Meet the iconic composer behind some of the greatest moments in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Yugo Kanno. Kanno originally joined the series for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, and now the race has begun for STEEL BALL RUN, which is set as a cross-country race across America. Kanno’s work bridges the manga’s memorable scenes with their animated counterparts, from the iconic piano riff of GOLDEN WIND’s “il vento d’oro,” which baseball player Shohei Ohtani used as his walk-up song, to fan-favorite scenes like the “Gang Dance” of GOLDEN WIND and the best battle moments from Diamond is Unbreakable and STONE OCEAN.
Together with composer Yugo Kanno and producer Noriko Dohi, we learned about the process of creating and integrating music compositions for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, how Yugo Kanno approaches music composition throughout his career working on the series, and what went into the music and production of the highly anticipated STEEL BALL RUN.
When composing music for each part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, how do you envision the overall sound direction for each part? What are some of the biggest differences in the music compositions you’ve done on Diamond is Unbreakable, GOLDEN WIND, STONE OCEAN, and STEEL BALL RUN?
Yugo Kanno: For STEEL BALL RUN, the setting is completely different; it’s on the continent of the Americas, and so the scale is massive. Of course, that is what I focused on. The main theme up until now has always been about beating the enemy, but STEEL BALL RUN also adds the competition of the race. So that kind of heightened feel was different.
How is the Wild West America setting of STEEL BALL RUN incorporated into the music composition? What stands out the most about the setting and this part of your work?
Yugo Kanno: First off, the elements of the American West, such as a gunman at sunset, were something that I wanted to incorporate into the main theme and soundtrack.
I grew up listening to composers like Ennio Morricone, so that style of music has become part of my body and my creative toolbox. Because those influences were already within me, incorporating those Western elements into STEEL BALL RUN felt mostly smooth and natural.
Are there any character motifs in the music for Johnny and Gyro? If so, what would the differences be in composing a scene in STEEL BALL RUN that only has Johnny, only Gyro, or Johnny and Gyro together?
Yugo Kanno: I prepared separate melodies for Johnny and Gyro, and in the main theme, I really think of it as two protagonists in the story, so there are two melodies that work together.
STEEL BALL RUN is one of the most ambitious parts of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as a transcontinental race through 19th-century America with a large cast. From a producer’s perspective, what were the biggest challenges you anticipated before production began, and how did those compare to the challenges you faced during the actual production?
Noriko Dohi: The horses galloping were the biggest challenge for the animation. Even now, that was still one of the biggest challenges that we faced. Next year will be 15 years since JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure began as an anime series, and I think if we had tried this 15 years ago, it wouldn’t have been possible. We’ve created a relationship with david production, the studio behind the JoJo’s series, and they really understand what we’re going for. We used the newest, cutting-edge animation technology to create this series.
Before we started creating the anime, we spent a lot of time on 3D modeling and testing development. We were creating a cel-style 2D anime with 3D elements mixed in, so it was a question of how much we mixed the two, and we spent a lot of time exploring the answer.
Because we had a longer preparation period after STONE OCEAN, we were able to spend more time exploring these techniques. I think that preparation is one of the reasons people really loved the first episode so much.
You’re working alongside composer Yugo Kanno on STEEL BALL RUN. What does your collaboration look like in practice? How early does music factor into production decisions, and how do you make creative choices together?
Noriko Dohi: I’m not sure if this is the ideal way to work with Kanno-san, but the music production is mainly handled through Yoshikazu Iwanami, the sound director. He asks Kanno-san for a broad idea for the music composition and trusts him with the creative process. There aren’t a lot of details in that ask, but it is amazing because it comes out so perfectly.
Yugo Kanno: I receive a very broad request at the beginning, so I bring in my own idea for what the project needs. I decipher all of the experiences and use everything in my toolbox as a composer. All engines are firing in full, so with my creativity, I give 120 percent. I’m kind of forced to do that kind of work, but I’m very satisfied with the music I’ve composed for the JoJo’s series, and the director, producer, and audio director all seem to like it a lot. While it sort of frames me and forces me to do it a certain way, this has been going in a good direction. I understand where that comes from, and I am confident in my work.
When a specific instruction is shared, it can actually stop the creative process in some ways for some artists, so it’s really a case-by-case thing in what works best, but I think we work really well together.
Noriko Dohi: I think one of the reasons this works is because Iwanami-san, the sound director, has so much experience. He has worked on many famous anime productions, so he understands how to trust creators and how to bring out their best work.
What is the process like for creating a music composition for specific scenes in the production? How do you capture the emotions originally from a manga or storyboard and create a specific music piece to fit that scene?
Yugo Kanno: For the “Gang Dance” in GOLDEN WIND, I received the storyboards first. When I have a manga or storyboard in front of me, and it’s a music scene, I start hearing the sound that should be there already.
I think Araki-sensei had the music in mind when he drew the scene in the manga, and I feel that my role is like being a sculptor; I uncover the music that already exists within the work and chisel it out.
Who are the most influential music composers or artists to you, and what kind of impact did they have on your music for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure?
Yugo Kanno: I don’t have one specific composer or artist in mind, but everything I hear and experience becomes part of my blood and part of my body. It all goes into my toolbox. My influence is from many, and human emotions like anger, sadness, joy, and happiness. We all have those things, and the filter that I look at things through is what makes each character real and relatable to me and how I’ve felt living my life.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a bizarre adventure, but the reality is, life itself is much more bizarre. Humans are very odd, and this story takes that and puts another deformed twist on it, and the series expresses these important aspects of humanity’s complexity and foolishness.
What I see, hear, and feel is where my music comes from, so it’s difficult to name one specific influence.
STEEL BALL RUN is a production that brings together an enormous number of people from every department. Working alongside the full staff on this project — whether it’s with the directors, animators, writers, or other departments — what stands out to you as especially memorable or meaningful?
Noriko Dohi: Before the first episode was released, we screened it in a theater for the production staff. In each scene, we have visual checks during the production, but it was the first time seeing the final product together, and everyone was amazed and hyped afterward, so that left an impression on me.
There is so much struggle to make this anime, and everyone works so hard. At events like that, I could really feel the dedication from the team to the project. The staff will be continuing to work with this series for a long time. I’m very glad we shared that experience as a team.
Yugo Kanno: Being here in Los Angeles today and seeing all of the fans in front of me and playing live was incredible. I got to see and feel how much the JoJo’s series is loved around the world. I happened to be the one standing in front of the fans, so of course, I feel blessed and lucky for that, but it also just means a lot to me that it’s loved so much. I’m grateful and happy that I get to work on such a wonderful project.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: STEEL BALL RUN will premiere its 2nd Stage on Netflix Friday, September 25th, 2026. The first stage is currently streaming on Netflix.
