The Epic ‘Steel Ball Run’ Anime Rolls Out New Cast & First Look!
The long-awaited anime adaptation of Steel Ball Run: JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken is picking up serious speed! The official JoJo Portal website dropped some major updates, including our first real glimpse of the animation and introducing two more racers joining the wild cross-country chase.
Meet the New Racers
The latest competitors stepping up to the starting line bring their own unique flavors of determination and, well, absurd luck.
Sand Man, a fierce runner with a powerful purpose, will be voiced by Masaaki Mizunaka (known for roles in Tokyo Revengers). He’s not horsing around—he’s entering the deadly Steel Ball Run race on foot, aiming to win the massive prize money to reclaim his tribe’s stolen land.
Then there’s Pocoloco, perhaps the luckiest man alive. Voiced by the talented Kenichirou Matsuda (from Vinland Saga), this carefree farmer entered the race after a fortune teller told him he’d have “one-in-five-billion” luck. With his trusty horse Hey Yo!, he effortlessly stumbles past danger, making him a wild card no one can ignore.
Staff & Studio: The Powerhouse Team
The production is in incredibly capable hands, bringing together veterans from the iconic JoJo anime series and beyond.
| Role | Staff Member | Notable Previous Work |
|---|---|---|
| Directors | Yasuhiro Kimura & Hideya Takahashi | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 5: Ougon no Kaze, Keijo!!!!!!!! |
| Series Director | Toshiyuki Katou | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 6: Stone Ocean |
| Series Composition | Yasuko Kobayashi | Dororo |
| Character Design & Chief Animation Director | Daisuke Tsumagari | Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai |
| Music Composition | Yugo Kanno | Pluto |
The anime is being produced by the legendary David Production, the studio behind all the previous JoJo adaptations, so fans can expect the same stylish flair and attention to detail.
Mark Your Calendars for the Premiere
The race begins on March 19, 2026, exclusively on Netflix. And they’re kicking things off in a big way—the first episode will be a feature-length 47-minute special to plunge us headfirst into this bizarre new adventure.
About the Manga Legacy
Steel Ball Run is the seventh part of Hirohiko Araki‘s monumental JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken saga. It started in 2004 in Weekly Shounen Jump as a separate story before moving to Ultra Jump and becoming an official part of the JoJo universe, set in a fresh, alternate timeline.
The story of the Joestar lineage continues to this day with the currently serializing ninth part, The JoJoLands. The announcement of Steel Ball Run‘s adaptation has been a dream come true for fans who have followed the manga’s epic, horse-racing saga for years.
Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the starting pistol firing in 2026! For the latest info, follow the official sources on X (Twitter).
Source: Press Release
