JoJo’s Bizarre Adventurefans can’t wait for the next anime part, but those who don’t follow the manga don’t know one simple reason why it’s likely to beJoJo’s best part yet. The adaptation ofJoJo’s seventh part,Steel Ball Run, is one of the most anticipated announcements in the anime world right now. After the recent announcement ofan event calledJOJODAYintending to “connect the past and future” ofJoJo’s anime, the official announcement is probably just around the corner.
There are countless reasonswhyJoJofans can’t wait to seeSteel Ball Runanimated. From the story to the setting to the characters,Steel Ball Runis a manga that provides a plethora of motivations to be excited for its adaptation. It can be described as a part that’s always in motion, and if it already jumps off the page as a manga, the anime can only make an already amazing part better. One reason to be excited aboutSteel Ball Run’s anime, however, has been largely forgotten—but it shows precisely whySteel Ball Runcould beJoJo’s best animated part yet.
Steel Ball RunMarked A Major Change ForJoJo’s Manga
Steel Ball RunSawJoJoChange From One Jump Magazine To Another
FollowingJoJo’s sixth partStone Ocean, Araki was on a path to start from scratch. It turns out that this also involved the magazine in whichJoJowas published. Although the first several chapters ofSteel Ball Runwere published in a weekly format in Weekly Shonen Jump,the majority ofSteel Ball Runtook place in the seinen-oriented monthly magazine Ultra Jump.
When it comes to things that makeSteel Ball Runsuch an excellent part, this change is often underestimated. Firstly, the change from weekly to monthlyJoJochapter releases took some pressure off Araki and allowedJoJo’s storytelling to flourish. Secondly, the shift from shōnen to seinen allowed Araki to handle his story in a different way without worrying about how the younger readership would react—a readership which, according to a portion of the hit series' fanbase, has stifledJoJo’s storytelling in the past.
Monthly Releases Are Part Of What Made Steel Ball Run So Great
A Weekly Release Schedule Would Have HeldJoJo’s Best Part Back
In general, even during its run at Shōnen Jump, there was an identifiable tonal shift in the wayJoJohandled its battles, confrontations, and conflicts. With parts 5 (Golden Wind) and 6 (Stone Ocean) especially,JoJo’s plots tended to become more cerebral and involved for readers. However, they were still ultimately constrained by a villain-of-the-week approach that was inevitably encouraged by the weekly release schedule of the manga.
InManga in Theory and Practice,Araki extols the value of a well-developed setting. InSteel Ball Run, the relationship between characters and their settings is more developed than ever before. Centering around a pan-American horse race, much ofSteel Ball Run’s intrigue comes from the fact that monthly releases permitted Araki to take his storytelling slower and move away from the constant battles of a weekly shōnen release.
Steel Ball Runtherefore comes alive in a way noJoJopart ever had. Although parts likeStone Oceanwould become renowned for their meticulously considered settings,Steel Ball Run’s slower narrative pace allows for all the elements of the story to be at their best: narrative, setting, themes, and characters. That isn’t to say thatSteel Ball Runis a battle-free slog either; when battles do happen (and they often do), they take full advantage of the environment and are better integrated into the stories, as compared to—say—Stardust CrusadersorDiamond is Unbreakable, where enemies are elaborately dispatched by some overarching antagonist like a vending machine dispensing sodas at the push of a button.
JoJo’s Change From Shōnen To Seinen Is One Of The Best Choices Araki Ever Made
Araki Is Able To Fully Channel His Storytelling Prowess Following The Move
Part of what also allowed this to happen isJoJo’s demographic shift. It’s true that, overall,JoJohas always leaned into darker themes and narrative territories. WithSteel Ball Run, though,JoJo’s presentation to an older demographic allows for a sort of subtle finesse seasoned with splashes of shocking frankness that the shonen demographic had kept it from.
No matter what, manga are always going to be led by their demographic targets. Younger readers tend to want more explosive battles and care less about the finer points of plot details or defined settings.Steel Ball RunmarksJoJo’s transition towards being a more carefully considered manga than ever, a fact it carried forward into the succeeding parts,JojolionandTheJOJOLands.
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Now, too, whenJoJowants to be shocking, it can be shocking.Steel Ball Runis host to horrifying scenes—arguably unnecessary—that make the preceding parts pale in comparison. After readingSteel Ball Run,JoJofans inevitably realize that, for all its gorey indulgences,JoJonever felt capable of capturing truly horrifying scenarios.
By contrast,Steel Ball Run’s openness to subtlety and willingness to abandon shōnen cliché after shedding its former audience and release format make both its darkest and most inspiring moments much weightier. It also makes the mundane moments in between more interesting than ever, as characters live and breathe in a world that breathes alongside them. Of all the reasons to be excited forJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s next anime, its change from Weekly Shōnen Jump to Ultra Jump is monumentally underrated.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese multimedia franchise created by Hirohiko Araki. It follows the adventures of the Joestar family, spanning generations, each with unique abilities and battling supernatural enemies. Known for its eccentric characters, distinctive art style, and creative battles, it includes manga, anime, games, and merchandise.
