Steel Ball Run, the latest entry in the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime, had an explosive debut on Netflix, leaving fans who had dreamt for years that the seventh part in the long-running saga would be as good as they’d hoped. The only problem now is how Netflix plans to follow up on its blockbuster debut, and whether that’s gonna mean weekly releases (that’s good) or batch releases months apart (that’s bad). For whatever reason, the streamer has been weirdly secretive about it.
The question of whether Netflix plans to release Steel Ball Run weekly or drop it in binge-watch batches has been hanging over fans’ heads since before the show’s announcement. And the desire to finally get an answer to that question has only intensified after its 47-minute premiere. The matter was not helped by fans sharing screenshots from an interaction with Netflix Chile’s TikTok account, which seemingly confirms to a commentator that the show will be released weekly. Although Netflix Chile’s reply was deleted, the interaction has already spread like wildfire, adding even more frustrating confusion to the matter.
io9 reached out to Netflix for comment on Steel Ball Run‘s release schedule, and we’ll update this post if and when we learn more.
The reason there’s a lot riding on Steel Ball Run streaming weekly rather than in batches for fans is that Netflix’s binge-release model killed the hype for its previous season, Stone Ocean. Before the series moved exclusively to Netflix, fans treated Crunchyroll’s weekly release of its fifth arc, Golden Wind, as a full-blown online holiday known as “JoJo Fridays.” Every week, the fandom flooded timelines with fresh fan art and memes while diving into water-cooler chats about villains of the week, their bizarre pop-music-referential powers, and how its heroes would possibly eke out a victory. Y’know, like how TV used to be.
With the series-exclusive release on Netflix for Stone Ocean, JoJo Fridays were no more. Instead, the series had three big episode drops in December 2021, September 2022, and December 2022. Far worse, fans weren’t aware the show had even ended because the streamer wasn’t promoting it while it was airing. So, when promotion for Steel Ball Run labeled the premiere as “1st stage” (a nod to the first leg of the show’s cross-country horse race) and offered no follow-up for when fans could expect additional episode drops, fans started to sweat. All they were left to deduce was that subsequent parts would drop in batches.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ This week’s anime schedule is here! °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ pic.twitter.com/ZrD9WB88Kb
— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) March 16, 2026
It’s easy to understand fan frustration considering streamers giving episode release dates weeks in advance of a show’s premiere has become commonplace. It’s especially frustrating because fans have been champing at the bit for Steel Ball Run, an arc many laud as the series’ best, which would have all the hype it deserved with a weekly release that kept the show’s hype alive as its superpowered jockeys trekked their way across the US. To Netflix’s credit, it has made special exceptions to its binge-release model by releasing anime like Dan Da Dan and Delicious in Dungeon weekly. The streamer has also made a concerted effort on its Netflix Anime X/Twitter account by posting when its seasonal shows are dropping.
But that’s only made its weirdness about not divulging Steel Ball Run‘s release schedule even more bizarre, considering many fans feel it’s only been better at promoting anime because it dropped the ball so badly with Stone Ocean. And the hype for Steel Ball Run has already changed the landscape for the current anime season overnight, placing it at the top of the charts for the week.
When we say that Steel Ball Run had an explosive debut, we aren’t being hyperbolic. As of the time of writing, the show has shot up the ranks as the top airing show on MyAnimeList, a popular anime database/social media site that allows fans to track their progress in seasonal shows and discuss new and old series in forum posts. For context, the show that previously had that honor was Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, which is now in second place, and the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen is in sixth place. For normies, the show also has a 9.9 IMDb rating.
Hopefully, Netflix will get with the program and let all the JoBros know when they can expect more Steel Ball Run. Worst-case scenario, we’ve got batch releases again, dolled out like the stages of its cross-country race. Best case scenario, JoJo Thursdays becomes a thing. We’re hoping for the latter.
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