Cygames Pictures director Nobuhiro Takenaka is already talking about the anime TV series Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3. In addition, the Blu-Ray sales of the second season have set a record in Japan.
But when will Uma Musume season 3 come out? And will it be a new web-only streaming series?
On May 4, 2022, the production of a new Umamusume: Pretty Derby anime series was announced with a teaser trailer. The new Umamusume anime will feature TM Opera O, Admire Vega, Narita Top Road and several other Horse Girls competing for the Classic.
It’s unclear whether this continuation will be considered Umamusume Season 3, as the announcement directly states that it’s “different from the TV anime series”. The main difference is apparently the format as it will be a web streaming series rather than a TV show broadcast on Japanese TV channels.
This distinction is likely to be clarified with further announcements in the future. In the meantime, it’s certainly clear that the director wanted to make Umamusume: Pretty Derby Season 3 at some point.
In May 2021, director Takenaka spoke about how anime has become important at Cygames, which typically focuses on iPhone/Android game apps such as Granblue Fantasy, Princess Connect! Re:Dive, and of course the Uma Musume game itself.
“In the past, the animation department was not that important to the head office. Instead, the focus was on the video game production division. Recently, however, the animation department has gained more confidence from the managers,” said Takenaka.
“Still, please don’t put video game production aside. That’s because I want us to keep producing more seasons of the anime as long as the game continues. I want to be able to live up to the expectations of fans of the franchise.”
To put this comment in perspective, the Princess Connect! Re:Dive Season 2 anime TV series has already been confirmed in production.
In an interview with famitsuTakenaka was specifically asked, “Now that the game has become a hit, do you have any plans for Umamusume Season 3?”
In response, the director said that they not only wanted to continue Uma Musume, but that he would like to keep making more anime as long as the game continues.
The second season of the anime television series was produced by Cygames Pictures and TOHO Animation. Animation work was provided by Studio Kai, best known for Netflix’s Cagaster of an Insect Cage anime and the Super Cub anime television series. They also co-developed 7 SEEDS Season 2 with Studio Gonzo.
For their next project, Studio Kai is teaming up with Studio HORNETS on an isekai adventure called Skeleton Knight in Another World (Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai and Odekakechuu).
This article contains all that is known about Uma Musume Season 3 (Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3/Umamusume Season 3) and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors and analysis. In the meantime, let’s get into what is known for sure.
Uma Musume Season 2 Blu-Ray Sales Soar
It wouldn’t be too surprising if Uma Musume season 3 were given the green light for production. Although the anime industry has largely switched to streaming revenue as the main financial factor, Blue-Ray’s sales can still explain the success of certain anime.
In this case, the success of the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 2 Blu-Ray box set was overwhelming. Uma Musume Season 2 Volume 1 sold an astonishing 112,030 disk images in its first week. In its second week, it sold 55,123 additional copies, bringing the total to 167,153.
Volume 2 even broke its own record. At the end of June 2021, 150,390 copies were sold in the first week of the second BD volume.
To put these numbers into perspective, Uma Musume 2 beat the previous record holder, Love Live! Season 2, Part 1, which sold 82,515 copies in its first week. The box set now holds Japan’s Oricon record for highest BD/DVD anime sales ever. It is also already number one for cumulative sales for a single Blu-Ray disc volume, which previously belonged to Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume 10 (131,166).
In comparison: Princess Connect! Re:Dive Blu-Ray Volume 1 sold 28,518 copies in its first week.
Popular multi-season anime doesn’t even compare. My Hero Academia reached 3,511 copies in its first season and My Hero Academia season 6 is a certainty. The first season of Attack On Titan sold 52,078 copies in its first week, but more recent seasons ranged from 7,410 to 3,179 copies. Still, Attack On Titan Season 4 Part 2 has been confirmed.
With Blu-Ray sales like this, it would be crazy if Cygames Pictures didn’t renew Uma Musume season 3 soon while the game is still popular in Japan.
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3 Release Date Predictions
As of the latest update, Cygames Pictures or any other company involved in the production of the anime has not officially confirmed the release date of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3. The director may have discussed how he wanted to make a third season, but the production of a sequel to Uma Musume 3 has not yet been officially announced. It’s currently unclear how the web streaming series will fit into their plans.
Once the news is officially confirmed, this article will be updated with the relevant information.
In the meantime, it’s possible to speculate about when and whether the Uma Musume Season 3 premiere date will take place in the future.
The biggest factor is the choice of anime studio. The first season was animated by Studio PA Works and then switched to Studio Kai, a relatively new company.
Unfortunately for Studio Kai, they weren’t on the anime production committee, which meant the company wasn’t taking advantage of BD’s insanely high revenue. Studio Kai even lost 165 million yen in fiscal year 2020.
Studios and key personnel are contractors. It is possible that Uma Musume 3 can switch to a new studio based on availability. After all, the anime industry as a whole is currently in overproduction and projects are planned years in advance.
Therefore, in the best case scenario, if Uma Musume Season 3 gets the green light for production in 2022, the release date of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3 could be slated for 2023. Stay tuned!
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