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Uma Musume: Beginning of a New Era Film's 1st 7 Minutes Streamed
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
TOHO's YouTube channel started streaming the first seven minutes of the Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Shinjidai no Tobira (Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era), the new anime film in the Uma Musume Pretty Derby franchise, for a limited one-month period, on Monday. The video features the film's theme song "Ready!! Steady!! Derby!!" composed by singer-songwriter Masayoshi Ōshi.
The film's staff also announced its cheering screenings in five theaters in five prefectures in Japan on Saturday, June 29:
The film's cheering screenings will be held at the following prefectures and cinemas:
- Hokkaido: TOHO CINEMAS Susukino
- Tokyo: TOHO CINEMAS Ikebukuro
- Aichi: Midland Square Cinema
- Osaka: TOHO CINEMAS Namba
- Fukuoka: T-JOY HAKATA
During the cheering screenings the "Trainers" (fans) are allowed to cheer (as if watching a real race), and bring "cheering goods" or props such as lightsticks.
The film opened in Japan on May 24. It sold 226,600 tickets and earned 354 million yen (about US$2.25 million) in its first three days, and ranked at #2 in its opening weekend. The film has sold a total of 660,000 tickets, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,055,188,020 yen (about US$6.62 million) as of June 16.
The film follows Jungle Pocket, who wishes to participate in the Triple Crown Classic race, which can only be run once in a lifetime. She faces rivals Agnes Tachyon and Manhattan Cafe.
Ken Yamamoto (Pokémon: Hisuian Snow) directed the anime at Cygames. Kiyoko Yoshimura (Cardfight!! Vanguard G) wrote the script. Tetsuya Kobari (Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 3) was credited as scenario director and for series composition. Jun Yamazaki (Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top) was the character designer and chief animation director. TOHO is distributing the film.
The anime franchise includes three previous TV anime seasons, the Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top net anime, and the Umayon spinoff television anime.
The Uma Musume Pretty Derby game launched in February 2021 for iOS and Android. The game was originally slated for a release in winter 2018, and was delayed in order to raise the game's quality. The game launched on PC via DMM Games in March 2021.
The game's concept begins with Uma Musume (Horse Girls), girls endowed with excellent running capability, and who aim to become top idols and compete in the national sports entertainment show "Twinkle Series." Players take the role of both teacher and trainer for the girls in the Nihon Uma Musume Training Center Gakuen (Japan Horse Girls Training Center Academy) and help them make their debut.
Sources: TOHO's YouTube channel, Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era film's website, Anime! Anime! (仲瀬 コウタロウ)
