Umamusume:Pretty Derby[b] is a Japanese anime television series adaptation of its namesake franchise. Created by Cygames,the main anime series,focusing on the journeys of members of Team Spica and their races,aired for three seasons from 2018 to 2023. The first season,produced by P.A. Works,aired from April to June 2018. A second season now produced by Studio Kai,with the former studio assisting in its production,aired from January to March 2021. A third season produced solely by Studio Kai aired from October to December 2023.
Alongside the main anime series,multiple anime spin-offs have been made. An anime television series adaptation of the manga Umayon aired from July to September 2020. Its sequel,titled Umayuru,was released from October 2022 to March 2023. A web anime produced by Cygames' in-house animation studio CygamesPictures titled Umamusume:Pretty Derby –Road to the Top was released from April to May 2023. An anime film also produced by CygamesPictures titled Umamusume:Pretty Derby –Beginning of a New Era premiered in Japan in May 2024. An anime television series adaptation of the mangaUmamusume:Cinderella Gray produced by CygamesPictures aired from April to December 2025,with a short spin-off anime titled Umayuru:Pretty Gray being released from April to May 2025.
A second season, with a returning cast and Studio Kai replacing P.A. Works in animation production, with the latter studio assisting on the production, aired from January 5 to March 30, 2021.[10][11][12] The opening theme is "Yume o Kakeru!" (ユメヲカケル！; "Run for Our Dreams!"), performed by Team Spica, while the ending theme is "Komorebi no Yell" (木漏れ日のエール; "Sunbeam Cheer"), performed by Tokai Teio (Machico) and Mejiro McQueen (Ōnishi). On February 22, 2022, a short serving as the epilogue to the second season, "1st Anniversary Special Animation", was released on YouTube to commemorate the first anniversary of the game.
A third season was announced on November 6, 2022.[13][14][15] Shingo Nagai and Tetsuya Kobari supervised the scripts, while Studio Kai and the rest of the main staff returned from previous seasons. The season aired from October 5 to December 28, 2023.[16][17] The opening theme is "Soshite Minna no" (ソシテミンナノ), performed by Kitasan Black (Hinaki Yano), Satono Diamond (Hina Tachibana), Satono Crown (Sayumi Suzushiro), Cheval Grand (Yūko Natsuyoshi), Sounds of Earth (Makiko), and Duramente (Akina), while the ending theme is "Akogare Challenge Dash!!" (アコガレChallenge Dash!!; "Longing for a Challenge Dash!!"), performed by Kitasan Black (Yano) and Team Spica.
Original net animations
An anime television series based on the four-panel manga spinoff Umayon (うまよん) aired from July 7 to September 22, 2020. The series is directed by Seiya Miyajima at DMM.futureworks and W-Toon Studio.[18] A Blu-ray box set, which includes 12 new episodes, was released on December 8, 2021.[19]
A new short anime series titled Umayuru (うまゆる) was announced on May 5, 2022. It is animated by Scooter Films with Miyajima returning to direct and design the characters, with Seiichirō Mochizuki and Yumi Suzumori writing the screenplay. It was released on YouTube from October 16, 2022, to March 26, 2023.[20][21][22][23]
A new short anime series focusing on characters based on renowned gray racehorses, titled Umayuru: Pretty Gray (うまゆる ぷりてぃ〜ぐれい), was released on YouTube from April 30 to May 6, 2025.[24][25][26]
Spin-offs and film
An anime ONA series titled Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Road to the Top (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー Road to the Top, Umamusume Pretty Derby: Rōdo tū za Toppu) was announced on May 4, 2022.[27][28][29] It is animated by CygamesPictures and directed by Cheng Zhi Liao, with Tetsuya Kobari supervising the scripts and serving as scenario director, and Jun Yamazaki designing the characters and serving as chief animation director.[30] The series was released on YouTube from April 16 to May 7, 2023.[16] The theme song is "Glorious Moment!", performed by Narita Top Road (Kanna Nakamura), Admire Vega (Hitomi Sasaki), and T. M. Opera O (Sora Tokui). A compilation film opened in Japanese theaters on May 10, 2024.[31]
An anime film titled Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era (ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 新時代の扉, Umamusume Pretty Derby: Shinjidai no Tobira) was announced on December 28, 2023.[32][33] It is animated by CygamesPictures and directed by Ken Yamamoto, with Kiyoko Yoshimura writing the script, Tetsuya Kobari serving as scenario director and story organizer, Jun Yamazaki designing the characters and serving as chief animation director, and Masaru Yokoyama composing the music. The film was released in Japanese theaters on May 24, 2024.[34][35] GAGA Corporation International later released the film in North American theaters on February 27, 2026.[36]
An anime television series adaptation of the Umamusume: Cinderella Gray manga was announced on August 23, 2024. It is produced by CygamesPictures and directed by Yūki Itō and Takehiro Miura, with Aki Kindaichi handling series composition, Takuya Miyahara and Keigo Sasaki designing the characters, and Kenji Kawai composing the music.[37] The series aired in two split cours on TBS and its affiliates, with the first cours airing from April 6 to June 29, 2025,[37] and the second cours airing from October 5 to December 21, 2025.[38] For the first cours, the opening theme is "Koeru" (超える; "Surpass"), performed by Alexandros,[39][40][41] while the ending theme is "∞" (Infinity), performed by Oguri Cap (Tomoyo Takayanagi). For the second cours, the opening theme is "Spurt Syndromer" (スパートシンドローマー), performed by 10-Feet, while the ending theme is "Futari" (ふたり; Us), performed by Oguri Cap (Takayanagi) and Tamamo Cross (Naomi Ōzora).[42][43][44]Remow licensed the series for streaming on Amazon Prime Video (North America), the It's Anime YouTube channel (select regions), Anime Onegai (Latin America), ADN (Europe), and Netflix (Asia-Pacific).[45]
Reception
The Blu-ray release of the second season of the anime television series became the highest-selling home video release of a television anime series in Japan.[46][47]
Between April and June 2025, it was ranked number one in the world in the AniLab Global Weekly Anime Rankings a total of four times.[48] In the spring 2025 season, it took first place in the weekly rankings of Anime Trending, a major voting site for overseas anime fans, in its seventh week, beating out Weekly Shonen Jump's Witch Watch, and continued to hold the top spot until the final episode.[49][50]Uma Musume Cinderella Gray took first place in the weekly rankings of Anime Trending for the fall 2025 season, and won the Best Anime of 2025.[51]
Uma Musume Cinderella Gray won the Spring Anime Award on Anime Corner, an international website used by 20 million people monthly across the global community.[52] It was described as a "true Cinderella story" as the first time in history that a series topped the final ranking despite not having topped the weekly rankings.[53] Overseas fans and viewers commented on the series' late-stage comeback, saying it was "just like Oguri Cap (from the series)".[52]
4コマ漫画「うまよん」アニメ化決定！. ウマ娘プロジェクト公式サイト (in Japanese). Cygames. December 15, 2018. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
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