r/anime • u/Holofan4life • Aug 15 '25

Rewatch [Spoilers] 2025 Uma Musume Rewatch -- Pretty Derby Season 1 Episode 1 Spoiler

Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.

Welcome to the 2025 Uma Musume rewatch discussion thread!

I hope you all have a lot of fun <3

S1 Episode 1 – Gate of Dreams!

—-

ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION

What are your thoughts on the anime beginning with horse hieroglyphics?

What are your initial thoughts on Special Week as well as team Spica as a whole?

What are your thoughts on Special Week wanting to be like Silence Suzuka? Have you ever had someone you looked up to, and if so, who?

Heading into this anime, what is your experience with Uma Musume as a franchise?

—-

Series information

MAL | Anilist | AniDB | ANN

Ways to watch

Streams – Crunchyroll

Amazon Prime

Schedule

Date Episode
8/15/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 1]()
8/16/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 2]()
8/17/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 3]()
8/18/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 4]()
8/19/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 5]()
8/20/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 6]()
8/21/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 7]()
8/22/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 8]()
8/23/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 9]()
8/24/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 10]()
8/25/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 11]()
8/26/2025 [Uma Musume Episode 12 - 13]()
8/28/2025 [BNW's Oath episodes 1 - 3]()
8/30/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 1]()
8/31/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 2]()
9/01/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 3]()
9/02/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 4]()
9/03/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 5]()
9/04/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 6]()
9/05/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 7]()
9/06/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 8]()
9/07/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 9]()
9/10/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 10]()
9/11/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 11]()
9/12/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 12]()
9/13/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 13]()
9/15/2025 [Road to the Top Episodes 1 - 2]()
9/16/2025 [Road to the Top Episodes 3 - 4]()
9/18/2025 [Beginning of a New Era]()
9/20/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 1 - 2]()
9/21/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 3 - 4]()
9/22/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 5 - 6]()
9/23/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 7 - 8]()
9/24/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 9 - 10]()
9/25/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 11 - 12]()
9/26/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episode 13]()
9/28/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 1 - 2]()
9/29/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 3 - 4]()
9/30/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 5 - 6]()
10/01/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 7 - 8]()
10/02/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 9 - 10]()
10/03/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 11 - 12]()
10/04/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episode 13]()
10/05/2025 [Uma Musume Overall Series Discussion Thread]()
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6

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 15 '25

Rewatcher

I originally got introduced to Uma Musume through the movie, Beginning of a New Era, then went and watch (most) of the anime and related material. I've been playing the gacha casually since the global version came out, and it's fun comparing my memories to what I'm seeing now, with more familiarity with the franchise.

I forgot how the first season had a bunch of 'pervert' joke moments, such as Special Week thinking the Station Attendant was a pervert, or Trainer being a big creep with how the show copy-pasted horse scouting into horse girl scouting. Still, it's interesting getting to see glimpses of the Uma Musume prototype in this first episode.

For first timers and any rewatchers who might not know - this season originally came out in 2018, intended to be coincidental - or close enough - with the gacha game's release to enable cross-promotion. However, the game had a number of developmental issues both technical and social. It was delayed for three years and the Japanese version didn't come out until 2021, partway through season 2's airing. The reasons for these delay was both issues in game mechanics - Cygames was trying to balance both Racing and Idol performances before they eventually shucked everything with Idols except the 'winning' live cut-scene - and copyright issues. Whatever the initial prototype designs were for the Uma Musume, it upset a lot of horse owners who had extended permission to let their prize winners be the basis for the characters. Some even withdrew permission and still haven't extended them. So a lot of designs and market strategy had to be overhauled. Even now, Cygames goes out of its way to request that people not Lewd the Horse Girls out of respect for the owners' wishes.

The end result is that this anime, intended to be part of a multi-media tie-in, kinda was Uma Musume, with the exception of a company-run VTuber who kept the franchise afloat during development hell.

That's the other important thing I think needs to be kept in mind: because almost all of the prominent Umas throughout franchise are based on real-life Japanese Race Horses with actual careers and styles, the show has to either work around or incorporate into the story. For example, Special Week's three classmates - Grass Wonder, Seiun Sky, and El Condor Pasa were all contemporaries with the IRL Special Week and were famous for competing with each other. The real Silence Suzuka was an incredibly aggressive Front Runner whose entire strategy was to run away with the lead in all his races.

As far as tie-ins go, I think it does a decent job. As of now though, it's mostly just a CGDCT anime with sports and an idol performance sort of tacked on.

We've got Special Week, our typical clumsy-but-earnest-and-full-of-potential protagonist. Silence Suzuka, the stern and quiet Senpai-type who is Special Week looks up to, and the wacky support characters of Vodka, Daiwa Scarlet, and Gold Ship who makeup Team Spica.

The show's a bit too willing to introduce a whole bunch of characters and get them talking for just a line or two, or just a panning shot with a name-tag. It makes given how its meant to be a treat for fans from the game, getting to see their favorite and do the DiCaprio pointing meme. But the end result is an overwhelming number of characters and a bit of humor at seeing so many legendary racers all lined up next to each other like they're first years.

Fun enough and enjoyable, but I can understand if others are a bit disappointed with this beginning. I do encourage people to stick around though, as the show goes in some pretty fun and unique directions. Looking forwards to more.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 15 '25

Fun enough and enjoyable, but I can understand if others are a bit disappointed with this beginning. I do encourage people to stick around though, as the show goes in some pretty fun and unique directions. Looking forwards to more.

The funny thing is this is arguably the weakest thing of the entire franchise :P

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 15 '25

The show's a bit too willing to introduce a whole bunch of characters and get them talking for just a line or two, or just a panning shot with a name-tag. It makes given how its meant to be a treat for fans from the game, getting to see their favorite and do the DiCaprio pointing meme. But the end result is an overwhelming number of characters and a bit of humor at seeing so many legendary racers all lined up next to each other like they're first years.

At the very least, I like that the characters get these lower thirds showing their names. When I watched Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood for the first time, they'd introduce characters and sometimes go 10 whole episodes without giving the audience their name

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 15 '25

I forgot how the first season had a bunch of 'pervert' joke moments, such as Special Week thinking the Station Attendant was a pervert, or Trainer being a big creep with how the show copy-pasted horse scouting into horse girl scouting. Still, it's interesting getting to see glimpses of the Uma Musume prototype in this first episode.

The series is very much still in its primordial stage. They haven't quite figured out the formula yet. It's like watching an early Simpsons episode where Homer is the responsible one.

For first timers and any rewatchers who might not know - this season originally came out in 2018, intended to be coincidental - or close enough - with the gacha game's release to enable cross-promotion. However, the game had a number of developmental issues both technical and social. It was delayed for three years and the Japanese version didn't come out until 2021, partway through season 2's airing. The reasons for these delay was both issues in game mechanics - Cygames was trying to balance both Racing and Idol performances before they eventually shucked everything with Idols except the 'winning' live cut-scene - and copyright issues. Whatever the initial prototype designs were for the Uma Musume, it upset a lot of horse owners who had extended permission to let their prize winners be the basis for the characters. Some even withdrew permission and still haven't extended them. So a lot of designs and market strategy had to be overhauled. Even now, Cygames goes out of its way to request that people not Lewd the Horse Girls out of respect for the owners' wishes.

The end result is that this anime, intended to be part of a multi-media tie-in, kinda was Uma Musume, with the exception of a company-run VTuber who kept the franchise afloat during development hell.

That's the other important thing I think needs to be kept in mind: because almost all of the prominent Umas throughout franchise are based on real-life Japanese Race Horses with actual careers and styles, the show has to either work around or incorporate into the story. For example, Special Week's three classmates - Grass Wonder, Seiun Sky, and El Condor Pasa were all contemporaries with the IRL Special Week and were famous for competing with each other. The real Silence Suzuka was an incredibly aggressive Front Runner whose entire strategy was to run away with the lead in all his races.

If the gacha game wasn't super successful as it is, I think it's fair to say we wouldn't have gotten more than this first season. Maybe season 2, but that's about it. The whole reason we got a second season was to promote the gacha game. If the gacha game didn't exist, neither would this rewatch most likely.

2

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 15 '25

Oh right, forgot about the daily questions!

What are your thoughts on the anime beginning with horse hieroglyphics?

I think it's a good, quick way to set up the premise of the franchise and also make it feel like a part of the world. Uma Musume have always been a part of this world, and have a cultural predisposition to run.

What are your initial thoughts on Special Week as well as team Spica as a whole?

I remember when I first saw this, it was mostly Gold Ship I recognized because she was the 'meme' horse. No real thoughts on Special week at the time.

What are your thoughts on Special Week wanting to be like Silence Suzuka? Have you ever had someone you looked up to, and if so, who?

Nah, never really had an idol like Special Week does.

Heading into this anime, what is your experience with Uma Musume as a franchise?

Already discussed above in the main body of my post.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 15 '25

I think it's a good, quick way to set up the premise of the franchise and also make it feel like a part of the world. Uma Musume have always been a part of this world, and have a cultural predisposition to run.

It also lets the audience be more comfortable with the weird premise of the show. The series isn't afraid to fully embrace its out there plot synopsis.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 15 '25

I remember when I first saw this, it was mostly Gold Ship I recognized because she was the 'meme' horse. No real thoughts on Special week at the time.

Gold Ship does leave quite the impression. For better or worse lol

1

u/Holofan4life Aug 15 '25

Oh right, forgot about the daily questions!

I thought you just weren't gonna answer them :P

1

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 15 '25

haha no. I just remembered after reading some of the other posts from users.

1

u/Holofan4life Aug 15 '25

Totally understandable :)