Hirohiko Araki ( 荒木飛呂彦) is a Japanese manga artist. He left school before graduation from Miyagi University of Education.
He enjoys the baseball manga Kyojin No Hoshii (Star of the Giants); the video games Mario Kart and Bomberman; and likes Prince and other African-American singers, as well as jazz, rock, and rap.
- this is starting to become very dan brown-esque - that's an intense beginning to a volume - and might I say, very convenient? - oh wekapipo. (hilarious name by the way)
(English copy from my Instagram @agamundisr_escritor / @leyendoconalice)
Konnichiwa to all, dear readers 🌸
Today I bring you the review of Steel Ball Run Vol. 13.
🐴 This volume develops President Valentine’s ability: when trapped between two objects, he can shift into parallel universes and bring back alternative versions of anyone. Araki turns the doppelgänger theory into a tactical mechanic with a five‑meter range, creating a battle where Dio and Hot Pants must avoid their own dimensional counterparts. Spatial tension dominates the conflict.
🐴 Dio, who has already uncovered the secret of D4C, attacks aiming for immediate death, but dimensional compression turns every movement into a threat. Valentine interprets the arrival of the left eye as a divine sign: the holy corpse supports his political and spiritual mission, reinforcing his messianic conviction.
🐴 Lucy Steel acquires a Stand as the reincarnation of the holy corpse begins within her. This awakening triggers a contraction of the world that Johnny and Gyro detect as they advance toward the train. Distances shorten, geography folds, and the race transforms into an almost metaphysical phenomenon. Valentine sees in Lucy the definitive proof that the prophet guides his cause.
🐴 Johnny and Gyro share an intimate moment: aware they might die, they decide to exchange a secret before the final battle. Johnny confesses a fetish, while Gyro reveals his true name, a reference to JoJo tradition and the Roman Republic that foreshadows his possible tragic fate.
🐴 The volume introduces a hypothetical rotation that combines Johnny’s horseback technique with the Zeppelli rotation. This fusion could restore his mobility and become the key to reaching the train on horseback. Araki blends political tension, technical evolution, and mysticism in a volume where the world contracts and the protagonists’ fate becomes uncertain.
🌸 Conclusion: An intense volume that unites dimension, faith, and power in a decisive narrative escalation.