20 years ago, this lost horse racing charming Japan – now the western launch of the anime girl game, bringing her a new army of fans

Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a Japanese mobile game where you can raise anime’s girlfriend, which made Japan’s most unsuccessful horse racing gain a second thriving after the Western launch after its Western launch – her positive, timeless attitude inspired a whole new group of fans overseas.

Umamusume of Cygames: The center of the Pretty Derby franchise, centers around a series of anime girls with malts and tails. Each character is based on a real horse racing, and each character's personality, design and statistics reflect their IRL counterparts. With the 2021 free mobile game finally debuting in English on Steam in June this year, more and more international fans have discovered the charm of the Umamusume character.

Pink-haired Haru Urara seems to have caused special chords with some players. To say that she is blistering, a positive attitude will be an understatement. Even though she often loses the game, she is a good friend with other horse girls and often buys souvenirs for them. Like the rest of Umamusume characters, Plucky Haru Urara is a real-life horse based on the same name, who is now 29 years old and enjoys her retirement Matha Farm In Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

In this case, everyone likes the weak or does not forget. Haru Urara competed from 1998 to 2004, but she didn't win one of 113 games. Despite her second and third picks, she lagged behind most of her career (Source: JBIS Search). So much so that she became famous for her loss, and facing adversity became a symbol of national perseverance.

In 2004, then-Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi even praised her Official Email Magazinesaid: “I believe Haru Urara's attitude of being beaten after the game was obviously inspiration for all of us.” In her final years, “Haru Boom” was in progress (Source: CBS News), fans traveled around the country, watching her loss and buying Haru Urara's merchandise. Even gambling slips with her name are used as the charm of resisting traffic accidents (the word “word”ataranaiFor example, “or “No Win” is stamped for slipping and falling from losing a betting is synonymous with not being hit by a car). In 2018, Haru Urara played on a traffic safety poster at Chiba Police, earning a carrot worth 600 kg (Source: Source: Source: Source: Sankei News).

Fast forward to July 2025, and users posting real-life Haru Urara content on X suddenly sparked the rise of likes and followers, which could be the umami effect in action. X user Animal_love_kaz is a self-proclaimed fan of retired horse racing who frequently post photos and updates noted that their Haru Urara birthday post suddenly gained thousands of likes overnight and their overseas account received 400 new followers. exist July 3, below Animal_love_kaz wrote: “I don't know if this will reach my overseas brothers and sisters, but Haru Urara has a very healthy head and she may be healthier and more energetic than me!”

For some reason, Urara's headdress has been a birthday this year since yesterday and has received over 10,000 positives, so I can't stop notifying and I've added about 400 followers to my overseas account since yesterday.
I don't know if it will be transmitted to other foreign Mikinekis, but Haruurara is very healthy and he is actually healthier and more energetic than me. pic.twitter.com/e9mkbuaprj

– Motsugo (@Animal_Love_Kaz) July 3, 2025

Umamusume's Haru Urara was even selected as “Why don't you give up?” “Because she never did!” memes, now floating around the social media comment thread near you (here is here reddit). It seems Haru Urara has become a symbol of giving up in the face of adversity of a whole new group of fans.

Compared to other characters, Haru Urara in the game naturally doesn't have the best statistics. However, players may face the challenge of trying to make her a game winner, or at least, just enjoy her infectious positive attitude in the story mode pass-by.

Haru Urara also reminds you that if your career is not at work now, you may find success later in another field (pun). Although Haru Urara has not been successful as a horse racing, she is now growing in popularity on social media and has spent her retirement years with her friend Pepper the Goat. Matha Farms even Official products From T-shirts to cushion covers and mobile phone belts. Some fans visited her, but as these real-life horse racing became more and more popular, Umamusume Developer Cygames Common guidelines on how to respect your horse idol in real life.

Ummum of Mobile Games: Pretty Derby is now available in English via Steam, Google Play and the Apple App Store. All three seasons of the anime are currently on Crunchyroll.

Sports Nippon/Getty Images Photography.

Verity Townsend is a Japanese freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for Game News website Automaton West. She also wrote articles about Japanese culture and film for various publications.