The most recent and quite possibly final part in the epic JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga series may at last be drawing to a close in August 2021. Series creator Hirohiko Araki is rumored to have announced in the Japanese release of the latest chapter that the next chapter, 110, will be the last in this arc.
The first installment in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure began running in 1987, and the family saga continued to be published weekly until 2004, at which point the series moved to a new magazine and a monthly release schedule. While the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga has always had a periphery fandom in the West thanks to its abundant references to pop culture, music and artists, the anime adaptation from 2012 led to an explosion of popularity. These references have also made it difficult to localize, with even the most popular part Stardust Crusaders not receiving an official translation until 2005, requiring significant changes to get around American copyright problems.
This most recent eighth part, JoJolion, has lasted longer than any other, having begun in May 2011 after the Tohoku Earthquake. The earthquake plays a significant role in the story's beginning, and seems to have informed the direction the plot has taken. According to Comicbook.com, a leaked version of chapter 109 from this month's Ultra Jump, the note from Araki indicates that the next chapter will be drawing JoJolion to a close after more than a decade. As of yet, Araki has made no indications that he plans to continue it into a ninth part, giving the impression that this JoJo may be the last.
Part 8 has been a bit different than many of the other parts. It follows on from the alternate universe established in Part 7, Steel Ball Run, and tells the tale of the Higashikata family, descendants of the Joestars, as they contend with a curse that's led to the death of the eldest male child in every generation. The amnesiac protagonist is given the name Josuke Higashikata as an in-joke to fans, but this is distinctly a very different Higashikata family from that featured in part four. While JoJolion still features the spirit powers known as Stands, much of the plot has instead revolved around an invasion of "Rock People," the miraculous Locacaca fruit, and the new ability established in Steel Ball Run, known as Spin. How these tie into the curse and Josuke's past has formed the core mystery of the story, but it has been exceptionally slow to unravel. Aside from the slow pacing, fans have also been critical of many of the characters, who often come across as callous and unlikable.
Still, even those who haven't been big fans of JoJolion may find themselves feeling a tinge of sadness, as the end of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is undoubtedly the end of an era. Such an influential and long-running manga coming to an end is bound to be felt throughout the industry, especially when the number of long-runners is dwindling quickly. The anime will continue on, having only just begun to adapt the sixth part, Stone Ocean, leaving a lot of material left to adapt. Even if JoJo's Bizarre Adventure winds up leaving the new manga shelves for good, fans can expect the franchise to stick around for years to come.
Source: Comicbook.com
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