 Synopsis This is a tale of a world where "horse girls" with glorious names and incredible running abilities live alongside humanity. As in previous series Road to the Top will be loosely based on real life horse races with this season following the events of the 1999 Japanese Classic Triple Crown races the Satsukisho, Nippon Derby, and Kikkasho. Focusing on T.M. Opera O, Admire Vega, and Narita Top Road with appearances from other Uma Musume aiming to win the Classic competitions.Road to the Top is a 4-episode lead-in to Season 3 of the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby series streaming on the franchise's Paka Tube! channel on Youtube. Other Information: Type: ONA Episodes: 4 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Apr 16, 2023 to May 7, 2023 Producers: None found Licensors: None found Studios: CygamesPictures Source: Game Genre: Sports Theme: Anthropomorphic Duration: 24 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older |
DomvinaMay 7, 2023 5:46 AM
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| Episode 1 is now available with subtitles. https://youtu.be/pjPXzJedwiA A great start to the new series with cameos by several characters from previous seasons. I love how the writers upended expectations. (Though I suppose if you know the history it probably wasn't a surprise.) Gotta say the OP hits harder than it should for a show about horse girls.  https://youtu.be/km0-E99w8f0 |
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| Episode 2 is now available. https://youtu.be/0jev2Uv37F8 Focusing on Admire Vega (Ayabe) and her motivations the episode builds to the rivalry between the three at the Nippon Derby. A lot of emotions packed into the episode. The writers always do such an amazing job in these series conveying the joys and frustrations of being an athlete. Since the series is only four episodes I suspect the next will not feature a race, but instead be about the aftermath of the Derby. A lot for the girls to unpack before the finale. Edit: Reading a bit of the real Admire Vega's history casts a darker cloud on Ayabe's half of the episode than I expected. |
DomvinaApr 23, 2023 10:27 AM
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| Oh no, not again. |
| So is this just the first 4 episodes of Season 3 streaming early on Youtube, or are these separate episodes? Trying to figure out how to word this in the discussion Index thread |
HOOfan_1 said: So is this just the first 4 episodes of Season 3 streaming early on Youtube, or are these separate episodes? Trying to figure out how to word this in the discussion Index thread It's a stand alone story being released as an ONA and isn't part of the upcoming Season 3 later this year. I suppose it could be thought of as Season 2.5? Though I don't know if that's how it's being officially designated. |
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Domvina said: HOOfan_1 said: So is this just the first 4 episodes of Season 3 streaming early on Youtube, or are these separate episodes? Trying to figure out how to word this in the discussion Index thread It's a stand alone story being released as an ONA and isn't part of the upcoming Season 3 later this year. I suppose it could be thought of as Season 2.5? Though I don't know if that's how it's being officially designated. I can't find a page for it on MAL |
HOOfan_1 said: Domvina said: It's a stand alone story being released as an ONA and isn't part of the upcoming Season 3 later this year. I suppose it could be thought of as Season 2.5? Though I don't know if that's how it's being officially designated. I can't find a page for it on MAL https://myanimelist.net/anime/51761/Uma_Musume__Pretty_Derby_-_Road_to_the_Top |
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| Episode 3 is now available. https://youtu.be/A42wNP1DJho The requisite beach episode though with this being a sports anime it's all about training. The primary focus is on Top Road and her preparations for the final race of the series though some time is spent on Ayabe and her issues. TM Opera's brief appearance shows that despite her self-aggrandizing she's keenly aware of the moods of those around her—particularly her rivals. The finale is next week. Looking forward to seeing how the race is dramatized. CyGames does an incredible job amping the emotions. Of note, the younger versions of Rice Shower and Haru Urara seem to set this as prior to the events of Season 1. |
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| The final episode is now available. https://youtu.be/RIDl7x_gFGE I don't speak or read Japanese, but it was still a blast getting to watch the episodes as they premiered live and see the chat fly by. I'd mentioned earlier an expectation the race would be a spectacle as the final in the series. It was exciting, but I feel the events before and after the race were the more emotional moments. I was pleasantly surprised the after-race concert was hand drawn rather than CG which fits with the overall quality of the ONA. Honestly, other than one bad CG part, the production was top-tier and the voice actors all brought their A-games. If you're a fan of the franchise this is a must see and even if you aren't it's a well-told story with lots of enjoyable characters that doesn't waste any time with its four-episode limit. |
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| I wanted to add that I'm really impressed the series was willing to tackle survivor's guilt and depression. They didn't have to, but they took on the challenge and handled it deftly making the most of the four-episode run to provide a structured story for Ayabe that progressed naturally. As always this franchise tries to punch above its premise and almost always succeeds. |
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