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{{Quote|About the Beginning of ''Part 5: Vento Aureo''
{{Quote|
Recently, I've managed to calm myself down quite a bit... Well, let's just say that instead of arguing, which is something that tires me out, I prefer obeying what I'm being told. During the time I was writing Vento Aureo, I really tormented myself in regards to the matter of "self-censorship" in Shonen Manga. By "self-censorship," I'm talking about the requests from the editorial board to an author to stop drawing or, at the very least, soften certain elements of the story which haven't been deemed presentable (for example: discriminatory phrases, expressions which might appear racist, the way skin color is drawn, violent scenes or abuse on both the weak and animals, callbacks to real-life crimes, the representation of nude bodies, smoking or drinking habits, etc..) I wanna make it clear right away that what I am about to write here isn't a critique towards my editors, but simply the real sensations that I, Hirohiko Araki, felt while writing Vento Aureo.


Recently, I've calmed down quite a bit... or maybe I've just settled on the idea that I should go with the flow for now, since causing trouble will only tire me out. The practice of "self-regulation" in boys' manga created a tempest raging in Hirohiko Araki's mind during the creation of ''Part 5: Vento Aureo''. What I intend to write here is not a criticism of the editorial department or an objection against "self-regulation" itself, but rather the fact that Hirohiko Araki wrote ''Vento Aureo'' with that feeling in mind.
Having reached the fifth part of the series, I desired to write a story which would deal with topics such as the deep sadness in us human beings, or the pain of being born into this world, and I wanted to do it in a stronger manner than the previous parts. Depending on the circumstances in which they are born, there are people who are lucky from the very start, but how would these individuals act if they had been born in a different place instead, one with much harsher conditions? In Vento Aureo, all the protagonists have, in one way or another, been estranged from society and forced to live on its boundaries. We are talking about an environment in which the strong eat the weak and one where evil pervades everything. In such a situation, is it still possible for these characters to find justice?


("Self-regulation" refers to scenes that include, for example: discriminatory terms, discriminatory images such as those involving different races, violent scenes, scenes where animals or weak people are abused, scenes that resemble real-life incidents, nudity, smoking, drinking, and so on. The editorial department decides by themselves whether such scenes are appropriate and, if necessary, asks the artist to either remove or downplay the offending scene to avoid complaints.)
When representing the clash between good and evil, it is necessary to describe evil in a realistic way, and it's here that the power of "self-censorship" in Shonen Manga really strikes the heaviest of blows in the story that you're trying to write. Smoking, being relentless towards the weak, sexually molesting an individual, stabbing someone with a knife, cutting off heads, abusing men and women, gouging eyes out, eating brain matter: all these are examples of pure evil. To express the evil shadows of human beings a minimum of cruelty and brutality is essential.
Despite having happened sporadically in previous years, as soon as I started Vento Aureo (around 1996), the editorial board suddenly started sending me more and more requests along the lines of "fix this page", "change that line", "modify this drawing" and so on. I would like to show you precisely which dialogues and pages I'm talking about, but it would be a long list so it's better to leave that out for now. Additionally, these requests were rarely motivated (even if they were, they were never in a convincing manner), the indications given to me were typically like, "...well, it's just that there is kind of regulation, plus the deadline is close and things just go like this with the board. C'mon hurry up and fix it! You'll think about the rest right?!”


With ''Part 5: Vento Aureo'', I wanted to depict themes such as deep human grief and sorrow over one's very birth into the world, more so than I had previously in ''JoJo''. Depending on the environment one is born into, some people find happiness from the very beginning. Then, what should those who are born into the worst situations do? The characters in ''Part 5: Vento Aureo'' are all cast out of society for one reason or another, finding themselves in situations in which the most they can do is survive. But in a world draped by evil, where the law of the jungle reigns supreme, will they be able to carry out their sense of justice?
I'll say it again, this is absolutely not a critique in regards to my editors, nor am I insinuating that they developed an unprofessional attitude towards me. (Truth is that I've always been very grateful to my editors!) All I'm trying to say is that during the period I was writing Vento Aureo that sensation was there with me. It's nothing else but a simple personal impression.
With all that said, it's easy to imagine just what type of crisis I was in and how difficult it was for me to successfully express, in a satisfying manner, the themes that I was trying to develop. Moreover, I kept asking myself if by any chance a "wall" had been indefinitely built to limit the liberty of expression, if the possibilities for artistic development in manga had run out, or if the ideology of authority and non-stop profit weren't completely stripping away the sprouts of art itself. Even now, despite being in a much more relaxing condition, I can't give myself a definitive answer, but what I felt in that era naturally transpired into the actions and attitudes of my characters.


When I try to depict a confrontation between good and evil within that theme, the influence (or should I say, the force) of "self-regulation" in boys' manga suddenly opposes the realistic expression of evil in the work. Evil smokes, shows no mercy to the weak, sexually harasses others, stabs people with knives, beheads people, rapes both women and men, plucks out eyeballs, eats brain matter, and it is assumed that even the "evil" people who don't discriminate are easily capable of doing so. If one wants to express true evil and the dark side of human nature, it is crucial that they go as far as possible to express the cruelest and most terrible aspects without hesitation.
Giorno and Bucciarati, two of the protagonists, betray the organization which they are part of for the sake of 'justice'. The organization is a symbol of power and moral obligation, almost a second home for them, but they both decide to fight to follow the desire of living according to justice. Even I, as the author, while drawing these scenes felt courage swelling up inside of me. Thinking back on the sentiments of my protagonists never fails to bring tears to my eyes. If these two boys had decided to remain in the shadow of authority, maybe they would have gone on to live safe and comfy lives. Instead, despite knowing the risks, they chose the path of justice, because only in its presence would they have been certain their existence actually mattered. Vento Aureo, between great Italian fashion and all the more creative Stand battles, is a story full of suspense, but I also think, according to my judgment as an author, that it can be considered a really dark work. Having said that and considering how at times we can take on such heavy subjects, I am very proud of it. Just like with all the other parts, I hope with all my heart that you have fun reading it. Regarding the parts that I had to cut, I will talk about this in the afterthoughts of the last volume.

In any case, I experienced something that had never happened to me before in my entire writing career. As soon as I started working on ''Part 5: Vento Aureo'' (which would have been around 1996), I suddenly received so many orders from the editorial department to "fix this page," "change that line," "correct this image," and so on. I'd like to go into detail about which pages they were, but there's no end to them, so I'll have to refrain. In addition, not much explanation was offered as to why they were inappropriate. Some of the requests didn't offer a clear and convincing reason at all, but they would say, "Well, in any case, it's practically a rule, and the deadline's coming up, and that's just how publishing is these days. Just hurry up and fix it. You can figure out the rest by yourself later." Again, I want to stress that I am not criticizing the editorial department in any way, nor am I implying that the editorial department was overbearing or careless (really, I always feel grateful toward my editors). I merely wish to provide my own impression that Hirohiko Araki felt that way while drawing ''Vento Aureo''.

And at the time, I felt a great crisis in attempting to express the themes of ''Vento Aureo'', and I began to wonder. Had some kind of wall been set up to limit freedom of expression? Had manga itself reached the limits of its evolution? Or, perhaps ambition and profit-seeking were out to nip art in the bud? These questions had me quite distressed. Even now, I haven't found a definite answer to these questions, having, again, calmed down quite a bit. Nonetheless, my feelings at the time are naturally reflected in the personalities and actions of the protagonists.

The main characters of the work, Giorno and Bucciarati, betray the organization they belong to for the sake of their own righteousness. The organization is a symbol of power and gratitude, and acts as the "home" that raised them. And yet, the protagonists decide to fight there in order to live under justice. I found myself very encouraged by that scene, despite being the one who wrote it. I still cry when I think about how the protagonists must have felt. They could have lived safely and comfortably under the aegis of power, but instead the protagonists chose justice, no matter how dangerous it was. They believed in the value of their own existence under justice.

Despite the cool Italian fashion, unique Stand battles, and suspense depicted in ''Part 5: Golden Wind'', as its author I regard it as a very dark work. But even though it's a dark work, it is also a very profound work that I harbor a bit of pride in. I would be honored if you were to enjoy reading it as much as the other parts. In the postscript to Part 5's ending, I'd like to write about the things I had to remove.
}}
}}
|Transcript|
[Translated by [https://twitter.com/LegoAlex98 LegoAlex98]]
{{Quote|第5部『黄金の風』はじめに

最近やや落ちついて、…というか、もめ事を起こしても疲れるだけだから、とりあえず従っておくかって風に定着して来たかな?という感じがする。少年漫画内の作画的表現に対する「自主規制」であるが――(「自主規制」とは、例えば、差別用語だとか差別的絵画表現⦅人種の皮膚の色の描き方⦆だとか、暴力シーンとか弱者や動物に対する虐待シーンだとか、実際の犯罪に似てるシーンだとか、不道徳的なシーン⦅裸体とか喫煙とか飲酒など⦆を編集部が自主的にマズいと思うかな?と判断して、作家に描くのをやめてもらうか、もしくは誰にも文句を言われないように表現を弱くしてもらう事)。―――この第5部 『黄金の風』を執筆期間のこの荒木飛呂彦の心の中では、実はこの問題について「大嵐」が吹き荒れていました。
これから書く事は初めに断っておきますが、編集部に対する批判だとか、「自主規制」に対する意見だとかそういう事ではなく、荒木飛呂彦は{{Ruby|そういう|・・・・}}事を感じながら『黄金の風』を執筆していたっていう事実です。

第5部『黄金の風』になって、ぼくは以前の『ジョジョ』よりも、もっと人間の深い悲しみだとか、この世に生まれて来る事の悲しさだとかといったものをテーマに描きたくなって来ました。
人間は生まれる環境によって最初から幸せな人もいるし、もし最悪な状況の場所に生まれて来たらそういう人は、いったいどうすればいいのだろう?
第5部『黄金の風』の登場人物たちはみな、理由があって社会から外にはじき出され、そこでしか生きて行けない状況におかれてしまっています。しかし、そこは完全に弱肉強食の世界で、「悪」によって包囲されていたとしたら、彼らはその場所で「正義」を貫けるのだろうか?

そういうテーマで「善」と「悪」の対決を描こうとすると、リアリティある「悪」の表現に対し、あの少年漫画の「自主規制」の「権力」っていうのか、「暴力」っていうのかが、突然作品を攻撃して来ます。「悪」っていうのは、タバコも吸うし、弱者に対し容赦ないし、セクハラするし、ナイフで人刺すし、首はねるし、女だって男だって犯すし、目玉くり抜くし、脳ミソ食べたりするし、差別してなくても「悪」いヤツだから差別してるっていわれるし。「悪」や「人間の闇」の部分の表現には、酷い部分とか残酷な部分の表現がギリギリまでというのが不可欠になってしまいます。とにかく、今までの自分の執筆活動ではあまりなかった事なのだが、この第5部『黄金の風』に突入した途端(1996年頃)、突然編集部から「そのページ直せ」「あそこのセリフを変更しろ」「絵を修正しろ」という注文がものスゴく多くなったのだ。具体的に細かく作品のこのページのこの部分って示したいが、際限ないのでここでは省略するけど。しかもなぜダメなのかだのの説明があまりなく、中には納得いく理由があまりハッキリしていないのに、「とにかく規則みたいなものだから、〆切も近いし、そういう最近の出版状況なの。さっさと直してよ。後は自分で考えてね」的態度で指導があるのだ。もう一度断っておくけど、編集部に対する批判ではいっさいなく、編集部が、高圧的でいいかげんな態度をとっていた、とかそういうのでもいっさいなく、(実際、編集者にはいつも感謝している)当時、荒木飛呂彦は『黄金の風』を描いている時「そう感じた」という個人的感想にすぎない事を述べているだけですからね。

そしてぼくは当時、『黄金の風』のテーマ性を表現するのに大きな危機を感じ、表現の自由に限界の壁が設けられたのでは?とか、漫画としての芸術的な発展がもうないのでは?とか、「権力」とか「利益追及」の思想が芸術の芽を抜き取ろうとしているのでは?とか、とても思い悩んだ。現在も確実な答えがないまま、少し落ち着いた状態ではあるが、当時のぼくの気持ちが、当然ながら主人公たちのキャラクターとか行動にも思い入れとして表れている。

「ジョルノ」と「ブチャラティ」という主人公たちが、自分たちが所属していた「組織」を「正義の心」のために裏切る所である。「組織」は「権力」と「恩義」の象徴で、自分たちを育ててくれた「故郷」。しかし、主人公たちは「正義」の下で生きるために、そこに闘いをいどむ事を決意します。そのシーンには作者であるぽくが、描いていながら、ぼく自身がとても勇気づけられました。主人公たちの気持ちを考えると、今でも涙が出て来ます。
彼らは「権力」の庇護の下に生きていれば、安全に楽に過ごせたかもしれません。でも主人公たちは、危険でも「正義」を選択したのです。「正義の中」にこそ自分たちの存在価値を信じて。

第5部『黄金の風』はカッコいいイタリア的ファッションや、より独特となったスタンド戦の中にサスペンスが描かれていますが、作者としての思い入れとしては、とても暗い作品だと位置づけしています。暗い作品ではありますが、とても重厚になったとも、ひそかに誇りに思う作品でもあります。
他のパート同様、楽しんで読んでいただければ光栄に思います。『第5部終わり』のあとがきでは、「カットせざるを得なかった部分」について書きたいと思います。}}
[Translated by [[User:HudgynS|HudgynS]]]
}}
}}



Revision as of 01:03, 4 April 2023

Published March 18, 2005
Vento Aureo Volume 1

Hirohiko Araki's afterword, written in the first volume of the Bunkoban version of Vento Aureo.

Interview

TranslationTranscript

About the Beginning of Part 5: Vento Aureo

Recently, I've calmed down quite a bit... or maybe I've just settled on the idea that I should go with the flow for now, since causing trouble will only tire me out. The practice of "self-regulation" in boys' manga created a tempest raging in Hirohiko Araki's mind during the creation of Part 5: Vento Aureo. What I intend to write here is not a criticism of the editorial department or an objection against "self-regulation" itself, but rather the fact that Hirohiko Araki wrote Vento Aureo with that feeling in mind.

("Self-regulation" refers to scenes that include, for example: discriminatory terms, discriminatory images such as those involving different races, violent scenes, scenes where animals or weak people are abused, scenes that resemble real-life incidents, nudity, smoking, drinking, and so on. The editorial department decides by themselves whether such scenes are appropriate and, if necessary, asks the artist to either remove or downplay the offending scene to avoid complaints.)

With Part 5: Vento Aureo, I wanted to depict themes such as deep human grief and sorrow over one's very birth into the world, more so than I had previously in JoJo. Depending on the environment one is born into, some people find happiness from the very beginning. Then, what should those who are born into the worst situations do? The characters in Part 5: Vento Aureo are all cast out of society for one reason or another, finding themselves in situations in which the most they can do is survive. But in a world draped by evil, where the law of the jungle reigns supreme, will they be able to carry out their sense of justice?

When I try to depict a confrontation between good and evil within that theme, the influence (or should I say, the force) of "self-regulation" in boys' manga suddenly opposes the realistic expression of evil in the work. Evil smokes, shows no mercy to the weak, sexually harasses others, stabs people with knives, beheads people, rapes both women and men, plucks out eyeballs, eats brain matter, and it is assumed that even the "evil" people who don't discriminate are easily capable of doing so. If one wants to express true evil and the dark side of human nature, it is crucial that they go as far as possible to express the cruelest and most terrible aspects without hesitation.

In any case, I experienced something that had never happened to me before in my entire writing career. As soon as I started working on Part 5: Vento Aureo (which would have been around 1996), I suddenly received so many orders from the editorial department to "fix this page," "change that line," "correct this image," and so on. I'd like to go into detail about which pages they were, but there's no end to them, so I'll have to refrain. In addition, not much explanation was offered as to why they were inappropriate. Some of the requests didn't offer a clear and convincing reason at all, but they would say, "Well, in any case, it's practically a rule, and the deadline's coming up, and that's just how publishing is these days. Just hurry up and fix it. You can figure out the rest by yourself later." Again, I want to stress that I am not criticizing the editorial department in any way, nor am I implying that the editorial department was overbearing or careless (really, I always feel grateful toward my editors). I merely wish to provide my own impression that Hirohiko Araki felt that way while drawing Vento Aureo.

And at the time, I felt a great crisis in attempting to express the themes of Vento Aureo, and I began to wonder. Had some kind of wall been set up to limit freedom of expression? Had manga itself reached the limits of its evolution? Or, perhaps ambition and profit-seeking were out to nip art in the bud? These questions had me quite distressed. Even now, I haven't found a definite answer to these questions, having, again, calmed down quite a bit. Nonetheless, my feelings at the time are naturally reflected in the personalities and actions of the protagonists.

The main characters of the work, Giorno and Bucciarati, betray the organization they belong to for the sake of their own righteousness. The organization is a symbol of power and gratitude, and acts as the "home" that raised them. And yet, the protagonists decide to fight there in order to live under justice. I found myself very encouraged by that scene, despite being the one who wrote it. I still cry when I think about how the protagonists must have felt. They could have lived safely and comfortably under the aegis of power, but instead the protagonists chose justice, no matter how dangerous it was. They believed in the value of their own existence under justice.

Despite the cool Italian fashion, unique Stand battles, and suspense depicted in Part 5: Golden Wind, as its author I regard it as a very dark work. But even though it's a dark work, it is also a very profound work that I harbor a bit of pride in. I would be honored if you were to enjoy reading it as much as the other parts. In the postscript to Part 5's ending, I'd like to write about the things I had to remove.

第5部『黄金の風』はじめに

最近やや落ちついて、…というか、もめ事を起こしても疲れるだけだから、とりあえず従っておくかって風に定着して来たかな?という感じがする。少年漫画内の作画的表現に対する「自主規制」であるが――(「自主規制」とは、例えば、差別用語だとか差別的絵画表現⦅人種の皮膚の色の描き方⦆だとか、暴力シーンとか弱者や動物に対する虐待シーンだとか、実際の犯罪に似てるシーンだとか、不道徳的なシーン⦅裸体とか喫煙とか飲酒など⦆を編集部が自主的にマズいと思うかな?と判断して、作家に描くのをやめてもらうか、もしくは誰にも文句を言われないように表現を弱くしてもらう事)。―――この第5部 『黄金の風』を執筆期間のこの荒木飛呂彦の心の中では、実はこの問題について「大嵐」が吹き荒れていました。 これから書く事は初めに断っておきますが、編集部に対する批判だとか、「自主規制」に対する意見だとかそういう事ではなく、荒木飛呂彦はそういう(・・・・)事を感じながら『黄金の風』を執筆していたっていう事実です。

第5部『黄金の風』になって、ぼくは以前の『ジョジョ』よりも、もっと人間の深い悲しみだとか、この世に生まれて来る事の悲しさだとかといったものをテーマに描きたくなって来ました。 人間は生まれる環境によって最初から幸せな人もいるし、もし最悪な状況の場所に生まれて来たらそういう人は、いったいどうすればいいのだろう? 第5部『黄金の風』の登場人物たちはみな、理由があって社会から外にはじき出され、そこでしか生きて行けない状況におかれてしまっています。しかし、そこは完全に弱肉強食の世界で、「悪」によって包囲されていたとしたら、彼らはその場所で「正義」を貫けるのだろうか?

そういうテーマで「善」と「悪」の対決を描こうとすると、リアリティある「悪」の表現に対し、あの少年漫画の「自主規制」の「権力」っていうのか、「暴力」っていうのかが、突然作品を攻撃して来ます。「悪」っていうのは、タバコも吸うし、弱者に対し容赦ないし、セクハラするし、ナイフで人刺すし、首はねるし、女だって男だって犯すし、目玉くり抜くし、脳ミソ食べたりするし、差別してなくても「悪」いヤツだから差別してるっていわれるし。「悪」や「人間の闇」の部分の表現には、酷い部分とか残酷な部分の表現がギリギリまでというのが不可欠になってしまいます。とにかく、今までの自分の執筆活動ではあまりなかった事なのだが、この第5部『黄金の風』に突入した途端(1996年頃)、突然編集部から「そのページ直せ」「あそこのセリフを変更しろ」「絵を修正しろ」という注文がものスゴく多くなったのだ。具体的に細かく作品のこのページのこの部分って示したいが、際限ないのでここでは省略するけど。しかもなぜダメなのかだのの説明があまりなく、中には納得いく理由があまりハッキリしていないのに、「とにかく規則みたいなものだから、〆切も近いし、そういう最近の出版状況なの。さっさと直してよ。後は自分で考えてね」的態度で指導があるのだ。もう一度断っておくけど、編集部に対する批判ではいっさいなく、編集部が、高圧的でいいかげんな態度をとっていた、とかそういうのでもいっさいなく、(実際、編集者にはいつも感謝している)当時、荒木飛呂彦は『黄金の風』を描いている時「そう感じた」という個人的感想にすぎない事を述べているだけですからね。

そしてぼくは当時、『黄金の風』のテーマ性を表現するのに大きな危機を感じ、表現の自由に限界の壁が設けられたのでは?とか、漫画としての芸術的な発展がもうないのでは?とか、「権力」とか「利益追及」の思想が芸術の芽を抜き取ろうとしているのでは?とか、とても思い悩んだ。現在も確実な答えがないまま、少し落ち着いた状態ではあるが、当時のぼくの気持ちが、当然ながら主人公たちのキャラクターとか行動にも思い入れとして表れている。

「ジョルノ」と「ブチャラティ」という主人公たちが、自分たちが所属していた「組織」を「正義の心」のために裏切る所である。「組織」は「権力」と「恩義」の象徴で、自分たちを育ててくれた「故郷」。しかし、主人公たちは「正義」の下で生きるために、そこに闘いをいどむ事を決意します。そのシーンには作者であるぽくが、描いていながら、ぼく自身がとても勇気づけられました。主人公たちの気持ちを考えると、今でも涙が出て来ます。 彼らは「権力」の庇護の下に生きていれば、安全に楽に過ごせたかもしれません。でも主人公たちは、危険でも「正義」を選択したのです。「正義の中」にこそ自分たちの存在価値を信じて。

第5部『黄金の風』はカッコいいイタリア的ファッションや、より独特となったスタンド戦の中にサスペンスが描かれていますが、作者としての思い入れとしては、とても暗い作品だと位置づけしています。暗い作品ではありますが、とても重厚になったとも、ひそかに誇りに思う作品でもあります。

他のパート同様、楽しんで読んでいただければ光栄に思います。『第5部終わり』のあとがきでは、「カットせざるを得なかった部分」について書きたいと思います。

[Translated by HudgynS]

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