The JOJOLands
The JOJOLands (ザ・ジョジョランズ, Za JoJoranzu) is the ninth and current part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was announced in the September 2021 issue of Ultra Jump on August 19, 2021, and began serialization in the March 2023 issue on February 17, 2023.[1]
In contemporary Hawaii, Jodio Joestar, a 15-year-old boy living in Honolulu, aspires to become extremely rich by reaching the apex of the world's mechanisms. As for what he plans to do to achieve his goals, an unpredictable story unfolds in the islands woven with light and shadow.[2]
The JOJOLands represents the third part of the series set in the second continuity.
Plot Summary
Daily Life
Jodio Joestar introduces the story as his journey to becoming rich in Hawaii. He is shown with his older sibling, Dragona Joestar, on a boat, watching a volcanic eruption.
On a road on Oahu Island, two police officers pull over a pickup truck driven by Dragona, with Jodio in the passenger seat. One of the officers, eyeing Dragona, pretends to arrest them to create an opportunity for molestation under the guise of a drug search. The siblings respond by using their respective Stands to defeat the officers, burn the patrol car to destroy evidence, and successfully complete a drug deal with local gangsters.
Jodio introduces himself and his family, noting that Dragona has a preference for girly fashion, and describes his mother Barbara Ann Joestar's daily routine. He also explains his family's connection to the Joestar family and shares his outlook on life. After a bus ride to school one day, Jodio completes a drug sale with one of his seniors, the outgoing Usagi Alohaoe. He then elaborates on his philosophy of life, centered around the concept of "mechanisms," and his dream of becoming rich. Later that day, Jodio, Dragona, and a thief named Paco Laburantes, who is also a Stand user, meet with their boss, Meryl Mei Qi. Meryl informs them that a lone Japanese tourist has arrived in Hawaii with a valuable diamond, and tasks the group with stealing it. Unexpectedly, Meryl assigns a fourth member to the group—Usagi.[3]
Before embarking on their mission, Jodio and Paco decide to complete another drug deal. On South King Street in Oahu, a woman approaches Jodio, attempting to purchase drugs, but Jodio suspects she's a police officer. Despite his suspicions, they complete the exchange after she persuades him, with Paco indicating where the drugs are hidden. The woman then reveals herself as an undercover DEA agent by drawing a gun and showing her badge, while other officers storm out of a nearby ice cream truck to arrest Jodio and Paco. However, Jodio uses November Rain to destroy the bag of drugs, forcing the police to release him as they now lack evidence.
Jodio recalls being forced to undergo mental counseling at school, where a psychotherapist diagnosed as possibly having antisocial personality disorder. Barbara Ann didn't believe the diagnosis and demanded a refund for the screening. Jodio is determined to find happiness through hard work but despises encountering people like those corrupt police officers who don't play fair.[4]
The Diamond Heist
The Villa on Hawaii Island
On the day of the heist, Jodio, Dragona, and Paco fly to Hawaii Island and wait for their new ally, Usagi, at the airport. Usagi arrives late and makes light of the situation, but the group reluctantly includes him. The team drives to the Japanese tourist's villa, where Jodio scouts the area first. Although the tourist is at home, it seems he will be occupied swimming in his garden pool for a while, giving the group an opportunity to sneak in. Usagi uses his Stand, THE MATTEKUDASAI, to morph into a second security camera, producing a modified recording of the group with disguised faces as they trespass onto the property. Meanwhile, Jodio observes the pool and recognizes the tourist as the famous manga artist Rohan Kishibe.[4]
While Jodio stands guard, the rest of the crew searches the house and discovers a laboratory full of cooled lava. A cat enters the house, prompting Rohan to leave the pool. Jodio warns his teammates and distracts Rohan with light rain. Meanwhile, the crew locates the safe and takes the diamond, ignoring other pieces of Lava Rock stored there. As they exit the room, they are attacked by wires that coil around their arms or legs and dig into their flesh.[5] Although the team manages to get rid of the wires, the diamond somehow falls out of Paco's backpack, and Dragona goes back to retrieve it. Rohan appears and uses his Stand, Heaven's Door, to incapacitate Paco and Usagi.[6]
Jodio intervenes by using November Rain to create a makeshift trap hole beneath a carpet, as his rain is heavy enough to make the concrete floor collapse when Rohan steps on it. Jodio manages to tie up Rohan, but the group's escape is still compromised since Rohan has seen their faces and read their identities. Rohan casually mentions that he will not be their greatest concern in the future, but the group ignores the warning for now. For his part, Jodio learns that Rohan has come to Hawaii to study the Lava Rocks and that the samples the manga artist keeps in his safe are precious to him. By smashing one sample and keeping the remaining one as leverage, Jodio forces Rohan to lie to the police about the burglary. Impressed by Jodio's determination, Rohan secretly advises him that he can become rich if he carefully handles the Lava Rock but does not provide specifics. Rohan also warns Jodio about the untrustworthiness of his gangmates.[7]
Jungle Warfare
In the jungle, the diamond and a precious artwork Usagi stole from Rohan somehow end up near Jodio, leading the group to realize that valuable items are drawn to the Lava Rock. At that moment, the crew is ambushed by a trio of Stand-wielding cats. As Jodio picks up the diamond, a wire coils around his ankle, pulling him up and leaving him dangling from a tree branch. Meanwhile, other wires sew Dragona and Paco together, digging into their bodies. Usagi, however, sneaks away.[8]
Paco uses THE Hustle to free Jodio's ankle, allowing him to fend off one cat, but the remaining two ensnare them in a net made of wires, which is revealed to come from their fur. Finally, Usagi intervenes by crashing the rental car into the tree. He reveals that he had fed the cats expensive caviar stolen from Rohan's villa. Usagi instructs Dragona to have THE MATTEKUDASAI transform into a net and lures the cats toward the Lava Rock, causing the cats to be drawn to the rock due to its properties. After Usagi captures the two cats, Jodio reflects on the mysterious nature of the Lava Rock and suspects that a third party is trying to obtain it.[9]
Testing the Lava Rock
Jodio's group winds down after escaping from the jungle. They drive to a café where Usagi confirms that anything of noticeable value that has touched the rock will inevitably return to it. Dragona then suggests a test at a luxury watch store, Diamotch, so they can fully understand how the Lava Rock's powers work before boarding their plane.
Dragona and Usagi enter the store and attempt to test the Lava Rock on one of the $80,000 wristwatches. Although the watch disappears, and the staff accuses the duo of theft, they are soon proven innocent and released.[10]
Meanwhile, Jodio and Paco discover a grim warning in their food bag: the decapitated heads of the three cats they fought earlier. Jodio surmises that the cats' owner must be an enemy attempting to reclaim the Lava Rock.[11] Paco suggests they relinquish the Lava Rock to its supposed original owner, but Jodio argues that they likely know more about the Rock than anyone else and adds that he doesn't expect the owner to let them live anyway. Suddenly, the real Paco returns with food, revealing that Jodio was with a fake one. The imposter Paco then sheds his disguise and attacks Jodio with a knife, slashing his neck.[10]
A New Ally
Paco saves Jodio, but the latter is temporarily incapacitated. Paco then engages the enemy in close-quarters combat. Although Paco is more experienced and can freely manipulate his muscles, the enemy wields a knife and has the ability to camouflage, even disappearing into thin air. After exchanging several blows, the foe disappears again. Dragona and Usagi return from the store just as the power of the Lava Rock causes the expensive watch to return to Dragona, carried by a seagull. However, the enemy reappears, snatches the Lava Rock, and also stabs Dragona in the neck.[12] Thankfully, Dragona displaces the wound onto a bottle to save themself. In addition, Jodio wounds the attacker with November Rain, allowing the group to follow the trail of blood.
The crew follows the trail to a car parked by the sea, where the enemy ambushes Jodio again before disappearing. The group loses the blood trail, but since the enemy is carrying the Lava Rock, they use the diamond as a compass to track him down. They follow it to the shore, where he ambushes Paco this time. Jodio grabs the enemy and drags him underwater with him. Although the enemy pins him down, Jodio is able to breathe using the air leaking from an inflatable raft that Usagi kicks into the water. He then grabs onto the enemy to force him to stay underwater longer. While Jodio and the enemy struggle underwater, Paco tells the others that he noticed the cat heads in the food bag were actually just potatoes disguised by the enemy's Stand. Thus, Paco decides to save the enemy and make him an ally instead so they can help each other.[13]
The fight ends, and the crew brings their former foe, now revealed to be "Charming Man," with them to Oahu. Charming Man is interested in the Lava Rock not because of its properties, but because it comes from the slopes of Mt. Hualalai, where his little brother Mauka disappeared after falling into one of the lava tubes and being swept away by a mysterious water flow, along with someone lurking in the shadows. Charming Man never found his brother, and even the rescuers dismissed his case. His last lead came when he saw Rohan conducting his research. At the airport, Dragona and Usagi surprisingly retrieve the luxury wristwatch, though it is broken. After their flight, they return to Iko Iko and present the diamond and other stolen items to Meryl, while also introducing Charming Man.[14]
Dragona recalls a pivotal moment in their life that led to their family's current situation. Four years ago, Dragona was being bullied by a classmate whose parents were wealthy and influential enough to control the livelihoods of the school employees, making the bully seemingly untouchable. Intending to avenge Dragona, Jodio trapped Dragona's classmates in a bus and set it on fire using his November Rain. Although he stopped short of killing them, around twenty students and the teacher were hospitalized with major burns. Dragona surmised Jodio was the culprit but kept it a secret, understanding that it was a form of support from their little brother. Discovering Smooth Operators, Dragona transferred the scar on their chest caused by the assault onto a spoon, moving the wound away.
Unfortunately, the incident caused Jodio and Dragona's father to lose his job at the insurance company, as he was pressured by Dragona's bully's influential parents into agreeing to pay an exorbitant sum to the bus company. The father left Hawaii and his family behind, forcing them into difficult times. However, Meryl Mei picked up the Joestar brothers and offered them a "win-win" proposition. Thus, the Joestar siblings became gangsters working for Meryl in exchange for the protection and even prestige that being in a gang brought to the Joestars.
Back in the present, Dragona and Paco present Charming Man to Meryl and explain the story surrounding Mt. Hualalai, the Lava Rock, and Mauka. The main obstacle to the gang is the owner of the slopes on Mt. Hualalai, a land development company named "HOWLER." Meryl hatches a grand scheme to claim the rights to the entire mountain.[15]
The Land Registry Heist
Jodio, Dragona, Paco, Usagi, and Charming Man are sent to the Hawaii State Land Registry Office. There, Dragona, Usagi, and Charming Man head inside the building to locate the original land deeds proving that the HOWLER Company owns land in Hawaii. Using their Stand abilities, the trio successfully disguises their identities while Charming Man requests to consult the deeds. The staff escorts the group to the archive, where the clerk presents the original land deeds to Usagi and Dragona on a table. They manage to have the Lava Rock touch all 48 land deeds and then quickly exit the office.
However, as Jodio and Paco arrive to pick them up, Usagi suddenly feels ill. He collapses on the floor, vomiting and choking, while Charming Man notices that Usagi's neck is covered in rock-like scabs.[16] For a moment, the group is puzzled about the true nature of the situation. Usagi suffocates and has to ask Dragona to use THE MATTEKUDASAI to turn into a straw, pierce his own lung, and insert the straw to breathe before he's brought inside the van. After debating whether Usagi is under attack or simply suffering from withdrawal, the crew notices that the clerk who helped them earlier is being carried away in an ambulance, suffering from the same mysterious illness. Charming Man decides to investigate Usagi's lung, using Bigmouth Strikes Again to insert his eyeball into Usagi's body. He discovers a Stand damaging Usagi's blood vessels and tries to pull it out but becomes sick as well, developing a tumor around his eye. At the same time, Dragona also begins to fall ill as another of the same Stand attacks her.[17] Dragona manages to send Smooth Operators inside their body to catch the Stand, and Jodio's November Rain destroys it using a raindrop sent into Dragona's mouth, allowing them to breathe again. However, Charming Man fails to catch the enemy Stand inside Usagi's body and warns that the Stand is likely headed for Usagi's brain. Jodio then instructs Paco to drive to a hospital so they can use an MRI scanner to locate the Stand and save Usagi.[18]
Unbeknownst to the crew, back at the Hawaii State Land Registry Office, a man named "Agent" Bobby Jean and a young girl named Lulu are investigating the incident on behalf of HOWLER. They notice a discrepancy between the group who consulted the land deeds and the group being attacked by Lulu's Stand, Bags Groove. They decide to follow the heroes' trail to eliminate them.
Jodio and his team eventually arrive at the hospital but mistakenly go to the ICU, where they find the clerk from the registry office, unconscious. Her grieving father, Congressman White, is present and believes that HOWLER poisoned her. He plans to seize HOWLER's land, showing a document on his tablet, but his assistant warns him not to. The woman's ECG monitor suddenly flatlines, and in his panic, the congressman leaves his tablet behind as he rushes into Sophie's room. Seizing the opportunity, Dragona and the others use White's tablet to submit the document, using Smooth Operators to drag his fingerprint onto the sensor.[18]
As soon as the land is seized, Acca Howler, the CEO of HOWLER, is informed by his banker, Mack from Dolphin Bank. Virtually ruined, Howler immediately suspects that the Lava Rock is involved and calls Lulu, instructing her to retrieve it. Lulu and Bobby Jean eventually track down the group, and Bobby Jean opens fire on them using his Stand, Glory Days.[19] Bobby Jean and Lulu head to the front lobby, expecting to have killed their targets, but Lulu insists on returning to the basement level. However, the gang has evaded major injuries from the bullets by using their Stands to defend themselves. Meanwhile, Usagi successfully creates an MRI with THE MATTEKUDASAI, but his mental and physical states continue to deteriorate. Dragona and Charming Man take photos inside Usagi's brain using the MRI, while Paco and Jodio stand guard by the elevator. Bobby and Lulu exit the elevator just as Paco enters it to check out the first floor. Suddenly, several bullets are fired at Paco while he is alone inside the elevator, leading him to realize that their enemies were the two who just exited. Meanwhile, Mack arrives at the hospital to pick up stomach medicine, only to be instantly shot in the head by a stray bullet from Glory Days.[20]
Characters & Stands
Locations
The JOJOLands currently takes place throughout Hawaii.
Reception
According to the Japanese Oricon sales charts, the first volume of The JOJOLands lasted in the top 50 physical manga sales for a month and a half, selling around 243,067 copies as of September 24, 2023. It debuted with an estimated number of 93,918 copies sold within two days, ranking in 1st place overall on the week of August 14, 2023 to August 20, 2023.[21] The second volume lasted in the top 50 physical manga sales for about a month, selling around 214,917 copies as of January 14, 2024.
| Volume | Date | Rank | Physical Copies Sold | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Volume 1
|
August 14, 2023 – August 20, 2023 | #1 | 93,918[21] | 93,918 |
| August 21, 2023 – August 27, 2023 | #2 | 78,484[22] | 172,402 | |
| August 28, 2023 – September 3, 2023 | #8 | 30,307[23] | 202,709 | |
| September 4, 2023 – September 10, 2023 | #30 | 16,192[24] | 218,901 | |
| September 11, 2023 – September 17, 2023 | #35 | 12,902[25] | 231,803 | |
| September 18, 2023 – September 24, 2023 | #41 | 11,264[26] | 243,067 | |
Volume 2
|
December 18, 2023 – December 24, 2023 | #2 | 131,437[27] | 131,437 |
| December 25, 2023 – December 31, 2023 | #5 | 44,259[28] | 175,696 | |
| January 1, 2024 – January 7, 2024 | #13 | 27,232[29] | 202,928 | |
| January 8, 2024 – January 14, 2024 | #41 | 11,989[30] | 214,917 | |
Volume 3
|
April 15, 2024 – April 21, 2024 | #4 | 89,029[31] | 89,029 |
| April 22, 2024 - April 28, 2024 | #7 | 48,891[32] | 137,920 | |
| April 29, 2024 - May 5, 2024 | #15 | 26,810[33] | 164,730 | |
| May 6, 2024 - May 12, 2024 | #26 | 15,160[34] | 179,890 | |
| May 13, 2024 - May 19, 2024 | #40 | 8,912[35] | 188,802 | |
Volume 4
|
August 19, 2024 – August 25, 2024 | #1 | 105,234[36] | 105,234 |
| August 26, 2024 - September 1, 2024 | #5 | 31,103[37] | 136,337 |
Creation and Development
Araki previously mentioned in an interview at the start of Steel Ball Run that he had already planned out the general outlines for each part up to Part 9.[38] When asked what country he would be interested in depicting in the future, he stated that he would like to go to Northern Europe or the Scottish Highlands.[39] He has also mentioned wanting to depict Morioh in Part 9 as well.[40] When receiving the Iwate Hometown Special Manga Award for JoJolion on December 19, 2021, Araki stated that Part 9 of JoJo was in the works.[41]
When the part was first announced, it was originally named simply "JOJOLANDS" (ジョジョランズ, JoJoranzu). However, the name was altered to The JOJOLands (ザ・ジョジョランズ, Za JoJoranzu) when it was later revealed in both Ultra Jump and JOJO magazine on December 19, 2022.[42][43] Some other proposed titles were "JOJOLANDS 9" (ジョジョランズ９, JoJoranzu 9) and "MADE IN JOJOLANDS" (メイド イン ジョジョランズ, Meido in JoJoranzu). The stylization "The JOJOLand(s)" was also proposed.[44] Noriko Narumi designed the logo based on a "traffic sign" motif because of the feeling she got after seeing the scenery of Hawaii in the first chapter. She added arrows because of JoJo's iconic "To be continued" arrow, volcanoes erupting vertically, and the upward aspirations of young people. The triangular edges to the letters represent a traveling vibe with tickets, airplanes, passports, and such.[44]
Gallery
Hirohiko Araki - New Year's Card (2023)
Ultra Jump February 2023 Next Issue Preview
Wall Mural in Shibuya Station
Illustration card released with Ultra Jump April 2023
Illustration card released with Ultra Jump April 2023
Spine Art
Ultra Jump March 2023 Cover
Ultra Jump June 2023 Cover
Ultra Jump September 2023 Cover
Ultra Jump January 2024 Cover
Ultra Jump May 2024 Cover
Ultra Jump September 2024 Cover
Ultra Jump March 2023 Back Cover
Ultra Jump April 2023 Back Cover
Ultra Jump May 2023 Back Cover
Ultra Jump August 2023 Back Cover
Ultra Jump September 2023 Back Cover
Clean reveal artwork (Ultra Jump January 2023)
Clean reveal artwork (Ultra Jump February 2023)
TJL Chapter 1 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 2 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 3 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 5 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 6 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 8 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 9 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 10 Tailpiece
TJL Chapter 11 Tailpiece
Release date announcement in JOJO magazine 2022 WINTER
Reveal artwork in Ultra Jump January 2023
Reveal artwork in Ultra Jump February 2023
Poster Advertising the Ultra Jump March 2023 Issue
Ultra Jump March 2023 T-Shirt
Banner in the Ultra Jump webpage
Parts 1-9 Mural at Shibuya Station
Parts 1-9 Promo at Harajuku Station
Parts 1-9 Promo at Shinjuku Station
Parts 1-9 Promo at Shinjuku Station
Ultra Jump November 2023 Stickers
Videos
See also
References
- ↑ JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 9: The JOJOLands Begins In February 2023
- ↑ Official Site
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 3: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 6: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 7: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 2
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 9: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 8: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 3
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 10: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 2
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 11: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 3
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 12: Charming Man
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 13: Joestar Brothers
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 14: Aim for That Fifty Billion Dollars, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 15: Aim for That Fifty Billion Dollars, Part 2
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 16: Lulu's Bags Groove, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 17: That Girl's Bags Groove, Part 2
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 18: That Girl's Bags Groove, Part 3
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2023年08月14日～2023年08月20日" (Archived), Oricon News, August 28, 2023.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2023年08月21日～2023年08月27日" (Archived), Oricon News, September 4, 2023.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2023年08月28日～2023年09月03日" (Archived), Oricon News, September 11, 2023.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2023年09月04日～2023年09月10日" (Archived), Oricon News, September 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Oricon Sales Chart - September 11 to 17, 2023", on Twitter, September 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Oricon Sales Chart - September 18 to 24, 2023", on Twitter, September 29, 2023.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2023年12月18日～2023年12月24日" (Archived), Oricon News, January 1, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2023年12月25日～2023年12月31日" (Archived), Oricon News, January 8, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2024年01月01日～2024年01月07日" (Archived), Oricon News, January 15, 2024.
- ↑ "Oricon Sales Chart - January 8 to January 14, 2024", on Twitter, January 19, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2024年04月15日～2024年04月21日" (Archived), Oricon News, April 29, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2024年04月22日～2024年04月28日" (Archived), Oricon News, May 6, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2024年04月29日～2024年05月05日" (Archived), Oricon News, May 13, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2024年05月06日～2024年05月12日" (Archived), Oricon News, May 20, 2024.
- ↑ "Oricon Sales Chart - May 13 to May 19, 2024", on Twitter, May 24, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2024年08月19日～2024年08月25日" (Archived), Oricon News, September 2, 2024.
- ↑ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2024年08月26日～2024年09月01日" (Archived), Oricon News, September 9, 2024.
- ↑ Aomaru Jump (February 2004)
- ↑ Rurubu Moriohcho (March 2016)
- ↑ Jump Square (December 2007)
- ↑ Araki Reveals New Rohan Kishibe One-Shot Releasing Early 2022
- ↑ Ultra Jump, January 2023
- ↑ JOJO magazine 2022 WINTER
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 MdN (September 2023)
| People | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manga |
| ||||||
| Media |
| ||||||
