STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Director Yasuhiro Kimura Talks How He Rode a Horse For Research The first episode of STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, titled “1st STAGE,” premiered recently, drawing praise for its tightly crafted 47-minute narrative. Director Yasuhiro Kimura explained his decision to conclude the episode without a cliffhanger, emphasizing the team’s preference for a more satisfying closure. He noted that ending with a cliffhanger would have created unnecessary stress for viewers, even though binge-watching is a common trend. Instead, the episode’s structure allows audiences to experience the full story in one sitting without the pressure of waiting for the next installment. Adapting the American West setting for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure presented unique challenges. Kimura highlighted the difficulty of finding accurate historical research materials on 1890s life, particularly in Japan, where experts on the era are scarce. While American films and period dramas provide rich resources, Japanese fans of the subject are hard to locate. To address this, Kimura collaborated with Professor Nishikawa, an expert in American history, who helped the team understand 19th-century clothing, customs, and architecture. This research was crucial for creating an authentic atmosphere that aligns with the series’ eccentric tone. Animating horses proved to be another significant hurdle. Kimura revealed he personally rode a horse to study its movements, noting the animal’s height and the challenge of riding across vast distances. The team estimated thousands of animation cuts would be needed for horse scenes, which would be impractical to achieve manually.#netflix #jojos_bizarre_adventure #steel_ball_run #yasuhiro_kimura #professor_nishikawa
