Rohan Kishibe
Rohan Kishibe (岸辺 露伴, Kishibe Rohan) is a secondary character featured in the ninth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, The JOJOLands.
Rohan is a wealthy and successful professional manga artist, having created the series Pink Dark Boy, which has an anime adaptation. He is on a sightseeing vacation in Hawaii alone, staying in a villa on the Big Island of Hawaii for 15 days. He is a Stand user who wields Heaven's Door, which allows him to turn people into books for him to read.
Appearance
Rohan is an adult with a muscular build and average height. His hair is slicked sideways with an undercut. He wears a headband with serrated edges and earrings designed to look like pen tips. Rohan's outfit in Hawaii consists of a button shirt, shorts, and sandals. His shoulders, the sides of his shorts, and his wristbands also have pen tips stitched on. He very closely resembles his counterpart from the original continuity.
Color Schemes
Personality
Rohan Kishibe is an inquisitive and passionate manga artist dedicated to his work. To gain inspiration, Rohan is constantly seeking new experiences or facts, investigating anything regardless of the danger or legality. For instance, he explores a volcanic area, takes detailed photos, and brings back samples of cooled lava with him despite the area being forbidden to tourists. He is easily able to discern when something appears suspicious, such as when he wonders about the cat at his house, as well as how the rain only targeted a specific spot.
In addition to his own work, Rohan pursues art in all its forms. At his villa, he possesses a notable amount of statues, antiques, and bottles of alcohol.[3]
Rohan is laid-back and unflustered even when he is outnumbered by the gang robbing his house. Despite the four of them being Stand users, Rohan remains calm and easily handles them, even warning them of the dangers should they continue to try stealing the diamond.[5]
Abilities
Stand
Heaven's Door enables Rohan to transmute people into "human books", with written pages unfurling from their bodies. These pages allow Rohan to learn detailed information about that person, including biological characteristics, history, personality, or even details of their Stand and its abilities.
History
Background
Rohan is a manga artist from Morioh.[6] He has a pet dog,[3] though he left him in Japan when he traveled to Hawaii on a plane from Narita International Airport.[2] When visiting Hawaii, Rohan came across the Lava Rocks while hiking on the western slope of the Hualalai volcano, an area that is private property and forbidden to tourists. Intrigued by their capabilities, Rohan took several photos of the Lava Rocks on his iPad. Charming Man was surprised to witness Rohan during the manga artist's research at Hualalai but didn't confront him.[7] By scattering bank notes and observing where they were attracted, Rohan was able to find and collect samples of ʻAʻā lava and two Lava Rock fragments for research. In order to research them further, he bought a villa at the island of Hawaii. Rohan brought over high-priced works of art from Japan, as well as gold, silver, and a 24-carat diamond.[8]
Upon arriving at Kona Airport, news of Rohan carrying the diamond was spread from a customs officer to Meryl Mei Qi through her underground connections.[2] Rohan stored the lava in several flasks and the Lava Rocks were hidden in a safe behind his bookcase together with the diamond. He also had a polyhedron encyclopedia with him as well for his research.[3] Rohan planned to stay in Hawaii for fifteen days.[2]
The JOJOLands
Three days into his vacation, Jodio Joestar, Dragona Joestar, Paco Laburantes, and Usagi Alohaoe are sent to steal the diamond from his villa. The group arrives at the villa while Rohan is swimming in its pool. Jodio discovers Rohan's identity while spying on him with binoculars, mentioning that he owns multiple volumes of his manga and watches its anime adaptation online.[9]
Jodio hides behind a chair, excited to see Rohan swimming in the pool in front of him, as well as the manga artist's Pink Dark Boy drawings on his iPad. Rohan sees a stray cat and gets out of the pool, seeing it jump onto his roof. Rohan wonders whether that was a stray cat, thinking that it's strange to suddenly appear and might actually belong to someone. As soon as Rohan gets dressed and heads inside, Jodio uses November Rain to make it rain on the balcony. Rohan is confused about the sun shower, but heads back to retrieve his iPad and book. When he picks up the iPad, his finger is pricked by a cactus spine from a potted plant behind the chair. Jodio used his Stand to make the spines drop with the water dripping from the cactus. This makes Rohan suspicious, realizing that the stray cat and the rain both aren't natural phenomena and that something is up.[3]
Rohan enters his villa and finds a trio of young burglars on the second floor who almost made it out with his diamond. However, they somehow let the precious stone fall on the floor and Rohan is able to graze Dragona's hand as they are about to pick up the diamond. Rohan is impressed about Dragona breaking into the safe but warns them not to touch the diamond, or else they will be in danger. Dragona stands back up, but contrary to Rohan's impression, it is not because they heeded his warning but rather because they are preparing to confront Rohan and tie him up. Rohan chooses this moment to reveal his power and activates his Stand, Heaven's Door, which allows him to turn anyone he touches into books and read their biographies on the pages. Rohan only turns Dragona's arm into a book and discovers Dragona's identity, as well as the presence of a fourth burglar outside on the lookout. However, he doesn't have a complete understanding of the situation yet. Thus, Rohan confronts the other two burglars to learn about how much they know about the diamond. Rohan confidently advances towards Paco, ignoring his warning. Paco then suddenly jumps out of Rohan's view, surprising the manga artist. Paco then comes from above and grabs Rohan by the neck, clinging to an air vent on the ceiling with his muscle power, which makes Rohan realize that the whole group must be Stand users. Rohan tries to touch Paco's arm, but Paco twists his arm muscles to grab onto Rohan's wrist safely. Paco orders the others to take out zip ties to immobilize Rohan, but when Usagi approaches, Rohan tosses the diamond at him. Distracted, Usagi is turned into a book by Rohan and the manga artist manages to graze Paco as well, turning him into a book and taking him out. Reading Paco's bio, Rohan learns about Meryl Mei Qi as well as the customs leaking the intel to her. Rohan is relieved to read that the group only wants to steal the diamond for the money.[5]
After tying up Paco and Usagi, Rohan promptly contacts the police to report the robbery. He's instructed to stay on the line until help arrives. Displaying his phone as evidence of his ongoing communication with the police, Rohan estimates a patrol car's arrival within ten minutes. He then turns his attention to Dragona, intending to immobilize them as well. As panic sets in, Dragona hastily tries to seize the diamond, stowing it in a pouch before attempting to flee. However, the diamond mysteriously ends up in a cup on a table, and Rohan's money, which was previously in Paco's possession, spills onto the floor. Rohan calmly retrieves it, commenting on how everything returned to him. Overwhelmed with fear, Dragona questions Rohan's identity, to which Rohan retorts that he should be the one questioning his assailants. He advances towards the paralyzed Dragona, almost succeeding in restraining them.
Rohan's focus is disrupted by rain suddenly appearing inside his living room. When Rohan turns his head, the rain stops, leaving the entire living room soaked. Suspicious, Rohan returns there to inspect the room more closely. The manga artist thinks about the lookout, surprised that he hasn't fled yet. He then analyzes the situation, trying to figure out the exact power of the rain and wonders why his adversary made it rain inside. When Rohan steps onto a carpet, he notes that the rain has seeped into it. He kneels to touch the carpet but the floor suddenly gives in, making him fall into a hole on the ground. Caught off guard, Rohan is then taken by surprise when Jodio suddenly appears behind him, binding his neck to a decorative fence and also tying up his hands. Rohan points out that they would have been safer if he was the one to capture them, since the group is now in more danger as they're being pursued.
Nonetheless, Jodio remains confident. Having discerned Rohan's motive for staying in Hawaii, Jodio utilizes the two Lava Rock pieces from Rohan's safe as leverage. He goes far as to crush one of them to emphasize his point, causing Rohan to panic. The gang speculates on the potential value of the Lava Rocks, but no one understands its significance to Rohan. Jodio forces Rohan to deceive the police about the burglary to secure a safe passage back to O'ahu for the gang. With one final plea for cooperation, Jodio leaves Rohan a pair of scissors and the cellphone, while Dragona instructs Paco to seize the diamond. Once Paco nonchalantly grabs the diamond, the group departs, with Rohan requesting a private word with Jodio. Rohan commends Jodio as a worthy adversary and urges him to protect the remaining Lava Rock sample, hinting that it may be the last of its kind. He unveils a secret: if the Lava Rock is handled carefully, it holds the potential to make Jodio extremely wealthy due to a hidden "mechanism." Intrigued but suspicious, Jodio probes further, but Rohan remains cryptic. Expecting a future encounter, Rohan wishes Jodio a safe journey and advises him to keep the Lava Rock's secrets to himself, distrusting Jodio's companions. Having absorbed this new information, Jodio silently exits the house.[10]
Chapters
Manga Appearances- The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure (1st mentioned)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street (1st appearance)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 3: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 1
- The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- The JOJOLands Chapter 6: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 1 (Flashback)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 7: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 2 (Flashback)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 8: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 3 (Flashback)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 9: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 1 (Flashback)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 10: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 2 (Mentioned only)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 11: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 3 (Mentioned only)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 12: Charming Man (Flashback)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 13: Joestar Brothers (Flashback)
Quotes
Quotes- “There are powers that possess shape and form, yet are invisible to the naked eye. We call them "Stands." They can exist anywhere at any time. It's just that people who don't try to see them can't. (姿・形はあるが目には見えない
力 名付けて『スタンド』。それは いつでも どこの場所でも存在しているが見ようとしない人が見ないだけである)”—A certain manga artist, The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure - “Something... Something is happening... First there's that stray cat that went inside the house, but also, this rain... I can't help but feel it's odd for this rain to suddenly show up out of nowhere... This doesn't seem like a natural phenomenon...”—Rohan Kishibe, The JOJOLands Chapter 3: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 1
- “You haven't done so yet, but if you pick that diamond up again, you'll be in danger.”
- “You mentioned something about tying me up. I'm afraid that's out of the question... The same goes for taking the diamond.”—Rohan Kishibe, The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- “Anyhow, allow me to read what's written in each of your bodies.”—Rohan Kishibe, The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- “Come over here. I'm gonna capture you, too. That would be for the best, right? That way you'll get off with just being sent to prison.”
- “Seems odd for you to be the one asking questions. You're the ones who came into my house uninvited, after all. You can't leave now, though.”—Rohan Kishibe, The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- “You'll all be leaving empty-handed. And I'm saying this with your best interests in mind, but you would've been better off being captured by me. Unfortunately as a result, what's going to happen to you next will be even more dangerous.”—Rohan Kishibe, The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- “I can't believe that I, Rohan Kishibe, was bested by this bunch of no-good brats... and even forced to make a deal with them. It's quite humiliating.”—Rohan Kishibe, The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- “Go ahead and want... embrace ambition. Don't lose heart. Rise up.”
Gallery
Back view, Rohan emerges from his villa's pool
Rohan notices Jodio's rain ability
Encountering Dragona after noticing the Diamond
Suddenly strangled by Paco
Looking over a collapsed Usagi and Paco
Yelling at Jodio for destroying a Lava Rock
TJL Chapter 8 Cover
Ultra Jump June 2023 Cover
TJL Chapter 3 Tailpiece
Ultra Jump November 2023 Stickers
Trivia
- According to Hirohiko Araki's editor, Satoshi Yamauchi, Araki jokingly considered having Rohan appear in JoJolion, mentioning Rohan's ability to keep up with time's acceleration during the final battle of Stone Ocean could mean he exists beyond time and space.[11]
- Araki has stated that Rohan's role in The JOJOLands is not as an enemy, but as a "guide" character like Koichi Hirose in Vento Aureo.[6]
References
- ↑ Jump Square - December 2007: Memo from Araki
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 The JOJOLands Chapter 3: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rohan au Louvre
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hirohiko Araki's New Manga Techniques
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 12: Charming Man
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 13: Joestar Brothers
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- ↑ Interview:JOJOVELLER (September 2013)
- ↑ All Star Battle's Guidebook (August 2013)
