Who Is the Author of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray? About Gender, Face Reveal, and Twitter

Umamusume: Cinderella Gray is a manga series currently serialized in Weekly Young Jump magazine. Nicknamed “Shingure,” the total number of comics in the series surpassed 7 million copies as of April 2025. The first season of the TV anime began airing in April 2025, with the second season scheduled for broadcast from October 2025.

Umamusume: Cinderella Gray is one of the media projects under “Umamusume,” which spans games, anime, manga, music, and more. The story depicts Oguri Cap, a horse girl who enrolls at the run-down local Kasamatsu Training Center Academy, as she becomes a legend.

This article summarizes information about the authors of the manga Umamusume: Cinderella Gray.

Synopsis of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray

In an alternate world, there exist mystical girls called “Umamusume,” who have inherited the names and spirits of famous racehorses. They are said to possess horse-like ears and tails, superhuman legs, and follow a fateful and dazzling destiny.

Oguri Cap, an “Umamusume,” is a freshman at the modest Kasamatsu Training Center Academy in a rural region. After meeting trainer Jo Kitahara, who had been searching for a potential star, the story takes a dramatic turn. Eventually, Oguri Cap, a gray “Cinderella” girl dubbed the “Monster,” begins to carve out her own legend.

The series is serialized in Shueisha’s seinen magazine Weekly Young Jump. Beginning in April 2025, the anime will air over two split seasons, and Oguri Cap is voiced by Tomoyo Takayanagi, who also played Sarina Tendouji in Oshi No Ko.

Who is the author of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray?

For the manga Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, separate credits are given for artwork, scriptwriting, and planning/structure. On the cover pages and comic covers, the names are listed as: Manga by Taiyo Kuzumi, Script by Masafumi Sugiura & Pita, Manga Planning/Composition by Junnosuke Ito, Original Work by Cygames.

For the script, only Masafumi Sugiura was credited from volumes 1 to 8, but from volume 9 onwards, the credits read “Masafumi Sugiura & Pita.”

In August 2021, Taiyo Kuzumi, the manga artist, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Regarding Cinderella Gray, I’m not the ‘author,’ but the ‘artist’—I only draw. The person working out the story and concepts is scriptwriter Sugiura-san and planner Ito-san. Also, for characters needed in the story without official designs, I may do the designs myself (Cygames always checks them each time).”

It seems that scriptwriter Sugiura and manga planner Junnosuke Ito create the story for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, and Kuzumi then draws the illustrations based on their story.

Manga Artist (Illustration) for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray Is Taiyo Kuzumi

The illustration for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray is handled by Taiyo Kuzumi. After graduating high school, Kuzumi attended ASO Pop Culture College. While enrolled in 2015, his submission to Weekly Young Jump’s rookie award (Shinman Award) received an honorable mention, marking his debut. Afterwards, standalone short stories and adaptations were published in Weekly Young Jump.

In 2020, Kuzumi made his serialization debut as illustrator for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray. Kuzumi has stated that he references actual historical races while drawing the series, thoroughly analyzing race videos and searching for material within his own reach. According to Kuzumi, distinguishing between horses is more difficult than gathering reference materials; in crowded race scenes, it takes the most time to find which horse he needs to focus on.

Since Umamusume: Cinderella Gray works from a script, when asked in an interview about what he’s mindful of when converting the script into manga, Kuzumi answered that he values the pacing and tempo of story developments and dialogues. In race scenes, he focuses on the dynamic movements of the Umamusume and the impact of their signature lines, while in everyday scenes, he emphasizes the flow and “rhythm” of the sound and dialogue over movement.

Regarding his weekly work schedule as a manga artist, Kuzumi reported that he mainly works on manuscripts during weekdays and drafts storyboards (“names”) on weekends. He mostly works in analog until the inking stage, since with digital, it’s possible to endlessly redo things, making edits tough, whereas with analog you have to be more decisive—though mistakes are irretrievable, so he exercises great care.

▼A Close-Up Look Into Taiyo Kuzumi-sensei’s Studio! A Glimpse Into the Manga Illustration Process!

Past Works: Titles and Where to Read Them

Kuzumi’s debut was with the 2015 Shinman Award honorable mention “2000 Years Later, World Conquest.”

He made his Weekly Young Jump main magazine debut with the one-shot “Adagiri no Eden” in 2016. In 2018, he provided illustrations for the one-shot manga “Heroine Jijou,” written by Tomoya Haruno (noted for “D-Frag!”), published in Weekly Young Jump.

As of August 2025, the only serialized and collected work by Kuzumi is Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, which has been published up to volume 20. “Heroine Jijou” is available as a free-to-read title on Shueisha’s web manga service “Yanjan!” as of August 2025.

Lead Scriptwriter for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray: Masafumi Sugiura and Pita

The scriptwriter for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray is Masafumi Sugiura. He is known for series composition and scriptwriting for anime, and has the alternate pen name “Pierre Sugiura.” The nickname “Pierre Sugiura” was apparently given to him by a college senior during a welcome party when he was a freshman.

In 2014, he founded Pita Inc., a creative production company specializing in scriptwriting and broadcast composition, where he serves as CEO.

Sugiura was active as an actor in his twenties. Frustrated over his lack of breakout success and finding it difficult to promote himself, he retired from acting at age 30 and transitioned to a career as a broadcast writer. Building up experience through programs like “Shakin!” and “Tensai TV-kun” on NHK E-tele, he first handled series composition and scripting for the anime “Oshiri Kajiri Mushi.”

He also worked on series composition and scripts for the Umamusume: Pretty Derby anime series. He mentioned that, while writing Silence Suzuka’s injury scene in season 1 and Rice Shower’s spring Tenno Sho scene in season 2, he felt moved to tears himself.

Asked what he likes about Oguri Cap, Sugiura answered, “The way she speaks through her back.” He notes that Oguri doesn’t say much, is stoic and uncomplaining, never seeks praise for her efforts, but expresses everything through her presence—which he finds cool. Sugiura also said that, when writing the script, he aims to show her as impressive without many words.

Kuzumi has praised Sugiura, describing him as having “unparalleled organizational skills,” “blazingly fast scriptwriting,” and “an incredible ability to adapt quickly.”

Works Scripted by Sugiura

In addition to Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, Sugiura has been involved in manga such as “Composition/Matsunaga Kinako” (art by Shino Shimizu), which features a woman striving to become a broadcast writer.

The first late-night anime for which Sugiura handled both series composition and scripting was Barakamon, about a calligrapher who relocates to the Gotō Islands. He reportedly borrowed a desk at the production company and worked weekends or even stayed overnight to focus on scriptwriting.

Since then, he has worked as series composer and scriptwriter on titles such as Umamusume: Pretty Derby, Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru (a story about famous swords as warriors), and Laid-Back Camp Season 3, which depicts the daily lives of girls who love camping.

Who is Pita, the Scriptwriting Credit?

Starting from volume 9 of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, the scriptwriter credit appears as “Masafumi Sugiura & Pita.” “Pita” is not an individual but likely refers to Pita Inc., the production company Sugiura heads and belongs to.

Pita Inc. includes not only scriptwriters but also broadcast writers, video directors, and a range of creators in its content production. They are also involved in video production, including planning, composition, filming, and editing for NHK’s “Darwin ga Kita!” as well as composition/editing for video introductions to events like the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Manga Planning/Composition Is Led by Junnosuke Ito

The person in charge of the manga project structure for "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" is Junnosuke Ito. Ito was affiliated with TOHO animation, but announced in 2018 that he had launched an anime production company called "QROUT".

Kuzumi has praised Ito for his immense “encyclopedic knowledge of horse racing,” “top-level communication skills,” and “overwhelming passion and drive.”

In a joint interview with scriptwriter Sugiura, when asked about the significance of the title “Cinderella Gray,” Ito said the real-life rise of Oguri Cap from regional to central racing was a Cinderella story, and “Gray” refers to both Oguri Cap’s coat color and the nickname “Gray Phantom” of her grandfather Native Dancer.

When Sugiura was asked what he liked about Oguri Cap, he commented that the real Oguri Cap repeatedly overcame anxiety and challenges—first racing on grass, first race in Tokyo, first-time rivals—persistently challenging herself and overturning the odds, which aligns with the character’s portrayal in Umamusume. For characters other than Oguri Cap, he stated he feels an attachment to Berno Light.

Ito was also a producer for the Umamusume: Pretty Derby anime. When asked about the approach he takes towards story construction for Umamusume: Pretty Derby, he revealed that he is careful not to contradict real-life events, yet adds “what-if” scenarios not strictly bound by historical fact.

Past Works

Ito is credited as planner for the manga Existential Unplugged, serialized on Shueisha’s web manga service Shonen Jump Plus.

As a producer, he has been involved in TV anime such as Barakamon, Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru, and Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. Both Barakamon and Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru also had scripts and composition by Sugiura (under the pen name Pierre Sugiura).

He has also worked as producer for theatrical anime such as Genocidal Organ and The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl.

The Original Story is by Cygames

The original story of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray is by Cygames, Inc. Cygames is behind the cross-media Umamusume Project and is an affiliate of CyberAgent, Inc.

Nicknamed “Saige,” Cygames was founded in May 2011 by five members with experience in console game development. Today, the company releases mobile application games, develops console software, and operates within anime and manga businesses.

Cygames’ first game was Rage of Bahamut. Since then, they have released other successful titles, including Granblue Fantasy and Shadowverse.

They also produce console games, including Granblue Fantasy: Versus, a fighting game based on Granblue Fantasy, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby Nekketsu Hachamecha Dai Kanshasai!, a casual action game featuring characters from Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

Other Business Ventures

In 2015, Cygames established the anime studio CygamesPictures. In addition to adapting the Cygames app Princess Connect! Re:Dive into anime, they have also produced original titles such as Brave Bang Bravern! In summer 2025, CygamesPictures is set to animate the manga The Summer Hikaru Died.

Since May 2016, Cygames runs the web manga distribution service “Cycomi,” which features a wide range of genres from standard shonen manga to those aimed at female audiences. As of March 2025, the “Cycomi” app has surpassed 20 million downloads.

What Is the Gender of the Author? Any Face Reveal?

What Is the Gender of Manga Artist (Illustrator) Kuzumi?

The official YouTube channel “Young Jump Manga TV [Shueisha Young Jump Official]” features videos showcasing Kuzumi’s illustration process for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray. However, only his hands are shown; his face is never revealed.

Kuzumi has also given interviews to web media but has not shown his face in those either. Given that he uses the pronoun “boku” (typically used by males in Japanese) in these interviews, it is likely that he is male.

What about Scriptwriter Sugiura and Manga Planning/Composition Lead Ito?

As for Sugiura, the official website of Pita Inc. shows PR and interview photos of him, indicating he is male.

Regarding Ito, past interviews have shown photographs of him, and he has posted photos of himself on his X (formerly Twitter) account, so he is also presumed to be male.

Do the Authors of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray Use SNS Like X (Formerly Twitter)?

Kuzumi has an account on X, where he posts not only official announcements about Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, but also illustrations he has drawn, photos of his pet cat, and production materials.

On January 1, 2021, he posted an illustration of Oguri Cap in a tiger costume along with New Year’s greetings. On March 30, 2023, he posted production design materials for Sea Fukurow.

Ito Junnosuke, who handles manga planning and composition, also has an X account, where he posts about daily life and horse racing topics.

Summary of the Authors of Umamusume: Cinderella Gray

The manga Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, currently serialized in Weekly Young Jump, divides production credits among illustrator, scriptwriter, and planner/composer.

The manga artist (illustrator) is Taiyo Kuzumi. The scriptwriter is Masafumi Sugiura, also responsible for series composition and scripts for anime such as Umamusume: Pretty Derby and Laid-Back Camp Season 3.

The manga planning/composition is by Junnosuke Ito, a producer of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby anime. The original story is by Cygames, known for managing games like Granblue Fantasy.

（C）久住太陽・杉浦理史＆Pita・伊藤隼之介／集英社・ウマ娘 シンデレラグレイ製作委員会
（C） Cygames, Inc.