JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run Weekly Release Set for Fall 2026

Netflix has confirmed that the second part of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run anime, titled 2nd STAGE, will begin streaming weekly in Fall 2026. The announcement, made on April 6, 2026, follows a period of intense online backlash from the anime community regarding the series’ rollout strategy.

The controversy began after the premiere of the first episode, designated as 1st STAGE, which debuted on March 19, 2026. While the 47-minute-long premiere was praised for the quality of the adaptation by David Production, viewers expressed frustration when no second episode was made available the following week.

This silence from Netflix led to widespread concern among fans who feared a return to the batch release schedule used for Stone Ocean, a format where groups of episodes are released at once rather than weekly. The community described this perceived situation as a return to Netflix Jail.

Fan Backlash and Industry Response

The disappointment sparked an aggressive online campaign. Fans review-bombed the Netflix platform and flooded social media replies with a red-eyed anti-piracy edit of the character Johnny Joestar. The reaction extended beyond the core fandom, with brands such as KFC and Axe Body Spray participating in the discourse. Axe Body Spray posted a faux hostage video on Instagram demanding the release of the second episode.

Professional contributors to the franchise also weighed in. Anthony Prezman, the official French translator for the Steel Ball Run manga, used X to publicly urge Netflix to adopt a traditional weekly format to ensure the story maintained its momentum.

While much of the criticism was directed at Netflix, some observers noted that Warner Bros. Japan, the distributor of the title, also shared responsibility for the rollout strategy.

The Split-Cour Release Plan

In a statement posted to X on April 6, 2026, Netflix Anime clarified that the series is planned as a split-cour release. A split-cour format divides a series into separate broadcast blocks with a break in between, typically consisting of 10 to 13 weekly episodes per block.

Thank you for all the incredible support for STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The series is currently in production and will be available for everyone to enjoy. We are planning a split‑cour release across the entire run of episodes.

Netflix Anime

Netflix stated that this format was part of the original plan and reflects the wishes of the production committee. The company confirmed that one new episode of 2nd STAGE will be released each week starting in Fall 2026.

Production and Casting Details

The anime is produced by David Production and Warner Bros. Japan, adapting the seventh part of Hirohiko Araki’s manga. The production staff includes directors Yasuhiro Kimura and Hideya Takahashi, with Toshiyuki Kato serving as the series director. Yasuko Kobayashi is responsible for the series structure, while Daisuke Tsumagari handles character design. The score is composed by Yugo Kanno, and Yoshikazu Iwanami serves as the sound director.

The series features a comprehensive voice cast for both the Japanese and English versions:

• Johnny Joestar: Shōgo Sakata (Japanese) / Daman Mills (English)
• Gyro Zeppeli: Yōhei Azakami (Japanese) / Kaiji Tang (English)
• Diego Brando: Kaito Ishikawa (Japanese) / Damien Haas (English)
• Lucy Steel: Rie Takahashi (Japanese) / Frankie Kevich (English)
• Steven Steel: Kenta Miyake (Japanese) / Jamieson Price (English)
• Sand Man: Masaaki Mizunaka (Japanese) / Alejandro Antonio Ruiz (English)
• Pocoloco: Kenichiro Matsuda (Japanese) / Cedric Williams (English)