⚜ Carla. Making gifs and edits, sharing official news and updates on all things JJBA while occasionally getting emotional over fictional characters. Providing the community with 100% fresh, organic JoJos. I am not on Twitter or any other social media spaces. Living a Polnareff appreciation life. All you need is love and a clean toilet.
I think Jon Rod (imma call him ROD Stewart for now until an official name is given) is scary because newer JoJo parts have a more grounded look to the characters, stands, animals, etc. Like earlier parts Araki was still figuring out what he wanted to do with his art style so something that looks a little different can be accepted as is, but nowadays there's a uniform sense of how things like proportions and features should look and work.
So this looks super scary in an out of place sort of way. Like a Looney Tunes character almost.
I understand your point - personally I like it, it keeps readers on their toes and we've just now started to see the potential of this stand. Who knows what else it can do or who's the absolute unit that owns it; the next chapter of JJLs is set for Sep. 17th so we won't have to wait long for (potentially) more Rod Homie
Between Kyoka, John Rod, and the torture dance, was this the single most powerful Jojo chapter of all time?
I can't commit to saying it for the ENTIRE series but for part 9, I completely agree - Rohan's original (re)debut was diabolically funny and I'm glad I was around for that day but this chapter was truly built different.
I'm thinking that the Kyoka appearance was (beyond trolling) meant to confirm a longstanding theory since Rohan's first appearance in the Jojolands that the new universe is where all (or at least most) of the Thus Spoke Rohan stories have taken place in.
That theory only holds up with the last 3 TSKR one-shots, given that in most previous ones there are appearances or mentions of characters from the original Part 4 universe - Koichi, Yukako, Tonio, Josuke etc. These cameos stop from Hot Summer Martha (March 2022) onwards, and we now know for certain that at the very least the latest story Bruschetta (April 2025) does take place in the Part 9 universe, as in it Rohan is in Hawaii; has a videocall with Kyoka where he tells her to personally come pick up his manuscripts... and on the latest chapter of JOJOLands poof! here she is for that exact purpose. And quick side note - I would never call this trolling - if it's a one-off appearance, it is most definitely a little treat for TSKR fans.
The reason I was pointing out dates is that Hot Summer Martha is the first TSKR story to come out after the live action show started airing (December 2020 - as the previous manga release was The Run in early 2018). So after the show started airing and became a big success in Japan, not only did Araki start including Kyoka - who thus far had only appeared in ONE early episode - in every subsequent one, but he enriched her personality and dynamic with Rohan based directly off the show (as he should because they're entertainment gold together). You don't even need to take my word for it, hear it from the man himself:
(Vol. 3 of TSKR; credit for translation: JoJowiki)
For as amused as I am by these developments, I am now entertaining theories on how does she fit into the main JJBA continuity where it comes to the universe reset - Rohan was, until now, the only character to appear in the post-reset unchanged, but now along pops Kyoka just as unchanged so is she just cosmically so integral to the great Rohan Kishibe that she got transplanted into the new universe alongside him? Did Rohan himself use Heaven's Door to add a "must never be apart from me" clause into her soul? Idk man it's so funny to me. Oh and also ALSO very funny to be is the cycle of affection going on here - you have the live action actors falling in love on the show and marrying, Araki by his own admission growing very fond of Kyoka which then in turn reflects on how he writes the characters to play off each other more warmly. I wonder if he even realizes he wrote her to be "thematically essential" to Rohan from the very start - I'll put this final bit under a read more because how tf am I still yappin about this
On the very first story Kyoka features in (Millionaire's Village), rule breaking is punished with "the loss of something dear to you" - Kyoka's first loss is the baby chick her and Rohan rescued earlier, followed by her mother and then-fiancé. Meanwhile, the loss Rohan suffers for his one and only "breach of politeness" was literally Kyoka's life
- a scenario Araki semi-emulated in Hot Summer Martha where Rohan's stalker Eve assumes he's "cheating on her" with Kyoka and nearly kills them both for it, at which point a dying Rohan keeps pleading for Kyoka's life over his own
And if we consider Bakin as Rohan's most beloved companion (which he is!! that's his baby fr), it's worth mentioning that both the live action and manga go through the trouble to show time and time again how Kyoka is basically his second parent - she frequently walks him on the show, is shown confiding in and petting him in all epis since the doggo was introduced, and she's most certainly the one dogsitting him while Rohan is clowning around outside the country.
Oh and speaking of animals, the baby chick she rescued with a bit of "uninterested" collaboration from Rohan in Millionaire Village was alright by the end, which he was clearly happy about
So they work together on Rohan's manga sure, but they also care for animals together, he protects her from all the supernatural nonsense she has no real understanding of, and in return she keeps him grounded by any means necessary - be it annoying him, offering different perspectives he'd never come up with, help with research, etc... oh and she out-fashions him on the regular which I believe is important to keep his ass humble lmfao
Kyoka canon in JOJOLands fashionmogging the great Rohan Kishibe (who calls her by her first name, unlike in the show???)
Kyoka coming all the way from Morioh to deal with his insufferable ass and being disappointed he only called her over for minor edits (knowing her, I assume she was hoping he had called her over to tag along for some adventure/investigation)
Kyoka and Rohan's recurring door-shutting gag from the live action show canon in JOJOLands
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