This month, Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli are making their way back to Netflix as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run will finally return. Airing its first oversized episode in March of this year, Joestar fans were dismayed when they learned that it would be months before we’d see the return of the anime horse race. Luckily, Netflix and David Production have heard fan demands and made some big changes for the next stage. Along with a new preview for the anime adaptation’s return, the Steel Ball Run has a schedule that viewers should be aware of before they dive back in.
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On September 25th, fans will see the first leg of the second race take place, as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s episodes will return. Rather than dumping all the installments of this upcoming season at once, which was how Netflix tackled Jolyne Cujoh’s story on Stone Ocean, the streaming service is giving fans back “JoJo Fridays.” Eleven episodes have been confirmed to cover stages two and three, with each new installment airing weekly on Fridays. To get fans hyped on what is to come, David Production has released a new poster to highlight the anime’s stars and the challenges that present themselves on this North American horse race.
The Steel Ball Run Races On
The first leg of the race, for those who need a refresher, ended with Gyro Zeppeli taking the number one spot. Ironically enough, despite the franchise routinely focusing on the ethereal beings known as Stands, none were to be found during the horse race. Luckily, stages two and three will fix that fact if the source material is any indication. The premiere installment did highlight some strange occurences during the race that are sure to be examined in the upcoming stages, along with new characters who haven’t yet had the chance to shine.
As of the writing of this article, neither Netflix nor David Production has confirmed how long the series will be, though the original manga might give us a good idea. The story from creator Hirohiko Araki ran for nine stages total, meaning it’s almost a guarantee that it will continue into 2027. Considering how much material is left to adapt, there’s also a good chance that it could run into 2028, though the franchise still has some major stories to bring to the screen.
Following Steel Ball Run, there are two major storylines that Araki had brought to the manga page. First, JoJolion brings fans back to the sleepy town of Morioh, albeit with a wildly different take on the town introduced in Diamond is Unbreakable. Following this, the manga story, The JOJOLands, has taken over the franchise, with new chapters still released to this day. It might be years before we see these storylines adapted to the anime, but the anime franchise is still going strong.
