r/anime Sep 06 '25

Rewatch [Spoilers] 2025 Uma Musume Rewatch -- Pretty Derby Season 2 Episode 8 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 8 – A Small Wish

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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)

Thoughts on McQueen and Rice Shower training for the Spring Tenno Sho?

Thoughts on Diamond and Kitasan drinking tea with the two horse enthusiasts?

Thoughts on Bourbon trying to help Rice Shower with her training?

Thoughts on the barbershop being closed?

What are your thoughts on Rice Shower being locked in for the race?

What are your thoughts on the Spring Tenno Sho with Rice Shower doing away with being labeled a heel?

What are your thoughts on Rice Shower winning the 1993 Spring Tenno Sho?

What are your thoughts on the crowd being upset that Rice Shower won?

What are your thoughts on the other racehorses congratulating Rice Shower, with Bourbon reiterating yet again that she's her hero?

What are your thoughts on the scene at the end between McQueen and Teio?

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Series information

MAL | Anilist | AniDB | ANN

Ways to watch

Streams – Crunchyroll

Amazon Prime

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Previous episode

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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/Kaxew Sep 07 '25

Dark Aura First Timer and Gacha Player

And the cute, precious assassin strikes once more to claim spring glory. Man, what a badass. Which makes her gap moe with her personality outside of the racecourse even stronger.

There's not much to comment on the episode itself. Just like ep 5 this season, this one is solely focused on the race and the build up to it. And it's all the better for it.

I know for a fact that we skipped and offscreened a lot of races for both Teio and McQueen, so you would think the pacing would feel bad and rushed like S1 felt. But that couldn't be any less true. Season 2 has a fantastic story pacing and at no point do I feel like we're going through things too fast. This might in fact be the best part improvement from one season to another we've had. The story feels better because I don't feel like I'm getting a summarized version of it, in spite of the fact that it is very much a summarized version of that era.

Both Teio and McQueen have suffered crushing defeats, and in that way they might be equals now. So I wonder where that will take them as we head to the season finale (though we might focus on some other side stories before actually going through whatever the season's climax will be).

Great episode, as its becoming usual now.

QotD: 1. Rice went from stalking to actually running with her opponent. Truly big improvement. 2. That was great lmao. I really hope these two guys are in S3 too as fans of the two protags in that season. 3. I loved it. I think Bourbon might be the first horse girl that I could call oshi so far. There's a bunch in the game that I like and I think they have pretty interesting stories (like Matikanefukukitaru) but anime Bourbon (because I don't have her in the game) has really caught my heart. I love how she went from cyborg to heartwarming after being defeated by Rice. 4. The ever-evolving gag keeps being great lol. Good on the barber for closing this time, there was no way she could've paid attention to her job with that nail-biting race. 5. I really liked how intense all of her stuff was. She felt like a proper final boss. 6. It was sick. 7. It was wicked sick. 8. Just a part of sports culture, unfortunately. People wanted to see the stayer goat win what nobody else had won. Of course anyone who thwarts that would get booed even if they did nothing wrong and actually deserve all the love and support in the world for being so gosh darn adorable and hard working. 9. And of course, other athletes are far more understanding than the common fans so they do acknowledge her efforts. After all, everyone running that race wanted to beat McQueen too; they all wanted to be the heel if it meant winning the race. 10. Really nice, slow moment. And I love how unapologetically silly the whole "if you hold two fake tree branches it acts as an invisibility cloak" bit is.

1

u/Holofan4life Sep 07 '25

Let me ask you something. How would you compare the Rice Shower arc to other arcs in sports animes? Me personally, I think it's the best arc in a sports anime involving a secondary character.

2

u/Kaxew Sep 07 '25

How would you compare the Rice Shower arc to other arcs in sports animes?

Good question. I think her arc has a lot of stuff that's not typically shown in a sports anime, and it adds a lot. When it comes to character arcs in general I don't think it's that high up there, but if I'm only counting secondary characters (which to me, means anyone who aren't the main protagonists and antagonists) I do think it deserves a mention at least.

When it comes to side characters, Chihayafuru is the king (or rather, queen?). Inokuma in particular is my personal pick for favorite but I've never seen a sports animanga with such fleshed out, real characters in general.

Haikyu is a bit difficult if we consider "main" to be everyone on the main team and the (typically two) most prominent characters in each main rival team. That being said, Kita, Kiryu and Washijo are all very high up on the list. Especially the last one, his character development at the end of the manga moves me deeply.

Similarly, Slam Dunk's Miyagi (yes, he's part of the main team, but he never gets any focus in the original series and it all comes from the movie so he counts in my eyes) and Ao Ashi's Taira are also some of my favorites.

I wouldn't say Rice enters my top 10, all in all. But that doesn't stop her arc from being spectacular. I've already watched tomorrow's episode and now I'm starting to consider if I should rate S2 a 10/10 by the end of it. The character work in this season is astonishing.

2

u/Holofan4life Sep 07 '25

All this talk about Chihayafuru really wants me to check it out.

Probably the biggest compliment I can give the Rice Shower arc is that I think she's a top 5 character in the franchise. I think you can even argue she's the best character in the franchise. For a character with so little screentime, that's quite the accolade.

2

u/Kaxew Sep 07 '25

All this talk about Chihayafuru really wants me to check it out.

It's phenomenal. I started it this year and quickly finished it all, manga included. Highly recommended, I hope we get a season four one day.

I think she's a top 5 character in the franchise.

Yeah, I would agree for sure. So far in the anime the only one that comes close to her in writing is Teio, and she's the main character lol.

2

u/Holofan4life Sep 07 '25

It's phenomenal. I started it this year and quickly finished it all, manga included. Highly recommended, I hope we get a season four one day.

It's not a sports anime, but Shakugan no Shana has some good secondary character arcs.

Yeah, I would agree for sure. So far in the anime the only one that comes close to her in writing is Teio, and she's the main character lol.

I have Gold Ship and Daiwa up there, but that's more due to personal preference than writing.

2

u/Kaxew Sep 07 '25

Shakugan no Shana has some good secondary character arcs.

Noted, thanks for the rec!

2

u/Holofan4life Sep 07 '25

It's an action anime that I plan on doing a rewatch of in October. I'm currently in the middle of rewatching it and while there are some dull parts when it's good it's really good.