For the week of its premiere, from March 16th to March 22nd, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run took the number two spot in the category, “Top 10 Non-English Shows on Netflix.” Specifically, the introduction of Johnny Joestar garnered 4.7 million views, with 3.7 million hours watched. This makes sense when you consider that the first episode was 47 minutes in length. Ultimately, it makes sense that the latest anime adaptation of the Joestars would be defeated by the number one spot as that was taken by the boy band special, BTS The Comeback Live. BTS’s recent special garnered a whopping 13.1 million views, over tripling what the Joestars brought in. Still, it makes for a successful opening salvo for the anime horse race.
When Will The Steel Ball Run Return?
David Production
As many Joestar enthusiasts are aware, the anime series did not return with a second episode one week following its premiere, shooting down the idea that the Steel Ball Run would be a weekly release. With the first episode introducing and ending the first leg of the race, David Production and Netflix have been tight-lipped as to when the anime will continue. Luckily, there is hope at the end of the tunnel that we’ll learn JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s future sooner rather than later.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run will take part in this year’s Anime Japan, taking place in Japan from March 28th to March 29th this weekend. While not confirmed to reveal when we can expect the series to return, it would make sense that this would be the event to reveal Johnny and Gyro’s future. The Steel Ball Run is one of the longest entries in the manga, meaning we are in for quite a few episodes if David Production sticks to the source material.
As for the future of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as a whole, the manga has been continuing to release new chapters thanks to creator Hirohiko Araki. Following the Steel Ball Run, the manga continued with JoJolion, and has entered a new arc known as The JOJOLands. More than likely, we are years away from seeing both of these storylines animated, but the popularity of the franchise might ensure that we see these Joestars eventually hit the small screen to join Gyro and Johnny.
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