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Even with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure being as old as it is, the franchise is still as strong as ever. 2023 saw the debut of the manga’s ninth part, The JOJOLands, and while there has yet to be official confirmation of anything, there’s reason to suspect that the anime will soon return with the long-awaited adaptation of part seven, Steel Ball Run.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is as strong as ever in both the anime and the manga, and surprisingly, live-action is part of that, as well. In the 2020s, the JoJo spinoff manga, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, received a series of live-action adaptations for TV, and over half a year since the last episode, it’s been announced that Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan will release its first-ever live-action film adaptation in spring 2025. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan has always been a great addition to the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise, and with the new movie,...

Acchon burike! Pinoko — Black Jack's pint-sized sidekick — will come to life on television next month as the upcoming live-action adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's classic Black Jack premieres in Japan on June 30. Issey Takahashi (Rohan in the live-action Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan movies) will play the unconventional physician. Today, TV Asahi announced that child actress Yuno Nagao will appear as Pinoko. Nagao recently appeared Osoma in the live-action Golden Kamuy , and can now be seen in a new poster doing Pinoko's signature shocked expression: Related: 1st Black Jack TV Drama in 24 Years Premieres in 2024 Despite looking like a child, Pinoko is technically 18 years old. To be specific, she was once a teratoma living in her twin sister's body. After Black Jack solved the twins' unusual case, Pinoko became his assistant and sidekick. Nagao says Black Jack is a family favorite, and she put a lot of effort into preserving...

The live-action series adaptation of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure spinoff Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe is getting ready to continue with a new episode. This time around the installment will be based on the manga's "Mitsuryo Kaigan" story, and it's currently set to make its debut in Japan on May 5. The premiere date reflects a broadcast via Nhk's Bs Premium 4K, with an airing on Nhk General to follow closely behind on May 10. The episode finds Rohan and editor Kyoka Izumi visiting an Italian restaurant with a chef, Tonio Trussardi (played by Alfredo Chiarenza), who has the power to improve the health of his customers with his food. In order to cure his fiancée, Hatsune Morishima (played by Misako Renbutsu), who is suffering from a serious illness, Tonio tasks Rohan with tracking down a rare ingredient that could serve as a cure. A new visual for the overall...

Spinning off from the “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” universe, the character of Kishibe Rohan rests as the one standout from the Joestar family to see moderate success in stand alone series,. Combine this with the success of the long running Jojo’s anime series, also directed by Toshiyuki Kato, Rohan’s leap to his own series is no surprise. However “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan” focus on the titular character seems secondary, with the 4 episodes mini series offering tales within the “Jojo-verse” with Rohan being the binding factor.

The four different tales that were chosen from the manga series offer a complimentary balance to the work of mangaka Hirohiki Araki, with horror, fantasy, mystery and homo-eroticism to varying degrees. In addition, each tale allows an exploration of recurring themes without being tied to ‘stands’ that define the flow of action in the majority of Araki’s world. As a result, “Thus Spoke...

Netflix has turned into a great destination to explore unique anime series, both in terms of classics as well as the next big hits. Netflix is now playing host to Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, which is a four-episode Ova (Original Video Animation) series that’s connected to the long-running JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan presents four contrasting stories that form a collection of disturbing and suspenseful examinations of the human condition.

The series operates like a highly atypical animated anthology program and its compelling art design combined with the fact that it’s only four episodes long may leave many curious to check out the odd series. However, it’s understandable that some may be intimidated to give Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan a chance if they’re not familiar with the anime that it’s spun off from. To help make the exciting new Ova series as accessible as possible,...