TLDR; IT'S PEAK GO GIVE IT A TRY
Before I reveal my thoughts towards this impeccably written work, I just want to say some few things before I do; I will be writing this with the assumption that you already know a sufficient amount about the Uma Musume universe. Some things I might say could be considered spoilers to those that don't, so if you're this person, please reconsider whether you want to be spoiled before reading any further.
Now, onto my review, let's start this with a very short preview, Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray starts out with our airheaded and food-loving yet determined protagonist Oguri Cap studying in an educational institute that hones the capabalities of racehorse girls like her just right inside her hometown of Kasamatsu. Immediately after a few dozen chapters, you will be surprised or even be charmed like me by the entertaining personality of our protagonist, who clearly lacks the mind to recognize some few social cues, but in my opinion, she clearly makes up for it through her talent as a racehorse girl, immediately and clearly becoming one of the dominant competitors on the track in her hometown.
The fact that it could be a great standalone sports manga in its own in my eyes is what makes this particular work so great due to how instead of solely focusing on Oguri Cap’s journey to become someone great, it also gives wonderful exposure to the people she competes with and that assist her. Not only does it have such a gritty and dark artstyle rarely found in other Uma Musume works, it also shows how you can't make it to the top of the world without others like Belno Light, Jo Kitahara or Musaka pouring significant effort in assisting you to shine at your brightest. But, it doesn't only put focus on Oguri Cap and her beloved companions as this manga shows that even the rivals she so desperately tries to surpass have reached those points with their own hard-earned efforts and with the help of those supporting them. That the reason her fellow racehorse girls can shine so brightly on the racetracks isn't just because of their talents alone but through the efforts they themselves put and through the help they received from their very own friends. In conclusion, these excellent details are more than enough to cement Cinderella Gray as my favorite story in the Uma Musume universe.
Of course, if you have friends that likes reading sport mangas or you yourself likes these types of works, I think this would be an absolutely good read or a very nice manga to recommend. So, to those that would like to have the possibility to be charmed by an adorably derpy and gluttonous yet dedicated protagonist, I humbly suggest that you give this manga a try. That's all!
