A new adventure set in the world of hit manga-anime franchise JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is hoofing it to Netflix, with today’s announcement that the anime series Steel Ball Run JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure will be coming soon to the streamer worldwide.
Set in the 19th century, the story of Steel Ball Run follows the first-ever cross-continental horse race across North America. The protagonist, Johnny Joestar, is a former genius jockey who became a paraplegic. He forms an alliance with Gyro Zeppeli, a mysterious outlaw, and the two embark on a grueling race across the continent together.
“Steel Ball Run is a story that depicts characters running through a grand race, staking their own beliefs,” said director Yasuhiro Kimura (Urusei Yatsura 2022). “My heart is pounding with excitement to be entrusted with directing this anime adaptation. The entire staff shares this feeling and is pouring their passion into daily production. I look forward to sharing our enthusiasm for this work with all of you and hope we can ride this journey together.”
Based on the original spin-off manga from the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga creator Hirohiko Araki (published in 2004 by Shueisha), Steel Ball Run is produced by Warner Bros. Japan with animation by David Production. An all-star creative team of alumni crew from the previous seasons of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure were assembled to bring this new anime adaptation to screens.
Kimura directs alongside his Urusei Yatsura colleague Hideya Takahashi, with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure stalwart Toshiyuki Kato as series director. The creative team also brings back JoJo writer Yasuko Kobayashi to oversee series composition. Daisuke Tsumagari (Naruto) is character designer and chief animation director. Yugo Kanno handles the music, with sound direction by Yoshikazu Iwanami.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure began its serialization in Shueisha’s manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in 1986 and has since gained immense popularity worldwide. The series chronicles the bloodline and destiny of the Joestar family, beginning with the fateful encounter between two young boys, Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando. With a cumulative circulation of over 120 million copies, its popularity has led to a wide range of adaptations, including anime, games, musicals and live-action films. The ninth part of the manga series, The JoJoLands, is currently being serialized in Ultra Jump.
netflix.com/steelballrunjojosbizarreadventure
