Cute Horse Girls Racing to Be the Top One!
- Episodes : 13
- Genre : Slice of Life, Sports
- Airing Date : April 2018 - June 2018
- Studios : P.A. Works
Contains Spoilers
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Introduction
In a world that is very much like our own, there are girls who are known as uma musume who are born into the world but are a bit different. You see, these girls have horse tails and ears and are build for special races known as the Pretty Derby. At the derby, these uma musume, aka horse girls, compete to not only be the first, but also to be in the center for the live stage performance as idols that happens after a race. Special Week is one such uma musume who has just transferred into Tokyo’s Tracen Academy, which is one of the best in the country for uma musume. She now tries to find her own path at this new school full of encounters, dreams, and other uma musume just like her!
1. Unique Spin on Sports
Just when you think that Japan cannot come up with something else to be made into an anime, you get a new one. Sure, we have countless anime based on fictitious sports, but horse racing is a new one. Rather than focus on the jockeys, they have transformed the girls into horse girls with an affinity for carrots. The races are intense with thousands of people watching and cheering on these girls. In fact, it’s also watched and supported by people around the world who enjoy uma musume races!
2. Kemonomimi
If you have a soft spot for anime girls who are not completely human, then uma musume is a surefire win for you. With cute ears and tails, these girls are anything but ordinary. Their tails bounce and sway wherever they go adding an additional layer of cute that extends to even when the girls are racing their hardest.
3. Compelling Story
Honestly, Special Week has a rather compelling story. Her mother was a legend and she died while Spec was very young. Spec was then raised by another woman who looked after her and trained her to be a fantastic uma musume contestant. While usually most idol and sports anime fall flat when it comes to generating a backstory, something about Spec’s one makes you unable to hate her as a main character. All she wants to do is make both her mothers proud and that breathes more life into this anime than a regular one.
1. You Want Idols!
So, if we had to choose a weak point to Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, it would be that it falls flat in the idol department. While it was originally marketed as a sports and idol anime, the live shows are almost nonexistent. For a game and series that promotes it, it was surprising not to see more money dropped into getting at least a few songs put into the anime. The live performances are supposed to occur after a show, but honestly, there wasn’t really anything. A few brief seconds here and there before the lives faded altogether. Shame, too.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this review of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby. The sporty anime was a fun ride while it lasted and hopefully cygames can get more people to play the game leading to another season. What are your thoughts on this anime? Good, bad or neutral, be sure to let us know down below! Till Next Time.
Author: Nagareboshi
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