JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Stone Ocean is the latest anime season that followed the Joestars and the universe that was born from the mind of creator Hirohiko Araki. Following the story of Jolyne Cujoh, the daughter of Stardust Crusader Jotaro, the series presented a number of returning characters from the anime’s past to join Stone Free’s quest. On the recently released Blu-Ray for the Stone Ocean anime, it would seem that the animators almost included a fan-favorite character from the anime’s past.
The character in question that almost appeared in Stone Ocean was Kishibe Rohan. The mangaka who first appeared in Diamond Is Unbreakable has since been given his own spin-off series, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, and even his own live-action television series and feature-length film. In a newly released commentary, executive director Kenichi Suzuki, director Toshiyuki Kato, and screenwriter Yasuko Kobayashi confirm that Rohan was quite close to gaining screen time in the latest anime season.
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Kishibe Rohan’s Stone Ocean Cameo Discussed
Toshiyuki Kato (TK): There was a time when we considered whether or not to show Rohan’s appearance, wasn’t there? We discussed it during the storyboard phase.
Yasuko Kobayashi (YK): We discussed that if we weren’t going to do anything significant with him, we might as well not show him at all.
Kenichi Suzuki (KS): We ended up leaving it out.
TK: Right, right, right. I wonder if it was in the script at one point. Perhaps.
YK: I don’t think so.
KS: I think it might have been. Well, there were thoughts on showing him.
YK: There were people who wanted to show him. I chose not to.
KS: Did Mr. Inotsume want to show him?
YK: If I remember correctly, he might have in the beginning. Even if we did, it wouldn’t consume too much runtime. Essentially, it’s a gag intended for those familiar with Part 4. I figured there might be those who wouldn’t get it, so I planned on not showing Rohan. But fans would’ve been delighted.
Noriko Dohi: That’s true. But even just the line mentioning him is enough.
KS: That’s a line that would absolutely never be cut (laughs).
What did you think of Stone Ocean’s anime adaptation compared to the previous arcs of the series? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Joestars.
