As much as I love Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, it shocks me that I have not posted about it at all.

Let me preface this by saying I have seen the anime to date, and I am working on collecting the manga. Any time I am at a con, I will scan for the Jojo merch and grab what I can if there’s any available — most of the time it’s sold out. I once missed a panel at Anime NYC, and Araki sensei showed up… I’ve never missed a panel since. I also had the pleasure of introducing Muslim scholars and students alike to JJBA, plot, and pictures. I still get reminded of it.

To the quick review…

Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe is a collection of experiences Rohan has seen or heard. What was interesting to me was the table of contents.

Each of these eerie tales was just as bizarre as the last. If Araki is one thing, he’s consistent. Our dripped-out protagonist will do anything for the plot, a good story, and artwork.

If you’re not familiar with Rohan, allow me to catch you up to speed (feel free to breeze past). He first appeared in JJBA: Diamond Is Unbreakable (my personal favorite part) with Josuke Higashikata. Rohan’s stand is Heaven’s Door and allows him to turn people into books so he can read their memories and write on their “pages” to control their behavior. Rohan is a famous mangaka who moved to Morioh, Japan, because of the strange activities. All of this makes sense for what happens in this spin-off.

At the end of each chapter, Araki adds reflections from his creative process, which is common in manga. However, Araki informs the reader that in 1997, Weekly Shonen Jump wanted him to write a one-shot that wasn’t a spin-off or a side story. He did it anyway.

Araki places Rohan in the story as a narrator. He provides background insight, similar to The Twilight Zone, as we go through these supernatural stories with him. When reading, I felt like the Mr. Krabs meme. At no point do you ever know what will come next with JJBA. There are no closed ends, just more questions you’ll never get the answers to, because the job is done. Rohan observes, collects, and departs.

There are three volumes of Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe, each with an even more insane experience than the last.

Why I Love Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has such a special place in my heart. Primarily because I found it by accident. I wasn’t looking for it. I wasn’t recommended the show. I found it, was confused, but in a Jay-Z kinda way.

Yes, it is bizarre. But the show never claimed to be normal. So many iconic memes and references come from JJBA, but most importantly, from the mind of Araki-sensei. Each character is tied to art in some way. Even the songs in the opening and outro are from Araki-sensei’s playlist when he was making the manga. Of course, Rohan would be a mangaka with the same desire and quirkiness as Araki-sensei — he’s practically him as a character!

Araki-sensei has had his work in the Louvre, has had collab, after collab, after collab. For good reason! Every great piece of work, every iconic song or singer, and piece of fashion has been referenced in Jojo. We are all well aware at this point that the end of Golden Wind is Jodeci’s Freek’n You. Were we ALL shocked? Yes. Surprised? Not at all.

This series holds that special place in my heart because it shows just how powerful art is. How it crosses borders and transcends any language barrier. I love it when a piece of media really allows you to see in every direction, challenge your own thoughts, and be completely unserious.

If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’re just as excited as I am about Steel Ball Run dropping this Thursday. Eid came at a perfect time.