JoJolion
JoJolion (ジョジョリオン, JoJorion) is the eighth part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, serialized in Ultra Jump from May 19, 2011, to August 19, 2021.
The part won the Grand Prize for manga at the 2013 Japan Media Arts Festival.[1] In 2021, Araki won the Iwate Hometown Special Manga Award for Part 8 and his contributions to the prefecture.[2]
The story begins in 2011 and follows Josuke Higashikata, a young man afflicted by retrograde amnesia, in his search to uncover his identity in Morioh Town, a Japanese coastal town affected by the Tohoku earthquake. However, his digging pulls him and his adoptive family into the unfinished business between his previous life and an impending inhuman threat.
JoJolion represents the second part of the series to be set in the second continuity.
Plot Summary
An Amnesiac Man
Unearthing
Yasuho Hirose, hiding from Joshu Higashikata near Morioh Town's Wall Eyes, discovers a man in a sailor cap half buried underground. After she calls an ambulance, Yasuho notices a star-shaped birthmark on his shoulder surrounded by a fresh bite mark. Moreover, the man asks for his name. After pulling him out of the ground, she notices the man is completely naked, which is when Yasuho discovers he has four testicles. Then a fight erupts between Joshu and the amnesiac, during which a soap bubble emerges from the sailor's shoulder and seemingly makes Joshu's eyes pop. The man faints before they are all taken to the hospital.
In narration, Yasuho explains how the Wall Eyes rose concurrently with a version of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Massive, rocky protrusions marked with long, vertical holes rise between the coastline and the mainland, blocking highways, waterways, gas and power lines.
The First Clue
Later at the hospital, Yasuho meets the young man again, and he explains to her that he is an amnesiac. Yasuho offers to help him, and by investigating his hat, they seemingly learn his identity: Yoshikage Kira. However, Yasuho feels this name doesn't fit him and instead nicknames him "Josuke". The duo goes to Kira's apartment, where Josuke discovers a naked woman in the bathtub. Yasuho and Josuke try to ask the woman who she is, but she doesn't answer. Yasuho finds a compromising photo album containing pictures of the woman having erotic bondage with someone who appears to be Josuke. Convinced that Josuke is a sadist, Yasuho leaves in despair. Moreover, Josuke notices that he is under attack: each time he injures his hand or foot, it falls under the control of an aggressor in the flat above him. Revealing his Stand Soft & Wet, and with Yasuho's timely return, Josuke manages to catch his opponent.
The attacker presents himself as Ojiro Sasame, a surfer seeking revenge against Yoshikage Kira and who confirms that Josuke isn't Kira, although he bears a passing resemblance. Sasame tells of a psychopathic Kira, who in the past, by a mysterious power and, for little reason, convinced Sasame to eat his fingers. Josuke sees a photo of Kira near the Wall Eyes and returns to where he emerged to uncover the body of the real Yoshikage Kira, who died of cardiac arrest three days prior. Yasuho secretly obtains the autopsy results and discovers that Kira's corpse is missing both of his testicles.
Identity Search
The Trail of the Higashikatas
Yasuho introduces Josuke to the head of the Higashikata family, Norisuke Higashikata IV, owner of a fruit importation business inherited from his grandfather Norisuke Higashikata I. Lent the Higashikata name, Josuke Higashikata is welcomed into Norisuke's home and is instructed to guard the youngest daughter Daiya. As Norisuke ominously warns him to obey his word, Yasuho is escorted out by the family's maid, Kei Nijimura and warned not to return.
As everyone leaves, Daiya begins to flirt with Josuke and decides to play with him. Using her Stand California King Bed, she steals one of Josuke's few memories every time he fusses over her. To make things fair, she tells Josuke that if he manages to make her step on his shadow, the memories will be returned, although her knowledge and perceptiveness make the endeavor nigh-impossible. Meanwhile, Yasuho discovers from a DNA test that Josuke and Kira are practically the same person. Josuke eventually tricks Daiya into stepping on his shadow cast by the light of an open refrigerator. Josuke decides not to hold a grudge and enters Norisuke's study, following a symbol he's seen on Kira's wrist.
Josuke discovers a book in the study marked with the same symbol: a record of the Steel Ball Run race. On the front cover, he finds a family tree for the Higashikata family, and discovers that the first Norisuke Higashikata's daughter married Johnny Joestar, a direct ancestor of the dead Yoshikage Kira. From the family tree, Josuke makes plans to seek out Kira's only living relative: his mother, Holy Joestar-Kira. With Yasuho's help, Josuke discovers that she is a doctor at the local TG University Hospital, and both agree to meet there. Also, they find out that she is currently a patient. On his way to the hospital, Josuke notices that his GPS is malfunctioning and that a motorcyclist Stand is stalking him, appearing suddenly and attacking with a freezing wind before disappearing just as quickly.
The GPS is eventually revealed to be Yasuho's nascent Stand, helping Josuke against his assailant. Noticing that the enemy can only appear when he "opens something", Josuke manages to evade his assailant, then find and eventually defeat the user, Kei Nijimura. Nijimura is revealed to have a star-shaped birthmark and to be Kira's little sister. She had mistaken Josuke for an enemy and tried to stop him from approaching her mother, Holy; as a gesture of goodwill, Josuke promises to stay away from Holy, and the two made peace.
Privy to the supernatural properties of the soil near the Wall Eyes, Nijimura and Josuke work out that Josuke is a mix between two men, demonstrating the process with two fruits. However, Kira's Stand was not Soft & Wet but Killer Queen, leaving the other man's identity a mystery.
Meanwhile, Yasuho has managed to enter the hospital and meet the delirious Holy Joestar-Kira, but security soon kicks her out. Holy watches on as she sees Yasuho's Stand Paisley Park activate subconsciously, musing that she may be able to help her son. Paisley Park's powers ultimately lead Yasuho back into the hospital into a room next to Holy's, where she sees the extent of her mysterious illness. She cannot discern people from objects, and the doctors note that she is missing several of her vital organs and her brain has perfectly spherical voids in it, but there is no sign of surgical removal.
Shakedown Road and Johnny Joestar
Several days later, Norisuke asks Joshu to take Josuke to the local high school to see if he can enroll there. However, the path to the high school leads them through Shakedown Road, where the residents make Joshu and Josuke damage miscellaneous items thanks to Les Feuilles and coerce them into compensating with increasing amounts of money. As a pet shop owner demands 330,000 yen in compensation for a killed rare turtle, Joshu and Josuke reluctantly become mules for a drug trade as pair of cops watch on.
Josuke and Joshu separately understand how Shakedown Road works and exploit it to their advantage. Seemingly taking the money and fending off the thug with his newly awakened Stand Nut King Call, Joshu sees that he's been tricked. In truth, Josuke had performed another exchange and cleared his name with the police officers, also acquiring the money for the trade to reimburse the pet shop owner. Afterward, Yasuho and Josuke respectively learn through research and the revelation of the pet shop owner that a nearby Jizo was built as a memorial to Johnny Joestar and discover the circumstances of his death. After the Steel Ball Run, Johnny married Rina Higashikata, whom he met on his way to Europe. After a few years of a happy life, Rina was struck by a mysterious disease: she began to lose her memories, and her skin turned to stone. In anguish, Johnny stole the Saint's Corpse and took it to Japan. Hiding the Corpse in a hole under a pine tree, Johnny brought his family there and prayed to the Corpse to transfer the disease away from his wife; Johnny saw with horror that his son became ill instead. Finally, Johnny took the disease onto himself and died, his head crushed by a rock.The pet shop owner claims the story is mere legend, but Josuke realizes the link between the mysterious illness that afflicted Rina and the one Holy Joestar suffers from today.
Elsewhere, Yasuho finds her way to the Meditation Pine at the rear of the Higashikata estate from photos in the news stories she has researched. She reads of a baby who washed up on the beach nearby on November 13, 1901, wearing a necklace. Yasuho is suddenly grabbed by a hand from inside the tree and momentarily groped in the darkness.
Tsurugi's Prank
Yasuho finds herself with Tsurugi Higashikata, the grandchild of Norisuke. Tsurugi reveals they are in an underground facility used by the Higashikata Family. Tsurugi and Yasuho chat, and Tsurugi reveals that he's a boy cross-dressing to thwart a family curse. When Yasuho demands that he allows her to leave, Tsurugi pulls a prank on her. He has folded Yasuho's smartphone into a frog that leaps at her, and she is suddenly put under the thrall of Paper Moon King.
Yasuho leaves and heads back into town, followed by Tsurugi, and discovers that she can no longer distinguish between people. Although she calls Josuke for help, Tsurugi neutralizes him with his power. After a lengthy series of misadventures, Yasuho relents and follows Tsurugi back to the playroom. Elsewhere, Josuke sees that he is no longer afflicted by Tsurugi's Stand and realizes that Yasuho was its main target.
Through the slot in the door of the second underground room, somebody spies on Tsurugi and Yasuho's return.
The Human Rock
Tsurugi apologizes, admitting that he targeted her with his Stand Paper Moon King. Calmed, Yasuho asks Tsurugi about the purpose of the underground complex, and she learns that it is dedicated to treating the mysterious illness that affects the firstborn members of the Higashikata family, which slowly turns their skin to stone. Yasuho is reminded of Holy's condition and that Kira tried to save his mother. After Tsurugi leaves, a mysterious man named Yotsuyu Yagiyama appears and attacks Yasuho.
Meanwhile, Josuke spots Tsurugi heading toward the garden and follows him, followed by Norisuke. Josuke then interrogates Norisuke to discover his intentions once and for all. Despite earlier suspicious behavior, Norisuke says that he doesn't mean Josuke any harm and that both he and Kira wanted to cure the Rock Disease plaguing their families. Norisuke thus hoped to learn the cure Kira supposedly found before his death from Josuke's memories.
Soon the two men are attacked by miscellaneous objects that keep converging into Josuke after Yotsuyu somehow sneaks up on Josuke and touches him. Josuke and Norisuke take refuge in the bunker, where they learn that Yotsuyu has promised Tsurugi to give him a cure in exchange for giving Josuke away. When Josuke sees that Yasuho has been taken, he immediately gives chase with Norisuke's Stand King Nothing, which tracks objects and people by their scents. While following the scent, Norisuke reveals to Josuke the Rock Disease, which affects the eldest child of each generation, and that a family member sacrifices themselves for the child's sake. King Nothing leads Josuke and Norisuke to the coast where they find Yasuho unconscious. At the same time, they discover Yotsuyu and see that he can somehow turn into a rock. Yotsuyu attacks again with canisters of pesticides, but Josuke grabs him and jumps off a cliff into the sea below. He then traps him in a net and threatens to drown him if he doesn't answer his question, but Yotsuyu remains silent before crumbling to dust. At the same time, Josuke spots a mysterious fruit amongst the debris, but it soon sinks deep into the water.
Josuke returns to the surface with what remains of Yotsuyu, only raising more questions than answers when examining the net full of stones. Tsurugi asks if he saw the cure Yotsuyu had promised him, and Josuke mentions the fruit.
The Trail of the Fruit
Jobin Higashikata's Involvement
After some research, Norisuke reveals that Yotsuyu was impersonating someone and, in reality, has no identity. Meanwhile, Yasuho has been sent home. Norisuke, Josuke, and Tsurugi soon find another fruit alongside a dog that can transform into rock, and Norisuke makes King Nothing memorize its scent. Tsurugi adopts the dog, which he dubs Iwasuke.
To investigate the fruit further, Norisuke brings Josuke to his fruit parlor to examine an encyclopedia, but they are interrupted by the return of Norisuke's firstborn son Jobin Higashikata. Jobin has just returned from a trip abroad and gives Josuke a rare Dorcus Titanus Palawanicus stag beetle. Overjoyed to see his eldest son, Norisuke decides to accompany him back home. Unbeknownst to him, King Nothing detects the mysterious fruit's scent on Jobin's handkerchief, a fact only Josuke notices.
Josuke enlists Tsurugi's help and learns he can bait Jobin through his prized beetles. Thus Josuke manipulates Jobin into starting a beetle fight with Joshu as an observer. Josuke plants female beetle pheromones on the ring and manages to win the first bout, but Jobin asks for a second bout with his car as a prize, which is Josuke's goal. During the second bout, Jobin cheats too, unveiling a small part of his Speed King's heat power to get the upper hand in the beetle fight, but Josuke sneakily poisons Jobin's beetle and wins the car keys.
During the challenge, Tsurugi enlists Yasuho and makes her enter the Higashikata House. After Josuke sends them the car keys with a bubble, Yasuho and Tsurugi enter the garage and investigate where Jobin has gone with his car, thanks to Paisley Park. That way, they see that Jobin has given the tree of the mysterious fruit to an unknown man. Meanwhile, Jobin has begun to suspect Josuke and tries to pressure him into revealing his intention with Speed King; however, Josuke escapes, as do Yasuho and Tsurugi.
Investigating Jobin
Yasuho discovers the man's identity is Aisho Dainenjiyama, a security guard at Morioh's baseball stadium. Using Yasuho's phone empowered by Paisley Park and folded up by Paper Moon King into a frog, the duo witness Aisho perform a fruit deal with an old man who miraculously regrows a lost leg. However, Aisho discovers the phone. Although the phone escapes, Aisho unleashes his Stand Doobie Wah! to chase Yasuho and Tsurugi. The automatic Doobie Wah! materializes from their breath and relentlessly pursues them.
A flashback details Aisho's past: he used to live in a house with his girlfriend, but when he revealed his true nature as a rock man, his girlfriend used one of his hibernation periods to sell the house, nearly killing him in the process when it was demolished; Aisho was saved when Yotsuyu woke him up and lamented at the loss of his home.
In the present, Tsurugi retaliates by releasing a car origami that makes contact with Aisho and tricks him into mistaking a bus for Jobin, causing Aisho to be run over and die.
An Old Acquaintance
The next day, Yasuho finally meets up with Josuke again. They stroll along the beach, sharing a tender moment, but another girl suddenly greets Josuke as "Se-chan", asking for a later meeting. Josuke goes to meet the girl, who is named Karera Sakunami. Despite her suspicious behavior, Karera is familiar with the person Josuke was, and he plays along, hiding his lost memories. Karera reveals his name: Josefumi Kujo. Meanwhile, a pair of twins playing football, the A. Phex Brothers, track Karera and attack her.
The nature of Rock Humans is explained, revealing their coexistence with humanity in secret, the prevalence of Stands amongst them, and the seemingly cursed interactions they have if they fall in love with a human.
A short fight ensues between Josuke and the A. Phex Brothers. Josuke uses Schott Key No.2's poison gas to his advantage and takes the elder brother hostage with bubbles full of poison. When the elder brother, soaked with gasoline, is ignited by Karera, the younger brother runs toward him, forgetting about the bubbles which pop and envelop him in poison gas. Both Rock Men are consequently killed. After watching the fight, Karera finally realizes that Kira and Josefumi had performed an equivalent exchange and leaves Josuke before he can ask her anything else.
Hato's Boyfriend and Josuke's Past
The mysterious Locacaca Tree is introduced, a plant from New Guinea formally discovered by an Australian expedition in 1938. The locals used the Locacaca to cure various ailments in exchange for turning a random body part into stone. During World War II, all reports of the fruit disappeared, and it became a mere legend.
As Josuke rests in the Higashikata House and converses with Yasuho, Hato brings her new boyfriend, Tamaki Damo, to meet her family. Surprisingly, Damo is unattractive and awkward, leading to an embarrassing meeting. However, the whole family is soon immobilized by Damo's Vitamin C, which softens them into puddles. Damo confronts Norisuke and interrogates him to find out who has been dismantling his organization. Damo then explains the context of the whole affair.Two years ago, Yoshikage Kira accidentally discovered Aisho Dainenjiyama in his rock form while working on a ship. Curious, he investigated the whole trade and discovered the existence of the Locacaca. He coincidentally met with an acquaintance, Josefumi. When he was a boy, Josefumi was saved by Holy Joestar-Kira and Yoshikage, who performed surgery on him. Grateful, Josefumi agreed to help Kira steal some branches from Aisho unnoticed and subsequently grafted the branches to another tree. However, on August 19, 2011, Josefumi and Kira were caught by Damo and Yotsuyu. Kira was fatally wounded, but he snuck some of Killer Queen's bombs near them, causing an explosion. This allowed Josefumi to drag Kira to the hiding spot of the two fruits they had. Although he drove off the A. Phex Brothers, Josefumi wasted the fruits trying to save Kira but, noting their new ability to fuse, decided to fuse himself with Kira in the hopes of Kira surviving and harvesting new fruits. A rift opened, and the two men were buried underground.
Back in the present, Hato confronts Damo over what he is doing, but Damo takes her out to confront Josuke after Norisuke reveals his identity. Damo almost kills him but is interrupted as Josuke has transported Hato out of the house. Thanks to her Walking Heart, Hato inflicts severe damage, and Josuke can finish Damo off. He subsequently confirms that he is the amalgamation of Yoshikage Kira and Josefumi Kujo.Meanwhile, Norisuke's wife, Kaato Higashikata, has finished her prison sentence and is preparing to leave. She notably contacts her son Jobin in order to plot against Norisuke.
Interlude and Aftermath
Two weeks before Kaato Higashikata's release, Joshu asks his father for some money to buy some idol goods. After the idol meet-and-greet, Joshu antagonizes a fellow fan and secretly steals his wallet after he leaves it behind at the register. Joshu indulges himself in a shopping spree and coincidentally accumulates more and more money as he tries to spend it. People refuse to take money from him, mentioning a mysterious Milagroman. Discovering that the money is literally clinging to him and is burdening him more and more, Joshu tracks down his victim Zaihei Nigatake. Zaihei, grateful toward Joshu for taking his "curse", explains the legend of the Milagroman and his history with the curse. Nonetheless, Joshu tricks Zaihei into tearing one of the cursed bills and passes the curse back onto him, much to Zaihei's horror. On his way home, Joshu melancholically ponders his true worth in the world.
Josuke confirms his second identity, then finally sees Holy Joestar-Kira for the first time. However, her condition has deteriorated drastically, and Josuke is appalled that the hospital staff doesn't take care of her. Feeling attachment toward her, he swears to find the cure and pay for Holy's treatment in the meantime.
Afterward, the Higashikata family notices that their mother Kaato has returned home. Norisuke and Hato are wary of her because they know she was sent to prison for murdering a child. The meeting is ruined because of Joshu, and Kaato storms out of the house, still determined to have her due for protecting the family.
Hunt for the New Locacaca
Seeking the Plant Appraiser
Sometime later, Josuke reveals Holy's condition to Norisuke, along with the fact that Jobin may be conspiring against all of them due to his involvement in the Locacaca Smuggling Organization. Norisuke refuses to suspect Jobin but instructs Josuke to seek out his company's plant appraiser to find the branches. Kaato eavesdrops on this conversation and informs Jobin of the two's plans. Jobin, in turn, seeks out another Rock Human named Dolomite who agrees to attack Josuke, believing that he will get his body back to normal, summoning up his Stand Blue Hawaii. Blue Hawaii then controls several consecutive people to try and touch Josuke so that he is controlled. Despite his best efforts, Josuke is touched by a baby. The controlled Josuke heads to the Mutsu-kabe Shrine, where Dolomite interrogates him about his goals. Once he discovers the truth, Dolomite instructs Josuke to drown himself in the pond, but Yasuho thankfully intervenes.
After Dolomite is neutralized and reveals Jobin's involvement with the Locacaca Organization, Josuke and Yasuho go to the plant appraiser's home on a bus. Suddenly, Rai Mamezuku, the plant appraiser, appears to hijack the bus. He notably tells Josuke that a new group of enemies is now moving against them, and Mamezuku brings the couple to his home: a ski lift. He also reveals Doggy Style, a Stand ability allowing him to unravel himself. The trio is soon attacked by a duo of new enemies: Urban Guerrilla and Doremifasolati Do. Urban is a Rock Human and Doremifasolati is his pet which functions as an underground carrier. Because of their strong abilities, the two almost kill Josuke, Mamezuku and Yasuho, but they manage to leak some gas inside of Doremifasolati Do and ignite it, creating an explosion that kills them both.
Not long after, Jobin meets with Urban's superior, Poor Tom. The baby-like old Rock Human then instructs Jobin to bury his Stand Ozon Baby in the orchard of the Higashikata Estate.
Interlude: Yasuho's Past
After the battle, Mamezuku tells Yasuho to go home and stay safe. However, the clash with the Rock Humans causes her to remember an incident of the past. When she was 13, Yasuho bought a hair clip in anticipation of a weekend with her father. However, the hair clip was a strange creature that tricked her into an attempted suicide. Thankfully, the Kira Family saved her from the creature. Since then, Yasuho has kept its remains in her room.
In the present, Yasuho reaffirms her will to help in front of Mamezuku, who notes that the hair clip may be a Rock Animal and thus a lead toward identifying the enemy.
The Theft of the Locacaca Branch
It is breakfast at the Higashikata home. Jobin stealthily plants Ozon Baby in the orchard, but when he returns to the tool shed, he is confronted by his son Tsurugi. Jobin reassures him that his actions are for the sake of his family.
Nonetheless, the air pressure increases, and the Stand Ozon Baby appears to attack everyone.
The Higashikata House is under attack from Ozon Baby, which manipulates pressure, with everyone except Jobin having fallen unconscious. Trapped in their shed, Jobin and the revived Tsurugi realize that Ozon Baby is an automatic Stand that will indiscriminately attack anyone in its range. Jobin also roughly grasps the enemy's ability: Ozon Baby can decrease the air pressure in a zone, but any closed space will dampen its effects. Determined, they set the orchard on fire by using origami figures and Speed King to spur their enemies into action.
Indeed, Poor Tom rushes into the orchard to retrieve the branch while Josuke and Mamezuku go out, protected by Soft & Wet's bubbles. They meet just as Mamezuku takes the branch and a fight ensues. Poor Tom takes out Mamezuku and seizes the branch but is poisoned by a yew seed. Pursued by Josuke, Poor Tom is bluffed into canceling the air pressure ability, but his supposed allies from the hospital have arrived. Surprisingly, Poor Tom is killed by a mysterious ability shooting through his head. An unseen person seizes the branch and drives away before Josuke can do anything. However, it is revealed that Tsurugi used Paper Moon King to trick everyone: an ordinary branch has been fought over while Jobin stole the real Locacaca branch. They hide the branch, grafted into a cactus. Meanwhile, the ambulance driver discovers the trick and guesses that the person who set the orchard on fire is the one who has the branch.
Finally, Josuke returns to Mamezuku, who is revealed to be alive and slowly reconstituting himself. Desperate, Josuke can only observe his total loss.
The TG University Hospital
After the fire, the entire Higashikata Family gathers, allowing Josuke to explain his situation and that he now has 10 days to retrieve the fruit. Jobin's insistence on the hospital clues Mamezuku into the eldest son's guilt about the fire, but the two decide to search the TG University Hospital first for the occupants of the ambulance.
For her part, Yasuho has already headed to the hospital. Yasuho sees Mitsuba Higashikata with a physician, Dr. Wu Tomoki, and discovers that he, too, is dealing the Locacaca to Mitsuba as a form of "beauty treatment". Tomoki, who can turn into dust thanks to his ability Doctor Wu, attacks Yasuho but Mitsuba intervenes with her Stand Awaking III Leaves, realizing she doesn't remember how she is treated and is determined to save her unborn baby from the equivalent exchange. During the fight, Yasuho incidentally meets Toru, her ex-boyfriend. Fending off Tomoki until they discover a hidden laboratory and an orchard of Locacaca, the two women are almost killed by Tomoki but are then saved at the last moment by Josuke, who kills Tomoki. The only member of the Organization who remains seems to be the hospital director, Satoru Akefu, who is 89 years old.
Calamity Strikes
A Dangerous Pursuit
Josuke, Yasuho and Mamezuku check the entry log of the laboratory and discover the supposed remaining member of the Locacaca Organization: Satoru Akefu, the hospital director of TG University Hospital. Against Yasuho's instincts, they persist in this lead. Unable to find a picture of the doctor, the group tries to chase after him, but an unknown Stand prevents them from reaching Akefu, who eventually escapes. Moreover, the group has been crossing paths with Toru, Yasuho's ex-boyfriend. Toru tries to revive the flame between him and Yasuho, causing no small amount of jealousy and suspicion.
While chasing after Akefu, Josuke is made to look like a murderer when a man's neck snaps after getting into a fight with him. Yasuho then finds herself alone as Mamezuku and Josuke must now deal with the repercussion of the man's death. The group splits because Mamezuku and Josuke believe Akefu has the branch, but Yasuho believes it is at the Higashikata estate.
As the new Locacaca matures, it seems that Akefu keeps lurking near Mitsuba, and the Higashikata Family begins to suffer from a string of bad luck. At school, Tsurugi is accused of shutting the school's iron doors on a classmate, and Mitsuba argues against one of the mothers: Maako Kitani. When Maako returns to her house and rants about the Higashikatas, her boyfriend, Ojiro Sasame, is reminded of the Locacaca. He eventually manages to enter the Higashikata home and steal the potted fruit. Jobin uses his Speed King to kill the intruder and Maako and is reprimanded for his actions later by Norisuke as he learns about their deaths. Mitsuba's suspicions about the ongoing events grow as she learns about the repercussions of the struggle for the new Locacaca. At one point, Tsurugi's Rock Disease goes out of control, and he is bedridden for the moment, causing the whole family to worry about his condition.
Meanwhile, Josuke and Mamezuku try to think about their next plan. Rai learns from a newspaper that Satoru Akefu will be present at the hospital in two days to give a lecture. Moreover, the duo eventually works out that Satoru Akefu's Stand must trigger bad luck as soon as they think about pursuing Akefu. Silently, in the back seat, the Stand reveals itself. Josuke attempts to attack it with a rush of punches from his Stand but fails to land a hit. Josuke has no choice but to let himself get heavily wounded by the enemy Stand's ability to be brought to the hospital and approach Akefu, but Rai is brought to jail by the police.
While spending time with Toru, Yasuho is shown a photo of Satoru Akefu and Mitsuba Higashikata, implying they are acquainted. Yasuho decides to investigate the Higashikata House, still sure that the new Locacaca is there.
The Day of the Harvest
Two days later, Josuke wakes up at the hospital. While Satoru Akefu gives a lecture on his new medicine, the Locacaca 6251, Josuke tries to get out of bed, but his stomach is crushed when a police officer he's stunned falls on him. Satoru's power to bring about calamities almost kills him, but Josuke suddenly meets Holy Joestar-Kira, who saves him. Holy brings him to a secret laboratory where samples of the Locacaca 6251 are kept and heals him. In addition, Holy reveals details about the Locacaca Organization and advises him not to pursue the hospital director. She then faints as a mass of petrified flesh reaches her head. With his resolve renewed, Josuke decides to complete a plan that will make Akefu come to him. Josuke contacts a journalist with damning evidence of illegal human trials of the Locacaca 6251 on Holy. The journalist confronts Akefu over this, and the hospital director kills the journalist before coming to Josuke. Mamezuku also escapes from jail and arrives at the TG University Hospital just in time to join Josuke and confront Satoru Akefu with him.
Meanwhile, Yasuho Hirose has arrived at the Higashikata House and begins to infiltrate the household to find the new Locacaca by sending Paisley Park into Joshu's cellphone. She finds a bedridden Tsurugi Higashikata, but then Jobin catches Paisley Park and tosses the mobile phone in the toilets, threatening to drown Yasuho. Worse, Mitsuba decides to side with her husband and tries to help Jobin kill her. Satoru Akefu appears near the house and Yasuho loses her arm, but his power to bring calamities also alerts the rest of the Higashikata Family and brings the Locacaca out of its hiding spot. Norisuke confronts Jobin, and the dispute derails until Jobin feels he's forced to induce a heat stroke in Norisuke, shocking the whole family. Fortunately, Joshu uses the confusion to save Paisley Park. The hospital director's Stand then acts and causes a calamity that leaves Jobin dead in the corridor, and the pot he took rolling near the garage. Yasuho has called Toru for help, but instead, the "young man" prefers to hide and observe the situation, and it is revealed that he is the enemy.
Back at the TG University Hospital, it is revealed that Satoru Akefu is actually the Stand named Wonder of U. Wonder of U senses that Josuke has laid a trap and doesn't fully step inside the laboratory. Instead, he sics a Rock Insect named Do Do Do, De Da Da Da on Josuke. Do Do Do, De Da Da Da almost kills Josuke with its asbestos manipulation, but Rai kills it and confronts Satoru. The hospital director, surprised that Rai has managed to approach so close to him, taunts Rai his parents' "unlucky" death, implying he had a hand in it. Rai is angered and attacks but is grievously wounded by the secret bubbles Josuke had unknowingly deployed out of sheer bad luck. Nonetheless, Rai sees some hope in Josuke's bubbles and shows that the bubbles have the potential to deploy the Spin.
The Secret of the Soap Bubbles
At the Higashikata House, Joshu suddenly comes out with the potted Locacaca and declares that he'll save Yasuho. Despite Yasuho's misgivings, the Locacaca seems to be the only way to save her. Yasuho explains to Joshu how the Equivalent Exchange works, but he loses himself in his own fantasies about the exchange and pushes himself onto a dismayed Yasuho. At the same time, Toru decides to allow the exchange to happen in order to confirm the fruit's power. He makes several faint noises while hiding in the thicket, which makes Yasuho realize that Toru must be the enemy Stand user, as he's been near her since the beginning of the heroes' chase after Satoru Akefu. Yasuho performs an equivalent exchange with Joshu and heals her arm. Remembering that she once met Toru as a young girl and helped him impersonate the real Satoru Akefu, Yasuho confronts Toru, who remains hidden in the thicket and warns her about pursuing him. Unfazed, she takes Joshu's phone and contacts Kei Nijimura, although it triggers Wonder of U's ability. Joshu goes mad and attacks Yasuho to get his arm back. Nijimura receives Yasuho's call for help and begins looking for Josuke at the Locacaca lab.
The narration ominously mentions that a failure on a plane in the skies of Morioh has caused a panel from the plane to drop towards the town. At the Higashikata estate, Joshu trips and falls on the ground, allowing Yasuho to continue her call. She explains the situation to Nijimura and warns her about the enemy's calamity ability. In the lab, Josuke tries to bait Wonder of U closer by partially destroying the supply of Locacaca 6251. However, the hospital director's calamity power works against him. Despite his effort, Josuke cannot harm the enemy Stand and ironically impales himself on the wreckage of the vault. However, Born This Way suddenly intervenes as Nijimura enters the room. Its chilling wind freezes the bubbles and blows them towards Wonder of U, slightly wounding the Stand's head and causing Toru to bleed. Wonder of U thus realizes that there is indeed a hidden potential within Soft & Wet's bubbles.
The successful attacks on Wonder of U came at the cost of its broken cane lodging itself in Nijimura's eye. She collapses, but Josuke is able to pick up her phone to contact Yasuho. Yasuho tells Josuke everything about Toru, while Toru decides to make Wonder of U retreat and comes out of the trees to confront her. Toru tells Yasuho to give him the Locacaca to prevent it from being destroyed in the incoming calamity that will befall her. Joshu tries to defend her, to no avail, and he trips on Yasuho, which allows Toru to take the Locacaca. Seeing something big falling towards her, Yasuho tells Josuke about it, forcing him to chase Wonder of U again. Reminiscing Mamezuku's words about the hidden power in his bubbles, Josuke shoots a single bubble towards Wonder of U. Suddenly, a bubble-like sphere emerges from his Star Birthmark.
Breaking the Curse
Josuke shoots his bubble, but Wonder of U summons a new Rock Insect named Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. It deflects the bubble and latches itself onto Josuke, multiplying and covering his body. Thanks to Paisley Park's help, Josuke has another shot at the hospital director, but Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da gets in the way, and Josuke misses his second shot. However, Paisley Park then brings the invisible bubble that's emerged from Josuke's birthmark back to the Higashikata House via the cellphone connection, and the bubble flies right towards Toru.[3] Toru is hit, and Yasuho is spared from the panel. The panel crashes into the Higashikata house instead. Josuke manages to find the shower room and dives into the pool to get Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da off him. Toru eats the last Locacaca and tries to touch Yasuho to perform another equivalent exchange, but Josuke shoots another bubble that hits him, sending him flying into the back of the garage. Suddenly, Kaato Higashikata appears in tears.[4] Kaato reveals her Stand, Space Trucking, but has no intentions of attacking Toru. Instead, she traps Toru by using her cards to pin his limbs to the ground. She then brings out Tsurugi from her deck and drops him on Toru, making an Equivalent Exchange.[5] Toru tries to attack Kaato using Wonder of U, but Wonder of U disintegrates. While Tsurugi is cured of the Rock Disease, Toru dies from the exchange. Unfortunately, Kaato finds herself stabbed with a saw in the gut and collapses on the floor.[6]
While they call an ambulance, Tsurugi heads upstairs to Norisuke's office and carries his body down to the garage.[7] It seems that the struggle has ended, and the curse that had befallen the Higashikata Family was now lifted, but Yasuho discovers that the hospital director's calamity energy has invaded Norisuke's body and is worsening his wounds. Thankfully, Josuke arrives and destroys the calamity for good with one last bubble shot. Josuke and Yasuho are now reunited.[6]
Epilogue: The Radio Gaga Incident
Taking place sometime in 1941, Lucy Steel comes from America to S City, Japan, to investigate a strange place. She meets a boy named Fumi, who decides to stay with Lucy after a thief robbed his wallet. Fumi sees where Lucy is going and warns her about the "Radio Gaga Incident", which is a legend of a girl who heard a strange voice by a guard rail and began to follow it and strip herself. She later disappeared with only her clothes and a foot left behind. Lucy and Fumi arrive near the Higashikata Fruit Company's orchard, where the same thing happens to their driver. Suddenly, Lucy hears voices, too and gets sucked into the guard rail. Fumi saves Lucy from the guard rail but starts getting sucked in himself. He uses his Stand to save himself and runs away with Lucy from the guardrail. It is revealed that Fumi's real name is Joseph Joestar, and he is the father of Holy Joestar-Kira.
Back to the present, Josuke and Yasuho find themselves without the Locacaca to cure Holy. They run into Kiyomi Kujo and learn that she has not forgotten about her son. However, Josuke feels that he is neither Josefumi nor Kira and doesn't approach Kiyomi. Josuke and Yasuho then head to the Higashikata Fruit Parlor. The family tries to choose a cake for the next day to celebrate Norisuke being discharged from the hospital, but they are all overcome by emotion. They thus ask Josuke to choose the cake. Seeing that Josuke has found his family, Yasuho leaves the parlor crying tears of joy.
Characters & Stands
Locations
The entire story in JoJolion takes place in Morioh, Japan, a fictional analogue of Sendai, Japan. The part features the city and its different areas but concentrates on a few key places.
Reception
According to the Japanese Oricon sales charts, the first volume of JoJolion lasted in the top 50 physical manga sales for about a month, excluding one week in between. The volume sold around 300,385 copies as of January 22, 2012. It debuted with an estimated number of 235,585 copies sold, ranking in 2nd place overall on the week of December 19, 2011 to December 25, 2011.[8]
Volume | Date | Rank | Physical Copies Sold | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Volume 1 |
December 19, 2011 - December 25, 2011 | #2 | 235,585[8] | 235,585 |
December 26, 2011 - January 1, 2012 | #37 | 25,183[9] | 260,768 | |
January 9, 2012 - January 15, 2012 | #18 | 21,506[10] | 282,274 | |
January 16, 2012 - January 22, 2012 | #41 | 18,111[11] | 300,385 | |
Volume 2 |
April 16, 2012 - April 22, 2012 | #3 | 204,791[12] | 204,791 |
April 23, 2012 - April 29, 2012 | #4 | 82,743[13] | 287,534 | |
April 30, 2012 - May 6, 2012 | #20 | 35,070[14] | 322,604 | |
Volume 3 |
September 17, 2012 - September 23, 2012 | #2 | 260,080 | 260,080 |
September 24, 2012 - September 30, 2012 | #7 | 85,322 | 345,402 | |
October 1, 2012 - October 7, 2012 | #23 | 34,920 | 380,322 | |
October 8, 2012 - October 14, 2012 | #30 | 24,838 | 405,160 | |
Volume 4 |
May 13, 2013 - May 19, 2013 | #2 | 224,551 | 224,551 |
May 20, 2013 - May 26, 2013 | #3 | 151,611 | 376,162 | |
May 27, 2013 - June 2, 2013 | #20 | 46,862 | 423,024 | |
June 3, 2013 - June 9, 2013 | #32 | 25,673 | 448,697 | |
June 10, 2013 - June 16, 2013 | #40 | 16,777 | 465,474 | |
Volume 5 |
October 14, 2013 - October 20, 2013 | #4 | 200,969 | 200,969 |
October 21, 2013 - October 27, 2013 | #9 | 157,543 | 358,512 | |
October 28, 2013 - November 3, 2013 | #18 | 52,594 | 411,106 | |
November 4, 2013 - November 10, 2013 | #28 | 27,584 | 438,690 | |
November 11, 2013 - November 17, 2013 | #50 | 16,344 | 455,034 | |
Volume 6 |
March 17, 2014 - March 23, 2014 | #2 | 250,206 | 250,206 |
March 24, 2014 - March 30, 2014 | #3 | 100,733 | 350,939 | |
March 31, 2014 - April 6, 2014 | #17 | 40,038 | 390,977 | |
April 7, 2014 - April 13, 2014 | #39 | 24,208 | 415,185 | |
Volume 7 |
May 19, 2014 - May 25, 2014 | #2 | 268,478 | 268,478 |
May 26, 2014 - June 1, 2014 | #8 | 66,501 | 334,979 | |
June 2, 2014 - June 8, 2014 | #22 | 32,101 | 367,080 | |
June 9, 2014 - June 15, 2014 | #43 | 18,313 | 385,393 | |
Volume 8 |
October 13, 2014 - October 19, 2014 | #4 | 156,837 | 156,837 |
October 20, 2014 - October 26, 2014 | #5 | 123,728 | 280,565 | |
October 27, 2014 - November 2, 2014 | #10 | 44,040 | 324,605 | |
November 3, 2014 - November 9, 2014 | #45 | 23,151 | 347,756 | |
Volume 9 |
February 16, 2015 - February 22, 2015 | #3 | 209,995 | 209,995 |
February 23, 2015 - March 1, 2015 | #8 | 108,542 | 318,537 | |
March 2, 2015 - March 8, 2015 | #25 | 39,533 | 358,070 | |
March 9, 2015 - March 15, 2015 | #40 | 19,611 | 377,681 |
Volume | Date | Rank | Physical Copies Sold | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Volume 10 |
July 13, 2015 - July 19, 2015 | #4 | 140,672 | 140,672 |
July 20, 2015 - July 26, 2015 | #5 | 139,401 | 280,073 | |
July 27, 2015 - August 2, 2015 | #15 | 42,249 | 322,322 | |
August 3, 2015 - August 9, 2015 | #43 | 23,226 | 345,548 | |
Volume 11 |
December 14, 2015 - December 20, 2015 | #6 | 146,642 | 146,642 |
December 21, 2015 - December 27, 2015 | #9 | 123,316 | 269,958 | |
December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016 | #18 | 48,234 | 318,192 | |
January 4, 2016 - January 10, 2016 | #41 | 22,527 | 340,719 | |
Volume 12 |
March 14, 2016 - March 20, 2016 | #5 | 138,813 | 138,813 |
March 21, 2016 - March 27, 2016 | #5 | 123,848 | 262,661 | |
March 28, 2016 - April 3, 2016 | #18 | 40,011 | 302,672 | |
April 4, 2016 - April 10, 2016 | #35 | 24,512 | 327,184 | |
Volume 13 |
July 18, 2016 - July 24, 2016 | #2 | 192,033 | 192,033 |
July 25, 2016 - July 31, 2016 | #8 | 64,668 | 256,701 | |
August 1, 2016 - August 7, 2016 | #22 | 27,994 | 284,695 | |
August 8, 2016 - August 14, 2016 | #41 | 20,001 | 304,696 | |
Volume 14 |
December 19, 2016 - December 25, 2016 | #3 | 212,231 | 212,231 |
December 26, 2016 - January 1, 2017 | #14 | 55,061 | 267,292 | |
January 2, 2017 - January 8, 2017 | #19 | 28,441 | 295,733 | |
January 9, 2017 - January 15, 2017 | #41 | 13,751 | 309,484 | |
Volume 15 |
July 17, 2017 - July 23, 2017 | #5 | 175,571 | 175,571 |
July 24, 2017 - July 30, 2017 | #9 | 66,946 | 242,517 | |
July 31, 2017 - August 6, 2017 | #19 | 28,633 | 271,150 | |
August 7, 2017 - August 13, 2017 | #49 | 17,304 | 288,454 | |
Volume 16 |
September 18, 2017 - September 24, 2017 | #1 | 147,537 | 147,537 |
September 25, 2017 - October 1, 2017 | #8 | 58,697 | 206,234 | |
October 2, 2017 - October 8, 2017 | #22 | 24,243 | 230,477 | |
October 9, 2017 - October 15, 2017 | #39 | 14,362 | 244,839 | |
Volume 17 |
December 18, 2017 - December 24, 2017 | #4 | 140,234 | 140,234 |
December 25, 2017 - December 31, 2017 | #12 | 56,572 | 196,806 | |
January 1, 2018 - January 7, 2018 | #25 | 24,263 | 221,069 | |
January 8, 2018 - January 14, 2018 | #50 | 13,055 | 234,124 | |
Volume 18 |
July 16, 2018 - July 22, 2018 | #3 | 132,283 | 132,283 |
July 23, 2018 - July 29, 2018 | #10 | 74,634 | 206,917 | |
July 30, 2018 - August 5, 2018 | #36 | 24,744 | 231,661 |
Volume | Date | Rank | Physical Copies Sold | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Volume 19 |
October 15, 2018 - October 21, 2018 | #4 | 88,724 | 88,724 |
October 22, 2018 - October 28, 2018 | #9 | 76,057 | 164,781 | |
October 29, 2018 - November 4, 2018 | #24 | 27,458 | 192,239 | |
Volume 20 |
March 18, 2019 - March 24, 2019 | #3 | 133,951 | 133,951 |
March 25, 2019 - March 31, 2019 | #19 | 45,233 | 179,184 | |
April 1, 2019 - April 7, 2019 | #38 | 18,373 | 197,557 | |
Volume 21 |
July 15, 2019 - July 21, 2019 | #5 | 75,632 | 75,632 |
July 22, 2019 - July 28, 2019 | #9 | 65,848 | 141,480 | |
July 29, 2019 - August 4, 2019 | #21 | 25,252 | 166,732 | |
Volume 22 |
December 16, 2019 - December 22, 2019 | #23 | 89,094 | 89,094 |
December 23, 2019 - December 29, 2019 | #33 | 49,446 | 138,540 | |
Volume 23 |
April 13, 2020 - April 19, 2020 | #28 | 46,403 | 46,403 |
April 20, 2020 - April 26, 2020 | #31 | 49,985 | 96,388 | |
April 27, 2020 - May 3, 2020 | #38 | 19,405 | 115,793 | |
May 4, 2020 - May 10, 2020 | #48 | 12,517 | 128,310 | |
Volume 24 |
October 12, 2020 - October 18, 2020 | #27 | 56,935 | 56,935 |
October 19, 2020 - October 25, 2020 | #23 | 54,801 | 111,736 | |
Volume 25 |
December 14, 2020 - December 20, 2020 | #44 | 60,990 | 60,990 |
December 21, 2020 - December 27, 2020 | #49 | 48,879 | 109,869 | |
Volume 26 |
May 17, 2021 - May 23, 2021 | #4 | 82,520 | 82,520 |
May 24, 2021 - May 30, 2021 | #20 | 33,246 | 115,766 | |
Volume 27 |
September 13, 2021 - September 19, 2021 | #7 | 74,095 | 74,095 |
September 20, 2021 - September 26, 2021 | #10 | 51,785 | 125,880 |
Gallery
Trivia
- According to the author's note of JJL Volume 2, the -lion in JoJolion's title is derived from the Ancient Greek εὐαγγέλιον (evangelion), in reference to the Gospels: "I combined it with JoJo in order to signify the existence of Josuke, the protagonist, in this world."[15] In JOJOVELLER, Araki reveals that other titles considered for the part included JOJOmenon (later used for a mook) and JoJo Town, with the main goal being to give readers "the feeling that the title was a little archaic."[16]
- Because of this, the Chinese title for the part is "乔乔福音", literally "The Gospel of JoJo", referencing the Greek namesake.[17]
- At 10 years, JoJolion's serialization is the longest of any JoJo part. It is also the longest part, with 27 volumes. Both titles previously belonged to Steel Ball Run, with 7 years of serialization and 24 volumes.
See also
References
- ↑ JoJolion Manga Wins Media Arts Award
- ↑ https://jojo-news.com/2021/11/25/hirohiko-araki-to-receive-iwate-hometown-special-manga-award/
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 105: Safety First
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 106: Go Beyond
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 107: When All Curses Are Broken
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 JoJolion Chapter 108: Go Beyond, Part 2
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 83: The New Locacaca
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2011年12月19日~2011年12月25日" (Archived), Oricon News, January 2, 2012.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2011年12月26日~2012年01月01日" (Archived), Oricon News (archived at MangaCodex), January 9, 2012.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2012年01月09日~2012年01月15日" (Archived), Oricon News, January 23, 2012.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2012年01月16日~2012年01月22日" (Archived), Oricon News (archived at MangaCodex), January 30, 2012.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2012年04月16日~2012年04月22日" (Archived), Oricon News, April 30, 2012.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2012年04月23日~2012年04月29日" (Archived), Oricon News, May 7, 2012.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2012年04月30日~2012年05月06日" (Archived), Oricon News, May 14, 2012.
- ↑ Author's Note (JoJolion); Volume 2
- ↑ JOJO JOURNEY (September 2013)
- ↑ https://manga.bilibili.com/detail/mc25449