JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of the longest-running manga series. Written by Hirohiko Araki, it began serializing in 1987 in the Weekly Shonen Jump. But, in 2005, it was moved to Ultra Jump. In many ways, the switch allowed Araki to experiment more. Araki added more explicit themes, which helped to draw in a mature audience. It won't be an overstatement to say that it truly took the manga to the next level.
So far both the parts that have been serialized in the UltraJump have earned a lot of praise from the readers. Even before JoJolion reached its conclusion, there were plenty of rumors about the next possible installment in the series. The speculation came to an end when the next part was announced in the September 2021 issue of Ultra Jump. The newest part is called JOJOLands.
The New Protagonist
JOJOLands will be the ninth installment in the ever-expanding universe of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. At the present, there is only a modicum of information about the upcoming part. Araki has stated that the ninth part will feature the descendant of Joseph Joestar. If the new protagonist is anything like Joseph, readers can expect a lot of comical moments in the upcoming part. Joseph was known to turn a serious situation into a hilarious one. Considering the new protagonist will be his descendant, it will be interesting to see how they are designed.
One thing to keep in mind is that Araki has always tried to make each protagonist different, so the protagonist of JOJOLands won't be a carbon copy of Joseph. They will be largely different, but they might have bits of Joseph's personality thrown in. For a long time, fans were unaware of what the new protagonist would look like, but in Araki's New Year's Card, they finally got a glimpse. The character's face is hidden by their hair, so it is difficult to figure out what the character looks like. However, they have a star-shaped ornament in their hair, which confirms their Joestar lineage.
The Possible Setting
In an interview, Araki was asked about the possible places that he would want to draw. He answered that he was interested in depicting Northern Europe or the Scottish Highlands. Previously, Araki had shown interest in exploring Morioh, but he already did that with JoJolion. So, at the moment it looks likely that Araki will go base JOJOLands in Europe. There have been some rumors about Araki wanting to revisit Italy, but there has been no confirmation so far.
The two parts of the Steel Ball Run universe have been set in America and Japan. The first six parts were set in England, America, Egypt, Japan, and Italy. Japan and America have been used in both universes, which rules them out. Egypt looks unlikely, as the Joestar group was forced to go there to defeat the main villain. England was where it all began, so it would make sense to end things there, or at least somewhere close to it. So, Araki might actually base JOJOLands in Scotland.
Will It Be The Final Part?
It's a huge achievement on Araki's part to continue working in the manga industry for such a long period of time. He has accumulated decades' worth of experience, and he has successfully incorporated it into his manga. Over time, the characters created by Araki have become more refined, and they have gained a certain panache that has put many of them in the running for the best manga characters.
Many fans even believe that Araki's writing has improved with every part, and if one were to use the same logic, it would mean that JOJOLands will be the best work that the mangaka has put out so far. If JOJOLands does top everything else that Araki has created, it makes sense to end things on a high. Many mangaka have dragged on the story unnecessarily, which has resulted in the quality of their series declining rapidly. While the urge to keep going may be strong, it is more important to preserve one's legacy. JoJolion started in 2011 and ended in 2021.
Currently, Araki is 62 years old, and if JOJOLands lasts for the same amount of time as JoJolion, by the time it finishes, he would be well beyond 70. People who have worked in the industry have unequivocally stated that writing manga can be extremely taxing on one's mind and body. So, it would be a big risk if Araki decided to continue after the ninth part. All things considered, JOJOLands will be the final part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.
When Will The First Chapter Be Released?
The first chapter of JOJOLands is expected to be released on February 17, 2023. The chapter will be released in Ultra Jump. Sadly, there is no way to read the chapters legally, which may prove to be a major impediment to the popularity of the series once again. One would hope that the people working at Ultra Jump will come up with some kind of solution to this problem and make it more accessible to the fans.