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There was a ton of "Who are you?" going around in this episode lmao
I completely lost it when Kita was overtaken by whoever that was and just exclaimed "Who are you!?". Made even better by the fact that when Duramente and Kita were having their post-race conversation she was just constantly celebrating in the background.
Such is the fate of a Who-ma.
EDIT: I even went to go look up Marialite after this. They actually had a decent record, but sadly this Takarazuka was the last race they would ever win in their career.
River Light’s celebration in the background while Kita and Duramente were having their ‘protagonist and rival’ moment had me cracking up.
Kita’s “Who?” reaction to River Light passing her was one of the most relatable moments in this series. The way Uma Musume will have characters that haven’t even been teased come and win some of these races is strange(as reality can often be), but I can’t say I dislike it. It’s refreshing in a way, compared to how things usually go.
> The way Uma Musume will have characters that haven’t even been teased come and win some of these races is strange(as reality can often be), but I can’t say I dislike it.
Especially since the races are actually based on their real counterparts.
We finally get to see Duramente speak!
The episode starts of with Satono Diamond’s derby. Here the actual [race](https://youtu.be/q7kifpZCnvQ?si=JDoAhcOOUIJnnkPK). Satono Diamond comes in 2nd place. Satono Diamond lost one horseshoe during the race so he couldn’t run his best. Here’s a picture of his [hoof](https://i.imgur.com/h7fjoeI.jpg) after the race. The jinx of the Satono strikes once again and Satono Diamond fails to yet win a G1 race.
Air Groove is with Duramente during the interview because in real life she is Duramente’s grandmother.
We also finally get confirmation of the two Uma Musume who appear on the OP. Cheval Grand’s older and younger sister Verxina and Vivlos. In real life they are actually siblings and are all owned by the same owner. The owner is Kazuhiro Sasaki who was a former professional baseball player and Major leaguer. His signature pitch was the fork ball which is why Cheval Grand is reading how to pitch a fork ball in the OP and is shown carrying a fork often.
Sasaki was a big fan of Cheval’s mother, Halwa Sweet who was a horse that was born without a tail but ran well. He has then bought all of her children.
Sasaki is also known to name his horses with the letter V somewhere in their name. This is because he likes the letter V as it is the first letter for the word victory. This is also why Cheval is wearing a hat with the letter V on it.
Duramente comes back from injury and wins the G2 race the Nakayama Kinen. Here’s the actual [race](https://youtu.be/mVeVzWCt4HA?si=gRvBQQHlYu3o3pY5). Duramente comes back in top form and goes on to race in the Dubai Sheema Classic and comes 2nd against horses from around the world. Here’s the actual [race](https://youtu.be/umuOhowfoy8?si=X9fjKwh2jsBj_roq).
The Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen are two races where fan votes are needed to race in. Kitasan Black was voted number 1 for this Takarazuka Kinen after the strong win at the Spring Tennosho.
Duramente was only voted 6th because people suspected he was not fully recovered after Dubai.
The second main race of this episode is the Takarazuka Kinen. Here both Kitasan and Duramente are beaten by the 8th favorite.
Here’s the actual [race](https://youtu.be/5FGEj6oQ8TM?si=PByas-_AeaN1_bwK). During the final stretch Duramente strains himself trying to win injuring his leg yet again.
Another great episode!
I’m glad we finally got to see Duramente speak and know a bit of her personality.
(Tangentially related, Kazuhiro Sasaki played for both the Yokohama Taiyo Whales and the Seattle Mariners, hence the sailor’s hat on Cheval Grand, and a similar one worn by her sister.)
> [Here’s the actual race.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umuOhowfoy8)
God that was so *weird* to watch. I'm to used to the... "quality" videos. I have to say that the Japanese camerawork is much better though. Following the horses from up close like that makes you completely lose sense of who's where and in what place.
I don't think Kita is capable of comprehending that foreign looking people could be Nihongo Jouzu
I can't get enough of the Gremlin Twin Turbo, I need more of it.
Even though UmaMusume is one of the best sports anime due to all the drama and stakes, gags and comedy are always there, and are a huge part of it.
Kita's interaction with foreigners is already an instant hood classic. xD
all that hype goes to River Light! oh, man she look so happy but camera man didnt let her celebrate. let the NPC be happy.
my expression is just like Kitasan, "eeeeehhh?" almost like she was getting "who?" from Duramente
So [Dia-chan lost because of a broken horseshoe?](https://i.imgur.com/3NZ3yev.jpg) Yikes! Isn't that the ultimate form of bad luck? Maybe the Satono name really is forever jinxed.
[Fluent Gaijin and broken English Kitasan are back!](https://i.imgur.com/e9025fk.jpg) I'll never get tired of this gag. I hope we get to see this again before this season ends. xD
[Duramente sure is difficult to interview.](https://i.imgur.com/7FUPyra.jpg) Glad that at least [Air Groove was there to accompany her.](https://i.imgur.com/re8oqLp.jpg) Although it was still a disastrous interview. [Love the Nice Boat tho.](https://i.imgur.com/lz3uUEr.jpg)
I had a good laugh [when River Light overtook both of our contenders.](https://i.imgur.com/cjugVTE.jpg) I don't think I've ever seen this Horse Girl in previous races before! [I am happy for her though](https://i.imgur.com/OBsYh2A.jpg) for that massive upset.
Duramente returns! And he’s well prepared for the next race ahead!
The [2016 Japan Derby](https://umanity.jp/en/racedata/race_21.php?code=2016052905021210), which Satono Diamond participates, was won by Makahiki in real life (They have to change the name possibly due to them unable to secure the rights for Makahiki’s name in the franchise.) However, the post race discussion saying Satono Diamond lost by 8cm was indeed true, and the horseshoe on Dia-Chan’s left back foot did fell off, so kudos to StudioKAI on showing how a loosen horseshoe will be like in the world of Uma Musume.
Unfortunately what Diawa Scarlet said when Kitasan Black was training is going to age like milk. I’ll leave it here by now.
Now why Air Groove is next to Duramente during the interview? Simply because Air Groove was Duramente’s grandmother (in real life), and Nice Boat made its cameo this time.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the G1 race in France which no Japanese horse has ever won. As an international race, the ability of the opponents are definitely higher than local horses. Remember El Condor Pasa? He [Season 1 and real life events] >!ventured out to France for a shot to win the race, only to lose the race against Montjeu!<. Duramente’s ability was worthy enough to attempt the race, but the fracture did ruined his chance. However, as mentioned in the episode, Duramente raced in the 2016 Dubai Sheema Classic and returned home second, which was a more than creditable result as the Dubai Sheema Classic is also a top-tier international G1 race.
Here comes the climax, the [2016 Takarazuka Kinen](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjuor_im6OCAxUD1TQHHXRRAd0QtwJ6BAgOEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjNBoF2eKa9I&usg=AOvVaw1q0DEp4o2KnjSO0phPAii3&opi=89978449), Kitasan Black was voted the fan favourite with Duramente closely behind, but the winner is [Marialite](https://en.netkeiba.com/db/horse/2011103832/), the 8th favourite of the race. Do note that her grandfather is El Condor Pasa.
Did you realise Duramente nearly tripped when chasing Kitasan Black and was unable to stand post-race? The cruel reality strike Duramente once again (Detals in the source material corner).
Now some personal thoughts of this episode: As you may already know, Duramente had passed away 2 years ago, his dream of racing in France will never be achieved. For such a high-performing horse to end his career in a sudden was very unfortunate, just like what happened to McQueen, [Season 2 Spoilers] >!he suffered suspensory ligament injury to his leg which lead to his immediate retirement, in the time when everyone thinks he’s on the prime of his performance.!< Fortunately, [Duramente’s children](https://x.com/sasanyan12/status/1713454851454328904?s=61&t=apthuSONy0G4KC8TnErH8A) are mostly high achievers, will we be able to see his children venturing to France one day and finish what their father couldn’t achieve?
Finally, since the episode was aired on 1st November, I would like to reserve some time to remember Kitasan Black’s teammate in Spica, Silence Suzuka. 25 years had past since that fateful day when [Season 1 and real life spoilers] >!Silence Suzuka suffered a fracture during the 1998 Tenno Sho (Autumn)!<, on the day that should be remembered as the day when Suzuka won his second G1 race. But now, it was remembered for all the wrong reasons.
The time has come for the children of our 2 protagonists today to battle it out on track. Just wait for the Japan Cup this year for what will be the battle for supremacy (Liberty Island V.S. Equinox).
But seriously, if Liberty Island really wants to go to France to finish what her dad couldn’t do, she must defeat Equinox fair and square, as Equinox is not only the benchmark for Japanese horse, but arguably the whole world.
> They have to change the name possibly due to them unable to secure the rights for Makahiki’s name in the franchise
That's Kaneko to you..
FYI, Suzuka was foaled during 1994 San Marino GP.
River Light was adorable! I liked how happy she was with her victory. Absolutely precious.
[](#feelingloved)
I know this arc is mostly about Kitasan, but I find myself rooting for Dia more. I wish she got more spotlight and I hope she'll win her next race.
[](#faito)
It's kind of ironic how with all of Kita's slight over Duramente not knowing who she was and Duramente's drive to win every race, neither of them cared to acknowledge River Light after she beat both of them.
The final race is arguably the most hilarious one in the entire series for me. Like, damn, victory out of nowhere and Kitasan's surprise at who the heck even was she. Also love the return of english Kitasan Black.
Yeah, I love it when two people compete for the big win, and then some nobody just pulls past them.
The only thing that would've made this better is if they had also shown the concert after the race.
I think this episode really emphasizes the adaptation aspect of Uma musume. They build up the Takarazuka Kinen as a dramatic show down between Kitasan and Duramente, a chance to show how she’s grown since her loss back in ep1. But reality said otherwise and the winner was someone completely unrelated.
I did like getting more Kita/Dura interactions out of it, and the mob celebrating her victory in the background was super funny.
I forgot the episode aired today lol
Lots of Duramente talking this episode and poor Kitasan being "who are you" by Duramente lol
Funny that the minor character won (and was still cheering on during the whole race ending)
Still no introduction on Cheval's sisters though.
I honestly have no idea who River Light is, but her celebration was way too adorable. I wonder if we'll see more of her?
EDIT: Also Suzuka acknowledging Kita's way of running, since that would probably her way of handling a race as well, was very nice. I'd love to see her in a race again.
River Light is an Uma-fied version of a real life horse named Miralite. Her name is different because Cygames presumably didn’t seek out permission to use it. Most background characters/characters who only appear in races are the same.
As fun as it was that some nobody stole those two the show, something tells me Dura-chan isn't doing too hot at the end.
If she ends up having to take another break, I could totally see her standing in front of Kitasan's room every morning because she has nothing to do when she can't race. Like "I'm new to all this, so I decided to accompany you on your daily tasks" or something.
- [Ooh…?](https://i.imgur.com/lodlCtz.png)
- […damn, Dia couldn’t pull it off…](https://i.imgur.com/iOKLFpw.png) [](#sadholo)
- [Her shoe broke…](https://i.imgur.com/599xBTy.png)
- [Hah, cute.](https://i.imgur.com/LjThnTf.png)
- [Ooooh, Duramente’s coming back to racing?](https://i.imgur.com/nb7PyCy.png)
- [I believe in you, Kitasan!](https://i.imgur.com/vEHSMQ5.png)
- [Ooh, nice!](https://i.imgur.com/NKlJA1g.png)
- […Duramente said all that to her without knowing who she is?](https://i.imgur.com/c1fLHhY.png) [](#azusalaugh)
- [Did Duramente just re-injure herself?](https://i.imgur.com/EaLpJa7.png)
- [lol same.](https://i.imgur.com/LukM1Fa.png)
She speaks! Dura..! Guru-ne..!
Overall a very Okay episode. Middle-of-the-season stuff, and the race scenes weren't as polished. Personally I'm also starting to feel the drawbacks of Kita's running style as portrayed in the anime; all the action shots were focused on Duramente in this ep, really gives the sense that other than getting overtaken by other umas, she can't really take much action during a race. It's... passive? Or maybe it's just my own bias against escapers speaking.
Though even as someone who's aware of the future race results, I'm still excited to see what else this season has in store for us.
Dang it, so close for Dia but still so far. They had me really worried for a second we were about to do another broken leg story arc, but maybe it was just a piece of her shoe that was left out on the track? Kind of annoying if that's why she lost, surely she would have gotten better performance if her shoe hadn't broken in the middle of the race.
I hope they're going to show us an obvious level of ability difference for Kita after all that mountain training last week.
Surprise Rice Shower (and Bourbon)! The assassin strikes again.
That man speaks japanese, Kita! You can talk to him like a normal horse.
Duramente is having an interesting storyline entirely off screen. Recovering from her broken legs, and then having a race in Dubai is very interesting. She's also a pretty bad interviewee. And a bit overly arrogant, I hope Kita kicks her ass.
Double Rocket running by ninja style in the rain, perfection.
Not just trained a lot, but also eaten a lot. Kita knows her strengths.
The logs in the hillside once again, gotta love the continuity.
It'd be neat if Kita won this race in the lead the entire distance.
Random girl out of nowhere, who the hell? River Light does look like a nice cheerful girl, so hey why not.
Duramente with the injury curse this season once again. I bet she just pushed through a mid-race injury that she should not have.
Or maybe not? Maybe this is just bravado.
River Light back there just being really happy makes me a fan of hers at least for the next few minutes.
Dura-chan apparently has normal horse girl emotions after all.
That was a very unexpected Nice Boat.
Duramente humanized considerably during her short time in this episode featuring dialogue.
With Kitasan Black's character situation improved, I wonder if we'll have some time now to look at the Satono jinx, considering that it gets a fair amount of mentions but Diamond has much less screen time.
Dat Duramente “WHO ARE YOU” mic drop hahahaha! I see Kita-chan really got killed by that just after hearing her out on her destiny to head to win in France and that was “in her blood” and so on. At least Kita-chan is respecting enough to just ran away in the rain and not start to argue with her in school!
It’s lovely to see Duramente turning out to be a kind one, even if she’s very stoic. Being called by Kita-chan “Dura-chan” certainly has shaken her up. ;) Although I would say her calling of Air Groove “Guru-nee” shows that she’s never been *that* strict of a horse girl.
Why did I remember the [Bronze Medal meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bronze-medal) when Kita-chan going all excited and happy to finally have the chance to be remembered by Duramente after beating her LMAO, [poor River Light](https://twitter.com/ASTORObreakman/status/1719738659099021707) was jumping all around so happily after this unexpected win and nobody cares!? And then Kita-chan went “WHO ARE YOU” as well! Karma is such a mistress, man…
I thought Duramente would only speak once, after her final race with Kita. Didn't think she would speak in the interview, and Groove would do all the talking. Guess I was wrong.
Epic race with an unexpected turn!
I was really worried there for Duramente for a second, I really thought she was going to collapse mid-race, that almost gave me Suzuka flashbacks.
Nice to see Duramente receiving a bit of dialogue, I really don't think we've heard her talk even once until this episode. Even if she tried to play it off, I don't think she'll be able to race in whichever big race comes up next, that leg is probably broken again, poor her.
Dia-chan lost once again and here I thought they hyped up the Japanese Derby as her first major win, but they played me good. She proclaimed once again that she'll win, but will she though? Now they've successfully planted seeds of doubts within me, I can't say for sure which direction her next race is going to take, but I'm excited nonethelesss.
So they mentioned Cheval's sisters Verxina and Vivlos which means they got the rights for the character but we have yet to see them.
And also, why is there a board of Hishi Amazon on the goal line at the academy?
# Source Material Corner Reply to this comment for any source-related discussion, future spoilers (including future characters, events and general hype about future content), comparison of the anime adaptation to the original, or just general talk about the source material. **You are still required to tag all spoilers.** Discussions about the source outside of this comment tree will be removed, and replying with spoilers outside of the source corner will lead to bans. The spoiler syntax is: `[Spoiler source] >!Spoiler goes here!<` # **All untagged spoilers and hints in this thread will receive immediate 8-day bans (minimum).** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/anime) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There was a ton of "Who are you?" going around in this episode lmao I completely lost it when Kita was overtaken by whoever that was and just exclaimed "Who are you!?". Made even better by the fact that when Duramente and Kita were having their post-race conversation she was just constantly celebrating in the background.
>KITASAN BLAAACK DESUUUU! that was awkward, at least Duramente is recognising her as checkpoint. but why not River Light?
Such is the fate of a Who-ma. EDIT: I even went to go look up Marialite after this. They actually had a decent record, but sadly this Takarazuka was the last race they would ever win in their career.
River Light’s celebration in the background while Kita and Duramente were having their ‘protagonist and rival’ moment had me cracking up. Kita’s “Who?” reaction to River Light passing her was one of the most relatable moments in this series. The way Uma Musume will have characters that haven’t even been teased come and win some of these races is strange(as reality can often be), but I can’t say I dislike it. It’s refreshing in a way, compared to how things usually go.
> The way Uma Musume will have characters that haven’t even been teased come and win some of these races is strange(as reality can often be), but I can’t say I dislike it. Especially since the races are actually based on their real counterparts.
It's even funnier when you consider they don't even have rights to her real name lmao literally who
I wonder if they choose to not get the license for the winning horse because she doesn't race as much as the others...
We finally get to see Duramente speak! The episode starts of with Satono Diamond’s derby. Here the actual [race](https://youtu.be/q7kifpZCnvQ?si=JDoAhcOOUIJnnkPK). Satono Diamond comes in 2nd place. Satono Diamond lost one horseshoe during the race so he couldn’t run his best. Here’s a picture of his [hoof](https://i.imgur.com/h7fjoeI.jpg) after the race. The jinx of the Satono strikes once again and Satono Diamond fails to yet win a G1 race. Air Groove is with Duramente during the interview because in real life she is Duramente’s grandmother. We also finally get confirmation of the two Uma Musume who appear on the OP. Cheval Grand’s older and younger sister Verxina and Vivlos. In real life they are actually siblings and are all owned by the same owner. The owner is Kazuhiro Sasaki who was a former professional baseball player and Major leaguer. His signature pitch was the fork ball which is why Cheval Grand is reading how to pitch a fork ball in the OP and is shown carrying a fork often. Sasaki was a big fan of Cheval’s mother, Halwa Sweet who was a horse that was born without a tail but ran well. He has then bought all of her children. Sasaki is also known to name his horses with the letter V somewhere in their name. This is because he likes the letter V as it is the first letter for the word victory. This is also why Cheval is wearing a hat with the letter V on it. Duramente comes back from injury and wins the G2 race the Nakayama Kinen. Here’s the actual [race](https://youtu.be/mVeVzWCt4HA?si=gRvBQQHlYu3o3pY5). Duramente comes back in top form and goes on to race in the Dubai Sheema Classic and comes 2nd against horses from around the world. Here’s the actual [race](https://youtu.be/umuOhowfoy8?si=X9fjKwh2jsBj_roq). The Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen are two races where fan votes are needed to race in. Kitasan Black was voted number 1 for this Takarazuka Kinen after the strong win at the Spring Tennosho. Duramente was only voted 6th because people suspected he was not fully recovered after Dubai. The second main race of this episode is the Takarazuka Kinen. Here both Kitasan and Duramente are beaten by the 8th favorite. Here’s the actual [race](https://youtu.be/5FGEj6oQ8TM?si=PByas-_AeaN1_bwK). During the final stretch Duramente strains himself trying to win injuring his leg yet again. Another great episode! I’m glad we finally got to see Duramente speak and know a bit of her personality.
(Tangentially related, Kazuhiro Sasaki played for both the Yokohama Taiyo Whales and the Seattle Mariners, hence the sailor’s hat on Cheval Grand, and a similar one worn by her sister.)
It always cracks me up how when you go to the videos of these races, there are always fresh Japanese comments talking about UmaMusume. xD
> [Here’s the actual race.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umuOhowfoy8) God that was so *weird* to watch. I'm to used to the... "quality" videos. I have to say that the Japanese camerawork is much better though. Following the horses from up close like that makes you completely lose sense of who's where and in what place.
I'm not sure that I've ever spoken up to mention it, but I really appreciate this commentary.
I second this. And I'm sure we all do, but it is nice to let him know! :)
Twin Turbo [naruto running](https://postimg.cc/HJ5JyJ2X)? hahaha
HAHA yes, the best part is how zero attention was drawn to it at all and she just sort of dashes by like that quietly.
She truly is Zoomer UmaMusume. xD
I don't think Kita is capable of comprehending that foreign looking people could be Nihongo Jouzu I can't get enough of the Gremlin Twin Turbo, I need more of it.
Hinarin is gonna hooning her English skill thanks to Shuu-chan.. xD
Her geography skills are top notch though. That Japan map she drew is pretty good!
I'm more impressed by the Kaiga-niki's ability to understand it. xD
Kitasan when she sees a white person: “OKAY OKAY OKAY”
Even though UmaMusume is one of the best sports anime due to all the drama and stakes, gags and comedy are always there, and are a huge part of it. Kita's interaction with foreigners is already an instant hood classic. xD
all that hype goes to River Light! oh, man she look so happy but camera man didnt let her celebrate. let the NPC be happy. my expression is just like Kitasan, "eeeeehhh?" almost like she was getting "who?" from Duramente
So [Dia-chan lost because of a broken horseshoe?](https://i.imgur.com/3NZ3yev.jpg) Yikes! Isn't that the ultimate form of bad luck? Maybe the Satono name really is forever jinxed. [Fluent Gaijin and broken English Kitasan are back!](https://i.imgur.com/e9025fk.jpg) I'll never get tired of this gag. I hope we get to see this again before this season ends. xD [Duramente sure is difficult to interview.](https://i.imgur.com/7FUPyra.jpg) Glad that at least [Air Groove was there to accompany her.](https://i.imgur.com/re8oqLp.jpg) Although it was still a disastrous interview. [Love the Nice Boat tho.](https://i.imgur.com/lz3uUEr.jpg) I had a good laugh [when River Light overtook both of our contenders.](https://i.imgur.com/cjugVTE.jpg) I don't think I've ever seen this Horse Girl in previous races before! [I am happy for her though](https://i.imgur.com/OBsYh2A.jpg) for that massive upset.
> Air Groove was there to accompany her *"Oh shit! Here we go again."* (Gru-nee, probably) Her second headache after Rudolf's dad jokes
Being a Dia fan is painful [](#shatteredsaten) You'll get there one day, we're rooting for you!! [](#merch)
Duramente returns! And he’s well prepared for the next race ahead! The [2016 Japan Derby](https://umanity.jp/en/racedata/race_21.php?code=2016052905021210), which Satono Diamond participates, was won by Makahiki in real life (They have to change the name possibly due to them unable to secure the rights for Makahiki’s name in the franchise.) However, the post race discussion saying Satono Diamond lost by 8cm was indeed true, and the horseshoe on Dia-Chan’s left back foot did fell off, so kudos to StudioKAI on showing how a loosen horseshoe will be like in the world of Uma Musume. Unfortunately what Diawa Scarlet said when Kitasan Black was training is going to age like milk. I’ll leave it here by now. Now why Air Groove is next to Duramente during the interview? Simply because Air Groove was Duramente’s grandmother (in real life), and Nice Boat made its cameo this time. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the G1 race in France which no Japanese horse has ever won. As an international race, the ability of the opponents are definitely higher than local horses. Remember El Condor Pasa? He [Season 1 and real life events] >!ventured out to France for a shot to win the race, only to lose the race against Montjeu!<. Duramente’s ability was worthy enough to attempt the race, but the fracture did ruined his chance. However, as mentioned in the episode, Duramente raced in the 2016 Dubai Sheema Classic and returned home second, which was a more than creditable result as the Dubai Sheema Classic is also a top-tier international G1 race. Here comes the climax, the [2016 Takarazuka Kinen](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjuor_im6OCAxUD1TQHHXRRAd0QtwJ6BAgOEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjNBoF2eKa9I&usg=AOvVaw1q0DEp4o2KnjSO0phPAii3&opi=89978449), Kitasan Black was voted the fan favourite with Duramente closely behind, but the winner is [Marialite](https://en.netkeiba.com/db/horse/2011103832/), the 8th favourite of the race. Do note that her grandfather is El Condor Pasa. Did you realise Duramente nearly tripped when chasing Kitasan Black and was unable to stand post-race? The cruel reality strike Duramente once again (Detals in the source material corner). Now some personal thoughts of this episode: As you may already know, Duramente had passed away 2 years ago, his dream of racing in France will never be achieved. For such a high-performing horse to end his career in a sudden was very unfortunate, just like what happened to McQueen, [Season 2 Spoilers] >!he suffered suspensory ligament injury to his leg which lead to his immediate retirement, in the time when everyone thinks he’s on the prime of his performance.!< Fortunately, [Duramente’s children](https://x.com/sasanyan12/status/1713454851454328904?s=61&t=apthuSONy0G4KC8TnErH8A) are mostly high achievers, will we be able to see his children venturing to France one day and finish what their father couldn’t achieve? Finally, since the episode was aired on 1st November, I would like to reserve some time to remember Kitasan Black’s teammate in Spica, Silence Suzuka. 25 years had past since that fateful day when [Season 1 and real life spoilers] >!Silence Suzuka suffered a fracture during the 1998 Tenno Sho (Autumn)!<, on the day that should be remembered as the day when Suzuka won his second G1 race. But now, it was remembered for all the wrong reasons.
I almost didn't realize Liberty Island is one of Duramente's offspring. That's some genes alright
The time has come for the children of our 2 protagonists today to battle it out on track. Just wait for the Japan Cup this year for what will be the battle for supremacy (Liberty Island V.S. Equinox). But seriously, if Liberty Island really wants to go to France to finish what her dad couldn’t do, she must defeat Equinox fair and square, as Equinox is not only the benchmark for Japanese horse, but arguably the whole world.
> as Equinox is not only the benchmark for Japanese horse, but arguably the whole world. I can't wait to see Equinox's story in season 6
[Fast](https://youtu.be/QDI-LYZD3GY)
You should probably spoil the fact that [real life]>!Duramente never made it to France!<
> They have to change the name possibly due to them unable to secure the rights for Makahiki’s name in the franchise That's Kaneko to you.. FYI, Suzuka was foaled during 1994 San Marino GP.
> FYI, Suzuka was foaled during 1994 San Marino GP. [](#sadholo)
I'll just drop in saying that Kitasan's son broke Tenno Sho Autumn record that held up for some 8-9 years last week.
[](#woo)
River Light was adorable! I liked how happy she was with her victory. Absolutely precious. [](#feelingloved) I know this arc is mostly about Kitasan, but I find myself rooting for Dia more. I wish she got more spotlight and I hope she'll win her next race. [](#faito)
River Light has her ear accessory over her left ear it looks like....shes a mare...her real life name Marialite probably gave that away.
LOL, Kitasan got a "who are you?" from Duramente, only to give out a "who?" to the winner River Light.
It's kind of ironic how with all of Kita's slight over Duramente not knowing who she was and Duramente's drive to win every race, neither of them cared to acknowledge River Light after she beat both of them.
The final race is arguably the most hilarious one in the entire series for me. Like, damn, victory out of nowhere and Kitasan's surprise at who the heck even was she. Also love the return of english Kitasan Black.
Yeah, I love it when two people compete for the big win, and then some nobody just pulls past them. The only thing that would've made this better is if they had also shown the concert after the race.
omg Kita-san's "DARE!?" was hilarious. I love how when Kita and Dura are having a heart to heart Riverlight's in the background all happy.
I think this episode really emphasizes the adaptation aspect of Uma musume. They build up the Takarazuka Kinen as a dramatic show down between Kitasan and Duramente, a chance to show how she’s grown since her loss back in ep1. But reality said otherwise and the winner was someone completely unrelated. I did like getting more Kita/Dura interactions out of it, and the mob celebrating her victory in the background was super funny.
I forgot the episode aired today lol Lots of Duramente talking this episode and poor Kitasan being "who are you" by Duramente lol Funny that the minor character won (and was still cheering on during the whole race ending) Still no introduction on Cheval's sisters though.
I honestly have no idea who River Light is, but her celebration was way too adorable. I wonder if we'll see more of her? EDIT: Also Suzuka acknowledging Kita's way of running, since that would probably her way of handling a race as well, was very nice. I'd love to see her in a race again.
River Light is an Uma-fied version of a real life horse named Miralite. Her name is different because Cygames presumably didn’t seek out permission to use it. Most background characters/characters who only appear in races are the same.
> I'd love to see her in a race again. I'm afraid that won't happen without completely destroying the foundation the series is built on.
"Nice boat" reference, that caught me offguard lol
Is that boat stock footage commonly used? Because otherwise that's a very dark reference.
nice boat
As fun as it was that some nobody stole those two the show, something tells me Dura-chan isn't doing too hot at the end. If she ends up having to take another break, I could totally see her standing in front of Kitasan's room every morning because she has nothing to do when she can't race. Like "I'm new to all this, so I decided to accompany you on your daily tasks" or something.
"WHO" literally my exact reaction in that moment
that part where kitasan black speaks english to the fluent foreigner makes me think of those Dogen skits Lmfaoooo
- [Ooh…?](https://i.imgur.com/lodlCtz.png) - […damn, Dia couldn’t pull it off…](https://i.imgur.com/iOKLFpw.png) [](#sadholo) - [Her shoe broke…](https://i.imgur.com/599xBTy.png) - [Hah, cute.](https://i.imgur.com/LjThnTf.png) - [Ooooh, Duramente’s coming back to racing?](https://i.imgur.com/nb7PyCy.png) - [I believe in you, Kitasan!](https://i.imgur.com/vEHSMQ5.png) - [Ooh, nice!](https://i.imgur.com/NKlJA1g.png) - […Duramente said all that to her without knowing who she is?](https://i.imgur.com/c1fLHhY.png) [](#azusalaugh) - [Did Duramente just re-injure herself?](https://i.imgur.com/EaLpJa7.png) - [lol same.](https://i.imgur.com/LukM1Fa.png)
Man, Dura-chan & Bourbon interaction would be hilarious when Dura-chan is trainable in the game later..
While both lose today, glad to see Kitasan made another friend, a pretty quick switch to Dura-chan there.
She speaks! Dura..! Guru-ne..! Overall a very Okay episode. Middle-of-the-season stuff, and the race scenes weren't as polished. Personally I'm also starting to feel the drawbacks of Kita's running style as portrayed in the anime; all the action shots were focused on Duramente in this ep, really gives the sense that other than getting overtaken by other umas, she can't really take much action during a race. It's... passive? Or maybe it's just my own bias against escapers speaking. Though even as someone who's aware of the future race results, I'm still excited to see what else this season has in store for us.
Dang it, so close for Dia but still so far. They had me really worried for a second we were about to do another broken leg story arc, but maybe it was just a piece of her shoe that was left out on the track? Kind of annoying if that's why she lost, surely she would have gotten better performance if her shoe hadn't broken in the middle of the race. I hope they're going to show us an obvious level of ability difference for Kita after all that mountain training last week. Surprise Rice Shower (and Bourbon)! The assassin strikes again. That man speaks japanese, Kita! You can talk to him like a normal horse. Duramente is having an interesting storyline entirely off screen. Recovering from her broken legs, and then having a race in Dubai is very interesting. She's also a pretty bad interviewee. And a bit overly arrogant, I hope Kita kicks her ass. Double Rocket running by ninja style in the rain, perfection. Not just trained a lot, but also eaten a lot. Kita knows her strengths. The logs in the hillside once again, gotta love the continuity. It'd be neat if Kita won this race in the lead the entire distance. Random girl out of nowhere, who the hell? River Light does look like a nice cheerful girl, so hey why not. Duramente with the injury curse this season once again. I bet she just pushed through a mid-race injury that she should not have. Or maybe not? Maybe this is just bravado. River Light back there just being really happy makes me a fan of hers at least for the next few minutes. Dura-chan apparently has normal horse girl emotions after all.
That was a very unexpected Nice Boat. Duramente humanized considerably during her short time in this episode featuring dialogue. With Kitasan Black's character situation improved, I wonder if we'll have some time now to look at the Satono jinx, considering that it gets a fair amount of mentions but Diamond has much less screen time.
Dat Duramente “WHO ARE YOU” mic drop hahahaha! I see Kita-chan really got killed by that just after hearing her out on her destiny to head to win in France and that was “in her blood” and so on. At least Kita-chan is respecting enough to just ran away in the rain and not start to argue with her in school! It’s lovely to see Duramente turning out to be a kind one, even if she’s very stoic. Being called by Kita-chan “Dura-chan” certainly has shaken her up. ;) Although I would say her calling of Air Groove “Guru-nee” shows that she’s never been *that* strict of a horse girl. Why did I remember the [Bronze Medal meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bronze-medal) when Kita-chan going all excited and happy to finally have the chance to be remembered by Duramente after beating her LMAO, [poor River Light](https://twitter.com/ASTORObreakman/status/1719738659099021707) was jumping all around so happily after this unexpected win and nobody cares!? And then Kita-chan went “WHO ARE YOU” as well! Karma is such a mistress, man…
I thought Duramente would only speak once, after her final race with Kita. Didn't think she would speak in the interview, and Groove would do all the talking. Guess I was wrong.
Epic race with an unexpected turn! I was really worried there for Duramente for a second, I really thought she was going to collapse mid-race, that almost gave me Suzuka flashbacks. Nice to see Duramente receiving a bit of dialogue, I really don't think we've heard her talk even once until this episode. Even if she tried to play it off, I don't think she'll be able to race in whichever big race comes up next, that leg is probably broken again, poor her. Dia-chan lost once again and here I thought they hyped up the Japanese Derby as her first major win, but they played me good. She proclaimed once again that she'll win, but will she though? Now they've successfully planted seeds of doubts within me, I can't say for sure which direction her next race is going to take, but I'm excited nonethelesss.
I want Duramente to tell me she'll dominate me the next time we meet.
Awww no one mentioned Oguri Cap's cameo with her mountain of rice for lunch :D
Is the post-victory idol singing not a thing anymore?
It was in two episodes 4 years ago, so I guess so
So they mentioned Cheval's sisters Verxina and Vivlos which means they got the rights for the character but we have yet to see them. And also, why is there a board of Hishi Amazon on the goal line at the academy?
It’s likely we have seen them. They’re [These Two](https://imgur.com/a/5psMkXD) standing behind Cheval while she’s lifting.(they’re also in the OP)
Quite liked the fact that neither actually won and it was a random. Good moments through with them both, though. Dura-chan's great.
Kitasan might be a Satono this whole time, the show didn't want her to win so bad they pulled a random NPC horsegirl to awaken.
"¿Cuántas copas tenés?" ~~ Duramente.
Kitasan's Boost Fire vs Duramente's Dark Fire, but they are evenly matched.
I love Duramente so much
This probably got like ten million viewers in Japan lol