Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe, the longest-running Jojo's Bizarre Adventure spinoff, will return on April 5 with a new, multi-part story.
As reported by Anime News Network, the next chapter in the on-going story of the Stand-wielding author Rohan Kishibe is entitled "Zenpen (Part 1)," implying that it will be the beginning of a multi-part storyline. The 10th chapter of the spinoff series will be released just weeks after Episode 9 of the series, "Hot Summer Martha," which was released as part of the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure 35th anniversary magazine on March 19. Prior chapters of the series were often released months or even years apart.
The first chapter of Thus Spoke, Rohan Kishibe was originally published in 1997 and was intended to be a one-off, standalone release. The manga is written and drawn by franchise creator Hirohiko Araki, who grew fond of the character of Rohan during the production of Jojo's fourth arc, Diamond is Unbreakable. Araki released a second chapter in 2008, followed by the yearly release of new chapters from 2012 - 2018. All of the currently released episodes of the manga have been compiled into two collected volumes.
VIZ Media, which also localizes and publishes Araki's main series in North America, announced in February that it would be officially releasing the first two volumes of the Rohan Kishibe spinoff in English for the first time ever. It is currently unknown if VIZ will include the new chapters released in 2022 as part of their release, which is due out in North America next fall.
While VIZ's release will be the first English localization of Araki's spinoff manga, Jojo fans outside of Japan are likely already familiar with the series through its anime adaptation, which has been released through Netflix internationally. The anime series was produced by David Production, the same animation house that also produces the main Jojo anime. The series has also been adapted into a live-action TV show in Japan, which has run for two three-episode seasons. Kishibe is portrayed in this adaptation by actor Issei Takahashi, who anime fans may recognize from his appearances in the live-action adaptations of Ikebukuro West Gate Parkand March Comes in Like a Lion. The live-action series has yet to be officially released outside of Japan.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure was first published in 1987. The stylish epic is one of the most popular manga franchises in history, with a circulation of over 100 million copies worldwide. The manga is currently on hiatus following the completion of its eighth arc in 2021, while the anime adaptation of Part 6, entitled "Stone Ocean," premiered on Netflix last December.
Source: Ultra Jump magazine, via Anime News Network
