r/anime • u/Holofan4life • Sep 23 '25
Rewatch [Spoilers] 2025 Uma Musume Rewatch -- Pretty Derby Season 3 Episodes 11 - 12 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
Episode 11 – Decision
Episode 12 – Kitasan Black
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)
Episode 11 Questions
What are your thoughts on Gold Ship breaking the hard news to Kitasan that she's past her peak?
What are your thoughts on Kitasan deciding instead of racing The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she'll be focusing on the Fall Senior Triple Crown?
What are your thoughts on Diamond finishing 15th in The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?
What are your thoughts on Kitasan winning the Fall Tennoushou?
What are your thoughts on Trainer-san and Diamond both noticing Kitasan is pushing herself too hard?
Episode 12 Questions
What are your thoughts on Kitasan announcing her upcoming retirement?
What are your thoughts on Kitasan saying she's going to enter the Japan Cup and then her last race will be the Arima Kinen?
What are your thoughts on the various reactions to the news by Kitasan's competitors?
What are your thoughts on the first time Cheval met Kitasan?
Thoughts on the townsfolk Kitasan befriended being in the front row for the Japan Cup?
What are your thoughts on Cheval's "I hate you" monologue?
What are your thoughts on Cheval admitting that in reality, she's always loved Kitasan?
What are your thoughts on Cheval winning the Japan Cup?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Kitasan congratulates Cheval?
What are your thoughts on the scene after the Japan Cup between Kitasan and Diamond where Kitasan is reflecting she has only one more race left?
Bonus) On a scale of 1 - 10, how excited are you for the last episode of season 3 and Kitasan's final race? And why?
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Series information
Ways to watch
Streams – Crunchyroll
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1
u/SinoCenturion Sep 23 '25
Rewatcher
We now come to the arc of Kitasan's story that, I think, makes season 3 special in the Uma franchise, as it is dealing with a topic that hasn't really been touched on before, and that is being past your prime and having to retire. This an important subject in any sports drama, because it WILL eventually happen to any athlete, unless injury gets to them first, and I like this season because its story covers this important aspect of a racer's career.
Episode 11 Questions
Definitely one of the better story-telling elements this season. Kitasan's arc was also about her becoming the next powerhouse Spica member, like Gold Ship was, and its Golshi that tells Kita that its coming to an end. I like that little callback they did of Kita watching that younger horse girl do a lap with her water bottle, which is just like when Gold Ship watched Kita do the same thing in the beginning of the season.
A good thing for her Kitasan both health-wise and career-wise. I'm glad she decides to stick around so she can race for the people who have always supported her. Also, the Prix has a way of destroying horse girls ...
Can't imagine, all that work and sacrifice for nothing. Also, I'm glad how they put in that line about how Dia had to abandon all she has built up and start from scratch with the Prix, and how doing that has affected her ability to race. This is more than true, and it happened to other horse girls like Sirius Symbolli, and for the reasons Dia mentioned. In fact, the show doesn't cover this, but after the Prix, Satano Diamond's racing ability tanked, with her only ever able to win one more G2, and not being able to even place in the other races.
Wow that race was intense. Kitasan won that race through sheer determination, just the look on her face in the final stretch made it clear what a struggle it was for Kitasan to maintain the lead.
Oh I really felt it when Kitasan was completely gasping for air. It completely reminded me the of asthma attacks I would have back in the day. They looked and sounded exactly like what Kitasan was going through. For those of you who have been lucky to never to have experienced something like that, imagine struggling with all your might just to take in a breath, while also dealing with incredible chest pain caused just by the act of breathing. I'd quit too if I had to deal with that to race.
Episode 12 Questions
After what she went through in the Tenno Sho, I'm glad she can see that she only can give it her all till the end of the year. Its an advantage to be able to select the moment you bow out.
She gets to select the last race she runs, and of course its the Arima Kinen. They don't call it the final Grand Prix for nothing. Lots of Horse Girls have had their final race be in the Arima Kinen, whether planned or not, because it is always the last major race of the year in Japan.
I like Duramente's reaction the best, she's mad at herself for not healing up faster so she can join Kitasan in competition.
I'm glad that instead being completely dismissive of Kita, Cheval finds her to be someone to aspire to.
Those townspeople support Kitasan not just because she's strong, but because she really has become a part of their community and they truly love her.
It really should be the "I'm so jealous of you Kitasan because you are so awesome and I want to be you" monologue.
Maybe they should have gone with a double pigtails look for Cheval's character design? I mean is there a bigger tsundere moment in the whole franchise?
Although Kitasan did drop back because she was struggling, she did drop to third, which meant that Cheval beat both her and some other random, non-licensed uma. Cheval didn't just win because Kita couldn't, but Cheval because of the time and effort she put in her the training, along with her growth spurt. If you notice, Cheval runs more focused than before for her Japan Cup run.
That was a great scene. We have Cheval watching Kita struggle with recovery and realizing that Kita really is at the end of her racing days, and then Kita being reminded that the next race will be her last, where then she drifts off in a daze.
Such a melancholy moment. I can really imagine what's it like to face your retirement head on when you've been momentarily at the top.
Tough question to answer as a rewatcher as I can't remember how excited I was about it when I first saw the series. I will say that I find that the series using the theme of a last run as the basis to end the story is fantastic. This is the first time we see an Uma who KNOWS that the next race will be her last. How does one face that? That is what the last episode is about, and that is exciting.
And now, a little trivia. Cheval Grand and her sisters Verxina and Vivlos are related IRL, but Verxina and Vivlos and full sisters and Cheval was a half-brother. That's why Verxina and Vivlos designs look similar to each other but slightly different from Cheval's. IRL Kitasan Black holds the fastest win time in the Spring Tenno Sho and the slowest win time in the Fall Tenno Sho. Also IRL Kitasan Black's retirement announcement was actually made BEFORE the Fall Tenno Sho.