Last weekend the creator of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Hirohiki Araki took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge campaign to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
For anyone interested in making a charitable donation, please check out the ALS Association website.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 2004, before being transferred to the monthly seinen magazine Ultra Jump in 2005. The current story arc, JoJolion, started in 2011. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is currently Shueisha’s second largest manga series with its chapters collected into 111 tankōbon volumes and counting (only Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo, with over 180, has more).
A six-volume original video animation adaptation of the later half of the series’ third story arc, Stardust Crusaders, was released from 1993 to 1994 by studio A.P.P.P. Six years later, they produced a seven-volume series adapting the arc’s first half from 2000 to 2002. A.P.P.P. also produced a theatrical film of the first arc, Phantom Blood, in 2007. From 2003 to 2005, Super Techno Arts released an English dub of both OVA series as one on DVD in North America. The third story arc of the manga received an English release in North America from 2005 to 2010 by Viz Media, who will also publish the first and second arcs in 2015. A 26-episode television anime, produced by David Production and covering the first two arcs, aired on Tokyo MX and other stations starting in October 2012 and ending in April 2013. A second season covering the third arc titled JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders began broadcast in April 2014.
The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga has sold over 80 million copies in Japan alone, making it one of the best-selling manga series in history, and has spawned a large media franchise that includes several novelizations and video games, action figures, a jewelry line, and even snack foods.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012) synopsis from Haruhichan:
Beginning its tale in 19th century England, young aristocrat Jonathan Joestar finds himself locked in bitter rivalry with Dio Brando, a low-born boy who Jonathan’s father took under his wing after the death of Dio’s father. Discontent with his station in life, Dio’s fathomless lust to reign over all eventually leads him to seek the supernatural powers of an ancient Aztec stone mask in the Joestar’s possession—an artifact that will forever change the destiny of Dio and Jonathan for generations to come. Fifty years later, in 1938 New York City, Jonathan’s grandson Joseph Joestar must take up his grandfather’s mission and master the abilities necessary to destroy the stone mask and its immensely powerful creators who threaten humanity’s very existence, the Pillar Men.
Source: Shonen Jump Twitter
