After a rocky start earlier this year, “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run” is finally getting the release it deserves — a proper weekly rollout instead of a single dropped episode. Pair that with Satoshi Kon’s cult classic “Perfect Blue” landing on the platform for the first time, and September 2026 is shaping up to be a strong month for anime fans on Netflix.
The Headliner: Steel Ball Run Returns
After a controversial one-episode drop back in March sparked backlash, Netflix is bringing “Steel Ball Run” back with 11 episodes on a proper weekly schedule starting September 25. This stretch covers the second and third stages of the race, following Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli through the brutal 750-mile “Devils’ Palm” desert challenge.
What Else Is Coming
Satoshi Kon’s 1998 psychological thriller “Perfect Blue” — following a former idol whose grip on reality unravels after a stalker and a fake online diary start blurring her identity — makes its Netflix debut on September 1. Later in the month, “Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III: The Curse of the Serpent” closes out the trilogy on September 29, with the Medicine Seller confronting a snake god haunting the inner palace.
Returning weekly series continue their runs too: “Chainsmoker Cat” wraps its divisive first season on September 18, “Thunder 3” concludes its mystery-adventure arc on September 24, and “One Piece: Elbaf Arc (Part 1)” keeps airing into October before the show shifts to a seasonal format. “Daemons of the Shadow Realm” also continues its 24-episode run through December.
Steel Ball Run: Full Schedule
| Title | Type | Netflix Date |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect Blue | Movie | September 1 |
| Chainsmoker Cat (finale) | Series | September 18 |
| Thunder 3 (finale) | Series | September 24 |
| Steel Ball Run | Series | September 25 |
| Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III | Movie | September 29 |
| One Piece: Elbaf Arc (Part 1) | Series (ongoing) | Through October 10 |
| Daemons of the Shadow Realm | Series (ongoing) | Through December 12 |
For background on the franchise driving this month’s biggest release, see JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure on Wikipedia.
For more monthly streaming guides and anime release trackers, TechnoSports covers what’s new on Netflix and other platforms as it drops.
