You don’t even need to be a fan of the series to appreciate sound effects like “ZUBIZUBAAH!” and “TACOS!”

In the pantheon of Japanese manga, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure stands out for a variety of reasons. Its unique style and story telling combined with tried and true action-packed adventure make it a series that demands to be noticed.

Its splash onto the scene was almost as if someone in a crowded room suddenly yelled “ZKYUUUUUN!” or “GUCHUuuuUUUUh!” both of which are actual sounds used in the manga. It’s the special touches like its heavy-handed use of words describing sounds that are a part of the overall appeal of the manga.

Granted, the differences between English and Japanese onomatopoeia can be large at times in that an English ghost sounds exactly like a Japanese pig. But the words used in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manage to transcend cultural boundaries to be odd no matter what your native language is.

The following is a ranking of “JoJo’s Most Bizarre Sounds” conducted by the website Goo Ranking on over 2,000 Japanese people starting with fifth place.

As a part of the dynamic nature of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, sometimes the most benign actions are given larger than life sound effects. Such is the case with “REYROH-REYROH,” which is the sound of a cherry being rolled around on someone’s tongue.

Eerily similar to the sound 8-year-old me made when mom said we were going to Taco Bell, this is actually the sound of someone getting kicked while in the process of guarding someone else. It’s a special kind of sound for that special kind of kick.

Now I’m sure this is a sound we can all relate to: spitting wine out of your mouth in such a way that it could kill a man.

This is the sound effect associated with the Ripple Cutter, a fighting move pioneered by William Anthonio Zeppeli. Here’s a video of Zeppeli using the Ripple Cutter to repel an onslaught of throwing knives from Jack the Ripper. Sadly, it sounds like only the “POWPOWPOW” part made it into the anime, however.

▼ You can hear it around the 0:26 mark.

This exciting word is actually the sound of a kiss. However, if any of your kisses sounds remotely like “ZKYUUUUUN!” you should probably seek someone’s advice.

This particular sound was chosen to emphasize the drama when Dio stole the first kiss of Jonathan Joestar’s future wife Erina.

▼ Watch it here at 0:09.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8szqOUnpKw

The most memorable sound effect of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure comes from one of the most memorable scenes in which William Zeppeli demonstrates the true power of Ripple, summoning all of his power to punch a tiny frog. Of course, “MEHMEHTAAH” is the sound of such an impact.

▼ You’re going to want to watch the buildup to this one at 2:23.

It’s hard to argue with “MEHMEHTAAH” as the number one pick considering the depth of imagination it would take to figure what something like that would sound like. That being said, there are so many great sounds to choose from. It’s well worth looking through the full list for some other great words.

1 – MEHMEHTAAH! (メメタァ)
The sound of a guy punching a frog

2 – ZKYUUUUN! (ズキュウウウン)
The sound of someone stealing a first kiss from the main character’s love interest

3 – PA-POWPOWPOW-FHEEEN! (パパウパウパウ　フヒィーン)
The sound of someone spitting wine at a weaponized velocity

4 – TACOS! (タコス)
The sound of someone getting kicked while defending someone else

5 – REYROH-REYROH! (レロレロ)
The sound of someone rolling a cherry on their tongue

6 – GOGOGOGOGO! (ゴゴゴゴゴ)
The sound of someone secretly following someone else

7 – DODODODODO! (ドドドドド)
The sound of tension in the air

8 – GUPPA-OHN! (グッパオン)
The sound of someone falling down stairs

9 – PISHIGASHIGUGGUG! (ピシガシグッグッ)
The sound of a complex high five

10 – SHOWER! (シャワー)
The sound of being attacked by orangutans

11 – BOHMUGI! (ボムギ)
The sound of a small animal being pulled by a bicycle

12 – RUCHA-AH! (ルチャアァ)
The sound of a face being cut by a thread

13 – DOooooN! (ドォーン)
The sound of someone who stops thinking

14 – KUNIOHF! (クニオッ)
The sound of someone’s nose being bent upward

15 – BEYBO-OOOH! (ベボオ～)
The sound of being melted

16 – GUCHUuuuUUUHF! (グチュウゥゥウ～ッ)
The sound of someone biting into a sesame dumpling snack only to have the sesame squirt out of the other end

17 – GYAEEEEN! (ギャイイン)
The sound of glaring at someone

18 – ZUBIZUBAAH! (ズビズバー)
The sound of slurping noodles

19 – MEHGYAN! (メギャン)
The sound of a character’s stand (physical manifestation of their fighting spirit) appearing

20 – PITTAaaaAAAGH! (ピッタァァーッ)
The sound of inserting a key

21 – DOMON! (ドモン)
The sound of dynamite exploding in someone’s stomach

22 – HABSHOW! (ハブショ)
The sound of sneezing because of too much pepper on your sandwich

23 – BOGYAaaah! (ボギャァァ)
The sound of kneeing a dog in the face

24 – SHAN! (シャン！)
The sound of someone gallantly appearing

25 – GU-OHN! (グオン)
The sound of someone leaping

We’ll also open this up as a poll to see how global tastes compare to that of Japan. However, if you’re more interested in conventional Japanese onomatopoeia, SoraNews24 has got you covered there too!

Source: Goo Ranking
Images: SoraNews24