Several Umamusume: Pretty Derby character designs are directly inspired by their real-life counterparts. As demonstrated by elderly YouTuber Matchan through his now viral Umamusume guessing videos, even a non-Umamusume fan can figure out the namesakes of the horse girls, provided they are well-versed in Japan’s horse racing scene. According to his channel, Matchan has 40 years of horse racing experience, and the extent of his knowledge has left Umamusume fans in awe.
While Matchan uses the Umamusumes’ defining physical features (such as their hair color and racing outfits) to figure out their names, the winning clues are the hints he receives regarding the real horse counterpart’s history. From the death of the real Special Week’s mother during childbirth to the real Rice Shower’s unfortunate leg injury during the 1995 Takarazuka Kinen, Matchan’s knowledge of Japanese race horses would impress any Umamusume fan.
Posted in 2021, roughly four months after Umamusume: Pretty Derby’s Japan release, Matchan’s first Umamusume guessing video has garnered over 4 million views to date. This is thanks in no small part to the game’s global release last month, as indicated by the flood of new comments in English.
Matchan has since expanded his love for Umamusume in various ways, such as watching the anime, playing Umamusume: Pretty Derby, and, of course, doing more guessing videos. Given the number of Japanese racehorses and Umamusumes, Matchan has a wealth of content to explore and share with his viewers. While his channel features other topics as well, his Umamusume videos seem to be the heavy hitters.
From recreating historic races in the anime to establishing strict guidelines for derivative works, Cygames puts a lot of effort into ensuring the horses that inspired Umamusume are well-represented and recognizable.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for iOS, Android, and PC (Steam).
