# The JoJoLands

The JoJoLands (stylized as The JOJOLands) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki, and the ninth part of the larger JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, as part of the rebooted continuity depicted in Steel Ball Run (2004–2011) and JoJolion (2011–2021). Set in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the early 2020s, it follows Jodio Joestar, a teenage gangster intent on becoming wealthy in the tropics. It is serialized by Shueisha in the seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump since February 17, 2023.

## Plot

Jodio Joestar is a high schooler and gofer living with his family on Oahu, Hawaii. He works for his principal Meryl Mei Qi alongside his older brother Dragona, their kleptomaniac classmate Paco Laburantes, and client-turned partner Usagi Alohaoe. Together, they travel to Big Island to perform a heist against manga artist Rohan Kishibe. During their mission, the gang of four discover a Lava Rock with the ability to attract anything of value that its user touches. They become allies with Big Island resident Charming Man, who hopes to use the rock to investigate his younger brother's disappearance on the slopes of Hualālai.
The gang tells Meryl Mei about the Lava Rock, and she decides to use it to gain all the assets of the infrastructure development company Howler, including the slopes of Hualālai. Howler's lender Dolphin Bank moves to seize Howler's assets in response to a government action to seize the Hualālai slopes due to accusations of illegal activities. The current head of the Howler company, Acca Howler, speculates that this was caused by the Lava Rock, and sends agents Bobby Jean and Lulu to take it for him. They chase Jodio's gang to a nearby hospital, but Jodio kills Bobby Jean and captures Lulu.
Meryl Mei orders the gang to trick Acca into transferring the Hualālai slopes to them, with Charming Man disguised as one of Dolphin Bank's managers, declaring they have one week to take all of Howler company's assets before it is too late. Newly-hired agents Key West, Laem Chabang, and Ningbo begin to work with Acca out of vengeance for Bobby Jean, speculating the death was connected to Paco. With Key West by his side, Acca tries to bribe the disguised Charming Man into not collecting his assets, but is instead nearly tricked into transferring the land. However, the Lava Rock in Dragona's possession begins to deteriorate in the presence of the bribery money, raising Acca's suspicions.

## Characters

* Jodio Joestar is a 15-year-old gangster living with his family on Oahu, Hawaii, where he acts as a gofer for the state's underground drug trade. Despite his popularity among his peers, Jodio finds it difficult to be truly happy and is diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder by his school's psychotherapist. He does not intend to make friends, and his goal is to become incredibly rich by all means. Using his Stand, November Rain, he can generate raindrops and freely manipulate their weight.
* Dragona Joestar is Jodio's 18-year-old brother who works with him in the underground drug trade. Dragona is assigned male at birth but presents feminine, having breast implants and wearing women's clothing. They work at Iko Iko, a fashion boutique run by their boss Meryl Mei Qi. Dragona wields the Stand Smooth Operators, a group of small robots that have the ability to displace anything, and slide things along the surfaces they are attached to. It can also apply to severe wounds.
* Paco Laburantes is a 19-year-old classmate of Jodio's and former military personnel. He comes from an abusive household, having one of his ears partially bitten off by his father, and engages in theft as if it were a sport. He is considered the de facto leader of the gang and is rather fond of Jodio and Dragona. Using his Stand, The Hustle, he has expert control over his own musculature, but also those of others; he can bulge and vibrate his muscles along with those of anyone he touches, aiding him in both sleights of hand and combat.
* Usagi Alohaoe is a 17-year-old classmate of Jodio's and takes part in the heist under Meryl Mei Qi's request. A frequent customer for drugs, the rest of the gang see him as a hindrance and an addict. Despite this, he attempts to be helpful and friendly towards each member at every opportunity. Usagi wields the Stand The Mattekudasai, which can take the form of another object upon the request of anyone besides himself.
* Charming Man is a 21-year-old resident of Big Island and new ally of Jodio. Believing there is a connection between the lava rock and his missing brother Mauka, Charming Man initially pursues the gang to find answers about his brother's disappearance. He is the owner of Wild Cat Size, a trio of cats that can manifest wire strings from their fur that latch on to anything near them and constrict themselves until they crush the trapped thing, via their Stand Cat Size. His own Stand, Bigmouth Strikes Again, gives him the ability to transform his body into sand fragments that not only disguise himself but also manipulate people's perception of depth. He can also blend in the scenery and create false images using the sand fragments.
* Meryl Mei Qi is the principal of Jodio's school and owner of fashion boutique Iko Iko. Using the boutique as a front for her criminal business, she acts as the gang's boss and has networks in places such as the airport and the police. She instructs the gang to perform a heist on the Big Island and requests they take Usagi Alohaoe with them. Following the group's return, she decides to have them take control of the Howler Company using the Lava Rock.
* Barbara Ann Joestar is the daughter of Joseph Joestar from JoJolion and the mother of Jodio and Dragona Joestar. Everyone in the neighborhood respects and assists her due to her son's reputation in crime. After her husband abandons the family, Barbara Ann is forced to raise Jodio and Dragona alone, leading the siblings to become involved in criminal activities for her sake without her knowledge.
* Rohan Kishibe is a successful Japanese manga artist visiting Big Island. Under the pretense of a 15-day vacation, Rohan conducts experiments using the wealth-attracting properties of certain lava rocks he found on Hualālai's slopes. Jodio and his gang are initially tasked to steal an expensive diamond from his villa after info about it is leaked to Meryl Mei. Like in Diamond Is Unbreakable and Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, Rohan wields the Stand Heaven's Door, which allows him to temporarily turn living beings into books that he can freely read or write commands into.
* Howler Company is a water resource and water-power generation infrastructure company headquartered in Honolulu and owns several areas of land all across Hawaii. Originally Howler Farms, it was established by an Italian sailor shipwrecked in Hawaii in 1843 whose original surname was Latrato and changed to Howler after Hawaii joined the United States. After marrying a local woman and being granted verbal approval by the Hawaiian royal family to own land, Latrato's discovery of hidden underground water on the northern mountainside slopes of Hualālai turned the barren, volcanic grounds into fertile meadows. Descendants of the Howler family eventually turned the farm into the Howler Company and amassed 50 billion dollars in assets from port rights, transportation, arms industries, etc. Although they claim to be nature conservationists, it is believed that the company is involved in illegal activities yet no proof of this has publicly come up due to employing Stand users to get rid of those who investigate too deeply into the company. Meryl sends Jodio's gang to aid her in taking all of the company's assets via the Lava Rock.
** Acca Howler is the current 8th head of the Howler family and CEO of the Howler Company. Wealthy and arrogant, he indulges in his luxuries and enjoys showing off his vast wealth and power. As a child, Acca was told by his grandfather about the Lava Rock's abilities and how it saved the family from destitution in the late 1960s. Years later, he inherited the Howler Company and established a head office in Honolulu after receiving a 38 billion dollar loan from Dolphin Bank, which he loses after his land was seized by the government. He is a Stand user, and the Stand and its abilities are currently unknown.
** Lulu is a demanding but intelligent orphaned girl affiliated with the Howler Company under Acca Howler's orders. She and Bobby Jean are assigned to get rid of Jodio's gang when they attempt to get the company land deeds but is later held hostage in Iko Iko. Her Stand is Bags Groove, a group of microscopic bug-like humanoid creatures that can inflict lesions and other symptoms such as rashes, pulmonary edema, and tumors onto victims who interfere in the company's activities.
** Bobby Jean is an investigative agent for the Howler Company, tracking down Jodio's group after they viewed the company's land deeds. As a respectable member of the company, he is straightforwardly secretive and respected by others but constantly bossed by his partner Lulu. He is later killed by Jodio after pursuing the gang at the hospital. With his Stand, Glory Days, he can control the movement and speed of the bullets he shoots from his FN FNX-45 Tactical semi-automatic pistol, equipped with a silencer.
** Key West, Laem Chabang, & Ningbo are a lawyer, police officer, and firefighter respectively hired by Howler to find Lulu. Former associates of Bobby Jean, they align themselves with Acca to investigate Bobby Jean's mysterious death. Key West stays by Acca's side while Laem Chabang and Ningbo visit Meryl Mei to investigate Paco Laburantes, believing he was responsible for their former ally's demise. All three are speculated to be Stand users but their abilities are currently unknown.

## Production and release

The JoJoLands is written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was announced in August 2021 following the conclusion of JoJolion, the previous part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and began serialization in Shueisha's monthly seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump on February 17, 2023.

### Volumes

The first chapter title of each pair is the title used in the collected volumes. The second is the title used in the original serialization in Ultra Jump.
| No. | Title | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN |
| 1 (132) | Departure Shuppatsu (Dipāchā) (出発 DEPARTURE) | August 18, 2023 | 978-4-08-883606-5 |
| 1. "Departure" (出発 DEPARTURE, Shuppatsu (Dipāchā)) 2. "South King Street" (サウス・キング・ストリート, Sausu Kingu Sutorīto) 3–4. "The Villa on Hawaii Island (1–2)" (ハワイ島の別荘 その①〜②, Hawai-tō no Bessō Sono 1–2) 1. "Mechanism" (仕組み（メカニズム）, Mekanizumu) 2. "The Japanese Person on Hawaii Island" (ハワイ島にいる日本人, Hawai-tō ni Iru Nihonjin) 3. "Search for the Diamond in the Mansion" (豪邸にあるダイヤを探せ, Gōtei ni Aru Daiya o Sagase) 4. "VS. Rohan Kishibe" (vs.岸辺露伴, vs.Kishibe Rohan) ||||
| Jodio Joestar and his companions are tasked with stealing a diamond from Rohan Kishibe, who is on vacation in the Hawaiian Islands. After a Stand-wielding stray cat attacks them, Rohan catches and interrogates Jodio's allies. ||||
| 2 (133) | "Rise Up" "Nobotte Ike" (『上って行け』) | December 19, 2023 | 978-4-08-883765-9 |
| 5. "'Rise Up'" (『上って行け』, "Nobotte Ike") 6–8. "Mount Hualālai - Cat Size (1–3)" (フアラライ山 - キャット・サイズ その①〜③, Fuararai-san - Kyatto Saizu Sono 1–3) 5. "November Rain" (11月の雨（ノーベンバー・レイン）, Nōbenbā Rein) 6–7. "Jungle Warfare (1–2)" (ジャングルの攻防 その①〜②, Janguru no Kōbō Sono 1–2) 8. "Let's Go Look at Luxury Watches" (高級時計を見に行こう, Kōkyūdokei o Mi ni Ikou) ||||
| Using his Stand, November Rain, Jodio manages to turn the tables and incapacitate Rohan. The group then discovers and steals a chunk of cooled lava with wealth-attracting properties, only to be attacked by three Stand user cats, who also seek the rock. ||||
| 3 (134) | "Money-Making Time" "Kanemōke no Jikan" (『金儲けの時間』) | April 18, 2024 | 978-4-08-884038-3 |
| 9–11. "Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time (1–3)" (カイルア・コナ - フライト待ち時間 その①〜③, Kairua Kona - Furaito Machijikan Sono 1–3) 12. "Charming Man" (チャーミング・マン, Chāmingu Man) 9. "The Owner of the Lava Rock" (溶岩の持ち主, Yōgan no Mochinushi) 10–11. "The Hustle (1–2)" (THE ハッスル その①〜②, Za Hassuru Sono 1–2) 12. "His Name is 'Charming Man'" (その名も"チャーミングマン", Sono Na mo "Chāminguman") ||||
| An experiment in the luxury watch store almost goes wrong and a mysterious pursuer attempts to take the lava rock from the team. It seems like the pursuer knows something about the origins of Lava Rock, but Rohan does not. A potential alliance may be needed to learn more. ||||
| 4 (135) | "Joestar Brothers" "Jōsutā Kyōdai" (『ジョースター兄弟』) | August 19, 2024 | 978-4-08-884157-1 |
| 13. "Joestar Brothers" (ジョースター兄弟, Jōsutā Kyōdai) 14–15. "Aim for That Fifty Billion Dollars (1–2)" (その価値５００億ドルを狙え その①〜②, Sono Kachi 500 Oku-Doru o Nerae Sono 1–2) 16. "Lulu's Bags Groove (1)" (バグス・グルーヴのルルちゃん その①, Bagusu Gurūvu no Ruru-chan Sono 1) 13. "'The Absurd Event That Happened to Me That Year'" ("その年わたしに起こった不条理な出来事", "Sono Toshi Watashi ni Okotta Fujōri na Dekigoto") 14. "Hawaii State Land Registry Office" (ハワイ州土地登記所, Hawai-shū Tochi Tōkijo) 15. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (ビッグマウス・ストライクス・アゲイン, Biggumausu Sutoraikusu Agein) 16. "That Girl's Bags Groove (1)" (あの娘のバグス・グルーヴ その①, Ano Musume no Bagusu Gurūvu Sono 1) ||||
| With the Lava Rock in hand, Jodio and his four teammates are given a new task: obtain documents from the Howler Company, a 50 billion dollar infrastructure corporation based in Hawaii. Little did the team know that Howler and its agents are not to be messed with. ||||
| 5 (136) | "Deed" Dīdo (Tochi Jōto Shōsho) (『DEED（土地譲渡証書）』) | December 18, 2024 | 978-4-08-884298-1 |
| 17. "Lulu's Bags Groove (2)" (バグス・グルーヴのルルちゃん その②, Bagusu Gurūvu no Ruru-chan Sono 2) 18–20. "Lulu and Bobby Jean (1–3)" (ルルちゃんとボビー・ジーン その①〜③, Ruru-chan to Bobī Jīn Sono 1–3) 17–18. "That Girl's Bags Groove (2–3)" (あの娘のバグス・グルーヴ その②〜③, Ano Musume no Bagusu Gurūvu Sono 2–3) 19–20. "Glory Days (1–2)" (グローリー・デイズ その①〜②, Gurōrī Deizu Sono 1–2) ||||
| The agents of Howler pursue the gang relentlessly to Pearl General Hospital. The clock is ticking as Jodio and his team realize the true dangers of pursuing riches. With one teammate down, it is only a matter of time before everyone has no choice but to fight. ||||

### Chapters not in tankōbon format

The following chapters have not yet been released in collected tankōbon volumes:
* 21. "Howler Company Impropriety Suspicions" (Howler社不正疑惑, Haurā-sha Fusei Giwaku)
* 22–24. "Dolphin Bank's Debt Collection (1–3)" (ドルフィン銀行の取り立て その①〜③, Dorufin Ginkō no Toritate Sono 1–3)

## Reception

Interest in the series' launch was enough to prompt a second printing of its debut issue of Ultra Jump – only the fourth time this had happened in Ultra Jump's history, and the first time in eleven years. The first tankōbon volume debuted at the top of Oricon's weekly Japanese sales charts for print comics, and was reported by Comic Natalie to have been the week's highest and fourth-highest selling comic at the bookstores Tsutaya and Comic Zin, respectively. The second volume was Shueisha's eleventh highest first print run manga volume of 2023–2024 (period from April 2023–March 2024), with 350,000 copies printed.
It ranked fifteenth, along with The Ramparts of Ice, on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2024 for male readers.