Air Groove
| Main | Gallery | IRL | Game | Party Dash |
| Air Groove | |
|---|---|
| "Empress" | |
| Names | |
| English | Air Groove |
| Japanese | エアグルーヴ |
| Romaji | Ea Gurūvu |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 氣槽 |
| Chinese (Hong Kong JC) | 氣槽 |
| Korean | 에어 그루브 |
| Nicknames | グル姉 (Guru-nee (Duramente)) グルーヴ (Groove (Fine Motion)) |
| Profile | |
| Birthday | April 6 |
| Class | Senior Division |
| Dorm | Ritto |
| Roommate | Fine Motion |
| Height | 165cm |
| Three Sizes | B90 W57 H86 |
| Shoe Size | 24.5cm |
| Weight | Amazing form |
| Image Colors | #0092CB #FAE053 |
| Calls self | 私 (Watashi) |
| Calls Trainer | トレーナー (Trainer) |
| Solo Song | EMPRESS GAME |
| Voice | |
| Voice Actor | Ruriko Aoki |
Air Groove is a character in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
Biography
"Just as my esteemed mother once did, I must train to perfection and lead others along my path!"
The coolly calculating Empress. Highly gifted and ambitious.
The vice president of Tracen Academy's student council, known to the other students as the "Empress". The daughter of an accomplished racer, she constantly strives to live up to her mother's racing prowess and ability to guide others. To this end, she has joined her friend and confidant, Symboli Rudolf, in the student council. Despite her strict schedule, she still makes time to tend the flowers in the garden.
| Likes | Growing flowers |
|---|---|
| Dislikes | Things that suddenly flash or move |
| Ears | Droop ever so slightly when she takes care of flowers |
| Tail | Uses the same tail oil as her mother |
| Family | Meticulously plans her mom's birthday party a year in advance. |
| Personal Rule | Not picky. Will eat the greatest creations and worst failures |
| Phone Background | A picture of her mother being crowned Empress |
| Before a Race... | Reapplies her eyeshadow and gets fired up. |
| Secrets | She hates all insects except ladybugs. |
| She listens to Chopin when she wants to relax. |
Appearance
Air Groove has short, sleek warm gray hair that is parted to her right, with one strand of hair falling between her eyes. The insides of her ears are pink, and the tips of her ears fade to black, with two distinct tufts of fur at the tips. On her left ear, she wears a gold ribbon, adorned with gold chains. She has pale blue irises, and wears red eyeliner on her sharp, cat-like, eyes.
For her race outfit, she wears a yellow and black cropped sailor uniform-style top with a yellow bow in the center. On her arms, she wears two short, flowing open black sleeves, with a yellow underside. She wears a large plume of dark purple feathers on her left shoulder. Underneath her top is a black harness connected to a choker. She wears a black shirt underneath her top that flows over a royal blue pleated skirt with white frills. Over the shirt is a blue belt with gold adornments, and a dark blue cape is draped down her right thigh. She wears two belts around her right leg, and on her left is a black thigh-high stocking with gold adornments. She wears short white boots that have a blue and yellow cusp around the top, and down the center of the shoes is a black stripe with gold buttons in the center.
Relationships
- Duramente - Childhood friend and underclassman. While Groove gets exasperated by Duramente's nature, she still cares for her as a friend. Duramente looks up to Groove, and calls her "Guru-nee" out of respect.
- IRL, Air Groove is Duramente's granddam.
- Fine Motion - Roommate and friend. Air Groove is often worried on Fine Motion's obsession with ramen and her behavior due to Fine Motion's upbringing.
- Admire Groove - Friend and underclassman. Air Groove treats her like a little sister and dotes on her.
- IRL, Admire Groove was foaled by Air Groove.
- Symboli Rudolf, Narita Brian - Friends and student council co-members. Teammates on the anime-only team, Team Rigil.
- Silence Suzuka, Matikanefukukitaru - Close friends and rivals.
- Silence Suzuka is a friend and rival of hers. While Air Groove is a bit strict with her, considering how spaced out Suzuka can be, she still cares for her. They have a friendly rivalry, and Groove gets very excited watching Suzuka race, much to her embarrassment when others like Fukukitaru point it out.
- Matikanefukukitaru is also a friend and rival. Despite being strict with her due to Fukukitaru's antics and general personality, both Groove and Fukukitaru can get along, and both of them support Suzuka at her races. Fukukitaru however tends to blurt out things about Groove that embarrass her, like how she was actually intending to watch Suzuka's Tenno Sho (Autumn) in support rather than just for studying Suzuka's racing style.
- Taiki Shuttle - Close friend. Teammates on the anime-only team, Team Rigil.
- Mejiro Dober - Underclassman. Dober sees Air Groove as an ideal she should strive towards, she looks up to her.
- IRL, Dober won the Japanese Oaks a year after Air Groove did which could have been the basis for their in game relationship.
- Daiwa Scarlet - Underclassman. Scarlet admires Air Groove despite how frightening when she is fearless and often asks her for guidance to better herself as a racer as well confiding her troubles.
- Kiseki - Friend and underclassman. Air Groove considers Kiseki a straightforward Umamusume who gets back on her feet, and admires her cheerful personality. Kiseki wants to live up to her expectations, and she also considers Air Groove as a main character.
- IRL, Air Groove is Kiseki's paternal grandmother.
- El Condor Pasa, Grass Wonder, T.M. Opera O, Hishi Amazon, Fuji Kiseki, Maruzensky - Fellow members of the anime-only team, Team Rigil.
- Matikanetannhauser, Winning Ticket, Daiichi Ruby - Fellow members of the Star Blossom exclusive team, Team Regulus.
- Bubble Gum Fellow - Rival and friend. The two were seen as the potential Triple Tiara and Triple Crown of their generation but due to Bubble's injuries making her miss out on the Satsuki Sho and Japanese Derby then not participating in the Kikuka Sho, and Air Groove's sickness making her miss out on the Oka Sho and losing the Shuka Sho, they didn't fulfill those hopes. Air Groove is one of Bubble's main inspirations and visited her in the hospital after Bubble's injury. Air Groove ended Bubble's goal of winning the Autumn Tenno Sho twice.
- IRL, they were from the same generation and raced each other twice, in the 1997 Tenno Sho (Autumn) where Air Groove finished first and Bubble Gum Fellow second, and in the 1997 Japan Cup where Air Groove finished second and Bubble Gum Fellow third.
- Eishin Flash - Friend. Together they form the Ladybug Management Association. Ladybug enthusiasts.
- Air Messiah - Friend and underclassman. Messiah looks up to her as a strong racer, especially since she won the Japanese Oaks.
- Sweep Tosho - Underclassman. Sweep seems to see the Vice President quite often for... disciplinary concerns. While Air Groove is strict with her, she sees great potential in Sweep as a racer. Though she initially views her as just an underclassman, she changes her approach when seeing Sweep's strong running and treats her as an equal. Despite her behavior, Sweep has respect for her deep down.
- Rulership - Underclassman.
- IRL, Air Groove is Rulership's dam.
Media Appearances
Anime
Manga
Event Appearances
- Dashing Toward Your Dreams
- Brand New Friends
- Racing Hearts: Beauty in Bloom!
- Half Anniversary Story
- 3rd Anniversary Story
- Blue Path, Early Spring
Song Discography
Names in Other Languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese (Hong Kong/Traditional) | 氣槽 | Air Groove | Translated name by HKJC. "Air" is the crown name of Lucky Field Co. Ltd while "Groove" has meanings of rhythm or invigoration.
However, HKJC misinterpreted the name and indirectly omitted the crown name, with "Air" translated literally and "Groove" having meanings for "pipe" or "trough" instead. |
Trivia
- Her initial character profile was uploaded to the official Twitter account on May 10, 2017.
- "Umamusume: Pretty Derby Artworks Vol.1" explains why her character designer made specific choices when designing her in relation to her real-life counterpart, which were as follows:
- On her race outfit, two belts with crown-like designs at the end represent her two G1 wins.
- Her real-life counterpart had a yellow bridle and reigns, which is why her sleeves have yellow threading.
- The feather motif (as seen on her left shoulder) was also implemented in Duramente's design, as Duramente is Air Groove's grandchild.
- The feather motif is also present in her children's racing outfits such as Rulership and Admire Groove.
- Air Groove's dislike of flashing things comes from the 1996 Shuka Sho, as prior to the race, Air Groove was startled in her paddock by the photographers' camera flashes, causing her to injure her right foreleg and place 10th in the race.
- This caused the JRA to ban flash photography at races from that moment onward.
- This was also referenced in Season 3 of the anime, where Air Groove was startled by a young Umamusume's camera flash when she was giving her a tour of the school.
- Despite the real horse having a visible blaze, this was not adapted in her Umamusume design.
- Her like for Chopin's music is a reference to her final foal in real life, named Chopin.
Student Introduction