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Hirohiko Araki Hides JoJo References in Paralympic Games Poster
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure creator Hirohiko Araki hid a number of references to his acclaimed manga series in the the official poster for Tokyo's Paralympic Games. The poster, titled "The Sky Above the Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa" shows two competitors in a foot race among the clouds. The poster's perspective puts the viewer in the race as a third competitor vying for first place.
While we can't see the athletes' faces, they look like they might have jumped out of pages of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The blonde racer's hair has a strong resemblance to DIO and the small face decorations on his shorts and prosthetics are none other than The World--Dio's Stand. The other racer has two decorative clips in their green hair; one of the Stone Mask and the other of Giorno Giovanna's Stand Gold Experience. One of their prosthetics has the cat-face of the Stand Killer Queen. Flying in front of them is a biplane, Narancia's Aerosmith Stand.
The entire poster is also an interpretation of Hokusai's masterpiece woodblock print Under the Wave off Kanagawa. Paired together, it creates a fantasy that just above the rowman in Hokusai's original, a great race is taking place among the clouds.
Araki previously drew poster artwork for the National Disabled Persons Sports Festival in 2016.
The Tokyo 2020 Official Art Poster Project is bringing together domestic and international artists. The full roster includes manga creator Naoki Urasawa, artist Shinro Ohtake, graphic designer Daijirō Ōhara, calligrapher Shoko Kanazawa, artist Tomoko Konoike, graphic designer Taku Satoh, the Games' logo designer Asao Tokolo, photographer Takashi Homma, WERK magazine art director Theseus Chan, Dutch artist Viviane Sassen, illustrator and author Philippe Weisbecker, calligrapher Kōji Kakinuma, graphic designer Goo Choki Par, artist Tomoyuki Shinki, photographer Mika Ninagawa, artist Chihiro Mori, and artist Akira Yamaguchi.
The "Anime x Para: Who is Your Hero?" animated project is highlighting athletes in the Paralympic Games with collaborations with popular anime characters. NHK's Breakers anime series will also focus on para-athletes.
Source: Tokyo Olympics official site
