#reading the jojolands

[we-love-morioh-cho]

Love that they all join in now

#thought it was sweet how they insisted on charmingman joining them and that they want to help him aww #the jojolands spoilers #reading the jojolands #mine #jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #art #the jojolands #jodio joestar #dragona joestar #meryl mei qi #charmingman #usagi alohaoe #paco laburantes

[yyyaammmmmm]

i finished jojoloin at the right time omg

#jojo no kimyou na bouken #jjba #jojolion #jojolands #yasuho hirose #josuke higashikata 8 #jodio joestar #dragona joestar #WHEN I SAY I SCREAMED WHEN I SAW JODIO AND DRAGONA #I WAS SOBBING THEYRE SO COOL #Yasugap is running around rent free in my head #My favorite pannel i drew #to me jodio and dragona r non binary 🫀 #ALSO I HAVENT READ JJBA9 YET BUT WOWOOW IM JUST SHAKING IM SO EXCITED

[alexotls]

it’s ‘cause you were jamming out to dua lipa so hard!

#i love this album cover i wanted to redraw it as soon as i read that line #dragona joestar #jodio joestar #jojolands #the jojolands #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #my art

[orbitunbreakable]

had to make this joke before anyone else could

(reference source under the Read More)

#jojo no kimyou na bouken #jojos bizarre adventure #jjba #the jojolands #jojolands #jjba fanart #dragona joestar #usagi alohaoe #jojolands spoilers #the BETRAYAL i felt in my heart reading that panel #dragonie is still PINK. TO ME!!!!! #anyway this month's chapter is my favorite thus far i hope we get more good shit like it

[professional-sand-eater]

Charmingman and Wild Cat Size

Higher quality scan here

#yes I read jojo #myart #jojolands #charmingman #wild cat size #traditional drawing #colored pencil #jjba #jojo part 9 #jjba charmingman #the jojolands #I didn't know what color his one piece sleeveless coverall thingy was so I just guessed

[jellophoid]

why did he even say this,,,

#jellarts #jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #jojolands #jojolands spoilers #so much happened in the beginning but it was a good read >< #for like.. jojo #dragona joestar #people that think I don’t know why he said this in the tags are being annoying now #i KNOW why he said that I just thought it was random af

[tlcartist]

I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate JJBA's willingness to explore morally grey characters, especially as the series progresses. At the end of the day, this facet of a character is what keeps me engaged, because you have an (often) deeply flawed person doing their best to achieve their goals, protect the people they care about, and to survive. I genuinely don't think it'd have the same effect if this series was full of Perfect Heroes.

JoJo protagonists (with the exception of Jonathan but I'll discuss that in another post), are messy. Yes they're strong and brave and have a sense of justice but they're also rude, con artists, manipulative, and hurt/kill people as they see fit. And honestly? I love it. I wouldn't have them any other way. It humanizes them. It transforms characters who essentially have superhuman or even godlike abilities and makes them relatable. They struggle with guilt, regret, shame, and anger just like anyone else. They have damaging coping mechanisms. They sometimes take their frustrations out on people who don't deserve it. They're fucked up just like a regular person.

The whole point of this is creating a world where there are no true Good Guys. Everyone's hands are dirty. AND YET, in spite of all of this they still have good hearts. This series could have very easily taken a turn in the other direction and gone the nihilistic route but it doesn't. JoJo could have become a series full of nothing but characters who are only motivated for selfish reasons but it isn't. Not to be cliche, but, at it it's core JoJo is a series about love and friendship and protecting it at any cost. It understands that the connections we have with each other are stronger than any stand. That no matter how fucked up a protagonist or supporting character is they still have the potential to do good. This is a story where, at the end of the day, love will always prevail and I think that's pretty damn wonderful.

#jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #don't mind me just in my feels after reading jojolands lmao #I've known my new crime son for all of 5 minutes and I already love him #character analysis #b talks jojo

[wrongplaceworsttime]

on dragona

i managed to track down some pictures of the jojolands raws, and specifically one of the pages where jodio talks about dragona. i think ultimately we’ll have to wait for more to get a real read on his gender identity and presentation, but i wanted to see what the original japanese was and what it said for myself

here is where jodio is talking about how his mom can live a peaceful life because of what he and dragona do. in the first bubble he starts with “オレたち兄弟” (oretachi kyoudai). the key word here is 兄弟, which just means sibling(s). so he says “we siblings” (or, given context, could also be “we brothers”). regardless, this phrase is gender neutral

in the second one, he says “オレと兄” (ore to ani). this is why i’m choosing to use he/him for dragona as of now, because 兄 means big brother, and as far as i know, nothing else. i’d translate this as “me and my brother” (or if we’re trying to be grammatically correct, “my brother and i”)

in this bubble, jodio again says “兄”, which, if you look up in a dictionary, only translates to older/elder/big brother. 

i think you could’ve argued otherwise if jodio had called dragona 兄貴 (aniki) because that once can be a little more ambiguous in terms of familial relationship and gender, but just 兄 alone reads to me like dragona is jodio’s older brother. i also don’t really think that jodio is purposely misgendering dragona.

given what we know so far about the characters, i think there’s enough evidence to say that dragona identifies as a boy, but enjoys presenting feminine. so i’m going to be using he/him for dragona unless something contradicts that in later chapters

#hope this was helpful for anybody! #i'm not trying to say anything about whether dragona is good or bad queer rep #i'm a cis girl so i don't think i have much to add to the conversation in that regard #but its pretty clear that in the original language dragona is refered to as a boy #okay thanks for reading also general disclaimer i'm still learning japanese #the words i pointed out are very simple though so i'm not worried about having mistranslated anything #dragona #dragona joestar #the jojolands #tjjl #tjjl 1 #jjba #日本語 study

[incorrect-jojolands-quotes]

Hot take but I think what we saw in chapter 13 was necessary.

I don't think a lot of people realize how important it is for Araki to portray what he did, even if it extremely difficult to take in. Let me explain.

Araki has discussed about topics like racial and class disparity through both Steel Ball Run and Jojolion, but JOJOLands is different because the discussions are now very direct. We had Chapter 1 open up with police brutality and Chapter 13 open with intense bullying; both acts were committed by people of higher social standing/power and seemingly White (or white passing) and both are harming a dark-skinned queer individual. Not only that, remember that Hawai'i is an island stolen and colonized by the US and many indigenous individuals who were supposed to live and maintain kapu are being forced to endure housing problems, loss of culture, etc. due to gentrification and exploitation of its lands. 2020 was when we saw global protest towards the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor due to police brutality, which has spread as far as Japan in terms of demonstrations and rallies. Araki has made it clear that he tries to take real world experience into his writing, and this is no different. He is also no stranger to portraying law enforcement throughout his parts without glorifying or downplaying their behavior.

As a mutual of mine (who themselves identify as a black GNC individual based in US) has put it, those who identify or even appear as Black while identifying as trans-femme or women are subjected to some of the worse kinds of oppression possible in America. Queer women of Color are one of the most susceptible to sexual violence-- especially when they are young, and the darkness of their skin really plays into it. This is transmisogynoir; it is a hard pill to swallow and acknowledge, even if it feels excessive, and its a multilayer of oppression that connects a person's racial identity, gender, and sexuality as targets of discrimination. It's the fact that one is POC, a woman, AND queer that makes one a target--- not just one or the other. You can’t turn a blind eye to this because it happen constantly throughout America's history and American society even today, but you can't simply water it down or downplay it. In fact, many victims of transmisogynoir have no choice but to downplay their experiences because of their Black identities or because they appear too dark to be taken seriously; when they, especially if they are Black, try to hold people in power accountable, these individuals are suddenly labeled aggressive, indignant, etc. and they are further discriminated for attempting to speak up. Dragona downplaying the bullying isn't them just trying to avoid further conflict but a reflection of how many who were in similar situations like Dragona are forced to simply forgive and forget the trauma they have to endure. To downplay it ourselves is reinforcing the narrative that individuals like Dragona in real life should remain silent and endure their harassment rather than rightfully protect themselves and others from it.

Another thing to add is that the way Japan portrays and treats the LGBTQ community, particularly the trans community. In Japan, the process to legally change your gender is complicated and requires a lot of steps that include, but not limited to, being diagnosed with gender identity disorder, proving you have no kids/guardianships, and sterilization. This causes a lot of individuals to be forced to quickly transition as a means of getting their gender recognized, which takes away the time to let them explore at their own pace, and this is due to how the process can lead to hindering career and life opportunities that wouldn't be hindered had they already transitioned or stayed closeted. Many Japanese trans individuals unable to go through the process quickly either remain closeted or move away from Japan to transition at their own pace. So, as a result, the trans community and its struggles is not as noticed compared to outside of Japan. Another thing to add is that the trans community in Japanese media is often portrayed as comedic relief or a gag. Oftentimes, the trans character or character who diverts from gender conformity (i.e cross-dressing, acting more flamboyant) is the butt of the jokes. Some thing to note is that, when Dragona was first introduced, a lot of people thought that Araki put Dragona in simply for comedic purposes. I had people joke about how Dragona is just there because they believed Araki is trolling. Not only that, the racial issues that Japan has often results in jokes towards non-Japanese individuals in media, especially if they are of darker skin color.

So, Araki putting Dragona in these difficult situations is also meant to subvert expectations that his Japanese, and possibly Western, audience may be expecting. The expectation was to laugh and toss Dragona aside as a single-dimensional character, but Araki instead forced us to face the trauma through Dragona's experience head-on. We are made aware of Dragona's situation, how real and difficult the struggle is, and we end up emphasizing with it rather than laughing at it. Through this, we get a glimpse into real life experiences of trans POCs without it being downplayed and have it show how Dragona is a fleshed-out character with importance to the series. As some have put it, this chapter proved that Dragona isn't just a side character but arguably a complex individual on the same level of importance as Jodio. I don't think it would have been easy to have the same impact if another approach was taken.

While talking to others who identify as trans and/or GNC about their thoughts on the chapter, I was told by many of them that, while Dragona's experience hits close to home and was hard to digest, they appreciate seeing it being expressed and hope it will help other people understand their struggles. One noted how the introduction of Smooth Operators with the backstory as empowering, seeing the Stand as a symbol of surviving the trauma that comes with trans discrimination. I do find this a bit telling with how many people online who are against Araki's portrayal barely mention what trans/GNC people have said about it.

My main concern, as well as what I see people have rightfully critiqued, is the excessive trauma reinforcing the fetishization and violent voyeurism towards trans individuals; it also reinforces the problematic narrative that dysmorphia can only happen as a result of trauma and the trans experience can only be full of pain. There's also the issue that Dragona's experience also happened while they were under age and their harassment is similar to that of Lucy. It's a common trope in Western media to put marginalized people into these situations while upping the ante simply for clicks and pleasure, and even worse when the character portrayed is a minor. As I reiterate, it is a very uncomfortable chapter to read and I don't find it enjoyable at the slightest. Just because I understand why it is necessary doesn't mean I condone the approach done. I also understand Araki as a Japanese man can only relate and portray a queer American's experience to an extent. But, at the same time, the exposure was necessary because it gives us the awareness and a voice to trans people that is lacking within media even today. We need to be aware and acknowledge what our BIPOC trans community goes through as a means of being better humans--- and especially our younger community members. We need to make our society safer for them so they can thrive and have the respect they deserve. Oftentimes, that starts with how they are portrayed and how their experiences are portrayed. While it is still a journey and not every representation will be perfect, we can't simply toss it aside and bash those who try to show something realistic just because it is uncomfortable.

I only hope that Araki wrote Dragona and these scenes as a result of doing extensive research and reaching out to actual POC queer individuals, particularly transfemmes/women, to understand their experiences and have their blessings to use their words to shape Dragona. I feel like that would show that Araki was serious about discussing these issues through his characters rather than simply using Dragona's traumatic experience it for entertainment. I have higher expectations for Araki now, knowing that it may not be the last time he shows a character experience harassment and possibly have Dragona be harassed again, so I will keep my eyes open for this.

#the jojolands #this is my first time making a long ass serious post about this so i hope my message is well put #i understand that not everyone will agree and that my view is limited due to experiences so i do apologize if my message was incorrect #i wrote this after discussing this with trans/gnc individuals about their thoughts of chapter 13 and noticed how there's discourse on it #obviously please listen to BIPOC voices especially from those who also identify as queer. many told me they appreciate chapter 13's rawness #i'm also going to use this time to read up and learn more about the trans community and BIPOC community #so feel free to send me stuff to read up on as well #but yea my two cents

[fallowfrog]

aww yeah jojo time

#jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo part 9 #jojolands #the jojolands #jodio joestar #jojo fanart #the jojolands fanart #jojolands fanart #i read the first chapter last night and he is SUCH a 15 yr old #araki definitely studied my little brothers for inspiration LMAO #i'm super excited for the next chapter even tho it comes out next month #gives me time to shitpost KNASJKAH

[haejooarts]

dragona joestar

#jjba #dragona joestar #jojolands #listen i haven't actually read much of jojolands #i need to get to sbr first before i could move past chapter 2 #but that won't stop me from obsessing over dragona

[we-love-morioh-cho]

crying

#but wow what a moment...... #also the fact they sleep in a bunk bed and dragona seemingly lets jodio have the top bunk is so adorable #the jojolands spoilers #reading the jojolands #fave #joestar family #mine #emotional #jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #art #the jojolands #jodio joestar #dragona joestar

[magical-girl-slugger]

ARAKI YOU CANT KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS YOU BASTARD

JOJOLANDS CHAPTER 2 IS OUT BTW

#kishibe rohan #rohan kishibe #rohan #jojolands #jojo part 9 #part 9 #jojo #jojos bizarre adventure #hirohiko araki #for context i just read chapter 2 of jojolands

[sothatgrass]

Why are some of you guys even reading JoJos if you're gonna act like this 😕

#jojolands #ARGHHH THE READING LITERACY OF THIS SITE. DEAD. #grass eats ass

[floor10ghost]

Jodio: Look at yorurself. Now back to me. Now back to yourself. Now back to me. Sadly, you aren't me.

#reenthoughts #rena reads jojolands #jojolands #jjba #part 9 spoilers #50 #100

[fellow-traveller]

A monthly dose of Cap Guy :D

Was planning to get this drawing out before the JoJolands chapter, but work and other stuff held me back. Did bits by bits and finally got it done! It's not...as detailed as I wanted it to be, but it'll do.

I don't know what the general consensus is for his colour scheme, so I just use Hol Horse's. Might revise it for later drawings, but until there's official Araki colours, he'll be like this. Also, we don't know how his stand The Hustle works exactly, so for now it's just a creative liberty.

Additional doodle bc I was thinking about this while drawing Paco:

♡

#paco laburantes #paco lovelantes #cap guy #jodio joestar #dragona joestar #usagi alohaoe #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojolands #jjba #jjba fanart #my fanart #i hope this is not a spoiler...? it doesn't show anything of the story #except paco's stand for people who haven't read jojolands yet