Look, if you’ve been following the Uma Musume franchise for any length of time, you know the "Cinderella Gray" manga is basically the crown jewel of the series. It’s gritty. It’s intense. It’s a far cry from the more idol-focused vibes of the original mobile game or the early seasons of the TV anime. Naturally, everyone is losing their minds over Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2—or more accurately, whether we’re even getting a "Season 2" in the way people expect.
There's a lot of noise online. If you search for it, you'll find a million "leaks" and "confirmed dates" that are, frankly, total nonsense. Here’s the real situation: Cygames officially announced an anime adaptation of Cinderella Gray back in August 2024. But here is the kicker—they haven't even released the first season yet. It’s scheduled for a 2025 release. So, when we talk about Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2, we are looking at the long game, even though the manga has enough content to fill three seasons right now.
Why the hype for Cinderella Gray is different
Most Uma Musume stories feel like a mix of sports drama and "moe" slice-of-life. Cinderella Gray? It’s a battle shonen disguised as horse racing. It follows Oguri Cap, the "Grey-Haired Monster," as she moves from the provincial Kasamatsu tracks to the big leagues of the Japan Racing Association (JRA). It’s dirt, sweat, and legitimate psychological warfare.
People want Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2 because the manga, written by Masafumi Sugiura and illustrated by Taiyou Kuzumi, is massive. As of early 2026, it has over 15 volumes. The first season of the anime, produced by CygamesPictures, is likely only going to cover the Kasamatsu arc and maybe the start of the Central Racing era. That leaves the legendary rivalries with Tamamo Cross and Super Creek—the stuff fans actually want to see—for a potential second season.
The studio factor
CygamesPictures is the studio behind this. They did Season 2 of the main series (the Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen arc) and Road to the Top. If you’ve seen Road to the Top, you know they don't mess around with the budget. The cinematography and the "weight" of the race scenes are incredible.
Because they take their time, production cycles are long. You can't just churn these out every six months. The quality would tank. If Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2 follows the standard production pipeline, we are looking at a 2027 or 2028 release window, assuming the first season hits its 2025 mark and performs well.
Breaking down the source material
Why does everyone think a second season is a sure thing? Because of the "Grey World."
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The manga is currently deep into the later stages of Oguri Cap’s career. The first season is almost certainly going to focus on her "country bumpkin" origins. It’s a classic underdog story. But the real meat of the story—the "Cinderella" part—happens when she hits the JRA.
- The Kasamatsu Arc: This is the prologue. It's about Oguri proving she's too big for the small ponds.
- The Tamamo Cross Rivalry: This is arguably the peak of the entire franchise. Two "grey" horses fighting for the top spot.
- The Inari One and Super Creek Era: This is where the political and physical toll of racing starts to show.
If Season 1 ends after the first Arima Kinen, Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2 would have the perfect setup to dive into the "Year of the Monsters."
The "Season 2" confusion
There’s a bit of a naming mess here. Some fans refer to the second season of the original anime (starring Tokai Teio) as "Season 2," which it is. But Cinderella Gray is a spin-off. It’s a completely separate timeline/narrative focus.
When you see people talking about Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2, they are usually speculating on whether Cygames will commit to the full manga adaptation or just do a "one-and-done" promotional season for the manga. Given how much money Cinderella Gray makes in Weekly Young Jump, it’s hard to imagine they’d stop after 12 episodes.
Honestly, the pacing of the manga is so dense that trying to cram it all into one season would be a disaster. Fans would riot. We saw what happened with The Promised Neverland Season 2—nobody wants a repeat of that.
What to expect from the production
Let’s talk specs. The 2025 anime is confirmed to have a more "mature" art style than the main series. It matches Taiyou Kuzumi’s rough, hatched art style from the manga.
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If and when Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2 gets the green light, expect the following:
- Vastly different color palettes: The manga uses heavy blacks and high-contrast shading. The anime will likely use desaturated tones compared to Special Week's bright, poppy season.
- Sound design: This is where Cygames spends the big bucks. The thundering of hooves in Cinderella Gray needs to sound like a natural disaster.
- Voice acting: Tomoyo Takayanagi is voicing Oguri Cap. She’s been doing the voice in the game for years, but Cinderella Gray requires a much wider emotional range—from "hungry silent girl" to "terrifying force of nature."
Is it worth the wait?
Absolutely.
I’ve read the manga twice. It’s not just a "horse girl" story; it’s a period piece about 1980s Japan and the racing bubble. It deals with classism (provincial vs. central) and the sheer physical exhaustion of being an athlete.
If you are looking for info on Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2, you have to be patient. Anime production in the mid-2020s is slower than it used to be. Studios are prioritizing quality over quantity because the global audience is much more critical now.
Common Misconceptions
Some people think Cinderella Gray is just a retelling of the same events from the mobile game. It’s not. While the "real life" race results are the same (because it’s based on the real Oguri Cap), the characterizations are much deeper. In the manga, Oguri isn't just a ditz who eats a lot. She’s someone who carries the weight of her entire hometown on her shoulders.
Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2 will likely be the season where we see her start to crack under that pressure. That’s the drama people are sticking around for.
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Real-world timeline for the project
- August 2024: Official announcement of the Cinderella Gray anime adaptation.
- 2025: Scheduled release of Season 1.
- 2026: Potential announcement of a sequel or OVA series.
- 2027/2028: Realistic timeframe for Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2.
It’s a long road. But for a story this good, rushing it would be a crime.
Practical steps for fans
If you’re desperate for more content while waiting for the anime, don't just sit there. Go read the manga. Seriously. It’s serialized in Weekly Young Jump. Even if you aren't a big manga reader, the art in the later chapters is some of the best in the sports genre right now.
Also, keep an eye on the official "PakaLive TV" broadcasts on YouTube. That’s where Cygames drops the actual news. If a "Season 2" gets confirmed, it will happen there first, usually during a major anniversary event or right after the Season 1 finale airs.
Don't believe every "leaked" thumbnail you see on social media. Most of those are just using fan art to farm clicks. Stick to official sources like the Uma Musume Twitter (X) account or the Cygames corporate newsroom.
In the meantime, catch up on Road to the Top. It’s only four episodes and it’s arguably the best thing the franchise has produced so far. It’ll give you a good idea of the level of quality you can expect when Oguri Cap finally makes her TV debut.
Ultimately, Uma Musume Cinderella Gray Season 2 is a "when," not an "if." The manga is too popular and the story is too long to be contained in a single 12-episode run. Just brace yourself for a bit of a wait. Quality takes time, and Oguri Cap deserves nothing less than perfection.