Summary
- Johnny Joestar's anime design for Steel Ball Run has sparked mixed reactions among fans.
- Fans appreciate the animation-friendliness of the design but some find it oversimplified.
- Concerns about Steel Ball Run's release date and format, with fans hoping for a non-Netflix exclusive.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, the seventh part of the story, will finally be adapted into an anime. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure fans have been waiting for this new since Part 6 was released in 2021–2022.
Steel Ball Run will be the sixth season of the story, and it will probably be animated by Studio David Production, like the previous seasons. However, as soon as the news came out, fans started discussing the design of the protagonist of this part, Johnny Joestar.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The Steel Ball Run Race, Explained
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7 establishes a new timeline and revolves around a race. But what exactly is the Steel Ball Run Race?
What's "Wrong" With Johnny Joestar's Anime Design?
Johnny's design for the anime seems to mix his typical outfit with many manga color designs. Actually, it is quite similar to his design in the game JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, although with some color differences.
However, fans quickly noticed that the changes seem to make his design simpler — and, for some, it is actually oversimplified. While most fans are more excited that a Steel Ball Run anime is officially confirmed, Johnny's design sparked some discussion among them.
What Do Fans Think About Johnny's Design?
Most fans are apparently satisfied with the design, even if they think it could be better. Many claim that it is more animation-friendly, and, thus, they understand that the production needs to make simple designs to deliver a smoother animation. A few even think that the actual design will be better than the concept, like this user on Reddit:
This is just a base design image they are using, I can guarantee they'll look way better in the actual anime.
However, other fans, who seem to be a minority, think that the design is "too simple", and are disappointed with it. For them, the production could do it better:
Another portion of fans simply didn't like the design or some elements of it:
"We Need JoJo Fridays Back"
Another issue that emerged after the anime was announced is that a portion of fans don't want the series to be a Netflix exclusive like Part 6/Stone Ocean. Netflix released Stone Ocean in parts, instead of adding weekly episodes, and, for many fans, it killed the visibility of the series.
Before Part 6, JoJo's seasons aired weekly, usually on Fridays, so fans would gather online and discuss the episodes on "JoJo Fridays". With Netflix's release schedule, there was no similar experience when Part 6 came out, as all the episodes were added at once.
On the one hand, Netflix reaches a wider audience than Crunchyroll, but on the other hand, not having weekly episodes made many fans dissatisfied, and they claim that the series could have made much more buzz with weekly episodes.
It is important to note that Netflix has been experimenting with adding anime episodes on a weekly basis (like Sakamoto Days), so Part 7 could be a Netflix exclusive and air only one episode per week.
When Will JoJo Steel Ball Run Be Released?
Unfortunately, no release date has been announced yet. Many fans expect that the series will air in 2026, but nothing has been confirmed so far.
They also haven't confirmed the main staff of the series, nor the platforms or TV networks it will air on. That means that it is not yet confirmed if the series is a Netflix exclusive, it could be streamed on other services.
Steel Ball Run is one of the best parts for those who haven't caught up with the series yet, as it is set in an alternate timeline, so basically no prior knowledge is required to enjoy this season.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is available to stream on Netflix.
- Release Date
- October 6, 2012
- Showrunner
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
- Directors
- Naokatsu Tsuda
- Writers
- Yasuko Kobayashi
- Franchise(s)
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Cast
-
Kazuyuki OkitsuJonathan Joestar -
Tomokazu SugitaJoseph Joestar
WHERE TO WATCH
An adaptation of Hirohiko Araki's long-running shonen manga, David Production's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure follows the Joestar family through multiple generations as they develop their familiarity with Stands and take on world-ending threats.
- Seasons
- 6
- Studio
- David Production
- Japanese Title
- JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Hirohiko Araki
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
