One of the things that Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is most notorious for the strange way its characters sometimes stand or move, which have become known as “jojo poses.” While these odd poses may seem like an invention of author Hirohiko Araki, he actually picked them up from somewhere else, which may turn out to be a surprise.

In his artwork, Araki prefers highly dynamic poses that help convey emotion or movement. This goes back to the first part of Yo-Yo, Phantom Bloodin some respects, but it only became apparent late in the production of Stardust Crusader and became standard practice with the time of Diamond is unbreakable. In combination with the often unusual outfits of Yo-Yo For characters, these poses can be very memorable, so much so that they have found their way into internet pop culture, even far beyond the realm of the anime fan community.

But all these strange poses can be traced back to their origin: the catwalk.

Jojo’s iconic posing was based on female models

Araki was inspired by the most exciting models in the fashion world

It’s no secret that Araki is a big fashion fan. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has even collaborated with major fashion brands such as Gucci. In a 2018 interview with fashion magazine SPUR, translated and maintained by Jojowiki users, Araki explains the origins of his poses: “I like to use women’s poses as a reference when drawing. I often draw male characters by looking at models in women’s fashion magazines.“It may be surprising that even Araki’s male characters take specific inspiration from women’s fashion, but once you hear it, the clues become clear.

Araki’s character poses often have a gender-bending effect, especially with some of his less muscular heroes like Giorno or Josuke. Their poses make them very different from other manga heroes, who often pose in a traditionally masculine manner and are more inspired by Greek statues or martial arts. It makes a Yo-Yo Character is instantly recognizable, even if you don’t immediately know who that character is. At this point, the use of female poses is almost a trademark of Araki’s artwork.

When you think of a woman on the runway at a fashion show, the obvious idea behind the poses she strikes is to show off the clothes she’s wearing as much as possible. This aspect of these unusual poses actually makes a lot of sense when you consider Araki’s fascination with fashion in general; Araki has spent a lot of time deliberately designing characters and their outfits to resemble haute couture, so it only makes sense that the characters strike poses similar to those of models to also show off the clothes they’re wearing.

Araki’s love of fashion created an unforgettable combination

Araki believes style is the key to becoming a hero

At the beginning of the interview, Araki explained, “I don’t make a distinction between drawing men and women. Ultimately, it’s more important to me whether I draw them stylishly or cutely. The ‘cute’ part isn’t really my thing, so I often focus on drawing them stylishly instead.” The definition of stylish is quite broad, but in my opinion it is someone who is a loner. Although they are not recognized by society, they can still maintain a strong sense of justice. That is what makes a hero.”

Araki believes that style is an important aspect in designing a character, as the character’s clothing often says a lot about his character, especially in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventurewhere elements of a character’s costume can indicate their Stand abilities. Therefore, his love of fashion is directly linked to his creativity as a mangaka, and he will likely continue to come up with ideas for Yo-Yo characters as long as he maintains his interest in fashion.

Yo-YoThe characters of often wear strange and ridiculous outfits because each of them is meant to have their own style, one that no one else in the setting shares, as part of the “loner” aspect that Araki pointed out. They tend to be heavily themed, even if the purpose of that theme isn’t always clear. Their poses are designed to show off their outfits and provide dynamic panels that convey things like emotion and movement more easily. This strong influence from the world of fashion is something that few manga share, making them special. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure stand out through attention to detail.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Created by

Hirohiko Araki

Character(s)

Will A. Zeppeli, Jonathan Joestar, Giorno Giovanna, Jotaro Kujo, Joseph Joestar, Jolyne Cujoh, Johnny Joestar, Josuke Higashikata, Gyro Zeppeli

Video game(s)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R