Rohan at the Louvre

Even if you’ve never heard of mangaka Hirohiko Araki, chances are you’ve at least heard of his best-known and longest-running work, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, a multigenerational epic about the Joestar family and their battle against evil (currently at Part 9 in Japan as of this writing). Following the publication of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable, Araki made the one-shot “At a Confessional,” the first in what would become a series of one-shots in the spin-off series Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (TSKR), centered around the character Rohan Kishibe from Diamond is Unbreakable. During the run of the Diamond is Unbreakable anime, a handful of these one-shots were adapted into a series of OVAs, later followed by an unrelated live-action drama adaptation with the same name that currently runs at 3 Seasons. When I first heard about the drama series, I assumed it would remain exclusive to Japan, which I also assumed of the related live-action film, Rohan at the Louvre (JP: Rohan au Louvre, Kishibe Rohan Rūvuru e Iku), itself based on the similarly-named one-shot, when it was first announced. Once I heard that Amazon would bring the film overseas via Prime Video, I also learned that the drama was also available on the same platform, sub-only and free for Prime members, so I finally got to watch the drama in preparation for watching the film.

As someone who has read the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan one-shots currently available in English, after watching the drama and seeing some of the liberties taken with it to form a more cohesive narrative across each Season, as well as to wholly disconnect it from the original context of Diamond is Unbreakable to make it more accessible to those unfamiliar with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, I would say that they did a fantastic job in this regard and that it’s the perfect way for someone to dip their toe in the world of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure without having to commit to starting from Phantom Blood. As someone who has also read the English translation of the Rohan at the Louvre one-shot, I felt it worked as both a faithful adaptation of the source material and an enjoyable movie in its own right.

Rohan Kishibe (Issey Takahashi) is a manga artist who has an ability he named Heaven's Door, which allows him to literally read people like a book. While doing research into paint pigments for his manga, Pink Dark Boy, Rohan becomes interested in a black painting by French painter Maurice Legrand since it reminds him of something from his past. After Rohan wins the painting at an art auction he attends with his editor Kyoka Izumi (Marie Iitoyo), the painting is stolen from his home, but is revealed to contain a secret pointing to the original painting Legrand was inspired by, another black painting by Nizaemon Yamamura. Upon realizing the original painting is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, Rohan resolves to look for it there and answer lingering questions.

As an adaptation of the original one-shot, the basic premise and structure are faithful to the source material, but greatly expanded upon to make it work better as a feature film, including increased foreshadowing to the mystery of the black painting, as well as a heavier spider theming. The biggest difference is the addition of a subplot surrounding Legrand, which weaved into the original story in a way that ties back into and fleshes out the main plot. Kyoka Izumi, a character first introduced in the TSKR one-shot “Millionaire Village” and made a recurring character in the TV drama, is also seamlessly inserted into the plot in a way that doesn’t interfere with the outcome of the original one-shot. Some moments from the one-shot are also shuffled around or recontextualized to suit the adaptation, but they are no less faithfully recreated in a nice attention to detail.

 

Rohan Kishibe (Issey Takahashi) demonstrates Heaven's Door...

...and recreates the cover of the one-shot.

On its own merits, Rohan at the Louvre works very well as a standalone feature, as it reestablishes certain concepts to allow a complete newcomer to follow along, including an explanation of how Heaven's Door works. Though nearly two hours long, about double the length of the average episode of the TV drama, the plot is paced in a way that keeps the viewer engaged and doesn’t waste any time, with some scenes playing even more into the suspense of the original work and even veering into psychological horror at times.

In regards to the TSKR TV drama, of which this film is set in the same continuity, some elements may be familiar to fans of that series, such as the introduction of Heaven’s Door using the same narration and music used in the opening scenes of each Season. Even the ending is reminiscent of the drama, including a scene of Rohan kicking Izumi out of his house as well as the same end credits music. It should also be noted that, while the plot of the film was teased at the end of episode 8 of the drama, “Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid,” and this element does come back, the film is still written such that watching the TV drama is not a prerequisite.

While the film retains a similar feel to the TV drama, its higher production values are evident right away, including some very creative camera angles that really help to sell certain moments, especially the horror aspect. While it does make extensive use of practical effects like the drama, there is a noticeable increase in the amount of CG used in some scenes, though it is kept to a minimum and only implemented where necessary, with those instances still looking convincing. Rather notably, much of the second half was actually filmed on location in France, including inside the Louvre itself, which helps immensely in terms of authenticity and really puts into perspective how massive the museum actually is. As a side effect, this can also allow viewers to view part of the Louvre vicariously without the film overstaying its welcome.

 

You can even see the Mona Lisa.

Issey Takahashi and Marie Iitoyo reprise their respective roles as Rohan Kishibe and Kyoka Izumi from the TV drama, and their experience in the roles is evident in their acting and the natural chemistry of the characters. Takahashi once again proves he is the perfect casting choice for Rohan, as his own passion for character in evident in his acting, with his physical acting alone helping to sell some scenes. Since half the film takes place in France, it is appropriate that there is a good mixture of Japanese and French actors to match the nationalities of the characters, even including both languages being heard spoken where appropriate. As there is no English dub, I will say the subtitles are paced well and free from any grammatical errors, which is especially helpful with the presence of two foreign languages.

Whether you’re a fan of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure or not, Rohan at the Louvre is well worth it for its stellar acting and more unique approach to horror and suspense. Those looking for a good entry point into the world of JoJo aside from Phantom Blood and were disappointed by the live-action Diamond is Unbreakable film will find this feature to be far more accessible than the previous attempt, helped by its more self-contained nature. Though the film can be wholly enjoyed on its own without having seen the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan TV drama, I would still highly recommend checking that out as well.