JoJoLands chapter 17: Jodio and co begin fighting the Stand users as Howler himself is introduced

JoJoLands chapter 17 was expected to continue Jodio Joestar and co’s search for an MRI machine to use on Usagi Aloha’oe, highlighting where the enemy Stand was inside him. Officially released on Thursday, July 18, 2024, the episode not only continued its focus on Jodio and co’s efforts but also introduced a new character and some new plotlines.

JoJoLands chapter 17 also excitingly introduces Agent Bobby Jean’s Stand, which is called Glory Days seemingly in reference to the song of the same name by American artist Bruce Springsteen. The Stand’s reveal also sets up an exciting fight between Jean and Jodio’s crew in the next issue, giving fans something exciting to look forward to for August’s release.

JoJoLands chapter 17 sees Jodio and co’s situation rapidly devolve

Brief chapter recap

Agent Bobby Jean and Lulu continue their pursuit of Jodio and co in JoJoLands chapter 17 (Image via Shueisha)

JoJoLands chapter 17 began with the introduction of a male character on a flight with three scantily-clad women, who were being fed something out of an eyedropper. The man revealed it was dashi, with the sample readers saw being Rishiri dashi stock. He continued sharing it with the girls while explaining the one before was Rausu dashi stock, saying there are only three places in Hokkaido, Japan, where this level of kombu, an edible kep, is produced.

The man explained they were incredibly expensive due to the kombu only being farmable in these three spots and the waters they’re farmed in shrinking from ocean warming. He revealed that the spheres inside the broth were just green peas parboiled with salt. He then shared Ma kombu with them before promising to “buy Hokkaido” for them the next chance he got.

He then lectured about abusing land laws as the women, revealed to be flight attendants, called him Howler (as in Howler Co.) and said they’d be landing soon in Honolulu. Howler deboarded but was greeted by a man named Mack and others from Dolphin Bank. Mack informed him of the government-issued seizure (in reality authorized by Jodio and co) on the 300 kilometers of land he owns on the Northern slope of Hualalai on the island of Hawai’i.

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JoJoLands chapter 17 saw him say it would be formally announced momentarily, and that while Congressman White is the one who ordered it, others have approved it. Howler, in disbelief, tried arguing against this, but the bank continued explaining how he’d likely be found guilty in the court of public opinion. This led Howler to ask what the bank came here for, revealing that they intended to collect on a 38 billion dollar loan they gave to Howler effective immediately.

Howler revealed he spent this loan on the Honolulu head office building and other lands on O’Ahu, as well as for the private jet which the bank told him to get for tax purposes. Mack stood firm in his request, saying the bank is collecting all of it immediately and that if he can’t pay in cash, they suggest he pay with the land he possesses instead. Mack definitively said Howler was bankrupt and that before he went down with the ship, they’d collect what they were owed.

JoJoLands chapter 17 saw them depart while criticizing Howler’s personality, leaving him on the runway in disbelief. As he called the head office for Agent Bobby Jean, Howler began questioning if this was like something in his childhood as what appeared to be his Stand appeared. The focus then shifted to Bobby Jean and Lulu, who were arguing about what their objective was.

JoJoLands chapter 17 sees Jodio and co hit a major dead end (Image via Shueisha)

Lulu then saw a cute hair ornament in a car which she wanted, throwing a tantrum and scratching up the car as she did so. However, it was clear that Dragona Joestar’s survival of her Stand Bags Groove’s attack was what was bothering her. The pair then headed for a nearby hospital, correctly guessing Jodio’s group would utilize an MRI machine as the focus shifted to them.

JoJoLands chapter 17 saw both of the hospital’s MRI exam rooms being utilized, prompting the group to try to use Usagi’s Stand, The Matte Kudasai, to recreate an MRI machine. However, as blood began pouring out of his ears and his personality changed, the group realized this may not be possible. As Bags Groove was seen attacking Usagi from the inside, the focus shifted to Lulu and Jean, who were now in the same part of the hospital as the others.

Lulu quickly realized that the group was right behind them, but a call to Jean’s phone for Lulu interrupted her. Howler, introducing himself as Acca Howler, explained he had an order for her only regarding the people they’re pursuing.

He accurately asserted that they had a Lava Rock in their possession and tasked her with recovering and bringing it to him. He also affirmed his wishes for all of them to be eliminated while displaying knowledge of the Rock’s powers.

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JoJoLands chapter 17 saw Bobby Jean immediately become okay with killing the group, equipping a pistol with a silencer as he asked Lulu for intel on them. He then summoned his Stand, which he called Glory Days, and appeared to fire several shots at Jodio’s group, which they heard.

However, when they turned to look, there were not only no bullets but also no Bobby Jean or Lulu and no one else on the floor reacting to what they heard. The bullets then suddenly appeared and despite moving seemingly slowly, riddled Dragona, Charmingman, Paco Lovelantes, and Jodio with holes as the issue ended.

In review

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One of the best aspects of JoJoLands chapter 17 is the lengths the issue goes to in terms of further establishing and setting up the overarching plotline. The introduction of Acca Howler significantly contributed here, setting him up as a long-term enemy for Jodio’s group and possibly teasing a battle for control of the land via Lava Rocks later on.

The chapter also excels in setting up a dire situation for the next installment via its suspenseful cliffhanger. Depending on how injured Jodio and the others are, it’s likely that Usagi will need to defeat Jean and Lulu by himself. This would likely serve to further develop Usagi as a character in terms of his maturity and reliability, with Jean and Lulu’s pursuit of the group ultimately falling on his clumsiness and carelessness.

In summation

JoJoLands chapter 17 establishes both Acca Howler himself and those under his employ as legitimate threats, while also giving Howler a clear motive for getting involved with Jodio’s group directly. While the next issue is more likely to focus on their fight against Lulu and Jean, fans can expect Jodio and Howler specifically to bump heads at some point later on in the series.