Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 3

Episode 10

I find myself at a most pressing crossroads with this episode of Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 3. I know the series is based on the lives and times of actual racehorses, but that's not a subject I'm knowledgeable about, save for what I've seen recreated in anime form. So I could check wiki pages to brush up on how things turned out for our erstwhile equestrians, but I've thus far preferred to remain "unspoiled." But then this week's episode has things start looking just a bit ominous for this season's mane mare, Kitasan Black. It's the sort of foreshadowing that Uma Musume has traded in before, depicting a humbling race loss for her and setting up for more challenging times ahead. I am concerned about what happens to Kita, wondering if I might reassure myself that her career, and this season, is set to finish on an upswing or if I really must brace myself for some imminent equine tragedy.

That's all a testament to the sharp sports-show storytelling this episode of Uma Musume continues with. It's a classic case of making things appear to be going too well before demonstrating how it can all come crashing down. However, in this case, that old pacing trick is enhanced by how the series climaxed last week: Kita, along with Dia, seemed to reach the apex of what they were striving for, with only some victory laps, however ambitious, around the world stage awaiting. The promise of Kita's "Festival" had been fulfilled as a metaphor by her cheering crowd, so why not make it that much more literal with an actual festival in this week's episode?

The first half of this episode parties like you'd think only a grand finale could. A whole stable of horse girls is on display doing their contractually obligated horse girl things. Oguri Cap eats a bunch. Cheval Grand throws a ball real hard. There's a whole sequence of seeing established horse girls, including Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, dressed in butler outfits because this show is catering to me, specifically. They even include Special Week's mom! Even if some parts of the exercise seem like nakedly cynical sales pitches for new gacha game skins (I see you there Halloween-themed Rice Shower!), you're still guaranteed at least one sensible chuckle or "D'awww" moment at some point during all this.

This enthusiastic depiction of Kitasan Black's Best Day Ever builds up some narrative purpose, even before the punishing payoff. The continuation of the character's story is reinforced, particularly in hearing how Duramente now sees her as an actual rival. Kita reiterates how she's aiming for that bigger, worldwide stage, and damn near the entire franchise gathers around to cheer her on. At this point, how could they not?

The recounting of racing seasons means that the passage of time has always been a defining element of Uma Musume. But arriving at this point in Kita's career, Season 3 makes that time felt more than the series ever has. It's only been ten episodes, but how Kita and Trainer recount how far she's come makes the arc of her growth apparent. It's probably also enhanced by how the viewers have been following Kita since she was a little baby horse. But that satisfaction at this stop in the road questions how much further she has to travel down it. The episode lingers on the detail of a no-name horse girl dropping out after coming as far as she could in her career. Kita's mysterious cold, which she forces herself to get over too quickly, rings as a harbinger of cruel fate. Even Trainer seems to sense something is up, torturing his peers and the audience by not revealing his true misgiving about letting Kita step onto the world stage. He's worried, and he's right to be by the end.

Kita's loss here is one of those things that's easy to predict simply because of its pacing. This is another course that Uma Musume has run before, but that doesn't make it less impactful. Kita's pushing of her limits against her illness could only turn out badly; I know that as I have seen a season or two of this anime before. The race holds the background music back ominously, marking things as Wrong even as the audience (both in-series and out) still futilely cheers for Kita. She attempts to repeat her push for more speed, which has served her well before, but making her move doesn't move her anywhere. It's a tragedy in a seemingly clear-cut weakening of ability.

Here in the home stretch now does Season 3 feel like it's gearing up for the major drama that defined its predecessors. I can't say exactly how it will go about that without spoiling the story of Kitasan Black the horse for myself. I hope Kitasan Black the horse girl will be okay. That this episode got my anxiety up like this, even after all that filly fanservice in the first half, means it must be doing something right.

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Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 3 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Chris is excited to be back for the mane event, and is hoping he won't have to be a neigh-sayer. You can catch him horsing around on his blog, as well as Twitter, though he doesn't expect that to be around furlong.