Written by Jessica Chan
Illustrated by Jessica Chan & Natalia Ksiazek
Surprisingly, a lot.
Though this is coming a little late in terms of relevancy, in the spirit of the Year of the Horse, let’s talk about Umamusume: Pretty Derby. The show-stopping Game of the Year of 2025 that took the internet by storm after popular Twitch streamers, Northernlion and Ludwig Ahgren to name a few, became engrossed in the highs of horse racing through the vehicle of profitable anime girls.
If you’ve never come across the world of horse racing, it is exactly what you think it is. For some reason, the company Cygames has decided that this is exactly the subject matter they will use for one of the most profitable games in Japan. The personification of these horses has led to a strange craze in the fandom of this gacha (if you don’t know what gacha is, please be warned. It is basically gambling). From people visiting the stables of the horses depicted in the game, to people donating to their real-life counterparts on their birthdays (reaching over 70 million yen in 2024 alone!), it is undeniable that this game has sparked a real interest in actual horse racing.
However, fans have not only taken an interest in the races, but even started showing up to these races and even cosplaying at them. A notable example was the Santa Anita Cosplay Meetup, where 300 fans attended solely out of the pure love in their hearts. This has occurred multiple times, and many fan meetups are now hosted at the tracks, making for great backdrops for Uma cosplayers as well. What was once a sport considered to be only an old man’s hobby or for crazed gamblers has now become a strangely trendy spot for chronically online gamers. The Japan Racing Association’s chairman, Masayuki Goto, even thanked Umamusume personally for its positive impact on the horse racing community.
Another interesting fact is that the founder, Susumu Fujita of CyberAgent (the parent company of Cygames) has spent over 10.5 billion yen (~£49.6 million) on horse racing in the past four years. He owns some widely known horses, such as Forever Young, who is the first Japanese horse to win the Breeder’s Cup Classic and also the first to win consecutive runnings at the Saudi Cup. The horse is basically the best dirt racer Japan has ever seen. Funnily enough, the horse’s birthday is also the official JP release date, so just imagine the event rewards when this horse is finally added to the game!
Horse racing has been opened up to the new generation not solely by Umamusume, but it is clear that the game has definitely helped. Even if it doesn’t mean every Uma fan becomes a horse racing fanatic, a slow revival of the sport through modern means such as this is one way to keep the culture going!
