{"rewrite":{"id":"r_e4bf237a48c7e4ad82030309","clusterId":"c_db4ce971060398a2557fea02","slug":"jojo-s-steel-ball-run-casts-tomokazu-sugita-yoko-hikasa-tomoaki-maeno","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"JoJo's Steel Ball Run Casts Tomokazu Sugita, Yoko Hikasa, Tomoaki Maeno","summary":"The second and third stages of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run will stream worldwide on Netflix starting September 25, 2026. New cast members include Tomokazu Sugita as President Funny Valentine, Yoko Hikasa as Hot Pants, and Tomoaki Maeno as Mountain Tim. A second promotional video was also released.","whyItMatters":"The casting of three major voice actors for key characters in the Steel Ball Run adaptation signals the production is moving into its most narrative-dense stretch.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe Steel Ball Run anime is adding three high-profile voice actors to its cast as it prepares to release its second and third stages. Tomokazu Sugita will voice Funny Valentine, the President of the United States who sponsors the transcontinental race with hidden motives. Yoko Hikasa plays Hot Pants, a mysterious early-stage contender with refined manners. Tomoaki Maeno takes the role of Mountain Tim, a Wyoming cowboy and deputy sheriff investigating a murder that occurs during the race.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 2nd \u0026amp; 3rd Stage, totaling 11 episodes, will stream worldwide on Netflix every Friday starting September 25, 2026. The 1st Stage, a 47-minute special, is already available on the platform. A second promotional video showing Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli crossing the desert has also been released.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"The same September 25 Netflix drop that adds Sugita's Funny Valentine also commits the series to a global simultaneous release, removing the usual weeks-long gap between Japanese and international episodes.","twitterPost":"Sugita's Funny Valentine and the simultaneous global Netflix release on September 25 mean Steel Ball Run's rollout mirrors no prior JoJo season.","threadsPost":"Sugita, Hikasa, and Maeno join a cast that now has to carry Steel Ball Run's longest arc across two stages in a single day. The September 25 Netflix drop is the first time a JoJo season premieres globally on the same date, skipping the staggered Japanese-then-international model entirely.","newsletterBlurb":"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run has announced three major cast additions ahead of its second and third stages. Tomokazu Sugita voices President Funny Valentine, Yoko Hikasa plays Hot Pants, and Tomoaki Maeno plays Mountain Tim. The 11-episode block will stream worldwide on Netflix starting September 25, 2026.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime Anime\",\"url\":\"https://animeanime.jp/article/2026/07/06/100747.html\",\"title\":\"JoJo's 'Steel Ball Run': Tomokazu Sugita, Yoko Hikasa, Tomoaki Maeno Join Cast! 2nd \\u0026 3rd Stage to Premiere Worldwide Exclusively on Netflix from September 25\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":3978,"outputTokens":630,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783309482,"createdAt":"2026-07-06T03:40:27.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-06T03:43:32.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T03:40:27.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_db4ce971060398a2557fea02","canonicalTitle":"ジョジョ「スティール・ボール・ラン」杉田智和、日笠陽子、前野智昭が新キャストに！2nd＆3rd STAGEは9月25日よりNetflix世界独占先行配信","representativeArticleId":"a_143dab6e98d38a83667d8a78","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Sugita Tomokazu\",\"Hikasa Yoko\",\"Maeno Tomoaki\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-06T02:51:39.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-06T02:51:39.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T03:43:33.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime Anime","url":"https://animeanime.jp/article/2026/07/06/100747.html","title":"ジョジョ「スティール・ボール・ラン」杉田智和、日笠陽子、前野智昭が新キャストに！2nd＆3rd STAGEは9月25日よりNetflix世界独占先行配信"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Sugita Tomokazu","Hikasa Yoko","Maeno Tomoaki"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}