What this is
Animate's nationwide chain of otaku retail stores is hosting a limited-run collaboration fair between the wildly popular horse-girl mobile game Umamusume: Pretty Derby and real-world racing outfit PACIFIC RACING TEAM. Six characters — Special Week, Maruzensky, Rice Shower, Winning Ticket, Curren Chan, and Buena Vista — appear in newly drawn 'Race Ambassador Ver.' illustrations across a lineup of acrylic goods and more. Spend ¥1,500 or more on eligible items and you'll receive one random illustration card from a set of six designs as a purchase bonus.
Who should go
Umamusume fans who want exclusive collaboration merchandise and the chance to collect limited bonus illustration cards. Casual anime shoppers without a specific interest in the franchise won't find much here.
Good to know
Animate stores accept major credit cards including foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard at most locations, though having some cash on hand is advisable for smaller purchases. The Osaka Nipponbashi branch is a multi-floor specialty store well-stocked with anime and gaming merchandise. Bonus illustration cards are distributed one per ¥1,500 spent and are random from a pool of six — there is no guarantee of a specific design. Quantities of bonus items are explicitly limited, so visiting on or close to the July 11 opening date is strongly recommended. For stock and bonus availability queries, contact the individual store directly before visiting.
This event was sourced and translated from Japanese by What's On Japan. Details may change — verify with the official source before attending.