To commemorate the premiere of STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (SBR) on March
19,we are releasing the first part of the official interview with Yasuhiro Kimura, the director!

“What matters most is the buddy dynamic between Johnny and Gyro.”

—Kimura-san, you previously worked on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Golden Wind.
How did you come to direct SBR as well?

Kimura: It all began toward the end of the Golden Wind recording sessions.I actually approached the Warner Bros. producer myself and said “I want to direct SBR.”And now, it has finally come true.

――I see. So what did you value most in adapting this story into an anime?

Kimura:I view this work as containing two key elements: “technique” and “Stands.”Gyro’s steel balls stem from technique, while Stands are supernatural beings separate fromtechnique. These two elements sometimes clash and sometimes coexist—something thatmirrors America in the 1890s, when the story is set. Cars and horses, new values and old values… It's a transitional period where these things coexisted.That atmosphere is oneof the most interesting aspects of this work.

Since I felt that is something still resonates with the modern times, I wanted to portray that contrast clearly.

――What did you keep in mind during script development?

Kimura:First, I thought about what makes this series strong. Above all, it’s the buddy dynamic between Johnny and Gyro. I tried to avoid cutting their interactions and lines as much as possible. The original manga spans 24 volumes and is quite long, but the panels are actually bigger than past series, which makes the readers turn the pages with a nice rhythm. For anime, we wanted to preserve that feeling and pacing.

――Bigger panels, interesting.

Kimura:Yes. Golden Wind still carried strong shōnen manga sensibilities.But as SBR transitioned to a different magazine during its serialization, it took on more of a seinen (young-adult) tone.(It moved from Weekly Shonen Jump to Ultra Jump.) If we brought the same style ofdirection from Golden Wind, it would feel slightly out of place. So I was very mindful ofbalancing what makes JoJo “JoJo-like” with a calmer, more mature tone.

Speaking of JoJo-like elements, that includes sound effects. Even though the magazine changed, their appeal remained the same in the manga. But when adapting them into animation, using too many dramatic sound effect visuals can feel out of place as well. So we adjusted them to a level that wouldn’t disappoint existing fans while still fitting the anime’s direction. As a result, I think the visuals lean slightly more mature.

――Let’s talk about the main characters. First, what do you see as Johnny Joestar’s
biggest appeal?

Kimura: I think it’s his “lack of brakes.” When he wants to do something, or when he decides to act, he dives in without hesitation. That decisiveness is cool, and in a way, it reflects his youth.

――How did you direct Shogo Sakata, the voice of Johnny?

Kimura: Not only Sakata-san, but the entire cast read the original manga thoroughly, so I had very little need to give detailed instructions.Both Saka-san and Azakami-san (Yohei Azakami), who plays Gyro  were excellent from the start. That’s the kind of talent we selected during auditions.

――What about Gyro Zeppeli?

Kimura: In the 1st STAGE, he still feels somewhat distant from Johnny, and it may be hard to grasp what kind of person he is. But later, as he starts expressing his thoughts clearly, he becomes even cooler. In short, Gyro’s charm lies in his “unpredictability.” He can seem friendly, but also incredibly cold-blooded. His “nyo-ho” laugh is funny, but in life-or-death battles he is terrifying.
We tried to strongly emphasize that mysterious quality—how you never know what he’ll do next.

――Finally, please share a message for fans looking forward to the release.

Kimura: Although this is a new series, I believe it's easy to enjoy both for people who have followed the JoJo series until now and for those who haven’t. Our entire team is giving it everything we’ve got, so please look forward to it.

©LUCKY LAND COMMUNICATIONS/SHUEISHA,JoJo’s Animation SBR Project