Latest news with #HaruUrara
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
What is Umamusume? The New Viral Horse Racing Game Explained
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Gamers around the globe are suddenly obsessed with horse racing — so much so that stables have reported an influx of visitors wanting to see the athletic animals and are receiving fodder donations from fans half a world away. The reason for the hype? A free-to-play game available on PC, iOS, and Android called Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Developed by Cygames, the title was originally released in Japan in February 2021 and only got a worldwide launch in late June 2025, becoming a viral hit more than four years after its debut. Horse girls racing in a cutscene from Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Horse girls racing in a cutscene from Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Cygames Umumamuse is a game about recruiting and training horses and then participating in races with them — only the "horses" are human girls with horse aspects, such as their ears and tails, which are called Umamusume — literally translating to "horse girl." It features anime-style visuals and allows players to interact and bond with their Umamusume to boost their confidence and abilities. It's essentially a horse racing management sim with some slice-of-life stories added on top. A crucial aspect of the game is that each available Umamusume is based on a real racehorse, which inspired their various abilities and personalities — the characters are not entirely fictional. This is why some stables are seeing a sudden increase in interest or fodder donations: Players want to come by and visit or at least feed the animals that their favorite Umamusume are based on. Horses with interesting stories such as Haru Urara or quirky personalities such as Gold Ship have proven themselves to be especially popular. Aside from the magnetic personalities of the Umamusume, the gameplay itself is a big draw. Its core roguelite gameplay loop of training characters and preparing them for the coming races is a lot of fun due to how easy it is to bond and empathize with them. This, in turn, makes the races – which players are doomed to watch without being able to influence what's happening – all the more thrilling. It's incredibly satisfying to watch one's Umamusume win a big race, knowing what she's been through and what goals and dreams are driving her forward. In a category dominated by big franchises that are churned out in annual iterations, Cygames' Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a massive surprise full of heart. It brings the joy of sports games to an audience that usually looks elsewhere for its entertainment and is getting fresh eyes on the world of horse racing.
SoraNews24
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Donations pouring in from foreign Uma Musume fans for Japan's real-life loveable loser racehorse
The hit video game/anime's Haru Urara is a real horse, and fans have found a way to show their love for their heroine who never gave up. For a video game in which every character is trying to run as fast as they can, Uma Musume Pretty Derby sure took its sweet time coming to English-language players. Despite debuting in Japan in 2021, the game's English version wasn't released until just a few weeks ago, on June 26. Uma Musume Pretty Derby's slow trot to the English world is sort of understandable. After all, it's a game about anthropomorphized real-life Japanese racehorse schoolgirl idol athletes, a series of niches that pushes it pretty far into a corner in terms of entertainment interests. However, it's looking like publisher Cygames underestimated the game's potential, as it's become such a massive hit with English-language gamers that they're now going so far as to offer support to one of the actual horses that inspired one of the game's characters, Haru Urara. ▼ With Haru Urara's name meaning 'gentle spring,' naturally her Uma Musume version has cherry blossom-colored hair. So who's Haru Urara? One of the least successful racehorses in Japanese racing history. Despite coming from impressive stock (her sire/father was a winner of multiple prestigious Grade 1 races), Haru Urara finished in last place in her maiden race, and that would more or less set the tone for her career. Over the next six years, Hara Urara ran in 113 races, and won none of them. She usually wasn't even close to winning, with a grand total of just 12 finishes in second or third place, meaning 101 times she ended up even further back. Even legendary Yutaka Take tried to guide her to a win, but he could do no better than a 10th-place finish (out of 11 horses in the field) in his mount. And yet, Japan fell in love with Haru Urara, cheering passionately for the underdog who never gave up. So when Uma Musume's designers chose to add a Hara Urara character to the game's roster, they gave her that same plucky, positive attitude. Even if she doesn't have the best stats, she's become a fan favorite among those who've learned about her backstory through the game, including the newly arrived English-territory Uma Musume fanbase, and want to help her win an in-game race. Unfortunately, Haru Urara the horse has been officially retired since 2006, so it's too late for her new overseas fans to help her find her way to the winner's circle. There is, though, a way for them to make her retirement more comfortable, as a number of them have discovered Namabokuso Bank, a Japanese website for sending donations of fresh-cut grass ( namabokuso ) to retired racehorses for them to munch on. 何が起きているの？🧐ハルウララ海外からうーちゃん宛ての生牧草バンクのご利用が爆発しています🥰 愛らしさ満点の馬たちを直接応援できる生牧草バンクという仕組みを実装できた事が、今を生きてくれている馬たちやこれから先の馬たちの未来に繋がることを目標に頑張ります😊💕… — 生牧草バンク公式 (@namabokusobank) July 11, 2025 'What's going on?' wondered Namabukuso Bank's official Twitter account in a recent post. 'Donations from overseas for Haru Urara have been blowing up.' Sure enough, looking at the donation page for Haru Urara, which allows donors to post a short message, there's been a steady stream of English ones since Uma Musume Pretty Derby's English release, including: 'Overseas fan, stay healthy! :)' 'Run on my shining star!!' 'She is the best horse.' 'For my GOAT who never gave up.' 'For never giving up! Hope you enjoy the grass!!' 'Please enjoy the treat Haru-chan and stay happy and healthy!' 'Haru Urara inspired me to never give up!' 'Love from Oregon.' 'All the way from Australia! For never giving up!' 'Hello from Indonesia.' 'You are an inspiration to me and I'm sure a lot of others too! Stay healthy and have a lot of fun! From, Malaysia.' 'Please give Haru Urara lots of love. From Thailand with love.' 'Love from UK.' 'From France! Enjoy.' 'She is an inspiration for a lot of people…Many greetings from Germany!' 'Aloha! Much love from Hawaii!' 'Enjoy your retirement! Those of us around the globe are always rooting for you.' 'She may not have won an official race, but she won the race for our hearts.' As the variety of nationalities show, the English release of the Uma Musume game, which had previously only been available in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, is helping spread its popularity, and love for Haru Urara, to countries with English-as-a-second-language proficiency too. It should be noted that Haru Urara hasn't been wandering the streets hungry, as following her racing days she's been a resident of Matha Farm in Chiba Prefecture. ▼ Haru Urara at her current home Still, as a retired racehorse with negligible track earnings, some extra financial security, and a little extra luxury in her feed, are no doubt making her retirement more comfortable, and those looking to contribute can do so though the Namabokuso Bank website here. Source: Namabokuso Bank via Otakomu Screenshot images ©Cygames, Inc. ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Haru Urara wins first race over a decade after retirement, while Umamusume renews interest
Haru Urara, the Japanese racehorse known for never winning during her career, has won her first race in a competition for retired horses, more than a decade after her retirement. The horse, aged 23 at the time, achieved this result 15 years after her last official race, following renewed interest in her story due to the game Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Umamusume, which features characters based on real-life racehorses, has contributed to Haru Urara's story reaching new audiences. The game's Western release has seen interest from Twitch streamers and social media discussions, and it has been noted by players for reviving the stories of real horses featured in the game. In Umamusume, players have found ways to train Haru Urara's character in-game to succeed despite her low stats, reflecting her real-life underdog reputation. According to fans, Haru Urara became a symbol of persistence, with people admiring her continued participation in races despite not winning. The interest generated by Umamusume led Haru Urara's trainers to enter her into a race specifically for retired racehorses, where she won on May 18 2019. This race, initially unknown to many, was brought to wider attention years later by Japanese fans sharing her story. Umamusume has existed in Japan since 2018, including an anime adaptation featuring Haru Urara in its supporting cast. Following the news of Haru Urara's win, her owners have made it possible for fans to send gifts to celebrate her achievement.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Japanese racehorse famous for losing gains new fans from mobile game
July 10 (UPI) -- A retired Japanese racehorse famous for never winning a race is experiencing a new surge of popularity thanks to a popular mobile game. Haru Urara, a 29-year-old mare who retired from racing in 2004, served as the inspiration for a character of the same name in the mobile game Uma Musume Pretty Derby, which launched globally June 26. The real-life Haru Urara, famous for wearing a Hello Kitty mask and losing every one of her 113 races, became a national icon during her ill-fated career, with fans considering her to be an inspirational figure who never gives up. The mobile game features anime-style, human-like characters with horse ears and tails engaging in track races. The fictional Haru Urara character's bio states: "She's always smiling, no matter how many times she loses. She always tries her best and looks on the brighter side of things." A member of the official Haru Urara fan club who uses the handle @animal_love_kaz on X posted a photo of the real horse celebrating her birthday in February while wearing a tiara. The photo went suddenly viral earlier this month, which the user attributed to the game's popularity. The user, who frequently visits Haru Urara at Martha Farm, updated her bio to say: "I don't play Uma Musume." New fans seeking to meet the real Haru Urara can schedule visits on the farm's website.
UPI
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Japanese race horse famous for losing gains new fans from mobile game
July 10 (UPI) -- A retired Japanese race horse famous for never winning a race is experiencing a new surge of popularity thanks to a popular mobile game. Haru Urara, a 29-year-old mare who retired from racing in 2004, served as the inspiration for a character of the same name in the mobile game Uma Musume Pretty Derby, which launched globally June 26. The real-life Haru Urara, famous for wearing a Hello Kitty mask and losing every one of her 113 races, became a national icon during her ill-fated career, with fans considering her to be an inspirational figure who never gives up. The mobile game features anime-style, human-like characters with horse ears and tails engaging in track races. The fictional Haru Urara character's bio states: "She's always smiling, no matter how many times she loses. She always tries her best and looks on the brighter side of things." A member of the official Haru Urara fan club who uses the handle @animal_love_kaz on X posted a photo of the real horse celebrating her birthday in February while wearing a tiara. The photo went suddenly viral earlier this month, which the user attributed to the game's popularity. The user, who frequently visits Haru Urara at Martha Farm, updated her bio to say: "I don't play Uma Musume." New fans seeking to meet the real Haru Urara can schedule visits on the farm's website.
