Family Guy Surprises Fans With JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Shout Out

Family Guy definitely took anime fans by surprise with a sudden JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure shout out at the end of the newest episode! As fans have come to expect from the long running animated sitcom, there are a ton of pop culture references snuck into each episode of Family Guy. While the franchise has made some shout outs to anime in the past (and even had a greater connection to the world of anime as part of the Adult Swim block for several years before moving to FXX and Freeform), the newest episode had the most direct shout out yet. 

With its return to FOX earlier this Fall, Family Guy is now in the midst of its 20th season. Five episodes into the new season’s run, the final moments of “Brief Encounter” offer a surprising shout out to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as the show decides to end on a meme that has since been inspired by Hirohiro Araki’s long running series. Referring to it as the “To Be Continued” meme, Stewie launches a rocket launcher all while some very familiar music cues kick in before a “To Be Continued” arrow hits. Check it out as spotted by @Looting_III on Twitter: 

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For those who might be unaware, the “To Be Continued” meme refers to the final moments of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime through the Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency arc. Using Yes’ “Roundabout” single (off their fourth album, Fragile), the guitar would kick in a few moments before a cliffhanger ending. This took on a whole life of its own when fans started inserting it into their Vine and other social media skits, and has now morphed into something completely standalone that Family Guy can reference without directly acknowledging its source. 

One can argue that it’s being done incorrectly as the “To Be Continued” template’s main joke is that it always cuts off moments before disaster, not after, but it’s still just so surprising of a shout out and definitely gets a little bit more hilarious for those aware of where it all came from. Thankfully, it won’t be too much longer without new JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure either as its next season, Stone Ocean, hits Netflix this December. But what do you think? 

How do you feel about Family Guy’s shout out to the world of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!