This is also padding right before the 100th post.
As you can guess from the “Vol. 3” in the title, this is building up from two earlier volumes so make sure to check those.
This volume covers up to the game’s second anniversary, spanning from Satono Diamond to the anniversary with Twin Turbo and Mister CB.
The Points of Interest part of the profiles page is always worth checking even if you think you know everything, because for example, I didn’t know that Machan was meant to have a scarab-like emblem thanks to the real horse being named after Aston Martin.
The alt versions section follows, and it’s a delight given that this is from the part where the game was really coming into its own… case in point it’s the “era” with Machan and I’ve written quite a bit about her.
My other beloved, also makes an appearance and I’ll take any glimpse of her I can get in these dire times.
You know, now that I think about it Hosoe Junko-san has only appeared in UmaYuru that I know of and not even with the design shown there but a chibi one.
The section with the support cards and their drafts is next and this one is always a delight. Highlights include the illustrator for Hello’s card clearly being told to pipe it down a little, and Sky’s card basically getting the prompt “slobbier! …I SAID SLOBBIER!”.
Also, what do you mean we were denied Full Forehead Dober?!
Now this next section made me smile like an idiot for so long because they decided to add PROMOTIONAL COLLAB IMAGES which are such a pain in the ass to gather in a single place. Because at a certain point it wasn’t like the conbini collabs where it was just the base sprite plus some jacket, they started making new illustrations for collabs with arcades, with Karaoke. The Zone Energy ones are a Godsend because having the illustrations in a book means I can finally throw out the 20something cans of stale energy drinks I have lined up in a room.
Though it doesn’t have the insert art they put with the box with all the cans… not in this volume, at least.
There’s of course the section with the CGs from scenarios and events. I forgot to mention it, but this book covers both Grand Live and Grand Masters. There’s also the CGs for the latter Main Story scenarios in part 1, though interestingly there’s no digest of any kind about the 3D scenes in those, that’s something I’d like to see in a book down the line, I think.
The final section is an interview as usual, but this time it’s about the backgrounds which is more interesting than you think because unlike the other designs they’re basically making static images that need to also convey depth so that they can scale down the models and give the illusion of them being in a more physical place.
My wishlist for next time? the Haru Urara Ganbaru manga and also the discarded designs from 2016.
My REALISTIC wishlist for next time? I mentioned insights into the 3DCG sections of the story, but it’d be cool to see more details about the production pipeline. I know Cygames has talked about it at like… industry events and such but it’d be cool to have that sort of info in a single place.
Next Volume will be focused on France and oh Dear that’ll bring back some flashbacks…