If you’ve spent any time grinding in Uma Musume Pretty Derby, you know that the New Year’s events aren’t just about getting some extra stats or a fancy kimono. They are a window into the soul of these horse girls. But honestly, the New Years shrine visit Maruzensky scenario hits different. It’s a weirdly perfect blend of 1980s bubble economy nostalgia and the quiet, high-stakes pressure of being a racing legend.
Most people just click through the dialogue to get the "Skill Points" or the "Vitality" recovery. You’re missing out. Maruzensky isn't just a "supercar" on the track; she’s a time capsule.
When the New Year rolls around in the game’s training mode, the hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the year) serves as a critical narrative beat. For Maruzensky, it’s where her "older sister" energy finally cracks a little bit, revealing the girl behind the flashy disco slang and the red sports car.
The Retro Vibe of Maruzensky's New Year
Maruzensky is famous—or maybe infamous—for being stuck in the Showa era. She uses words like o-mizu and talks about "going to the disco" while the other girls are looking at her like she’s a museum exhibit. During the New Years shrine visit Maruzensky event, this gap becomes the centerpiece.
While everyone else is praying for world peace or better stamina, Maruzensky is often seen leaning into that high-flying, confident persona. But look at the details. The developers at Cygames did something subtle here. They didn't just make her a joke. They made her a bridge between two eras of Japanese racing.
When you take her to the shrine, the atmosphere shifts. The crowd is dense. The cold air of January bites. You, the Trainer, are standing there next to a girl who literally holds the record for some of the most dominant wins in racing history. And yet, she’s worried about things like her luck for the year or whether her "look" is still trendy.
It’s hilarious. It’s also kinda heartbreaking if you know the real-life history.
What Actually Happens During the Visit
In the game, the New Year's event usually triggers in Year 2 or Year 3 of the training cycle. You get a few choices. These choices aren't just fluff; they determine whether you're going to have a successful final season or if you're going to be struggling for energy.
- The Health Route: Praying for health usually nets you a massive Vitality boost. If your Maruzensky is currently "Tired" or has low HP, this is the strategic play.
- The Skill Route: Asking for more power or "knowledge" gives you Skill Points (Pt). If you're building a Maruzensky for the Champions Meeting or a specific PVP bracket, you almost always take this.
- The "Special" Choice: Sometimes, the dialogue lets you lean into her personality.
The prose in these scenes is punchy. Maruzensky will likely drop a line about how she wants to "drive into the New Year at full throttle." She’s not just talking about a car. She’s talking about her life. She was the horse that couldn't enter the Japanese Derby in real life because of her pedigree. In the game, the New Years shrine visit Maruzensky represents her second chance to be at the center of the world.
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Why the Fans Obsess Over the Kimono Design
We have to talk about the visuals. Maruzensky in a kimono is a "moment" for the fanbase. In the 2022/2023 cycle, when the New Year’s specific versions of characters (alts) started dropping, the demand for a New Year Maruzensky was through the roof.
The traditional furisode she wears isn't just random. It usually incorporates her signature red color—the "Red Flash."
Think about the contrast. You have this girl who is basically the embodiment of 80s glitz. She likes fast cars, bright lights, and loud music. Then, you put her in the most traditional, quiet, and somber setting possible: a Shinto shrine at dawn.
That’s the "gap moe" that makes this specific event rank so high in player popularity polls. It’s the one time she isn't trying to be the "cool big sister." She’s just a girl praying for a win.
The Luck Factor: Omikuji Woes
If you get a "Great Blessing" (Daikichi) during the visit, your training run is basically blessed by the gods. You get a huge boost to all stats.
But if Maruzensky pulls a "Small Curse" or "Bad Luck"? The dialogue is gold. She tries to play it off with some outdated slang, but you can see her confidence waver. This is where the Trainer's role actually matters. You aren't just a stats bot; you’re the one keeping the supercar on the road.
Decoding the Showa Era Slang
If you’re playing the Japanese version or using a translation patch, the New Years shrine visit Maruzensky text is a nightmare for translators. She uses terms that haven't been "cool" since 1988.
For example, she might refer to her outfit as "haikara" (high collar/fashionable) or talk about "gettin' funky" at the shrine. It’s cringe. It’s adorable. It’s 100% Maruzensky.
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The writers at Cygames clearly had a blast with her. They’ve researched the actual lingo used during the Japanese bubble economy. When she’s at the shrine, she’s trying to bridge that gap between her "legendary" status and the modern world of the Tracen Academy.
The Strategy: How to Maximize the Event
Look, if you’re reading this, you probably want to know how to win. The New Year event is a pivot point.
- Check your Vitality before Jan 1st. If you are at 100% health, do NOT pick the health option. It’s a waste.
- Evaluate your Skill Pt needs. Most Maruzensky builds (especially the "Mizumaru" Swimsuit version or the standard 3-star) are hungry for Skill Points to fuel their "Angling x Scheming" inheritance.
- The Hidden Stat: Sometimes, these visits trigger a condition change. If she’s "Slacking Off" or has a negative status, the shrine visit can occasionally wipe the slate clean.
Basically, don't just mash the screen. Read the room.
The Real Life Connection: Maruzensky's Legacy
To understand why the New Years shrine visit Maruzensky feels so significant, you have to look at the real horse. Born in 1974, Maruzensky was a beast. He won 8 out of 8 races. He won by a total of 61 lengths across those races.
But because he was a "foreign-bred" horse (his dam was imported while pregnant), he wasn't allowed to race in the Classics like the Japanese Derby.
The famous quote from his jockey, Ichibi Nakano, was: "I don't need any prize money. I don't need any recognition. Just let me race against the others. I'll start from the very outside—no, I'll even start from behind the others. Just let Maruzensky show how fast he is."
They never let him.
So, when Maruzensky stands at that shrine in the game and prays for a "successful year," she’s praying for the opportunity the real horse never got. She’s praying to be on that stage. Every New Year event is a reminder that in the world of Uma Musume, the "unreachable dream" is actually possible.
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Common Misconceptions About the Event
A lot of players think the New Year event is the same for every girl. Wrong.
While the "rewards" (the stat gains) follow a similar pattern, the flavor text changes the context of your relationship with the character. With someone like Special Week, it’s all about food and her mom. With Maruzensky, it’s about legacy and staying relevant.
Another mistake? Thinking the choices don't matter because of "fixed" RNG. While the outcome of the luck (the blessing) is RNG-based, the type of reward is entirely in your hands.
How to Handle a "Bad Luck" Pull
It happens. You go to the shrine, you’re hyped, and Maruzensky pulls a "Kyo" (Bad Luck).
Your motivation might drop. Your stats might take a hit. Don't panic.
In the Maruzensky storyline, a setback in January is usually the setup for a massive comeback in the Summer Grand Prix (Takarazuka Kinen). Use the following weeks to focus on "Rest" or "Intellect" training to stabilize her motivation.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
To get the most out of the New Years shrine visit Maruzensky and ensure your training doesn't go off the rails, follow this checklist:
- Bank your energy: Try to have about 40-50% Vitality going into January. This allows you to pick the "Skill Point" or "Stat" options without needing the "Health" heal, giving you a higher ceiling for your final build.
- Target the "Top of the Class" (Kyo-u): If you are aiming for an SS or UG rank, you need the New Year event to go perfectly. If you get the Great Blessing, immediately pivot to a high-fail-rate training (like Power or Speed) while your stats are boosted.
- Listen to the BGM: Seriously. The New Year's music in Uma Musume is top-tier. It changes the vibe of the whole session.
- Focus on the "Grand Masters" or "U.A.F." Scenarios: Depending on which scenario you're playing, the New Year's visit might interact with specific mechanics (like Goddess fragments or training levels). Make sure you check your "Link" levels before clicking a choice.
The shrine visit isn't just a break in the action. It's the moment you decide what kind of legend your Maruzensky is going to be. Whether she’s a retro-dancing queen or a focused speed demon, the first day of the year sets the tone. Next time the event pops up, take a second. Look at the kimono. Read the "groovy" dialogue. Then go out and win that Arima Kinen.