Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s unique art style has been captivating the hearts of manga enthusiasts for decades now, and it’s undoubtedly one of the most recognized and influential art styles in the manga world. But would it surprise you if your teacher came to class one day and said “Kids, open up your textbooks, we’re learning about Jojo today.” For some middle schoolers in Japan, this has recently become reality.
An X post by a mother of a middle schooler has been creating much buzz among Japanese users, as she was shocked by the fact that her son’s art textbook features none other than Hirohiko Araki.
“Apollo and Daphne are mentioned (next to Araki), but I’m relieved there was no mention of the Mona Lisa” – the lady jokes, possibly alluding to a famous scene from Diamond is Unbreakable, in which Yoshikage Kira talks about his bizarre sexual awakening after seeing the Mona Lisa in his textbook.
On that note, there’s also a theory on Japanese Twitter that Araki has been alive many centuries before his alleged year of birth – and has appeared in textbooks not once, but twice – as the Mona Lisa and as the swordsman Toshizo Hijikata.
In the textbook, Hirohiko Araki’s art is showcased back-to-back with some of the most influential artists in history, such as Van Gogh and Claude Monet. Japanese X users were quick to comment how jealous they are of middle schoolers for getting to learn about Araki in their art class, and to be honest with you – I’m jealous too.
As we’re able to see in the preview that was posted on the official website of the textbook’s publisher, the main purpose of putting legendary manga artists such as Araki in textbooks is for the students to be able to interact with art in a way that is more familiar to them; Araki’s timeless art pieces are not valuable just because they (very deservingly) marked an era of manga history, but because through them he was able to channel a lot of the important aspects of both classical and modern art of the World. It comes as no surprise that his art was even exhibited at the Louvre once (Perhaps the bit about him being the Mona Lisa was true after all?).
