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‘Steel Ball Run’s New Anime Opening Finally Arrives, and Fans Have Been Waiting Six Months for This

ByHrvoje Milakovic Published on
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Few anime premieres in recent memory have sparked quite as much online debate as the debut of ‘Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure‘ did back in March. What was supposed to be a triumphant continuation of Hirohiko Araki’s beloved manga franchise instead became a lesson in managing fan expectations, and the show has spent the months since working to win back some of that initial goodwill.

Now, ahead of the anime’s highly anticipated return, Warner Bros. Japan has revealed the opening theme for its upcoming second and third stages, giving fans their first real taste of what’s coming when new episodes begin streaming this week. The new opening video, featuring the theme song “Spin” performed by Japanese rock band Kroi, has officially dropped alongside a newly illustrated cover for the digital single.

That backlash back in March stemmed from the show’s unusual rollout, which saw the “1st Stage” premiere as a single 47-minute episode rather than a traditional multi-episode arc, catching hundreds of thousands of fans off guard and sparking widespread confusion and frustration. Netflix later clarified that the series would run as a split-cour format, setting up this week’s arrival of the second and third stages as the next real test of the adaptation’s momentum.

Kroi, the band behind “Spin,” is no stranger to high-profile anime tie-ins, having previously performed opening themes for both ‘Sakamoto Days’ and ‘Liar Game.’ The band made the Steel Ball Run announcement during the final stop of their “JUNGLE” tour at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo, performing the track live before its official digital release.

Describing their creative process, Kroi explained they spent considerable time figuring out how to musically capture Steel Ball Run’s sprawling transcontinental horse race across North America. “Building on soundscapes reminiscent of Ennio Morricone and The Ventures, evoking the spirit of classic Westerns, we crafted this song by blending together the many musical influences we’ve embraced over the years, including funk, soul, and hip-hop,” the band said in a statement shared through the official JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure portal site. The band also noted they’d previously explored similar sandy, Western-inspired soundscapes on earlier tracks like “Funky GUNSLINGER,” making them a natural fit for this particular project.

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‘Steel Ball Run’ serves as the seventh part of Araki’s long-running ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ manga, and is widely regarded among fans as one of the strongest arcs in the franchise. Set in the late nineteenth century, the story follows paraplegic former jockey Johnny Joestar and the mysterious outlaw Gyro Zeppeli as they compete in a brutal, prize-driven horse race across the American continent, all while uncovering dangerous conspiracies lurking beneath the competition itself.

Behind the scenes, the anime brings back significant talent from the franchise’s previous installments. Yasuhiro Kimura and Hideya Takahashi, who previously co-directed ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind,’ are directing the new adaptation at david production, with Toshiyuki Kato serving as series director following his work on ‘Stone Ocean.’ Yasuko Kobayashi returns once again to oversee the series’ scripts, while Daisuke Tsumagari, also from ‘Golden Wind,’ handles character designs, and composer Yūgo Kanno returns to score the series.

The second and third stages of ‘Steel Ball Run’ are set to begin streaming on Netflix starting September 25, with new episodes arriving weekly every Friday. Combined, the two stages will comprise 11 episodes total, giving fans a much more traditional viewing rhythm compared to the single feature-length premiere that defined the show’s rocky debut earlier this year.

With a fresh opening theme, a returning creative team, and a more conventional release format now in place, ‘Steel Ball Run’ appears well-positioned to rebuild momentum heading into its next major stretch. Whether that’s enough to fully win back fans who were frustrated by the show’s unconventional start remains to be seen, but the anticipation heading into Friday’s premiere suggests plenty of goodwill is still on the table.

How excited are you for Steel Ball Run to return?

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