Uma Musume Pretty Derby
Japanese media franchise From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Uma Musume Pretty Derby[a] is a multimedia franchise created by Cygames. A mobile game for iOS and Android was scheduled to debut in late 2018 and then delayed to February 2021. A 13-episode anime television series adaptation by P.A. Works aired from April to June 2018, followed by a second season by Studio Kai, which aired from January to March 2021, and then a third season, which aired from October to December 2023. An anime television series adaptation of the spin-off manga Umayon aired from July to September 2020. A short web anime titled Umayuru premiered in October 2022. A second web anime titled Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top premiered in April 2023 and ran for four episodes. An anime film titled Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era premiered in Japan in May 2024. An anime television series adaptation of Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray premiered in April 2025.
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| ウマ娘 プリティーダービー (Uma Musume Puritī Dābī) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre | Sports (horse racing, athletics) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Cygames | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Plot
Summarize
Perspective
In a world very much like our own, great racehorses of the past have a chance to be reborn as "horse girls"—girls with the ears and tails of horses as well as their speed and endurance. The best of these horse girls goes to train at Tokyo's Tracen Academy, hopefully moving on to fame and fortune as both racers and idols.
Anime (Plot)
The first season features Special Week, a high school horse girl from the countryside who has just transferred to Tracen. She's determined to fulfill her promise to her mother to become the best horse girl in Japan. On her way to school, she visits the race track and instantly falls in love with Silence Suzuka's style, becoming determined to race on the same team as her. The story is based on Special Week's race in 1997 to 1999, but is not necessarily based on historical fact.
The second season features Tokai Teio as the main character and draws focus to other side characters such as Mejiro McQueen, Rice Shower, and Mihono Bourbon. Like the horse she is based on, she suffers multiple injuries and struggles to remain one of the best racers. The story continues from Season 1, but the content is based on Tokai Teio's races from 1991 to 1993.
The third season features both Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond as the main characters, focusing on the relationship between the two, which will end up becoming rivals on the racecourse. All while Kitasan is at odds with the crowd favorite in the racehorse Duramente. The story continues from Season 2, but the content is based on Kitasan Black's races from 2015 to 2017.
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top features Narita Top Road as the main character and her rivalry with T M Opera O and Admire Vega. It is based on the 1999 classic race.
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era features Jungle Pocket as the main character, and her rivalry with her contemporaries. She meets Fuji Kiseki and aims to be the top racehorse. It is based on her debut race in 2000 to the Japan Cup in 2001.
Manga (Plot)
Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray depicts the fierce races between Oguri Cap, who comes from a local race, and rivals of the previous and next generations. It is based on the races from 1987 to 1990, during the early years of the Heisei era alongside Tamamo Cross, [Inari One, and Super Creek.
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Star Blossom depicts the races of Sakura Laurel and her rivals such as Narita Brian. The story is based on races from 1993, before Sakura Laurel's debut.
Video game (Plot)
Part 1 of the main story begins with Oguri Cap's retirement and Mejiro McQueen's debut in 1990, and covers the Special Week races in 1999.
Part 2 of the main story features Rhein Kraft, Cesario, Air Messiah, and Daring Heart. In reality, those four horses were born in 2002 and competed in a number of races, including the Oka Sho in 2005, where they finished from first to fourth.[4][5]
Stage play (Plot)
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Sprinters' Story features Daitaku Helios as the main character, and the story is based on the races of sprint horses in 1991.
Media
Summarize
Perspective
Live events
- Uma Musume 1st Event "Special Weekend!" (July 1, 2017)[6]
- Uma Musume 2nd Event "Sound Fanfare!" (October 14, 2018)[7]
- Uma Musume 3rd Event "Winning Dream Stage" (August 28-29, 2021)[8]
- Uma Musume 4th Event "Special Dreamers!!"
- Uma Musume 5th Event Arena Tour "Go Beyond"
- Uma Musume 6th Event "The New Frontier"
- -Spring Performance- (May 24-25, 2025)[15]
Video game
Uma Musume Pretty Derby
The game was announced in 2016. An animated trailer by P.A. Works debuted at that year's AnimeJapan event.[16][17] It was set to be released in late 2018,[18][19] but was delayed until its release on February 24, 2021.[20][21][22] The PC version was released on March 10, 2021.[23][24]
A YouTube channel titled Pakatube! (ぱかチューブっ!, Pakachūbu!) was launched on March 25, 2018. The channel features the character Gold Ship.[25]
By April 2024, there will be 96 playable "horse girls" (uma musume) in the game.[26] Part 2 of the main story was released in March 2024.[4]
On June 24 2024, a livestream on Pakatube! announced the release of an English version of the game.[27][28] The official account of Umamusume: Pretty Derby English on X also announced this news soon after. [29]
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Party Dash
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Party Dash (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 熱血ハチャメチャ大感謝祭, Uma Musume Puritī Dābī Nekketsu Hachamecha Daikanshasai), which is a party video game, will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam on August 30, 2024.[30][31][32] The game was announced during the Nintendo Direct live stream on June 21, 2023.[33][34] On February 22, 2024, it was revealed that the silhouette in the logo was Still in Love, a new umamusume announced on the same day.[35]
Manga
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Haru Urara, Do Your Best!
A manga series titled Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Haru Urara, Do Your Best! (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー ハルウララがんばる!, Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Haru Urara Ganbaru!), written by Katsumi Nakayama and illustrated by Huan Yu (ZECO), was serialized on Cygames' Cycomics website from May 8 to September 11, 2016. 10 episodes in total. This is a comic story based on the true story of Haru Urara, with Haru Urara as the main character. The production was supported by Martha Farm, where the real Haru Urara lives the rest of her life, and the Kochi Prefecture Horse Racing Association. It is no longer available for distribution and has not yet been published in tankōbon form.
Starting Gate!: Uma Musume Pretty Derby
A manga series titled Starting Gate!: Uma Musume Pretty Derby (STARTING GATE! -ウマ娘 プリティーダービー-, Stātingu Geito!: Uma Musume Pretty Derby), written by Cygames and illustrated by S. Kosugi, began serialization on Cygames' Cycomics website on March 25, 2017.[36] The manga has been compiled into six tankōbon volumes as of March 18, 2022.[37][38]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 28, 2017 (Kodansha)[39] November 18, 2021 (Shogakukan)[40] | 978-4-06-509201-9 (Kodansha) 978-4-09-850710-8 (Shogakukan) |
| 2 | January 28, 2018 (Kodansha)[41] November 18, 2021 (Shogakukan)[42] | 978-4-06-509247-7 (Kodansha) 978-4-09-850711-5 (Shogakukan) |
| 3 | May 30, 2018 (Kodansha)[43] January 19, 2022 (Shogakukan)[44] | 978-4-06-509267-5 (Kodansha) 978-4-09-850712-2 (Shogakukan) |
| 4 | March 29, 2019 (Kodansha)[45] January 19, 2022 (Shogakukan)[46] | 978-4-06-515533-2 (Kodansha) 978-4-09-850713-9 (Shogakukan) |
| 5 | March 18, 2022 (Shogakukan)[47] | 978-4-09-850714-6 (Shogakukan) |
| 6 | March 18, 2022 (Shogakukan)[37] | 978-4-09-850715-3 (Shogakukan) |
Umayon
A four-panel manga series titled Umayon (うまよん), written and illustrated by Jet Kuma, began serialization on Cygames' Cycomics website between March 30, 2018[48][49][50][51] to January 15, 2021. The tankōbon is not available for general sale, but is included in the anime's Blu-ray Box.
Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray
Another manga, titled Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray (ウマ娘 シンデレラグレイ, Uma Musume Shinderera Gurei), produced by Junnosuke Itō, written by Masafumi Sugiura, and illustrated by Taiyō Kuzumi, began in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump on June 11, 2020.[52] The first collected tankōbon volume was released on January 19, 2021.[53] As of April 2025[update], nineteen volumes have been released.[54] The protagonist is Oguri Cap.[55]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 19, 2021[53] | 978-4-08-891705-4 |
| 2 | February 19, 2021[56] | 978-4-08-891795-5 |
| 3 | May 19, 2021[57] | 978-4-08-891896-9 |
| 4 | August 18, 2021[58] | 978-4-08-892050-4 |
| 5 | December 17, 2021[59] | 978-4-08-892077-1 |
| 6 | February 18, 2022[60] | 978-4-08-892223-2 |
| 7 | May 18, 2022[61] | 978-4-08-892302-4 |
| 8 | August 19, 2022[62] | 978-4-08-892401-4 |
| 9 | December 19, 2022[63] | 978-4-08-892533-2 |
| 10 | March 17, 2023[64] | 978-4-08-892657-5 |
| 11 | June 19, 2023[65] | 978-4-08-892785-5 |
| 12 | September 19, 2023[66] | 978-4-08-892824-1 |
| 13 | December 19, 2023[67] | 978-4-08-893104-3 |
| 14 | March 18, 2024[68] | 978-4-08-893121-0 |
| 15 | June 19, 2024[69] | 978-4-08-893239-2 |
| 16 | September 19, 2024[70] | 978-4-08-893379-5 |
| 17 | December 18, 2024[71] | 978-4-08-893583-6 |
| 18 | March 18, 2025[72] | 978-4-08-893476-1 |
| 19 | April 17, 2025[54] | 978-4-08-893649-9 |
| 20 | June 18, 2025[73] | 978-4-08-893694-9 |
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Uma Musumeshi
Another manga, titled Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Uma Musumeshi (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー うまむすめし), began serialization on Cygames' Cycomics website on March 2, 2023.[74] As of December 2024[update], five volumes have been released.[75]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 19, 2023[76] | 978-4-09-852338-2 |
| 2 | October 19, 2023[77] | 978-4-09-852880-6 |
| 3 | February 28, 2024[78] | 978-4-09-853103-5 |
| 4 | June 19, 2024[79] | 978-4-09-853334-3 |
| 5 | December 19, 2024[75] | 978-4-09-8536207 |
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Star Blossom
Another manga, titled Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Star Blossom (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー スターブロッサム, Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Sutā Burossamu), written by Monjūsaki and illustrated by Shin Hotani, began serialization in Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+, YanJan! app and Tonari no Young Jump website on April 10, 2023.[80][81][82] AsAs of March 2025[update], four volumes have been released.[83] The protagonist is Sakura Laurel.[55]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 19, 2023[84] | 978-4-08-892828-9 |
| 2 | March 18, 2024[85] | 978-4-08-893136-4 |
| 3 | September 19, 2024[86] | 978-4-08-893368-9 |
| 4 | March 18, 2025[83] | 978-4-08-893601-7 |
Uma Musume: PisuPisu☆SupiSupi Golshi-chan
Another manga, titled Uma Musume: PisuPisu☆SupiSupi Golshi-chan (ウマ娘 ピスピス☆スピスピ ゴルシちゃん), written and illustrated by Naoki Shibata, began serialization in Shogakukan's Weekly CoroCoro Comic manga website on November 29, 2023. The protagonist is Gold Ship.[87] As of March 2025[update], four volumes has been released.[88]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 28, 2024[89] | 978-4-09-143703-7 |
| 2 | June 27, 2024[90] | 978-4-09-149740-6 |
| 3 | December 18, 2024[91] | 978-4-09-149839-7 |
| 4 | March 28, 2025[88] | 978-4-09-154018-8 |
Anime
A 13-episode anime television series adaptation aired from April 2[92][93][94] to June 18, 2018, on Tokyo MX, with the first two episodes being broadcast back-to-back. Crunchyroll streamed the series.[95] The anime is directed by Kei Oikawa at P.A. Works, with scripts written by Masafumi Sugiura and Akihiro Ishihara.[96] The Utamaro Movement composed the music at Lantis. The first season's opening theme is "Make Debut" and the ending theme is "Grow Up Shine!"; both are sung by Special Week (Azumi Waki), Silence Suzuka (Marika Kōno), Tokai Teio (Machico), Vodka (Ayaka Ōhashi), Daiwa Scarlet (Chisa Kimura), Gold Ship (Hitomi Ueda), and Mejiro McQueen (Saori Ōnishi).[97][98]
A second season, with a returning cast and Studio Kai replacing P.A. Works in animation production, aired from January 5 to March 30, 2021.[99][100][101]
On February 22, 2022, a new animation, "1st Anniversary Special Animation," was released on YouTube to commemorate the first anniversary of the game. This work is a continuation of the anime's second season. A third season was announced on November 6, 2022.[102][103][104] Shingo Nagai and Tetsuya Kobari are supervising the scripts, while Studio Kai and the rest of the main staff are returning from previous seasons. The season aired from October 5 to December 28, 2023.[105][106][107][108]
Spin-offs and film
An anime television series based on the four-panel manga spinoff Umayon (うまよん) aired from July 7 to September 22, 2020. The series is directed by Seiya Miyajima at DMM.futureworks and W-Toon Studio.[48][49]
On December 8, 2021, a Blu-ray containing the main story, 12 episodes of the new OVA, and a manga tankōbon was released. A new short anime series titled Umayuru (うまゆる) was announced on May 5, 2022. It is animated by Scooter Films with Miyajima returning to direct and design the characters, with Seiichirō Mochizuki and Yumi Suzumori writing the screenplay. It premiered on YouTube on October 16, 2022.[109][110][111][112]
An anime ONA series titled Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー Road to the Top, Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Rōdo tū za Toppu) was announced on May 4, 2022.[113][114][115] It is animated by CygamesPictures and directed by Chengzhi Liao, with Tetsuya Kobari supervising the scripts and serving as scenario director, and Jun Yamazaki designing the characters and serving as chief animation director.[116] The series premiered on YouTube on April 16, 2023.[105] A compilation film of the anime opened in Japanese theaters on May 10, 2024 for two weeks, before the release of Beginning of a New Era.[31][117]
An anime film titled Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 新時代の扉, Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Shinjidai no Tobira) and starring Jungle Pocket was announced on December 28, 2023.[118][119] It is animated by CygamesPictures and directed by Ken Yamamoto, with Kiyoko Yoshimura writing the scripts, Tetsuya Kobari supervising the scripts and serving as scenario director, Jun Yamazaki designing the characters and serving as chief animation director, Yoshiaki Fujisawa and Masaru Yokoyama composing the music. The film was released in Japanese theaters on May 24, 2024.[120][121]
An anime television series adaptation of the Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray manga was announced on August 23, 2024. It is produced by CygamesPictures and directed by Yūki Itō and Takehiro Miura, with Aki Kindaichi handling series composition, Masafumi Sugiura writing the screenplay, Takuya Miyahara and Keigo Sasaki designing the characters, Kenji Kawai and Shūhei Mutsuki composing the music.[122][123] The series airs in two split cours on TBS and its affiliates, with the first cour premiered on April 6, 2025.[124][125] For the first cour, the opening theme song is "Koeru" (超える, Surpass), performed by Alexandros,[126][127] while the ending theme song is "∞", performed by Tomoyo Takayanagi as her character Oguri Cap. REMOW licensed the series for streaming on Amazon Prime Video in North America, on the It's Anime YouTube channel in select regions, on Anime Onegai in Latin America, and on ADN in Europe.[128] Netflix licensed the series for streaming in the Asia-Pacific.
Stage play
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Sprinters' Story (舞台「ウマ娘 プリティーダービー」〜Sprinters' Story〜) was performed from January 15 to 29, 2023 in Stellar Ball, Shinagawa Prince Hotel, Tokyo. The story features Daitaku Helios, Yamanin Zephyr, Daiichi Ruby and K.S. Miracle in Takamatsunomiya Cup.[129][130][131]
Cultural impact and reception
Summarize
Perspective
Video game
The mobile game, within ten months of release, grossed nearly US$965 million in Japan by December 16, 2021. This makes it the world's ninth-highest-grossing mobile game in 2021.[132][133] The game grossed a total annual revenue of $990 million in 2021.[134] According to data analysis from Sensor Tower, the game made a total of more than $2.4 billion as of March 2024.[135][136]
According to Kadokawa Corporation's "Famitsu Mobile Game White Paper 2022," the estimated domestic sales of the game in 2021 were $805 million (¥129.7 million), far ahead of the second place.[137] In the Google Play Japan game sales ranking, it ranked first for 111 consecutive days from February 28 to June 18, 2021.[138]
In addition, it was ranked second in the "Top 30 Hit Products of 2021" published in the December 2021 issue of Nikkei Trendy, an information magazine published by Nikkei BP,[139][140] and in the "Google Play Best of 2021" announced on November 30, 2021, it won the "Best Game of 2021" grand prize in the games category, as well as the User Voting Grand Prize and the Exciting Category Award.[141]
In 2022, for the first time in Japan, Abema, another subsidiary of CyberAgent, was able to broadcast all 64 matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup live coverage and free of charges,[142][143][144] largely because of a successful huge profit earned from the Uma Musume Pretty Derby.[145][146]
Manga
The manga spin-off, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray, was nominated in the seventh Next Manga Awards for the Best Print Manga category and placed second of 50 nominees after Oshi no Ko.[147][148]
Anime
The Blu-ray release of the second season of the anime television series became the highest-selling home video release of a television anime series in Japan.[149][150]
The compilation film Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top debuted at sixth at the Japanese box office on its opening weekend.[151] Two weeks later, the film Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era debuted at first in gross, earning over ¥354 million on its opening weekend, and at second in attendance.[152]
Others
Masayuki Gotō, the 15th chairman of the Japan Racing Association (JRA), showed his gratitude to Uma Musume Pretty Derby for its positive influence towards the horse racing community in an interview on the Weekly Gallop published in December 2021.[153]
Notes
References
External links
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