Stream It Or Skip It: ‘STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ 2nd-3rd stage on Netflix, where two outcast jockeys team up against killer competition in a wild cross-country horse race
STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure makes its highly anticipated return to Netflix with new episodes covering the 2nd and 3rd Stages of a thrilling horse race across the United States. With one episode currently available and the rest dropping every Friday, there will be plenty of excitement picking up directly from the March series premiere. In true JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fashion, there is more campy anime action and entertainment ahead as jockeys Johnny Joestar (Daman Mills) and Gyro Zeppeli (Kaiji Tang) vie to take the top spot at the cutthroat Steel Ball Run.
Opening Shot: As Gyro Zeppeli is the first to cross the finish line in Stage 1 of the Steel Ball Run, Johnny Joestar thinks to himself that it was all thanks to “the power of the spin.” Shortly thereafter, Gyro vows to win this race no matter the cost.
The Gist: Although Gyro Zeppeli (Kaiji Tang) appeared to win the first stage of the Steel Ball Run, event promoter Steven Steel (Jamieson Price) declares that because the Italian-born outlaw used his Steel Ball weapon to obstruct the race course, he is demoted 20 places. As a result, the new top five jockeys are Sand Man (Alejandro Antonio Ruiz), Diego Brando (Damien Haas), Pocoloco (Cedric Williams), Mountain Tim (Joshua David King), and Johnny Joestar (Daman Mills). Johnny remains fascinated by Gyro and his “Spin” technique that helped Johnny temporarily regain feeling in his legs, as well as helped Gyro pull off some seemingly impossible tricks to get ahead in Stage 1.
The two strike up an alliance going into the next stage, which sees jockeys cover 750 grueling miles through the deserts of Arizona to reach Monument Valley. Meanwhile, respected cowboy Mountain Tim gains prominence in the race after inexplicably edging out Johnny for fourth place in Stage 1 and then getting tapped by the Sheriff to investigate a brutal murder that occurred in that first leg of the competition. As the new deputy sheriff, Tim is tasked with determining who amongst the many Steel Ball Run jockeys is out for blood and why.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure continues to bring the self-aware hammy energy of Gintama while also evoking other American Wild West-set anime like Gun Frontier and Appare-Ranman!.
Our Take: After the 48-minute first episode of STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure premiered in March, only to leave fans high and dry waiting eagerly for more content, this latest installment promises faster episode turnaround and quicker overall pacing with 11 shorter episodes. Although some details from the manga seem to get cut for time in this adaptation, there are still plenty of action, hijinks, and exploits to enjoy as you’re immediately pulled in without much rehashing of previous events.
Gyro and Johnny make for engaging leads, especially as their bond and banter start to grow while a cast of colorful characters develops around them. The many quirks of this motley crew make it easy to get invested in them, and although there are certainly odd moments (like the goofy jumping cholla needle cactus battle), the peculiarity and unseriousness just add to the overall campiness that serves as the heart of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. It’s easy to get swept away in this wild, violent, and solidly animated cross-country horse race, and anyone who loves this franchise or absurdist comedy in general is likely to enjoy Stages 2-3 of STEEL BALL RUN.
Performance Worth Watching: Besides having an amusing and memorable name, Mountain Tim (Joshua David King) stands out as an intriguing contender coming into prominence throughout this latest batch of episodes.
Parting Shot: Gyro uses his Steel Balls to indirectly take out a rival racer before asking Johnny if he’s ready to get back to winning this race together. A post-credit scene shows Mountain Tim inspecting the scene as he tracks down an unknown killer jockey.
Our Call: With hilarity, drama, and thrills aplenty, fans of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure should giddy on up to watch the fun and fast-paced new episodes of STEEL BALL RUN. STREAM IT!
Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.
