Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of a New Era
Anime about anthropomorphic horse girls racing in Triple Crown competitions
The brief
This anime film about horse girls competing in racing feels like a premium sports movie that happens to star adorable anthropomorphic characters, complete with genuine tension during the Triple Crown races and surprisingly solid character development. Director Ken Yamamoto keeps the pacing tight and the stakes real, never letting the cute factor undermine the athletic drama or Jungle Pocket's genuine struggle against seemingly superior rivals. The voice cast, led by Yuri Fujimoto, brings warmth and determination to characters that could have easily been one-note mascots. Perfect for anime fans who want their sports stories served with heart, or anyone curious about Japan's oddly sincere take on equestrian competition with a fantasy twist.
The verdict
If you're open to anime's quirkier premises and enjoy genuinely engaging sports dramas, this delivers surprising emotional weight and athletic tension despite its anthropomorphic horse girl concept. If you can't get past the inherent absurdity of cute anime characters racing or have zero tolerance for Japanese pop culture weirdness, you'll likely bounce off this hard regardless of its storytelling quality.
Watch with
- 👥 Perfect for anime fans and sports movie lovers
- 👨👩👧👦 Great family viewing with older kids
- ⚠️ May confuse viewers unfamiliar with anime
Heads up
- Intense competitive sports scenes (moderate)
- Emotional moments around failure and rivalry (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Ken Yamamoto
- Cast
- Yuri Fujimoto, Sumire Uesaka, Yui Ogura, Haruna Fukushima, Sora Tokui, Eriko Matsui, Kanna Nakamura
Official synopsis
Jungle Pocket, an Umamusume who has been racing tirelessly in pursuit of becoming the greatest, is ready to
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Speed Racer (2008)
Both feature high-stakes racing competition with colorful, energetic visual storytelling.
Total runtime: 1h 48m + 2h 15m = 4h 3m
