The meme comes from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, whose early seasons closed episodes with the To Be Continued arrow while Roundabout by the English progressive rock band Yes played. Yes first released the song in 1971 on the album Fragile, decades before anime fans gave it a second life online. Clips spread on YouTube and social media as editors copied the freeze frame format for any awkward cliffhanger. Its link to other JoJo sounds like Giorno's Theme keeps it a staple of anime edits.
About this sound
The To Be Continued sound from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure featuring Yes Roundabout, used for cliffhanger endings and dramatic meme freeze frames.
This clip is the start of Roundabout by Yes as used in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where an episode cuts off on a freeze frame with the To Be Continued arrow. The music kicks in with a bright, swirling guitar figure and Chris Squire's punchy bass line, instantly signalling that something absurd or dangerous has just been left unresolved. It feels upbeat and progressive rather than tense, which makes the sudden stop funnier and more dramatic. Viewers recognise the cue in seconds and expect a cliffhanger, even when the moment on screen is completely trivial or mundane.