As usual I tend to look up the new names and this year I don’t have fires to put out so let’s offload all the information here.
Don’t expect a super detailed analysis for each one, though. This is basically a primer on who they announced, what their deal is, why they’re a big deal, and what connections exist in the game currently.
We start with the undeniable centerpiece.
Forever Young
For those not keeping up, she was actually teased ages ago and even then people already sniffed it was her.
Forever Young is the most recent horse at the time of her annoucement since Daring Tact back when she was revealed. In fact, the real horse’s accolades are as recent as of the month of this writing, being the top Japanese-trained horse in terms of lifetime earnings, an accolade certainly helped by being a two-time winner of the Saudi Cup.
And all of this is funnier when you remember the owner of Forever Young is Susumu Fujita, the CEO of CyberAgent. Only reason Forever Young isn’t a nepo baby is that god Damn, those are some impressive accolades to its name.
Also credit where credit is due, Fujita-san really comes off as someone living the dream of being a racehorse owner rather than someone explicitly pushing his brand and nothing else.
Back to Forever Young, her VA is Shuri Miyumi, a rookie seiyuu that started in 2021 and has been making the rounds with minor characters so it’s safe to say Forever Young is easily her biggest role so far, and may many more come.
By the way, apparently Forever Young is named “after the song” but the page in wikipedia leads to a disambiguation page. And against my bets Alphaville’s Forever Young is the only one not in that list so who knows, maybe it IS named after the eurobeat song.
Update: Turns out the horse is named after Forever Young by AK-69. A few other horses by Fujita-san are named after other songs by them like Ding Ding Dong, Swag Walk, and Bushin (Thanks to N via the inbox for this valuable insight).
Victoire Pisa
Oh hey I literally mentioned her the other day in relation to winning the Arima Kinen against Buena Vista. That post is already slightly obsolete but that’s just part of the fun of writing a blog.
That’s not the only accolade to their name though. Victoire Pisa was also the winner of the 2010 Satsuki Sho (the same year Eishin Flash won the Nihon Derby). And relevant to Forever Young, a Dubai Cup winner also. Keep in mind that the Dubai World Cup and Saudi World Cup are different, though, but Forever Young DID try the Dubai World Cup.
They just announced a scenario based on the Breeders Cup in the US, but they’re very clearly revving up a Dubai scenario also (Viblos has been blowing that horn for months now, though).
Victoire Pisa’s VA is Shimano Hana, another relative rookie, but one that’s already had a lead as Himari Kino in Whisper you a Love Song, and Kawai Mako in Food For The Soul.
By the way, the Kikuka Sho winner of 2010 is called Big Week and I can only assume it defeated Special Week in combat to earn that title.
Casino Drive
Not a playable character, it’s the NPC for the new scenario.
Adding her mostly to clarify that she’s not playable and as such while she’s most likely based on an existing horse doesn’t carry the name of a current horse.
…emphasis on “current”, there’s a Happy Meek that has been running after the game release and if they continue to make a name for themselves they will make in-game Meek’s existence very VERY funny.
Update: It has come to my attention that Casino Drive might not be the usual pseudonym OC girl given thatthere’s a real horse with that name that ran the Breeders Cup and it was namedropped in an official video (thanks to AT for pointing this out).
Anyway, Casino Drive is voiced by Aimi, AKA Kasumi Toyama in Bandori to give you an idea.
Marche Lorraine
It’s been a while since we’ve had a girl with a cool hat. Didn’t expect Nadeko Sengoku in the process, though.
Marche Lorraine is a winner of the Breeders Cup Distaff (the fillies-only version of the American Breeders Cup) AND also participated in the Dubai Cup.
She also joins the ranks of Orfevre descendants alongside Lucky Lilac.
Very importantly also: Marche Lorraine and Loves Only You are childhood friends both in-game and in the real world.
Marche Lorraine is voiced by Chisakada Tsukino, she’s been around for a while, but hasn’t had any major lead roles outside of Lolo in Ganbare Lulu Lolo TINY★TWIN★BEARS, part of the Kuma no Gakkou series of picture books.
…that makes the hand puppet VERY appropiate.
Logotype
Logotype is the winner of the 2013 Satsuki Sho. With it and another entry further ahead we’re only missing a horse called Kizuna to have that years’ Triple Crown contenders all lined up. Logotype was also a Dubai challenger, but ALSO also a Hong Kong challenger which is definitely another race the game clearly wants to explore in the future.
I like Logotype’s design, it’s so low-key (especially compared to the rest of the announcements she was thrown in) that she kinda looks more like a Kancolle character in a good way.
Logotype’s VA is Misora Takahashi and I couldn’t find a Wikipedia page for her since she seems to be a really new talent around the block. Good for her!
Rose Kingdom
We’ve got our new Canopus member, I think.
Rose Kingdom was actually one of the triple crown challengers in 2010 alongside Victoire Pisa and Eishin Flash and BIG WEEK but didn’t make it.
Well, the Canopus joke actually doesn’t work, Rose Kingdom actually won the first Japan Cup that Buena Vista attempted only to lose the next year against Buena Vista… and then the year after to Gentildonna.
You know, Buena Vista isn’t beating the Otome Protagonist allegations if this is what her rivals keep looking like for some reason…
Rose Kingdom’s VA is Kikuchi Yurina, another newbie around the block though she apparently dubbed Flora in the 3D Winx Club thing.
Rulership
Listen, I saw the announcements half asleep and I needed to wake up to accept that Evil Cheval was a real thing and not something I half-dreamt.
Rulership is actually Admire Groove’s sister via Air Groove and that girl’s life sure got more interesting with this addition to the roster. I can’t believe Evil Cheval is doomed to not being the Eldest yet again.
Jokes aside… actually the jokes haven’t ended because the whole point of her design being so yabai and yet according to her VA she’s the kind to go “HIIIIIN” if you touch her is a perfect reflection of how the real horse had so much promise and yet continued to lag behind constantly.
Rulership is also Kiseki’s father, hence why she’s looking at Kiseki in the loading screen. Rulership is ALSO a Dubai contender while at it.
Rulership’s VA is Umino Mizutama, another rookie but it seems she made the transition from music into voice acting recently.
Epiphaneia
They closed with a strong last impression.
Epiphaneia is a name I’ve mentioned PLENTY in this blog. It’s the descendant of Symboli Kris S and Cesario and things are about to get really interesting because it means it’s the first time that both parents AND descendant are in the game implemented at the same time (usually it’s either a couple without the descendant or one of the parents and the descendant). Cesario and Kris S were already Basically Married before this, it’ll be fun to see what they do now that their child is implemented.
More importantly: Epiphaneia is the father of Daring Tact, making the bridge towards her actually complete in the process.
Anyway, Epiphaneia was the other Triple Crown contender I alluded to in Logotype’s entry, winning the Kikuka Sho specifically. He also won the Japan Cup. aaaaaaaand if you can believe it, was a Dubai contender.
Epiphaneia’s VA is Senga Hikari, AKA Cure Answer in the current Precure season.
The reveals from anniversary streams have evolved in a very interesting way. They don’t feel anymore like “who’s this” or like they’re breaking into new ground but more like they’re suddenly filling in all the gaps in what they’ve been building.
Like I mentioned, the next scenario will be based around the Breeders Cup, but it’s hard not to notice them building up to a potential Dubai/Saudi scenario also.
This batch of designs is also… oddly lowkey? It definitely feels like they got all the flashy hair colors out of their system with Loves Only You, Chrono Genesis and that whole batch.
This year will definitely be interesting. I say that every year, mind you, but it’s like the kind of interesting is never the same.