Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a simple but enjoyable anime that loses much of its momentum due to a weak protagonist and an underdeveloped supporting cast. It’s still a decent show overall and even managed to get me hooked on the Cinderella Gray spinoff and the game. Let me explain why I think it never quite rises above mediocrity:
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Special Week is your typical goody-two-shoes, energetic protagonist - a bit dopey at times, but skilled enough to run with the top contenders. Her main flaw is that she cares too much. While she certainly grows over the season, most of her setbacks stem from emotional turmoil rather than any meaningful challenge or development. She’s likable, but ultimately too plain to carry the story.
The supporting cast consists mostly of quirky teammates and classmates. They’re fine in their own right, but aside from the trainer and Silence Suzuka, most remain background dressing. The trainer himself has a cool design and enough eccentricity to stand out without coming across as a complete pervert, despite his odd leg fixation. His friendly rivalry with Team Rigil’s trainer also adds a fun side story.
One major issue for me was the pacing at which the relationship between Special Week and Silence Suzuka progressed. Suzuka, the quiet type, is supposed to open up through meeting the energetic and expressive Special Week. However, this transition feels rushed. There’s a shift in her demeanor between episodes three and four (or four and five), that doesn’t come as a shock, but feels sudden due to happening right between two episodes, rather than gradual over the course of the season.
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The story is written in a way that’s broadly accessible but rarely satisfying. As most people probably know, the horse girls are inspired by real Japanese racehorses - and real life often writes the best stories. Because of that, I was disappointed to see the show ignore some of the more dramatic real-life developments in favor of a lighthearted narrative where the heroine achieves exactly what she wants in the end. The first season’s finale, in particular, feels artificial and unearned, even with generous suspension of disbelief.
Other story beats feel oddly handled - especially those involving Special Week’s mother, who’s a central part of her motivation. Their reunion is reduced to a brief montage without any dialogue, which is baffling given how much emotional weight the promise to her mother carries throughout the series. It’s a big missed opportunity.
The idol aspect, where the horse girls perform a concert after winning a race, also feels strange, though I understand it’s part of the game’s premise. Thankfully, it’s mostly glossed over in the anime.
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The animation is clean and fluid overall and even manages to be quite detailed in a few scenes, but I was still a little underwhelmed. I finally decided to watch the show after seeing a scene from the Road to the Top movie a couple of times on reddit, which set my expectations higher than the actual series delivered. CGI is used quite frequently - the animators clearly tried to blend it in with 2D scenes as smoothly as possible, possibly also relying om assets from the game. While it’s not overly distracting, it’s still noticeable.
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The voice acting is solid, with a talented cast bringing energy to their roles. The music, however, didn’t do much for me. The concert songs weren’t my taste, and while the opening and ending themes weren’t bad, they failed to leave a lasting impression.
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