The series is published by Shueisha, starting with the one-shot "Episode 16: At a Confessional" in 1997 in their Weekly Shōnen Jump; new episodes have since appeared in their Jump Square, Shōnen Jump+, Bessatsu Margaret, JoJo Magazine, and Ultra Jump magazines. The series was originally meant to be completely original, but it was changed as Araki found it too tempting to use Rohan. A collected volume was released in 2013, and a second volume was released in 2018. The first volume was the 68th best-selling manga volume of 2014 in Japan and was well received by critics. Spin-off short stories by several writers were published in the Appendix Booklet of Ultra Jump magazine from 2017 to 2024. In 2018, they were compiled into two volumes: Rohan Kishibe Does Not Shout and Rohan Kishibe Does Not Frolic. Another volume, Rohan Kishibe Does Not Fall, was released in 2022, and the fourth one, Rohan Kishibe Does Not Laugh, in December 2024. Each volume included an additional original story, with the fourth one having two. Original video animation (OVA) adaptations were released by David Production from 2017 to 2020. A live-action adaptation premiered on NHK General TV in December 2020.
Synopsis
The series follows the character Rohan Kishibe, a famous manga artist who wants to give his works more realism, and therefore travels around the world to draw inspiration from people's lives. He does this by using his Stand ability[3] – a manifestation of his inner strength, named "Heaven's Door", which he uses to read and write in a person, allowing him to learn everything about them and alter their memories and behaviors.[4]
Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe is created by Hirohiko Araki in an episodic format. It began with "Episode 16: At a Confessional", which was published by Shueisha on July 7, 1997, in Weekly Shōnen Jump #30/1997.[5][6] He was asked to contribute a one-shot for the magazine by the editorial staff, with two requirements; it had to be shorter than 45 pages, and could not be a spin-off or side story.[7] However, he created a spin-off featuring the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure character Rohan Kishibe. Araki speculated that had he not been forbidden from making one, he probably would not have created a spin-off with Rohan, and for that he is grateful.[7] He also said that he created a version of the story without the Diamond Is Unbreakable character, but found it much better with Rohan's commentary.[7] For later episodes, the series switched back and forth between different Shueisha publications, with new episodes appearing in Weekly Shōnen Jump, Jump Square, Shōnen Jump+, Bessatsu Margaret, JoJo Magazine, and Ultra Jump.[5][6][8][9] "The Harvest Moon", the episode from the web magazine Shōnen Jump+, was part of the publication's launch line-up and was made available to read for free.[10] Looking back on them, Araki found each story to have a distinct "flavor" and influence depending on where it was published and noted this was not a conscious decision on his part.[11] He used to read the shōjo manga magazine Bessatsu Margaret at the house of a female relative when he was a kid. As such, he speculated that might be why "Deoxyribonucleic Acid" has an emotional, happy ending instead of a scary one like he typically uses.[11] The characters Tonio Trussardi and Yukako Yamagishi from Diamond Is Unbreakable appear in "Poaching Seashore" and "Deoxyribonucleic Acid", respectively.[7][11] Araki said the Mochizuki family in "The Harvest Moon" is reminiscent of the Higashikata family from JoJolion.[11] For "The Run", Araki said he revived the muscular character style he used for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure in the 1980s.[11]
In 2009, Araki's was one of five artists featured in the Louvre's Le Louvre invite la bande dessinée ("The Louvre Invites Comic-Strip Art") exhibition for his artwork of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. To commemorate this honor, he wrote Rohan at the Louvre (岸辺露伴 ルーヴルへ行く, Kishibe Rohan Rūvuru e Iku), a 123-page full color story starring Rohan Kishibe visiting the Louvre and discovering a cursed painting tied to his family.[12][13][14] The following year it was published in France and ran in Ultra Jump, and in May 2011 the one-shot was released as a standalone hardcover publication.[15]Rohan at the Louvre was slated to be translated and released in North America by NBM Publishing in February 2012, but eventually released in April of the same year instead.[16][17]
From September 17 to October 6, 2011, the Gucci store in Shinjuku hosted the Gucci x Hirohiko Araki x Spur "Rohan Kishibe Meets Gucci" Exhibition, a collaboration between the luxury Italian clothing brand, Araki, and the Japanese fashion magazine Spur.[18] The exhibit celebrated the 90th anniversary of Gucci and featured a life-size figure of Rohan Kishibe, as well as numerous illustrations by Araki that included actual pieces of the brand's own 2011–2012 fall/winter collection and his own original fashion designs.[18]
The October 2011 issue of the Japanese fashion magazine Spur featured another one-shot manga titled "Rohan Kishibe Meets Gucci" (岸辺露伴 グッチへ行く, Kishibe Rohan Guchi e Iku), in which Rohan goes to a Gucci factory to discover the secret behind a magical handbag.[19][20]
A collected volume of one-shots by Araki, titled Under Execution Under Jailbreak, was released in 1999 in Japan, containing "At a Confessional" along with three other stories.[21][22] A collected Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe volume was later released in Japan on November 19, 2013, containing the first four episodes, along with "Rohan Kishibe Meets Gucci."[6][23][24] A second volume containing the next four episodes was released in Japan on July 19, 2018.[25][26] In February 2022, Viz Media announced they licensed the series for English publication under the title Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe,[27] with the first volume released on September 27, 2022.[28] The first volume was also published by Star Comics in Italy on January 8, 2015, as Così parlò Rohan Kishibe,[29] and by Tonkam in France in April 2016 as Rohan Kishibe.[3]
Chapters
The magazine and date of original publication are listed beside the title of each chapter.
"Episode 4: The Harvest Moon" (望月家のお月見, Mochizuki-ke no Otsukimi, lit. "Mochizuki Family Moon Viewing") (Shōnen Jump+, September 22, 2014 (2014-09-22))[33]
The following chapters have not been released in collected tankōbon volumes:
"Episode 10: Hot Summer Martha" (ホットサマー・マーサ, Hotto Samā Māsa) (JoJo Magazine, March 19, 2022 (2022-03-19))[8]
"Episode 11: Drip Painting Style" (ドリッピング画法, Dorippingu Gahō) (Ultra Jump, April 19, 2022 (2022-04-19) – May 19, 2022 (2022-05-19))[9]
Original video animation
An original video animation (OVA) adaptation of "Episode 5: Millionaire Village"[36] was produced by the animation studio David Production, with direction by Toshiyuki Kato, direction assistance by Yasufumi Soejima, character design by Shun'ichi Ishimoto, and Stand design by Kenta Mimuro.[37] The opening theme, "Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai no Tema", is performed by Yuugo Kanno, while the ending theme, "Finding the Truth", is performed by Coda.[38] The OVA was distributed on DVD in 2017 to people who had purchased all thirteen Japanese DVD or Blu-ray volumes of the 2016 television anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable before July 31, 2017.[37][39] Kato made use of different coloring compared to the Diamond Is Unbreakable anime, to capture the feeling of horror in the manga, and directed the opening sequence to simultaneously give off a feeling of nostalgia and unease, referencing television shows like The Twilight Zone (1959) and Twin Peaks (1990).[36] A second OVA episode by the same studio and staff, adapting "Episode 2: Mutsu-kabe Hill", was released on DVD on July 19, 2018, in a bundle with pre-orders of the limited edition of the second manga volume.[40] A single containing the opening and ending themes was released on the same day as the second OVA episode.[38] Two new OVA episodes, adapting "Episode 16: At a Confessional" and "Episode 9: The Run", were screened theatrically in nine cities in Japan starting on December 8, 2019, and were released on DVD and Blu-Ray on March 25, 2020.[41][42]
At the Netflix Anime Festival in late October 2020, the company acquired streaming rights to the OVAs for a 2021 release.[43] In January 2021, Netflix announced that it would premiere on February 18.[44]Viz Media released the OVAs on Blu-ray in the U.S. on July 18, 2023.[45]
Rohan's editor, Kyōka Izumi, persuades him to accompany her to the exclusive and secluded Millionaire Village. She intends to buy a vacation villa and warns him that the residents are very particular about manners. Outside the village, the pair pick up a lost baby bird and then meet a doorman, Ikkyū. He soon claims they have already broken three strict rules and Kyōka begs for another chance. She then receives word that her mother and boyfriend have died in a car accident, while Rohan discovers the baby bird they rescued is dead. Using Heaven's Door on Ikkyū, Rohan discovers that the mountain gods reward those who follow correct manners while punishing those who do not by taking something precious away from them. By using his Stand, Rohan commits another violation, which causes Kyōka to have a heart attack. Rohan is then tasked with eating corn on the cob correctly to save her, but he sees through Ikkyū's set-up and passes the test. Meanwhile, Rohan simultaneously tricks Ikkyū into repeatedly breaching his own rules of etiquette, saving Kyōka and her loved ones.
Rohan asks his manga editor, Minoru Kaigamori, for an advance. To explain why he spent all his money buying forested mountains, Rohan tells him a story which took place at Mutsu-kabe Hill. Naoko Osato, the daughter of a wealthy family, accidentally killed her lover, the gardener Gunpei, after shoving him onto some golf clubs. Gunpei's body mysteriously continued to bleed from his head wound following his death, so she hid his body in the house. Daily, she disposed of the blood which flowed from his wound, even years after marrying her fiancé. Sometime later, Rohan encountered a girl in the area who accidentally tripped in front of him, fatally striking her head which began to bleed. Quickly using his Heaven's Door ability to rewrite her past, he saved her and learned that she was the child of Naoko and Gunpei, born after his death. He realized that she was possessed by a Yōkai that propagates itself through descendants, but decided to leave the family alone and let them have their own form of happiness. Rohan then used the experience as inspiration for his manga.
OVA3
"Episode 16: At a Confessional" "Episōdo 16: Zange-shitsu" (エピソード16:懺悔室)
December 8, 2019 (2019-12-08)
Rohan tells Koichi about the time he went to Venice, and entered a confessional. While inside, a man told him about his youth as a laborer where he had a beggar carry heavy bags of corn, which lead to his death. Afterwards, the beggar vowed he would take his revenge. The man's life then took a fortunate turn, and he became successful. Just when he was at his happiest, the spirit of the beggar took possession of his daughter. The spirit offered him a chance to redeem himself if he could throw a piece of popcorn in the air higher than a nearby lamppost and catch it in his mouth, three times in a row. If he succeeded the spirit would leave him forever, otherwise, he would cut off his head. He succeeded twice, but missed the third time and the spirit immediately cut off his head. While Rohan was wondering how the man could still be alive, the man's servant dragged himself into the church carrying his head, followed by the beggar. Venting his wrath at being duped, the servant and also the beggar vow to stalk him until his daughter is happiest, and then take their revenge.
OVA4
"Episode 9: The Run" "Episōdo 9 Za Ran" (エピソード#9 ザ・ラン)
December 8, 2019 (2019-12-08)
Yoma Hashimoto is recruited as a male model, and becomes quite successful, but also narcissistic and obsessed about his body shape. He encounters Rohan at the gym and after competing against him, becomes even more obsessive. Eventually, he steals money from his girlfriend Mika to buy more equipment and she throws him out. At the gym, Rohan challenges Yoma to a contest on two treadmills in which the first to reach 25 km/h can grab the remote control and stop their machine. Rohan beats Yoma, who demands a rematch. This time, Yoma intimidates Rohan, and when he tries to grab the remote early, Yoma breaks three of Rohan’s fingers. He also smashes the window behind them so the loser will be propelled through it. Rohan uses Heaven's Door and discovers that Yoma has killed anyone who interferes with his training. Yoma wins the contest, but Rohan had written on Yoma's hand that he would stop Rohan's treadmill instead of his own, so it is Yoma who is sent flying. Rohan regrets that he crossed the line by angering Yoma, who had become the avatar of the god of speed Hermes, and decides to run for his life.
Live action
NHK announced on October 13, 2020, that it is producing a three-episode live-action mini-series adaptation of Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe.[55] The adaptation of two stories from the manga (Millionaire Village and D.N.A) and one story from the short story collection (Kushagara) aired on NHK General TV and NHK BS4K on December 28, 29, and 30 respectively, 10 pm to 10:49 pm in Japan. On August 15, 2021, NHK announced that the series will have three new episodes that will air in December 2021.[56] They adapted two stories from the Rohan Kishibe manga (The Run and Mutsu-kabe Hill) and the Cheap Trick story arc from Diamond Is Unbreakable (From Behind). On August 20, 2022, NHK announced that new episodes will air in December 2022. They adapted one story from the Rohan Kishibe manga (Hot Summer Martha) and the Janken Boy Is Coming! story arc from Diamond Is Unbreakable (Rock-Paper-Scissors Boy).[57] On January 4, 2023, it was announced that the series is getting a live-action movie on May 26, 2023. The film is titled Rohan at the Louvre, based on the manga story of the same name. The cast and staff from the series returned for the movie.[58] On April 1, 2024, NHK announced that a new episode adapting the Poaching Seashore story from the manga will premiere on May 5, 2024.[59]
The first collected volume debuted to an estimated 278,268 copies sold for its first week on sale in Japan, ranking as third in the weekly Japanese top-50 comics charts, after Detective Conan volume 81 and Terra Formars volume 7.[60] It charted for four consecutive weeks, selling a total of 422,994 copies.[61][62][63] By May 2014, it had sold 526,719 copies,[64] and by November, sales had reached 553,380, making it the 68th best selling manga volume in Japan of 2014.[e][65] The second volume's standard and limited editions debuted to 132,283 and 20,128 copies sold, respectively, ranking as fourth and thirty-sixth in the weekly Japanese comic charts.[66]
The series was well received by critics.[4][29] Maria Antonietta Idotta of MangaForever said that the series managed to express full range of drama, depth, and complexity typical of Araki's long-form works despite its one-shot format, and called the artwork "sublime".[29] Takato of Manga-News also found it to capture the essence of Araki's long-form JoJo's Bizarre Adventure while working as a newcomer-friendly stand-alone work, and enjoyed how the shorter format caused a stronger focus on the atmosphere and world, making it feel like more than just a spin-off. Erkael, also writing for Manga-News, thought the art and writing would both satisfy existing fans and attract new ones, and called it "a pleasure to read" despite the change in tone compared to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, with more elements of horror and high tension.[4]
Anime News Network had both Rebecca Silverman and Christopher Farris review the first English-language volume. Giving it a four out of five stars rating, Silverman called the collection a really interesting set of short supernatural mysteries that feel like post-Code American horror comics of the 1970s. She did note that readers unfamiliar with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure will have to piece together things like Stands, which are intrinsic to the story. Farris compared Rohan's "relatively minimal involvement" in the stories to that of The Crypt-Keeper, and felt it made the collection come off like a horror anthology. He also found being able to watch "Araki's ongoing evolution as an artist and storyteller" over the span of 16 years, to be an unintentionally-engaging element.[2] Karen Maeda of Sequential Tart, who noted she had almost no knowledge of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, found herself "completely sucked in" by the second story, wondering what Rohan and his magical power was going to do next. Giving the collection an eight out of 10 rating, she wrote that the stories fall into the horror genre, but "are more weird than gory."[1]
Notes
^This chapter is not included in the English edition.
^In the original magazine edition, the title of the chapter is spelled as Getsuyōbi - Tenkiame (月曜日-天気雨, lit. "Monday: Rainy Weather").
^In the original magazine edition, this chapter was labeled "Episode 9."
^In the original magazine edition, this chapter was labeled "Episode 10."
^The "2014" period covers November 18, 2013 to November 16, 2014.[65]
