【Review & Impressions】Uma Musume : Fantastic All Female Casts Supokon

[michifugu]

Hello Everyone! It’s been a while! I’ve been busy and needed the right mood to write something, but I finally managed to put something together. This time, it’s about an anime I recently marathoned and watched: Uma Musume Pretty Derby!

I just finished watching all three seasons, and I’m planning to watch the movie (Shin Jidai) and the spinoff (Top Road). However, I decided to share my review and thoughts on the TV series beforehand.
Note: This section may contain spoilers, so please be warned!

I’ve known about the Uma Musume project since 2017 when it was first announced. I learned about it because many of my friends, who were into Cygames and Idolm@ster, couldn’t stop talking about it. They were excited by how unique the project was, especially since it was spearheaded by former Im@s producer, Akihiro Ishihara.

At first, I didn’t think much of it. I assumed it was just another generic moe gijinka franchise, like Kancolle. The idol-focused aspect also didn’t really appeal to me, so I wasn’t interested. However, when the first TV series aired, I started hearing a lot of good things from it, it was even very popular in Japan. Still, I wasn’t convinced and thought ''nah, it probably because keiba/horse racing are huge thing in Japan"

Things changed when the game was released. I noticed some incredibly handsome umamusu designs and a lot of Ikejo characters, like Air Shakur, Manhattan Cafe, and Agnes Tachyon, which caught my attention. Plus, many of my favorite yuri artists started drawing fan art for the series, and even some fujoshi got into it. My friends were also hyping it non-stop, constantly yapping about how good the anime was. So, I thought, "Why not give it a try?"

And I’m so glad I did! After finally having time to binge all three seasons (I’d only watched bits and pieces before because of my college thesis last year and other IRL responsibilities this year), I’m excited to talk about it. I cannot stress enough how much of a "must-watch" this series is, even if the concept seems baffling at first. This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest supokon shows with an all-female cast!

I was already impressed by Keijo despite its goofy premise, but Uma Musume completely blew me away. It left me speechless and brought out so many emotions as I watched. I can’t wait to share my thoughts!

So I won’t talk too much about all the story details. If you’re unfamiliar with Uma Musume, it’s basically the gijinka of IRL horse racing turned into bishoujo. The concept is also goofy—basically, the horse girls are incarnations of actual racehorses in an alternate world where they get isekai’d and turned into cute girls, and their fate is to run.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, don’t think too much about the absurd concept. Most of the plot is like a generic supokon anime.

There are 3 seasons, 1 spinoff, and a movie. I recommend watching the TV series first to see if it catches your attention.



For S1, it focuses on Special Week (yeah, that’s her name!) who wants to be the best horse girl in Japan. The story, I would say, is pretty Royal Road-esque—aka cliché, like a typical shonen sports series: “I want to be the best X player in Japan.” Despite being cliché, the execution is pretty good! I think it’s easier to treat Uma Musume as a running sports anime (marathon/sprinting). I would say S1 is PEAK, in my opinion, maybe partly because it exceeded my expectations. I thought it would just be a generic moe iyashikei anime, but instead, we got a full-blown sports anime with an all-female cast.

The pacing might feel fast because of its 1-cour format; HOWEVER, it doesn’t feel too rushed. There are plenty of scenes where each character has their own mini-arc and characterization. My favorite was what they did with Grass Wonder—I was almost rooting for her when she raced against Spe-chan.

As for our protagonist, Spe-chan, I thought they wouldn’t address her being too much like a simp toward Silence Suzuka. But we actually got character development for her, where she learns she can’t just focus everything on Suzuka. We see her struggling and how she overcomes it. Most importantly, the cast complements each other well: Golshi is the goofiest one, Vodka and Scarlet have their rivalry, Teio and Mejiro serve as great supporting cast, and the Trainer is such a based guy. He’s like a good uncle to the girls. I legit can’t stress enough how great the Trainer is as a character. Most importantly, even the opposing teams get their own spotlight. I was legit hyped when Spe won the race against Broye!



For S2, the focus shifts to Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen as the new leading cast. S2 is arguably the most “tense” and “edgy” of the series. It really feels like they leaned into the edginess, and I actually loved it! If S1 was more focused on Special Week’s _Royal Road_ story, then S2 focuses more on supokon rivalry à la Blue Lock between Teio and McQueen (albeit not as edgy as Blue Lock, lol).

The story and characterization are carefully crafted. I also love Rice Shower (sobs, she’s such a sweet girl). For Rice Shower’s story, you might get more context if you understand the actual history behind the real Rice Shower (the real one was a stallion). I was genuinely sad and just wanted to hug her so much. I probably didn’t expect Bourbon’s character to be like that, though, lol. Also, did I mention how S2 has so much tension? You can really feel the raw emotion from the girls! (I legit can’t stop talking about how this series isn’t afraid to give it's female cast raw emotions, like male shounen characters.)

My main complaint is probably how they mellowed out Teio’s recovery. I think it would’ve been a great story if they had Teio learn to accept her weakness and limits, but maybe they avoided that due to historical or plot reasons. Still, it’s not too bad!

Lastly, in S3, we get a fresh new cast. Our protagonist this time is Kitasan Black and her childhood friend, Satono Diamond. S3 is my second favorite after S1! In Season 3, I feel they managed to balance out the edginess and comfy elements from S1 and S2.



Season 3 introduces an entirely new cast, with Kitasan Black as the protagonist and Satono Diamond as her childhood friend. This is my second favorite season after Season 1! It balances the edge and comfiness from the previous seasons while offering fresh dynamics.

Kitasan is arguably my most favorite MC in the series. Like, I can write a lot of reasons why, but my main reason is that Kitasan is a very flawed protagonist, and the writers aren’t afraid to show her pathetic side. Kitasan openly admits this, especially when she feels grateful deep down that Duramente was injured so she could win a race. This gives her an interesting layer of characterization. I really love the rivalry between Kitasan and Duramente—it’s legit straight out of a shounen supokon show (and yes, I ship them, hehehe).

Anyway, in most series, I’ve seen criticism about Kitasan always showing more of her pathetic side, like how she’s more easily negative compared to Spe and Teio. She often reveals her weaker moments, but I genuinely think it’s a good thing and what makes her unique as a protagonist. It’s rare to see female protagonists in supokon depicted as unafraid to show vulnerability, and I think it makes her character development even more meaningful! Even though Kitasan is genki and very cheerful, her flaws make her more realistic and endearing—especially when we see her try to overcome them.

Now, another character I love is probably Satono Diamond. She’s a hardworking girl who wants to win a race to prove that the “Satono jinx” isn’t real (the belief that most Satono horse girl can’t win G1 races). And boooy, I really love how they handle her! While she doesn’t have as much screen time as Kitasan, the writers know how to portray her struggles through her emotions. When she won her first G1 race, I legit almost cried—it’s that powerful. I can’t explain it fully in words because you SHOULD watch it. It’s so damn good, and despite the limited episodes, they did an excellent job showcasing her frustration, struggles, and character development.

I also love how, despite appearing like a meek, classy ojousama and a soft-spoken waifu, she’s actually a very competitive girl. I love how determined she is to prove herself, and she truly lives up to her name as a Diamond.

One part I love in Season 3—where it feels like the writers can read my mind—is how they make Kitasan learn to accept her limits. When she realizes her body is at its limit and she’s past her peak, she initially struggles with denial and can’t accept it. But as time goes on, she begins to accept it, thinking, “Maybe this is my limit. I accept it, but I need to do my best before I retire.” It’s such a fantastic conclusion!

It’s really important to have stories about accepting your limits, especially in supokon shows where the MC usually gets a deus ex machina moment to surpass all obstacles. It’s just so refreshing to see, in my opinion.

And that's the gist of my review. As for impressions, I’m legit really impressed with the Uma Musume anime—you have no idea why. I almost thought it would be the usual moebait anime with no substance, but instead, we got an actual sports anime. I just cannot believe we finally got a good supokon anime with an all-female cast, based on freakin’ horse girl gijinka gacha of all things.

Words cannot describe how much I recommend this show. There’s a lot I couldn’t fully explain through words, but I genuinely recommend people to watch it! Even if you’re not really into moe or bishoujo series, I still recommend it! The series is really good as a sports show. There’s no harembait or fanservice if that bothers you, and most of the girls are so well-written *chef’s kiss*.

As for yuri, it’s mostly the typical "yuribait that you need to look hard enough for with your yuri goggles" type. But I would say this series leans more toward “bromance,” except it’s women, so… sismance, I guess? That said, the series doesn’t lean too hard into yuribait—unless you’re a massive yuributa like me, lol.

But seriously, even if you aren’t into yuri, you should still watch it!! It’s just that good. I’d argue this series is the type you can even recommend to your female friends, even if they’re husbando-lovers or fujoshi! Most of the girls don’t feel too much like waifubait. To prove this, I know a lot of fujoshi artists I follow on my alt account started drawing Uma Musume fanart, and some even liked the yuri ships in Uma Musume because they said they felt like BL ships, lol.

Also, I love how they depict the Trainer in this anime. The Trainer is supposed to be the “self-insert,” but he’s far beyond that—he’s an actual character! His dynamic with the girls is neither weird nor fanservice-y. Plus, he has a good dynamic with the female Trainer from the rival team (I ship them too, lol).

Watching this anime genuinely made me fall in love with the franchise. Even though I don’t play the gacha game, it made me interested in the characters, their personalities, and their stories. Not to mention, for a danseimuke bishoujo soshage, it has so many ikemen women—like, legit the most I’ve seen in my life for being into bishoujo media. The fact that Uma Musume has so many yumejoshi and fujoshi latched onto it should tell you something.

I will always remember that one tweet about how Uma Musume is just BL and otome games but with female characters, hahaha.

Anyway, that’s my impression and review of the Uma Musume series. I feel like my writing didn’t do it justice, but I’d be happy if you gave this series a try!
Funnily despite this series has idol aspect, in the anime the idol aspect aren't really main focus LOL

I also have a backlog and plan to watch Shinjidai and Top Road, which are on my watchlist. I will definitely review them! Here’s hoping I can find the mood to write it because I have other writing backlogs to finish (KamiEshi review). So, stay tuned!