Uma Musume Pretty Derby is an anime series about a girl who wants to play in the “big leagues”. She, like many other female characters, are horses in human form who compete in horse racing.
It’s the cute girls doing cute things concept but with horse
Despite being a simple concept, the anime is done well, entertains, and does bring something a little different to the sports genre.
Season 2 is now airing.
Here are some anime shows like Pretty Derby worth watching!
1. BanGÂ Dream!
Bang Dream is a
There are five
Similar to the new series Oshi No Ko, all 5
An anime that clearly pushes the “cute
2. Hailkyuu
Haikyuu is enough seasons to keep you entertained, plus it revolves around Hinata, the orange-haired extroverted character with big dreams and goals to succeed in volleyball sports.
This makes the anime more on the motivational side of things with its encouraging themes, messages, ideas, and characters many will be able to relate to for similar reasons (like pursuing a sport or a dream).
3. Free! Eternal Summer
Free! Eternal Summer is one of the most unique anime made by Kyoto Animation. It’s unique because it’s unexpected considering what the studio is known for, and what they usually go for.
This anime is about competitive swimming in a nutshell.
Characters go against each other, and unsurprisingly given the designs, this anime has a lot of MANSERVICE which female fans simp over.
In fact, this anime’s audience is made up of mostly female fans since most male fans aren’t into this type of vibe.
4. K-On
K-On is one of the few Queens of moe content and is responsible for the anime taking off the way it did (and influencing) the Moe genre.
It’s another anime by Kyoto Animation. And one that’s already officially stamped in the history of
Yui Hirasawa, the girl in the middle, is the airheaded extrovert with tons of energy, likes to take risks, have fun, and do mostly things she enjoys doing (no hesitation).
She’s the centre of the anime you could say, and the anime has crossovers with Uma Musume Pretty Derby.
5. Girls Und Panzer
Girls Und Panzer takes the idea of sports and competition, blends it with militant aspects, and then pits characters against each other in a friendly form of “tank” battles.
The sport’s fictional name is called Tankery.
Miho Nishizumi is the main character with orange hair, and her older sister (in the picture to the left) is Maho Ninshizumi, who is somewhat of veteran others look up to.
This brings a different vibe for fans of Uma Musume Pretty Derby since the anime’s main focus is vehicles along with strategy, and friendly warfare. Plus a lot of trivia relating to “war” history and tanks.
6. Love Live School Idol Project
Love Live School Idol Project focuses on Honoka Kousaka, the girl in the middle, and her journey to recruiting all the eventual 9 members of the U’s music group they form together.
The black-haired girl Nico Yazawa also plays a big role in the formation, and she’s a bit of an iconic character from the series because of her mannerisms, style, cliches, and so on.
Love Live isn’t exactly like Pretty Derby, but it fits and has enough similarities or crossovers that either anime would be enjoyable.
7. Bamboo Blade
A bit of a forgotten anime in 2023. Bamboo Blade is about Kendo, a type of Japanese sport fought with wooden swords while masked up. Once you hit someone on the head, you win.
Tamaki Kowazoe is the main female character in the middle and the shortest but most talented who’s been training in Kendo since childhood. Kirino is the blonde girl who manages their team and is responsible for new members.
Azuma is the orange-haired girl to the right who also has a talent for it, but has “home” problems that stand in the way of her pursuing her passion for Kendo.
It’s a decent series that could benefit from a new season.
8. Birdie Wing: Golf Girls Story
Birdie Wing is a series focusing on the sport of golf. But it’s not as simplistic as it sounds. This anime also has, we’ll say, darker elements that happen alongside the more bright and cheery stuff.
Take the main blonde character for example. In one episode she’s blackmailed by the corrupt police and forced to give up all her money (winnings) from a game of “back alley” Golf.
She plays only for money and is fighting for a future where she, her friend, and some orphan kids don’t have to struggle. Making this anime deeper than it looks on the surface.
9. Chihayafuru
The sport of this anime revolves around a Japanese card game called Karuta. When all is said and done, this game depends on 3 things.
One of them is speed, meaning how quickly you can act to hit a card. The second is memory. A good memory is critical to playing this game.
Third is strategy, which is essential for any game when you think about it.
This anime is a
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Recommended:
21+ Sports Anime To Choose From
