STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure ‒ Episode 5 has officially entered the review season, and the early reactions are making plenty of noise. We have gathered the key takeaways so you can decide whether it deserves a trip to the theatre.
The Story So Far
God, I'm glad that my dad is cool and supportive, and that I don't have to deal with this patriarchal nonsense. installment five of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run sees the anime depict Gyro's backstory and hone in on his motivations all in one go, rather than spread it out in between other narrative beats as is the case in the manga.
With this installment, the thematic core of Steel Ball Run and the heart of what's made it the best installment of one of the most influential manga and anime ever created is laid bare, and I cannot wait to see the anime dig into these themes further over however many episodes it takes to reach the finish line. After discovering the Zombie Horse, a magical macguffin that allows Gyro and Johnny to recover from the many life threatening injuries they've endured and are set to encounter further, the anime transitions to Gyro's childhood.
Here we learn that his medical doctor father is also the King of Naples' chosen executioner, with the Zepelli family having filled that part for hundreds of years, the Steel Balls originally being tools to aide in the process of execution. Gyro is set to take over his father's position when he turns twenty-five. In short, Gyro has a socially venerated life laid out ahead of him that he would likely find tremendous success in; or he would, if not for a young boy, Marco, who was working dutifully and innocently for a rebellious baron was not set to be the first recipient of his blade.
Gyro's backstory is one of the best parts of the early Steel Ball Run manga, and the anime makes the engine of Gyro's part shine even brighter by making the ways in which Gyro is forced to emulate his father even clearer. This installment is the first time I noticed that a teenage Gyro basically has the same haircut as his dad, and between that and him wearing largely the same attire as his father in most of this flashback, it's incredibly clear how Gyro is forced into a patriarchal mode of masculinity that does not suit him and will ultimately be unrewarding for him.
This idea of patriarchal norms and expectations being unfulfilling is even hinted at by Gyro's dad, the person passing this inherited trauma onto Gyro, with him revealing that this lifestyle has ultimately left him alienated and a slave to the place in society he inherited from his father. While we get flashes of rebellion in a young Gyro, like him hilariously gnawing on his father's arm to get him to arrival a child-sized steel ball, Gyro's pushback against his father and participation in the Steel Ball Run race to save a child who was also just fulfilling the duties he inherited from his father is deeply touching.
This installment makes clear that Steel Ball Run is ultimately about Gyro's (and Johnny's, but well get to him a bit later) journey to prove that he is worthy of his father's respect on his own terms and casting aside his need for his father's love if he cannot meet him in his chosen life and values, and that's brilliant.
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For now, fans have plenty to discuss, and the industry has plenty to analyse. TeraMovies will be tracking every twist in this story as it unfolds, bringing you the full picture from the world of entertainment.
