Umamusume’s popularity is partly because it faithfully recreates scenes of real-world horses and races, while adding “what-if” stories for players to imagine other outcomes.

Koichi Ozaki, for JAPAN Forward

The online mobile game Umamusume: Pretty Derby is gaining momentum at an unstoppable speed. Inspired by real-life racehorses who are virtually resurrected via the game, players guide umamusume (pronounced OO-ma MOO-soo-meh), or “horse girls,” towards first place finishes in major horse races.

Released in February this year, Umamusume’s game app has racked up more than 11 million downloads as of the end of October 2021. Propelled additionally by its related anime and comic that were released prior to the game, the franchise has captivated numerous celebrities, and even prompted donations to real-world retired horses.

And the game’s rising popularity shows no signs of slowing down! Recently, we decided to explore the appeal of the hit franchise that has garnered interest from both horse racing enthusiasts and anime fans.

Even Ma-Kun’s Caught the Bug

In scenes from Umamusume, horse girls with iconic perky ears and wagging tails—features that differentiate them from ordinary human beings in their world—race the turf in unique, vibrant outfits.

In the game, players train their racehorse characters using a variety of techniques to win G1 races, such as the Japanese Derby and the Arima Kinen. Characters include famous racehorses, such as Special Week (1995-2018), who brought jockey Yutaka Take his first Japanese Derby victory, as well as the legendary Silence Suzuka (1994-1998).

The franchise, developed by Cygames, based in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, released its anime’s first and second seasons in April 2018 and January 2021 respectively. The mobile game release followed shortly after in late February 2021. Due to the game’s enormously positive reception, by the end of October 2021, Umamusume had already reached over 11 million downloads. In addition to its anime, comic, and game, the franchise has even held musical events and other functions as well.

Among its many players, countless celebrities have also helped bring the game under spotlight. To offer examples, former Major League Baseball star Masahiro Tanaka (Ma-Kun), who now pitches for the Rakuten Eagles, and TV personality Shoko Nakagawa are two of several notable figures who have shared their Umamusume progress on social media.

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