Interview:Mainichi Shimbun (May 2022)
An interview with Hirohiko Araki from Mainichi shinbun, a major newspapers publisher in Japan, which was released May 23, 2022.
Interview
A studio located in an apartment building in Tokyo. A bookshelf full of reference materials, a large well-worn desk, and a sound system hidden away in the corner. This is where JoJo is created.
Araki: "It's very outdated. This place hasn't changed the entire time I've been here, and I haven't made any attempts at refurbishing it. I've been using this same drawing board for about 30 years now. (laughs)"
The first part of JoJo ended in late 1986 with an intense battle between the protagonist, Jonathan Joestar, and his most powerful rival, Dio. The story afterwards depicts the bizarre fates of their blood relatives. Previously, you said that this idea wasn't well-received by the editorial department, as it was hard to market to their young male demographic. The setting and main protagonist were also foreign, which was frowned upon.
Araki: "It just didn't feel right to have a Japanese person in a story featuring vampires. I also wanted the main character to have both initials start with "J" so that it was easier to remember, like Steven Spielberg (S.S.)."
The JoJo as we know it now is currently split into eight parts, however, you originally only intended it to be three. This is very similar to the novel "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck, which was later adapted into a movie starring James Dean. It tells of a family conflict based on the feud between Cain and Abel from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
Araki: "I was very drawn to the concept of passing the baton from one generation to the next. Since "inheritance" is the theme of the series, the protagonist no longer had to stay the same. This allowed me to write scenarios where the main character is killed, which wasn't possible in Shonen manga."
The title "JoJo" has now become synonymous with Stands, a supernatural power that takes the form of a guardian spirit that the characters use. Originally, the protagonists used the "Ripple" to attack, but after the third part Stands suddenly started popping up.
Araki: "It all started when the editor in charge at the time jokingly said "Can you stop it with the Ripple? Think of something else." He also told me to draw something that was easy for readers to understand. So I came up with the concept of Stands that mimic supernatural powers. I always wondered why the guardian spirits in other manga don't throw punches."
The once formless Ripple was finally given a humanoid form. For Araki-sensei, Stands were clearly meant as an extension of the Ripple, hence the name Ghost Ripple. However, this decision stirred up a lot of problems series. According to Araki "the readers at the time didn't get it all. Even the editors and people working on the manga were confused about the change."
It wasn't until about a year later that the readers finally started catching on with Stands. Once he won the trust of readers, Araki was able to to become much more inventive with fights. The battles against their archrival, DIO, were no longer limited to just combat. With this Araki was able to create a variety of battles that the series is now recognizable for... Including a dangerous game of playing cards, a fight against magnetism, and fight in someone's dreams.
Araki: "A strong opponent almost always need to look cool. But with Stands, it's possible for even an ugly opponent to be strong. Since Stands are tied to the user's wit, it's even possible to create weak characters who are still strong. The possibilities are endless."
[Translated by Morganstedmanms (JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia)]
