REVIEW: ‘Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ Episode 7 — “Tusk Part 1”

The bizarre adventures continue in Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Episode 7, and things have gotten biblical. Steel Ball Run Episode 7, “Tusk Part 1”, unveils one of the more bonkers aspects of Steel Ball Run, and also introduces folks to the President of the United States and big bad, Funny Valentine (Jason Marnocha). 

Steel Ball Run Episode 7 briefly explores an alternate version of the story and the origin of Jesus (or “the Saint” as he’s called in this universe). We see some events involving Joseph of Arimathea, who was in charge of keeping the Saint’s body parts safe. The parts of the Saint were spread across what folks now know as the United States, and the Steel Ball Run takes place where parts of the Saint’s corpse were scattered. After the history briefing, we get back to the race, and Johnny (Daman Mills) is properly freaked out by the corpse arm protruding from his own arm.

Funny Valentine’s introduction in Steel Ball Run Episode 7 is just as menacing as many fans expected, but it’s also very casual: he doesn’t need to resort to violence to show he means business. As the President of America, he’s a widely recognized figure, which means he has to keep quite a bit of himself secret, including the fact that he’s a Stand user, and a powerful one at that. While the episode doesn’t reveal his Stand name, we get a brief glimpse of his capabilities in a scene aboard his personal train carriage. 

Funny Valentine’s introduction in Steel Ball Run Episode 7 is just as menacing as many fans expected.

There’s very little slowing down in Steel Ball Run Episode 7, which makes for a lot of moments where you’ll be holding your breath. Johnny is experiencing distress because of the corpse arm, Gyro (Kaiji Tang) is confused as to what’s going on with Johnny, and they’re both in extreme danger. Neither of them knew what they were getting into when they entered the Steel Ball Run, for their own reasons. There’s a fair amount of emotional weight and tragedy woven within this part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as a series. 

As soon as Johnny and Gyro think they’re safe and can joke around, Gyro suddenly disappears like dust in the wind. It leaves Johnny without guidance in this strange situation he’s found himself in. Considering Johnny is slowly understanding his Stand ability, not to mention the existence of Stands, he’s in a shaky predicament. Not just because Johnny is disabled, but also due to how he never imagined people would be trying to kill him during the Steel Ball Run. 

Steel Ball Run Episode 7’s action is stress-inducing more than anything else, but in the best way possible. The visuals from David Production throughout the episode are gorgeously violent, and we’re once again leaning into body horror. While Gyro is out of commission, the focus is all on Johnny and another enemy Stand user whose name we haven’t been made privy to yet. Though he’s very strange, and either is a child or simply childlike in his presentation. 

The visuals from David Production throughout Steel Ball Run Episode 7 are gorgeously violent.

Johnny gets attacked very violently and has to scramble to hide from this individual, whose abilities are long-range rather than short-range. Thus making Johnny’s circumstances even more dangerous because he doesn’t know where the enemy is. Despite the fact that Johnny isn’t going to be dispatched by this enemy, it’s still uncomfortable and nail-biting to see him in this much personal danger, especially since he has to drag himself across the desert to escape the fishhooks. 

Thankfully, Johnny’s Stand ability, Tusk, helps keep him from imminent doom for a while as he hides from the Stand user. During his hiding, he concludes that the enemies they’ve been encountering have been searching for the corpse parts. It offers a different perspective on Steel Ball Run because it’s not as simple as enemies wanting to kill them out of vendettas or the race itself. What it all boils down to is that Johnny and Gyro are caught up in something they never asked to be part of. 

It’s, of course, not looking great for Johnny and Gyro in Steel Ball Run Episode 7.

The rest of Steel Ball Run Episode 7 consists of Johnny hiding and unraveling from fear, the enemy Stand user curiously searching through Gyro’s belongings, and Gyro being knocked unconscious and tied up by his hair. It’s, of course, not looking great for our duo, but they’re certain to get out of their predicaments in Episode 8. 

The cast’s voice performances have been consistent since Episode 1, and Steel Ball Run Episode 7 further drives that point home for viewers. Daman Mills gets the spotlight throughout the episode because it’s very Johnny-centric. And he does a tremendous job of conveying the various emotional states Johnny finds himself in throughout the story. 

Overall, Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Episode 7  marks a turning point for Johnny’s understanding of Stands, the budding evolution of his Stand, Tusk, and the introduction of Funny Valentine. We’re getting into the thick of the race, and Episode 8 is going to be a real doozy. 

Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Episode 7 is streaming now on Netflix, with new episodes every Friday. 

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