A bombshell was dropped for Uma Musume Pretty Derby fans, as both Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3 and a web anime series have been announced! The web animation is called Uma Musume Pretty Derby Road to the Top and is scheduled to come out around Spring 2023.
Sadly, there’s no word on the plot, but trailers have been released on Twitter and YouTube. So which horse girl are we going to meet next?
What can we expect from these two projects?
If you haven’t heard of Uma Musume Pretty Derby, it’s about girls racing each other with horse ears and tails. They’re named after famous racehorses worldwide, and you don’t need to know the rules to enjoy this franchise.
Season 1 focused on Special Week and her dream of being the best Horse Girl in Japan. While Season 2 focused on Tokai Teio and gave us more time with other Horse Girls.
So it’s a safe bet that Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3 will also focus on a different Horse Girl. However, Uma Musume Pretty Derby Road to the Top appears to be working similarly.
The above visual shows T. M. Opera O, Admire Vega, and Narita Top Road. And it seems to focus on the heavier themes of the franchise.
All of the Horse Girls want to win and work hard to achieve their goals. But just like in other sports, there’s only one winner.
A friendly competition?
For a series that focuses on horseracing, it has some interesting twists. First, the winner and the second and third runner-ups celebrate their victories with a concert!
So they have to focus on speed, stamina, and strength, and they have to know how to dance and sing. Their shoes look normal on top but have a metal bottom, just like a horseshoe.
And all the girls look distinct, despite many not getting much screen time. With so many characters, it’s hard to remember their names unless we see them every episode.
But if you like Hetalia and Kan Colle, you’ll like Uma Musume Pretty Derby. And if you’re a gamer, Cygames created the mobile app, the anime, and the manga they are based upon!
There are also typical school shenanigans and plenty of ways to enjoy the franchise. Unfortunately, although it’s a cute series, Uma Musume Pretty Derby doesn’t inspire me to go horseback riding.
The girls look like they are doing track and field and wearing cosplay. There’s nothing wrong with it, but if the description and various drops in the anime say Horse Girl.
I would’ve assumed this is another idol anime with sports added.