Gorou Joe lives quietly in the pleasant town of Gujo Hachiman, located in Gifu Prefecture. One day, an ancient being that calls itself the Water Spirit appears before Joe, instructing him to help others and granting him the ability to transform into GJ8 Man—a name that cleverly incorporates elements of Gujo Hachiman, since the number eight is pronounced "hachi" in Japanese, and the "hachi" in "Hachiman" is written with the kanji for the digit eight.