“Now, you might think this sounds like a load of bullshit, but this is a story about a boy becoming a man of great wealth in the subtropical islands... The story of Jodio Joestar.”
Part 9 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, subtitled The JOJOLands, is likely the final part in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series,[1] and is preceded by JoJolion. Jodio Joestar is the protagonist, and Acca Howler is the main antagonist. The Howler Company acts as the villainous faction.
It is the third part set in the second continuity, that takes place in a parallel world from the first six parts. It tells the story of Jodio on his journey to become filthy rich through the means of a Lava Rock with the power to change the flow of money.
Originally titled JOJOLANDS when it was announced, Part 9 is the ongoing most recent part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. It began serialization in monthly Ultra Jump in 2023 and has currently amassed 5 tankoban volumes.
As of now Part 9 has yet to receive an official English translation.
Official Description[]
JOJO Portal Site[]
The story is set on Hawaii, a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. Jodio Joestar, a young boy living on Oahu, has the ambition of becoming a millionaire. It means that while living on the island, he will be at the top of the "mechanism" of this world that he has to face every day. On islands where light and shadow interweave, an unpredictable story begins!
Summary[]
The First Mission[]
Jodio and Dragona Joestar, Paco Laborantes, and Usagi Aloha'oe are sent on a mission to infiltrate the villa of a rich Japanese tourist to steal a priceless diamond. They enter the villa and discover that it is owned by Japanese manga artist, Rohan Kishibe. While sneaking around his house they discover tons of volcanic rock, and one locked away in the same safe as the diamond they're there to steal. While on their way out, they are attacked by a Stand User cat, and caught by Rohan, who uses his Stand on them to determine they are not a threat. Jodio is able to free his friends and tie up Rohan, and he realizes that the cooled lava kept in the safe with the diamond is more valuable than the thing they came for. He takes it and makes a deal with Rohan before he leaves, and Rohan tells him that the "laws of nature" are within the lava, and he must accept the responsibility of taking it.
Battle in the Jungle[]
As the group leaves, they are followed by multiple of the cats that were in Rohan's villa, who attack them in the jungle. The group is tied down by their wire Stand, and Usagi is nowhere to be seen, so they assume he left and stole all their valuables, including the Lava Rock. The group continues to be attacked by the wire Stand, and they discover that it is coming from the cat's fur. They are at the brink of defeat when suddenly Usagi appears again and slams his car into the tree, knocking the cats out of the way. He uses the Lava Rock to lure the cats to him, and his Stand to trap them in a net. With the threat defeated, Jodio realizes that "something" was following Rohan even before he got his Hawaiian villa.
Owner of the Lava Rock[]
The group returns to the main city to relax a little before their flight back to Oahu. Dragona and Usagi go off to a diamond salesman to test out the capabilities of the Lava Rock, while Jodio and Paco hang by the car and get some food. Though they were almost arrested for stealing a precious diamond watch, Usagi and Dragona manage to figure out how the Lava Rock works -- Once it has "captured" something of value in its "flow," that thing eventually finds its way back to them. So while they were unable to acquire the diamond watch there, they were assured that it would eventually return to them.
Meanwhile, Paco and Jodio encounter an enemy that is able to shapeshift and hide himself in the scenery around them, who happens to be the owner of the cats who attacked them earlier. He first presents himself posing as Paco, but later attempts to stab Jodio when his identity is revealed. The rest of the gang comes together to fight this person, who Paco theorizes is a lone wolf, but the person is tricky, and ends up taking the rock for himself. They end up cornering him to a beach, with Jodio fighting him underwater, but Paco halts the fight to recruit him because he seems to have the same goal as them and is not an evil person.
The Second Mission[]
After their battle concludes, Jodio and his group recruit their former enemy, who introduces himself as Charming Man. He explains his pure motive—to save his younger brother—and reveals that he encountered Rohan while investigating mysterious phenomena related to lava rocks. Together, they return to Oahu and recount their journey to Meryl Mei Qi. Intrigued by the lava rocks’ potential, she suggests their next mission: climbing Hualalai to uncover the rocks’ full powers. The crew begins by visiting the Hawaii State Land Registry Office, where they acquire documents necessary to manipulate ownership of the land using the Lava Rock.
However, their mission takes a dangerous turn when Usagi is attacked by an unknown Stand that burrows into his heart. Charming Man uses his Stand to fight back, but touching the enemy infects him with cancer, which also spreads to Dragona and their ally. They trace the Stand's user to a young girl, Lulu, partnered with a man named Bobby Jean, who wields a Stand called Glory Days to launch slow-moving but deadly bullets. After a harrowing chase through a hospital, Jodio defeats Bobby Jean in a confrontation, prompting Lulu to withdraw her Stand and heal everyone affected. The crew then learns that a banker has also fallen ill, and his belongings—transported to them via the Lava Rock—reveal a scheme involving billions in debt collected by Howler. This discovery inspires Jodio to confront both the bank and Howler, as the team regroups with Meryl Mei for their next move.
Chapters[]
| Chapter Name | Volume Name | Volume Cover | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
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Volume 1: Departure |   |
 August 19, 2023
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Volume 2: "Ascend" |   |
December 19, 2023
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Volume 3: "Time to Make Some Money" |   |
April 18, 2024
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Volume 4: "Joestar Brothers" |   |
August 19, 2024
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Volume 5: "Deed" |   |
December 18, 2024
|
| Volume 6: "TBA" | July 17, 2025
|
Chapters not yet in Tankōban format[]
- Chapter 21: HOWLER Company Impropriety Suspicions
- Chapter 22: Dolphin Bank's Debt Collection, Part 1
- Chapter 23: Dolphin Bank's Debt Collection, Part 2
- Chapter 24: Dolphin Bank's Debt Collection, Part 3
- Chapter 25: Laem Chabang's Investigation
Story Arcs[]
Characters[]
Stands[]
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  |
  |
  |
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| November Rain | Smooth Operators
Dragona Joestar |
The Hustle
Paco Laborantes |
The Matte Kudasai
Usagi Aloha'oe |
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Charming Man |
  |
  |
  |
  |
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| Unknown Stand | Heaven's Door
Rohan Kishibe |
Cat Size
Wild Cat Size |
Bags' Groove
Lulu |
Glory Days
Bobby Jean |
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||||
| Unnamed Nematode Stand
Laem Chabang |
Unnamed Inflation Stand
Ningbo |
Media[]
International Releases[]
Japanese
French
Italian
Chinese (digital)
Thai
TaiwaneseVariations[]
Digital Color 
Fnac Edition
Bonus Volume 4 cover released in Ultra Jump
Variant Cover EditionCreation & Development[]
The potential for a ninth part has been discussed by Araki multiple times throughout the span of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. In an interview during with Aomaru Jump in 2004, Araki mentioned that he had the general outlines done for Parts 7, 8, and 9.[2] In another interview with Jump Square in 2007, Araki stated that he wants to return to writing about the town of Morioh in Parts 8 and 9.[3] During Lucca Con 2019, a fan asked Araki if he could make a new part in Italy, to which he replied that he would think about it.[4] In an interview with Rurubu Morioh that came with JoJolion Volume 12, Araki said he wanted to write a story in a location with a "lonely feel" to it, like the Scottish Highlands.[5]
Alternate titles for Part 9 before The JOJOLands was picked were JOJOLANDS, Made in JOJOLANDS, and JOJOLANDS 9.[6]
According to the third issue of JOJO magazine, Araki had already planned out all of Jodio's story arc by the end of JoJolion.
Araki considered setting The JOJOLands in Indonesia, Suruga Bay, or Mexico, but settled on Hawaii.
Iconography[]
The JOJOLands arrow motif
Some of the parts media has represented it with tropical themes, due to it taking place in Hawaii. This includes iconography of palm trees, volcanoes, and the ocean.
An arrow pointing upward is also used in the official logo design, which may represent Jodio's desire to rise above all the rest to become filthy rich. Jodio's main pose of his hands up may also reflect the theme of rising up. In an interview with Niroko Narumi, the graphic designer of the past two parts, she based the arrow motif on traffic signs after the feeling she got reading the first chapter. The upwards pointing arrows also represent volcanoes erupting vertically, and the desire of young people to climb "up and up," reflecting Jodio's desire to become rich. The sharp and triangular edges to the letters of the official logo were made with a traveling vibe in mind, representing things like tickets, airplanes, and passports.[6]
Logos[]
| The JOJOLands logos | |
|---|---|
 Official logo |
Trivia[]
- Its original release date of February 2023 makes the break between Parts 8 and 9 the longest wait between parts so far, being 18 months in total. The previous record was between Parts 6 and 7 which was 9 months long.
- The JOJOLands's tentative title before release was "JOJOLANDS" in all capital letters. This makes Part 8 the only part not to have its name changed at all before or after its serialization.
- Chapter 1 "Departure" is the longest chapter in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series to date, at 69 pages in length.
- The graphic designer who created the official The JOJOLands logo is named Noriko Narumi, and she also created the JoJolion logo as well.[6]
- A few arc and chapter titles in Part 9 seem to be references to previous arc title trends from the past.
- Chapter 8's magazine title, "Let's Go Look at Luxury Watches," is a reference to the style of Part 4 arc titles. It is reminiscent of "Let's Go Eat Italian Food", "Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House", "Let's Go Hunting", and "Let's Live on a Transmission Tower." The chapter also has two of the main characters looking at something expensive they shouldn't be buying, similar to how Josuke, Okuyasu, and Shigechi visited the bank to scam them out of money they "earned."
- The "Lulu's Bags' Grooves" Arc is also reminiscent of Part 3's arc naming scheme, similar to "DIO's World" Arc and "Boingo's Tohth and Hol Horse's Emperor" Arc.
- The "Dolphin Bank's Debt Collection" Arc is reminiscent of the Part 6 arc, "Marilyn Manson, Debt Collector" Arc.
- Certain arc titles in Part 9 seem to follow a naming convention of [Location] - Arc Title. The first two arcs are named after Hualalai and then Kailua-Kuna respectively.
- Charming Man's fake Hawaii license in Chapter 14 is literally based on President Barack Obama's Hawaii license, with his actual name and written address on the card.
- Araki points out in his book Hirohiko Araki's Manga Technique: How to Create Villains that Part 9 is about a scumbag's journey of growth, as everyone in Jodio's group is a scumbag in some way, and so too are the enemies they fight.
- According to Araki, the volcanic setting of Part 9 embodies JoJo's recurring theme of rocks as symbols of life energy, connecting back to earlier parts with items like the Stone Mask, the Red Stone of Aja, and the Arrow.
Continuity[]
- The brand of wine bottle that Usagi steals from Rohan's villa in Chapter 9 released in the real world in 2022, meaning that Part 9 must take place in the early 2020s, a little more than 10 years after the events of JoJolion.
- Dragona also mentions Dua Lipa and COVID-19 in the first chapter, also confirming that the part takes place in the 2020s.
- JOJO magazine 2023 Winter further confirms that it takes place in 2023 due to Rohan having the latest iPad model.
- Jodio and Dragona are said to be the grandchildren of Joseph Joestar, making them first cousins of Yoshikage and Kei Kira. In the family tree revealing this, Kei is absent, however this may have been due to Yoshikage scrubbing her name from the records.
- This reveal seemingly contradicts what is said in JoJolion, that is that Holy Joestar-Kira was Joseph's only daughter.
- They also mention that they moved from Atlantic City, New Jersey, which is where Joseph got a job at a casino.
- It is currently unknown how the protagonists of this part received their Stands. The method of receiving Stands in the past two parts was related to the Devil's Palms or Morioh's Wall Eyes, so there may possibly be a similar phenomenon in Hawaii, but that is unclear at the moment.
- A character similar to Rohan Kishibe from the original series appears in Chapter 2. He has a dog named Bakin and the same character Pink Dark Boy, and has the same Stand, Heaven's Door. It seems at present that there is a distinction between their abilities, in that he has to actually touch his victim to open them up into a book.
- The scene of Rohan touching Dragona's hand is very similar to that of his first scene grabbing Koichi's hand when he comes to his house in Part 5.
- It is revealed in the book Hirohiko Araki's Manga Technique: How to Create Villains, that this version of Rohan is from Part 8's Morioh, he was just never seen during the events of JoJolion.
- Wild Cat Size is the first animal Stand User in the main series since Coco Jumbo in Part 5, and their Stand Cat Size is the first Stand to share multiple users since Tattoo You! in Part 7.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ "considering my age, I think I'll probably keep going until about the ninth part." Quick Japan (December 2007) - JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia | JoJo Wiki
- ↑ "I've generally decided on the themes up to around JoJo Part 9." Aomaru Jump (February 2004) - JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia | JoJo Wiki
- ↑ "I want to put something else in that town, so maybe I will draw it again someday... In Part 8 and 9 (laughs)" Jump SQ (December 2007) - JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia | JoJo Wiki
- ↑ Lucca Comics (October 2019) - JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia | JoJo Wiki
- ↑ (JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia on Twitter: "Araki on countries he'd like to draw - From Rurubu Morioh (March 2016) /Twitter
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Thorough dissection of the title logo and binding of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 9: The JOJOLands" and "Jojolion" [Interview] Designer Noriko Narumi |Digging deeper into the design MdN
[]
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Series | |
|---|---|
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Phantom Blood ∙ Battle Tendency ∙ Stardust Crusaders ∙ Diamond is Unbreakable ∙ Golden Wind ∙ Stone Ocean ∙ Steel Ball Run ∙ JoJolion ∙ The JOJOLands |
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Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan ∙ Deadman's Questions ∙ Crazy Heartbreakers |
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Jonathan Joestar ∙ Joseph Joestar ∙ Jotaro Kujo ∙ Josuke Higashikata ∙ Giorno Giovanna ∙ Jolyne Cujoh ∙ Johnny Joestar ∙ Josuke Higashikata (Part 8) ∙ Jodio Joestar | |
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The Passion ∙ Hermit Purple ∙ Star Platinum ∙ Crazy Diamond ∙ Gold Experience ∙ Stone Free ∙ Tusk ∙ Soft & Wet ∙ November Rain |
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Dio Brando ∙ Kars ∙ Yoshikage Kira ∙ Diavolo ∙ Enrico Pucci ∙ Funny Valentine ∙ Toru ∙ Acca Howler |
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The World ∙ Killer Queen ∙ King Crimson ∙ Whitesnake (C-Moon, Made in Heaven) ∙ Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap ∙ Wonder of U ∙ Acca Howler's Stand |
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