This post contains spoilers for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure One of the longest running anime series of all time. Based on a story written by Hirohiko Araki, the series has been a huge hit with audiences, making it one of the few manga titles to sell over 100 million copies. distinctive feature of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure How it is divided into several parts, but the characters and stories are interconnected.
Jojo fans have a big concern for the upcoming Steel Ball Run anime
JoJo fans are concerned about the Steel Ball run. All these stones are related to the ocean.
Currently, Araki is writing the ninth and possibly final installment in the JoJo franchise. Meanwhile, the anime is covering the seventh episode, called Steel Ball Run. Most people who have read Steel Ball Run consider it to be the best installment in the entire franchise, so there is great excitement among fans. However, the recent news of Warner Bros being bought by Netflix has shaken them up.
Netflix is leading the race to buy Warner Bros.
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Netflix believes it will get the deal down the line
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Warner Bros. owns the rights to many iconic anime
Not too long ago, it was revealed that Netflix had submitted a bid of over $80 billion to buy Warner Bros. The latter owns the rights to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and several other anime series. So, why is it a concern? If Netflix gets a hold of Warner Bros., that means the company can do whatever it wants with the projects, and it will become a monopoly. For example, when Stone Ocean was confirmed to be a Netflix exclusive, it changed its release schedule.
Instead of releasing new episodes every week, Netflix started releasing them in batches. The desire to binge through 10+ episodes is understandable, especially if it brings the story to an end. However, that was not the case with Stone Ocean.
Stone Ocean's format defied its hype
Fans had to wait months to see new episodes. This gap ruined momentum and publicity. After all, there's a reason why most anime release episodes on a weekly basis, rather than releasing in batches. Anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, and One Piece are in the news every week because they release new episodes every week. A few days before the episode, a preview has been released, which gives fans a taste of what's going to happen.
Try calling for help, though I bet the only people listening are roaches and rats. – Hermes
After the episode aired, there was another debate about it. Moreover, it allows fans to analyze even the smallest details. In a way, the whole process is considered sacrosanct by the anime community, and unfortunately, Netflix's model doesn't allow it.
There is still hope for a steel ball run
Coming up on Steel Ball Run, it's one of the best, if not the best, manga of all time. The story is phenomenal, the characters are amazing, and the action is mind-blowing. An adaptation has been announced, which will air on Netflix. Given Netflix's history, it's entirely plausible that the Steel Ball Run anime will have the same release schedule as Stone Ocean. Before the acquisition, there was a chance that Netflix could change the schedule, but now it seems more difficult.
On a side note, Netflix buying Warner Bros. will also affect the theatrical release of many movies. Earlier, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos called theaters an outdated model. He also claimed that Netflix is 'helping' Hollywood with streaming. It is worth mentioning that Paramount has made a new offer to buy Warner Bros. Paramount's bid is over $100 billion, which is much higher than Netflix's offer. However, there has been no update since then.
Steel Ball Run Release Date
JoJo fans are worried about the future of their franchise, but at the moment, all they can do is hope that Netflix will honor their wishes and release the Steel Ball Run anime weekly. Currently there is no word on what month the anime will be released. However, it has been confirmed that Steel Ball Run will air sometime in 2026. As the Winter 2026 season is about to begin, anime is unlikely to be part of the lineup.
It makes more sense for the Steel Ball Run anime to be released in Spring 2026. If the anime has the same format as Stone Ocean, then the next two batches will be released sometime in 2027. For reference, the first batch of Stone Ocean was released in December 2021, and the second was released in September 2022. That has been reduced to 2020 finals on December 20 and 2020 finals. Viewing is an episode count. The Steel Ball Run manga has 95 chapters, which may not seem like a lot, but readers who have gone through the manga know that each chapter is packed with a lot of details. So, based on that, it is likely that the Steel Ball Run anime will have around 38-40 episodes.
Steel Ball Run has been highly rated by viewers as it has some of the best stories in manga history. It follows the story of a paraplegic Johnny Joestar. Once a famous jockey, Johnny fell from grace and was shunned by everyone. He spent years in a wheelchair, mostly reminiscing about the past. One fateful day, Johnny meets Garro Zeppelli, a participant in the Steel Ball Run race, and his life changes completely.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
- Release date
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October 6, 2012
- showrunner
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Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
- directors
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Naokatsu Suda
- The authors
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Yasuko Kobayashi
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Kazuyuki Okitsu
Jonathan Zostar
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Tomokazu Sugita
Joseph Joestar
