| Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe | |
 Volume 1 cover, featuring Rohan Kishibe | |
| 岸辺露伴は動かない (Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Horror[1][2] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Hirohiko Araki |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Jump Comics |
| Magazine | |
| Demographic | Shōnen,seinen,shōjo |
| Original run | July 7, 1997 – present |
| Volumes | 3 + extra(List of volumes) |
| Light novel | |
| Written by |
|
| Illustrated by | Hirohiko Araki |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Magazine | Ultra Jump |
| Original run | July 19, 2017 –April 19, 2024 |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Toshiyuki Kato |
| Music by | Yugo Kanno |
| Studio | David Production |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | 2017 – March 25, 2020 |
| Episodes | 4(List of episodes) |
| Television drama | |
| Directed by | Kazutaka Watanabe |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Yasuko Kobayashi |
| Music by | Naruyoshi Kikuchi |
| Studio | NHK Enterprises |
| Original network | NHK General TV |
| Original run | December 28, 2020 – present |
| Episodes | 9 + 2 films(List of episodes) |
Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe, known in Japan asKishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai (Japanese:岸辺露伴は動かない; "Rohan Kishibe Does Not Move"), is a series ofmangaone-shots created byHirohiko Araki. It is a spin-off fromDiamond Is Unbreakable, the fourth part of Araki'sJoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, and features the characterRohan Kishibe, a manga artist who travels around the world to get inspiration from people's lives. The English title of the series is a reference to the bookThus Spoke Zarathustra byFriedrich Nietzsche.
The series is published byShueisha, starting with the one-shot "Episode 16: At a Confessional" in 1997 in theirWeekly Shōnen Jump; new episodes have since appeared in theirJump Square,Shōnen Jump+,Bessatsu Margaret,JoJo Magazine, andUltra Jump magazines. The series was originally meant to be completely original, but it was changed as Araki found it too tempting to use Rohan. The first collected volume was released in 2013. The first volume was the 68th best-selling manga volume of 2014 in Japan and was well received by critics.
Spin-off short stories by several writers were published from 2017 to 2024.Original video animation (OVA) adaptations were released byDavid Production from 2017 to 2020. A live-action adaptation premiered onNHK General TV in 2020.
The series follows the characterRohan Kishibe, a famous manga artist who wants to give his works more realism, and therefore travels around the world to draw inspiration from people's lives. He does this by using his Stand ability[3] – a manifestation of his inner strength, named "Heaven's Door", which he uses to read and write in a person, allowing him to learn everything about them and alter their memories and behaviors.[4]
Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe is created byHirohiko Araki in an episodic format. It began with "Episode 16: At a Confessional", which was published byShueisha on July 7, 1997, inWeekly Shōnen Jump #30/1997.[5][6] He was asked to contribute aone-shot for the magazine by the editorial staff, with two requirements; it had to be shorter than 45 pages, and could not be a spin-off or side story.[7] However, he created a spin-off featuring theJoJo's Bizarre Adventure character Rohan Kishibe. Araki speculated that had he not been forbidden from making one, he probably would not have created a spin-off with Rohan, and for that he is grateful.[7] He also said that he created a version of the story without theDiamond Is Unbreakable character, but found it much better with Rohan's commentary.[7] For later episodes, the series switched back and forth between different Shueisha publications, with new episodes appearing inWeekly Shōnen Jump,Jump Square,Shōnen Jump+,Bessatsu Margaret,JoJo Magazine, andUltra Jump.[5][6][8][9] "The Harvest Moon", the episode from the web magazineShōnen Jump+, was part of the publication's launch line-up and was made available to read for free.[10] Looking back on them, Araki found each story to have a distinct "flavor" and influence depending on where it was published and noted this was not a conscious decision on his part.[11] He used to read theshōjo manga magazineBessatsu Margaret at the house of a female relative when he was a kid. As such, he speculated that might be why "Deoxyribonucleic Acid" has an emotional, happy ending instead of a scary one like he typically uses.[11] The characters Tonio Trussardi and Yukako Yamagishi fromDiamond Is Unbreakable appear in "Poaching Seashore" and "Deoxyribonucleic Acid", respectively.[7][11] Araki said the Mochizuki family in "The Harvest Moon" is reminiscent of the Higashikata family fromJoJolion.[11] For "The Run", Araki said he revived the muscular character style he used forJoJo's Bizarre Adventure in the 1980s.[11]
In 2009, Araki's was one of five artists featured inthe Louvre'sLe Louvre invite la bande dessinée ("The Louvre Invites Comic-Strip Art") exhibition for his artwork ofJoJo's Bizarre Adventure. To commemorate this honor, he wroteRohan at the Louvre, a 123-page full color story starring Rohan Kishibe visiting the Louvre and discovering a cursed painting tied to his family.[12][13][14] The following year it was published in France and ran inUltra Jump, and in May 2011 the one-shot was released as a standalonehardcover publication.[15]Rohan at the Louvre was slated to be translated and released in North America byNBM Publishing in February 2012, but eventually released in April of the same year instead.[16][17]
From September 17 to October 6, 2011, theGucci store inShinjuku hosted the "Gucci x Hirohiko Araki xSpur 'Rohan Kishibe Goes to Gucci' Exhibition", a collaboration between the luxury Italian clothing brand, Araki, and the Japanese fashion magazineSpur.[18] The exhibit celebrated the 90th anniversary of Gucci and featured a life-size figure of Rohan Kishibe, as well as numerous illustrations by Araki that included actual pieces of the brand's own 2011–2012 fall/winter collection and his own original fashion designs.[18]The October 2011 issue of the Japanese fashion magazineSpur featured another one-shot manga titled "Rohan Kishibe Goes to Gucci", in which Rohan goes to a Gucci factory to discover the secret behind a magical handbag.[19][20]
A collected volume of one-shots by Araki, titledUnder Execution Under Jailbreak, was released in 1999 in Japan, containing "At a Confessional" along with three other stories.[21][22] A collectedThus Spoke Rohan Kishibe volume was later released in Japan on November 19, 2013, containing the first four episodes, along with "Rohan Kishibe Meets Gucci."[6][23][24] A second volume containing the next four episodes was released in Japan on July 19, 2018.[25][26] In February 2022,Viz Media announced they licensed the series for English publication under the titleThus Spoke Rohan Kishibe,[27] with the first volume released on September 27, 2022.[28] The first volume was also published byStar Comics in Italy on January 8, 2015, asCosì parlò Rohan Kishibe,[29] and byTonkam in France in April 2016 asRohan Kishibe.[3]
The magazine and date of original publication are listed beside the title of each chapter.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | May 27, 2011[15][a] | 978-4-08-782379-0 | April 1, 2012[17] | 978-1-5616-3615-0 | |
| |||||
| 1 | November 19, 2013[33] | 978-4-08-870872-0 | September 27, 2022[28] | 978-1-9747-3074-2 | |
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| 2 | July 19, 2018[26] | 978-4-08-908314-7 | December 27, 2022[35] | 978-1-9747-3409-2 | |
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| 3 | May 19, 2025[39] | 978-4-08-884548-7 | — | — | |
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Spin-off short stories by the writers Ballad Kitaguni, Ryo Yoshigami, Yusuke Iba, Mirei Miyamoto and Katsuie Shibata, illustrated by Araki, were published in the Appendix Booklet ofUltra Jump magazine from 2017 to 2024. In 2018, they were compiled into two volumes:Rohan Kishibe Does Not Shout andRohan Kishibe Does Not Frolic. Another volume,Rohan Kishibe Does Not Fall, was released in 2022, and the fourth one,Rohan Kishibe Does Not Laugh, in 2024. Each volume included an additional original story, with the fourth one having two.
Anoriginal video animation (OVA) adaptation of "Episode 5: Millionaire Village"[41] was produced by the animation studioDavid Production, with direction by Toshiyuki Kato, direction assistance by Yasufumi Soejima, character design by Shun'ichi Ishimoto, and Stand design by Kenta Mimuro.[42] The opening theme, "Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai no Tema", is performed by Yuugo Kanno, while the ending theme, "Finding the Truth", is performed by Coda.[43] The OVA was distributed onDVD in 2017 to people who had purchased all thirteen Japanese DVD orBlu-ray volumes of the 2016 televisionanime seriesJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable before July 31, 2017.[42][44] Kato made use of different coloring compared to theDiamond Is Unbreakable anime, to capture the feeling of horror in the manga, and directed the opening sequence to simultaneously give off a feeling of nostalgia and unease, referencing television shows likeThe Twilight Zone (1959) andTwin Peaks (1990).[41] A second OVA episode by the same studio and staff, adapting "Episode 2: Mutsu-kabe Hill", was released on DVD on July 19, 2018, in a bundle with pre-orders of the limited edition of the second manga volume.[45] Asingle containing the opening and ending themes was released on the same day as the second OVA episode.[43] Two new OVA episodes, adapting "Episode 16: At a Confessional" and "Episode 9: The Run", were screened theatrically in nine cities in Japan starting on December 8, 2019, and were released on DVD and Blu-Ray on March 25, 2020.[46][47]
At theNetflix Anime Festival in late October 2020, the company acquired streaming rights to the OVAs for a 2021 release.[48] In January 2021, Netflix announced that it would premiere on February 18.[49]Viz Media released the OVAs on Blu-ray in the U.S. on July 18, 2023.[50]
| Character | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Rohan Kishibe | Takahiro Sakurai | Landon McDonald[51] |
| Koichi Hirose | Yuki Kaji[52] | Zach Aguilar[53] |
| Okuyasu Nijimura | Wataru Takagi[52] | Jalen K. Cassell[54] |
| Kyōka Izumi (OVA1) | Mai Nakahara[55] | Brittany Cox[51] |
| Ikkyū (OVA1) | Kaori Mizuhashi[55] | Jessica DiCicco[51] |
| Naoko Osato (OVA2) | Atsumi Tanezaki[56] | Suzie Yeung[51] |
| Gunpei Kamafusa (OVA2) | Junji Majima[56] | Stephen Fu[51] |
| Minoru Kaigamori (OVA2) | Takamasa Mogi[56] | Howard Wang[51] |
| Naoko's Daughter (OVA2) | Yūki Takada[56] | Uncredited |
| Young Man (OVA3) | Hiroki Takahashi[57] | Crispin Freeman |
| Yukako Yamagishi (OVA3) | Mamiko Noto[58] | Faye Mata[59] |
| Yoma Hashimoto (OVA4) | Kōki Uchiyama[57] | Aleks Le[51] |
| No. | Title | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVA1 | "Episode 5: Millionaire Village" "Episōdo 5: Fugō-mura" (エピソード5:富豪村) | 2017 (2017)[44] | |
Rohan's editor, Kyōka Izumi, persuades him to accompany her to the exclusive and secluded Millionaire Village. She intends to buy a vacation villa and warns him that the residents are very particular about manners. Outside the village, the pair pick up a lost baby bird and then meet a doorman, Ikkyū. He soon claims they have already broken three strict rules and Kyōka begs for another chance. She then receives word that her mother and boyfriend have died in a car accident, while Rohan discovers the baby bird they rescued is dead. Using Heaven's Door on Ikkyū, Rohan discovers that the mountain gods reward those who follow correct manners while punishing those who do not by taking something precious away from them. By using his Stand, Rohan commits another violation, which causes Kyōka to have a heart attack. Rohan is then tasked with eating corn on the cob correctly to save her, but he sees through Ikkyū's set-up and passes the test. Meanwhile, Rohan simultaneously tricks Ikkyū into repeatedly breaching his own rules of etiquette, saving Kyōka and her loved ones. | |||
| OVA2 | "Episode 2: Mutsu-kabe Hill" "Episōdo 2: Mutsukabe-zaka" (エピソード2:六壁坂) | July 19, 2018 (2018-07-19)[25] | |
Rohan asks his manga editor, Minoru Kaigamori, for an advance. To explain why he spent all his money buying forested mountains, Rohan tells him a story which took place at Mutsu-kabe Hill. Naoko Osato, the daughter of a wealthy family, accidentally killed her lover, the gardener Gunpei, after shoving him onto some golf clubs. Gunpei's body mysteriously continued to bleed from his head wound following his death, so she hid his body in the house. Daily, she disposed of the blood which flowed from his wound, even years after marrying her fiancé. Sometime later, Rohan encountered a girl in the area who accidentally tripped in front of him, fatally striking her head which began to bleed. Quickly using his Heaven's Door ability to rewrite her past, he saved her and learned that she was the child of Naoko and Gunpei, born after his death. He realized that she was possessed by aYōkai that propagates itself through descendants, but decided to leave the family alone and let them have their own form of happiness. Rohan then used the experience as inspiration for his manga. | |||
| OVA3 | "Episode 16: At a Confessional" "Episōdo 16: Zange-shitsu" (エピソード16:懺悔室) | December 8, 2019 (2019-12-08) | |
Rohan tells Koichi about the time he went toVenice, and entered aconfessional. While inside, a man told him about his youth as a laborer where he had a beggar carry heavy bags of corn, which lead to his death. Afterwards, the beggar vowed he would take his revenge. The man's life then took a fortunate turn, and he became successful. Just when he was at his happiest, the spirit of the beggar took possession of his daughter. The spirit offered him a chance to redeem himself if he could throw a piece of popcorn in the air higher than a nearby lamppost and catch it in his mouth, three times in a row. If he succeeded the spirit would leave him forever, otherwise, he would cut off his head. He succeeded twice, but missed the third time and the spirit immediately cut off his head. While Rohan was wondering how the man could still be alive, the man's servant dragged himself into the church carrying his head, followed by the beggar. Venting his wrath at being duped, the servant and also the beggar vow to stalk him until his daughter is happiest, and then take their revenge. | |||
| OVA4 | "Episode 9: The Run" "Episōdo 9 Za Ran" (エピソード#9 ザ・ラン) | December 8, 2019 (2019-12-08) | |
Yoma Hashimoto is recruited as a male model, and becomes quite successful, but also narcissistic and obsessed about his body shape. He encounters Rohan at the gym and after competing against him, becomes even more obsessive. Eventually, he steals money from his girlfriend Mika to buy more equipment and she throws him out. At the gym, Rohan challenges Yoma to a contest on two treadmills in which the first to reach 25 km/h can grab the remote control and stop their machine. Rohan beats Yoma, who demands a rematch. This time, Yoma intimidates Rohan, and when he tries to grab the remote early, Yoma breaks three of Rohan’s fingers. He also smashes the window behind them so the loser will be propelled through it. Rohan uses Heaven's Door and discovers that Yoma has killed anyone who interferes with his training. Yoma wins the contest, but Rohan had written on Yoma's hand that he would stop Rohan's treadmill instead of his own, so it is Yoma who is sent flying. Rohan regrets that he crossed the line by angering Yoma, who had become the avatar of the god of speedHermes, and decides to run for his life. | |||
NHK announced on October 13, 2020, that it is producing a three-episode live-action mini-series adaptation ofThus Spoke Rohan Kishibe.[60] The adaptation of two stories from the manga ("Millionaire Village" and "D.N.A") and one story from the short story collection ("Kushagara") aired onNHK General TV and NHK BS4K on December 28, 29, and 30 respectively, 10 pm to 10:49 pm in Japan. On August 15, 2021, NHK announced that the series will have three new episodes that will air in December 2021.[61] They adapted two stories from theRohan Kishibe manga ("The Run" and "Mutsu-kabe Hill") and the Cheap Trick story arc fromDiamond Is Unbreakable ("From Behind"). On August 20, 2022, NHK announced that two new episodes will air in December 2022. They adapted one story from theRohan Kishibe manga ("Hot Summer Martha") and the Janken Boy Is Coming! story arc fromDiamond Is Unbreakable ("Rock-Paper-Scissors Boy").[62] On January 4, 2023, it was announced that the series is getting a live-action movie on May 26, 2023. The film is titledRohan at the Louvre, based on the manga story of the same name. The cast and staff from the series returned for the movie.[63] On April 1, 2024, NHK announced that a new episode adapting the "Poaching Seashore" story from the manga will premiere on May 5, 2024.[64] On January 6, 2025, it was announced that a live-action movie,Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional, based on the manga chapter of the same name, will premiere on May 23, 2025.[65]
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Rohan Kishibe | Issei Takahashi |
| Kyōka Izumi | IItoyo Marie |
| Tarō Hirai | Tomoya Nakamura |
| Ikkyū (Episode 1) | Fūga Shibasaki |
| Jyugo Shishi (Episode 2) | Mirai Moriyama |
| Mai Katahira (Episode 3) | Kumi Takiuchi |
| Mao Katahira (Episode 3) | Yuria Kitahira |
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Intruder 1 (Episode 1) | Makoto Nakamura |
| Intruder 2 (Episode 1) | Tomoya Masuda |
| Paramedic (Episode 1) | Yuuto Tsubone |
| Prison Guard Voice (Episode 1) | Takahiro Sakurai |
| Professor (Episode 1, 2) | Mutsumi Sasaki |
| Book Store Owner (Episode 2) | Taro Suwa |
| Guard (Episode 2) | Roncha Takeguchi |
| Editorial Staff (Episode 2) | Ryo Yoshida |
| Radio Voice (Episode 2) | Takahiro Sakurai |
| Akira Katahira (Episode 3) | Eita Okuro |
| Nurse (Episode 3) | Yumi Kawakami |
| Hospital Announcement Voice (Episode 3) | Takahiro Sakurai |
| No. | Title | Adaptation of | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 | Millionaire Village | RH ep. 5 | December 28, 2020 |
| Episode 2 | Kushagara | Short story collection | December 29, 2020 |
| Episode 3 | D.N.A. | RH ep. 8 | December 30, 2020 |
| Episode 4 | The Run | RH ep. 9 | December 27, 2021 |
| Episode 5 | From Behind | JJBA ch. 412–417 | December 28, 2021 |
| Episode 6 | Mutsu-kabe Hill | RH ep. 2 | December 29, 2021 |
| Episode 7 | Hot Summer Martha | RH ep. 10 | December 26, 2022 |
| Episode 8 | Rock-Paper-Scissors Boy | JJBA ch. 371–376 | December 27, 2022 |
| Movie 1 | Rohan at the Louvre | Rohan at the Louvre | May 26, 2023 |
| Episode 9 | Poaching Seashore | RH ep. 6 | May 5, 2024 |
| Movie 2 | At a Confessional | RH ep. 16 | May 23, 2025 |
The first collected volume debuted to an estimated 278,268 copies sold for its first week on sale in Japan, ranking as third in the weekly Japanese top-50 comics charts, afterDetective Conan volume 81 andTerra Formars volume 7.[66] It charted for four consecutive weeks, selling a total of 422,994 copies.[67][68][69] By May 2014, it had sold 526,719 copies,[70] and by November, sales had reached 553,380, making it the 68th best selling manga volume in Japan of 2014.[f][71] The second volume's standard and limited editions debuted to 132,283 and 20,128 copies sold, respectively, ranking as fourth and thirty-sixth in the weekly Japanese comic charts.[72]
The series was well received by critics.[4][29] Maria Antonietta Idotta ofMangaForever said that the series managed to express full range of drama, depth, and complexity typical of Araki's long-form works despite its one-shot format, and called the artwork "sublime".[29] Takato ofManga-News also found it to capture the essence of Araki's long-formJoJo's Bizarre Adventure while working as a newcomer-friendly stand-alone work, and enjoyed how the shorter format caused a stronger focus on the atmosphere and world, making it feel like more than just a spin-off. Erkael, also writing forManga-News, thought the art and writing would both satisfy existing fans and attract new ones, and called it "a pleasure to read" despite the change in tone compared toJoJo's Bizarre Adventure, with more elements of horror and high tension.[4]
Anime News Network had both Rebecca Silverman and Christopher Farris review the first English-language volume. Giving it a four out of five stars rating, Silverman called the collection a really interesting set of short supernatural mysteries that feel like post-Code American horror comics of the 1970s. She did note that readers unfamiliar withJoJo's Bizarre Adventure will have to piece together things like Stands, which are intrinsic to the story. Farris compared Rohan's "relatively minimal involvement" in the stories to that ofThe Crypt-Keeper, and felt it made the collection come off like a horror anthology. He also found being able to watch "Araki's ongoing evolution as an artist and storyteller" over the span of 16 years, to be an unintentionally-engaging element.[2] Karen Maeda ofSequential Tart, who noted she had almost no knowledge ofJoJo's Bizarre Adventure, found herself "completely sucked in" by the second story, wondering what Rohan and his magical power was going to do next. Giving the collection an eight out of 10 rating, she wrote that the stories fall into the horror genre, but "are more weird than gory."[1]
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