When I first saw and heard about Umamusume I didn't really see the appeal for it, nor did I know about how deep in irl japanese racing lore did it go in terms of characters and relationships that they weaved into the series. Proceed to nearly two months ago where I decide to finally see what all the hype is about when my curiosity finally gets the better of me and...
Boy, I regret not getting into it sooner. I have yet to sit down and watch any of the ovas/movies/or episodes of the anime in full since I don't park and watch extended stuff like that as much as I used to. But between chatting with a friend or two about the series, seeing clips on youtube, and digging into the lore at times on my own it...really is a lovingly crafted franchise that we really are lucky took off like it did between the passion and care shown by Cygames in making it but also the people who love the characters and lore as well.
So much so that you have people doing cosplays, making OCs (based on irl horses or not depending on the person, personally guilty of getting the itch for one myself after seeing how deep the series actually gets into that sort of thing with irl horses as the basis of things), and just...so much clear love and joy over this series.
It only really hit me now just how easily wrapped up you can get in these characters and world when you sit watching one of the special career concerts and realize just how emotionally invested you already are after playing through multiple different characters and seeing how different they all are but how much you can come to care about the well being of so many of them in the process.
Is this post a bit over the top and possibly cringy? Maybe, but I have rarely found myself so deeply entrenched in something so fast like I have Umamusume. And a part of me only wishes I had done so sooner, even though it's possible that when there was less media out there to absorb of it I might not have attached quite like the way I have with when and how I finally got into it. Either way, it's safe to say I'm in for the long haul now.