The animated adaptation of Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run is set to delve deeper into the bizarre, according to director Yasuhiro Kimura. The series, which reimagines the Joestar family's legacy through a Spaghetti Western lens, premiered on Netflix with a two-part debut that adapted the first two volumes of the manga. The anime continues its run with a weekly release schedule beginning September 25.
Set in 1890s North America, Steel Ball Run follows paraplegic ex-jockey Johnny Joestar and the charismatic Gyro Zeppeli as they compete in a grueling cross-continental horse race for a $50 million prize. This race, however, becomes the backdrop for a deepening national conspiracy.
Kimura, who also directed episodes of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, emphasized the deliberate effort to capture the classic Western atmosphere. "We've made a conscious effort in the art direction and color design as well, so that viewers can really feel that classic Western atmosphere on screen — the vast land stretching out to the horizon, the dry, dusty air, and the harsh, blazing sun," Kimura stated in an interview.
While maintaining the core identity of JoJo, the Steel Ball Run anime incorporates subtle updates. "While keeping the core 'JoJo-ness' unchanged and treasuring it, we've made small, incremental changes and updates to match the character of each part," Kimura explained. This includes adjustments to color design and its application.
Animating horses, a notoriously challenging task in animation, was addressed through a hybrid approach. The production team utilized 3D models for the horses' skeletal structure and movement, with the surface details then rendered with hand-drawn animation. This technique aims to mitigate the stiffness often associated with 3D animation while retaining the fluidity and softness of traditional 2D art. "This lets us remove the stiffness of 3D while still achieving both the fluctuation and softness of hand-drawn animation," Kimura noted. The team also developed movement assets to streamline the animation process, enabling a higher volume of animated shots.
Kimura expressed gratitude for the fan reception, particularly the enthusiasm surrounding the weekly "JoJo Fridays." He revealed that while the initial episodes focused on the race's excitement, subsequent installments will delve deeper into the narrative. "In the 1st Stage, we focused mainly on the excitement of the race itself, but from the 2nd Stage onward, the story really starts to move, and the Stand users begin to appear as well," he said. "Also, the mysterious Gyro's past and his relationship with Johnny will gradually start to change. Please look forward to seeing what kind of journey the two of them go on from here!"