The third season of the Uma Musume Pretty Derby franchise is set to premiere on October 4 at 12:00 a.m. JST (effectively October 5), as announced on the official website. A promotional video and key visual were unveiled, featuring a spotlight on Kitasan Black.
The upcoming season brings back the familiar cast, ensuring a continuation of the beloved story. Once again, Kei Oikawa will take the directorial reins at Studio KAI.
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Yousuke Kabashima and Tomoko Tsuji resume their roles as co-character designers, while Satoru Fujimoto returns as chief animation director alongside Manabu Nii. Satisfying the creative needs, Shingo Nagai and Tetsuya Kobari will be in charge of series composition.
Stepping back in time, the debut season of Uma Musume Pretty Derby graced screens in April 2018, with Crunchyroll simulcasting the series. Complementing this was an “BNW no Chikai” (BNW’s Oath) anime bundled with the fourth Blu-ray Disc volume of the original series in December 2018. The second season continued the racing fervor in January 2021, also available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
For devoted fans, Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top, a net anime, galloped onto YouTube on April 16. The show depicts fierce competitions between iconic Horse Girls like T.M. Opera O, Admire Vega, and Narita Top Road, as they strive for victory in Classic competitions.
Expanding the narrative, the Umayon manga spinoff led to its own television anime in July 2020, concluding in September of the same year. Celebrating the game’s first anniversary, a special online anime premiered in February 2022. Following this, the charming Uma Yuru short anime series made its debut in October 2022.
Originating as a game, Uma Musume Pretty Derby trotted onto the gaming scene in February 2021 for iOS and Android devices. Originally slated for a winter 2018 release, the game’s launch was deferred to ensure the highest quality. March 2021 saw the game’s PC release via DMM Games.
At the core of the game lies the concept of Uma Musume, talented girls with exceptional running abilities, striving to become top idols and contend in the prestigious “Twinkle Series.” Players fulfill the roles of both mentors and trainers at the Nihon Uma Musume Training Center Gakuen (Japan Horse Girls Training Center Academy), guiding the girls toward their dazzling debut.
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Enriching the universe, Cygames extends the franchise’s reach through several spinoff manga on Cycomi, including titles like Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Haru Urara Ganbaru! and Starting Gate: Uma Musume Pretty Derby.
Sources | Uma Musume Pretty Derby anime’s website, MoCa News
