imagine-nation S2012E38 - Main Feature: Japanese Animation - JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE / Creator's interview: SOTA SUGAHARA

Main Feature: Japanese Animation - JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

The first manga serial started in WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP in 1987 and, 25 years on, the TV cartoon of this massive best-seller, JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE, went on air this October. Separate video and cinema cartoon versions have also been made together with several videogames based on the story but this is its first time on TV! The comic book version has since moved across to ULTRA JUMP and is currently in its eighth series. 107 volumes have been published in paperback with combined sales totaling more than 80 million. The unusual story is about a fierce family feud lasting more than two centuries and features a different hero and setting for each series. It has had a radical, pioneering impact on manga expression in everything from how the picture blocks are divided to the character design, uses of onomatopoeia and plot quality. So, how has this distinctive manga been adapted to the animated cartoon format? JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE has made various inroads overseas as well. We discover the key points and strategy underlying its first animation for TV!

Creator's interview: SOTA SUGAHARA

Sota Sugahara debuted in manga at the age of 19 and authored the computer graphic manga TONIO CHAN for two years for a weekly magazine. He has since worked in a multitude of creative fields including video director, video jockey, CD jacket design, character design, and 3D computer graphic animation.