Cheap Trick (チープ・トリック, Chīpu Torikku) is originally the Stand of Masazo Kinoto and temporarily of Rohan Kishibe. It is a tertiary antagonist featured in the fourth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Diamond is Unbreakable.
It is a dwarfish humanoid Stand that latches onto its victim's back. Having no power other than being able to speak, it does its best to have someone else see the victim's back. If it happens, the victim dies and the witness becomes Cheap Trick's new host.
In the TV drama adaptation of Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, it instead takes the form of an unnamed Clinging Yokai that attempts to force Rohan Kishibe to relinquish the property rights to Mutsu-kabe Hill.
Appearance
Cheap Trick is a Stand bound to its user's back. It resembles a humanoid frog with mechanical features and suction cup fingers allowing it to cling to someone's back. It has lazy, semi-closed eyes, and a kind of mechanical apparatus strapped to its chin, as well as relatively large teeth. It is visible to others while clinging to its current user's back, and if anyone else sees it the user will be killed and the Stand will transfer itself to its new target.
Its concept was based on Onbu-Obake (also known as Obariyon), a piggyback yōkai that jumps onto people's backs and makes them heavier until they can no longer walk.[3]
In the TV drama, the Clinging Yokai instead takes the form of its previous host, with some minor differences: in the form of Masazo Kinoto, the yokai wears a black tie and has blonde hair and shaved eyebrows, rather than Kinoto's black hair and eyebrows. A hypothetical scenario where the yokai takes Rohan's form is also shown, with the yokai possessing bright green hair and a blue headband instead of Rohan's black hair and gray headband, as well as similarly shaved eyebrows.
Color Schemes
Personality
Cheap Trick is obsessed with killing the one whose back it is attached to by making others see it. Its personality is vicious and sadistic, using any possible tactics from repeatedly taunting and disorienting its "user" to predicting their death. It also seems to take extreme pride in its "talking" as it often comments on how weak yet how effective it is.
Cheap Trick has a speech tic of terminating its phrases by adding "ne" (ね), a Japanese confirmation particle akin to "okay".
Abilities
Cheap Trick is a unique Stand in that it can change users and actively seeks its current user's demise. Its sole purpose is actually to single out a victim and wear down its user's psyche until it can kill them and carry on to another hapless user.
Although very weak (it cannot even pull off a sticky band-aid),[4] it is also quasi-invulnerable and only needs someone to see its user's back to kill it, making it very dangerous.
Attachment
Cheap Trick's signature ability is to attach itself to its user's back, beginning with Masazo Kinoto.[5]
When it attaches itself to someone's back, Cheap Trick becomes the new host's Stand even if the individual already has a Stand. Plus, it can only be seen by the host.[6] As the Stand of the host, it cannot be attacked by the host without said host harming themselves since it is technically a part of them.[6] Cheap Trick also cannot be removed from their back and forceful removal would simply rip the user's skin off, killing them. However, it is susceptible to the malicious spirits of the Ghost Girl's Alley and it may be the only way to safely remove it without harm.[7]
Cheap Trick then actively and relentlessly seeks to make someone else look at the user's back, being especially dangerous when the host is asleep because it can then act unnoticed.[4] If it happens, Cheap Trick detaches from the host, killing them in the process, and attaches itself to the looker's back, beginning its process anew.[5] Previous users are reduced to a dried-up doll-sized version of themselves as a result of Cheap Trick sucking their life force out upon detachment.[6]
Universal Speech
Cheap Trick's other ability is its power to make itself heard and understood by anyone, including non-Stand users[4] and even animals.[8] It describes "talking" as its main ability.
Cheap Trick's modus operandi is to verbally pester its host to wear them down psychologically, but it can also do other things with its speech ability. As non-Stand users can hear but not see Cheap Trick and would mistake Cheap Trick's voice for its host's, Cheap Trick can insult them so they try to attack its host. At one point, it even told the animals of the neighborhood that Rohan was cruel to them, unleashing every surrounding stray on the manga artist.[8]
History
Background
Cheap Trick was the Stand of architect Masazo Kinoto.[6] Created when Yoshihiro Kira hit Kinoto in the back with an Arrow, it is dispatched to kill Rohan Kishibe and destroy the photos Rohan had taken in the search for Yoshikage Kira's new identity. Kinoto was unaware of the Stand's presence but instinctively felt that he needed to hide his back and managed to reach Rohan's house that way.
Diamond is Unbreakable
After Kinoto's death, Cheap Trick attaches itself to Rohan. Rohan tries to use Heaven's Door but ends up turning himself into a book since Cheap Trick is now technically the manga artist's Stand. Moreover, Cheap Trick's power makes it impossible for Rohan to shake him off. The Stand itself then relentlessly tells Rohan to burn his photos.[5] Rohan tries to call Koichi for help, but Koichi ends up believing Rohan is playing a prank on him and leaves. Isolated, Rohan then decides to search for Kira in the photos but ends up falling asleep. Cheap Trick uses this opportunity to call for multiple deliveries, and the deliverymen almost see Rohan's back. Thankfully, the door to his office bumps on his chair, waking up the manga artist in time.
Rohan decides to go to Morioh Grand Hotel to get Jotaro Kujo's help, walking the streets while hiding his back from passerby's. At a crossing, Rohan sticks his back to another man to safely cross the streets, but Cheap Trick insults the man, goading him to make him turn back. However, Rohan has Heaven's Door and forces the man to keep walking.
Afterward, Cheap Trick speaks to the cats and dogs of the city, pretending that Rohan is torturing animals for fun. The animals attack Rohan but Koichi reappears to save the manga artist. Still, even Koichi's Echoes ACT3 cannot force Cheap Trick off Rohan's back. Rohan seemingly goes mad and shows his back to Koichi, making Cheap Trick turn back to attack the boy. However, Rohan then reveals that they are in Ghost Girl's Alley. Cheap Trick is horrified to see a multitude of disembodied hands come out to take him away. To ensure Cheap Trick has the worst possible fate, Rohan uses Heaven's Door to command it to go to Hell.[7]
Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (TV Drama)
In the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan TV drama, Cheap Trick is instead an unnamed Clinging Yokai residing in Mutsu-kabe Hill. After Rohan Kishibe buys the property rights to the hill, the yokai possesses Masazo Kinoto, an executive at the MS Resort corporation already seeking to buy the land from him. The yokai convinces Kinoto that no one must see his back, and silently waits for him to visit Rohan. Rohan is baited into seeing Kinoto's back by his eccentricity, like in the manga, though the yokai waits to appear to Rohan until later in the evening.
The Clinging Yokai relentless taunts and teases Rohan throughout the night, even forcing him to work all night to finish his manuscript. When Kyoka Izumi reports on a mysterious "Hirasaka" alley rumored to trap anyone who looks behind themselves in the underworld, Rohan decides to make his way to the alley himself, despite the yokai's best efforts to sabotage him. As the manga artist finally reaches the alley, he meets Kyoka, who he had called there via text. Rohan pretends to give up and show Izumi his back to force the yokai to turn around, condemning it to an unknown fate. Rohan offhandedly mentions that he had also considered forcing himself to forget about the yokai, under the assumption that yokai are legends that disappear the moment they are forgotten.
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Chapter 413: Cheap Trick, Part 2
- Chapter 414: Cheap Trick, Part 3
- Chapter 415: Cheap Trick, Part 4
- Chapter 416: Cheap Trick, Part 5
- Chapter 417: Cheap Trick, Part 6 (Death)
Anime Appearances- Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 33: July 15th (Thursday), Part 3
- Diamond is Unbreakable Episode 34: July 15th (Thursday), Part 4 (Death)
Live Action Appearances- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6 (TV Drama): Mutsu-kabe Hill (Flashback)
Quotes
Quotes- “I'm Cheap Trick, a Stand that developed out of Masazo Kinoto when he was hit in the back with the Arrow. But now, my user is Rohan Kishibe! That's right, it's you. Got it?”—Cheap Trick, Chapter 414: Cheap Trick, Part 3
- “When I said my ability was talking... I meant talking to anything! If your powers work on animals, why shouldn't mine?! It's useless, you said?! No, Rohan Kishibe, I called the animals here!”—Cheap Trick, Chapter 416: Cheap Trick, Part 5
- “No matter how powerful your Stand is. It'll never measure up to the oh-so feeble power of my chattering! Hahahahahaha!”—Cheap Trick, Chapter 417: Cheap Trick, Part 6
Quotes- “Mutsu-kabe Hill. Give it back. (六壁坂… 返してッ)”—Clinging Yokai, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
- “Mutsu-kabe Hill belongs to Mutsu-kabe Hill. (「六壁坂は 六壁坂に」)”—Clinging Yokai, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
- “That's right. You ought to watch... your back. (そうそう 気をつけないとねぇ… せ･な･か)”—Clinging Yokai, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
- “So you are scared. I'm relieved. (やっぱり 怖いは怖いのか よかった)”—Clinging Yokai, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
- “You must be tired. If you showed her your back... you can be free. (お疲れですねぇ 背中 見せれば 楽になれたのに～ッ)”—Clinging Yokai, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
- “Rohan Kishibe, you! This was your plan all along! You... you won't get away unscathed! (岸辺… 露伴ッ！ お前 最初からあーッ！ お前… お前だって どうなるか…！)”—Clinging Yokai, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
- “Stop it! Let go of me! (やめろォ！ やめろおおおおーッ！)”—Clinging Yokai's last words, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5 (TV Drama): From Behind
Gallery
Full Appearance
Cheap Trick on Rohan's back
The end of Cheap Trick
Chapter 414 Cover
Chapter 416 Cover
Chapter 417 Cover B
Volume 44 (Inside Illustration)
Chapter 414 Tailpiece
Cheap Trick's initial appearance, hopping on Rohan's back
Cheap Trick taunts Rohan about his circumstances
Cheap Trick inciting local animals to attack Rohan
Cheap Trick tearing Rohan's back after Echoes tries to remove it
Cheap Trick laughs victoriously, believing it has defeated Rohan
Cheap Trick looks behind itself in Ghost Alley, causing the spirits to attack
Cheap Trick is dragged off to Hell by the hands of Ghost Alley
Cheap Trick's stats
Key art of Cheap Trick
Comiket 91
A hypothetical Rohan Kishibe Clinging Yokai
Chara Heroes; Part 4 Vol.1 (Karuwaza store exclusive)
Chara Heroes; Part 4 Vol.2 (Karuwaza store exclusive)
Ultra Jump Stickers
Adventure Battle Card; Cheap Trick
Rohan Kishibe
References
- ↑ Harvest - Vol.17 "Shueisha Jump Remix Diamond is Unbreakable Edition" P188 The Origin of STAND! part.5
- ↑ JOJO A-GO!GO!: STANDS, p.104
- ↑ JOJOVELLER: Araki's Stand Commentaries - Cheap Trick
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chapter 415: Cheap Trick, Part 4
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chapter 413: Cheap Trick, Part 2
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Chapter 414: Cheap Trick, Part 3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 417: Cheap Trick, Part 6
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Chapter 416: Cheap Trick, Part 5