Vento Aureo Paperback
Interview Archive
Hirohiko Araki's afterwords for the first and last volumes of Vento Aureo in the paperback edition, published on March 18, 2005 and August 10, 2005 respectively.
Commentary
Volume 1 (30)
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. This is regarding the "self-censorship" of artistic expression within shonen manga ("Self-censorship" here refers to things like discriminatory language, racially insensitive depictions, violent scenes, abuse of the weak or animals, scenes resembling actual crimes, or immoral actions like nudity, smoking, or drinking. The editorial department decides by themselves whether these scenes are problematic and asks the artist to either omit or tone them down to avoid complaints). During the time I was writing Part 5: Vento Aureo, I, Hirohiko Araki, was internally grappling with a "raging storm" related to this issue.
Before I proceed, I want to make it clear that what I intend to write here is not a criticism of the editorial department or a commentary on "self-censorship." It's just a fact that I, Hirohiko Araki, was feeling this way while creating Vento Aureo.
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-censorship" in shonen 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'm merely sharing my personal feelings about how I, Hirohiko Araki, perceived things while working on 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: Vento Aureo, 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 afterword to Part 5's ending, I'd like to write about the things I had to remove.[Translated by HudgynS]
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
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。
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。
Volume 10 (39)
The main character in Part 3: Stardust Crusaders, Jotaro Kujo, accepts the karma he inherits from his grandfather, the karma of six generations (counting from Jonathan's father), and sets out on a journey of battle. In that situation, the main enemy, Dio Brando, also represents "fate" or "destiny" itself. Of course, no one can really tell what kind of person their ancestors from six generations earlier were. In the case of Jotaro, it's impossible for him to know what good deeds or sins his ancestors committed, but the fate of his ancestors has befallen him nonetheless. And yet, he stands up to it with the pride he inherits from his bloodline.
During the process of drawing Part 5: Vento Aureo, I thought to myself: What about those who regret being born at all? What are those people to do? People can't choose where they are born. Some are born into happy families, while others arrive in terrible circumstances. If "fate" or "destiny" is already determined, like some kind of law written by God or the movements of the stars, what are they to do? That is the theme of Part 5: Vento Aureo, as well as the protagonists and enemies who appear within it.
Giorno, Bucciarati, Fugo, Narancia, Abbacchio, and Mista. From the very beginning, they grew up being shunned by their families and by society at large. Or rather, it'd be more accurate to say that they were forced to grow up. I think the same holds true for Trish, the boss's daughter. Can they face their "destiny" and "fate" and change it somehow? That question was on my mind while drawing Part 5. Due to certain circumstances, I found myself in a bitter and dark mood at the time. What should I do? If "fate" or "destiny" could be changed just by putting in effort or courage, it'd be much too easy to do so, and we wouldn't be able to call it "destiny" at all. Then, how will the protagonists break free?
The protagonists themselves showed me the answer. They didn't try to change their "fate" or their "destiny," but refused to abandon their sense of righteousness, no matter what situation befell them. They believed that happiness dwelled within hearts of justice. It came naturally to them. Even I, as the author, was inspired by the lessons the characters taught me while I was writing the work. In that sense, when I think back on the characters in Part 5, I feel as though, instead of simply being the creations of an author, they became my own companions.
And, in light of that, let me tell you the story behind the way the work was written. In Part 5: Vento Aureo, there was one part I had to cut... or rather, an episode I could never have drawn. The setup for it was that one of the four allies (Mista, Narancia, Fugo, and Abbacchio) would be revealed as a spy for the boss who "betrays" Giorno and Bucciarati. I felt that Fugo would probably have been the "traitor," but I couldn't bring myself to draw it no matter how hard I tried.
The dark mood I was in at the time seemed to be turning my story darker and darker, and I began to despise it from the bottom of my heart. And when I thought how Bucciarati and the others would feel, I truly felt sorry for them. I had never considered that any of my own trusted friends would betray me, and the thought of it made me feel sick to my stomach. Scold me for not having enough courage as an author if you want, but I began to feel that I truly hated my profession. And to reinforce the boundary between right and wrong, I probably would've had to include an episode where Giorno would have to execute Fugo, even though I knew it would make the young boys and girls reading it feel awful.
For that reason, I instead drew the farewell scene at the landing of San Giorgio Maggiore on the Grand Canal of Venice. Essentially, I asked Fugo to disappear. (Later, for a novel adaptation of Vento Aureo, I met with the author and asked him to write a side story in which Fugo helps everyone from the shadows of the organization.)
To conclude, as the author, I would like to say one thing to my characters:Thank you all so much. In times of hardship and pain, you are the golden wind that blows in my heart.
[Translated by HudgynS]
第3部『スターダストクルセイダース』での主人公、空条承太郎は、彼のおじいさんのそのまた
承太郎かり見ればその先祖がいい事をした人なのか、間違った事をしたのかもわからないわけです。その因縁が承太郎の身の上にふりそそいで来ました。しかし彼はその血統を「誇り」に立ち向かいました。
この第5部『黄金の風』を描く時にぼくは考えました。では「生まれて来た事自体が悲しい」場合、その入物はどうすればいいのだろうか？ 人は生まれる場所を選べません。幸せな家庭に生まれる人もいるし、最初からヒドイ境遇に生まれる人もいます。
で、もし「運命」とか「宿命」とかが、神様だとか、この大宇宙の星々が運行するように、法則だとかですでに決定されているものだとしたら、その人はいったいどうすればいいのだろうか？ そのテーマがこの第5部『黄金の風』の設定であり、登場する主人公たちや敵たちです。
ジョルノ、ブチャラティ、フーゴ、ナランチャ、アバッキオ、ミスタ。彼らは始めっから、社会とか家庭からつまはじきにされて育ちました。育たざるを得ないという言い方が正しいと思います。ボスの娘、トリッシュもそうだと思います。
彼らは「運命」「宿命」に立ち向かい、それを変えていく事なんてできるのだろうか？
その事をずっと考えながらこの第5部を描きました。執筆した時期とか状況もあって、とても苦しく暗い気分になりました。どうしよう？ 「運命」とか「宿命」とかが、そんなに簡単に人間の努力とか根性とかで変えられたら、そんなの最初から「運命」なんて言わないと思うし、軽々しすぎる。そう思いました。
じゃ主人公たちは、どうやって脱出すればいいんだ？
その答えをぼくにくれたのは誰あろう、主人公たちでした。主人公たちは「運命」や「宿命」を変えようとはせず、彼らのおかれた状況の中で「正しい心」を捨てない事を選んだのです。正義の心の中にこそ「幸福」があると彼らは信じて。自然にそうなったのです。
（作者であるぼくは）登場人物たちに逆に教わる事が執筆中出てきて、本当に勇気づけられました。そういう意味で思い返すと、第5部の登場人物は作者にとって愛着があるという感じよりはなにか、ぼくが仲間にしてもらったかのような錯覚を覚えます。
そして、その事をふまえた上での執筆の裏話をしましょう。
この第5部『黄金の風』では、どうしてもカットせざるを得ない部分があって――というよリ、どうしても描く事ができないエピソードがありました。
それは、ミスタ、ナランチャ、フーゴ、アバッキオの４人の中の誰かが、実はボスのスパイで、ジョルノとブチャラティを「裏切る」という設定でした。感覚の中ではたぶん、フーゴが「裏切り者」なんだろうなと思って描こうとしたら、これがどーしても描く事が出来ませんでした。
あの時の暗い気分がますます暗い話になっていきそうだし、実際「嫌ー」な気持ちがぼくの心の中に芽ばえてきて、しかもブチャラティとかの気持ちを考えると、本当に気の毒で、気の毒で。信頼していた仲間が裏切るなんて、ぼくの概念にはなくて、生理的に嫌な気分になりました。「作者としての勇気がたりないぞー」と叱られればそれまでなのですが、本当、絶対描くのは嫌だ、と思ってしまったのです。しかもケジメをつけるために、たぶんジョルノがフーゴの処刑に行くようなエピソードになったでしょうね。絶対に少年少女読者をヤバイ気分にさせると思い込んでしまったのです。
そういう理由で、ヴェネツィア大運河のサン・ジョルジョ・マッジョーレの船着き場での、別れのシーンです。フーゴに消えてもらったのです（のちに小説版『黄金の風』では、作家さんとの打ち合わせで、フーゴは組織の中で陰ながらみんなを助ける、という裏話を書いてもらいました）。
最後に登場人物たちに作者からひとこと言わせてください。
「本当にありがとう。君たちは、苦しくつらい時に吹いてくれる『黄金の風』なのだ」と。
