Towards the end of March, Netflix released the long-awaited first episode of the anime adaptation of the seventh part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run. With only a single episode released, fans assumed it would drop on a weekly basis. However, a week came and went with no new episode and no word from Netflix. This caused outrage from fans who demanded to know when they could expect the second episode, but Netflix was silent. Luckily, on April 6, Netflix broke their silence, giving fans a window for when to expect the second episode.
40 Years of Bizarre Adventures
Steel Ball Run is the seventh part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, a highly popular anime and manga series that follows the generations of the Joestar family throughout different eras and locations in each of its parts as they face supernatural threats. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has been in serialization since 1987, and currently has nine parts and over 950 chapters. Steel Ball Run is a fan favorite part in the series, making this one of the most hyped releases in the series so far.
Steel Ball Run serves as a soft reboot of the series, returning to the 1890s setting of the first part, but being in an alternate timeline means a new cast of characters. This part tells the story of Johnny Joestar, a physically disabled ex-jockey who teams up with the mysterious Gyro Zeppeli to compete in the Steel Ball Run race, the first horseback race across the United States. As the pair traverses the continent, they will face many threats, with some familiar to longtime fans and others being completely new, making this one of the most bizarre adventures yet.
Long-Awaited Release
The first episode, released in March, was 40 minutes long and covered the first of nine stages in the Steel Ball Run race. Since only a single episode was released, fans expected Netflix to return to a weekly schedule, as many were dissatisfied with the batch releases of part six, Stone Ocean. However, a week after the first episode’s release passed with no second episode, and Netflix gave no word on when the series would continue.
Fan Backlash
The lack of updates from Netflix sparked immediate backlash from fans who took to social media and flooded the comment sections on virtually all of Netflix’s posts with memes and long comments demanding the second episode. This continues a trend of inconsistent releases for popular anime franchises as the quality of animation has increased, meaning higher budgets and production times. While many series are adapting to the challenges of balancing release windows and animation quality, other studios have come under fire for their harsh working conditions in order to keep their schedules consistent.
This backlash lasted over two weeks. During this time, the only update from Netflix was a trailer for the second episode, but it did not include a release date. This fueled further outrage, as fans were upset that individual episodes were now receiving teaser trailers. On the morning of April 6, Netflix finally gave in and announced that Steel Ball Run would return in the fall of this year.
Resolution
This seemed to appease fans, who were satisfied to at least have an idea of when to expect the series; however, many have continued to criticize the six-month hiatus between episodes. Many have questioned why Netflix would release the first episode if the series was not ready to drop consistently, effectively killing the hype.
By satisfying fans with the announcement of episode two, Netflix has avoided further controversy. However, many viewers are still impatiently awaiting the second stage of the race and the rest of the series. With plenty of time before the release of the second stage, fans can catch up on the previous six parts of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, all streaming on Netflix. Those who want to keep the hype alive can also read the Steel Ball Run manga, with the first 48 chapters available on Shonen Jump.
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