When Jojo's Bizarre Adventure part 8, Jojolion, finally ended its 10-year run in August 2021, series creator Hirohiko Araki included a comment stating that the next installment, tentatively titled "Jojolands," would be coming after a hiatus allowing him to rest. Now, a new announcement has fans wondering if the time for the next part's debut is finally at hand.2022 marked the 35th anniversary of the Jojo series, however, so Araki of course hasn't been completely on break. A special issue called "Jojo Magazine" was announced with a cover reveal in January and saw release in March, and included within it lots of trivia, facts, shorts, and even a new one-shot chapter of the Jojo spinoff Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe, which was heavily advertised. Araki also did a two-parter for Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe which released in April and May, so the mangaka has still managed to keep himself busy while drafting up plotlines and ideas for Jojolands.On October 19, 2022, the Jojo Magazine Twitter account announced that a second Jojo 35th anniversary issue would be coming out before the year's end, on December 19. This time, however, the tweet didn't include a cover reveal, nor did it give any indication as to what the content of the magazine would be. The lack of information immediately drew attention from fans on social media, as the magazine should be advertising what it will contain, just as before. The most likely explanation for the minimal announcement is that something in that magazine is being hidden for the moment, awaiting a proper reveal at a later date. And what could possibly be worth delaying until well after the magazine's announcement more than the debut of Jojolands?
How Likely is a December Premiere for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 9?
Jojo Magazine is an official release from the series' usual publisher Shueisha rather than an unofficial fan magazine, so a debut for the first chapter of part 9 in its pages certainly isn't out of the question. Jojolion, like its predecessor Jojo's Bizarre Adventure part 7, Steel Ball Run, was published in Shueisha's monthly Ultra Jump rather than Weekly Shonen Jump, as these latter parts were aimed at an older audience (young adult men, a demographic referred to as "seinen" rather than shonen). A first chapter in the specialty magazine would certainly boost sales, and since the second chapter wouldn't be due until mid-January, there wouldn't be any awkward transitions to weekly releases to deal with. It's also possible this could be a "chapter 0" situation, in which some kind of prequel chapter is featured in Jojo Magazine before the series proper starts in January. Any sort of prequel chapter would likely include the reveal of the new protagonist, which would also be a big selling point.
With over a year having passed since the last part of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure ended, anticipation is certainly building for the series' return. At the very least, fans can remain confident that Jojo Magazine will have some kind of update on Jojo's Bizarre Adventure part 9's progress, but until then, all that can be done is to wait and see.