Rating: 3/5
- I had zero context going into this, my friend dragged me
- Originated as a game https://umamusume.com/
- All key horse girl characters are based off of real race horses
- Adapted into a multi-season anime with several movies
- solid animation, fun techniques used to emphasize each character’s’ desperate desire to win, and intense moments of the race
- silly premise and character designs. hard to take horsegirls wearing sometimes questionable outfits, running at 80+ mph, seriously
- i do love rivalry dynamics, and enjoyed seeing how the two main characters drove each other to grow
thoughts
Even though I’m generally not drawn to watching sports, there is something about feel-good sports stories that really inspire you to try harder and chase your passion no matter what. This felt similar to Haikyuu!, where the protagonist is outrageously optimistic, ambitious, and single-mindedly driven to push themselves past their limits.
In a race, everyone is fighting for the same thing. To win. Every athlete has worked hard to reach that level, everyone is at the top of the field, but only one can be #1.