gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ

If you have read JoJo, or if you spent too much time on the internet browsing anime memes, you've probably come across this bizarre word formed by four repeated symbols: gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ, and then asked yourself: what does it mean???

Definition

The word gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ is a kind-of like an onomatopoeia often used by the author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken ジョジョの奇妙な冒険. It normally appears when a powerful enemy shows up to be confronted.

The translation of gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ is usually *menacing* or something like that. Generally, it implies "things are getting tense." Nobody knows exactly what it's supposed to mean, but it's something along those lines.

Technically, gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ is not an onomatopoeia but a non-onomatopoeic ideophone, gitaigo 擬態語 This is because the characters in JoJo don't actually hear a gogogogo sound. Instead, the word is supposed to evoke an idea: in this case, of something menacing.

Ideophones are also called "mimetic words" for they mimic things, so you could say gogogogo mimics something being menacing.

If you thought it was an onomatopoeia, don't worry, most people will assume it is. ^{(ジョジョの奇妙な「擬音 - plaza.rakuten.co.jp/jojogiogio24/)}

If you watch the anime adaptations, though, you'll find there's no gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ sound effect despite the lettering showing up on screen. This is contrary to zawa.. zawa.. ざわ・・ざわ・・ which you'd swear doesn't make a sound but in the anime it does.

In Other Manga

Besides JoJo, a lot of manga make use of the weird gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ sound effect, sometimes parodying JoJo.

For example, One Punch Man, wan-pan-man ワンパンマン, uses gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ in a lot of tense scenes.

Manga: One Punch Man wan-pan-man ワンパンマン

(in space, nobody can hear you gogogogogo.)

Another sound effect often used in JoJo is dodododo ドドドド. It also gets used in other manga.

Sometimes, you might find a gogogogo ゴゴゴゴ that's used no in the way it's used in JoJo, but as a normal onomatopoeia for a gogogogo sound. Remember: the gogogogo in JoJo is weirdly soundless. If it emits a sound, it's probably not the same thing.

Could be the sound of the floor trembling, for example.

Further Reading

• ジョジョの「ゴゴゴゴ」と「ドドドド」の違い説明できるやついる？ - jojosoku.com/archives/post-39526.html
  Japanese natives trying to explain what in the world they assume these ideophones mean.
  (this is a matome まとめ website, it aggregates stuff from other websites. In this case, it aggregates and archives JoJo-related threads from Japanese boards.)