Hirohiko Araki

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I'd say living with a positive outlook is the theme of JoJo. It's a celebration of humanity.
—Hirohiko Araki

Hirohiko Araki (荒木 飛呂彦, Araki Hirohiko, born June 7, 1960 in Sendai, Miyagi[3]) is a mangaka and author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, on which this wiki project is based. He made his debut under the name Toshiyuki Araki (荒木 利之, Araki Toshiyuki) in 1980 with his one-shot Poker Under Arms, and began his professional career with the short series Cool Shock B.T., Baoh, and Gorgeous Irene.

His work on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is divided into several parts and continues to be serialized for 30 years, totaling 122 volumes (as of December 2018), circulating over 100 million copies (July 2019).[4] His style has been described as an "experimental, but definitive approach.[5][6]"

Works

File:Weekly Shōnen Jump 1987 issue 1-2.jpg
A cover of Weekly Shonen Jump featuring Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Manga

Other

Personal life

Araki is often commented on for his unchanging youthful demeanor over the years. He cites training and swimming at the gym and Hitomebore rice as methods for staying fit while over the age of 50.[8] In his 2007 Eureka Interview, he is complimented by Japanese psychologist and critic, Tamaki Saito, but states that the main reason he switched to a monthly serialization was from no longer being able to handle the weekly schedule.[9]

Araki's wife, Asami

Araki is well known for his position on staying healthy. He enjoys going on walks and riding a bike, particularly to Japanese shrines, and has commended it as his coping mechanism when exhausted from work. He considers exercise as a great way to discipline one's self and that carrying too many things can be a burden; Araki will typically only carry a coat, water, and an iPod when going out.[10]

This section requires expansion.

Family

Married to Asami Araki (荒木麻美, Araki Asami, nickname Chami), Araki is the father of two girls. A couple years after his debut, Araki met Asami in a group meet-up, and the two got married three months later.[11]

Biography

Araki grew up in Sendai, Japan with his parents and younger identical twin sisters. He cites his sisters' annoyances as the reason he spent time alone in his room reading classic manga from the '70s, such as Ai to Makoto, and his father's collection of art books, which Araki assumes informed his motive for drawing manga.[12] He was particularly influenced by the work of French artist Paul Gauguin.[13]

Araki drew his very first manga while he was in 4th grade. He attended a prep school through junior high and high school, which was where a friend complimented him on a manga he drew for the first time. Ever since, he began to draw manga in secret of his parents.[12]

Shogakukan (left) and Shueisha (far right) HQs.

He began submitting work to publishers during his first year of high school; however, all of his submissions were rejected.[12] At the same time, others artists who were around his age continued to make big splashes with their debuts (Ex: Yudetamago, Masakazu Katsura). Araki could not understand why he was being rejected, so he decided to finish off a submission on an all-nighter, go on a 4-hour trip to pay a visit to the editors in Tokyo, and ask them for an explanation. At first he intended to visit Shogakukan, which published Weekly Shōnen Sunday, but he was intimidated by the size of their building, and decided to take his submission into the smaller Shueisha (Publishers of Weekly Shonen Jump) building next door. It was noon when he visited, but one rookie editor (about 6'2", or 185 cm, tall) happened to be there. The editor, after reading the first page, promptly quipped "your white-out's leaked (You haven't fixed it)": he was criticized every time the editor flipped through each page. Araki, exhausted from having been up all night, felt like he was going to pass out, but was told to fix it up for the Tezuka Awards in 5 days. That submission was "Poker Under Arms", which won the runner up prize at the Tezuka Awards.[12][14]

Araki left Miyagi University of Education before graduating, and made his debut in 1980 with the aforementioned one-shot Poker Under Arms. His first serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump was Cool Shock B.T. in 1983,[14] with his works Baoh: The Visitor (1984) and Gorgeous Irene (1984) following soon after. His next series would become his magnum opus, 1986's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Published in Weekly Shonen Jump between 1987 and 2004 and from 2004 to the present in Ultra Jump, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure represents Hirohiko Araki's primary brand and body of work.This section requires expansion.

The dust jacket of every volume of JoJo contains a note to the reader; a relatively great source of Araki's direct opinions.

Style and Influences

Araki's studio - own desk in foreground
Araki's drawing commonly involves idealized figures in broad, expressive poses at adventurous scales and angles; with sharply inked lines and scattered, blackened planes; lending them a sculptural effect. In color illustrations and pages, Araki varies roughly complementary color juxtapositions.

In terms of cartooning, a comparison can be drawn between Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, and Stardust Crusaders (1987 - '92) and the hypermasculine (and highly dimorphic) anatomical ideals applied by Tetsuo Hara in Fist of the North Star, and referenced by Araki in relation to action heroes of the 1980s.[15] Diamond is Unbreakable ('92 - '96) marks a transition to a more intersexual model; while Steel Ball Run (2004 - '11) sees greater realism, along with further incorporation of ideals of beauty consistent with the mode in fashion design.

Reference to illustrations by artists including Antonio Lopez and Tony Viramontes informs a number of individual illustrations and character poses in Araki's work from 1987 - 1992; decreasing from then along with increased use of photographic references.[16] Limited examples of costumes borrowed from contemporary fashion design have been identified.

As a film fan, In the 1980s Araki noted the popularity of action movies and the muscular physiques characteristic of their stars (such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone). By this example, Araki would ponder; "Who is the strongest person in the world?". Subjects such as immortality and justice occurred to him as things that humans innately value and seek. Araki had also been on a trip to Italy two years prior to the creation of Part 1: Phantom Blood, where he identified the exaltation of overt human beauty characteristic of renaissance art. Araki would combine these examples in the formulation of the basic plot and visual style of Phantom Blood.[15]

Araki has named Paul Gauguin and his approach to color theory as an influence.[17]

Araki has described his drawing method as "classical".[15] He has indicated admiration for Leonardo da Vinci in the text of the manga and otherwise; and in a video feature in JOJOVELLER, he is seen making visual reference to a book of Michelangelo's work[18] during the construction of a piece.

Manga that Araki has named as admirable or having had particular influence on him include Ai to Makoto by Ikki Kajiwara and Takumi Nagayasu, the most significant of his youth;[19] Ore wa Teppei by Tetsuya Chiba, which inspired him while in middle school to join the kendo club;[19] and Babel II by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, particularly influential for the concept of combat defined by special rules or laws.[15]

Araki has authored a book on the subject of Horror film and its influence on his work.

Araki has described his habit of naming characters and Stands after musicians and their works as "a simple hobby", and has indicated a strong preference for Western popular music.


Araki's Lists

Hirohiko Araki's Best 10 Characters - Author's Popularity Contest (作者人気投票キャラクターベスト10) from JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) - Araki Hirohiko, p. 75

No. Character
1 Josuke Higashikata (東方 仗助)
2 Yoshikage Kira (吉良 吉影)
3 Bruno Bucciarati (ブローノ・ブチャラティ)
4 Vinegar Doppio & Diavolo (ドッピオとディアボロ)
5 Giorno Giovanna (ジョルノ・ジョバァーナ)
6 Joseph Joestar (ジョセフ・ジョースター)
7 Guido Mista (グイード・ミスタ)
8 Jotaro Kujo (空条 承太郎)
9 Shigekiyo Yangu (矢安宮 重清)
10 DIO (DIO)

"Hirohiko Araki's Favorite Illustrations Best 20" from JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) - Araki Hirohiko, pp. 52–57 <gallery> Volume 7.jpg Chapter 57.jpg Volume 9.jpg Chapter 157 Cover B.jpg Volume 17.jpg Volume 25.jpg Chapter 146 Cover B.jpg Chapter 253 Cover B.jpg Jotarokujo2.png Jjbadramacd2.jpg Volume 27.jpg Volume 24.jpg Chapter 301 Cover B.jpg Volume 31.jpg Volume 34.jpg Chapter 496 Magazine Cover B.jpg Volume 50.jpg Volume 56.jpg Volume 61.jpg Volume 63.jpg

Araki's Best 10 "Ran to the bookstore" Manga (本屋に走ったマンガベスト10) from JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) - Araki Hirohiko, p. 74

No. Series
1 Golgo 13: Serizawa Family Murder Case (ゴルゴ13芹沢家殺人事件)
2 Nijioyobu Ken (虹をよぶ拳)
3 Space Battleship Yamato (宇宙戦艦ヤマト) (Anime)
4 Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール)
5 Kōya no Shōnen Isamu (荒野の少年イサム)
6 Dororo (どろろ) (Anime)
7 Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji (賭博黙示録カイジ)
8 Babel II (バビル2世)
9 Naniwa Kin'yūdō (ナニワ金融道)
10 Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳)

"Araki's Favorite: Best Stands" from JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) - STANDS, pp. 34–36

Design

No. Stand
1 Gold Experience
2 Killer Queen
3 Echoes

Function

No. Stand
1 Pearl Jam
2 The Grateful Dead
3 Killer Queen Bites the Dust

Total

No. Stand
1 Crazy Diamond
2 Sex Pistols
3 Sticky Fingers

Araki's Most Watched Films - Best 10 (くり返し観た映画ベスト10!) from JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) - Araki Hirohiko, p. 72

No. Film
1 Great Escape
2 Jaws
3 Zombie (Dawn of the Dead)
4 The God Father I,II,III
5 Dirty Harry
6 It Happened One Night
7 Fargo
8 Back to the Future
9 Dog Day Afternoon
10 Misery

ARAKI'S BEST 20 SUSPENSE FILMS from Hirohiko Araki's Super-Favorites! Rules of Movies (2013)

No. Film
1 Heat
2 The Great Escape
3 Taken
4 Mystic River
5 The Unforgiven
6 Psycho
7 Heaven Can Wait
8 Shrek
9 Fargo
10 Dirty Harry
11 The Bourne Identity
12 City of God
13 Duel
14 Eyes Wide Shut
15 The Butterfly Effect
16 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
17 Unfaithful
18 Frost/Nixon
19 Pound
20 Witness
21 Reservoir Dogs (Runner-Up)

Araki's top 5 favorite toys from Volume 60 Author's Note

No. Toy Comment
1 Phosphorescent skeleton (When it shines at night, it feels like I'm in a fairy tale.)
2 Bouncing ball (This piece of rubber took me into a science-fiction universe.)
3 Resident Evil (PlayStation) (It's so great!)
4 A Thunderbird II model (I love the design and I find that the container's conception was very clever! I really had the impression I could go anywhere with this.)
5 Lego or Mega Bloks (I spent whole days assembling and disassembling the piece to make new models. I think that Lego is the Western philosophy in its entirety.)

Araki Hirohiko's Top 10 "That's fucking scary" Movie List. (The ones where you say "NO! Make it stop!" But you watch it anyway) (From the Author's Note in Volume 32)

No. Film
1 The Night of the Living Dead
2 Jaws
3 Johnny Got His Gun
4 Mississippi Burning
5 Platoon
6 Papillon
7 Halloween 4
8 Lord of the Flies
9 Silence of the Lambs
10 Alien

The "Best 20 Horror movies chosen by Hirohiko Araki" (From Hirohiko Araki's Bizarre Horror Movie Analysis)

No. Film
1 Zombie (‘78 director’s cut)
2 Jaws
3 Misery
4 I Am Legend
5 Ninth Gate
6 Alien
7 Ring (TV version)
8 The Mist
9 Final Destination
10 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
11 Dasshutsu
12 The Blob
13 28 Days Later
14 Basket Case
15 Sleeping With The Enemy
16 No Country
17 The Exorcist
18 Funny Games (‘07 US remake)
19 Hostel
20 Kuraimori

Araki's song choices for the "Back to 80s" Western Music Hits Parade on MTV Japan

No. Artist Song
1 GUNS N' ROSES Welcome to the jungle
2 ZZ TOPS Legs
3 DIRE STRAITS Money for nothing
4 MICHAEL JACKSON Thriller
5 UB40 Red red wine
6 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Dancing in the dark
7 U2 I still haven't found what I'm looking for
8 DONALD FAGEN New Frontier
9 THE STYLE COUNCIL Shout to the top
10 SADE Smooth Operator
11 PRINCE When doves cry
12 DAVID LEE ROTH California Girls

The Best 10 Painful Songs (せつない曲ベスト10) from JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) - Araki Hirohiko

No. Artist Song
1 Chicago Wishing You Were Here
2 Eagles Hotel California
3 Vladimir Ashkenazy Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20
4 Carpenters Superstar
5 Miles Davis Blue in Green
6 Nino Rota Plein soleil
7 The Beatles And I Love Her
8 Shawn Colvin Wichita Skyline
9 Eric Clapton ft. Babyface Change the World
10 The Stylistics Only you

Araki's Top 10 "Albums that make me cry"

These are my top 10 from the 70s, in no particular order. You might love them or hate them but I guarantee if you listen to them you'll cry.
Artist Album
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti
Chicago Chicago VII
Various Saturday Night Fever
Curtis Mayfield Superfly
Marvin Gaye What's going on
Jackson Brownie Late for the sky
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon
Sex Pistols Never mind the Bollocks
George Benson Breezin
Carpenters Now & Then

Hirohiko Araki's All-time Best 10 Clint Eastwood Films (荒木飛呂彦が選ぶイーストウッド作品オールタイムベスト 10) from JOJOmenon. They are not in any specific order.

Films
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Play Misty for Me
Dirty Harry
Escape from Alcatraz
Firefox
Unforgiven
Mystic River
Changeling
Gran Torino
J. Edgar

Araki's Top 10 Heroes (ヒーロー) from JOJO A-GO!GO! (2000) - Araki Hirohiko
Described as Araki's inspirations; those with the courage to innovate when it came to design or fashion. They are not in any specific order.

Heroes
Leonardo da Vinci
Velázquez
Christian Dior
Giotto
Paul Gauguin
Auguste Rodin
Antonio Lopez
Gianni Versace
Bob Peak
Pablo Picasso

Gallery

Artist Photos

Tributes

Album Covers

Novels

Alex Rider

Magazine Covers

Sketches & Concept Art

Other

Trivia

  • Araki's favorite book as a kid was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.[2]
  • In 2012, Araki celebrated his 30th year as a manga artist and the 25th anniversary of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. A special exhibition was held in Sendai, Japan, which included the announcement for the TV Anime and All Star Battle.
  • On November 30, 2016, Araki won the 45th Annual Best Dresser Awards in Tokyo in the "Academic and Cultural Arts" division. When questioned about his youthful appearance, Araki said that he washes his face every morning with Tokyo's tap water.[20]
  • Araki was given an art award for the year 2018 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs for his art exhibition Ripples of Adventure.[21]

References

  1. Interview with Shoko Nakagawa, 2007
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Weekly Shonen 「」 (JOJO冒險 荒木飛呂彥100問專訪); April 5, 2003
  3. 知事メッセージ 荒木飛呂彦氏によるイラスト
  4. MEDIA GUIDE 2013 集英社AD NAVI
  5. 斎藤環「書き続ける勇気 荒木飛呂彦インタビュー」『ユリイカ』1997年 4月 号、135頁-143頁
  6. 『QuickJapan』Vol.75、巻頭ページ(文・吉田大助)
  7. http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/02/08-1/jojos-bizarre-adventure-author-illustrates-cover-of-psychoanalysis-book
  8. 杜王新報 p11
  9. ユリイカ 11月臨時増刊号 総特集☆荒木飛呂彦 -- 鋼鉄の魂は走りつづける
  10. http://newtral.info/article/helloWork/interview1
  11. 荒木先生との馴れ初めからジョジョ立ちまで! 講演『荒木麻美のジョジョと奇妙な生活』レポート
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Hirohiko Araki Lecture Part 1: His Past & Motives
  13. Hirohiko Araki Lecture Part 2: Drawing Manga, Araki-Style
  14. 14.0 14.1 Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Phantom Blood PS2 release interview, 2006
  16. http://www30.atwiki.jp/ichi-1/pages/12.html
  17. Tokai High School lecture 2006, part 2
  18. Michelangelo – Tuttle le Opere – Edizione Riserveta ai Musei e Gallerie Pontificie, ISBN 9788872040256
  19. 19.0 19.1 Tokai High School lecture 2006, part 3
  20. http://otakomu.jp/archives/463977.html
  21. Asahi - 芸術選奨に30人 竹内まりやさん、荒木飛呂彦さんら
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