Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - Shin Jidai no Tobira

TL;DR 9/10
<No Spoilers here dw>

So a quick summary of how I'm going to allot points out of 10.
2/2 = Entertaining and Artistic
2/2 = Recommended to everyone, easy to pick up
2/2 = Perfect Narrative Consistency
1/2 = Atleast 1 Emotional Peak moment, but less than 3
2/2 = Caters to my 3 biases of:
1) Has Historical Inspiration
... 2) Interesting and Consistent Power System with its exploration
3) Idealogue and Deep Themes

Rubric 1 - Entertaining and Artistic:
Uma Musume is a fun sports anime about running. It is incredibly well made, and fun to watch regardless of interest. Good use of music, animation, writing, direction and effects all make it fun and hype to watch. It is also Artistically sound given its own take on exploring Themes of "Fear of never winning" and "Not being able to compare to your Rival" as well as the genuine sincere love of doing something not because of someone else or some grand idea, but a genuine instinctual draw of wanting it yourself. Full points here

Rubric 2 - Recommended to Everyone:
Even if you have never watched Uma Musume before, you can easily pick this up and enjoy it. However, if you have watched any of the other series then you will be rewarded with cameos and seeing your other favorite characters showing up, especially TM Opera O. While I am a Narita Top Road Fan, TM Opera O is also one of my favorites and seeing them both here made me really happy too! That said, you are not required to watch or know anything before. Going in blind is fine and this is actually a good intro to the series as well. Full points.

Rubric 3 - Perfect Narrative Consistency:
I define Narrative Consistency as the ability to be able to ask "What, Why, When, Where, How" at any point in the story and are able to get a clear and sensible explanation as well. The story is expertly written and incredibly sound, so you will never feel confused or out of place at any point.
I have a rant at the end that complains about the 2 other 'main' characters in Manhattan Cafe and Danatsu not getting enough love and development despite being hailed as 'Those who shaped the new Era'. But its a movie, and for the time length given I can accept focusing on Jungle Pocket and Tachyon being the main draw. Full points here too

Rubric 4 - Emotion Peak Moments (lost a point here):
I define Emotional Peak moments in 2 ways. Firstly it must arouse a deep emotional response, either as incredible joy, incredible hate even, Sadness and even cerebral thought provoking. Secondly, it must stick with you long after the credits roll.
A good example is the United States of Smash from My Hero Academia or 'CHOOSE ME BEATRICE' from Re Zero Or Literally anything from Steins;Gate lmao (Operation Arclight being one example).

Grabbing atleast 3 of these shows that its not just a fluke but a consistently good piece that can get a rise out of you that you will remember, as that is what compelling would entail.
While Uma Musume definitely made an impression at the end, undoubtedly. I can at most justify one more moment aside from that, hence falling short of 3. So it did it twice, which you can argue is amazing. But most anime achieve one peak moment anyway, its part of the formula to have a Climax. Doing it twice is special but could be a fluke. Thrice or more? Peak fiction like FMAB, Steins;Gate and Haikyuu can go upto even 5 emotional peak moments or even more.
Hence, since this had 1 or maybe 2, it doesnt get the 2nd point. Meaning, I believe It could have done better perhaps or rather it didn't go that far enough.
I concede it is subjective, but again this is how I feel about it.

Rubric 5 - Caters to my Biases
As mentioned I have 3 biases to cater to. You can safely assume an anime rated 8/10 is essentially a 10/10 since this really is completely subjective to my taste. You can have an absolutely perfect comedy series without anything deep or any history or any power systems, but it won't be getting these 2 points since I personally feel.
1) History:
Uma Musume, is literally (kinda spoiler? just dont look it up) inspired by real world races by the horses of the same name. Its really the same horses being depicted as Horsegirls but delivering the narrative of Japanese Horses throughout their career. Hence it gets the point for Historical Inspiration
2) Power System:
Power system can be magic or science or anything that works as a tool to resolve the plot. In this case it would be mechanics and knowledge pertaining to racing and athletics. There is minimal focus here, with a comment at the start about how Jungle Pocket is a natural closer. Plus you notice how Horses dont just race and scream but have tactics and strategies going into their race. Its minimal but present in this, the mainline series or Uma Musume to the Top do this much more actively. But since its a movie, I figure I could give it a pass on not fixating too much on mechanics.
3) Idealogue:
Utterly beautiful writing. There are a multitude of themes explored here and done well. But the one that stood out to me the most was the Idea of being "Strong"
I credit Gintama for doing it the best, I define strength as "the ability to overcome your limits" as in when you hit a wall on your capabilities, you essentially need to overcome your current limits to become stronger to beat your antagonist. Uma Musume executed this perfectly, along with many other themes, and in a way that was the best I feel: Your greatest enemy is yourself. Overcoming yourself by literally fighting and beating your own insecurities, your own pesimism, your own mental block is by far the best way to showcase Willpower. Strength in physical terms is one thing, but mental strength is better measured in Willpower. Full points here, it did it perfectly.

Hence thats a 9/10
You can stop reading here, but if you want to read the ramblings of a madman in an unorganized fashion, feel free to continue reading ahead. Thank you

Complaint 1 = Very little focus on Power System focus

To the Top focused on it extremey well
pointing out Top Road's strengths, and how she worked around it
It also focused on Ayabe's strengths
TM Opera O is just busted in all stats so her going for a Closing finish is good

This one did have the detail on Jungle Pocket being a Natural Closer and Tachyon being a research nut intent on breaking limits
But for everyone else there was little focus on 'How'
I get due to time limitations it focused on 'Why' instead.
But its my pet peeve since now it isnt catering to all my biases fully compared to say To The Top which infact did so


Complaint 2 =
Idk
But this really only had 1 or maximum 2 Emotional Peaks for me.

Needs 3 emotional peak moments for me to give the other point.
But honestly its debatable.

I cant give this a 10/10 alongside road the top
Maximum 9/10
but if im being quite strict it could be closer to 8/10


However after thinking alot on it.
I think ill give it a pass for the most part since its a Movie
and settle for a 9/10

I still think not giving Manhattan Cafe and Danatsu more development time to cook was a crime.
Even though you can argue the movie was centred on Jungle Pocket and Tachyon, but the ending clearly showed its the 4 horses who defined the era.

its like ending S2 with 2 extras behind Teio and Meijiro

but again i can give that a pass.

i guess the bigger reason is I only found 1 or maybe maximum 2 emotional peak moments here, something ill be remembering long after the credits roll.

And just like that, Umamusume has once again risen from the ashes.

I do not play the Umamusume game mainly because I find gacha games very dubious and that I can't really read Japanese. Nevertheless, I was a fan of the first and the second season of the anime series. When I heard of this movie, I was quite hesitant because while it has enjoyable moments, the third series was just a notable let-down in my opinion. I've watched cute horse girls run the shit around loops of grass and soil for dozens of episodes already, I've seen them lose, win, cry, sing, dance, eat piles ... of carrots, and run around loops of lumpy terrain some more. Surely it would have ran out of steam now, right?

Apparently not.

This movie is basically a short season of Umamusume, which manages its time well to avoid repeating the training montages which were already plentiful in the series. Compared to the rather down-to-earth protagonists, our main character is the cocky and downright feisty Jungle Pocket who actually give some new flavor to the staling portions of the series. The story kicks up fast... almost breakneck in its initial minutes. Jungle Pocket is no different from any shonen protagonist and while her motivation aint really that compelling, she is much better a protagonist than Kitasan Black. There are scenes involving some characters from past seasons and was always a delight to see them again even when they were just for a few seconds of cameo. HOWEVER, what stood out here in the movie were the rivals.

I've loved Gold Ship and always elevates any episode with her in it but goddamn is Agnes Tachyon a bombshell of a character. Her introduction, her personality, her voice, and her motivation was interesting. It would've been enough but the movie had the gall to give her the coolest running sequence in the series. I shit you not, her running animation and specially the sound design was spectacular. She is the best rival figure ever introduced in the whole series and that was not to mention that she is the only horse girl with a default yandere face. Also there is another rival, Manhattan Cafe who is a downright adorable goth with a mysterious affliction and mental condition. Oh and Dantsu Flame... is there. Ok so 2/3 of rivals are actually good but Agnes was just the absolute scene stealer.

The best thing in the movie was the sound and art. It just oozes style during its gorgeously animated running scenes specially with the aforementioned Agnes Tachyon scenes. I thought S3's sequences were already peak but apparently it just got ran over with this. Characterization was alright for most supporting characters. The resolution was just alright as well though I suppose this was again based on the real careers of the horses the series based them off. I doubt Umamusume as a whole will top the climax of season 2 but this was a good attempt. In the end, Jungle Pocket was worthy of rooting for, ended with a great dance number, and most of all, I was blessed with a lot of yandere glances in the Umamusume universe. I thought it would never happen

However, the movie has janks I just cant ignore. The slapstick humor around Jungle Pocket just...did not work. Her VA voice acting just sometimes does not match the needed energy for certain scenes. Likewise Dantsu Flame was forgettable and barely has presence despite her screentime. I needed to google her name just for me to remind she was part of the movie. It still uses the same athletic anime formula with some tweaks here and there. I still watched girls with horse ears and tails running in goddamn high heels going mach 4 around an arena of grass and soil. Only this time, with prettier graphics, greater sound design, and a new girl with a stare that sees through my soul. Hell, Agnes was enough to see this movie.

Watch this with the best audio setup available. The running scenes here are equal or better than most shonen fight sequences. Action-packed, mostly strong characterization, a differently-built protagonist, and Agnes Tachyon.

Just as some people adore watching race in an oval for ungodly amount of laps, I will continue to keep watching horse girls run some more dirt tracks. More Umamusume please. And more Agnes.

9/10

Overall Recommendation (Spoiler Free):

This movie can be watched with no prior knowledge of the series and is independent of previous installments. I believe it deserves a spot amongst the top anime movies, and would recommend it to anyone intrigued by the premise or who is otherwise a fan of the sports genre.



Review (Spoilers Ahead):

Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoy reading my review.

The depiction of three hard-edged characters with often grave and sometimes almost sinister expressions is a significant departure from the past installments, which feature sweeter, gentler personalities. This change from an established trend whilst holding to overarching themes is a constant ... of the series and - I believe - one of the reasons it has managed to hold its momentum through so many installments with largely similar premises. This movie marks the biggest such change, so much so that in the first few minutes I found myself wondering “Is this the Umamusume we know?”, yet that change has been pulled off brilliantly. In particular, Tachyon’s permanent ‘V’-shaped smile and disturbing gaze made her instantly unforgettable. A few frames of abstraction were used strategically throughout the first half, such as the hungry grin of Pocket in the classroom as she watches her target draw on the window. The frames wherein the characters literally dissolve in shock were very Bocchi-esque and really sold their expressions.

During Tachyon’s change of heart as she goes to leave the stands at the Derby, the use of a geiger-counter-like sound as a build up to Pocket’s victory roar is genius. It ties into Tachyon’s mad scientist themes and has such a powerful impact through the use of sound which the viewer will deeply associate with a great threat: radiation. The accompanying discordant sonar/siren-like sounds in this particular scene were also perfectly chosen and placed as a cue to the viewer that Tachyon’s thoughts and spirit are in great turmoil. The use of sound design to contradict her outward monologue as she climbs the stairs is masterful.

These powerful distinct sound elements stand in stark contrast with the general tone of very little background sound and music, particularly during many of the races, which is another departure from past installments in the series. This blank canvas approach allows the race commentator’s passion and the thundering of hooves to take centre stage and heighten the drama.

It is also a bold move that relies on the visual and narrative elements of the movie to hold the viewer’s attention but therefore allows creative advantages not normally available to a production constantly backed by an OST. During the trip to the beach which comes as a narrative wind-down from the climactic Derby, the chirping of the cicadas paint as much of a vivid picture of sparkling summer as any music could, and the strains and grunts of Pocket on the leg press at the gym are left unaccompanied to describe her effort, giving a more resonant sense of the work she is putting into her training.

The general absence of music allows its use to stand out more prominently, such as when the slow piano piece really sets the atmosphere during Fuji and Pocket’s chat at the festival. The transition from a set of traditionally directed and produced scenes to Pocket’s waking nightmare on the bus is a masterstroke. Realist elements such as the brief close-up on the speeding bus wheels, the single frame of the seatbelt cueing a sensation of being trapped, and Pocket’s increasingly restless legs are merged with visions of an endless chase across a vast grass flat and an unreal Tachyon grin crossing the spectre of Fuji’s face. This all serves to bring the viewer into the episode alongside Pocket herself.

These portions of moody brilliance are contrasted by moments of levity throughout the movie which are well placed and serve to accentuate the grand tone, resulting in Umamusume’s signature balance of serious high stakes and feel-good light-heartedness.

At times in the past the series has suffered a little from excessive use of the anime trope of ‘power-up shouting’. While there are moments of the classic Umamusume race climax internal monologues with building shouts: the movie also chooses to tell more with its visual and audible effects, as some of the races end with the main characters charging for the finish so intensely that not a word is spoken but for the commentator’s frantic calls.

The best example is the Yayoi Shou where Tachyon’s final push speaks entirely for itself as literal mathematical formulae begin to fall from her. As she picks up speed she begins to embody the storm which had overcast the racetrack and the viewer knows in an instant that there is a link to Cafe’s elusive “imaginary friend”.

Going back to Pocket’s win at the Derby, there is a long drawn out shot of Fuji Kiseki and Trainer Tanabe talking to one another with their eyes, a conversation that is clearly about Pocket but which the viewer is left out of, masterfully building tension for her roar and Tachyon’s realisation.

As usual with Umamusume there is very little if any fanservice or other unpleasant additions so-often included in the name of increasing popularity and sales with degenerates. The movie is unapologetically straightforward in its purpose of telling a story of rivalry, all the nuance that entails, and - crucially - nothing else.

Every scene advances the plot or develops the narrative without any filler; all the fat has been trimmed from the storyboard to the final cut in a way that is a hallmark of a great film. This is an example of how an anime movie really can reach heights of direction on par with a Tarantino, in its own way. I also believe the series as a whole demonstrates anime’s unique ability to take a bizarre premise - one that might even be called shallow at face value, particularly because it originated from a monetised mobile game - and develop it into novel, engaging stories that deserve as much appreciation as more conventional concepts.

The only two things I could say that don’t constitute total praise were that I was expecting a more conclusive ending and that I felt the idol concert was an unnecessary addition between the epic climax and the credits roll. After watching I went online and learned that Tachyon never returned to racing. Given that the series likes to stay true to history, I therefore feel it is unfair of me to criticise the movie for not including the more conclusive finale I was expecting. Working within the constraints of the truth that they set for themselves, I actually believe the climax couldn’t have been much better. It is remarkable that so much story was packed into a runtime of only 107 minutes. I also cannot criticise the movie for its idol concert ending, as this is an established element of the Umamusume franchise and it is only a matter of taste that I personally would've felt more satisfied with an immediate cut to credits. That being said, the scene did not actively detract from the movie and was well produced.

One could go on ad nauseam with ways in which the movie excelled across various aspects: the whole world turning an oppressive red for several minutes throughout the reveal of Tachyon’s retirement, perfectly villainizing her; the breathtaking use of silhouettes and the neon-bright vending machine by a lonely torii gate; the illustrators’ craft taking a mechanism as simple, tried, and true as heavy rainfall during Cafe’s big moment, and raising it to a work of art. But in the name of brevity, I will conclude my review here.

I suspect this movie will earn and retain an even higher spot on MAL’s Top Anime List once more people see it. This movie is undoubtedly a technical masterpiece.