Steel Ball Run has a new opening theme: “SPIN” by Japanese band Kroi. The anime’s official site announced the song on September 23, and the opening animation is now available on the official Warner Bros. Japan Anime YouTube channel. New Netflix episodes begin Friday, September 25, so fans can watch the opening before the next stage of Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli’s race.
Kroi also shared the song’s artwork and explained the sounds it brought into the recording. The new video shows the opening animation without staff credits. The song is listed for music services too, although availability varies by region.
Kroi explains the sound behind “SPIN”
In a statement accompanying the reveal, Kroi said it looked to music associated with classic Westerns, including Ennio Morricone and The Ventures. The band also named funk, soul and hip-hop among the styles it brought to the song. Kroi described that mix in its own words:
“we crafted this song by blending together the many musical influences we’ve embraced over the years, including funk, soul, and hip-hop.” — Kroi
“SPIN” is the vocal opening theme; Yugo Kanno is credited as the anime’s composer. Kroi made the song that introduces the show, while Kanno handles its score. The official single artwork puts Johnny Joestar against a bright orange background, reaching toward the viewer.
The opening video is out before the new episodes
The official announcement scheduled the opening video for midnight on September 24 in Japan. It is now public on the Warner Bros. Japan Anime channel. The video player on this page is the opening itself, not an older trailer for the first episode.
Steel Ball Run’s 2nd and 3rd STAGE start on Netflix September 25, with one new episode each Friday and 11 episodes confirmed across those two stages. The 1st STAGE was a single 47-minute episode and is already available. Netflix has not announced the total number of episodes for the full adaptation.
What the song is opening
Steel Ball Run follows Johnny, a former jockey who lost the use of his legs, and Gyro, an outlaw who draws him into a horse race across 1890s North America. The advertised prize is $50 million. In its statement, Kroi connected the song’s Western influences to that long race and its desert landscapes.
David Production animates the series from Hirohiko Araki’s manga. Shogo Sakata voices Johnny in Japanese, and Yohei Azakami voices Gyro. The next episodes also bring characters including Mountain Tim, Hot Pants and Funny Valentine into the announced cast. The new opening arrives just ahead of their weekly return.
For the full schedule, cast and what is confirmed beyond this opening, read our Steel Ball Run release guide.
You can also browse the Steel Ball Run anime page for the show’s story and related coverage.
