Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - Shin Jidai no Tobira

My God, what did I just watch — this is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe how a story about horse girls who just want to race can be this good and move me so much. The evolution from the first season to this movie is insane. I honestly thought there was no way to improve after watching Road to the Top, but they actually did it. This is just unbelievable — such a beautiful and emotional story, insanely good animation, and a flawless soundtrack. And once again, they nerfed the coolest horse girl — why, God, why? Also, I loved seeing characters from other seasons again; the only one missing was Teio. And how crazy is it that I just saw an edit of Haru, got curious about the franchise, and in such a short time it became one of my favorite works of all time.

The biggest mistake of this movie is the MC, welp i did'nt hate her personally but her development just meh, they use tokai teio and kitasan black formula but because give another same personality will boring they try to change from smile and kindes girl to delinquent positife girl and boom they fail.. the only one thing make this movie worth is the absolute animation, welp i believe if the MC change to manhatan and agnes, and the story just focus to those relation it will be a great movie ( thats what majority fans want and i believe with this)

Beginning of a New Era is a short but masterfully created movie that mostly focuses on one Kemonomimi horse girl: Jungle Pocket. A typical shonen type of protagonist wanting to reach the top and win races to show how strong and fast she is. Like most shonen type of protagonists she does feel lacking in character. Supporting characters of Agnes Tachyon were so enjoyable with their quirky and off-putting personality that seriously elevates the movie. She is an eccentric scientist-like character who pushes her body to it's absolute limit and befitting of the Tachyon particle that is supposed to be faster than the speed of light. Running so fast that the only thing she chases after is her own imaginary shadow. It was a little disappointing that Manhattan Cafe, a rather depressed looking horse girl who does not get much screen time or development is another supporting character that hangs out with Tachyon is interesting but does not have some important lore revealed into. Perhaps a future entry will focus more upon the red herring that Manhattan Cafe introduces. TM Opera O is another supporting character introduced into the show that I wish had more time dedicated to her. One of my few gripes with the movie, and also the previous entry "Road to the Top" which will make you understand the movie much more so I would recommend watching that before this movie. That was quite a few gripes that I personally had with the movie, however it's still rated a 10/10 and one of the extreme few I have ever rated so highly. It has unbelievable quality and budget to it. Immaculate sound effects of wind rushing, the stomps and clangs of the horse girl's horse shoes attached to their cleats, very dynamic camerawork that pans quickly on the action. It feels very fun, engaging, and immersive. It's a serious treat for the eyes and ears even if the character stories could have been written better the "action" of the horse racing is the most important part and they do not disappoint with it. I would recommend it for anyone with an interest in Uma Musume in general. It may not be the most logical timeline to start with the movie but you need to get your foot into the door if you have been hearing others talk of the franchise, or if you're coming from the gacha game and want a quality introduction. You will not understand much of the world as a complete outsider but if your biggest concern is being unsure if you will like the premise of "horse girls racing" this is a good entry. If you want the most logical timeline and you're willing to save the best for last then watch this as your last entry into the franchise. I am sure it will be worth it.

TL;DR 9/10 <No Spoilers here dw> So a quick summary of how I'm going to allot points out of 10. 2/2 = Entertaining and Artistic 2/2 = Recommended to everyone, easy to pick up 2/2 = Perfect Narrative Consistency 1/2 = Atleast 1 Emotional Peak moment, but less than 3 2/2 = Caters to my 3 biases of: 1) Has Historical Inspiration 2) Interesting and Consistent Power System with its exploration 3) Idealogue and Deep Themes Rubric 1 - Entertaining and Artistic: Uma Musume is a fun sports anime about running. It is incredibly well made, and fun to watch regardless of interest. Good use of music, animation, writing, direction and effects all make it fun and hype to watch. It is also Artistically sound given its own take on exploring Themes of "Fear of never winning" and "Not being able to compare to your Rival" as well as the genuine sincere love of doing something not because of someone else or some grand idea, but a genuine instinctual draw of wanting it yourself. Full points here Rubric 2 - Recommended to Everyone: Even if you have never watched Uma Musume before, you can easily pick this up and enjoy it. However, if you have watched any of the other series then you will be rewarded with cameos and seeing your other favorite characters showing up, especially TM Opera O. While I am a Narita Top Road Fan, TM Opera O is also one of my favorites and seeing them both here made me really happy too! That said, you are not required to watch or know anything before. Going in blind is fine and this is actually a good intro to the series as well. Full points. Rubric 3 - Perfect Narrative Consistency: I define Narrative Consistency as the ability to be able to ask "What, Why, When, Where, How" at any point in the story and are able to get a clear and sensible explanation as well. The story is expertly written and incredibly sound, so you will never feel confused or out of place at any point. I have a rant at the end that complains about the 2 other 'main' characters in Manhattan Cafe and Danatsu not getting enough love and development despite being hailed as 'Those who shaped the new Era'. But its a movie, and for the time length given I can accept focusing on Jungle Pocket and Tachyon being the main draw. Full points here too Rubric 4 - Emotion Peak Moments (lost a point here): I define Emotional Peak moments in 2 ways. Firstly it must arouse a deep emotional response, either as incredible joy, incredible hate even, Sadness and even cerebral thought provoking. Secondly, it must stick with you long after the credits roll. A good example is the United States of Smash from My Hero Academia or 'CHOOSE ME BEATRICE' from Re Zero Or Literally anything from Steins;Gate lmao (Operation Arclight being one example). Grabbing atleast 3 of these shows that its not just a fluke but a consistently good piece that can get a rise out of you that you will remember, as that is what compelling would entail. While Uma Musume definitely made an impression at the end, undoubtedly. I can at most justify one more moment aside from that, hence falling short of 3. So it did it twice, which you can argue is amazing. But most anime achieve one peak moment anyway, its part of the formula to have a Climax. Doing it twice is special but could be a fluke. Thrice or more? Peak fiction like FMAB, Steins;Gate and Haikyuu can go upto even 5 emotional peak moments or even more. Hence, since this had 1 or maybe 2, it doesnt get the 2nd point. Meaning, I believe It could have done better perhaps or rather it didn't go that far enough. I concede it is subjective, but again this is how I feel about it. Rubric 5 - Caters to my Biases As mentioned I have 3 biases to cater to. You can safely assume an anime rated 8/10 is essentially a 10/10 since this really is completely subjective to my taste. You can have an absolutely perfect comedy series without anything deep or any history or any power systems, but it won't be getting these 2 points since I personally feel. 1) History: Uma Musume, is literally (kinda spoiler? just dont look it up) inspired by real world races by the horses of the same name. Its really the same horses being depicted as Horsegirls but delivering the narrative of Japanese Horses throughout their career. Hence it gets the point for Historical Inspiration 2) Power System: Power system can be magic or science or anything that works as a tool to resolve the plot. In this case it would be mechanics and knowledge pertaining to racing and athletics. There is minimal focus here, with a comment at the start about how Jungle Pocket is a natural closer. Plus you notice how Horses dont just race and scream but have tactics and strategies going into their race. Its minimal but present in this, the mainline series or Uma Musume to the Top do this much more actively. But since its a movie, I figure I could give it a pass on not fixating too much on mechanics. 3) Idealogue: Utterly beautiful writing. There are a multitude of themes explored here and done well. But the one that stood out to me the most was the Idea of being "Strong" I credit Gintama for doing it the best, I define strength as "the ability to overcome your limits" as in when you hit a wall on your capabilities, you essentially need to overcome your current limits to become stronger to beat your antagonist. Uma Musume executed this perfectly, along with many other themes, and in a way that was the best I feel: Your greatest enemy is yourself. Overcoming yourself by literally fighting and beating your own insecurities, your own pesimism, your own mental block is by far the best way to showcase Willpower. Strength in physical terms is one thing, but mental strength is better measured in Willpower. Full points here, it did it perfectly. Hence thats a 9/10 You can stop reading here, but if you want to read the ramblings of a madman in an unorganized fashion, feel free to continue reading ahead. Thank you Complaint 1 = Very little focus on Power System focus To the Top focused on it extremey well pointing out Top Road's strengths, and how she worked around it It also focused on Ayabe's strengths TM Opera O is just busted in all stats so her going for a Closing finish is good This one did have the detail on Jungle Pocket being a Natural Closer and Tachyon being a research nut intent on breaking limits But for everyone else there was little focus on 'How' I get due to time limitations it focused on 'Why' instead. But its my pet peeve since now it isnt catering to all my biases fully compared to say To The Top which infact did so Complaint 2 = Idk But this really only had 1 or maximum 2 Emotional Peaks for me. Needs 3 emotional peak moments for me to give the other point. But honestly its debatable. I cant give this a 10/10 alongside road the top Maximum 9/10 but if im being quite strict it could be closer to 8/10 However after thinking alot on it. I think ill give it a pass for the most part since its a Movie and settle for a 9/10 I still think not giving Manhattan Cafe and Danatsu more development time to cook was a crime. Even though you can argue the movie was centred on Jungle Pocket and Tachyon, but the ending clearly showed its the 4 horses who defined the era. its like ending S2 with 2 extras behind Teio and Meijiro but again i can give that a pass. i guess the bigger reason is I only found 1 or maybe maximum 2 emotional peak moments here, something ill be remembering long after the credits roll.

The Uma Musume Movie. Wow. I'm getting into this little review as a new fan of the anime, I've only really watched the series in full within the last 4 or 5 months and was really lucky to find a full version of this movie online earlier than anticipated, I thought I would be waiting at least until 2025 around when the next spin off season featuring Oguri-Cap is releasing, alas. If you are a new or older fan to the series, I think this movie has absolutely everything for you. Did you ever wonder what it was like seeing a girl win the triple crown finally after witnessing special week, tokai teio and kitasan black all fail to deliver? A new cast of girls and some already existing cast all merge together at a much higher stakes and a much higher emotion ridden performance, in what seemed to be such a short movie comes together perfectly at the cost of your sanity. Yes that's right, after watching this you will go insane, you will be thinking, "should I actually watch real horse racing?" "Should I start gambling?" This show has taken itself to a whole new level with this movie, everything about it is so perfect to me. The sound. The sound was better than anything I have ever heard, I checked to make sure David productions wasn't involved just to make sure, and I found out they hired Foley artists to make the most accurate and high quality sounds possible, if you have watched the movie, I'm sure you understand exactly how accurate and well designed the sound scaping was, truly a masterclass work and truly captivated me, leaving me with goosebumps several times and a newfound enjoyment for what goes on behind the scenes on making an anime movie. Enough about the sound, the cream of the crop, the animation and cinematography, a word I wouldn't have seen myself having said a few years ago, both were absolutely breathtaking. The one scene where Jungle pocket had almost a PTSD ridden existential crisis about not being good enough and being hung over the "what ifs" it was framed perfectly, the use of sounds and animation was perfect, and the lots of little details really added uo to the enjoyment, and it proved that not only were the races high spec and enjoyable, but the actual movie itself outside of only just the "hype" moments, in which many anime seem to only put good animation and focus on "hype" rather than a well balanced approach. Anyway enough of my rambling, you wanted a review, and to keep it super short, if you love cute, tomboyish and crazy girls doing some crazy epic running, this movie is for you, and I hope that you enjoy it a fraction of that I certainly did, this is honestly a top 3 anike movie for me I have ever seen, and I was I could describe in better words just how I feel after watching this without adding too many spoilers, since I do hardly write reviews after all. 10/10 animation 11/10 sound 10/10 cinematography 10/10 voice acting Overall: perfect.

It's the best anime movie I have ever seen with my eyes full stop. The animation is great, the pacing is more than you could ask for, no words... Even without knowledge of the series, anyone can enjoy this. I would say this is a great way to get into the series too. Amazing pacing and character writing, the animation and overall composition are self-explanatory. Pretty much everything you would want from a movie, I feel like it would be perfect if they had like 2 hours flat but with the time they had it exceeds expectations. The characters are all great and while yes some could have been fleshed out way more they all did their job. This is a great rivalry and growth story.

I should start this by saying, that I had watched this movie with a friend (who had previously only seen anything uma musume via Cinderella Gray) after watching Road to the top. By the time we got to it, it was already 1am and the fact I was tired, in retrospect, really didn't help the movie. While my friend seemed to enjoy it a lot, both the character portrayal and mood had me feel more on the fence about it. My friend had frequently joked about Dansatsu flame feeling pointless. However I think she does about what one would expect of a supporting character. However, any dramatic scenes felt a bit weird, because one really doesn't get to see her, or her motivations, much at all, which was definitely a bit of a miss. Manhatten Cafe similarly was a fine supporting character, though a bit cryptic. However, it didn't really feel like much came off of her sideplot. However, then there's Opera O and Agnes Tachyon. Arguably my biggest gripes with the movie. Opera O, is shown twice in this movie, coming out of her classic year in Road to the top, she now appears on Tv and we're told that she has now gone undefeated an entire year, with (I think) 9 victories in graded races. Her next appearance is then in the final race of the movie, where she is kind of portrayed as this final boss. This. Is not Opera O. Actually, the fact people say to watch Road to the Top, makes this scene arguably worse. Because, if you actually watch Road to the top, then you see a completely different character. Opera O in Road to the Top is a pretty accurate portrayal of her character. She is very dramatic and INCREDIBLY extra. Obviously you only see so much of her, but one would definitely go. "Yup, that's Opera O alright." But now in this movie, she just completely looses that over the top part of her. Her speech before the race is absolutely something she'd say. But it sounds less like the theatric and over the top Opera O and more like a villain monologue (as short as it is...). (She maybe also could have been built up better. For being portrayed like a final boss, her achievement is only mentioned on the Tv once instead of it actually being shown just how great it actually is. Having something like tvs in the background or a line on the radio constantly telling us how she won again, I feel would have really helped show just how undefeatable the public thought she was.) Which leaves us with Agnes Tachyon. In game, I would describe her as a cool and smooth psychopath. She is always calm and has a kind off smart air about her. Movie Tachyon definitely has some off her traits. Her first encounter with Pokke in that hallway totally seemed fitting. But her general portrayal is just leaning so much more into that mad scientist aspect than it should. She feels like a lunatic and the way her eyes are drawn really doesn't help. While in game tachyon always has these slighty lowered eyelids, which is used with characters to convey a smart and a bit superior look, movie Tachyon always looks like she is about to stab someone. While her dialogue usually fits something you could imagine her saying in the game, she just completely lacks that usual air of rationality that she keeps up at almost all times. Which leads me to what I think is the main issue with the story: I fell like the movie is way too dramatic. And I get how many people enjoyed that. The art was certainly fantastic and the plot idea was great. But getting a cool and witty Agnes, who's veil of logic, that she hides behind, gets completely broken, would have worked so much better, because movie Tachyon is just so antagonistic and while she argues with the same logic you would expect game Tachyon to use, but her lunatic demeanour just gives her a completely wrong vibe. She's not a smart person coming to terms that even she has feelings like the others, but she's a mad scientist and nothing else. I feel the movie would've benefitted a lot from being a little less dramatic and serious and allowing the characters to actually show their personalities more. It also has a lot of little scenes that just felt unnecessary. During almost every race, there's some crazy running animation, heck they use the rainbow zoom in on Tachyon's eye twice. Pulling this every race made the last race, while still a strong scene, feel less impactfull. And stuff like for a example the random quick cuts to Pokke's pendant being tossed during Summer camp just felt like doing stuff for the sake of looking dramatic even if there's was absolutely no reason. Do I think Road to the Top (to which Beginning of a new era is a pseudo sequel to) was better? Probably not. While Road to the Top felt a lot more like a well rounded package, it's story was definitely simpler and Beginning of a new Era's art was undeniably stronger. And even despite some mischaracterizations caused by the dramatic tone of the movie, the family-like dynamics between Pokke, Fuji Kiseki and Nabe felt really fun. I liked Fuji and Nabe in this movie. And despite what others have wrote, Jungle Pocket's demeanour was actually quite fun and her friends, while mostly minor characters, were also fun when on screen. I also really liked the zoom outs showing the race name and details, it felt like a good portrayal of the game version. It was by far not a bad movie. But I think people like my friend who liked this type of dramatic setting more and knew less about uma musume. (Not saying you can't know uma musume and enjoy the movie.) can get a lot more enjoyment out of it than I can. It just has the wrong apptitude for my track.

Before writing the review, I'll start by saying that I've seen the first three seasons of Pretty Derby, so I know what I expected in terms of the story, but not the execution. Let me explain. The movie is a "shortened" version of what happens in the other seasons: the umas running, having fun running, and aiming to be the strongest (naturally with different protagonists and supporting characters). The problem, however, is that I lied about one thing: the movie no longer focuses on the goals I listed above. Instead, the whole thing is transformed into a shonen drama devoid of color, music, or any kind of positive emotion, making the work much more serious and macabre, going against the grain of Uma musume, which I also like. This is a negative point, but in the end, I don't want to give it all that much weight; now I'll focus on the categories that interest me. Story: The story is bland, fairly predictable, and lacks a concrete, well-structured development (perhaps due to the fact that having already watched the other seasons, the characters change but the end remains the same). However, it's overall enjoyable, with its training moments, some dialogue, and especially the races. Overall, however, nothing exceptional. Characters: Easily the worst category in the film. The protagonist is Jungle Pocket, whose goal is to become the strongest after being enchanted by the previous runner, Fuji Kiseki. However, she's completely lacking in development, has no real starting point as a character, and quickly loses her primary goal to Tachyon, whom she considers her rival. I felt like there wasn't enough material for a well-constructed and developed protagonist for a nearly two-hour film, so they decided to make him dependent on the supposed antagonist, Agnes Tachyon, whom I mentioned earlier. She's definitely more interesting than the main character, but they flopped here too. In the first part, it's handled fairly well, then, as if there were an excuse to make room for Jungle Pocket, he disappears with the excuse of having already found his goal by hiding his injury (which was also intended to be serious, but at the end of the film we see him running normally again, so it's a complete contradiction). In short, the two main characters in the series have had hints of development but have never been treated well from start to finish, leaving them full of gaps. Why did I write so much for these two? Simple, because the cast is finished; there's no one else. Manhattan Cafe, Dantsu Flame, the Jungle Pocket friends, Tanabe, etc. are all flat characters, self-contained, with nothing concrete. However, I firmly reject Cafe and Dantsu, since they were supposed to be fairly important characters, but unfortunately they fell flat. Animation/Style: Nothing to complain about here; I think this is the category where the film absolutely excels without any problems. Sure, the colors were a bit dull, and sometimes the characters took on "strange" shapes while running or posing, but overall, this style and animation were a godsend for enjoying the film to the end despite the lackluster story and characters. Moral of the story: for me, the true peak of this series was reached with the second season; the others, including the movie, are far removed from what Tokai Teio and company have achieved and brought. Given the film's rating, I was ultimately disappointed (especially the ending with practically nothing), but the pacing, the animation, and the overall enjoyment of everything without being overly affected by the film's length... I don't want to completely fail all of this, so it gets a passing grade, but no more. However, for those who want to delve into the essence of uma musume, I definitely don't recommend this film.

Uma Musume: Beginning of a New Era is an absolute explosion of a film from start to finish, bursting at the seams with as much vibrancy and intensity as you could possibly cram into a single movie. The exhilaration you expect from the races is present in full force, but with an exponentially more unhinged presentation. These horse girls seem to be practically breaking out of their own character designs during the most intense moments, and the spectacular light show accompanying each push forward was simply dazzling. This intensity is also present in the non-racing scenes, with the many confrontations between Jungle Pocket and Agnes Tachyon oozing with cinematic style and thematic symbolism. Even the calmer moments have an emotional and cinematic tension to them that refused to let me look away from the screen. Pocket nails her role as the rising star with her desires cut out from under her and having to deal with the process of readjusting her goals and getting over the psychological hurdles she’s built up in her own mind, while Tachyon as a mad genius overlord had me hooked on her charisma alone and fully engrossed in the struggles she deals with in the final act. I do wish the other two leads had more substance to them because they kinda just feel like hangers-on for the most part, but their vibe still works to bolster the overall sense of drive and competition. This is a runaway freight train of a film and probably the most exciting thing I’ve watched all year, minute for minute.

i think those who has no idea what uma musume is for can enjoy this movie because it's a huge contrast to the light-hearted yet slightly tearjerking slice-of-life the first three season offered it dipped into a more serious, psychological thematics that works for the featured uma musume here i was blown away, it's what i was kinda looking for that i'm bummed that wasn't really utilized in the first 3 seasons no spoiling of what hits me the most because the movie should show it, not with my own words though, if you prefer comical cute girls doing cute things, then this isn't for you

Umamusume fans, you've already watched this. So, I'm going to try and make a case for non Umamusume fans to set aside 2 hours and give this a shot. This movie does a number of things particularly well. First, the visuals are simply superb. Its both breathtakingly high fidelity at times, then experimental and weird at others, like a mix between a Shinkai and a Yuasa movie. If nothing else, the eye candy makes it a worthwhile watch alone. Second, it does a great job of juggling several character stories, which keeps the pacing tight. The characters develop little by little until their arc concludes, and then, like dominos, the lessons they learn help the other characters reach their conclusions too. It's a more subtle framing of the "power of friendship" theme that feels more grounded in life. Finally, the sound and directing is so unique for a media franchise designed to sell cute girls. It's sort of shot like a psychological horror thriller, and I really really like it. Sure, you get a few training montages, but the majority of time is spent on visual and acoustic metaphor depicting the mental struggles each character goes through. My personal love for Umamusume made this film a total home run for me, but I would seriously struggle to understand someone who would actively not enjoy this movie even a little. So I encourage you to give it a shot.

English This is on another level—what an insane movie, simply S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R in every possible way! Starting with the animation: absolutely breathtaking. Since it was made by the same studio behind the game, the quality is undeniable—they spared no effort. It’s easily one of the most visually stunning works I’ve ever seen. The direction is outstanding: the way it shifts from an eagle-eye view to the protagonist’s POV, then to a side shot that captures the intensity of all the racers, and back again to POV. Sure, we’ve seen similar sequences in previous races of the franchise, but here it’s just on a GOD-TIER level. The OST is flawless, and the seiyuu performances are phenomenal. Sumire Uesaka, A.K.A. Agnes—what an incredible aura she radiates with her performance! As for the script, it doesn’t fall short either. The protagonist overflows with personality: an Uma who simply wants to compete. The rivalry she builds with Agnes is handled brilliantly, because for the first time in the franchise, a character truly feels like a full-fledged antagonist. The usual friendship/rivalry dynamic from previous entries is replaced with a pure rivalry. With Agnes as a complete "villain," the protagonist takes on a very different, more intense presence. If this is the path Uma Musume is going to follow, I honestly couldn’t be more HYPED. Español Esto está a otro nivel, ¡qué locura de película, simplemente E-S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R en todos los sentidos! Comenzando con la animación: una auténtica bestialidad. Al estar realizada por el propio estudio que desarrolla el juego, se nota la calidad en cada detalle, sin escatimar en nada. Es, sin duda, una de las mejores obras visuales que he visto. Toda la dirección es magnífica: los cambios de planos, cómo pasa de la vista de águila al POV de la protagonista, para después ir a un plano lateral que transmite toda la intensidad de las corredoras, y regresar nuevamente al POV. Sí, antes lo habíamos visto en otras carreras de la franquicia, pero aquí es sencillamente DIOS SANTO. Su OST es perfecto, y el trabajo de las seiyuus es brillante. Sumire Uesaka, A.K.A. Agnes, ¡qué aura tan imponente transmite con su interpretación! En cuanto al guion, no se queda atrás. La protagonista desborda carácter: es una Uma que solo quiere competir. La rivalidad que forja con Agnes está construida de manera magistral, porque por primera vez en la franquicia se siente a un personaje como antagonista completo. Se rompe con la clásica dinámica de rivalidad/amistad que tenían las protagonistas anteriores y se apuesta por una rivalidad pura. Con Agnes como una "villana" total, la protagonista adquiere un matiz distinto, mucho más intenso. Si este es el camino que seguirá la saga Uma Musume, no puedo estar más HYPEADO.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of a New Era is great movie. It's very rara from me to watch movies only the biggest movies are the ones that i end up watching them and this movie is one of them i saw some crazy edits in youtube for this movie, and for Agnes Tachyon i fall in love with the character and i came to watch the movie and it was better than i thought and Agnes Tachyon is very cool protagonist and she is my first fav female character and overall the movie was fun with very good animation and story. In the end, i don't know if i will watch the seasons of the anime since seasons are not connected and Agnes Tachyon shows no appear in those seasons unfortunately but the movie is very great and i recommend it for it's good animation and of course Agnes Tachyon.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of a New Era Your typical Umamusume, you know what you’re getting and you will be satisfied by the end of it, being the excitement of seeing horse girls running around racing each other. Due to it being a movie, naturally, it will feel a bit rushed. Don’t worry it doesn’t feel so rushed that it takes away your enjoyment or becomes hard to follow. The atmosphere of the movie is a selling point. It does well to sell the moment, get you hooked especially in the races. There are themes of regret and self-doubt, which are handled pretty nicely, considering it’s a movie format. The animation is top-notched, as expected from CygamesPictures. 9/10 If you're already a fan of this series, it's a no-brainer. Here's my breakdown in details: Story 7.5/10 In terms of story, I would say it’s nothing special. To summarize, no spoiler, MC won all the races, lost, found a rival, lost, and won again, the usual stuff. What makes this more impressive, obviously, is that it’s based on true stories so anything in this show can happen. Not saying simple plot is bad. If it works, it works. You see Uma run; you hype. The new characters that were introduced really help with the story, in my opinion. However, they did more than that this time, introducing regret and self-doubt into the mix, which I really love how they did it. Characters 8.5/10 You can’t talk about characters in this movie without Agnes Tachyon. I will get there in a second. Our MC this time around, Jungle Pocket, feels like your standard “I want to be the strongest” at first, but what they did with her character was great. Hinted in the story section, regrets and self-doubt, won’t be getting into it since this isn’t a spoiler review. As teased earlier, Agnes Tachyon, her character was fun to watch not going to lie. Her character is so unique in this universe, a mad scientist character archetype. The rival dynamics between the two characters feels natural and fun to watch. Development 8.5/10 Despite being in a movie format, they were still able to develop these characters, mainly the MC, Jungle Pocket. Seeing how she overcame her regrets and self-doubt was really good and well-executed. As for other characters, they do have their own moments but not as notable as our MC. Storytelling 8/10 The overall pacing of the movie isn’t bad, but some parts of the movie do feel a bit rushed. Not like it’s rushed that you won’t be able to understand or follow the story. Some races were skipped entirely and the results were based on conversation instead. It’s just that I didn’t feel connected enough to the characters, not saying the characters were badly written. Just that it could’ve been better if we got more screen time to flesh things out like an anime series, but considering it’s a movie. It’s pretty good. Atmosphere 10/10 The thing that this movie got right is the atmosphere. Each race you get the feeling like you were there in the stands yourself. If you are a fan of this series then you would know this feeling well. Moreover, it also excels in setting the mood and tone in particular scenes. You can feel the tone of the moment clearly. For instance, the lighting in certain serious/confrontational scenes helps elevate the mood of those scenes. The OSTs and insert songs need to get mentioned as well. Animation 10/10 CygamesPictures… no need to say much. They get the job done and make sure it’s the best. The animation is of course movie level. The races, the characters, the scenes were all well-drawn and beautifully displayed. As aforementioned, no need to say much in this category. Personal enjoyment 9/10 Having just recently been a fan of this Umazing series, I just finished watching everything this series has to offer, ending it with this. I had so much fun watching everything up to this. The races have all been so thrilling that I fell down the rabbit hole of watching all the past races. Furthermore, getting to know other horses and seeing them make cameos in this movie gave me so much joy. Well, you’re probably already familiar with this series if you’re watching this one so it’s a no-brainer to watch this. I really hope we will see more of this franchise in the future.

I haven't written a review on here in a very long time. Mostly I chalk that up having no need to. Any movie I see, I can log on Letterboxd; a more convenient, more slick, more expansive app that also happens to have my friends on it. I also have my friends, ones I see frequently; some who like anime and are happy to discuss and others who indulge me for my sake. I haven't written a review on here in a very long time, but I felt it necessary after seeing this. I am not an Umamusume watcher. I was originally going to drive a good half hour to the next town to play some card games, but I didn't leave in time and decided I should go see a movie. My partner has been sick and I figured I should get out the house and I try to see any anime that are shown at my theater. I have heard people praise this franchise and the people who were in the theater with me seemed to be very excited. I didn't know what to expect. In fact, I came in cynical. For the past year, with the exception of things like Dandadan or anime shown at my local theater, I have only been watching the Gundam franchise. I love it, it is tremendous, and I have been burnt out. It has been the only thing I watch in my free time, I have been busy with academics, and a few recent tragedies have put my life into perspective some. Sometimes in life, you need things to get shaken up so you can turn the next page and get on with your life. I'm not saying this movie changed my life. It is too early to make that claim. It has only been an hour and 15 minutes since I left the theater with goosebumps. However, I feel an endless well of energy and inspiration, things I have only a handful of times after leaving a theater. This movie is smart in ways I had no expectation for. I don't think I have seen a better depiction of imposter syndrome in my life. It has some of the most stimulating race sequences put on screen. It has a complex, adorable, charming cast of gals who take all of your favorite tropes of anime and do them justice. Like many anime or manga, this will likely be dismissed by all but those who have experienced it, considering it low brow and cash grab BS. There is a place for things like this and they can only exist in this medium. Go watch this if you can. My local theater was only showing it for one night. If it ends up somewhere for streaming or gets a physical release in English, it has my full stamp of approval. It is a completely unique experience that will still feel familiar and inspiring, scratching an itch that hasn't been scratched in a long time. Everyone in the theater had a great time. Some people clapped and this film deserved it.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era may quite simply be the prettiest in the entire series. As a movie, it has the space to capture all that makes Umamusume so wonderful: winning drive, rivalry, and the heartbreak that accompanies the chase for a dream. It also feels distinctly separate from the main series, though. This time, it's Jungle Pocket, who's much more cocky and confident than some of the other heroes, but you can tell behind that attitude that she's got a lot of self-doubt. I enjoyed that about her. She's questioning what victory even is to her and whether or not she deserves it. That mix of swagger and insecurity made her a really engaging main character to follow. Agnes Tachyon, though, completely stole the spotlight for me. She’s so different from any other Uma we’ve seen before—intelligent, calm, and with this cool, mysterious vibe that makes her stand out right away. The whole idea of fate versus choice tied into her story gave the movie a surprising amount of depth. I just wish she'd had more time on screen, because there was so much going on there that never quite got written. Manhattan Cafe was interesting as well, but her subplot was incomplete, and I found myself wanting to learn more about what propelled her. Dantsu Flame was my own personal favorite design of the movie; she's just so cute and sweet, but she was mainly used as a friendly foil and didn’t get much beyond that. Seriously, though, that is where the biggest flaw of the movie is—the length. Because it's a movie and not an entire season, many of these characters didn’t get the character development they deserved. It never comes off as rushed or skeletal to the extent of ruining things, but you can certainly tell some of the arcs were cut short. But then I must talk about the animation because, oh boy, this was on a different level. The race scenes were tremendous. The camerawork, the emphasis in the running, and even the little details in the characters' faces did the trick to make everything pop. It really compares with some of the best shonen animation I've seen recently. There were a few pieces of comic relief here and there that made me smile, but beyond that, the movie was otherwise more serious than usual. It fell short a little of the same family-friendly environment or lightheartedness present within the television series, and with the change in tone came a noticeable shift in atmosphere. The sound effects weren't quite as strong as I would have preferred. The background score was good enough for the tone, but it didn't hit with the same impact as before. At least, though, voice acting was incredible. Sumire Uesaka aced Tachyon's personality—she gave her this cool but confident vibe that lingered with me. Yuri Fujimoto also did a fine job with Jungle Pocket, bringing her to life with a lot of emotion, and the short cameos for the top-name characters were also appreciated. In general, I would give Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era 8/10. It's an excellent entry into the series and a huge improvement in the visuals department. While the shorter runtime hurt some of the character depth and the tone leaned a bit too serious for my taste, it still delivered a heartfelt and exciting story with some of the franchise’s best animation yet. If you’ve been a fan of Umamusume, this movie is definitely worth watching. It might not have that same fuzzy, warm, wholesome charm that the TV show had, but it makes up with this sense of ambition, drive, and a strong emotional core.

The biggest, most immediate thing about Beginning of a New Era that sets it apart is that Pocket Jungle’s personality is so different than what we’ve usually seen, especially out of protagonists. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always love the cute and fun protagonists. But Pocket Jungle is the exact opposite of them. She’s loud, brazen, cocky, and rude. It’s refreshing! Her personality type might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely mine and it definitely elevated the movie for me. Regardless, she alone gives the movie an entirely different feeling from past Umamusume series. I’m also very glad that Agnes Tachyon has more going on. A lot more going on. I think her vibes and looks alone were enough to capture the hearts of a lot of people before this movie, but they were never really my cup of tea. But now she has a unique motivation! It’s cool that she observes racers not just as a joke, but because that’s her unique way of improving herself! The way she acts and talks plus the fact that she’s the perfect foil to Pocket Jungle makes her feel like bona fide villain at times! The other characters are good, but those two are so good that they make up for any shortcomings of everyone else. This movie is beautiful by the way. The colors, lighting, and shadows are so detailed that it almost felt gratuitous. It also has plenty of special scenes that use so many colors and different styles that they look hallucinogenic most times. Everyone’s expressions are so good, too. It’s like they took Kitasan Black’s faces in Episode 11’s race and put that kind of effort everywhere. It’s especially helpful that both Pocket Jungle and Agnes Tachyon inherently lend themselves to making such intense and sinister faces all the time. My only complaint with how the movie looks is when characters take on a jokey, gross “melting” style, but even then that thankfully that stops showing up entirely after a point somewhat early on. As for the races, they’re about what you’d expect. I mean that non-derogatorily — it’s simply that there’s not much to say without being too specific. I will say that this movie does a better job at actually telling you what makes each race different instead of just throwing race names at you and letting the stakes do the talking. When each race starts, a big overlay tells you info about the course, most notably how long it is. Then characters weave information into their dialogue by mentioning things like how 2000m is short, or that the Arima Kinen is for all of the popular horse girls. It’s also very nice that we get to hear more of what racers are thinking as they’re racing. My main issue with Beginning of a New Era is actually one that’s always been around: sometimes characters will belt out Buddha-tier advice or insights uncharacteristically. It’s normally not that bad or even noticeable, and I’m definitely not going to complain about hearing advice that’s helpful outside of horse girl racing. But when Pocket Jungle of all people started doing it with nary an apostrophe, it suddenly made her not feel real — like she became a completely different character. Then that thought started seeping to other characters, even outside this movie. Another weird thing about this movie is the ending felt like it was cut off. Minutes before the credits, several huge character developments start…then it literally cuts to an end concert instead of a race that would showcase those exciting developments. I was expecting at least a couple of races after that cut. It wouldn’t be so much that they couldn’t fit it into the movie, but also I reckon it wouldn’t be enough for a sequel movie or series (I was left wondering if that was Cygames’s plan). I’m normally of the opinion that “they don’t have to show everything for it to work/it’s completely fine to leave things to the viewers’ imagination”…but this felt like so much was missing. It was jarring. The movie feels incomplete. It’s not damning, but it’s definitely notable. The movie has a few weak links, but the highs were so high and plentiful that they barely slow down this very fun ride! I’m sure its pacing and visuals are so good that it’ll have people saying that Umamusume should be only movies from now on. I know I thought it a little while I was watching.