The spin-off Cool Shock Old B.T. returned this month with a second chapter published in JOJO magazine 2023 WINTER, two years after its first one-shot chapter. Just like its previous chapter, the new work consists of many references and callbacks to Hirohiko Araki‘s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series and other works. It particularly references Say Hi to Virginia, a one-shot that Araki wrote in 1981.
References are present in both the dialogue and art, some being more discrete than others. Below is a list of references for The “Say Hi to Old Virginia” Incident. How many have you spotted while reading the manga?
List of References
| Reference | Image(s) |
|---|---|
| Title: The title is a pun based on Say Hi to Virginia using Japanese wordplay, as “Hag Senior” (バアシニア, Bā Shinia) sounds like “Virginia” (バージニア, Bājinia). The translation uses “Old Virginia” to keep the reference in English. |  |
| Chapter Cover (Page 1): B.T. does the same pose as Cool Shock B.T.‘s bunkoban volume cover. |  |
| Page 2: The narration is almost the same as the first chapter‘s, parodying the introduction of Speedwagon at the beginning of Battle Tendency. |  |
| Page 2: Characters and items are floating in the spaceship: B.T.’s ventriloquism doll from CSBT Chapter 3, a ball from CSBT Chapter 1, the Middle Ordovician period’s Trilobite fossil from CSBT Chapter 5, B.T.’s cards from CSBT Chapter 6, Mikitaka Hazekura as dice, and Coco Jumbo. |  |
| Page 3: The page layout and title card references the first chapter’s, as well as CSBT Chapter 2‘s opening. |      |
| Page 3: Koichi bringing up the sci-fi novel 2061: Odyssey Three is a reference to Koichi Hirose starting the narration of Vento Aureo by mentioning the sci-fi movie 2001: A Space Odyssey in Chapter 440. |  |
| Page 3: Echoes ACT4 is an older version of Echoes ACT3, taking the role of Clyde from Say Hi to Virginia. |   |
| Page 4: The COOL SHOCK ship is based on the Derringer from Say Hi to Virginia. The page is the same as well, listing 2 human personnel, 1 robot, and that the ship is on autopilot. |   |
| Page 4: Rolling Stones is floating above the ship. The metal frame that Enrico Pucci uses to awaken Made in Heaven is floating below. |   |
| Page 5: Echoes ACT4 serves Koichi Tonio Trussardi‘s abalone risotto from TSKR Episode 6. Koichi also mentions the Trattoria Trussardi restaurant, praising Echoes as a good chef like how Hiroshi Takemoto praises Clyde. |   |
| Page 5: Koichi’s “Why do you think that is?” references Telence T. D’Arby asking Jotaro and Joseph why his brother never challenged him to a game from Chapter 235. |   |
| Page 5: Echoes ACT4 peels an apple like Clyde in Say Hi to Virginia. |   |
| Page 5: Koichi says the porridge can be tube fed to him like how Hiroshi says the soup can be tube fed in Say Hi to Virginia. |   |
| Page 6: The fuzzy transmission and bomber appearing on the screen knowing Koichi’s name is the same as Say Hi to Virginia, where the bomber knows Hiroshi’s name. |  |
| Page 6: Koichi’s “Knock, knock” dialogue and pose references Joseph’s dialogue from Chapter 53. |   |
| Page 7: The dialogue and the bomb placements are the same as Say Hi to Virginia. Koichi imagining the explosion references the art of the first bomb’s explosion with Hiroshi and Clyde. |   |
| Page 8: The COOL SHOCK diagram is almost the same as the Derringer’s diagram, including the length of 168 meters. |   |
| Page 8: Koichi asking why anyone would plant a bomb on a vintage private ship references Hiroshi asking why anyone would plant a bomb on a regular cargo ship. |   |
| Page 8: The first bomb is based on Sheer Heart Attack from Diamond is Unbreakable. |  |
| Page 8: The “kachi” (かち, click) SFX from the bomb is the same as the Virginia bomb in Say Hi to Virginia. |  |
| Page 10: Koichi says “Mukadotama!” (ムカドタマ) like Ninomori in CSBT Chapter 3 and the female scammer in CSOBT Chapter 1. |    |
| Page 10: The vacuum bomb is the same as Say Hi to Virginia. |  |
| Page 11: B.T. asks if they used a road roller to fold the note, referencing the road roller DIO used in Chapter 263. |  |
| Page 12: The “Pressure” SFX references when Josuke is hunting Bug-Eaten from Chapter 329. |   |
| Page 14: When the bomb is deactivated, it gets crushed to the ground like Echoes ACT3 making Sheer Heart Attack heavier. |   |
| Page 14: The bird and sun from Boingo‘s Tohth comic appear. |  |
| Page 14: B.T.’s “Are you crazy? But we’re having so much fun” references what he said to Koichi in CSBT Chapter 5. It was also in the previous chapter. |    |
| Page 14: B.T.’s “Koichi, Koichi, Koichi, Koichi” references Prosciutto‘s “Pesci, Pesci, Pesci, Pesci” from Chapter 492. |   |
| Page 15: B.T. says his “I’ll make them pay! Pay what they deserve!” catchphrase from Cool Shock B.T. and Cool Shock Old B.T.‘s first chapter. |   |
| Page 16: The orange bomb is based on Oingo‘s orange bomb. |   |
| Page 16: The “kachi” SFX is written in English like the Virginia’s SFX was written sometimes in Say Hi to Virginia. |  |
| Page 17: B.T. calls the bomb “A Bombwork Orange”, referencing the Weekly Shonen Jump title of Chapter 191, which in turn was referencing A Clockwork Orange. |  |
| Page 17: B.T. saying the “most, most, most, most, most” references Lovers from Chapter 164. |   |
| Page 17: Koichi getting annoyed about the bomber saying “Say Hi to Old Virginia” references Hiroshi’s quote from Say Hi to Virginia. |   |
| Page 18: B.T. says they’ll have no choice but to bite the dust, referencing Killer Queen‘s third bomb. |  |
| Page 19: The “NO! NO! NO!” and “YES! YES! YES!” references Telence’s defeat in Chapter 237. Koichi’s “OVER OVER” references Telence saying “ORA ORA”. |   |
| Page 22: The background characters in the funeral memory look similar to the characters at Joseph’s “funeral” in Chapter 113 (Messina, Lisa Lisa, Speedwagon, and Erina). Iggy is also there. |   |
| Page 22: In the memory of Koichi’s book release, B.T. is wearing the clothes Dio wore in Chapter 1. Koichi is wearing a striped suit similar to the one at the end of CSBT Chapter 6. Like the previous chapter, Rohan Kishibe has a quote on the obi strips of the books. |    |
| Page 22: B.T. and Koichi pose in front of a Sherlock Holmes statue because Hirohiko Araki has stated B.T. is like Holmes while Koichi is like Watson. |  |
| Page 22: Aerosmith is flying behind the Sherlock Holmes statue. |  |
| Page 22: B.T.’s excavation of a Spinosaurus skeleton is a reference to CSBT Chapter 5. DIO’s bone is on the ground. |   |
| Page 22: Koichi has Toru‘s teddy bear on his arm while in the hospital. |   |
| Page 23: Koichi and B.T. have a vacation in Hawaii, possibly referencing the setting of The JOJOLands. |  |
| Page 23: A beetle from Chapter 137 is on a tree in Hawaii. A female hand from one of Yoshikage Kira‘s victims is in a sandwich bag. |   |
| Page 23: B.T. is holding a Polaroid camera like Joseph Joestar’s in Chapter 117. |   |
| Page 23: Koichi and B.T. looking at Switzerland watch models is a reference to the pilot chapter B.T. “The Wicked Boy” where Fuyuko Nakagawa stole a watch made in Switzerland. The watches on the left are labeled “Star Platinum” and the ones in the middle are labeled “The World“. |   |
| Page 23: Koichi and B.T. play rugby in the same clothes as Jonathan and Dio at Hugh Hudson Academy in Chapter 6. |   |
| Page 23: B.T. is carrying Luck and Pluck during his magic show. |  |
| Page 24: B.T.’s dialogue is the same as Joseph’s plan against Kars in Chapter 109. |   |
| Page 25: Unlike Joseph, B.T. declares he’s not running away. Koichi’s pose is the same as Smokey‘s in Chapter 109. |   |
| Page 27: B.T. and Koichi’s fist bump is the same as Polnareff and Kakyoin‘s from Chapter 181. |   |
| Page 27: Koichi says “Grazie, ACT4”, referencing Joseph’s “Grazie, Loggins” from Chapter 77. |   |
| Page 27: The first bomb is still alive because Sheer Heart Attack has no weaknesses. | |
| Page 28: B.T. says Jotaro’s “Good grief” (やれやれだぜ, Yare yare daze). |  |
| Page 28: B.T. predicts Manabu‘s next line like Joseph. | |
| Page 29: Manabu makes the same pose as when he was hit by the ambulance as a kid in CSBT Chapter 6 and by the car in the previous chapter. He also now has a steel-plated body like Rudol von Stroheim. |    |
| Page 30: B.T.’s grandmother knew about Kars floating in space. |   |
| Page 30: B.T. says “it’s as simple as picking up a small stone”, which he told Koichi when they were kids in CSBT Chapter 5. The pose is the same as well. |  |
| Page 31: Koichi’s narration is the same as his narration at the end of CSBT Chapter 4 and the previous chapter, saying that B.T. is a wicked boy but that he’s his best friend. |    |
See the previous chapter’s list of references here. You can order a digital version of JOJO magazine 2023 WINTER on BOOK WALKER or Honto.
About Cool Shock Old B.T.
Cool Shock Old B.T. was written by Nisio Isin, the author of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven light novel, the Monogatari series, Medaka Box, and the currently ongoing Cipher Academy. It was illustrated by Posuka Demizu, illustrator of The Promised Neverland.
It is a spin-off sequel to the Cool Shock B.T. series, a manga that Hirohiko Araki wrote in October-November 1983. Ultra Jump published the first chapter of Old B.T. in the November 2021 issue, released on October 19, 2021. Two years later, JOJO magazine 2023 WINTER included the second chapter, which released on December 19, 2023.
It stars the titular protagonist, B.T., and his best friend, Koichi Mugikari, but takes place several decades after the original story. For more info on Cool Shock Old B.T., check out the wiki page.
