Hirohiko Araki, the genius behind JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, has just shown us why he is one of the most based mangakas in the industry. It turns out the internet has revived a gem of an interview from 2007 where the master held nothing back and delivered facts on why he can’t stand legendary works like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, or Kamen Rider. The reason? He finds the protagonists’ constant suffering incredibly boring.

No patience for crybabies

In the original interview with Manga no Chikara, Araki explained that his brain simply can’t process a hero who doubts their duty. For him, seeing characters hesitate to pilot robots or suffer existential crises is incredibly frustrating. The author admitted with laughter that the idea of a protagonist who doesn’t want to fight is something he simply doesn’t understand, preferring characters who go straight to the point without overthinking, giving us the catharsis we seek in good shonen.

His level of honesty reached the point of dismantling the entire premise of Kamen Rider. Araki admitted he doesn’t understand why the hero complains about being transformed into a modified human, insisting that if it happened to him, he’d think he hit the jackpot. This zero-cowardice philosophy perfectly explains why the JoJos are tough guys who don’t hesitate to punch vampires, Aztec gods, or ruthless villains. However, the irony of his words wasn’t lost on fans, who pointed out that from the sixth part of his own work, cathartic endings are absent and things become highly ambiguous. Still, the interview gave us another epic detail about his life: in 2007, Araki was still watching TV on an old CRT monitor because, he said, it didn’t break and had better image quality than flat screens. A man of refined and very based tastes!

About JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

In case you’ve been living under a rock, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most influential, long-running, and memeable manga franchises in history. Written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki since 1987, the series follows the lineage of the Joestar family through different generations. Each part features a new descendant facing bizarre threats with increasingly wild abilities, highlighting the iconic invention of “Stands”. Its extravagant visual style, impossible poses, and musical references have inspired a whole generation of creators worldwide.

Do you agree with Araki that indecisive protagonists ruin the story, or do you think the suffering of characters like Shinji Ikari is pure art? Share your best arguments in the comments!