CHARACTER PROFILE
Kuro-Awabi
- Primary work
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan
Other recorded work links
Kuro-Awabi (クロアワビ, lit. "Black Abalones") are abalones that serve as the main antagonist of the one-shot Poaching Seashore, the sixth episode of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan series. These abalones are exclusive to the shores of Morioh at Hyogara Rocks. Tonio Trussardi invites Rohan Kishibe to poach them in the hopes of creating a dish that could cure his lover.
Image attribution details
Kuro-Awabi. Source illustration via JoJoWiki; copyright remains with the original rights holders.
Image via JoJoWiki. Original franchise/production rights holders retain copyright; the wiki text CC BY-SA license does not license this image.
Original image ↗ · Archived image ↗01Basic information
02Appearance
03Abilities
Durable Shell
The Kuro-Awabi's shell is exceptionally hard and resilient. It is shown to be completely impervious to forceful impacts from a flashlight, which cannot dislodge or break it once the abalone is latched to a surface. This durability is so great that the shells are said to be capable of withstanding the force of a hammer or a car collision and not cracking.↗↗↗
Latching
The most prominent and dangerous trait of the Kuro-Awabi is its incredible latching strength. Once it has affixed itself to a surface, such as a rock or a person's body, it is nearly impossible to remove by force. This ability is entirely passive; the abalone does not actively "attack" but will attach to any surface it comes into contact with during its migration. The true danger lies in their collective weight. When multiple abalones latch onto a person, their combined mass is sufficient to drag the victim underwater, leading to drowning.↗↗↗
Curative Properties
According to Tonio Trussardi, the Kuro-Awabi possess miraculous healing properties, which he refers to as the power of a "food of the gods." When he creates a new dish using the abalone, it cures Vergina 's brain tumor, which his Stand Pearl Jam had previously been unable to do. In the TV drama, they are explicitly stated to have the power to heal any sickness.↗↗↗↗
04Story
SPOILERS
Background
The Kuro-Awabi are sacred mollusks with a significant history in Japanese culture. The ones living at Hyogara Rocks in Morioh cannot be found anywhere else in the world. They have been consumed since the Jomon Period and are given as sacred offerings in a Shinto ritual at the Ise Grand Shrine. The design of the noshi ornament on traditional celebratory envelopes also originates from a strip of thinly-sliced abalone.↗↗
During the Edo period, the Hyogara Rocks were used as a place of execution. Poaching from Morioh's coast was considered a crime tantamount to murder. A book was written describing the location of the abalones and when to find them, luring poachers into a trap. These poachers would go to Hyogara Rocks during the abalones' annual migration. The passive, drifting creatures would latch onto the criminals, and their immense collective weight would drag them underwater to drown.↗↗
Poaching Seashore
Rohan Kishibe first learns about the rare Kuro-Awabi of Hyogara Rocks from chef Tonio Trussardi. Intrigued by the abalone's unique properties and the challenge of obtaining one, Rohan agrees to accompany Tonio on a poaching expedition.↗
The two travel to the privately owned Hyogara Rocks on the night of the August full moon, the only time of year when the abalones detach from the rocks and can be harvested. Tonio reveals his true motive: his girlfriend, Vergina, is suffering from a terminal brain tumor, and he believes the legendary curative powers of the Kuro-Awabi are her only hope for survival. As they wait in the water, a massive swarm of Kuro-Awabi appears, carried by the tide.↗
While attempting to save the drowning Tonio, an abalone latches onto Rohan's ankle and pulls him back underwater. Rohan tries attacking it with his flashlight, but it latches on harder. Several more abalones then latch onto his back and Rohan sinks further. He strips off his outfit and manages to grab Tonio's rope on the surface, but a huge swarm of abalones then latch onto him. Rohan discovers numerous skeletons on the ocean floor.↗↗
05Appearances
06Sources & attribution
- Kuro-Awabi
Source text: JoJoWiki and its contributors. This entry has been reorganized and condensed for readability under CC BY-SA 4.0. Archived records reflect their capture dates. Referenced manga, anime, and artwork retain their respective copyrights.
Source bibliography (10)
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.22 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.32 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.9 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.33 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.43-44 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.17 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.47 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 9 (TV Drama): Poaching Seashore Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore, p.8 Open ↗
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore Open ↗
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