OVER HEAVEN
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Over Heaven is a light novel written by Nisio Isin with illustrations by Araki Hirohiko. It was released as part of the special JoJo 25th anniversary project "VS JOJO."
About
The book is written as a monologue on DIO's thoughts throughout the events in the original series. In the book, he reflects upon his battles, and talks about the concept of death, as well as his unfortunate mother.
Summary
Author's Note
The fictitious translator of the book comments on his reasons for restoring and decyphering Dio's Diary. First saying that the Speedwagon Foundation asked for the restoration of the book to find a way to free Jotaro Kujo from his current comatose state, the translator confesses that his work is also motivated by fascination for the thought process of Dio Brando. The translator also comments on the difficulties faced during the restoration and decyphering of the book, and decided to literaly translate it, leaving the interpretation to the reader.
Chapter 1
"Dio, no matter what happens, live nobly and with pride. If you do that, you'll surely be able to go to Heaven"
Dio reflects on his mother, her behavior and her beliefs. He comments about the apparent foolishness of his mother's righteousness while they lived in the most miserable living conditions, and were surrounded by the ungrateful. Dio then reflects on his mother's fixation on Heaven, particularly the way to go to Heaven. Saying that during his youth, Dio rather admired his father Dario Brando's immorality, he then comments that his mother would always try to correct him even when her efforts resulted in a beating, the scorn of her neighbourhood, and finally her death. Unable to understand her behavior, Dio thus questions his earlier assumption about his mother's foolishness. He reflects on why she, a righteous and educated woman, would remain besides Dario, and theorizes that she was being "charitable" toward him. Finally Dio wonders if his mother went to heaven, and denies the possibility.
Chapter 2
Dio admits to having been thinking about Heaven ever since he's acquired The World, and the possible way to attain it. He then thinks that he may be doing this in his mother's place, and diverge into diverge on his mother. He expresses that his mother's righteouness was akin to abuse and that his father was at least more honest. Therefore Dio speculates that his mother may have been emotionally distressed and that the idea of Heaven was a way to cope with her suffering. Finally when his mother died, Dio admits to have felt somewhat satisfied for her since she was able to maybe not attain Heaven, but at least escape the hell her life was.
Chapter 3
Dio acknowledges his inability to attain Heaven, even with The World in his possession, and says that he must acquire a friend who is "without desire for power, hunger, or for fame, or lust. He must hold God's laws in higher esteem than he does man's laws." Which is why he is recording his thoughts on a notebook. He then comments about the danger of the Joestar Family stumbling upon this book, and decides to take the risk. Dio predicts that finding that friend then win him over will be difficult, and decides to keep the diary secret from his organisation. Secretly Dio decides to veer his goal from mere domination to attaining Heaven, stating that the true winner is the one who has seen Heaven.
Chapter 4
Dio reflects on his father. For all the scorn he had for his mother, Dio now scorns his father more. After Dio's mother's death, Dario soon began to beat Dio for, as he soon understood, no reason beyond affirming his dominance. Dio then thinks that his mother's beatings may not have been caused by her righteousness, but simply Dario's wickedness. To escape his father's beating, Dio says that he worked hard to earn money and give Dario liquor to drink. To do so Dio used the education his mother gave him and it was there that he first felt grateful toward his mother. He then tells how he foolishly thought that his father being nice meant his father not beating him, and foolishly worked hard for his father. Put off by the thought, Dio interrupts his writings.
Chapter 5
Dio narrates his meeting with Daniel J. D'Arby, whom he could see he was a Stand user, a skill Dio finds strange. Dio initially wonders if Daniel will be his friend, but quickly retracts his idea, noting that gamblers do no have pure souls. However Dio thinks Daniel will be a guidepost for the purpose of going to Heaven.
Chapter 6
Dio tells how he decided to kill his father when he sold his mother's dress, having until that point hoped that Dario would change. Selling the dress convinced Dio that Dario was a scum, and that he was merely being exploited; thus Dio had to think of a way to kill his father without arousing suspicion on himself.
Chapter 7
Dio confirsm his doubts about Daniel J. D'Arby, saying that D'Arby's greed is indeed too great for his purpose, and he decides to think that he's already met that friend who will help him attain Heaven without realising it. However his Stand Osiris became a hint towards his goal. Osiris having no power whatsoever but the ability to manipulate souls, it may be possible to fuse souls, more precisely 36 souls that have committed sins. Dio diverges on the specificity of sinfulness as he thinks that the souls of sinners hold great power Dio notes that a certain Noriaki Kakyoin whom he won over commented that the loser are the evil one. However Dio reverses the logic by reasoning that the evil ones have a stronger drive to win and thus will be the winners.
Chapter 8
Dio narrates his poisoning of his father, having killed Dario coldly as if doing a chore and having taken every precaution as to not arouse suspicion. Having at the time thought that that murder enabled him to go to Heaven, Dio now says how foolish the thought was in comparison to his following life.
Chapter 9
Dio is now addressing his hypothetical friend, and tells that friend about his murders, notably all the lives he's sucked out of people. He recalls that his first murder wasn't fulfilling as he'd hoped, and reflects that he could have simply waited for the already ill Dario to die. However Dio speculates that he may have sought the "relief" of ending his father's life by his own hands. Dio finally says that his murder gave him "hunger".
Chapter 10
Using the stands of Daniel J. D'Arby and Telence T. D'Arby, Dio plans to collect the souls of 36 sinners. He comments that Atum's ability to read souls needs special grooming, then says that they won't need flesh buds. Dio then diverges on the flesh buds, which were Enya's idea. He says that they have the unfortunate side effect of weakening the Stand power of Kakyoin and Jean Pierre Polnareff who were more formidable Stand users prior to being controlled. Dio then returns to his initial subject and says that in that peaceful age, he also must look for the souls of 36 sinners at the same time as his friend. Dio then writes the 14 following words:
- Spiral Staricase
- Rhinoceros Beetle
- Ghost Town
- Fig Tart
- Rhinoceros Beetle
- Via Dolorosa
- Rhinoceros Beetle
- Singularity
- Giotto
- Angel
- Hydrangea
- Rhinoceros Beetle
- Singularity
- Secret Emperor
Then intends to carve them into The World to never forget these words.
Chapter 11
Dio comments that his father Dario didn't leave him anything, except a path. Doing the generous act to have Dio being adopted within the Joestar Family on his deathbed enraged Dio, as Dario may have gone to Heaven with that action. Dio then thought that he'd go to Heaven and kill that man again. Now merely looking at it as a side opportunity, Dio intends to go to Heaven for humanity's sake, giving them the opportunity to reach new heights. The young Dio took the ooportunity Dario gave him, and thus began his connection with the Joestar Family.
Chapter 12
Dio announces his trouble at the new of the existence of descendants of the Joestar Family, who are moreover aware of his own existence. Dio tells that he has been feeling being watched since a certain time through "spirit photography", an ability he too possesses and was dubbed Hermit Purple by Enya. Hermit Purple is the Stand of Jonathan Joestar, whose body he took over 100 years ago. Somehow, this body has a connection to the Joestar descendants: Joseph Joestar, Holy Kujo, Jotaro Kujo. The descendants of his enemy now have also Stand power, and seeing that in one move, Dio strenghtened himself and his opponents, Dio makes the first move and sends Kakyoin to his homeland in hopes he can kill the Joestars despite the flesh bud. Dio finally resolves to exterminate the Joestar.
Chapter 13
Continuing from the previous chapter, Dio admits to not have thought about being watched by the Joestars at first, and assumed after the death of Jonathan, that that family was wiped out. Dio diverges into talking about Erina Joestar née Pendleton, who gave birth to Jonathan's son. He comments that she was strong-willed, and in several ways , was a great obstacle to his plans. Dio also linkened Erina's character with that of his mother. Dio then recalls that the son of Jonathan, George II, was killed by a mere zombie, so that family may not be as dangerous as he suspects, yet Dio remains wary of them. He finally reveals that he ordered Kakyoin to take their blood, which he thinks will be accustomed to Jonathan's body.
Chapter 14
Dio reveals that he had children. After awakening from his century-long slumber, he slept with a number of women and impregnated those that in his eyes, had potential. Thinking about a possible abortion or miscarriage from the mothers' part, Dio thinks that the eviler they are, the better mother they would be, and thus, let them go carrying his own descendants, certain that they will help him go to heaven in several decades. However he expresses his fleeting concern about some of Jonathan's blood passing into these children.
Chapter 15
Dio reveals that Dario despised nobles, and for that reason he came to detest them too. He describes his meeting with Jonathan Joestar, who he met and immediately hated for being an "inheritor". Having until that only seen the Joestar Family as prey, his indifference became loathing and took those emotions on Jonathan's dog. Dio continues his rant about everything he hated about Jonathan Joestar and narrates that he decided to take everything from Jonathan.
Chapter 16
Dio recalls the time when he took over Jonathan's body, and how he didn't feel anything, much like when he killed his father, and asked himself why he did it. He then reasons that it was because he wanted to take everything from his life, not give or inherit. Dio interrupts his writing to announce that Kakyoin has located Jotaro Kujo and also Mohammad Avdol, whom Dio briefly laments the loss, as he wanted him to bacome a henchman as well.
Chapter 17
Upon the news of Kakyoin's defeat, but also Jotaro Kujo's removal of Kakyoin's flesh bud in spite of the danger involved, Dio changes his plan. Seeing that his enemies have inherited Jonathan's will, he decides to focus his attention on them and include them in his plan.
Chapter 18
Dio recalls his bullying of Jonathan. He used every means to isolate Jonathan, and despised his target, who would cry himself to sleep every night. When Dio laid his hands on Erina, the bullying failed. Jonathan uncovered that explosiveness in his character and beat Dio, which made Dio cry as he saw that his hopes were illusions. Dio never forgot that humiliation.
This section requires expansion.
Appearances
- Jonathan Joestar
- Erina Pendleton
- Robert E. O. Speedwagon
- William Anthonio Zeppeli
- Dio Brando
- Jotaro Kujo
- Joseph Joestar
- Jean Pierre Polnareff
- Muhammad Avdol
- Holly Kujo
- Enya
- Hol Horse
- Boingo
- Telence T. D'Arby
- Daniel J. D'Arby
- Nijimura Patriarch
- Vanilla Ice
- N'Doul
- Enrico Pucci
Mentioned Stands
Trivia
(The information below derives from a Light Novel not written by Araki. As such, it may or may not be considered canon.)
- The blood of young women is more effective in healing and satiating a vampire's thirst.
- Violent and mad people make for tougher zombies.
- The D'Arby brothers are the only Stand users in their family.
- The 14 words Dio used as a password do not have any meaning, being part of a lullaby his mother sung to him.
- Dio reveals that miscarried a potential sibling.
- DIO theorizes that Erina Joestar placed both him, herself, and the infant Lisa-Lisa in the casket on the boat where Jonathan died in order to escape the boat's explosion. DIO at first believes that Erina did this in hope DIO may return some day as a better man with Jonathan's body. He quickly dismisses the idea, stating that if it was the case that Erina reminded him of his mother.
- DIO had a secondary Stand, the one Jonathan would develop, which is noted to be called "Hermit Purple", the same name Joseph's Stand would use.
- It is hinted in this book that The World actually belongs to Jonathan and not DIO, which may make this non-canon according to JOJO A-GO!GO!.
Gallery
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