Satoru Akefu
Satoru Akefu (明負 悟, Akefu Satoru) is a primary antagonist featured in the eighth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, JoJolion, and introduced in the "The Wonder of You" story arc.
Akefu is the head doctor of TG University Hospital, and presumed mastermind of the Locacaca Organization. He is an elusive figure with almost no public presence despite being in charge of a major institution of medicine.
He is eventually revealed to be the assumed identity of Tooru created using his Stand ability, Wonder of U.
Appearance
Akefu is an elderly-looking man with a slightly stocky build, said to be 89 years old.[1] His arms and legs are noticeably slimmer than the rest of his body. He wears a dark-colored bowler hat and suit, along with a lightly colored scarf with a pattern of irregular "-" shaped slits cut into it. He also wears dress shoes and uses a cane to walk.
Later in the story, Akefu is depicted as having a thin furrowed face with prominent cheekbones, sunken eyes, and a large nose. His most notable features are a beard styled into multiple short spikes and a monocle on his right eye. His hair is lightly colored and much thicker than what a human at his supposed age would have. Much like his subordinate Wu Tomoki, the hair on the sides of his head is stylized into many round shapes. The hair on the top of his head is much more natural, although appearing somewhat unkempt. His sideburns feature a similar pattern, but are shaven into rectangles instead.
If one is aware of his calamity power, then one will see his true form as a Stand.
Color Schemes
Personality
Akefu is a rather elusive figure despite holding an incredibly prestigious title. He demonstrates an antisocial behavior, completely ignoring Josuke Higashikata, Yasuho Hirose, and Rai Mamezuku, probably on purpose. As the head doctor of TG University Hospital, Akefu seems proud to present the Locacaca 6251 to an audience.[3] He is also a professional and so the first thing he does with the journalist Taoka is to exchange business cards with him.[4] Akefu is a calm individual because his automatic power allows him to get rid of any potential enemy before they can even harm him. Thus, when Taoka threatens to exposes the Locacaca Organization's illegal clinical trial, Akefu calmly points out how disaster may strike the journalist before leaving. Likewise, he calmly confronts Josuke and Mamezuku when he is forced to go to the laboratory.[5] Befitting a doctor he is also curious. After he succesfully took damage from Josuke's bubbles he was left wondering about the Spin, its nature, and whether or not it followed the chain of logic.
Abilities
Stand
Akefu's true identity is a sentient, humanoid Stand named Wonder of U.
Human Guise
Akefu's true form is a Stand. Most people will see him as the head doctor of TG University Hospital and treat him as such, but those who are aware of his calamity power will discern his true form as a Stand.[6]
Personal
As a physician in charge of an entire hospital, it can be inferred that Akefu is knowledgeable on both general medical knowledge, as well as medicinal applications of the Locacaca fruit.
History
Background
Akefu's identity was stolen from an actual human doctor, who was a graduate of TG University Hospital.[7] Tooru uses his identity to infiltrate the hospital with Wu Tomoki, Urban Guerrilla, and Poor Tom, becoming the head doctor.[8] Akefu is stated to have a long and illustrious career as a doctor and to have even received medical awards for his work,[9] although these accomplishments may have been achieved by the original Akefu. Due to his honorary position, he is no longer involved in any actual medical practice.[10] Akefu and the rest of the Locacaca Organization conducted research on the Locacaca fruits and its potential as a medicine, using Tamaki Damo's group as subordinates and staff to perform unofficial human trials, and also testing their medicine on Holy.[8] At one point, Akefu becomes acquainted with Mitsuba Higashikata and poses in a photo together with her.[11]
Akefu seems to have some kind of relation with Mamezuku's Father, as he attended his funeral. Furthermore, Akefu is implied to have been responsible for the calamities that affect the Mamezuku family.[2][12]
The Wonder of You (The Miracle of Your Love)
Akefu is pursued by Josuke Higashikata, Yasuho Hirose, and Rai Mamezuku. Completely ignoring them, Akefu sends his ability after the three and makes his getaway on a bus. He's later spotted by Mitsuba Higashikata at both her son's elementary school and on the property surrounding the Higashikata House.
Josuke and Mamezuku discover that Akefu is scheduled to give a lecture on regenerative medicine. Deciding to pursue him to that lecture causes Akefu's Stand to activate and attack them just as the rain begins to fall. Cornered by the rain and the police, Josuke decides to let the raindrops shoot through him and be brought to the hospital. Meanwhile, Akefu keeps stalking the Higashikata Family and his ability causes disaster after disaster for them, with Tsurugi's illness triggering at the same time.
On the day of the lecture, Akefu unveils his product, the Locacaca 6251, to the public. He presents his new medicine and its processes. Meanwhile, Josuke is again attacked by the calamity and eventually revises his plans.
On the day of the harvest, Akefu is again seen by Mitsuba and Yasuho lurking near the Higashikata House but also by Rai Mamezuku just outside of the police station. At the Higashikata House, his ability causes a string of events that leads to the new Locacaca being exposed. As Jobin argues with Norisuke and eventually takes him out, Akefu finally takes action. He enters the Higashikata House and approaches the family. Mitsuba sees him passing by the door frame of the corridor outside of Tsurugi's room, pass through a computer screen, the glass panels of the bookcases, passing through the bathroom, the window near the bed, a frame, and then slipping under the bedsheets. Jobin, warned of his presence by Mitsuba, summons his Stand Speed King and attacks him. Soon enough, Akefu's ability causes another calamity and Jobin is drained of his blood, his potted Locacaca rolling towards the door to the garage.
At the TG University Hospital, Akefu is scheduled to meet with a reporter from the science journal "Pangea Land", Taoka. However, Taoka shows Akefu footage of Holy Joestar-Kira, the secret Locacaca laboratory, and a sample of the fruit inside of a jar. Taoka accuses Akefu of conducting illegal human trials and is ready to pursue him. Akefu thus raises the possibility of the sample being a fake and theorizes that Taoka must have touched the fruit, and that some juice may have slid into a small cut on his hand. Akefu leaves Taoka, trusting his ability to kill the reporter for him. During this time, Rai Mamezuku utilizes the ability of Satoru to his advantage to escape his prison cell heads towards the hospita to assist Josuke in his battle. As Satoru advances towards the Locacaca laboratory at the gynecology department, it is shown that the head doctor and the Stand are the same entity.
Both heading to Josuke's location in the hospital, Rai notices Satoru right behind him, seemingly autonomous and phasing through glass to reach the laboratory. Rai rushes to Josuke, watching Satoru phase through walls to confront him. When he arrives at the laboratory, Wonder of U senses that something is amiss and doesn't step into the room. Instead, he deploys a Rock Insect named Dododo De Dadada, which begins it's attack on Josuke and Rai.
Wonder of U lets Dododo De Dadada attack Josuke, but Rai Mamezuku eventually intervenes and kills the Rock Insect. Rai approaches Akefu and confronts him, waving his sharp fingertips two centimeters away from Akefu's face, and with seemingly no calamity in sight to stop him. As he approaches the tip of his wire into Wonder of U's face, Mamezuku begins to claim that the Stand's power of calamity could be a trick. Akefu openly wonders what could happen as nobody has ever gotten this close to him but declares that still, nobody can attack him. Then, Akefu presses on Mamezuku's past, reminding him of the time his father died, how a mysterious insect laid waste to the Mamezuku family's orchard, and how Mamezuku's mother fell ill and died as she was overwhelmed with all the calamities that had happened. Angered by the taunt, Mamezuku directly grabs Akefu by the neck and threatens to impale it with his fingertip.
Suddenly, one of Mamezuku's braids flies off. Mamezuku narrowly missed Satoru Akefu's neck and spherical chunks of flesh have been taken off his shoulder. Josuke sees that his own soap bubbles were responsible for wounding Mamezuku. The head doctor thus realizes that this was Josuke's trap: Josuke had laid several bubbles in the room but some of them were hidden and spinning at high speed. By letting Akefu come to him, Josuke had hoped to let these trapped bubbles kill the enemy Stand but instead, by sheer unluck, these bubbles heavily wounded Mamezuku instead.
As Mamezuku collapses, Wonder of U's confidence in its invincibility is reassured. However, Mamezuku with the last of his strength reveals the power of the Spin to Josuke.
Wonder of U asks again if Josuke intends on approaching him. Josuke briefly reflects on the true nature of his bubbles before regaining his focus. He declares that he's been the one making Wonder of U approach him. To bait him closer, Josuke summons Soft & Wet to destroy the vault containing all the Locacaca6251 test tubes. He disperses the tube and even destroys the doors with explosive bubbles. Wonder of U protests, stating that even if he will take the new Locacaca, the Locacaca6251 remains extremely valuable and that the world needs it. Hearing about the medicine price of 200,000 yen for a test tube, Josuke snarks about his 7,890 yen sneakers and stomps on the test tubes. Wonder of U finally steps into the room and approaches Josuke, while carefully staying clear of Soft & Wet's bubbles. However, Wonder of U then suddenly informs him that Yasuso is at the Higashikata estate and that she's in danger. Josuke hesitates for a moment, and resumes destroying the test tubes with even more fervor. However, a piece of glass ricochets into his neck. Wonder of U expresses incomprehension at Josuke's stubborness and explains how the flow of calamity will attack him through all of the objects that the Stand is touching. At the same time, he ostentatiously touches the test tube and the wreckage of the vault. Josuke tries to high kick Wonder of U in the neck, but a bubble gets in the way and cuts a part of his leg. Josuke trips and impales his shoulder on a metal rod sticking out of the wreckage. Wonder of U expresses his satisfaction, but suddenly a gust of wind comes from inside of the vault. Born This Way appears. With its freezing wind, the Stand freezes several bubbles and sends them at Wonder of U, who tries to deflect them with his cane. However, one of the bubble hits Wonder of U and wounds his head, shocking the Stand.
Although Kei Nijimura is mortally wounded, Tooru deems that Josuke is still too dangerous to come close to. Wonder of U thus leaves the room. He heads towards the elevator and notices Josuke pursuing him. Confident that he will be safe, Wonder of U quips at Josuke before stepping into the elevator but Josuke prepares to fire a bubble at the stand. However, Wonder of U planned for this and summons a Rock Insect named Obladi Oblada that deflects the bubble and latches onto Josuke. Wonder of U enters the elevator. As Obladi Oblada begins to multiply itself and cover Josuke, Wonder of U explains a bit of its biology and taunts Josuke, who is now covered in the Rock Insects. Wonder of U closes the elevator door, but Paisley Park then hacks into it, forcing the door open and allowing Josuke to confront the head doctor at point-blank range. Josuke shoots a second bubble, but Obladi Oblada gets in the way and deflects the second shot too. Wonder of U watches as Josuke collapses, overwhelmed by the insects, but then the invisible bubble that was shot out of Josuke's birthmark travels to the Higashikata House through Yasuho's Paisley Park. The bubble flies right towards Tooru.
The invisible bubble reappears inside Tooru's abdomen, knocking him away and stopping the flow of calamity. Back in the hospital, Wonder of U, appearing as the human Satoru Akefu, flees from Josuke with an injury to his abdomen and is approached by two nurses. However, they are blocked by a cart because of their attempt to pursue him. At the same time, Tooru eats the other remaining Locacaca plant and runs towards Yasuho but is sent flying by another invisible bubble, landing on a car inside the garage.
Chapters
Manga Appearances- JoJolion Chapter 83: The New Locacaca (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 84: The Wonder of You, Part 1
- JoJolion Chapter 85: The Wonder of You, Part 2
- JoJolion Chapter 86: The Wonder of You, Part 3
- JoJolion Chapter 89: The Wonder of You, Part 6 (Flashback)
- JoJolion Chapter 90: The Wonder of You, Part 7 (Photo only)
- JoJolion Chapter 91: The Wonder of You, Part 8
- JoJolion Chapter 92: The Wonder of You, Part 9
- JoJolion Chapter 93: The Wonder of You, Part 10 (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 94: The Wonder of You, Part 11
- JoJolion Chapter 95: The Wonder of You, Part 12
- JoJolion Chapter 96: Just Don't Move
- JoJolion Chapter 97: The Wonder of You, Part 14
- JoJolion Chapter 98: The Wonder of You, Part 15
- JoJolion Chapter 99: The Wonder of You, Part 16
- JoJolion Chapter 100: The Wonder of You, Part 17
- JoJolion Chapter 103: The Wonder of You, Part 20
- JoJolion Chapter 104: The Wonder of You, Part 21
- JoJolion Chapter 105: Safety First
- JoJolion Chapter 106: Go Beyond
Quotes
Quotes- “Today! I, Satoru Akefu... have something to this place... for the sake of all of you out there. What I have in this case... "Locacaca 6251" (150 grams). This is both an implant-like tool I developed as well as a living regenerative substance! All that one must do is inject it inside the body under proper conditions and the affected area will transform to be as good as new! There is no need for cell cultivation or surgery! And therefore no risk of inflammation due to incompatibilities! Whether it's a broken knee or joint or brain tissue lost in a concussion, going beyond regeneration, it will bring about an 'exchange' for sound health!”—Satoru Akefu's lecture on regenerative medicine, JoJolion Chapter 92: The Wonder of You, Part 9
- “...Did you perhaps... Come here... Intending to pursue me?”—Satoru Akefu, JoJolion Chapter 97: The Wonder of You, Part 14
- “The point where those on a long journey are most likely to meet with an accident... is just before returning home. This long running journey is over, I have obtained the New Locacaca, and both you and I will be soon returning home...”—Satoru Akefu, JoJolion Chapter 98: The Wonder of You, Part 15
- “First, you will have to deal with this lone 'Rock Insect'. 'Dododo De Dadada'. Before you go home, why don't you take a look... ...at what you can see if you get up from that chair...?”—Satoru Akefu introducing Dododo De Dadada to Josuke and Mamezuku, JoJolion Chapter 98: The Wonder of You, Part 15
- “The New Locacaca is moving from where it is now to where I am. The flow is carrying it. It is not in a flow where you can obtain it. The flow, you see, is that you will get up from that chair. It is certain that you will stand up to pursue me. I am "Wonder of U" and the flow is always a calamity.”—Satoru Akefu, JoJolion Chapter 99: The Wonder of You, Part 16
- “There is nothing at all you have permission to possess. Be it a pear orchard or a single New Locacaca...!!!”—Satoru Akefu, JoJolion Chapter 99: The Wonder of You, Part 16
Gallery
Akefu's first appearance
Close up of Akefu's scarf
Akefu standing outside Tsurugi's school following the iron gate incident
Akefu near the Higashikata household
Akefu taking off his hat before the lecture
A photograph of Akefu and Mitsuba Higashikata
Akefu walks onstage
Akefu prepares to begin the lecture
Akefu presents Locacaca 6251 to the audience
Akefu holds up a container of Locacaca 6251
Akefu announces that the development of Locacaca 6251 is close to reaching perfection
Akefu suddenly appears on a wall surrounding the Higashikata House, as seen on a security camera by Mitsuba Higashikata
Akefu's sudden appearance is noticed by Yasuho Hirose
Akefu notices Yasuho, turning towards her menacingly
Akefu jumps down from the wall
Akefu suddenly turns around
Akefu explains that the reporter opened the jar with the Locacaca
Akefu without his hat
Akefu bleeding profusely after its user, Tooru was injured
JJL Chapter 89 cover
JJL Chapter 96 cover
JJL Chapter 104 cover
JJL Volume 23 Cover
JJL Volume 24 Cover
JJL Volume 25 Cover
JoJolion Volume Spine Illustrations
The tailpiece of JJL Chapter 85
The tailpiece of JJL Chapter 89
The tailpiece of JJL Chapter 95
Trivia
- The covers of Ultra Jump 2020 Issue #5, JJL Volume 23, JJL Chapter 96 and JJL Chapter 104 all feature imagery of multiple instances of Satoru Akefu levitating in the sky, bearing resemblance to the work Golconda of Belgian artist René Magritte.
- Using Japanese wordplay, Akefu's stated age of 89 years (８９さい) can be read as "ya-ku-sai". This is homophonous with the Japanese word for "calamity" (厄災, yakusai).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 JoJolion Chapter 83: The New Locacaca
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 JoJolion Chapter 99: The Wonder of You, Part 16
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 92: The Wonder of You, Part 9, p.22
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 97: The Wonder of You, Part 14, p.30
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 97: The Wonder of You, Part 14, p.35-37
- ↑ The Ultimate Dilemma, The Wonder of You, Part 18 tailpiece
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 102: The Wonder of You, Part 19
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 JoJolion Chapter 92: The Wonder of You, Part 9
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 84: The Wonder of You, Part 1, p.8
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 84: The Wonder of You, Part 1
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 90: The Wonder of You, Part 7
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 100: The Wonder of You, Part 17
