Art: Source
TL by: Hendry Exiam - FB (Xhttps://web.facebook. com/share/p/1DLJV3WRBM/)
"Since I can't include an active link from FB so I just gonna put it like that"

With Oguri Cap too

https://x.com/dog_for_amami/status/2095461802712732100

Source: https://x.com/ZeroKonekoVT/status/2097233739713515953

Source: https://x.com/CoolchouZhao/status/2097025286533443813

Title: Umamusume: My Number One, Daiwa Scarlet!
Genre: Sports, rom-com, slice of life

Previous: Chapter 17

==Chapter 18: Team Aster==

October 28.

The Autumn Tenno Sho had just ended. The roar of tens of thousands shook the Fuji View Stand as the crowd chanted Meisho Samson's name, celebrating her fourth G1 title. At the same time, Admire Moon, who had finished in sixth place, stood frozen on the track. She tilted her head toward the Tokyo sky as tears spilled from her eyes. She had given everything she had for this race, but this time, the Goddess of Victory hadn't even looked her way.

In the spectator seats, the entire Team Aster watched in silence. Mayano Top Gun and Marvelous Sunday embraced each other, tears welling in their eyes. Fusaichi Pandora watched the track with a disappointed frown, while Dream Journey and Eishin Flash remained quietly composed. Trainer Tsubame Aozora closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking back at her trainees.

"It couldn't be helped," Tsubame said bitterly. "Their opponents were strong."

"But they ran a good race, didn't they, Trainer?" Dream Journey said, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

"Well, that's racing," Eishin Flash said solemnly. "Anything can happen, no matter how many titles you have."

Tsubame sighed. She turned around and started walking. "Come on, girls. Let's go wait for them in the changing room."

Back on the track, Admire Moon approached Meisho Samson and extended her hand. "Congratulations on your fourth G1 title, Samson-san," she said as Samson accepted the handshake. "That was a good run. You deserved it."

Samson smiled back at her. "Thank you, Admire Moon-san," she said. "It was also an honor for me to race against you and—" Samson suddenly stopped mid-sentence and glanced around. "—Um... where is she?"

Moon blinked before looking around as well. Her eyes eventually caught a familiar figure already retreating into the tunnel leading toward the changing rooms. She sighed. "Oh, well. I think she just wants some time to reflect on her loss," Moon said, watching the retreating figure disappear into the tunnel.

"She is quite an interesting fellow, isn't she?" Samson said.

"You have no idea..." Moon muttered.

On the other side of the Fuji View Stand, Daiwa Scarlet sat silently, staring at the names listed across the massive Turf Vision. Next to her sat Vodka, casually chewing a piece of bubble gum.

"Well, that was a good race," Vodka said. "Everyone really ran well."

Scarlet didn't answer. She didn't even look at the rival sitting beside her. Her eyes remained fixed on one particular name displayed on the Turf Vision. "Ninth place..." she murmured. Her brow tightened. "She didn't even make the top five."

---

Admire Moon walked sluggishly toward the changing room. As she opened the door, the entire Team Aster was already waiting for her. A brief silence fell among them until Moon finally broke into tears. Tsubame gently pulled her into an embrace. "Shh, shh, it's okay... it's okay," she whispered softly.

"I am so, so sorry, Trainer..." Moon said between hiccups. "I couldn't live up to your expectations."

Tsubame pulled away and looked into her trainee's eyes, her hands still resting on Moon's shoulders. "No, you ran well, Moon..." she said. "And I couldn't be more proud of you." She gently wiped Moon's tears with her thumbs, then looked at everyone else. "Let us take today as a lesson that anything can happen in a race," Tsubame declared, followed by collective nods from the others.

"By the way, Moon-chan," Marvelous Sunday suddenly said, "where is she?"

Moon blinked, then glanced around the changing room. "Huh? I thought she was already here."

"What are you talking about, Moon?" Tsubame tilted her head. "This room was empty when we got here. And no one came in before you."

"I saw her walking back in this direction, Trainer," Moon insisted. "I'm sure of it, because Samson-san and I clearly—" She stopped mid-sentence as everyone's phones suddenly received a message at the same time.

"Oh, it's from our group chat," Mayano said as she took her phone out of her pocket.

Everyone exchanged confused glances before looking down at their respective phones and opening the group chat. A new message was displayed clearly on their screens.

"I'm taking a vacation. Don't wait for me. See you soon."

Everyone stared at their respective phones. Mayano and Marvelous blinked. Flash and Pandora sighed. Moon looked utterly confused. Tsubame didn't say anything either.

"Well..." Tsubame finally said, breaking the silence. "At least she also ran well today. She might return before the Mile Championship..." She paused. "I hope."

Everybody nodded in agreement. Tsubame then turned toward Pandora. "Pandora, the next race is your turn... the Queen Elizabeth II Cup," she said. "Tomorrow, let's shape your body into peak condition for it."

Fusaichi Pandora looked at Tsubame with determination burning in her eyes. "Understood, Trainer," she said firmly. "I'm ready to show everyone how a true genius conquers the track!"

----

Several days passed. November finally came. After a full week of recovery, Akagi Noboru finally returned on duty. His post-recovery didn't even softening him when he was on duty. At contrary, Akagi was on fire. He became more stern and disciplined, showing no mercy for his trainess, including Scarlet, who up until yesteday, was taking care of him.

For team Emerald, Akagi's drill-sargeant persona and the scene of him bickering with Scarlet were just like Tuesday. But for team Icarus, it was something else. They aware that Akagi and Scarlet kept constantly bickering—even more than how much she usually bickering with Vodka. But, looking directly at how disciplined and, perhaps, harsh Akagi's training method was, they started to felt relieved that their trainer was Kondo Mitsuba instead.

"Man, Trainer Noboru is actually scary, fr!" Daitaku Helios commented during their break.

"Now I am actually relieved that our Trainer was at least a little more chill..." Mejiro Palmer said while sipping her drink.

"But... he is still handsome." Kawakami Princess said with blush on her face while looking at the direction where Akagi and Scarlet were still bickering.

"The two are indeed very similar, don't you think?" Cesario noted, "And I am not only talking about their hair, I am talking about their stubbornness."

Vodka didn't say anything as she watched the spectacle between the two, but she nodded in agreement.

"To be honest, this is the first time I saw how Noboru's training method is as well." Kondo grinned. "As I expected he is worthy to be my rival."

---

7 P.M

A local bar in a district a few blocks away from the Academy was crowded as usual. People came and went, most of them looking to unwind after a hectic day at work. Kondo Mitsuba marched inside, with Akagi Noboru following close behind.

"This is, my friend—" Kondo grinned as he patted Akagi on the back. "—the best place to enjoy yourself!"

Akagi glanced around. The place was filled with people—humans and adult Umamusume alike. Some had come alone, others with friends, while a few looked as though they had just survived the longest workday of their lives.

"Welcome—" An Umamusume waitress smiled and politely bowed her head. "—Ah, Mitsuba-san," she said as her eyes met Kondo's. "You came."

Kondo grinned. He pulled out his comb and smoothly ran it through his pompadour. "Ah, Mei-chan. You look gorgeous as usual."

The Umamusume giggled, her cheeks turning red. "Such a flatterer." Her eyes then shifted toward Akagi. "And who might this fine gentleman be?"

"Oh, well... this is my colleague," Kondo said. "Noboru, this is Mei, the girl I told you about." He casually wrapped an arm around Mei's shoulder.

"Oh my, you're a Trainer too?" Mei giggled. "Mitsuba-san told me all about you. Something about you being his rival."

Akagi bowed politely. "Nice to meet you, Mei-san."

"Come on, then. I'll take you to your table," Mei said, leading Akagi and Kondo toward an empty table in the corner.

Akagi and Kondo took their seats. Both men ordered beers and a plate of nachos to share. "So, what do you think about Mei-chan, hmm?" Kondo asked as he lit his cigarette before passing the lighter to Akagi, a smug grin plastered across his face. "I told you she's gorgeous!"

"Well—" Akagi lit his own cigarette, his eyes briefly wandering toward Mei. "I admit, she is indeed beautiful. But I don't know enough about her personality yet."

Kondo rolled his eyes. "Aww, come on, man! Don't be like that!" he huffed. "You're just jealous because I beat you in the romance department!"

Akagi merely chuckled.

After waiting for a while, their order finally arrived. "You weren't kidding. The nachos here are delicious!" Akagi said after taking his first bite.

"I know, right?" Kondo grinned. "And don't forget the drinks here are heavenly!" He poured some beer into his glass.

"Well, well... look who it is!"

A woman's voice came from behind them. Akagi and Kondo slowly turned their heads. Tsubame Aozora stood there, staring down at the two men.

"Aozora-senpai..." Akagi murmured.

Without another word, Tsubame pulled out a chair and took a seat at their table, her eyes narrowing at both Akagi and Kondo.

"Nice to see you too, Tsubame," Kondo said sarcastically as he sipped his beer. "I didn't think someone like you would actually come to a place like this."

"Well, even I need to enjoy myself sometimes, Kondo..." Tsubame said as she gestured for a waitress and placed her order. "By the way, I heard you were sick, Noboru." She turned toward him. "How are you feeling now?"

Akagi blinked. "Oh, I'm fine now. Thank you," he replied.

"So, I heard Team Aster lost at the Tenno Sho," Kondo said with a chuckle. "Too bad for an elite team like yours to finish sixth and ninth."

Tsubame's eye twitched as a vein visibly bulged on her forehead. "Hmph. At least my aces have multiple G1 titles between them. More than I can say for yours, Kondo."

"Hey, at least Vodka was—" Kondo shot back, his voice beginning to rise.

"Both of you, cut it out. We're in a public place!" Akagi's calm demeanor suddenly vanished as his voice cut clearly through their argument. Kondo and Tsubame immediately looked at him, falling silent.

"Fine, I'm sorry," Kondo muttered as he settled back into his chair, while Tsubame merely huffed and looked away.

The tension finally faded. Tsubame's order soon arrived, leaving an awkward silence between the three Trainers.

"So—" Tsubame said, finally breaking the silence. "Tell me, Noboru. I've heard rumors that you're actually harsh when it comes to training. That's something I didn't expect from a Boy Scout-looking guy like you."

"Is that so?" Akagi said, taking a sip of his drink. "Well, I just want everyone to be in top condition and perform at their best."

Tsubame smirked. "I see... you're one of those types." She deliberately took another sip of her drink. "No wonder people say you and Daiwa Scarlet are compatible."

"Well, I can't believe I'm agreeing with her, but yeah, she's right—" Kondo said. "It seems like you and Daiwa Scarlet have formed a bond deeper than that of a mere Trainer and trainee. Something on a more... personal level."

Akagi coughed and looked between Kondo and Tsubame. "Hey, my relationship with Scarlet isn't that deep," he said defensively. "In fact, she often argues with my assessments and sometimes even challenges my decisions!"

"And yet, somehow, she always ends up listening to you," Kondo chuckled. "After the two of you finish arguing, of course."

"To be honest, I don't see anything wrong with us Trainers forming bonds with our trainees," Tsubame said as she poured herself another drink. "The more your trainees trust you, the stronger your cooperation becomes—and the better the results."

"No, no, no. You don't understand, Tsubame." Kondo leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "By personal level, I mean—"

Tsubame's phone suddenly rang, cutting Kondo off completely. "Excuse me for a second," she said before standing up and walking away to answer it. Akagi and Kondo could only watch in silence.

Soon, Tsubame returned to the table and quickly finished the rest of her drink. "I have to go. Urgent matter."

After paying for her drink, Tsubame abruptly left the bar, leaving Akagi and Kondo alone at the table.

----

Tsubame arrived back at the academy and headed straight to Team Aster's basecamp, where Fusaichi Pandora was already waiting for her, sitting alone on the couch.

"Pandora," Tsubame called out to her. "Did something happen?"

Pandora looked up at her. There was uncertainty in her eyes. "Trainer—" Pandora started to speak, hesitating for a moment. "Am I really worthy of participating in this race?"

Tsubame blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. "What are you talking about, Pandora?" she asked, her expression turning concerned. "Is something bothering you?"

Pandora sighed, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "I—I just... The Queen Elizabeth II Cup last year... It still haunts me."

Silence fell between them for a while. Tsubame understood. Despite having already made peace with Kawakami Princess, the fact remained that Pandora's first—and only—G1 title had come because of Kawakami's demotion. And even now, there were still people talking about it on the internet.

"McQueen-senpai told me to stop looking at the past and start looking toward the future, but—" Pandora sighed. "—the result of that race is still haunting me. What if Kawakami hadn't been demoted back then? Would I be the only one on this team who has never won a G1?"

Pandora's voice cracked as tears began to fall.

"Everyone calls me a genius, but... what kind of genius can't even win a G1 by crossing the finish line first?" she said between hiccups.

Tsubame remained quiet, listening to everything Pandora had to say without interrupting. Yes, perhaps it was true. If Kawakami Princess hadn't been demoted in the previous year's Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Fusaichi Pandora would still have zero G1 victories to her name.

"Am I... Am I really worthy of being part of Team Aster, Trainer?" Pandora asked, looking directly into Tsubame's eyes.

Tsubame didn't look away. She understood exactly what Pandora was going through. After a moment, she took a deep breath and sighed. "If you weren't, then I never would have personally scouted you the first day I saw you, Pandora." Tsubame smiled warmly as she gently wiped away Pandora's tears.

"It doesn't matter how many G1 titles you have. As long as you have the spirit to keep fighting and the heart of a champion, then you are worthy of being part of this team," Tsubame continued. "That's why, once again, I'll help get you into perfect condition. Not so you can prove that you belong in Aster—you already do—but so you can show everyone what kind of genius you truly are."

Tsubame then stood up and extended her hand. "Fusaichi Pandora, let me help you conquer the track. This time, show everyone what it looks like when a genius wins with her own strength."

Pandora's eyes widened. She had never felt more supported than she did at that moment. Slowly, a smile appeared on her face as she accepted Tsubame's outstretched hand. "Yes, Trainer..." she said with determination. "I promise. This time, I'll win the race properly!"

---

The very next day, Teams Emerald and Icarus were just finishing their training.

"Aw man, finally I can relax for a bit!" Curren Chan said while stretching her arms above her head. "I have a livestream scheduled tonight. Palmer-senpai, Helios-senpai, want to join as surprise guests?"

"LIVESTREAMING TONIGHT?! COUNT ME IN!" Daitaku Helios yelled excitedly. "I can't wait to show your viewers the new rap song I wrote!"

"Ah, I apologize, Curren," Mejiro Palmer said with a frown. "I have a family gathering at the Mejiro estate tonight, so I think I'll have to pass."

Curren pouted, then her eyes narrowed toward Cesario and Gentildonna.

"No," Cesario and Gentildonna said in unison before Curren could even say a word.

"Aw, come on! You two are always so serious!" Curren huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "Fine then, Machan-senpai, how about... Oh, right, I forgot that Machan-senpai is having break from training."

"How about Sweep over there? I guess she's free tonight," Helios suggested, pointing toward Sweep Tosho, who was sitting nearby reading a magic book.

"Sorry, I have an urgent matter as well," Sweep said, closing her book. "Besides, I have absolutely zero interest in—"

"Oh, but Curren wants to show the viewers the art of magic," Curren said, looking at Sweep with big, pleading puppy-dog eyes.

Sweep blinked, her face immediately flushing. "Ugh, stop looking at me like that, you little—"

Curren didn't stop. In fact, she started batting her eyelashes even more dramatically... until Sweep finally gave up.

"Fine," Sweep groaned. "But only for one session, okay?"

"YAY! Sweep-senpai is the best!" Curren jumped excitedly before hugging Sweep and lifting her clean off the ground—thanks to the wannabe witch's rather compact stature.

"HEY, PUT ME DOWN! THIS IS AN INDIGNITY TO ME, THE GREAT WITCH!"

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Scarlet couldn't take her eyes off Vodka—particularly her legs.

"What are you looking at, Scarlet?" Vodka asked.

"Your legs..." Scarlet narrowed her eyes. "You can't fool me, Vodka. Something is definitely wrong with them. Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been limping for the past few days."

Vodka groaned, rolling her eyes. "Ugh, this again..." she muttered. "I told you I'm alright, okay? Stop overthinking things and mind your own business, Scarlet!"

"H-Hey, I was just worried about you, okay?!" Scarlet barked back, her face reddening. "You should be grateful that I still care about you!"

"Whatever," Vodka said, turning away. "I'm heading back to our dorm. Don't bother following me!"

Scarlet didn't say anything. She simply watched Vodka walk away. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about her stride. Vodka was clearly trying to walk normally, putting on the same confident gait she always did.

But Scarlet knew her better than that. It was slight—barely noticeable unless someone was specifically looking for it—but every few steps, Vodka favored one leg just a little more than the other. Scarlet's expression hardened. She knew it.

Vodka was limping.

[To Be Continued]
Next Chapter: TBA

Sauce: https://x.com/kk_tofu/status/2091481527586886024

Sei-chan, please think about how you dress 🫣

but it gets worse

Sauce

I know the top 2 are Kaneko jailed and the rest of the top 5 seem to be from the 2014 classic gen which has barely been touched (it's only Sounds of Earth currently). 2013 mares haven't been touched upon yet either

Uma Musume is a series whose weirdness on the outside catches my attention with mixed expectations, and I was even a little mixed about its character designs initially. But the more I delve into its philosophies and lenses, the more I appreciate and enjoy its content. It’s such a shame that this franchise has been “polarizing” ever since Global’s release, but that doesn’t really stop me from being a fan of it. The reason for that comes down to how flavorful Uma’s story content is. Most entries do a good job of capturing their messages and character writing across the board. Even some of the weaker titles (with the exception of S3) do justice. However, there are some titles that tend to stand out a little more, and nothing in this series stands out more than Cinderella Gray. CinGrey is such a special title in every single aspect that it’s not wrong to separate it from the rest of the franchise; ranging from the fantastic character designs to the superb narrative to even such breathtaking landings, we’ll get to that later. There’s a lot to talk about in this title, and we’ll get into it right now.

To quickly clue you in, let’s briefly summarize what the plot of Cinderella Gray is. CinGrey initially takes place in Kasamatsu Training Academy and starts with Oguri looking quite poor and dirty, even with some other Umas mocking her initially. As Oguri’s first race begins, she immediately shows her power and wins against most of her opponents, proving the mockers wrong. This led to Fuhimasa March, who is considered to be dominant in Kasamatsu, puzzling Oguri, and already, she’s the first taste of how complicated and intense races get throughout the years. Although Oguri struggled, she eventually won, said goodbye to her new friends, and moved to Tracen, where she’ll learn A LOT. One of her lines is “I run… because I can.” More on this later. Another thing to note is that every single storyline in the Uma Musume franchise is based on a legitimate timeline where certain racehorses show their might and luxury, even though they also give their characters their own stories; here, this is based on the 1987-90 events, when the real Oguri was at his very prime. Because of this, expect this to be one of, if not Uma’s longest, titles out there. Oguri’s history is one of the richest out there, and these events are quite heavy, to say the least. So, how does Cinderella Gray handle all of this? Much to my surprise, when reading the whole thing left to right, BRILLIANTLY! In fact, MORE THAN THAT, and this is where the fun begins.

Cinderella Gray has a lot of things I expect from the Uma Musume series, and even though I never expected perfection to begin with, how it manages to handle all of its story content is beyond me. Now, let’s start with the first elephant in the room: the worldbuilding. Uma Musume, for the most part, does a pretty good job of handling worldbuilding. Say what you will about season 1, but its worldbuilding is surprisingly the best part of that show, as it does a great job showcasing how the Tracen Academy works and how the Umas interact there. Season 2 is kind of a downgrade, but that’s nothing to cry over because it manages to retain most of the charm and appeal anyway. With that said, CinGrey takes worldbuilding to a whole new level by excellently showing the progression from Kasamatsu to Tracen, the relationship between the two, and how they work. Kasamatsu is pretty much the starting place, as seen with Oguri’s struggles against March when they first challenge each other, while Tracen is a very rich academy in a lot of ways, showing Oguri how things get heated over time. This sounds very simple, but in context, it truly shows the details, like expanding on how the Umas live their lives, how they plot things, and so on. I’m not so sure if I can even call this worldbuilding, but I guess the reason for that is that there are titles that tend to blend multiple different story segments into one. But nonetheless, CinGrey is super consistent and elaborative with the worldbuilding.

And if you think that wasn’t enough, the worldbuilding also does a fantastic job of showcasing the races. The rules are made abundantly clear with the tracks and obstacles. Kikuka Sho, Japan Cup, Arima Kinen, and many more. These races perfectly show the conditions and details of how racing would go and how the Umas would interact there. Even though these races may not necessarily show most of what they offer, they still get the lines down amazingly nonetheless. Other titles in the series also follow these things well, sure, but CinGrey still does a better job. Part of the reason why comes down to how the story handles strategizing. This may come as a shock, but Uma doesn’t do that great a job showing strategizing. Even season 2, for as high-quality as it is with its narrative and character writing, sort of lacks in that department, even though it did try. Cinderella Gray manages to put the missing piece on the big puzzle board. While Oguri mostly gets advice from her trainers and/or friends, we can still see how she plans ahead when she faces serious competition. We fully get to see what she could develop, what she should improve upon, and what she should avoid in the first place. All of these things easily give viewers a greater understanding of how the story illustrates a fine line between consequences and solutions. These strategies and the interpretations of them never get old and manage to stay completely stable while still showing us all the details on the fly.

With that out of the way, all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. Cinderella Gray is a perfect mix of being dark and gritty and being lighthearted and fun. While we do get some dumb fun like Oguri’s gluttony, Inari’s gremlin energy, and such, NONE of those would distract from the story’s overly-competent narrative and pacing. CinGrey amazingly nails the dark and gritty aspect because it’s not just about edginess or whatever. It completely illustrates what maturity means, as we saw Oguri (and other main racers) getting her ass kicked and trying to find what the real conclusion is: to accept what reality really is to the point you just let it slide or to dance with your fears until you fully master your steps. Not to mention, you also learn what your journey is, no matter how much you learn from others. CinGrey amazingly nails the lighthearted and fun aspect because it’s not just about wholesomeness or other sorts. It completely illustrates more about friendship and trust, and how they’re not as simple as you may think, but you can still use that to your very own advantage to find happiness, as we saw Oguri building her chemistry with Belno, March and friends, Rudolf, and many others. No matter how complicated things can get, they still find their way to smoothly build their reputations and lives. Both of these things perfectly complement and contrast each other through character progression, which we will also get into later. CinGrey’s vision is essentially a fabled yin-yang, something that most other titles of the same franchise have yet to master, and it has only gotten ever stronger from here.

Still on the story segment of sorts, we all should acknowledge that Uma Musume is far more philosophical/meaningful than anyone thinks, and Cinderella Gray appropriately addresses that. This series is not comedic by nature, and never has been. The reason why comedy exists in the first place is that Cygames needed to find some sort of fanservice in order to keep viewers entertained. With that being said, Cinderella Gray is easily one of the most influential pieces of fiction out there, even by non-Uma standards, and part of that comes down to how it delivers on showing its vision of racing. To race isn’t really to compete with others; you LEARN. You learn not just your strengths and your way to connect with the messages around you/that are important, but how you express yourself as well. Oguri has been learning about racing in many ways, and all of those have been proven since her first interactions with March and Rudolf. But to Oguri, the reason she attends the races is that it’s very fun to her. Let’s go back to the line she said earlier: “I ran… because I can.” Oguri likes to enjoy what she’s attached to, but is forced to learn the consequences; even though things get rough, she slowly understands where things are going. This is incredibly genuine in the sense that it shows that you have your own dream, but you must get the road down first. Not only does it show an organic iron triangle between living your life, going through the chores, and fighting against the chains, but it’s also a valuable lesson YOU can easily learn from. Even if you don’t relate to any character in this series, you can at least understand their consequences and solutions well, and how you can try to mimic those someday. Cinderella Gray’s message is very deep, and the plot is very careful about it. While it may be quite heavy to some, it’s still something that shouldn’t be neglected.

And speaking of something that shouldn’t be neglected, the character writing! Uma Musume’s character writing in general has almost always been quite good, although there are some holes that aren’t filled. Most titles respect this iron triangle of backgrounds, personalities, and connections, all while carefully writing what they have on their respective main casts. The same probably can’t be said with their side casts, however. While they don’t really do a horrible job with side characters, they don’t really do anything very special with them either. Most of Uma Musume’s side casts are either gimmicky, sole boosters for the main character(s), or …well, just there. Some examples, Rice Shower and Cheval Grand, among others, are good additions, but those are still not enough. Much to my surprise, Cinderella Gray avoids these issues. While the vast majority of the manga is on Oguri, it still gives a good focus on the side characters. Not only do they show more of their purposes, especially if they’re major racehorses, but they also have great character chemistry all around. A good example of this is Yaeno Muteki, who, even though she has such a small appearance, shows a lot of character. Her relationship with her trainer and her motivation to attend the races are shown quite a lot. That’s definitely more than an average side character in other titles like Daiwa Scarlet, who is usually based on one character trait, and even her relationship with Vodka, while noticeable, isn’t really that much to think about. And if you think it ends here, it doesn’t. We still have many more examples to point out.

Symboli Rudolf and Maruzenky are great major side characters around. Even though they don’t necessarily attend races and such, for this particular case, that doesn’t make them any less interesting. Think of them as observers, and the manga did a great job detailing those things by making their judgment clear and precise about everything around them. Their chemistry with each other is also among the best in the manga, so much so that they even help the already great worldbuilding. Obey Your Master is one of the most compelling and enjoyable ones to look at, as her aura during races is enough to illuminate her fantastic writing, and her chemistry with Oguri and Tamamo is pure shiny iron. Plus, her backstory is great. Speaking of Tamamo, she’s also fantastic for similar reasons, and her rivalry with Oguri is up there as one of the best. Of course, we can’t forget about the more major ones. Belno Light, despite being quite comedic, is an important character, and it shows in how supportive she is towards Oguri and friends. And of course, Fujimasa March. She was Oguri’s first impactful contrast and quickly began to share some similarities: struggling, but still learning, as well as maintaining a rich friendship. To this day, the rivalry between her and Oguri is still the best in the manga. Arguably, nothing is deeper than that, and I don’t think there will be in another time. …and this is still just the tip of the iceberg, and we all know where this is going. So, let’s finally jump into the depth itself.

Oguri Cap, the Gray Monster and Idol Horse. This gluttonous horse girl is easily the best character in the whole franchise, to the point where she deserves her own section. One would refer to her comedic moments where she is very hungry, her fantastic character designs, or her badassery during races where she locks the hell in, even if it means struggling. What makes Oguri such a standout is …pretty much everything about her. For starters, Oguri has a very strong introduction. As soon as she showed her first victory in the first chapter of the manga, this lured March in. The reason why this is a great introduction is that when their first race starts, they develop a super strong chemistry, and it further shows how Oguri is written in the first place. Oguri is always strong from start to finish, but she has massive competition as time goes on and begins learning. She likes to have fun in races, but that doesn’t separate her from the consequences. This gives viewers such an insanely good understanding of her character. If you plan on writing a strong character, it’s ALWAYS important to analyze the relationship between strengths and weaknesses and how a character works on that. Although Uma Musume as a series does a great job getting those fundamentals down with most of its main characters, once again, CinGrey is on a different level. This has been shown so many times throughout 200+ chapters, and it completely nails the narrative brilliantly. And there’s still more to talk about Oguri.

We already talked about her chemistry with various characters. They’re without a doubt among her biggest peaks. All of these chemistries are unique to one another, highlight everything about Oguri’s background and personality, and emphasize the context of Cinderella Gray. These interactions aren’t just interactions; they provoke strong emotions that would easily let viewers know when shit gets real. We pointed out her badassery during races a while ago, but we should talk about it once and for all. Again, Oguri does receive advice from her trainers and friends, but she still shows us how all of this is done. I know not all of you play the live service game, but you know how positioning and relying on specific abilities in races work? While the manga doesn’t have all of those things, it does have most of them. Oguri’s racing skills do a fantastic job showing the skills of racing through how she strategizes during races. Whether she wins, loses, or struggles, she does show us amazing details. I should note that this isn’t just Oguri showing these things. All the main racers in this manga also do a great job in that department. But because Oguri nails well at being a protagonist, she does it best. Oguri is such a compelling character comes down to how many characteristic elements she uses and how they're used extremely well, all while cementing her as a very profound protagonist on a deeper level. Her struggles are very believable, her interactions are superb, and so on. Her whole character is just perfect.

[!] THIS PARTICULAR SECTION CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS. DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU FINISH THE MANGA [!]

And now, besides Oguri Cap herself, we should talk about the other biggest elephant: The ending of Cinderella Gray. I’m going to say it: Cinderella Gray’s ending is the best in any Japanese industry, to the point where it makes me believe how far this manga has come. To end this entire story, Oguri Cap steps out with yet another godly drip and faces her biggest opponent yet. Oguri absolutely struggles just as much as in her most intense races, but she absolutely tries. And with enough hard work, she truly radiated enough flames and won the race. Mind you, this takes place in the Arima Kinen, the race where Oguri received her first victory after properly learning from what Tamamo was capable of. Oguri absolutely fulfilled her legend status after her rough but very endearing journey, and with that, she retired. This ending is just ABSOLUTE CINEMA. It’s pretty much the complete calculation of how much work Oguri goes through. Not only does the ending remember all the things that happen in CinGrey, but it also creates such clever callbacks to let us know the specific details that truly impact the whole manga in its entirety. They truly encapsulate all the messages and connections seen throughout the story. Oh, and let us all look at Oguri’s first iconic line one last time: “I ran… because I can.” No matter how many heavy lessons she went through, what matters to her the most is that she had so much fun, from Kasamatsu to Tracen. This kind of evolution can not get any more epic.

This is the one lesson I wanted to point out. No matter how much we study, whether it’s a healthy one or not, what really matters is that we just want to have fun. It’s the type of personal happiness that drives us when we seek to complete our dreams. It wouldn’t matter how many legendary racers Oguri encounters; she just had a lot of fun. She retires because her mission is complete. The Oguri in real life was born with disabilities, and even though he gained a lot of improvements, the weaknesses still haunt him. But regardless, he succeeded in a lot of races. This incarnation fully follows that. All I know is that all of her writing receives nothing but massive love and respect. Before CinGrey ended, I was worried that it wouldn’t end quite well. Most modern manga don’t respect the very basic idea of a conclusion. Most of these titles’ ends are met with either mild indifference or “ah shit, here we go again” syndrome. …little did we know that we would be proven wrong here. The missile we dodge by not giving this series the Tokyo Ghoul/Attack on Titan/Oshi no Ko treatment could NOT be any more overstated. This ending truly knows how to wrap things up after gathering everything the manga offers, and it’s the cream of the crop on top of it.

Looking at all the things we just said, it’s safe to say that Cinderella Gray has both an immaculate representation and an immaculate illustration. Think about it: it’s not just about lessons and meanings; the inside is what matters the most. CinGrey truly took the time to understand all of this, and even though it ran for over 5 years, which is relatively smaller than other seinen manga with a similar chapter scale, it definitely gave us some of the best answers we could hope for. I also drew a comparison between this and the other Uma Musume titles. Yes, most of these titles tend to get a lot of the fundamentals right, but they still tend to be either stiff in some area or miss other major things. Examples like strategizing, side characters, and even endings were their biggest weaknesses. Season 2 is the second best installation in the whole franchise, and ironically, it still missed on the former 2 aspects, although it did have a great protagonist and a great ending. What’s also interesting is that CinGrey was released around early 2020, the year when Cygames finally got the vast majority of horse rights when building the franchise, and this was shortly after Season 1, which was released around 2018. If Cygames had waited a bit longer and this had been their official starting point, this franchise wouldn’t be seen as a mixed bag. But that wouldn’t matter much. Needless to say, though, I’m just so glad that this title absolutely existed.

And that will do for my massive thoughts on Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray. Normally, I hate using the word “perfect” when complimenting something because almost every series I’ve seen so far has flaws. Even my favorites can be flawed in some areas. But in a very rare case, Cinderella Gray is just PERFECT. It has one of the best stories; whether you’re a fan of sports series or not, it has amazing worldbuilding, it has adequate and well-elaborated strategies, it has some of the best side characters out there, and it might even have the best protagonist ever, all while having such a divine ending to top it all off. Whoever wrote this manga clearly treated it like they were amazed to eat an entire premium meal at Shake Shack. I like the Uma Musume series, but I wouldn’t be as interested had it not been for CinGrey. Nothing would EVER be the same without it existing. This, for sure, is a true magnum opus to behold. Thank you very much for reading.

yes thats poseidon as a uma. yes technically poseidon has horse children and he himself did it as a horse

T.M Opera O fanart by PixGex
Fanart pixiv: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/149414374
Artist’s pixiv: https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/111361220

might be a surprise since i'm the manhattan cafe glazer, lover and stuff like that, but my favorite is stay gold tbh, i really like her singing voice since it actually sounds like her and it's funny seeing how short she is compared to other umas in it

Unless im missing something... aren't we supposed to get 1500 karats?

Source: Link by gutei_tei

https://x.com/kotoha_nikkan/status/2097125310001225983

Source: https://x.com/pineconete/status/1997715410981167536

Top 10 Lines that can motivate a anyone

Horse

Source: Negroberkelas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwPegLaoVYk

https://x.com/YokkyuShon33256/status/2096144447545438692?s=20

https://x.com/Kuwaiden/status/2096963922717004099?s=20