What Does the Title of "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" Mean? The Origin of Oguri Cap’s Name

"Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" is a manga series currently serialized in Weekly Young Jump. Commonly shortened to "Shingure," the story follows the umamusume (horse girl) Oguri Cap, who enrolls in the Kasamatsu Training Center Academy, located in a declining rural area, and chronicles her journey as she becomes a legend.

While it is part of the broader "Umamusume" multimedia project, "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" tells an independent story, which means readers can enjoy it without any prior knowledge of the "Umamusume" game or anime series.

This article summarizes the meaning behind the title "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray," based on interviews with the creators.

What Does the Title "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" Mean?

The protagonist of "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray," Oguri Cap, is an umamusume modeled after the real-life racehorse of the same name. Oguri Cap first rises to prominence in the rural town of Kasamatsu, and is eventually transferred to central tracks, where she competes in races against powerful rivals.

"Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" is produced with clearly defined roles among the team, such as artist, scriptwriter, and manga planner. The creators have revealed that the title "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" was decided after brainstorming together. Masafumi Sugiura, the scriptwriter, and Junnosuke Ito, the manga project planner, discussed the meaning of "Cinderella Gray" in an interview with a web media outlet.

Sugiura stated that Oguri Cap’s rise from the countryside to the center, achieving greatness, closely resembles a Cinderella story. Furthermore, since Oguri Cap’s coat color is classified as “ash-gray” or “gray,” this connects the Japanese name for Cinderella, which literally translates to “the ash-covered princess” (“Hai Kaburi Hime”), making "Cinderella Gray" a clever title.

Ito, the manga project planner, added that since umamusume characters are portrayed as girls, the word "Cinderella" was an ideal fit for the title. For the word "Gray," in addition to Oguri Cap's coat color, it also alludes to the real racehorse Oguri Cap's grand-sire, Native Dancer, who was known as the "Gray Phantom."

Among the creators, manga artist Taiyo Kuzumi has expressed particular fondness for the title "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray."

The Meaning and Origin of Oguri Cap’s Name

The protagonist of "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" is Oguri Cap, a horse girl who enrolls in Kasamatsu Training Center Academy. The umamusume characters are inspired by actual racehorses, and in Oguri Cap’s case, she is modeled after the historically famous racehorse of the same name.

The real racehorse "Oguri Cap" was originally named "Hatsuratsu" at birth. The horse’s name changed to "Oguri Cap" when it joined the stable of trainer Masao Sumi and began its career as a racehorse.

Within the horse racing world, there is a naming tradition called "kanmuri-mei" (prefix names), where the owner includes a specific word in a horse’s name to identify it as theirs. The initial owner of "Oguri Cap," Koichi Oguri, used his family name "Oguri" as the prefix, while "Cap" was taken from the sire "Dancing Cap." Hence, the registered name became "Oguri Cap."

Oguri Cap’s sire, Dancing Cap, was born in the United States in 1963 and participated in overseas races. After retiring from racing, he arrived in Japan in 1972 to serve as a stallion.

Overview of "Umamusume: Cinderella Gray"

Umamusume are girls with horse-like ears, tails, and superhuman legs. They are said to inherit the names and spirits of famous racehorses from another world, following a fate that is both extraordinary and illustrious. These horse girls dream of making their mark in races.

Oguri Cap, an Umamusume, enrolls at the Kasamatsu Training Center Academy where horse girls train. Immediately after starting school, Oguri Cap demonstrates her unique running style, leveraging her natural flexibility. She is scouted by academy trainer Jo Kitahara and invited to join his team for races.

Under Kitahara's guidance, Oguri Cap participates in various races. The story follows her journey as the "ash-covered girl" known as "the Monster" makes her way into legend.

The manga is serialized in "Weekly Young Jump" (artist: Taiyo Kuzumi, script: Masafumi Sugiura, manga planning: Junnosuke Ito, original concept: Cygames), and will be adapted into a split two-cour TV anime starting in April 2025. The protagonist Oguri Cap is voiced by Tomoyo Takayanagi, known for her role as Sarina Tendouji in "Oshi No Ko," while Jo Kitahara is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi, famous for playing Tengen Uzui in "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba."

Summary

"Umamusume: Cinderella Gray" is a manga with Oguri Cap as the protagonist. Starting in April 2025, a split two-cour TV anime adaptation will also be aired.

The title "Cinderella Gray" carries multiple meanings, as discussed by the creators in web media interviews. The real-life racehorse Oguri Cap's career was considered a Cinderella story, and her coat color, known as "ash-colored" or gray, also inspired the title.

（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.