Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fans slam “funny” anime review bombing

by

Okay, so the new JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime – Steel Ball Run – finally dropped on Netflix last week, and honestly, it’s amazing! It’s everything I hoped for. But, it’s kinda weird – after hitting a big viewership number, a bunch of people are suddenly leaving negative reviews, which is a bummer.

Steel Ball Run is the seventh major story in the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series, created by Hirohiko Araki. Many fans consider it one of the best arcs, and it follows a former executioner and jockey who uses a wheelchair as they compete in a race across the United States.

The first episode premiered on Netflix on March 19th and was a hit with viewers and critics alike, earning a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 9.7/10 on IMDb. It quickly rose to the top spot on MyAnimeList, surpassing even both seasons of Frieren in popularity.

After a recent announcement, people predicted that fans of the anime Frieren might leave negative reviews on the JoJo series, similar to what they’ve done with other shows. It appears those predictions are coming true.

Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is getting review-bombed 

So, I was checking MyAnimeList, and Steel Ball Run’s first episode used to have a 9.37 rating, which was awesome. But it’s dropped a little to 9.25 now. It’s not a massive change, but it means Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 1 is now in the top spot, and Steel Ball Run is right behind it in second!

The anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run has become the top-rated series on MyAnimeList, surpassing both seasons of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Some fans of Frieren may react by leaving negative reviews on JoJo, similar to how they’ve responded to other popular shows.

— Okeanix (@Okeanix1) March 19, 2026

The show’s IMDb rating has dipped slightly from 9.9 to 9.7, but it’s still very highly rated overall. However, looking at individual user reviews reveals a mixed reaction – many people are giving it perfect scores, while a significant number have given it the lowest possible rating.

One negative review criticized Steel Ball Run, claiming its popularity doesn’t make sense. The reviewer compared the story to a chaotic race, suggesting it felt hurried and poorly developed, like a desperate attempt to make money.

Honestly, I’m still watching, but I’m not getting my hopes up. It feels like everyone’s been misleading me again. It’s frustrating, and it kind of feels like this whole thing is a perfect example of what’s wrong with the anime fandom right now – you just can’t trust anyone these days.

Okay, so I saw another review where someone gave the first part of Steel Ball Run a thumbs down. They said it just didn’t have that same spark as the earlier stories, and honestly, it felt kinda predictable even though it’s supposed to be this crazy, high-speed race. It just didn’t grab me like I hoped it would.

Although the Western theme is a fresh idea for this series, the first episode felt predictable. It didn’t build enough suspense to make its slow speed worthwhile.

One viewer compared the new TV show to a fancy, but ultimately basic, slideshow. Despite some criticism, the show has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many perfect scores and frequent comparisons to the series Frieren.

One viewer, a fan of Steel Ball Run, called it “one of the best pieces of media” they’ve ever experienced. They contrasted it favorably with Frieren, saying Steel Ball Run is far more impactful. They particularly praised the story’s depth and emotional resonance, especially towards the conclusion, describing it as truly amazing.

Anime fans slam review-bombing 

While not as intense as the online drama between fans of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Breaking Bad, the recent wave of negative reviews is definitely sparking discussion.

Steel ball Run has overtook Frieren in MyAnimeList, what are your thoughts on this?…
byu/Paldavin inanimequestions

After Steel Ball Run reached the top of MyAnimeList’s rankings, a Reddit user commented that the episode was fantastic, despite some parts being skipped. They believe these skipped portions, like the Sandman storyline, will likely be included later on. Overall, they really enjoyed it.

Some fans are leaving negative reviews, though not as many as with Fire Force. However, it seems strange that one episode could completely ruin an entire season of a show.

Someone else mentioned that while they love JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, the scores on MyAnimeList aren’t always reliable because of review manipulation. They pointed out that Frieren Season 2 received a very high score (9.4) on MAL after only one episode, and now people are complaining about the high score for Steel Ball Run.

Someone else pointed out that new anime viewers are quick to either heavily criticize shows they dislike with negative reviews, or give perfect scores to ones they enjoy. They believe this behavior, particularly surrounding the release of ‘Frieren’, has made the whole review system unreliable.

It’s so true! I’ve noticed this a lot too – people on IMDb seem to only rate things as either perfect or terrible. Like, if a show isn’t mind-blowing, they’ll give it a 1/10 instead of a more reasonable score, like a 5/10. It’s a weird all-or-nothing thing!

Someone else agreed, saying the episode is incredibly divisive – people either love it or hate it, with no in-between. This extreme reaction, where there are only top and bottom ratings, is a clear sign it’s being review bombed.

Someone likened the current situation to shows like Attack on Titan and Breaking Bad, then concluded, “Honestly, ratings don’t matter. We should just watch what we enjoy.”

You can now watch Steel Ball Run Episode 1 on Netflix. We don’t have a release date for Episode 2 yet, but you can check out our calendar to see what other shows are coming in 2026.

Read More

2026-03-23 14:21