Uma Musume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era is a 2024 Japanese animated comedy sports film (anime), directed by Ken Yamamoto from a screenplay by Kiyoko Yoshimura. The film premiered in Japan on May 24, 2024.
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era is a feature-length anime film based on Cygames' wildly popular multimedia franchise that combines sports, drama, and idol culture in an unusual yet established format. The film serves as both a standalone story and an emotional continuation of the themes of rivalry, dreams, and personal growth that have been familiar to the Pretty Derby series. It is a film that aims to usher in a new era for the series, focusing on a new generation of heroines and new challenges.
The story focuses on Jungle Pocket, a young and extremely ambitious Uma Musume who arrives at Tracen Academy with the clear goal of becoming the strongest competitor of her generation. She possesses raw talent, an aggressive competition style, and a strong desire to prove herself, but she quickly realizes that the road to the top is not only strewn with training, but also with psychological trials.
During his training, Jungle Pocket encounters Agnes Tachyon, a brilliant but eccentric rival obsessed with theory and body improvement, and Manhattan Cafe, a quiet, introverted runner burdened by the weight of her past and her own fears. A tense rivalry develops between the three that gradually becomes a driving force for personal growth.
The film follows the preparation for major competitions, the moments of failure and doubt, as well as the internal battles that each of the heroines must fight. Without relying on surprising twists, the plot builds emotional tension through the gradual evolution of the characters, raising questions about the meaning of victory, the price of ambition and the need for one's own path.
The direction relies on dynamic visual energy, especially during the racing scenes, which are animated with an impressive sense of speed, tension and physical effort. The camera often follows the characters closely, emphasizing their emotions through details in expressions and movement. The contrast between the noisy racing and the quiet, almost meditative moments off the track is key to the overall tone. The film uses the well-known style of the franchise, but develops it with a more mature dramaturgy that gives a sense of a new beginning - just as the title suggests.
The voice performances are among the strongest elements of the film and give depth to the characters:
Yuri Fujimoto like Jungle Pocket — an energetic, impulsive, and emotionally charged interpretation of a heroine driven by instinct and ambition.
Sumire Uesaka as Agnes Tachyon — intellectual, slightly manic, and extremely charismatic, with a voice that emphasizes her strange genius.
Yui Ogura like Manhattan Cafe — quiet, melancholic, and deeply emotional, whose restraint brings a strong dramatic impact.
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era is an emotionally charged sports anime film that goes beyond the typical sequel. It offers a more mature take on themes of ambition, identity, and the cost of success, without losing the energy and optimism that are characteristic of the franchise.
The film is suitable for both longtime fans and viewers looking for an inspiring story of rivalry and personal journey, delivered with dynamic animation and a strong emotional core. It is a beginning that truly feels like a new era.
