Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of a New Era

The Beginning of a New Era looks undeniably impressive: strong lighting, expressive character work, and race sequences carry real visual energy. Yet that’s where most of the praise ends. The core issue is the hollow narrative. The protagonist, as generic as it gets, leaps from seeing a single race to already being elite with almost no development. The drive behind her rise is a vague desire to be “the strongest.” It makes her genuinely irritating to sit through; she repeats her goal so often that it feels like she says it more in one film than Luffy declares he’ll be Pirate King or Naruto sayshe’ll become Hokage across hundreds of episodes. At one point, I felt that if I had to hear that annoying girl shout she wants to be the “strongest” one more time, I might go insane. Skipping any meaningful journey or relationship with the sport, the film replaces depth with repetitive shounen rhetoric and rivalries that lack emotional or thematic weight. Even attempts at deeper ideas, like injury, sacrifice, or Tachyon’s detached, experimental approach to racing, are brushed aside in favour of louder, simpler messaging. There are flashes of something better. Neatly directed moments, like Tachyon’s final race and the emotional undertow of her arc, hint at a more compelling story, and the subplot about injured racers adds a layer the film never fully explores. But these highlights are surrounded by underdeveloped characters, like Manhattan Cafe, which feels almost like an afterthought, and a sport that emphasises shouting and sudden bursts of speed over real strategy or tension. By the time it circles back to its central message, it falls straight back into generic territory, undercutting its stronger moments. Beyond its production quality, it ultimately feels shallow and unfocused, a visually polished film with very little substance beneath, led by a frankly insufferable protagonist who embodies the most generic shounen tropes rather than anything grounded in a compelling sports narrative.

After watching this movie i just have to say how insanely banger it was. i don’t know how a studio manages to keep such a high level of quality for so long, and still improve year after year. Uma Musume: Pretty Derby for me is something i simply can’t let go of anymore, and just like all the others, this one stayed banger from start to finish, just like its predecessors and probably like the ones that will come after it too. what an incredible movie. what amazing races. what an unsettling amount of depth. and what an urge it gives me to just go outsideand run. this film solidified how good i really think Uma Musume: Pretty Derby (everything about it) actually is, and that’s something i never imagined i’d end up saying. i always had some hesitation before watching it, but now i just feel like all the time i spent away from it was a huge waste. in the end, who doesn’t want to win.

The epitome of sports anime. Since Umamusume's anime debut in 2018, the series has undergone a very noticeable evolution. Initially, what was an easygoing CGDCT with horse girls inspired by IRL racehorses shifted to stories that focused on building drama through more serious narratives and greater emphasis on the sports aspect. This entry is a culmination of how ambitious the telling of these stories gets. Plot: Cypictures creates a simple yet very entertaining story. Our protagonist horse girl wants to become the strongest, and despite feeling the impact of setbacks, she keeps pushing forward to make her ambition come true. Characters: Some characters mightbe pointed out as the weakest link in this movie - some criticism is warranted given a lack of greater development throughout the movie given their position. This could probably have been remedied by a longer runtime, which also affected other aspects, but I'll put that for later. Despite this problem, they are all fine. Pokke, especially, is very fun. Writers struck an excellent balance between her energetic and competitive personality - without overstepping into exaggerations and cringe -, with a more centered behavior of a normal person that feels appropriate. The depiction of the effects of Pokke's "setbacks" on her performance during the movie feels very real and has subtlety to it. Pacing: The last act of the movie felt constrained by the runtime. This rush had some effect on the delivery of the climax, which could have been more impactful if given the proper extra time. Visuals/Sound/Direction: This last point is what makes this movie shine. The animation is outstanding, nothing short of. This movie delivers one of the best productions recorded in modern anime. The ambitious direction heightens the weight of scenes through a myriad of employed elements: dynamic angles and pan shots, overaccentuated facial expressions, unorthodox soundtracks, visual imagery, and sound effects come together to create an experience that is absolutely unique. Due to the simplicity of the story, some problems with the characters, and a little bit of trouble structuring the final stretch, I don't feel like a 10/10 is quite appropriate for this movie. 9/10