LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-25 AT 10:31 AM (EDT)
 
My fingers keep wanting to type that "grey", since that's how I always spell the color, but the title has an A, and that's usually how it's spelled in regard to the horse coat variation as well.

I stumbled across Cinderella Gray on the YouTube channel "It's Anime", which is evidently a legit licensee in the US (its main NA distribution seems to be on Amazon Prime). I've only watched the first couple of episodes thus far, but even that is enough to be obvious that it's very different in tone from the game and/or the original anime. I guess it's a prequel to same, because Oguri Cap is the MC, and she starts out at a C-tier uma school in some podunk town, not at Tracen Academy.

There are three things you should know about Oguri Cap going into Cinderella Gray:

1) You know the Norse myth where Loki gets into an eating contest with a giant and loses, only to discover afterward that the reason he lost was because the "giant" was actually all-consuming elemental fire in a cunning disguise (... somehow)? Oguri Cap would probably have won that contest. She can eat until she looks about 14 months pregnant, then be back to her normal shape by the time she's finished her afternoon run.

2) She's evidently dirt poor--literally. She owns precisely one set of clothes, a tracksuit, and appears never to have laundered it. The mean girls at her school call her "Dust Bunny". I assume this is a reference to the "Cinderella" part of the title, as are the aforementioned mean girls, who stand in for the wicked stepsisters.

3) She has no sort of sensory apparatus known to man. She has rivals without realizing she has rivals, enemies without realizing she has enemies, friends without realizing she has friends. Early in the first episode, one of the mean girls, who is supposed to be her roommate, slyly informs her that there's nowhere in "their" room for her to sleep because of all her own stuff, and she'll just have to sleep in the storeroom.

Oguri's only reaction is a bland "roger that, good luck with your stuff," and when she reports to the storeroom she's overwhelmed... by how incredible it is to have an actual room in which to sleep, with blankets and a window and everything. She genuinely believes the mean girl did her a favor. Similar interactions bounce off her like hail off a window. She simply has no idea what's going on around her, and moreover, she doesn't care.

The tone of this show is kind of wack. The opening theme is oughties Melancholy Rock, one step short of shoegaze, in sharp contrast to basically all the music in the game, and there's this eerie thread of melancholy underlying the essentially silliness of racehorses as humanoid track stars. Oguri's mom is evidently an ex-racer who never made it (I assume that's why they're so poor), her main rival is a damn psychopath (and not in the funny Agnes Tachyon way)... it's all weirdly dark. And this is from the franchise that brought us Rice Shower...

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it, but dang, what internal whiplash.

Actually, now that I think about it, you know what it reminds me of? Arpeggio of Blue Steel. It has a very similar habit of whipsawing between extreme silliness and Incredibly Srs Bsns.

Also, by equine standards anime-Oguri is not a proper gray. I just felt like I should point that out.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

I love this summation from reddit about the RL Oguri's life:

Barges in to japanese horse racing as a gray horse
Everyone thinks gray horses can't run for shit at the time
Absolutely dominates his races
Can't race in the Triple Crowns, becomes the catalyst for change and paves the way for TM Opera O
Win rate of 69% (Came 1st in 22/32 races)
Gets 1st in his retirement race, Arima Kinen
Picked as JRA horse of the year
Causes a boom in the industry
Becomes marketable plushie, prints money
300+ kids, none of them wins any graded races. Was just a freak of nature himself

>Win rate of 69% (Came 1st in 22/32 races)

Nice.

we're gonna find out that the surly old trainer trained Oguri's mom, aren't we.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

In the aerial shot of Tracen Academy in episode 7, there's what appears to be a soccer pitch in one corner of the campus. Just imagine umamusume playing soccer. That would be simultaneously awesome and terrifying. "I kicked a kid in soccer once" would imply serious injury, if not unscheduled flight into orbit.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>Just imagine
>umamusume playing soccer. That would be simultaneously awesome and
>terrifying. "I kicked a kid in soccer once" would imply serious
>injury, if not unscheduled flight into orbit.
>
From what I've picked up about umusu by fanart osmosis, I assume Golsh was preemptively banned from the footy pitch just on general principles.

>From what I've picked up about umusu by fanart osmosis, I assume Golsh
>was preemptively banned from the footy pitch just on general
>principles.

I get the feeling Golshi has been banned from a lot of places. I think I might have said this already somewhere else, but of all the cast members I've encountered so far, she's the one I feel is most likely to have to tell the others she can't go to Mexico with them because she's a wanted fugitive there, à la Dr. Johnny Fever in WKRP. "It was just a little misunderstanding with 147 Mexican cops!"

And yet, you know... she's mostly harmless. She means well, she's just... nuts. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>From what I've picked up about umusu by fanart osmosis, I assume Golsh
>>was preemptively banned from the footy pitch just on general
>>principles.
>
>I get the feeling Golshi has been banned from a lot of places.
>I think I might have said this already somewhere else, but of all the
>cast members I've encountered so far, she's the one I feel is most
>likely to have to tell the others she can't go to Mexico with them
>because she's a wanted fugitive there, à la Dr. Johnny Fever in
>WKRP. "It was just a little misunderstanding with 147 Mexican
>cops!"
>
>And yet, you know... she's mostly harmless. She means well, she's
>just... nuts. :)

"I wanna come with!"
"Golshi, you can't come to Mexico, you're wanted by the police."
"I am?"
"... The minivan incident, remember?"
"Why would they want me over that?"
"You blew them up with a rocket launcher!"
"... And?"
"That's BAD."
"...Huh."

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter

>"I wanna come with!"
>"Golshi, you can't come to Mexico, you're wanted by the police."
>"I am?"
>"... The minivan incident, remember?"
>"Why would they want me over that?"
>"You blew them up with a rocket launcher!"
>"... And?"
>"That's BAD."
>"...Huh."

"They should thank me! I made their weekend more interesting! I mean, nobody DIED..."

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>I get the feeling Golshi has been banned from a lot of places.
>I think I might have said this already somewhere else, but of all the
>cast members I've encountered so far, she's the one I feel is most
>likely to have to tell the others she can't go to Mexico with them
>because she's a wanted fugitive there, à la Dr. Johnny Fever in
>WKRP. "It was just a little misunderstanding with 147 Mexican
>cops!"
>
>And yet, you know... she's mostly harmless. She means well, she's
>just... nuts. :)

Meanwhile, TIL that in-game migraines activate Goldshi's latent Mejiro genes and she transforms into Mejiro Gold. Which has led to the r/Umamusume memes that you can get the same effect by removing her bridle and it's something she can turn on and off to mess with her Trainer.

>
>Meanwhile, TIL that in-game migraines activate Goldshi's latent Mejiro
>genes and she transforms into Mejiro Gold.
>

Can you unpack that on a level a novice can understand?

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

>Can you unpack that on a level a novice can understand?

The RL Gold Ship was the grandson of the RL Mejiro McQueen through the dam Point Flag. In the franchise, the Mejiro bloodline are depicted (with some variation*) as stereotypical ojou-samas (i.e. high class rich girls) with all the character traits that implies. By contrast, Gold Ship's character matches the RL horse in being mercurial and prone to actions that make no sense to anyone but herself. So the scenario described is one where she suddenly becomes a quiet and delicate maiden, totally at odds with her normal self and more like McQueen normally acts.

As for the name "Mejiro Gold," the naming convention at the Mejiro Ranch was to name horses foaled there for the ranch and famous persons (ex: Mejiro McQueen was named for Steve McQueen). In this case, the "Gold" portion comes from his sire Stay Gold.

*Mejiro Ryan is the odd one out by being a girly tomboy

I have a couple of interjections I'd like to make.

>By contrast,
>Gold Ship's character matches the RL horse in being mercurial and
>prone to actions that make no sense to anyone but herself.

On a point of order, I'm not convinced some of Golshi's actions even make sense to Golshi. Her madness is Thompsonian, in that she obeys the whims of the Great Magnet even when she herself cannot see its plan.

>So the
>scenario described is one where she suddenly becomes a quiet and
>delicate maiden, totally at odds with her normal self and more like
>McQueen normally acts.

Just to extend this last bit a little, I'd like it on record that my girl Mejiro McQueen, at least, isn't the obnoxious stereotypical ojou-sama; she's the quiet, demure type, preoccupied with upholding the dignity of the Mejiro family and unfailingly polite and pleasant. Unless you cross her, of course. Then she will end you and all the dreams of your bloodline. :)

>As for the name "Mejiro Gold," the naming convention at the Mejiro
>Ranch was to name horses foaled there for the ranch and famous persons
>(ex: Mejiro McQueen was named for Steve McQueen).

This raises questions in my mind about Mejiro Dober...

>*Mejiro Ryan is the odd one out by being a girly
>tomboy

I can't put my finger on it, but I think there's either one of the loading screen comics or possibly an in-game dialogue somewhere which establishes that Ryan adopted that persona on purpose, in an effort to make herself distinctive from the other Mejiro girls.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>On a point of order, I'm not convinced some of Golshi's actions even
>make sense to Golshi. Her madness is Thompsonian, in that she obeys
>the whims of the Great Magnet even when she herself cannot see its
>plan.

I suspect Goldshi is one of those for whom the phrase "If it's crazy but it works, then it's not crazy" applies in spades.

>Just to extend this last bit a little, I'd like it on record that my
>girl Mejiro McQueen, at least, isn't the obnoxious
>stereotypical ojou-sama; she's the quiet, demure type, preoccupied
>with upholding the dignity of the Mejiro family and unfailingly polite
>and pleasant. Unless you cross her, of course. Then she will end you
>and all the dreams of your bloodline. :)

Yet she also has that gap moe going on of being a diehard baseball fan. Which leads to the mental image of the prim and proper lady wearing Hanshin Tigers gear as she screams for the runner to keep going.

>This raises questions in my mind about Mejiro Dober...

So apparently I was slightly wrong, as the "name for someone famous" convention was the convention when McQueen and Ryan were foaled. When Dober was born in '94, the convention was for fillies to be named for breeds of dogs and colts (i.e. Mejiro Bright) to be named for...railroads. Did I mention the guy who owned the ranch was also the CEO of a construction company?

>I can't put my finger on it, but I think there's either one of the
>loading screen comics or possibly an in-game dialogue somewhere which
>establishes that Ryan adopted that persona on purpose, in an effort to
>make herself distinctive from the other Mejiro girls.

I believe you're right, though I also don't remember where I read it. What I do know (according to the wiki) is her short hair is a reference to the RL Ryan's hair being buzzed down to deal with parasites.

>Yet she also has that gap moe going on of being a diehard baseball
>fan. Which leads to the mental image of the prim and proper lady
>wearing Hanshin Tigers gear as she screams for the runner to keep
>going.

        Tensions were high by the end of that half-inning; with two
out, the Groove hadn't managed to score yet, but they had runners at
the corners and the man at third, an Earthman who rejoiced in the
auspicious name of Elvis Haley, was a constant stolen-base threat.
Fuu Hououji's smile as Haley reached third was proof enough that the
Funkotroni expat was looking forward to a broken tie -before- the
Knights got up to bat.
        Those hopes were dashed, though, as Haley misread a sign and
committed an uncharacteristic baserunning blunder, getting caught in a
rundown between the Knights' catcher and third baseman.  As the trap
closed inexorably around the Groove's star base-stealer, the crowd in
the stands at Knights Field came slowly out of their seats, most with
gleeful anticipation and Fuu with something that looked very much, in
her understated way, like outrage.
        When poor Haley was finally tagged out and trudged dejectedly
back toward the visitors' dugout, that outrage came forth in a high,
clear voice that sliced through the cheers of the reprieved Knights
fans like a laser beam:
    "Hay-LEE DIT-SHIZZY yo!  Granny-anny nevva go unda wit'a SUCKA-FOO
SHOOBY-DOO dilly-o!  Homeys oughta haul yo SACKY-DUMP slackit-back'a
NAR SHADDAA!  Prezzy SLUG-TELLY BIZZY-*BAM*!"
        There was a moment of complete silence in Field Seating
Section 11.  Slowly but surely, the look of anger suffusing Fuu
Hououji's face disintegrated, replaced by an expression of pure
horror.  A scarlet flush crawled up from under her collar all the way
to her hairline, and hesitantly she sank back into her seat, head
bowed.
        A moment later all the people staring at her broke into
applause and cheers, which made her feel a little better, but not
much.

>When Dober was born in '94, the convention was for fillies to be named for
>breeds of dogs and colts (i.e. Mejiro Bright) to be named
>for...railroads.

I assume that was Japanese railroads, although now I'm being amused by the mental image of Mejiro Amtrak. Or, if you want to get a little more historical, Mejiro New York Central. Mejiro Union Pacific?

>What I do know (according to the wiki) is her short hair is a
>reference to the RL Ryan's hair being buzzed down to deal with
>parasites.

There's another of the loading screen comics where she regrets the limited range of hairstyles available with hair that short, yet is reluctant to grow it out because she's established her image now. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>

        Tensions were high by the end of that half-inning; with 
>two 
>out, the Groove hadn't managed to score yet, but they had runners at 
>the corners and the man at third, an Earthman who rejoiced in the 
>auspicious name of Elvis Haley, was a constant stolen-base threat. 
>Fuu Hououji's smile as Haley reached third was proof enough that the 
>Funkotroni expat was looking forward to a broken tie -before- the 
>Knights got up to bat. 
>        Those hopes were dashed, though, as Haley misread a sign and 
>committed an uncharacteristic baserunning blunder, getting caught in a 
>rundown between the Knights' catcher and third baseman.  As the trap 
>closed inexorably around the Groove's star base-stealer, the crowd in 
>the stands at Knights Field came slowly out of their seats, most with 
>gleeful anticipation and Fuu with something that looked very much, in 
>her understated way, like outrage. 
>        When poor Haley was finally tagged out and trudged dejectedly 
>back toward the visitors' dugout, that outrage came forth in a high, 
>clear voice that sliced through the cheers of the reprieved Knights 
>fans like a laser beam: 
>    "Hay-LEE DIT-SHIZZY yo!  Granny-anny nevva go unda wit'a SUCKA-FOO 
>SHOOBY-DOO dilly-o!  Homeys oughta haul yo SACKY-DUMP slackit-back'a 
>NAR SHADDAA!  Prezzy SLUG-TELLY BIZZY-*BAM*!" 
>        There was a moment of complete silence in Field Seating 
>Section 11.  Slowly but surely, the look of anger suffusing Fuu 
>Hououji's face disintegrated, replaced by an expression of pure 
>horror.  A scarlet flush crawled up from under her collar all the way 
>to her hairline, and hesitantly she sank back into her seat, head 
>bowed. 
>        A moment later all the people staring at her broke into 
>applause and cheers, which made her feel a little better, but not 
>much.

My brain likes the image of a series of events leading to Gryphon running into McQueen and Teio trying to attend a Knights game as inconspicuously as one possibly can in an oversized jersey and ballcap, watching from afar as McQueen's enthusiasm slowly whittles away at her self-control, until finally a home run/stolen base/etc leads to her jumping up to scream "F*CK YEAH!" as her ears are exposed due to her cap flying off.

>I assume that was Japanese railroads, although now I'm being
>amused by the mental image of Mejiro Amtrak. Or, if you want to get a
>little more historical, Mejiro New York Central. Mejiro Union
>Pacific?

That is my understanding as well, but would I be surprised if I found out there was a Mejiro Amtrak? Probably not.

>There's another of the loading screen comics where she regrets the
>limited range of hairstyles available with hair that short, yet is
>reluctant to grow it out because she's established her image now. :)

I think her character motivation is summed up as secretly wishing she was as girly as McQueen and the other Mejiro girls but also taking pride in her strength.

> So the
>scenario described is one where she suddenly becomes a quiet and
>delicate maiden, totally at odds with her normal self and more like
>McQueen normally acts.
>

Ah. It's like the story Asimov claimed happened when he met Heinlein.

Heinlein handed over a drink which he either said was Coca-Cola, or Asimov assumed was a Coke. (I can't remember how the story went.) It was actually rum and Coke.

Heinlein's comment on the result: "No wonder he doesn't drink! It sobers him up!"

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

>Ah. It's like the story Asimov claimed happened when he met Heinlein.
>
>Heinlein handed over a drink which he either said was Coca-Cola, or
>Asimov assumed was a Coke. (I can't remember how the story went.) It
>was actually rum and Coke.
>
>Heinlein's comment on the result: "No wonder he doesn't drink! It
>sobers him up!"

I wonder if Asimov was just playing along or trying to wind Heinlein up- considering the time period in which they would've met, rum wasn't typically considered a luxury spirit, so it likely would've been noticeable in the drink.

"This is probably a stupid question, but . . ."

No spoilers, but episode 9 contains such a massive OH COME ON moment that I'm holding off on watching the rest of the series for the moment. I'll probably get back to it, but I have to cool off a little. I'm riled up. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Watched a clip from Ep 12 of Cour 2 and if you thought Tamamo was a shortie compared to Oguri, then she is comically tiny compared to American and European umas like Michelle My Baby and Tony Bianca. It truly is textbook "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."