Inspiration to push yourself to do better can come from anywhere. For many, it’s a—hopefully—lighthearted rivalry. For some reason, nothing inspires a person to be better than seeing someone else do better, in their opinion. I think people like having a rival because if they beat them, or even get close, they can truly see their own growth. It’s hard to criticize yourself, and I think people are more willing to see where they can improve when they compare themselves. I enjoy healthy rivalries where characters push each other to be better. What happens when a character can’t beat their rival but can never challenge them again? What do you do with those ambitions you never got to realize? I saw Umamusume: Pretty Derby—Beginning of a New Era on an absolute whim, knowing nothing more about the show than it’s the horse girl anime. It was beautiful.
Beginning of a New Era follows a new generation of Umamusume—the horse girls—straying from the names I was semi-familiar with through memes alone, introducing fresh characters. Junge Pocket attends a race, getting the opportunity to see Fuji Kiseki in action. Seeing the speed and determination of the racer lights a fire in Poke’s—Jungle Pocket’s nickname—heart. She knows more than anything that she wants to be on the racetrack competing. The movie very gently delves into what it means to be an Umamusume, to have the instinct that screams at them to run. No one knows why; it’s just in their nature. That through line made me want to know more about Uamusume, and what jobs do the ones who don’t race get? Agnes Tachyon looks at the world from a scientific point of view, trying to answer the question of how far an Umnamusume can push themselves. What is the limit on their bodies? The first time Poke races against Tachyon, she’s overwhelmed by Tachyon’s speed. It’s taunting and breaks records. Poke finds her rival and plans on beating her.
I like the way the film mentions Umamusume having their own language to each other when they run. They can say and feel things running together that words can’t always convey. Poke is so quick to take on Tachyon and be inspired by her because, to Poke, Tachyon’s running asks Poke if she’s fast enough. Can she break through her own limits? Poke doesn’t have an answer, being left in the dust for three races. Later in the film, Fuji races Poke to get her to see her inner strength without sharing those exact words. Poke’s trainer actually tried to talk to her prior, but his words didn’t reach her. It makes the races feel even more emotional. Umamusume’s lives revolve around racing; it shapes them as horse girls.
Following real-life events, Tachyon suddenly retires after 4 races at the peak of her career with no intention of returning to racing due to injury. This tears Jungle Pocket apart. Poke tries to convince Tachyon to race again, but is instead encouraged by Tachyon to surpass her. Poke wins her next race, but something eats away at her. It’s gradual, and we watch it build until she starts losing races. Poke is haunted by what-ifs because she wasn’t able to beat Tachyon. If Tachyon hadn’t stepped down from racing, would Poke be where she is now? Would she have won? Was her current racing career a fluke? It haunts Poke, and she starts to doubt her skills because she’ll never truly get to prove herself in a way that she’s satisfied with. Racing with Fuji is what brings her confidence back, encouraging Poke to look at the future path she’s on. You can’t dwell on what if, only on what happened and what to do next.
Tachyon is cold and reserved, announcing to everyone she doesn’t care for racing, just results. She’s studying the growth of Umamusume and where their physical limit lies. She’s a scientist above all else and has research to conduct; everyone else is a test subject. I believed her at first; I thought Tachyon didn’t care if she was out on the track. The truth is, she was scared. A major injury is career-ending for an Umamusume, and running the way she did, pushing herself to her limits, would eventually catch up with her and cause Tachyon to lose. Is it worse, though, to be a star known for losing a race due to an injury or to be forgotten altogether? When Poke starts to win races, and her name is cheered from the stands, Tachyon feels a shadow settle over her name. She’s already becoming the girl who was, and she’s envious. She slowly realizes she didn’t want to be forgotten; she wanted to race. Luckily, the movie ends on a hopeful note with Tachyon stepping foot back on the racetrack.
Not only was Beginning of a New Era more emotional than I expected, but it was also more beautiful than I expected. Cygames made sure their budget was used to bring only the best animation to the big screen. Watching Tachyon use her special ability and enter her own world of speed was breathtaking. In that moment, I felt like I could connect to her and the way she experiences racing. When the background blurred as Jungle Pocket and Dantsu Flame chased their dreams running neck and neck at full speed, I felt my heart thump. The races were tense, and I had my breath held during the final one. It was a beautifully animated film.
There are some side stories that brush against Poke and Tachyon’s rivalry. Dantsu Flame—who became my favorite—becomes inspired by watching Poke challenge Tachyon. In that moment, Dantsu realizes she needs to take training and races more seriously if she wants to see herself in the winner’s circle. She won’t be left behind. We also meet Manhattan Café briefly; she’s a sickly girl who has a hard time physically pushing herself, as it exhausts her. She ends up injured or sick after her races. She beats Poke in a race when Poke is starting to doubt her abilities. Manhattan Café has the unique ability to see a friend during races that no one else can see. This friend pushes Café to run faster, and she swears no one else, but her will catch up to this mystery specter. I did a bit of digging, and the community thinks that this phantom horse friend is Manhattan Café’s father, Sunday Silence. Café is trying to catch up to her legacy and won’t let anyone else take that from her. She admits Tachyon was close; it only cost her everything.
Umamusume Pretty Derby Beginning of a New Era was an intense story of rivalry and battling the mental strain of self-doubt that ended in a cute idol concert. The theater I saw the film in was nearly empty, but I’ve seen videos of theaters with cosplayers who brought their own light sticks, and I love that. The community is vibrant and friendly, and this movie pulled me down the fan rabbit hole. I’ve started planning a Dante’s Inferno cosplay, and I picked up the game. I haven’t completed a full goal list for any character, but I’ve come close! I see why Pretty Derby won the mobile game of the year award; it’s more than raising stats and winning races. Each girl has her own dreams to follow, and I got attached to each Uma through story scenarios. I really got to see each girl’s unique personality. There’s nothing like watching the Umamusume I’ve been training use her special and take off down the track to take first in the last few seconds of the race. Who’s your favorite horse girl?
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