JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and the Myth of the ‘Gentleman’: Cues from the Series’ ‘Phantom Blood’ and ‘Battle Tendency’ 1 SUZUMURA, Yusuke, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Meijo University Abstract The first part of Hirohiko Araki’s manga, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, ‘Phantom Blood’, is set in England from 1868 to 1889. In the work, the word ‘gentleman’ is used as a key term to understand the main characters’ personality. In this study, we examined the first part of the work and the second part ‘Battle Tendency’ which took place in New York City in 1938 to analyse the role of the concept of ‘gentleman’ in both Part 1 and Part 2, comparing it with other related concepts. As a result, in Part 1 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, the concept of the ‘gentleman’ was a concept that contributes to defining the work’s character. It implied that the concept of the ‘gentleman’ was an important tool for understanding the characteristics not explicitly described in the characters’ depictions. Keywords: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Gentleman, Jonathan Joestar 1. Introduction ‘Phantom Blood’, the first part of Hirohiko Araki’s manga, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, is set in England from 1868 to 1889. In the work, the word ‘gentleman’ is used multiple times in the dialogue of the main character, Jonathan Joestar, and his father, Lord Joestar. During this time, Britain was a hierarchical class-based society where differences in social strata were more pronounced compared to today. These differences could be observed in people’s daily behaviour, thoughts, speech, and writing. The choice to set Part 1 in 19th- century England, where such a backdrop was prevalent, was deliberate. Meanwhile, Part 2, ‘Battle Tendency’, takes place in New York City in 1938. Unlike England, the United States (US) at that time was a country that revered the idea of equality among all individuals and did not adhere to a hierarchical class system like in England. Additionally, the US was experiencing the rise of mass consumerism in the aftermath of World War I. Given these differences, how does the concept of ‘gentleman’, which holds significance in Part 1, evolve in Part 2? This paper analyses the role of the concept of ‘gentleman’ in both Part 1 and Part 2, comparing it with other related concepts. Furthermore, this paper examines the societal context of the era and explores the distinctive features of the narrative in Parts 1 and 2. 2. Subjects and Method The subjects of this study were Part 1, ‘Phantom Blood’, and Part 2, ‘Battle Tendency’, from Hirohiko Araki’s manga series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. 2.1 Versions For this paper, all seven volumes of the Shueisha Bunko (comic book edition; Shueisha, 2002) were utilised. In each section, subtitles were incorporated. Specifically, Volumes 1 through 3 were analysed for ‘Phantom Blood’, and Volumes 4 through 7 were examined for ‘Battle Tendency’. 2.2 Methods The content analysis of ‘Phantom Blood’ and ‘Battle Tendency’ involved classifying their dialogue, descriptions, and character depictions according to various conceptual and － 29 － Research Paper