What do you think?
Steel Ball Run #2
スティール・ボール・ラン #2 ジャンプコミックス
Very good overall quality. Please keep in mind that this manga is in Japanese and that there may be some slight yellowing due to the age of the paper. Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have.
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
About the author
Hirohiko Araki
683 books2,325 followersHirohiko Araki ( 荒木飛呂彦) is a Japanese manga artist. He left school before graduation from Miyagi University of Education.
He enjoys the baseball manga Kyojin No Hoshii (Star of the Giants); the video games Mario Kart and Bomberman; and likes Prince and other African-American singers, as well as jazz, rock, and rap.
He is a recipient the Tezuka Award for manga.
He enjoys the baseball manga Kyojin No Hoshii (Star of the Giants); the video games Mario Kart and Bomberman; and likes Prince and other African-American singers, as well as jazz, rock, and rap.
He is a recipient the Tezuka Award for manga.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
Read
April 20, 2022Araki wrote sbr so he can flex how good he can draw horses.
June 6, 2022
never thought id be this interested in horse racing
February 21, 2020
Ya'll. I'm having SO MUCH fun.
This volume was a great ride from start to finish. It chronicles the first leg of the race, introducing the core cast of characters along the way. And what's so damn special is how varied everything feels. Each character's personality is reflected in the way that they race. And we get to see Gyro "duel" with each of them as each stage of this opening stretch offers a new challenge. I can't wait to see what Dio does, I adore Pocoloco, and Sandman is so interesting. Each chapter feels like it has a new character getting their moment to shine, paired with a genuinely interesting racing gimmick. Be it the shortcut through the woods, the bridge, or the downhill slope, I'm surprised by how invested Araki was able to get me in horse racing. It all just works because the characters are hella compelling, the personalities are reflected in their approach to racing, and they have interesting obstacles to overcome.It all culminates in each character coming together for the final sprint. And I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing who was going to win and being unable to even pick who I want to win.
The best point of comparison I can think of, as niche as it may be, is competitive Melee. You've got a bunch of colorful competitors who come up with creative approaches to something seemingly straightfoward. And any number of them could believably win. There's not even malice motivating the competition. Dio might hate his opponents, but Pocoloco, Sandman, and Johnny aren't setting out to hurt anybody. They're just coming into the race with their own compelling motivations. In fact, Johnny is running this race solely because he wants to spend more time with Gyro.
All of this is paired with fantastic art. I love the blues used for Diego and Johnny. There's a great sense of momentum, particularly in the final stretch. I stop to soak in the detail of these panels, but it still feels like the action happens in the blink of an eye. And Araki's linework is at an alltime high.
This is one of my favorite volumes. Not just of Jojo, but maybe of manga in general. It's a tightly written opening stretch with compelling action, lovable characters, and fun writing. It was a pure joy from start to finish, that gets everything right. I didn't give a shit about horses coming in, but now I'm 100% invested. I love this.
Now, for some predictions. I'm gonna rank the 5 main characters based on how likely I think they are to win the Steel Ball Run. And I'll give a few thoughts on them.
1. Dio: This guy is probably going to be the final battle of the story. And what better way to build up momentum toward the final battle than to have him snatch away the victory at the last moment? Going foward, I'm excited to see just what this version of Dio is like. He doesn't really seem detestable at the moment, just maybe a bit of a prick. Then again, he doesn't have much reason to antagonize Johhny in the same way the original Dio with Jonathan.
2. Pocoloco: A strong number two, I just love this dude. He's got this sort of inverse monkey's paw thing going on. Where he makes a wish, things seem to go bad, but suddenly go horribly right. I'm a little peeved at the one moment where this actually didn't turn out to be the case. And this dude is just trying to get out from under the oppressive conditions of tenant farming that many black people faced during the reconstruction. How can you hate this man?
3. Sandman: I really couldn't wrap my mind around his running style, but that wasn't necessary to begin with. There's something innately appealing about someone trying to use the sheer grit and potential of the human spirit to beat out beasts and machines alike. It's the same sort of struggle as Guts vs apostles. He shows just how far the human body can be pushed, no gimmicks needed. If he does win, the sad reality is that the whites probably won't honor Sandman's purchase of his tribe's homeland.
4. Johnny: I don't really see the need for Johnny to win at the moment. His motivation is to pursue Gyro and his story is being set up as one of personal and internal growth, rather than competitive dominance. I don't think winning the race would serve much of a purpose in the way his character arc is being set up.
5. Gyro: Big "fallen mentor" vibes coming off of this guy. I'd bet money that this dude doesn't live to see the end of the race. It's inevitable that he will eventually die to further Johnny's character growth, just like William Zeppeli did before him. Or concurrent to him, I guess.
This volume was a great ride from start to finish. It chronicles the first leg of the race, introducing the core cast of characters along the way. And what's so damn special is how varied everything feels. Each character's personality is reflected in the way that they race. And we get to see Gyro "duel" with each of them as each stage of this opening stretch offers a new challenge. I can't wait to see what Dio does, I adore Pocoloco, and Sandman is so interesting. Each chapter feels like it has a new character getting their moment to shine, paired with a genuinely interesting racing gimmick. Be it the shortcut through the woods, the bridge, or the downhill slope, I'm surprised by how invested Araki was able to get me in horse racing. It all just works because the characters are hella compelling, the personalities are reflected in their approach to racing, and they have interesting obstacles to overcome.It all culminates in each character coming together for the final sprint. And I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing who was going to win and being unable to even pick who I want to win.
The best point of comparison I can think of, as niche as it may be, is competitive Melee. You've got a bunch of colorful competitors who come up with creative approaches to something seemingly straightfoward. And any number of them could believably win. There's not even malice motivating the competition. Dio might hate his opponents, but Pocoloco, Sandman, and Johnny aren't setting out to hurt anybody. They're just coming into the race with their own compelling motivations. In fact, Johnny is running this race solely because he wants to spend more time with Gyro.
All of this is paired with fantastic art. I love the blues used for Diego and Johnny. There's a great sense of momentum, particularly in the final stretch. I stop to soak in the detail of these panels, but it still feels like the action happens in the blink of an eye. And Araki's linework is at an alltime high.
This is one of my favorite volumes. Not just of Jojo, but maybe of manga in general. It's a tightly written opening stretch with compelling action, lovable characters, and fun writing. It was a pure joy from start to finish, that gets everything right. I didn't give a shit about horses coming in, but now I'm 100% invested. I love this.
Now, for some predictions. I'm gonna rank the 5 main characters based on how likely I think they are to win the Steel Ball Run. And I'll give a few thoughts on them.
1. Dio: This guy is probably going to be the final battle of the story. And what better way to build up momentum toward the final battle than to have him snatch away the victory at the last moment? Going foward, I'm excited to see just what this version of Dio is like. He doesn't really seem detestable at the moment, just maybe a bit of a prick. Then again, he doesn't have much reason to antagonize Johhny in the same way the original Dio with Jonathan.
2. Pocoloco: A strong number two, I just love this dude. He's got this sort of inverse monkey's paw thing going on. Where he makes a wish, things seem to go bad, but suddenly go horribly right. I'm a little peeved at the one moment where this actually didn't turn out to be the case. And this dude is just trying to get out from under the oppressive conditions of tenant farming that many black people faced during the reconstruction. How can you hate this man?
3. Sandman: I really couldn't wrap my mind around his running style, but that wasn't necessary to begin with. There's something innately appealing about someone trying to use the sheer grit and potential of the human spirit to beat out beasts and machines alike. It's the same sort of struggle as Guts vs apostles. He shows just how far the human body can be pushed, no gimmicks needed. If he does win, the sad reality is that the whites probably won't honor Sandman's purchase of his tribe's homeland.
4. Johnny: I don't really see the need for Johnny to win at the moment. His motivation is to pursue Gyro and his story is being set up as one of personal and internal growth, rather than competitive dominance. I don't think winning the race would serve much of a purpose in the way his character arc is being set up.
5. Gyro: Big "fallen mentor" vibes coming off of this guy. I'd bet money that this dude doesn't live to see the end of the race. It's inevitable that he will eventually die to further Johnny's character growth, just like William Zeppeli did before him. Or concurrent to him, I guess.
July 8, 2024
Got too boring with too much focus on Pocoloco, could’ve at least revealed his Stand earlier but at least I got to see Gyro win at the end!
April 14, 2020
Memes in this volume:
A guy who relies on luck... why am I seeing so much Komaeda in Jojo as of late?
Hey Ya! kind of reminds me of Cheap Trick
A guy who relies on luck... why am I seeing so much Komaeda in Jojo as of late?
Hey Ya! kind of reminds me of Cheap Trick
February 5, 2025
Idc if these aren't officially translated yet I read it and I'm getting credit for it goddammit
April 2, 2025
yeah this shit is so fucking lit. why am i getting NERVOUS about a fucking manga horse race AND ITS JUST THE BEGINNING. anyways... diego...... hey baby girl..... hey gyro... HELLO SANDMAN..... i enjoy these new peps so much and i cant wait to dive into it even more
July 9, 2022
gyro slayed gyro hot
January 15, 2022
happy i chose to read this in b&w because araki's lineart is insane!
September 28, 2025
weeing myself, those final few pages had me STRESSEDDDDDDDD
March 4, 2026
wayyy better than the first edition, jojo so peak mwhahahahha
Read
March 21, 2026Voy a poner todos los volúmenes que vaya terminando, si no se me va a olvidar acabarlo
March 26, 2026
holy peak
May 7, 2026
the way araki draws children never ceases to amaze me lol gyro had quite the glow up from nine to thirteen years old.
August 11, 2026
quiero muchísimo a sandman quiero que le vaya bien en todo
September 25, 2026
absolute cinema, I’ve never been this stressed reading about a horse race
January 20, 2024
my beautiful princess gyro
May 5, 2025
gyro my GOAT is super smart
January 22, 2026
The best ANIMANGA series ever 🥹🥹🥹
July 20, 2020
As I said for the previous volume, I'd like to be brief with these Jojo reviews. To build upon that sentiment, it's mostly because I'm reading them online, which I feel is too far removed from the experience of closely reading the contents of a physical book. I generally shy away from reviewing manga I read online, and only began doing so with Togashi's Level E and Takei's Shaman King, having read Araki's Stone Ocean between them without writing about that at all.
I must give props to Araki for making me give a shit about horse races. I wasn't strongly invested in the race during the previous volume, but the excitement definitely ramps up here. I might attribute it to Johnny's narration of events, not unlike e.g. Koichi in DiU or something. If the manga was just horses running, it'd be boring, but with Johnny shitting himself anytime anyone overtakes Gyro it feels like it has more of that Jojo flair, where everyone over-reacts to anything that ever happens.
Furthermore, Steel Ball Run comes closer to its true identity as Jojo Part 7 with Pocoloco seemingly developing a Stand whose instructions lead him to top placement in the first leg of the race. The Stand, or pseudo-Stand as it's not yet been named a Stand, has not shown its proper ability, nor has it given itself a music-based name, so the adventure isn't yet as bizarre as I imagine it will soon become.
It's also somewhat interesting to read Pocoloco in the summer of 2020, as the character is a lazy goofball who lucks his way through the big race. He is also the first prominent black character in JJBA, so the characterization is perhaps questionable. But he's also pretty cool, and he's the first guy to really get a Stand so far (since we only saw hints of Sandman's previously), so it's something like Chocolove from Shaman King where one can imagine Americans shitting themselves at the sight of stereotype while remaining completely ignorant of how great the actual character is. Or something.
I must give props to Araki for making me give a shit about horse races. I wasn't strongly invested in the race during the previous volume, but the excitement definitely ramps up here. I might attribute it to Johnny's narration of events, not unlike e.g. Koichi in DiU or something. If the manga was just horses running, it'd be boring, but with Johnny shitting himself anytime anyone overtakes Gyro it feels like it has more of that Jojo flair, where everyone over-reacts to anything that ever happens.
Furthermore, Steel Ball Run comes closer to its true identity as Jojo Part 7 with Pocoloco seemingly developing a Stand whose instructions lead him to top placement in the first leg of the race. The Stand, or pseudo-Stand as it's not yet been named a Stand, has not shown its proper ability, nor has it given itself a music-based name, so the adventure isn't yet as bizarre as I imagine it will soon become.
It's also somewhat interesting to read Pocoloco in the summer of 2020, as the character is a lazy goofball who lucks his way through the big race. He is also the first prominent black character in JJBA, so the characterization is perhaps questionable. But he's also pretty cool, and he's the first guy to really get a Stand so far (since we only saw hints of Sandman's previously), so it's something like Chocolove from Shaman King where one can imagine Americans shitting themselves at the sight of stereotype while remaining completely ignorant of how great the actual character is. Or something.
February 15, 2015
Gyro y sigo, gyro y sigo. Porque soy como un remolino.
Gyro y sigo, gyro y sigo. Por la Steel Ball Run yo gyrogyrogyro.
Perdón, tuve un lapsus lagiovanesco, pero no podía sacarme la bendita canción de la cabeza.
Volviendo a Steel Ball Run ¡qué buen manga, canejo! Cuánta emoción, qué sensación de velocidad; con qué gallardía corren los participantes, cuántos ases esconderán bajo la manga, qué diseños tan arakiescos y qué personalidades tan hirohikas, no sé ni por quién alentar.
¡Estoy a 22 tomos de la meta y ya me niego a que termine! Algo me dice que este año sí me pongo al día con Jojo's de una bizarra vez.
Gyro y sigo, gyro y sigo. Por la Steel Ball Run yo gyrogyrogyro.
Perdón, tuve un lapsus lagiovanesco, pero no podía sacarme la bendita canción de la cabeza.
Volviendo a Steel Ball Run ¡qué buen manga, canejo! Cuánta emoción, qué sensación de velocidad; con qué gallardía corren los participantes, cuántos ases esconderán bajo la manga, qué diseños tan arakiescos y qué personalidades tan hirohikas, no sé ni por quién alentar.
¡Estoy a 22 tomos de la meta y ya me niego a que termine! Algo me dice que este año sí me pongo al día con Jojo's de una bizarra vez.
September 21, 2025
Very fun and adventurous series! I love it. Stardust Crusaders will always be my favorite, but this is a contender for that one!
In this volume we learn about Gyro Zeppeli’s history, aka backstory which was interesting. We also learn more about his character that he is very honorable and just and actually a caring person despite some of the dick things he says.
We also learn more about the stands in this series. Johnny Joestar finally gets a stand as I predicted, because as we JoJo fans already know, every Joestar has a stand except Jonathan, the first main Joestar.
I’m curious to see how this progresses and if we will see more of Poco Loci and Sandman and Dio.
Can’t wait!
In this volume we learn about Gyro Zeppeli’s history, aka backstory which was interesting. We also learn more about his character that he is very honorable and just and actually a caring person despite some of the dick things he says.
We also learn more about the stands in this series. Johnny Joestar finally gets a stand as I predicted, because as we JoJo fans already know, every Joestar has a stand except Jonathan, the first main Joestar.
I’m curious to see how this progresses and if we will see more of Poco Loci and Sandman and Dio.
Can’t wait!
October 27, 2020
YASSSS QUEEEN SO GLORIOUS MY PP SO HARD TO JOHNNY DUMMY THICK BODY AWW YASS
December 27, 2022
Edge of your seat stuff this is 😭
October 11, 2023
took one star off because gyro didn't look that handsome in this one.
also can araki draw johnny w a different expression that the one where he looks like he's in excruciating pain
also can araki draw johnny w a different expression that the one where he looks like he's in excruciating pain
March 19, 2024
johnny and gyro already so obsessed with each other wtf forget the race yall need to get a room
July 2, 2026
Very entertaining
May 30, 2026
steel ball run volume #2 (english hardcover)
i actually really enjoyed how johnny and gyro’s partnership developed, though i did feel it was a tiny bit rushed at first, but thanks to those small moments of “you’re still my rival” made me understand a little more. i also loved mountain tim, he’s easily already become a favorite of mine.
i do wish oye’s past was a little more touched on, especially since it ended in a way that alluded to him being dead. but knowing jojo maybe he’ll come back up sooner or later and we’ll get more information on him.
favorite character: mountain tim, followed by gyro
least favorite character: all the boombooms…
most memorable moment(s): the explanation of the steel balls and what they were originally made for, mountain tim’s introduction and his mission, the small sliver of diego 🦕
i actually really enjoyed how johnny and gyro’s partnership developed, though i did feel it was a tiny bit rushed at first, but thanks to those small moments of “you’re still my rival” made me understand a little more. i also loved mountain tim, he’s easily already become a favorite of mine.
i do wish oye’s past was a little more touched on, especially since it ended in a way that alluded to him being dead. but knowing jojo maybe he’ll come back up sooner or later and we’ll get more information on him.
favorite character: mountain tim, followed by gyro
least favorite character: all the boombooms…
most memorable moment(s): the explanation of the steel balls and what they were originally made for, mountain tim’s introduction and his mission, the small sliver of diego 🦕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2025
I LOVE POCO LOCO!!!!! I liked that the first stand of the new part is his, but I'm a little confused about its ability. Is it a luck thing, or is it just a hype man? It seems more of the latter since Poco Loco didn't win the first phase of the race... Either way I wonder also how stands are going to work and especially where they come from in this part: is it a stand-arrow thing like from the pre-reset universe or will it be something slightly different? How did Poco Loco's stand manifest in the middle of the race? Or did he always have the stand? I also can't wait to see more from Dio, mostly because he doesn't seem like a huge villain like in the previous universe. I wonder what his drive will be. I really want to see all the new stands too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews