Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is a popular manga and anime series that has captured many fans’ wildest imaginations, thanks to its uncanny actions, exaggerated drama, and weird fantasy elements. But you would be quite surprised to know where the author, Hirohiko Araki, actually got all this idea from.
The answer lies in his childhood fascination with Western movies, especially those starring the iconic Clint Eastwood.
At the time, Araki was still a student at elementary school, when he watched the 1966 classic For a Few Dollars More along with his father in theatres.
Although he was not old enough at that time to comprehend the plot, he felt strong emotions towards Eastwood as he played the lone wolf character. This formative experience shaped Araki’s ideal hero archetype and influenced the making of his most famous work, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Hirohiko Araki Explained The Magical Powers That The Clint Eastwood Movies Had
With god’s blessings, Hirohiko Araki was granted an interview with Clint Eastwood in 2012 (published on JOJOmenon) where he proclaimed that Eastwood’s films have been one of his biggest inspirations when it comes to creating Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. He said that the spirit of Eastwood’s iconic characters, such as Dirty Harry and Walt Kowalski fighting alone even in old age, was something very close to his idea of heroism.
Araki also sees a common thread in Eastwood’s characters: a lone warrior imparting knowledge to the new generation of warriors before he rides off into the sunset. That same kind of theme is seen throughout Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, which is quite fascinating for the fans as it is.
Araki further declares his admiration for Eastwood outside the narratives of his works. He admits that even though he watched Trouble with the Curve without subtitles, the film still made him cry. This suggests that cinema is powerful enough to transcend the limitations of language into something universal.
I watched your latest film, Trouble with the Curve, without subtitles, and I could still feel the emotions and was moved. The power of movies is amazing, isn’t it?
Araki mentioned that he was really moved during that one scene in Trouble with the Curve when the Eastwood character sings “You Are My Sunshine” to his late wife’s grave.
Araki further notes that Gran Torino and Heartbreak Ridge, Million Dollar Baby and A Perfect World, Trouble with the Curve and Absolute Power, all of these Clint Eastwood movies deal with the relations between parents and children. All this is evidence of how consistent Eastwood has been in his vision.
Jotaro Kujo, From Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Was Inspired From Clint Eastwood Himself
In the same interviews, Araki revealed that one of the most iconic heroes of the series, Jotaro Kujo, was directly inspired by Clint Eastwood. He always considered Eastwood’s standing poses as intelligent, elegant, and refined. Later, Araki used these traits not only in designing Jotaro’s character but also in how he would act.
Araki was also inspired by Eastwood’s minimalistic approach to acting, something the director Sergio Leone suggested.
Eastwood was once told by director Sergio Leone, ‘You don’t have to act, just stand there.’ So, I don’t make Jotaro do any unnecessary actions. Even when he fights, he just stands quietly with his hands in his pockets. But in reality, he throws punches with incredible speed and destructive power.
Jotaro uses a similar stance, usually with his hands in his pocket, but fighting with incredible speed and power.
Jotaro and Iggy both have supernatural abilities. Jotaro’s is capable of high-speed movements, but he doesn’t really move and talk much himself. Those characteristics were influenced by you, Mr. Eastwood.
At the end of the interview/fan meetup, Araki gave Eastwood a drawing featuring Jotaro and Iggy set against Mt. Fuji as a token of appreciation. This shows just how much Eastwood’s cinematic influence spills into Araki’s creative vision still to this day.
The Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure series is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.