Even Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Knows Its Heroes Look Strange

One of the biggest questions that Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure fans have had since the spinoff Crazy Diamond’s Demonic Heartbreak was how its two protagonists, the high schooler Josuke Higashikata and the grown adult foreigner Hol Horse, would meet. As it turns out, they had no trouble recognizing each other due to Jojo‘s unique sense of style.

The first chapter of the spinoff focused exclusively on Hol Horse, starting out in Egypt where he and several other former minions of Dio were still dealing with the vampire lord’s effects on them, even ten years after the fact. Hol Horse was approached by a woman to find a lost parrot–one that’s related to Dio’s falcon, Pet Shop. It was last seen in Japan, so Hol Horse packed up and set off for the town of Morioh.

Of course, Hol Horse has never met or even heard of Josuke; in fact, it’s likely that even Joseph and Jotaro don’t know yet, since Crazy Diamond’s Demonic Heartbreak is set before Diamond is Unbreakable. It’s a well-established fact that Stand users are drawn by destiny to meet each other, but that typically ends in a fight. Hol Horse arrives in Japan in his typical cowboy getup, which naturally draws a lot of attention (and doubly so as a foreigner). Passersby on the street are unwilling to offer these weirdo directions or help, and when a Stand user starts causing trouble in his vicinity, Josuke shows up to the rescue. As they stand in the street and insult each other’s fashion, the bystanders assume these two strangely dressed men are allies and are responsible for all of the chaos that’s taken place.

Despite the fact that Jojo heroes and villains are so strangely dressed, ordinary people are still wearing ordinary clothes, so it can cause fans to scratch their heads a bit when characters have difficulty identifying an unknown Stand user. As a spinoff that’s reveling in the series’ mythology and history by bringing these two together, it only seems appropriate to take a shot at one of the series’ most egregious traits. In fact, it’s a fairly common comedy and writing technique referred to as “lampshading,” where characters acknowledge how unlikely or absurd an in-story event is. Instead of the usual problem where Stand users’ fashion is overlooked, Josuke and Hol Horse are brought together immediately because of their unusual sense of fashion, forcing both to acknowledge it.

So far, Crazy Diamond’s Demonic Heartbreak has offered a smart and interesting take on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, looking at subjects like PTSD of mind control that were glossed over by the stories in the past. If it continues in this manner, this spinoff should have plenty of material to work with, offering a unique new perspective on the series.

About The Author

Carlyle Edmundson
(235 Articles Published)

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Carlyle Edmundson is a news and features writer with an affinity for science fiction and fantasy. He graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a BS in Film Studies and is glad that it’s relevant to his work. A lifelong fan of anime and manga, he has attended dozens of conventions over the years and may or may not have cosplayed at them. He is also the author of the Dystopian Detective series, available from most places ebooks are sold.

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