Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray — It Doesn’t Horse Around

The Uma Musume franchise never disappoints. Every new season and OVA seems to delight the bulk of the franchise, and Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is no exception. I mentioned three of this season’s shows garnered a 10/10 from me in my Makina-san a Love Bot?! article — Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is one of them.

You’d think that after three full-length seasons, it would be unwise to follow the same plot of “X horse girl aiming for the top,” but Uma Musume neighs at this assumption. That’s not to say that Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is a blatant copy of its predecessors. This show possesses a quirky spin that its predecessors lacked. It also seems to take a more truthful approach to how far one can get.

This season shifts the spotlight from the renowned Tracen Academy, home to celebrated champions like Special Week and Kitasan Black, to the less glamorous Gifu Kasamatsu Training Center Academy. That’s right, my fellow anime enjoyers — we’re finally heading to the boonies!

So, let’s gallop together as we explore everything that makes Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray one of the season’s must-watch shows.

Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray — Anime Notes

Every Uma Musume anime can have the description, “X horse girl wants to be the very best like no one ever.” So, let’s skip a major synopsis and focus on a few key points to help you understand the story and its main heroine.

This season centers on the ashen beauty Oguri Cap — a somewhat neurodivergent (can’t say the A word anymore) horse girl from the boonies. Since he was frail from birth, Oguri had difficulty walking as a kid. Her mom doted on her and did all she could to heal Oguri and enroll her at the training academy where Oguri now resides. Experiencing health issues, witnessing kindness, and facing financial strain left her with a skewed view of the world. She even mistakes malice and bullying for friendly gestures. However, Oguri’s unique worldview and past experiences set her apart and drive her ambitions to reach the very top. That worldview will bring a comedic touch rarely present in previous Uma Musume offerings.

Cinderella Gray — A More Truthful Venture?

In anime, if a protagonist has the power of friendship, they’ll succeed. Likewise, in real life, we’re told enough resolve will get us to our goal, no matter what. I don’t need to be the one to tell you how that’s a load of bullocks. The place you’re born, skin color, appearance, and financial status — affect your likelihood of success. That uncomfortable fact should be a daily conversation, but it’s taboo. So, seeing a teacher tell the Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray girls that the big leagues are out of their reach because they’re from the countryside was riveting.

I appreciate the change of attitude and scenery. As much as I adore the Uma Musume franchise, exclusively dedicating the full-length seasons to the girls from Japan’s Umamusume Training Center Academy (Tracen) felt like a bit of a letdown. Considering Japan’s enthusiasm for horse racing, it has always felt lacking that remote corners of the country missed a spotlight. Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is changing that, and I couldn’t be more excited.

That Gacha Money Comes in Handy

Cygames Pictures looked at their animation in the previous Uma Musume titles and decided to refresh it. So, they used that infinite Uma Musume: Pretty Derby gacha money to do so, and it shows.

The art style in Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray is so kawaii!! The deadpan facial expressions are as common as Sakura blooms in spring and exactly as eye-catching. There’s a shift in character designs. It’s noticeable when past Umas like Symboli Rudolf show up. This season’s art style leans toward a CGDCT (Cute-Girls-Do-Cute-Things) vibe. While some may dislike the change, you won’t hear me complain. I’m loving the new style. Takuya Miyahara-san, thank you for your character design work in this show.

The voice acting is laudable. I’m always amazed by the range some seiyuus have. Tomoyo Takayanagi’s monotone and apathetic voice acting fits Oguri Cap so well. And if you have any reservations about how she’ll carry herself in exciting moments, listen to the anime’s ending song.

But Where Can I Watch Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray?

Availability is the only headache that comes with this show. I swear I remember seeing this on Crunchyroll’s seasonal roster. But my years-long battle with insomnia and mental health issues has finally taken its toll.

Seriously. Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray has a more convoluted availability than the McRib. Cygames has stated more streaming services will carry the show eventually. But at the moment, the US, Mexico, Canada, the UK, and Ireland can stream the show on Amazon Prime. Those countries can watch Cinderella Gray on the It’s Anime YouTube channel. Likewise, parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Koala Land can watch it there.

Anime Onegai streams the show in most Spanish-speaking Central and South American countries (Cuba and Venezuela are no-nos). But the service isn’t available in non-Spanish-speaking parts of the Caribbean. It’s also unavailable in Belize, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname.

ADN streams the show in select European territories (Andorra, Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, and German-speaking parts of Switzerland).

But what if you live outside those regions? What can you do to offset that void that’s consuming you since you can’t watch the show? Well, you can check out our Uma Musume inventory! Kawaii horse girl merch is the perfect remedy for a broken heart or disappointed mind. Check out our Uma Musume merch here! I recommend Alter’s Agnes Tachyon 1/7 Figure because the only thing better than a science waifu is a science horse waifu.

© Cygames, Inc

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