The Start Line
The Start Line (スタートライン, Sutātorain) is the 2nd episode of the 3rd season of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby anime.
| The Start Line | |
|---|---|
| Season 03, Episode 02 | |
 |
|
| Kanji | スタートライン |
| Romaji | Sutātorain |
| Air Date | October 12, 2023 |
| Director | Takumi Narita |
| Songs | |
| Opening Song | Soshite Minna no |
| Ending Song | Akogare Challenge Dash!! |
| Episode Guide | |
| Previous | The Stage Long Dreamed Of |
| Next | The Dream Never Ends |
This page contains spoilers. Proceed with caution! |
|
Summary
Kitasan Black is down in the dumps over her poor showing in the Japanese Derby, especially when compared to the star Umamusume Duramente. Her dream of being like her idol Tokai Teio seems farther away than ever.
Plot
Kitasan Black starts to lose confidence and doubt herself after her poor placement in the Japanese Derby, especially when comparing herself to first-place victor Duramente. This causes her to be unable to focus on her training, so her trainer orders her to rest.
Kitasan reflects on how she feels and believes she is unable to be like her star father, whom she looks up to. She thinks back on what first sparked her dream to be a star through racing and has a flashback to watching Tokai Teio on TV with Satono Diamond when they were younger. Upon seeing Teio win by several paces ahead, Kitasan realized she wanted to be just like Teio. In the present, she reaffirms how much she wants to be just like Tokai Teio and how she believed that through hard work, she would've been able to catch up to Teio. She thought that by enrolling in Tracen Academy and making her debut, she would get closer to her goal, but now she realizes how far she is from it.
Team Spica worries about Kitasan's well-being as she leaves to go for a run. While out running, she overhears a news broadcast about Duramente. Duramente has a fracture in both of her legs and will have an estimated 6 months of recovery time, meaning she will be unable to participate in any races for the rest of the year. This means that Duramente will be unable to participate in the Kikkashou. Kitasan feels guilty and frustrated after finding out about this news.
People express disappointment about Duramente being unable to race as she was expected to win the Kikkashou and complete the triple crown. Kitasan hears about Duramente everywhere she goes, and it only makes her feel worse.
Right before she was about to return to Team Spica, Kitasan heard them talking from the other side of the door. The team was discussing how they are worried about her because they knew Kitasan wouldn't take the news about Duramente well, and they decided they wanted to try to cheer Kitasan up when she returns to them. Kitasan's negative emotions start to well up within her to the point that she starts trembling before running off towards the hollow tree stump.
Kitasan yells out and cries into the hollow tree stump. Nice Nature sees this and attempts to comfort Kitasan by inviting her into Team Canopus' office and making her a cup of tea. Nature tries to lighten the mood to no avail and instead allows Kitasan to vent her frustrations to her.
Kitasan explains how she wanted to be a star like Teio but understands now that she can't and explains that she thinks Duramente is much more like Teio than she is. She expresses jealousy and guilt over how she feels about Duramente and begins to sob. Nice Nature tells Kitasan that she understands how she feels, as she has been there before and views Teio similarly. She tells Kitasan to be true to herself since that's what she had done that had helped her.
Kitasan returns to Team Spica feeling a lot better about the situation and declares that she will work hard, to the team's relief. In her excitement about the idea of her winning the Kikkashou, Kitasan immediately goes for another run and reflects on how she's allowed to be weak, cowardly, and uncool if that's who she is, as Nature had told her. Even if Kitasan can't be a dazzling star, she can still fight and struggle.
The day of the Kikkashou, Kitasan reaffirms that she will be true to herself and do this race with that goal in mind. Duramente comes to watch in the stands. Kitasan wins the Kikkashou and is ecstatic about it. Teio comments to McQueen that she thinks Kitasan may end up being an even better umamusume than she was.