Content Warning: Extreme violence and Language
Nearly 4,000 horses are lined up on the soft beaches of San Diego for the Steel Ball Run, an intercontinental race to New York City with a prize of $50 million. One of the jockeys, Johnny Joestar, who is a paraplegic, had entered the race with his eyes set on one thing in mind—to learn how to walk again.
The first episode of Steel Ball Run—a manga adaptation of the seventh part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure by David Productions—is a masterclass in storytelling and a must-watch for fans of the past six JoJo parts for its amazing characterization, musical score, and jaw-dropping animation.
The story starts with a man named Gyro Zepelli getting pickpocketed at a registration booth for the intercontinental race. The fight escalates outside. He uses these supernatural weapons called “steel balls,” which spin and neutralize a local pickpocketer. Joestar notices these steel balls and rolls his wheelchair to touch them, momentarily regaining his ability to stand.
Determined to take advantage of the item’s abilities, Joestar chooses to take part in the race after overhearing Zepelli’s participation in the event. Stuck with a “bad-tempered” horse, he relearns how to ride a horse again just before the race begins. As the riders lined up, a gun signaled the Steel Ball Run.
This entire first episode is exciting from start to finish. From the race to the flashbacks, characterization is such a huge factor in this episode’s success.
For example, Joestar—the main protagonist of the show—is one of my favorite parts is where he develops a reason to race, resulting from seeing the magic from Zepelli’s Steel Balls combined with the previous flashbacks on how he became paraplegic.
Added in with the soundtrack—all the characters and scenes are enhanced to their highest potential.
The tracks themselves feel appropriately beautiful for the time period it’s set in. The jazz and country blend enhances the overall background with musical highs at emotional moments and comedic tunes whenever the moment fits. It’s only when the music and the animation kick in at the same time, contributing to an immersive experience. This is done perfectly.
However, while the animation looks gorgeous in every way, there are some moments where it feels off, taking you out of the experience.
An example of this is during one of the horse scenes, where Joestar’s body looks slightly out of proportion. Outside of that, the entire episode is exciting to watch through.
JoJo Bizarre Adventure Part Seven’s Steel Ball Run is undeniably an incredible anime for those who have already seen the other parts, and for those who want to understand why the manga is so well regarded by critics.
The next Steel Ball Run episodes after the first will be coming in around Fall 2026, according to Netflix. They will be around the standard episode length of around 24 minutes. This is just the first quarter of the season. To much of the fans’ delight, the second quarter will be done weekly, providing anticipation for the next several episodes ahead. The exact number of episodes released has not yet been disclosed by the creators as of this review’s publication.
