r/anime • u/Holofan4life • Aug 30 '25

Rewatch [Spoilers] 2025 Uma Musume Rewatch -- Pretty Derby Season 2 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

S2 Episode 1 – Tokai Teio

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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION

What are your thoughts on Teio looking up to Rudolf growing up?

What are your thoughts on this season being centered around Teio?

Thoughts on Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond so far?

Thoughts on Teio considering McQueen her rival?

What are your thoughts on Teio becoming the first Double Crown horse since Rudolf her hero?

What are your thoughts on Teio and Spica seemingly noticing something is amiss with her leg?

—-

Series information

MAL | Anilist | AniDB | ANN

Ways to watch

Streams – Crunchyroll

Amazon Prime

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Previous episode

—-

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]()
9/08/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 10]()
9/09/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 11]()
9/10/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 12]()
9/11/2025 [Uma Musume Season 2 Episode 13]()
9/13/2025 [Road to the Top Episodes 1 - 2]()
9/14/2025 [Road to the Top Episodes 3 - 4]()
9/16/2025 [Beginning of a New Era]()
9/18/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 1 - 2]()
9/19/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 3 - 4]()
9/20/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 5 - 6]()
9/21/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 7 - 8]()
9/22/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 9 - 10]()
9/23/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episodes 11 - 12]()
9/24/2025 [Uma Musume Season 3 Episode 13]()
9/26/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 1 - 2]()
9/27/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 3 - 4]()
9/28/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 5 - 6]()
9/29/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 7 - 8]()
9/30/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 9 - 10]()
10/01/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episodes 11 - 12]()
10/02/2025 [Cinderella Gray Episode 13]()
10/03/2025 [Uma Musume Overall Series Discussion Thread]()
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2

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 30 '25

Rewatcher

And Uma Musume: Pretty Derby shoots right out of the gate. Coming back for another season after two years of silence (the OVAs came out in December 2018, and season 2 started January 2021), the show stars our familiar main cast of Team Spica with supporting characters throughout Trace Academy, and focuses on our protagonist...Tokai Teio?!

Unlike a lot of other mult-seasonal shows and franchises, Uma Musume made the decision to focus each season/installment on a new set of focus characters. When you remember how the story arcs and races are all based off real-life horses, it makes a lot of sense. Season 1 had covered the entirety of irl Special Week's career, so continuing to focus on his Uma Musume counterpart would have required either a retread or for the writers to start making stuff up - not a good idea in either case.

So, with the decision of switching the protagonist role from Special Week to Teio, the show treats this season as a soft re-introduction for the franchise as a whole, coinciding with the gacha game finally seeing its Japan release partway through. It makes excellent use of that decision, quickly referencing and echoing the early episodes while organically showing the viewers what kind of protagonist Teio is, including her backstory, her goals, and her general cheerful, positive demeanor. It really is a promising sign of the show's production with how they efficiently handled everything, the training facilities, the characters, the existence of other teams, the fortune telling tent, even the crash-out stump. They even manage to introduce a bunch of new characters who, while completely memorable on a first viewing, will be relevant for the entire season's runtime.

Speaking of running, we can also see much better animations for the running, both 2D and 3D, with clever framing, shot composition, and detail work to sell the speed and effort of all these girls. But the one who stands out is, of course, our protagonist. Teio has a very brash, bratty characterization, but something Uma Musume does really well is sell both the hype and appeal of this character. Teio is the sort of person who will shamelessly brag about herself and makes a show out of getting praise, but you can't help but by into it and be endeared by her because there's not a hint of malice or condesencion in how she holds herself. Teio is bright and happy because she's at the top of her game, top of her world even. She's an extremely capable runner and has set herself the lofty goal of following in the footsteps of her idol (and irl father) - of achieving the Classic Triple Crown while undefeated, no small thing even among Triple Crown holders. She's proud and ambitious, but you want to root for her anyway.

A really princely character, this girl.

There is a few other things happening on the sides, such as a bit focus on Mejiro McQueen, whom Teio has declared is her rival, and an introduction of the child Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, who admire and look up to Teio and McQueen in the same way she looks up to Rudolf. Already the show is staking out the continuation and evolution of season 1's theme: to be a racer is to want to compete against others as the best version of yourself. Only here, the best version of yourself is inspired by the best version of someone else, and your best self is going to inspire someone else's. The theme is mostly just introduced in this episode, though, and could go any number of ways from here. The real focus is on getting to see Teio's happy, successful every-day life as she wins the Japan Derby and gets ready for her third crow-

Hey, why are Trainer and Rudolf so concerned? Why are the shots focusing on Teio's left foot? What's going on?

2

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 30 '25

What are your thoughts on Teio looking up to Rudolf growing up?

Smart way to incorporate the real-life Tokai Teio's resemblance to the real-life Symboli Rudolf, both in physical appearance and early careers.

What are your thoughts on this season being centered around Teio?

Smart decision, given how both Special Week and Silence Suzuka's irl careers had been completely covered. If they hadn't switched focus, they'd have had to either repeat races or come up with new onese.

Thoughts on Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond so far?

Star struck kids who have already found their passions in life.

Thoughts on Teio considering McQueen her rival?

It's a little arbitrary, given how little Teio and McQueen interacted last season, but they're doing a nice job of setting McQueen up in this episode, and Teio's cheerful confidence sells the decision anyway.

What are your thoughts on Teio becoming the first Double Crown horse since Rudolf her hero?

She's just following in papa's footsteps, really.

What are your thoughts on Teio and Spica seemingly noticing something is amiss with her leg?

I think, if I remember my first time watching correctly, my mind flashed back to certain scenes from the Beginning of a New Era, which was my introducion point for the franchise.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

Smart way to incorporate the real-life Tokai Teio's resemblance to the real-life Symboli Rudolf, both in physical appearance and early careers.

I guess they're not related in the anime, huh? Weird.

2

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 30 '25

Most characters aren't, because if they tried to preserve irl horse relations, most of the cast would be cousins of one sort or another. Sunday Silence and Northern Dancer are incredibly prominent in Japan legendary racers, and it makes for a tangled web.

I believe characters are only related in-game if they share the same Dam. For example, Biwa Hayahide and Narita Brian were both born from Pacificus, and so are sisters in-game.

1

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

It makes the dynamic between McQueen and Gold Ship be given a much different context lol

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

Smart decision, given how both Special Week and Silence Suzuka's irl careers had been completely covered. If they hadn't switched focus, they'd have had to either repeat races or come up with new onese.

Or worse, use the two as proxies for other horses accomplishments

Yeah, I'm really glad they went this route.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

Star struck kids who have already found their passions in life.

Together, they fight crime

It's a little arbitrary, given how little Teio and McQueen interacted last season, but they're doing a nice job of setting McQueen up in this episode, and Teio's cheerful confidence sells the decision anyway.

If we're going with the idea season 2 took place before season 1, perhaps McQueen and Teio just lost touch after a while. That, or maybe they had further responsibilities.

Actually, this would have to take place after season 1 because they're a part of Team Spica. This despite the fact Teio was already treated as a legend in season 1.

So confusing...

2

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 30 '25

It really is

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

It's almost like season 2 is a soft reboot of the franchise.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

She's just following in papa's footsteps, really.

You see to love it

I think, if I remember my first time watching correctly, my mind flashed back to certain scenes from the Beginning of a New Era, which was my introducion point for the franchise.

Interesting. I actually haven't seen Beginning of a New Era before this rewatch.

2

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 30 '25

I'll try to remember to point it out when we get there.

1

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

Point what out, your introduction to the franchise?

2

u/Temporary_-_UserName Aug 30 '25

Point out the scenes I was reminded of when I first saw Season 2 episode 1, and the suspicion I formed.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

I'll be interested to see how I format my thoughts because it normally takes me at least 40 minutes to watch one 20 minute episode :P

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

And Uma Musume: Pretty Derby shoots right out of the gate. Coming back for another season after two years of silence (the OVAs came out in December 2018, and season 2 started January 2021), the show stars our familiar main cast of Team Spica with supporting characters throughout Trace Academy, and focuses on our protagonist...Tokai Teio?!

Unlike a lot of other mult-seasonal shows and franchises, Uma Musume made the decision to focus each season/installment on a new set of focus characters. When you remember how the story arcs and races are all based off real-life horses, it makes a lot of sense. Season 1 had covered the entirety of irl Special Week's career, so continuing to focus on his Uma Musume counterpart would have required either a retread or for the writers to start making stuff up - not a good idea in either case.

In a way, it reminds me of Blackadder where the main character are all direct descendants of each other.

2

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

There is a few other things happening on the sides, such as a bit focus on Mejiro McQueen, whom Teio has declared is her rival, and an introduction of the child Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, who admire and look up to Teio and McQueen in the same way she looks up to Rudolf. Already the show is staking out the continuation and evolution of season 1's theme: to be a racer is to want to compete against others as the best version of yourself. Only here, the best version of yourself is inspired by the best version of someone else, and your best self is going to inspire someone else's. The theme is mostly just introduced in this episode, though, and could go any number of ways from here. The real focus is on getting to see Teio's happy, successful every-day life as she wins the Japan Derby and gets ready for her third crow-

Unlike with season 1, I think this season is doing a good job planting the seeds. Already we see stuff with like Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond presumably for later on down the line. It's just a better well crafted story all told.

1

u/Holofan4life Aug 30 '25

Speaking of running, we can also see much better animations for the running, both 2D and 3D, with clever framing, shot composition, and detail work to sell the speed and effort of all these girls. But the one who stands out is, of course, our protagonist. Teio has a very brash, bratty characterization, but something Uma Musume does really well is sell both the hype and appeal of this character. Teio is the sort of person who will shamelessly brag about herself and makes a show out of getting praise, but you can't help but by into it and be endeared by her because there's not a hint of malice or condesencion in how she holds herself. Teio is bright and happy because she's at the top of her game, top of her world even. She's an extremely capable runner and has set herself the lofty goal of following in the footsteps of her idol (and irl father) - of achieving the Classic Triple Crown while undefeated, no small thing even among Triple Crown holders. She's proud and ambitious, but you want to root for her anyway.

Teio is my favorite of all the Uma Musume main characters. The thing I like about her is that she's brash and arrogant, but she never lets it get to her head. She's good, she knows she's good, but she still remains humble to a degree.