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Umamusume: Pretty Derby
Japanese media franchise From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby[b] is a Japanese multimedia franchise created by Cygames. The franchise centers on anthropomorphised racehorses known as Umamusume (ウマ娘; lit. 'horse girls'), who compete in races inspired by real-life race tracks managed by the Japan Racing Association. Most of the girls are named after and modeled on actual racehorses, reflecting their namesakes' personalities, racing records, and relationships with other racehorses.[c] Initially announced in 2016 as a mobile game, the project soon expanded to include multiple anime series, manga, and live concerts.
The game was scheduled to debut in late 2018 for iOS and Android devices, but it was delayed to a February 2021 release, with a Windows client releasing a month later on DMM Games, then later on Google Play Games in April 2023. It would later be available in Korean by Kakao Games and Traditional Chinese by Komoe Game in June 2022, with the former language getting a PC version in a stand-alone client a year later, then later in Simplified Chinese by Bilibili in August 2024. An English-language edition was released worldwide in June 2025 for the aforementioned platforms, alongside a Steam release for both the Japanese and English versions, with the latter language being exclusively available on that platform.
An anime television series adaptation produced by P.A. Works aired from April to June 2018. A second season now produced by Studio Kai, with the former studio assisting in its production, aired from January to March 2021. A third season produced solely by Studio Kai aired from October to December 2023.
Alongside the main anime series, multiple anime spin-offs have been made. An anime television series adaptation of the manga Umayon aired from July to September 2020. Its sequel, titled Umayuru, premiered in October 2022. A web anime produced by Cygames' in-house animation studio CygamesPictures titled Umamusume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top aired from April to May 2023. An anime film also produced by CygamesPictures titled Umamusume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era premiered in Japan in May 2024. An anime television series adaptation of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray produced by CygamesPictures premiered in April 2025, with a short web spinoff anime titled Umayuru: Pretty Gray premiering that same month.
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Gameplay
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a sports simulation game that allows players, who are referred in-game as "trainers", to nurture a horse girl's abilities and win various races.[4][5] Players are able to use the game's gacha system to obtain two types of units: "trainees", who are the playable horse girls, and "support cards", which help a trainee by offering skills and abilities.[5]
The game's main mode is referred to as the "Career" mode, which allows the player to pick a trainee of their choice, choose the support cards that can benefit the trainee, and make them achieve a set list of goals catered to the chosen trainee.[4][5] The gameplay loop is centered on a calendar system where every action the player makes accounts for one turn corresponding to half a month in a Japanese schoolyear, prompting the player to strategically plan their moves ahead of time before reaching a certain goal.[5]
During the Career mode, players allot their turns to either train their trainee and raise their statistics, allow them to rest or engage in recreation, or participate in races to gain more skill points to purchase skills and reach fan milestones.[5] Players must also give attention to the trainee's mood, which functions as a multiplier and grants bonuses during training.[5]
Allotting a turn to training gives the player a further five options to choose to enhance a trainee during a race: speed, which dictates how fast they can run; stamina, which dictates how long they can maintain their run; power, which affects their acceleration and positioning; guts, which can offer additional stamina for them near the end of a race; and wit, which helps them in activating skills.[5] Players are encouraged to balance out which training options to prioritize based on several factors like the trainee's base statistics and racing style, and support cards.[4][5]
When a player either completes all of the trainee's career goals or fails to complete it, the trainee retains the statistics and skills they have gained during the career. These can be used to strengthen other trainees as "legacies" in succeeding career runs, allowing future trainees to inherit certain statistics of the legacy trainees and become stronger, making the gameplay loop similar to roguelite games such as Hades and Risk of Rain.[4][5]
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Plot
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby is set in a fictional universe similar to the real modern world but featuring the titular Umamusume, female kemonomimi with the ears, tails, and capabilities of horses who live alongside humans and replace actual horses in the franchise's setting. Many Umamusume are inspired on real-life racehorses of the past and present who seek fame and fortune as both racers and idols by competing in organized races akin to middle-distance track events. The series centers on Umamusume who attend the elite Tracen Academy in Tokyo and train to compete in the Twinkle Series of professional races organized by the Umamusume Racing Association (URA). The main stories across the series are focused on specific girls and loosely based on the racing careers of the racehorses they are based on.
Anime
The main anime series depicts the journeys of various Umamusume who are affiliated with Team Spica, a racing team at Tracen Academy. Each season is a direct follow-up to the previous one, though the historical content greatly varies based on the real-life racing careers of the focused character.
- The first season features Special Week, an Umamusume from the countryside who is determined to fulfill her promise to her mother in becoming the best Umamusume in Japan, all while idolizing Silence Suzuka's style and wanting to reach the same heights as her and their friends with King Halo, El Condor Pasa, Seiun Sky, and Grass Wonder. The story is based on the Greatest 98 Generation and Special Week's races from 1997 to 1999.
- 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. The story focuses on the multiple setbacks faced by Tokai Teio, as she continues to persevere despite suffering multiple injuries and struggling to remain one of the best racers of her generation. The story 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 camaraderie and friendly rivalry between the two, while also facing a new generation of Umamusume such as Duramente and Cheval Grand. The story is based on Kitasan Black's races from 2015 to 2017.
Road to the Top and Beginning of a New Era respectively feature Narita Top Road and Jungle Pocket as its main characters and their rivalries with T M Opera O, Admire Vega, Agnes Tachyon, and Manhattan Cafe. They are based on events surrounding the Japanese Triple Crown races of 1999 and 2001.
Manga
Cinderella Gray and its anime adaptation depict the fierce races between Oguri Cap, who transfers to the Twinkle Series after racing in the regional horse racing scene, and rivals of the previous and next generations that include Tamamo Cross, Inari One, and Super Creek. It is based on Oguri Cap's races from 1987 to 1990, during the last years of the Shōwa era and the early years of the Heisei era.
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
Part 1 of the main story focuses on the efforts of Team Sirius. The story is based on the races ran by Mejiro McQueen, Rice Shower, Winning Ticket, Biwa Hayahide, and Narita Brian in the 1990s, while additionally covering Silence Suzuka and Special Week's races in the late 1990s.[6][7]
Part 2 of the main story features the Battle of the Mares including 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.[8][9]
Stage play
Sprinters' Story features Daitaku Helios as the main character, and the story is based on the races of sprint horses in 1991.
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Media
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Live events
- Umamusume 1st Event "Special Weekend!" (July 1, 2017)[10]
- Umamusume 2nd Event "Sound Fanfare!" (October 14, 2018)[11]
- Umamusume 3rd Event "Winning Dream Stage" (August 28–29, 2021)[12]
- Umamusume 4th Event "Special Dreamers!!"
- Umamusume 5th Event Arena Tour "Go Beyond"
- Umamusume 6th Event "The New Frontier"
Video game
Umamusume: Pretty Derby
The game was announced in 2016. An animated trailer by P.A. Works debuted at that year's AnimeJapan event.[21] It was set to be released in late 2018,[21] but was delayed until its release on February 24, 2021.[22] The PC version was released on March 10, 2021 on DMM Games, then later on April 19, 2023 on Google Play Games.[22] A YouTube channel titled Pakatube! (ぱかチューブっ!, Pakachūbu!) was launched on March 25, 2018, prominently featuring Gold Ship.[23] As of May 2025[update], there are 114 playable horse girls in the game. Part 2 of the main story was released in March 2024.[8]
On February 15, 2022, Komoe Game announced the release of a traditional Chinese version of the game app for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, and pre-registration began on April 27.[24] The traditional Chinese version was officially released on June 27, 2022.[25][26] In South Korea, Kakao Games released on June 20, 2022, and pre-registrations, which began on April 28, 2022, exceeded 1 million in 10 days.[27][28] A PC version for the Korean version was released on June 15, 2024. In China, Bilibili released a simplified Chinese version on August 30, 2023, and pre-registrations, which began on August 4, 2023, exceeded 1 million in 10 days.[29] On June 24, 2024, a Paka Live TV livestream on Pakatube! announced the release of an English version of the game.[30][31]
As part of promotions for the English launch, Cygames entered into sponsorship deals with several prominent U.S. horse racing events, such as the Breeders' Cup Sprint during the 2024 Breeders' Cup, and the Unbridled Sidney Stakes during the 2025 Kentucky Derby weekend. A booth was operated at Churchill Downs where attendees could play demos of Umamusume and other titles from the publisher.[32] On April 27, 2025, a Paka Live TV livestream on Pakatube! announced the release date of the English version, along with a PC version on Steam for both the Japanese and English versions, with the latter language being exclusively available on that platform. Pre-registration started on April 28 and the game was released on June 26.[33]
Umamusume Pretty Derby: Party Dash
Umamusume 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, Umamusume Puritī Dābī Nekketsu Hachamecha Daikanshasai), a party video game, was released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam on August 30, 2024.[34][35][36] The game was announced during the Nintendo Direct live stream on June 21, 2023.[37][38] On February 22, 2024, it was revealed that the silhouette in the logo was Still in Love, a new character announced on the same day.[39]
Manga
Umamusume Pretty Derby: Haru Urara, Do Your Best!
A manga series titled Umamusume 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!, Umamusume 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. There are 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 Mother 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!: Umamusume Pretty Derby
A manga series titled Starting Gate!: Umamusume 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.[40] The manga has been compiled into six tankōbon volumes as of March 18, 2022.[41][42]
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,[52][53][54][55] and January 15, 2021. The tankōbon is not available for general sale, but is included in the anime's Blu-ray Box.
Umamusume: Cinderella Gray
Another manga, titled Umamusume: 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.[56] The first collected tankōbon volume was released on January 19, 2021.[57] As of June 2025[update], twenty volumes have been released.[58] The protagonist is Oguri Cap.[59]
Umamusume Pretty Derby: Uma Musumeshi
Another manga, titled Umamusume 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.[79] As of December 2024[update], five volumes have been released.[80]
Umamusume Pretty Derby: Star Blossom
Another manga, titled Umamusume Pretty Derby: Star Blossom (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー スターブロッサム, Umamusume 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.[86][87][88] As of March 2025[update], four volumes have been released.[89] The protagonist is Sakura Laurel.[59]
Umamusume: PisuPisu☆SupiSupi Golshi-chan
Another manga, titled Umamusume: 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. It is a comedy manga following Gold Ship as a kindergartener.[94] As of June 2025[update], five volumes has been released.[95]
Anime adaptations
An anime television series adaptation aired from April 2[100][101][102] to June 18, 2018, on Tokyo MX, with the first two episodes being broadcast back-to-back. Crunchyroll streamed the series.[103] The anime is directed by Kei Oikawa at P.A. Works, with scripts written by Masafumi Sugiura and Akihiro Ishihara.[104] The Utamaro Movement composed the music at Lantis. The opening theme is "Make Debut!", while the ending theme is "Grow-up Shine!" (グロウアップ・シャイン!); both are performed by Team Spica, consisting of 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).[105][106]
A second season, with a returning cast and Studio Kai replacing P.A. Works in animation production, with the latter studio assisting on the production, aired from January 5 to March 30, 2021.[107][108][109] The opening theme is "Yume o Kakeru!" (ユメヲカケル！; "Run for Our Dreams!"), performed by Team Spica, while the ending theme is "Komorebi no Yell" (木漏れ日のエール; "Sunbeam Cheer"), performed by Tokai Teio (Machico) and Mejiro McQueen (Ōnishi). 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.[110][111][112] 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.[113][114] The opening theme is "Soshite Minna no" (ソシテミンナノ), performed by Kitasan Black (Hinaki Yano), Satono Diamond (Hina Tachibana), Satono Crown (Sayumi Suzushiro), Cheval Grand (Yūko Natsuyoshi), Sounds of Earth (Makiko), and Duramente (Akina), while the ending theme is "Akogare Challenge Dash!!" (アコガレChallenge Dash!!; "Longing for a Challenge Dash!!"), performed by Kitasan Black (Yano) and Team Spica.
Original net animations
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.[52][53] 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 was released on YouTube from October 16, 2022 to March 26, 2023.[115][116][117][118]
A new short anime series titled Umayuru: Pretty Gray (うまゆる ぷりてぃ〜ぐれい) was released on YouTube from April 30 to May 6, 2025.[119][120][121]
Spin-offs and film
An anime ONA series titled Umamusume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー Road to the Top, Umamusume Pretty Derby: Rōdo tū za Toppu) was announced on May 4, 2022.[122][123][124] It is animated by CygamesPictures and directed by Cheng Zhi Liao, with Tetsuya Kobari supervising the scripts and serving as scenario director, and Jun Yamazaki designing the characters and serving as chief animation director.[125] The series was released on YouTube from April 16 to May 7, 2023.[113] The theme song is "Glorious Moment!", performed by Narita Top Road (Kanna Nakamura), Admire Vega (Hitomi Sasaki), and T M Opera O (Sora Tokui). 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.[35][126]
An anime film titled Umamusume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 新時代の扉, Umamusume Pretty Derby: Shinjidai no Tobira) was announced on December 28, 2023.[127][128] It is animated by CygamesPictures and directed by Ken Yamamoto, with Kiyoko Yoshimura writing the script, Tetsuya Kobari serving as scenario director and story organizer, Jun Yamazaki designing the characters and serving as chief animation director, and Masaru Yokoyama composing the music. The film was released in Japanese theaters on May 24, 2024.[129][130] The theme song is "Ready!! Steady!! Derby!!", performed by Jungle Pocket (Yuri Fujimoto), Agnes Tachyon (Sumire Uesaka), Manhattan Cafe (Yui Ogura), and Dantsu Flame (Haruna Fukushima).[131]
An anime television series adaptation of the Umamusume: 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, Takuya Miyahara and Keigo Sasaki designing the characters, and Kenji Kawai composing the music.[132] The series will air in two split cours on TBS and its affiliates, with the first cour airing from April 6 to June 29, 2025,[132] and the second cour set to premiere on October 5, 2025.[133] For the first cour, the opening theme song is "Koeru" (超える; "Surpass"), performed by Alexandros,[134][135][136] 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 (North America), the It's Anime YouTube channel (select regions), Anime Onegai (Latin America), ADN (Europe), and Netflix (Asia-Pacific).[137]
Stage play
Umamusume 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. Performances from January 16 to 26 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed on January 27.[138] The story features Daitaku Helios, Yamanin Zephyr, Daiichi Ruby, and K.S. Miracle in the Takamatsunomiya Cup.[139][140][141]
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Cultural impact and reception
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Video game
Popularity
The franchise has had a significant cultural impact, particularly in Japan, becoming a multi-billion dollar franchise that transcends traditional media. The franchise also consistently emphasizes universal themes like perseverance, teamwork, personal growth, and overcoming challenges, which resonate with a broad audience.[142] While its primary market is Japan, the game has also been released in other Asia-Pacific territories, and an English version was eventually released, indicating its broader global impact.[143]
The franchise also received positive reviews from various media observers. The range of available content was generally well received, but many commented a significant revival of horse racing pop culture, such as idol performances, slice-of-life elements, and a global sporting powerhouse.[4][144] The game received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[145] The popularity of the game's idol culture can be observed with various covers and dance videos of one of the game's songs, "Umapyoi Densetsu" (うまぴょい伝説, "Umapyoi Legend"), being uploaded to social media,[146] with one notable example being a dance performed by rookie players at the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles' fan appreciation event held on December 4, 2021.[146]
In addition, the act of "performing 'Umapyoi Densetsu'" is sometimes expressed as "Umapyoi (do)".[146] When it was announced on July 3, 2021, that they would appear under the name "Uma Musume" on the NHK music program "Shibuya Note" and that "Umapyoi Densetsu" would be performed on TV for the first time, "Umapyoi on NHK" became a trending topic on Twitter.[146] At Nakayama Racecourse on December 26, 2021, when the 66th Arima Kinen was held, the JMSDF Tokyo Band, which performed the fanfare for the day, performed the song during a lunch break concert, which became a hot topic.[146] Since then, it has become customary for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's music to be performed during the lunch break concerts on the day of the JRA's GI races, such as the Japanese Derby and Japan Cup, where the bands of the JGSDF and the JASDF are responsible for performing live fanfares.[147]
In January 2023, the theme song for the popular media content "Umamusume Pretty Derby", "Umapyoi Densetsu", has been certified "Gold" in the December 2022 "Streaming Certification" by the RIAJ.[148][149][150]
Within the first week of Umamusume's global English language release on June 26, 2025, Steam's player charts revealed that there was a consistent rate between 15,000 to 30,000 players, with content creators such as Ludwig Ahgren, Northernlion and many more having played and enjoyed the game, as well as Cygames' panel at Anime Expo 2025 having life-sized statues of some of the characters. Many people on social media have commented on the racing aspect of the game, driving interest and awareness towards the real-life horses the characters are based on.[151] When Kitasan Black's Support Banner came out for Global, the Steam player count reached a peak of 87,000 people due to word of mouth from the Japanese players stating how powerful the card is early on.[152]
Revenue
The mobile game, within ten months of release, grossed nearly US$965 million (¥142.7 billion) in Japan by December 16, 2021. This made it the world's ninth-highest-grossing mobile game in 2021.[153][154] The game grossed a total annual revenue of $990 million (¥145.8 billion) in 2021.[155] According to data analysis from Sensor Tower, the game made a total of more than $2.4 billion (¥354 billion) as of March 2024.[156][157]
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 billion), far ahead of the second place.[158] In the Google Play Japan game sales ranking, it ranked first for 111 consecutive days from February 28 to June 18, 2021.[159]
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,[160][161] 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.[162][163]
After the game was released, CyberAgent reported a record high of $435.5 million (¥63.9 billion) in sales for the January–March 2021 consolidated financial statements (an increase of $126.6 million (¥19.1 billion) from the same period last year), and $630 million (¥92.3 billion) in sales for the April–June 2021 consolidated financial statements (an increase of $378.5 million (¥55.6 billion) from the same period last year), surpassing the previous quarter, and the company revised its full-year earnings forecast upward.[164][165] Related to this, other mobile game-related companies were asked at their financial results briefings whether the game would affect their performance.[166]
The game alone has generated over $2.5 billion (¥375 billion) in Japan, making it one of the most profitable mobile games in the country. This financial success highlights its massive cultural reach and dedicated fanbase.[167][168]
According to Pocket Gamer, its first 30 days after the global launch, the game generated $45.4 million worldwide—50.3% of which comprised sales outside Japan. Among international markets, the United States accounted for 68% of all overseas spending and 34% of total global revenue.[169][170]
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.[171][172]
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.[173][174]
The compilation film Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top debuted at sixth at the Japanese box office on its opening weekend.[175] 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.[176][177]
Between April and June 2025, it was ranked number one in the world in the AniLab Global Weekly Anime Rankings a total of four times.[178] In the spring 2025 season, it took first place in the weekly rankings of Anime Trending, a major voting site for overseas anime fans, in its seventh week, beating out Weekly Shonen Jump's Witch Watch, and continued to hold the top spot until the final episode.[179][180]
"Uma Musume Cinderella Gray" won the Spring Anime Award on Anime Corner, an international website used by 20 million people monthly across the global community.[181] It was described as a "true Cinderella story" as the first time in history that a series topped the final ranking despite not having topped the weekly rankings.[182] Overseas fans and viewers commented on the series' late-stage comeback, saying it was "just like Oguri Cap (from the series)".[181]
Others
Masayuki Gotō, the 15th chairman of the Japan Racing Association (JRA), showed his gratitude to Umamusume: Pretty Derby for its positive influence on the horse racing community in an interview on the Weekly Gallop published in December 2021.[183]
"Umamusume" was selected as one of the nominees for the 2021 U-Can New Word and Popular Phrase Awards, organized and sponsored by Jiyukokuminsha's U-Can.[184] Also, in the 2021 Internet Popular Words 100, sponsored by Dwango and Pixiv, "Uma Musume Pretty Derby" won the annual grand prize, with 13 Umamusume characters ranking in the top 100, led by "Gold Ship (Uma Musume)" in second place. Furthermore, in relation to these, Gold Ship as a racehorse ranked fifth.[185]
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 charge,[186][187][188] largely because of a huge profit earned from the Umamusume: Pretty Derby.[189][190]
In May 2025, aside from Cygames being a sponsor of the 2025 (151st) Kentucky Derby, the franchise is also part of an exhibit at the Smithsonian-affiliated International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Called Uma no Kokoro (馬の心, "Heart of the Horse"), the exhibit displays the Japanese horse world including horses' spiritual, cultural legacy, and sporting roles in the country.[191][192] The exhibition was also held during the Expo 2025 in Osaka and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, France, in collaboration with France Galop ahead of Cygames Grand Prix de Paris.[193]
In 2021, Cygames and Paramount Pictures announced a collaboration in Japan between Umamusume: Pretty Derby and Top Gun: Maverick. Mayano Top Gun – whose namesake horse was also named in part after the original 1986 Top Gun film – was named a special advertising pilot, and the collaboration included her as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) in an alternate version of the movie poster.[194][195][196] Four of their voice actresses including Mio Hoshitani, who voices Mayano Top Gun, also attended the movie's Japanese premiere in Yokohama as part of Paramount Japan's event coverage and met and interviewed Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer.[197][198][199]
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Notes
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External links
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