedly showing that he has no qualm sacrificing a perceived less important part for a greater goal. His orchard specifically leaves a small part of the culture overriden with predatory insects and disease to better the rest of the orchard, he has no problem cutting off his own hand to save himself, and even puts Yasuho in great danger because he sees her as less important than his own safety.

Moreover, Mamezuku is very cool-headed. Despite being introduced under attack from an unknown ability, he acts calmly despite an open focus on his survival. Once on relatively safe grounds, Mamezuku even takes the time to cook a snack for him, Josuke and Yasuho. When he loses his left hand to a Stand attack, he calmly severs it to preserve the rest of his body.

However, Mamezuku's most noticeable trait is his eccentricity and bluntness. First, he is extremely antisocial. His only relationship is with Norisuke, whom he nonetheless considers a good friend. Mamezuku takes many steps in order to stay isolated, as his home during the summer is actually a support pillar for a skilift, complete with at least a hidden kitchen and a whole mountainside as his orchard; during winter he resides in a villa. Moreover, Mamezuku constantly demonstrates a lack of care for others. He hijacks a bus without a second thought but the repercussions on him, pries on Yasuho's private life and considers his survival as the priority, that of Josuke and Yasuho being second to his. Nonetheless, he seems impressed when Yasuho takes the initiative in covering their tracks and has thought of inviting his guests for a snack while they discuss their next move. It doesn't stop Mamezuku from condemning Josuke when the latter instinctively prioritizes her safety in the midst of an attack and then coldy throw her into the range of the enemy Stand to observe what happens.

Abilities
Mamezuku's Stand is Doggy Style, which can create a prehensile bandage-like string from his body in order to grab objects from afar. It unravels his body into "wire rope" that he can control and manipulate.

Horticulture
Mamezuku is an expert in horticulture, his profession being a plant appraiser and a fruit grower, implying a great deal of knowledge and experience on plants. He can identify a plant simply from its appearance in a photograph, and has the knowledge on how to properly care for rare plants such as the Locacaca.

Background
Mamezuku was born into a family of fruit farmers, whose high-class pears were prized goods. There are two version of his backstory.

In the first, older version, the cultivating techniques of Rai's parents were leaked, leading to a competitor managing to steal an entire crop of pear and bringing down the fruit trees. Thus his parents had to part with their orchards. Blaming his parents, Mamezuku began to live alone in a ski slope, cultivating his own fruits despite the difficulties. Mamezuku met Norisuke Higashikata IV at 17. Impressed by their quality, Norisuke appointed Mamezuku in secret to be his personal fruit grower and appraiser. Mamezuku's existence in the company was kept with the utmost secrecy, with not even Norisuke's own son Jobin ever being informed.

In the second version, Rai's family seemed to have been acquainted with the Higashikata Family. In this second version, the pear orchard had been ravaged by a strange phenomenon, and the trees kept leaking asbestos from all their orifices as they grew, leading to the destruction of the entire orchard, plus the orchard was victim of a typhoon. Moreover, Rai's father died in a landslide. Norisuke Higashikata IV attended the funeral. During the ceremony, Rai was pestered by some acquaintances but Norisuke got rid of them. After hugging Norisuke for comfort, Rai told him again that the orchard was well raised and that he saw a strange insect lurking in the orchard while the trees died. However, Norisuke refuted his claims as he checked and saw no insect, and told Rai that everything that had happened to him was some natural calamity. Ironically, Rai spotted Satoru Akefu among the crowd, facing away. However, Rai had duties to attend to and forgot about the strange man.

JoJolion
Mamezuku is first shown when Norisuke presents a photo of him to Josuke Higashikata, advising the latter to go find him, as his skills would enable Josuke to recognize the grafted Locacaca branch.

The Plant Appraiser
After communicating with Norisuke in regards to a certain Josuke Higashikata's inquiry about a Locacaca branch, Mamezuku notices that he is under attack from an unidentified enemy moving underground. Running from his assailant, Mamezuku ends up hijacking the bus which Josuke and Yasuho Hirose are on, formally meeting them and presenting himself in the process.

Mamezuku thus drives to his summer home in the mountains, a ski lift. Discussing with Josuke and Yasuho, Mamezuku manages to find the location of the Locacaca using photographs of the orchard, and determines that the best course of action for his survival is to work with Josuke.

After a brief snack, the trio is attacked by the unknown assaillant revealed to be a duo of Rock Human and Rock Animal, Urban Guerrilla and his pet Doremifasolati Do. Losing several fingers to a first attack, Mamezuku becomes upset that Josuke has protected Yasuho first instead of him. To observe the enemy, Mamezuku pushes Yasuho down the ski lift, which pushes Josuke to also jump down, although Mamezuku tells him they have to take a fuel tank stored inside one of the lift poles.

Separated from his allies, Mamezuku is attacked by Urban Guerrilla and falls down the lift, heavily injured. However, he's managed to pierce the fuel tank and bring it to Josuke alongside his lighter, which Josuke uses to make Doremifasolati Do and Urban explode.

Afterward, Mamezuku takes with him a vivarium full of moth larvae. When he tells Yasuho to leave and go home, Yasuho refuses and begins to tell her story. Uninterested by her, Mamezuku nonetheless listens when Yasuho theorizes that the strange hair clip which has tormented her may have been a Rock Animal. Thus, he sends her to investigate it.

Ozon Baby's Pressure
Arriving at the Higashikata estate through secret underground tunnels, Mamezuku and Josuke stealthily manage to plant the moth larvae in the Locacaca branch and must now wait 2 days before a new fruit grows.

Their departure is interrupted when they notice the atmospheric pressure growing inside the tunnel. Looking outside, the two see the orchard on fire and decide to use giant bubbles to protect themselves from Ozon Baby's power. Going out into the open to take the branch, Mamezuku sees the enemy, Poor Tom, and decides to confront him.

Mamezuku's attempts to break Poor Tom's neck by strangling him with his wired arm proves to be a mistake as touching Poor Tom directly increases Ozon Baby's influence on him. When Poor Tom traps a part of the wire inside a knife sheath to simulate a closed space, Mamezuku succumbs to the pressure, making his body explode.

Despite all observing parties assuming that the plant appraiser was killed by the explosion, Mamezuku was able to successfully utilize Doggy Style in order to disassemble his body rapidly, giving the impression that he was torn to shreds. After the conflict with Poor Tom ends, Josuke discovers a surviving yet disassembled Mamezuku and mourns the loss of the branch, not knowing that Jobin had obtained it covertly.

Pursuing the Head Doctor
After the battle, Josuke explains what happened to the Higashikata Family. Mamezuku suspects Jobin of lighting the orchard on fire, but none of them have any proof of what happened. They decide to follow the trail of the ambulance's license plate. Finding that that no such ambulance is recorded, Josuke finds another trail when Yasuho calls her to go to the TG University Hospital.

Arriving there with Josuke, Mamezuku spends some time searching for Yasuho while at the same time, she is busy fighting Dr. Wu Tomoki alongside Mitsuba Higashikata. Tipped by Yasuho's ex-boyfriend Tooru, Josuke and Mamezuku reach the secret laboratory containing several Locacaca branches. After Josuke saves Yasuho, Mamezuku scans the room and deduces in his turn that the stolen Locacaca branch isn't in the laboratory and destroys the trees of the garden.

Although Yasuho theorizes that since Tomoki tried to gain control of Mitsuba, he may have suspected Jobin as the possessor of the branch, Mamezuku is adamant about the branch being in the hands of the Locacaca Organization and stays deaf to her suggestions. He instead reports his attention to the last member of the organization unaccounted for: Satoru Akefu, the head doctor of TG University Hospital. The trio are eventually informed about the head doctor walking away behind them, but to Mamezuku's frustration, the supposedly 89 years old doctor keeps evading them as they continuously bump against objects, Mamezuku being the most subjected to these occurrences.

As the doctor leaves the hospital grounds, Mamezuku notices that his legs are being shredded and that the group is under attack from an enemy Stand. Warning against continuing the pursuit, he helplessly watch a car almost crashing into Yasuho and Josuke as they pursue the head doctor, who has now boarded a bus. Moreover, Josuke gets into trouble when a patient nearby starts a fight and his broken neck violently and suddenly snaps on Josuke, making it look like he murdered the man. A crowd gathers and the police arrives as Mamezuku, unwilling to be arrested, tells Yasuho to get away while he and Josuke must find a way out of this situation.

Mamezuku and Josuke eventually decide to hide inside a Lamborghini, itself also hidden in the foliage of a tree. They last until two days before the harvest. Having bought some supplies, Mamezuku stitches himself up and also discovers that Satoru Akefu may be attending a lecture on regenerative medicine at the TG University Hospital. At the same time, he and Josuke discuss the exact nature of Satoru Akefu's Stand. Once they decide to actually go to the lecture, Akefu's Stand reappears, making them realize that it is triggered by the intent of pursuit. As they worriedly leave the car to escape the incoming attack, Mamezuku and Josuke discover with horror that the drops from an incoming rain become lethal projectiles, forcing them to take refuge in a police car.

Determined to get to the hospital and reach Satoru Akefu's lecture, Josuke steps out of the car and gets pierced by the raindrops on purpose to be injured and taken to the hospital. Shocked, Mamezuku notices that the attack has ended with Josuke being taken out, or worse, and angrily yells at the police to get an ambulance. Mamezuku is apprehended by the police.

Endless Calamity
Mamezuku thinks about the enemy's ability and enacts his evasion plan. He begins by stealing a mobile phone and a kitchen knife from the evidence locker and smuggles them inside of his cell.

Sitting with another prisoner who complains about his constant mumbling, Mamezuku mentions that he's innocent and was only sheltering his equally innocent friend Josuke and then inquires about his cellmate's health. This enrages the man who only wants to be left in peace but then Mamezuku mentions the power of the head doctor Satoru Akefu. Mamezuku shows the mobile phone and the kitchen knife and states that he's free to go outside but must stay in the cell. Filming the exterior with the phone, Mamezuku shows the screen to the cellmate and mentions the elderly man in a black suit standing near the window but with his back facing them. The cellmate shouts that there isn't anybody but Mamezuku insists, theorizing the figure to be a materialization of "calamity energy". To prove his point, Mamezuku stands up to get a good look at the man but a cup of water suddenly spills on the floor and the light breaks, sending shards flying at them. He also tries to call Josuke to inform him about the enemy and his dish bursts, revealing a swarm of maggots.

Thus, Mamezuku claims that the man is a form of karmic retribution whose energy is probably related to the deeds of the individual who sees him. Mamezuku finally manages to make his cellmate see the doctor and mentions that he's found photos of a knife attack in the phone incriminating the cellmate. Pushed over the edge, the cellmate takes the knife but Mamezuku unravels his hand and pushes the knife in the cellmate's throat, stating that he's been waiting for this moment. The police rushes the injured criminal to the hospital. When the ambulance reaches the TG University Hospital grounds, Mamezuku gets out of his hiding spot, as he's unravelled himself to hide under the cellmate's clothes. Still, he can see the figure of the head doctor in the parking lot. Mamezuku expresses his final finding: that the figure is actually the Stand and that the real user is hiding somewhere. However, Rai spots the real Satoru Akefu walking behind him this time, and deduces that he and the doctor are going in the same direction: towards Josuke.

As Rai and Akefu both go towards the laboratory, Rai is able to see more of how the Stand Akefu moves through objects and through reflections. Arriving at Josuke's room, he warns Josuke about the head doctor and its calamitous powers, but Josuke has a plan. Akefu phases through the wall to peek inside the laboratory but doesn't completely enter the room. Instead, it brings a Rock Insect named Dododo De Dadada out of his pocket. It attacks Josuke via a strange method but Josuke manages to avoid taking serious damage. Akefu dares him to get up from his chair. However, Josuke retorts that this is the latest of a series of attempt to bring them out in the open. Thus, Josuke asks a question: wouldn't it have been enough to just keep the new Locacaca? Akefu remains silent, allowing Rai to realize that Akefu does not have the fruit.

Suddenly, Rai remembers his past and that he'd already seen Satoru Akefu. Remembering his family's devastated pear orchard and the Rock Insect, Rai then saw Josuke excreting asbestos. Remembering how his trees died, Rai protects Josuke from Dododo De Dadada's second attack by blocking the stick with his palm, injuring himself in the process, and told Josuke not to move. He explains that moving up must trigger the appearance of the asbestos, and the head doctor, who identifies himself as Wonder of U, precises that the trigger is to extend one's limbs, just like how the Mamezuku's pear trees died leaking out asbestos as their branches grew. As Wonder of U practically reveals he's been responsible for the orchard's destruction and his father's death, a dark determination appears in Rai's eye. However, he must first warn Josuke of an incoming attack from Dododo De Dadada, who's merged with the desk Josuke is perched on.

Gallery
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Trivia

 * Mamezuku's hermit-esque lifestyle, especially his living in utility structures, mirrors that of Toyohiro Kanedaichi from Diamond is Unbreakable.

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