Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - Shin Jidai no Tobira Episode 1 Discussion

Cygames' biggest hit, Uma Musume, is back just seven months after season three, this time with Cygames themselves ACCTUALLY handling the animation, in the form of a movie featuring an all new never before see Uma Musume, Jungle Pocket.

Damn, let me tell you, this is easily the best Uma Musume has ever looked. Road to the Top is impressive, no doubt, and it’s all thanks to one reason: Cygames themselves actually animated it. And wow, did they go all out. The key animation list for this movie is just mind-blowing in its size and quality. Cygames really assembled the Avengers of their department for this movie, and it shows. Seeing Saucelot work on a project like this is something I never thought I’d see, but here we are.

To me, the anime always looked decent. The first season was pretty, but seasons two and three felt like downgrades. This movie, though, is in a league of its own. It’s not even funny how much better it looks. You can clearly see that the gacha game money is boosting the budget for this movie, and I’m not complaining. Thanks to them, we get to see this beautiful masterpiece.

This being a new project for Uma Musume, there's a completely different cast, unlike any other with hardly any recurring characters. Even the beloved trainer we're used to is different this time. The spotlight is on the new character, Jungle Pocket, (or Pokke as they call her) and I have to admit, she's probably my favorite among all the main characters from Uma Musume so far. I love Special Week; she's my all-time favorite, but Pokke is really growing on me. The entire cast was a blast to watch imo. It's refreshing to have a completely new cast without any sprinkling of old characters. It's like a beginning of a new era you could say lol.

And let me tell you, the races in this movie are the most intense they've been so far... holy shit. I won't spoil too much, but just know that the final race is not only the most beautifully animated and directed race, but also the most hype and intense. The artwork, the BGM, the animation, everything about it was just perfection. I absolutely loved it.

Even as someone who isn't a big fan of Uma Musume, it saddens me to think this might not get licensed in the West. But if it does, please watch it. You don't even need to have seen the anime to enjoy this. It's easily one of the best anime movies I've watched, and I highly recommend it.

Any idea when we'll get this with subs?