From left：Kaiji Tang, Daman Mills, Yugo Kanno, Emcee

Anime Expo 2026, the largest anime convention in North America, was held in Los Angeles, USA, from July 2 to July 5. STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure participated in the event in a variety of ways.

In this report, we bring you highlights from the “STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Anime Expo 2026 Special Panel,” which took place on Friday, July 3.

The stage featured Yugo Kanno, the composer of the music of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime series since Stardust Crusaders (Part 3 of the original manga), including the main theme and background music for STEEL BALL RUN. Daman Mills (hereafter “Daman”), who voices Johnny Joestar and Kaiji Tang (hereafter “Kaiji”), who voices Gyro Zeppeli in the English dub also joined the panel.

The event was held at Crypto.com Arena, a venue known for hosting performances by major artists as well as NBA games. Approximately 6,000 fans filled the arena to capacity. Many attendees arrived carrying pen lights in anticipation of Kanno-san’s live performance, while others came dressed in cosplay, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement and enthusiasm.

As if signaling the start of the event, the second key visual, which had been unveiled on June 26, appeared on the venue’s massive screens, drawing cheers from the crowd. This was followed by the panel’s opening video featuring the dynamic characters of STEEL BALL RUN. When Kanno-san took the stage, the audience erupted in applause.

Standing before nearly 6,000 fans, Kanno-san commented with a hint of nervousness:

“Today, there is an important announcement related to JoJo, and I’ve come here to help build excitement for that moment through music.”

His words were met with even greater anticipation from the audience.

After that, Kanno-san performed the main theme of STEEL BALL RUN. Accompanied by a special video created exclusively for the event and displayed on the large screen behind him, the venue’s excitement instantly surged, transforming the arena into something akin to a live concert experience. As the energy in the room continued to build, he addressed the audience in English, further uniting the crowd and the performers on stage. The entire venue was filled with a powerful sense of connection and excitement. He then treated fans to a series of piano solo performances of the main themes from across the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series. The audience listened intently to every note, and each piece was met with enthusiastic applause.

Kanno-san performing piano solo

Following the performance, Kanno-san spoke in English :“Composing music for JoJo is like painting with sound. Every character has their own unique voice and musical characters.” He then presented the finale of his set: a special medley created exclusively for this event, spanning Stardust Crusaders through STEEL BALL RUN (Parts 3–7 of the original manga). Alongside specially curated visuals, he performed iconic tracks including the Stardust Crusaders main theme, “Canzoni Preferite”—widely known among fans as the music featured in the memorable “Gang Dance” scene from Golden Wind—and “Pocoloco’s Theme” from STEEL BALL RUN. When the main theme of Golden Wind, “il vento d’oro,” brought the medley to a close, the excitement inside the arena reached its peak. Fans cheered throughout the performance, fully immersed in the unique experience where live music and animation came together to create an unforgettable atmosphere.

Kanno-san performing AX special medley

Following the enthusiastic response to Kanno-san’s performance, Daman and Kaiji appeared on the stage. Both shared their excitement, commenting that they had been completely captivated by the live music themselves.

The panel then moved into a Q&A session with Kanno-san and the two voice actors.
Daman asked Kanno-san whether he had the relationship between Johnny and Gyro in mind while composing the main theme for STEEL BALL RUN. Kanno-san replied “Absolutely. STEEL BALL RUN has two protagonists, Johnny and Gyro, and I composed the music with their journey and growth in mind. In fact, the main theme consists of two separate melodies—one representing Johnny and the other representing Gyro. Those two melodies come together to create the main theme. As the anime progresses, I think fans will begin to recognize each character’s individual melody, so I hope you’ll look forward to that.” His response offered fans an intriguing new perspective that made them even more excited for the upcoming anime.

Kanno-san also spoke about the challenges of composing the piece, noting that it differs from the memorable tracks from previous JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series installments—often referred to by fans as the “execution music”. “Unlike those earlier tracks, this theme isn’t simply about winning. In STEEL BALL RUN, there’s constant tension over whether the contestants will win or lose. Capturing that sense of anticipation and emotional uncertainty was difficult, but I’m very happy with how the piece turned out. I believe we created something truly special.” The audience listened intently, enjoying the rare behind-the-scenes insights that only the composer himself could provide.

When asked about a memorable scene that best captured Johnny’s character, Daman pointed to the moment in the 1st STAGE when Johnny, despite being paralyzed from the waist down, refuses to give up and mounts Slow Dancer for the very first time.
As for a scene that made Kaiji think, “This is exactly who Gyro is,” he highlighted the scene when Gyro discovers Valkyrie’s habit. Rather than trying to suppress them, Gyro encourages her by saying, “No, I say you double-down on it instead!” As each of these scenes was shown on the large screen in the venue, the audience was drawn back into the story, creating a shared atmosphere where fans could once again enjoy the series together.

Crypto.com Arena fully-packed with audience

The panel then moved into its highly anticipated new information reveal segment. As previously announced, this stage would be the first place in the world where new information about the 2nd STAGE would be unveiled, prompting a huge cheer from the audience. The first reveal was the Second PV. Each time new characters such as Mountain Tim and Funny Valentine appeared on screen—alongside glimpses of the next phase of Johnny and Gyro’s race—the crowd erupted with excitement. Then came the biggest announcement of all: 2nd STAGE and 3rd STAGE will begin streaming every Friday starting September 25. As the message “JOJO FRIDAY IS BACK” appeared on the screen, the energy in the venue reached its peak, bringing the audience’s excitement to a fever pitch.

Next, in addition to Mountain Tim and Funny Valentine, the visual for Hot Pants was unveiled for the very first time. The surprise reveal of another key character drew even louder cheers from the audience.

Character Visual of Hot Pants Unveiled at the Panel

Finally, Kanno-san shared a message with the fans gathered at the venue: “This has been a truly valuable experience for me. I’m very happy to have met all of you. Please look forward to the JoJo series.” Daman and Kaiji also addressed the crowd: “Everyone, please be excited for what’s to come. Events like this are possible because of all the fans. Let’s enjoy this bizarre adventure together!” With those heartfelt messages, the panel came to a close, leaving the audience buzzing with excitement long after the stage lights went down.