Just as there are gene pools of different iterations and characteristics due to replication over time, there are meme pools based on the same principles. While Phantom Blood was still airing, the earliest precursor to the meme began circulating. More in the vein of a mashup than a codified internet joke, the video borrows the JoJo outro elements, overlaying them onto the ending of a Madoka Magika episode intended to draw a parallel between two similar moments in these shows.
“Memes have to be translatable within a particular demographic group — a group that has a shared language, shared meanings, shared culture,” she explained. “Memes that really go viral, that really take off, can cross boundaries. So, they can be legible to lots of different kinds of groups.” JoJo, at the beginning of the anime’s run, only had a cult following. Its strange character designs and weird comical moments global asset allocation went over the heads of many. However, JoJo gradually gained traction over the years as more people realized its brilliance. JoJo has been turned into a meme so many times that newcomers are surprised to find some already famous material in it.
- Its strange character designs and weird comical moments went over the heads of many.
- The frame would then freeze, and an arrow would slide across the screen containing the text “To Be Continued.” The show would then cut to credits.
- A thread on Reddit’s OutOfTheLoop indicates this was approximately when To Be Continued began to extend beyond fans of the anime series.
- Goblin Slayer was a controversial show for its disturbing and dark content.
- However, some memes can be dark and can potentially spread disinformation.
If you have spent any time scrolling through the internet, you have probably encountered a meme. From Grumpy Cat to Spider-Man pointing at another version of himself, memes are constantly being shared and altered over time. Tiktok and meme songs are a source to discover good, under-recognized music. “Roundabout” by Yes was an old-time classic, even if many people mainly know this song from the memes or JoJo’s ending. Its upbeat tune and riveting lyrics are enjoyed by all kinds of music lovers.
External References
Other anime may follow the cliffhanger technique slightly, but Demon Slayer took it to a whole another level. Viewers are left at the edge of their seats at the end of every episode and were forced to let their imagination run wild for a https://forexanalytics.info/ whole week. People can insert whatever statement, phrase or saying into the meme so long as it relates back to the emotions displayed, making it resonate with a demographic. After 30 years, Studio Ghibli’s oft-overlooked TV special unveils a brand-new art book that takes readers behind the scenes of the anime’s creation.
What are to be continued memes? The history and origin of the JoJo’s Bizarre adventure meme
Many of the most popular anime in recent years, like Kill La Kill and Attack on Titan, were broadcast simultaneously in Japan and online—and the same became true of the most recent JoJo season, Diamond Is Unbreakable (DIU). A DIU teaser heavily featuring the To Be Continued arrow first appeared in October, 2015, with trailers following over the next few months. While the two images were not connected in the beginning, they come together to form a meme featuring former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Taylor Armstrong yelling at a white cat sitting in front of a plate of vegetables. Armstrong’s facial expression denote anger and frustration, while the cat looks equally as bothered and unenthused. If it has a message or meaning behind it, anything can be a meme.
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Dragon Ball Super fans are fighting back against a viral ‘leak’ suggesting the series by Toyotarou and the late Akira Toriyama is coming to an end. For this encounter, the battleground is the Sky Block at dawn. This fanart has been able to capture the intensity of such a battle, while the JoJo meme is a welcome addition because the series makes everything better.
In January, the videos started creeping onto YouTube, Vine, and Tumblr. In February, To Be Continued got a dedicated YouTube channel, which has since garnered nearly 5 million views in total, and by all accounts is primarily responsible for popularizing the meme. A thread on Reddit’s OutOfTheLoop indicates this was approximately when To Be Continued began to extend beyond fans of the anime series. “Roundabout” is a 1971 progressive rock song by the British rock band Yes. Many of the earliest JoJo memes poked fun at poor translations. Poor localization made the series easy fodder for early English-speaking internet boards, and it’s intentionally ridiculous nature made it meme bait from the very beginning.
Episodes of Season 1 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure would end by playing the song “Roundabout” by British band Yes. The frame would then freeze, and an arrow would slide across the screen containing the text “To Be Continued.” The show would then cut to credits. The inspiration for this meme was the abrupt ending of an episode, with “To Be Continued,” during an infamous series cliffhanger.
The Roots of This Ridiculous Meme Predate the Internet
The term “meme” was coined in 1976 by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his book, “The Selfish Gene.” Along with memes comes memetics. Hello Kitty’s world-famous creator Sanrio teams up with Hasbro for a special edition of The Game of Life, promising magic and family fun. The earliest known usage of this meme stems from “Danksmash” remix of the Squidward Dab (shown below), which was uploaded to Vine on January 27th, 2016.
“You could rant. You can just put very random things in there. But that juxtaposition (of emotions) itself has become the memetic device.” In other words, memes are similar to viruses — they spread, replicate and make their way into facets of culture, leaving lasting impacts on history, similar to how viruses infect populations. However, some memes can be dark and can potentially spread disinformation.
But it took until 2003 for JoJo to officially cross the Pacific, where a Toonami-primed Western audience was finally able to read the translated series which follows multiple generations of fighting men, all nicknamed JoJo. While you can use a popular image or person, such as Kim Kardashian yawning, you can use any random thing to make a meme. So long as the emotion and meaning behind the creation is recognizable and identifiable, you have made a meme, said Ingram-Waters.
Despite its popularity, many people still don’t know that JoJo is the source of so many internet memes, with “to be continued” being one of them. Therefore, those who dismiss anime but later enjoy their memes are a walking contradiction. Whatever the case, JoJo is the anime that pulls off this technique in the best way. After all, the episodes end with a catchy rock song from the ’70s. It’s an ancient ritual in anime, TV shows, or any other entertainment medium to hook the audience with a cliffhanger.
In 2012, an anime adaptation of the first JoJo story arc, Phantom Blood, was broadcast in Japan. Despite taking place in 1880s England, the series borrows heavily from 70s rock. Characters Dio Brando, Robert E. O. Speedwagon, Will A. Zeppeli, Bruford, and Tonpetty, are laughably bald references. As in the meme, each episode ends with a “To Be Continued” arrow—a sepia freeze frame timed to coincide with the bass and drum hits in the first track on Yes’ 1971 double platinum album Fragile. The arrow and freeze frame would remain a staple of future seasons, while “Roundabout,” to the chagrin of progressive rock fans, would not.