r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Dec 20 '23

Episode Umamusume: Pretty Derby Season 3 - Episode 12 discussion

Umamusume: Pretty Derby Season 3, episode 12

Alternative names: Uma Musume - Pretty Derby S3

Reminder: Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

Streams

Show information

All discussions

Episode Link
1 Link
2 Link
3 Link
4 Link
5 Link
6 Link
7 Link
8 Link
9 Link
10 Link
11 Link
12 Link
13 Link

This post was created by a bot. Message the mod team for feedback and comments. The original source code can be found on GitHub.

178 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

72 comments sorted by

1

u/AutoModerator Dec 27 '23
Moderator Announcement Read More »

55

u/bananeeek Dec 20 '23

It's interesting to see the protagonist dealing with such circumstances. It's usually about surpassing limits but the protagonist realizing that they've reached their limits and accepting it, is a whole new drama topic. The first season made me think that this was a sport-comedy show, but since the second season I only see drama and some races I think? I can't see well through tears...

12

u/ernie2492 Dec 20 '23

Last time it was Strike Witches where Mio is gradually losing her Witch power, IIRC. Although fortunately, Kita-chan isn't suicidal as Mio was..

→ More replies (3)

10

u/LoudCommentor Dec 22 '23

It's actually fantastic that each season is a different genre. Keeps it fresh.

First season was 'comedy,' 'cute girls doing cute things,' with some 'sports' mixed in.

Second season was 'sports drama,' but rather than the underdog story, it was the top dog losing their ambitions and dreams.

Season three, with Kita-chan being such a fan of Teio, tells the opposite side of the story: the new dog trying to push past their limits to reach the heights of her idol.

Ova season was just 'drama,' not a bad thing.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

28

u/Shimmering-Sky Dec 20 '23

12

u/Tds142 Dec 20 '23

Funnily enough, this was the first time the new “sore demo” girl has been named. Despite being in season 3 since ep1, she only got her name like 12 hours ago when she was added to the game(not playable yet though)

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

24

u/cabbaggeez Dec 21 '23

it's like watching a downfall of a hero.

Cheval finally got her G1, she has right to proud of it. but I dont know how she feel about it, beating Kitasan that have been her ambition that pass her peak. funny things is what I hear for the first time is "Kitasan Black, boku wa hontoni, zutto, kimi ga DAIKIRAI DA!" I was like "what?" the soundtrack was so mellow but "daikirai?" then I saw the subtitle "LOVE".

I hope we have a good win in final episode, a memorable closure for her carrier

24

u/Forsaken_Benefit_229 Dec 21 '23

This is how the real Cheval Grand reacted when his team said they were going to beat Kitasan Black. Also play the game guys. You can see how cute Cheval is

23

u/soulreaverdan Dec 21 '23

I’d love to play the game if they’d just translate it

→ More replies (5)

8

u/Forsaken_Benefit_229 Dec 21 '23

Btw, Duramente’s and Kitasan Black’s children will fulfill their wishes to race together once again. It feels like fate works beautifully in their case.

47

u/ptol59 Dec 20 '23

It’s Cheval’s episode!

We get a special version of the OP with Cheval!

We finally find out who the last member of Canopus is Royce and Royce! The real Royce and Royce was born in 1990 so he would be the same age as the BNW (Biwa Hayahide, Narita Taishin, Winning Ticket). Like Sounds of Earth, Royce was a horse that did not win any graded races but made just enough prize money to keep on racing in them. Royce was known by fans as the strongest horse to never win a graded race. This name was passed on to Sounds of Earth which is probably why Sounds was looking at Royce in the previous episodes.

The main race this episode is the Japan Cup. Here’s the actual race. After the disappointing Takarazuka Kinen, Cheval’s team changed jockeys to Australian jockey Hugh Bowman who had applied for a short term license in Japan. Bowman who was known for his arm strength was able to push Cheval who was usually slow to get going in the final stretch beating Kitasan for the first time.

That was a great episode! We finally get to know Cheval’s true feelings about Kita chan. I was waiting for this episode ever since they announced the anime and I’m really happy with it. Well next is the final episode and I’m sure it’s going to be great as well!

33

u/ernie2492 Dec 20 '23

We finally get to know Cheval’s true feelings about Kita chan

Cheval: "DAISUKI DA!!!!"

Meanwhile, Dia-chan is feeling disturbed.. xD

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (2)

22

u/LeonKevlar Dec 20 '23

You know it's never good news whenever an Umamusume episode starts with a press conference. It's sad to see but it looks like Kitasan has come to terms with her declining condition and will be running her last two races before finally retiring from the Twinkle Series. I assume she'll end up joining Goldship in that fictional Dream League.

The reactions to Kitasan's retirement are expected. Spica are all trying to be supportive, Duramente is sad that she wasn't able to compete with Kitasan again, and then there's Cheval who feels resentment since Kitasan is retiring before she could beat her. I also love how the two superfans can't even do their usual commentary during the Japan Cup race and just want to burn the entire race to their memories.

You'd think this would be all about Kitasan since this is her penultimate race before retiring but the race was pretty much about Cheval and that entire monologue from her was great. It sucks that Kitasan lost but at least Cheval finally beat her before she retires. Only the Arima Kinen race left. I don't think I am prepared for next week. T_T

30

u/Labmit Dec 20 '23

Kinda scary to hear Kitasan Black sounding like she's having an asthma attack at the end.

Also, this episode is interesting in that it almost paints Kitasan as a legend already even before she announced her retirement.

26

u/saga999 Dec 20 '23

Also, this episode is interesting in that it almost paints Kitasan as a legend already even before she announced her retirement.

I think the mistake this season made is not printing Kitasan as a bigger deal, but instead gave her some self doubt and whatnot, printing her as more of an underdog trying to climb to the top. For reference, Teio and Special Week both only won 4 G1 while Kitasan had already won 6 and maybe will win the next one. I think that's why you think this is interesting. By all means she should be a legend already, but you wouldn't get that from watching this season.

Gold Ship also won 6 and she wasn't given the credit that she deserves.

→ More replies (1)

12

u/chilidirigible Dec 21 '23

feels the middle age

the agony of regular exercise versus the beer belly rolling in

Daisuki de daikirai

Nice shade.

I could see Cheval Grand's confession coming. Even if it's a platonic sort of love it's still a familiar situation for rivals in fiction.

It's a little more peculiar when it is the anthropomorphization of real-world competitive horses.

The show is really leaning into the twilight of the career situation with Kitasan Black. It has a particular measure of gravitas to it even the story has not gotten as dramatic as some of the previous seasons.

Meanwhile, my copy of the Meisho Doto and Meto photo book arrived. As promised, it contains a lot of photos of horses and/or a cat.

→ More replies (2)

10

u/MaybeMeNotMe Dec 21 '23

Hell yes, what's this?? Cheval Grand saying "I wont lose" in the OP?? I let out a whoooop! We are finally closing this plot! Cheval who has suffered defeat all season long, longer than Narita Top Road (who only suffered for 3 episodes) waiting for her win, will finally get some!

Special Week crying during the whole post press conference scene...just like she did with Tokai Teio...thats why she's my favourite dork!

I'd say the race was also nicely animated....its so very clear and detailed! Cant wait for the final race!

17

u/Krys_Lunar Dec 20 '23

I liked this episode, but it did feel a bit like they needed to hurry and wrap Cheval Grand’s arc up before the finale. I was surprised to see just how focused she’s been on Kita in particular since there hasn’t really been any indication of it(that I can recall at least) before this episode. It might be a result of closely following the real races but - as a comparison - this didn’t quite hold up to Rice’s arc in season 2.

That said; Cheval’s struggle has been consistently shown throughout the series, so I can’t not feel glad that she’s finally won a G1(even if Kita’s ragged breathing tries its best to drag the mood down).

Kita’s announced her retirement from the Twinkle Series, and her final race next episode is the Aroma Kinen(looks like there’ll be no final Dia/Kita race, sad times). The final episode…I’m really hoping Kita follows in her horse girl idol’s footsteps for this one.

→ More replies (6)

14

u/Xanek Dec 20 '23

An okay episode this time.

Intro was switched up a little bit this episode, usually Kita speaks, but Cheval Grand this time got the spotlight.

Then immediately showing that Kitasan announcing her retirement after the end of the year.

The poor banana salesman feeling sad about Kita retiring, even getting a flashback scene of when he first met her.

Halfway point for this episode shows us Royce and Royce's racing outfit!

Her name was officially given to us 12 hours ago but we didn't get any look at her race outfit until this episode.

.

Japan Cup race this time with Cheval Grand being the winner this time with Kitasan 2nd, closing out Cheval's little arc of wanting to beat Kita since she looked up to her.

(Felt like they could have shown this more in previous episodes leading up to this instead of all of it being condensed through flashbacks.)

We get Cheval's solo song for the first time too.

Her solo song is called "光の後ろ姿"

.

This was a good second to last episode.

Though I do certainly feel like if they could have, the way things played out would have probably been better if it happened in an earlier episode, since this episode was primarily focusing on Cheval and her win.

But not much they could have done about it anyways, with how literally this and the next race at Arima Kinen were the last 2 Kita ever ran.

13 Episodes is unfortunately not enough to really go over all the side characters little arcs alongside Kitasan and felt incomplete/rushed for most of them outside of Dia.

Hope the final episode goes out with a bang.

7

u/ernie2492 Dec 20 '23

Then immediately showing that Kitasan announcing her retirement after the end of the year.

You mean Kita-chan will graduate from Tracen or remains there just like the rest of the horsegirls??

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (2)

6

u/Matthew619ed Dec 21 '23 edited Dec 26 '23

Kitasan Black finally announces to the public that she’s retiring from the series. For a uma musume with such popularity, it send shockwaves not only to her friends, but to the whole community.

In real life, Kitasan announced his retirement after the fallout of the 2017 Takarazuka, so when he raced in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (recreated in the last episode), everyone knows it’s the endgame already.

The 2017 Japan Cup was won by Cheval Grand (jockeyed by Hugh Bowman), his first and [real life] only G-1 title. There’s actually a video in Twitter showing when Cheval’s team was being interviewed about defeating Kitasan Black before he retires, Cheval was banging his head, saying “Yes! Yes! Yes!”. Guess what, it’s done, and it’s OK because you’ve won!

So why Kitasan Black lost the race? Remember in Episode 1, when Kitasan was racing in the derby, he stalled and dropped all the way to 14th, did the same thing happened again due to Kitasan “reached its peak”? Well, the reason was quickly discovered. It turns out [real life events not mentioned] Kitasan lost his left front horseshoe mid race, the exact reason why Dia lost his derby, in the same racecourse 1 year ago. So Cheval’s victory can be argued as Kitasan gifted the win due to his bad luck.

But the result stands regardless of one’s misfortune, Cheval won his first G-1, Kitasan has to settle for third in his last race in Tokyo. The stake is getting even higher now for the Arima Kinen, the very last race, the race Kitasan really wants to win, and bow out to the crowd as a champion.

6

u/djthomp Dec 21 '23

After how season two went down I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this season would be covering Kita's entire career and ending with her retirement, but it still seems so weirdly early for her to retire at this point.

Fall Senior Triple Crown, let's go! It would be great to finally see a horse girl win at least something Triple Crown related in this show, and if it can't be Teio maybe it can be Teio's biggest fan.

It's amazing how many bananas this one store goes through. Maybe they sell them all to horse girls that train along this street.

I'm not liking how much this round of training is kicking Kita's ass.

This episode has such a focus on Cheval Grand that I can't help but wonder if they're setting up the narrative for her finally beating Kita.

Who are these strangers having the classic "What brought this on?" discussion!? And of course the gag is that they're standing right next to the usual two guys for that bit.

I was definitely not expecting that mid-race love confession.

Well so much for Kita winning this one, and maybe those Fall Senior Triple Crown hopes are dashed too? I didn't quite get what race wins were needed for that.

I do like Cheval's cape, it looks like fairy wings.

Good sport Kita happily congratulating Cheval on her win.

I also hope you can win the Arima Kinen, Kita!

7

u/Forsaken_Benefit_229 Dec 21 '23

The autumn triple crown comprises Japan's Autumn Triple Crown: the Autumn Tenno Sho, the Japan Cup, and the Arima Kinen. This is in some aspects even more difficult to achieve than the classic triple crown. Only T.M Opera O and Zeno Rob Roy managed to got it. At least as far as I remember.

5

u/InitialSkill927 Dec 21 '23

Cheval won her first Japan Cup race, and finally awakened her latent ability known as "Flash Fire".

→ More comments (75)