a stupidly long long long blog on k.s.miracle (umamusume)'s story and why she's special to me
initially drafted on bluesky on may 23, 2026 by john "joy" tay. finished and proofread on june 12, 2026.
initially drafted on bluesky on may 23, 2026 by john "joy" tay. finished and proofread on june 12, 2026.
k.s.miracle has probably one of the most heartbreaking stories for umas that are yet to be released in global. after reading her story four times (reviewing her dialogue and reviewing this blog) she became one of my favorite umas, ever. i write this blog to share her story, analyze her and talk about the parts of her that resonate with me deeply.
i should mention that most of this blog will be talking about kei-chan (which i will use to refer to her and to not confuse her with hishi miracle) as a character. keiba (jp horseracing) will not be discussed in great detail but parts of it will be mentioned since they are loosely adapted in her story. this article is really long-winded because there's simply a lot to talk about, and i designed this article with readers who know umamusume but don't know a lot about kei-chan in mind. this is also for people who wish to understand kei-chan better, want to read up on her story again (and reference this article with it side-by-side), or simply wish to hear a new perspective on her story themes.
this covers her major plot points and some minor details that are important setups for conflicts that happen from her story, so if you'd rather read her story in full instead, please read her trainee + career stories on umareader.idsmile.xyz. because of this there are a lot of screenshots of dialogue because i feel i will be missing important context if i didn't add what was necessary. i also chose not to put the dialogue text into alt text and instead implemented them as captions, because it's very easily dismissed on google sites unlike alt text on say, bluesky for example. there will also be translation notes. i will also have important disclaimers like for page/ event skips. there are many aspects of her character and her backstory that touch on existence and what it means to find your purpose in life. knowing the subject matter, some parts of this article will also get a little tangential and personal.
with all that said, we can finally start talking about kei-chan.
kei-chan is a very determined yet kind-hearted umamusume. she can be rash at times (as evidently through our first interactions with her of hurriedly asking us to scout her), but overall, she's a sweet kid.
being hospitalized all of her childhood, she feels greatly indebted to all the people who have sacrificed their time to help her, and wants to repay them through her running.
she has incredible running power and speed... but many trainers and staff of tracen academy fear that such explosive power will ultimately cost her life, especially given that her health and body still needs extra attention. to be her personal trainer is a great undertaking, and a horrifying one. her burning determination doesn't help her case either.
in spite of knowing she'll be rejected, that burning determination of hers lets her keep on pushing. she has been waiting to debut... she has applied for many scrimmages to strengthen herself and get a better chance at being scouted. that's the first thing that stuck out to me about her. her unrelenting determination.
seeing the overwhelming kindness and determination from her, we offer to become kei-chan's trainer! we try our best to provide for her, give her nutrients where we can, take breaks as often as possible, but before that... she makes a request:
there are sprinkles of this throughout her career but, remember this conversation, and take note of her behavior for later. it's going to be important talking about her flaws and eventual growth.
we also need to establish the importance of kei-chan and daiichi ruby's rivalry. they're roommates, and race each other a handful of times in kei-chan's career story (as well as irl). ruby comes from a prestigious family of racers that hold even political presence in their sphere. ruby in turn is pressured to perform at her best to make herself befitting of that same prestige, and she takes herself and her condition very seriously. because of this she also has a "tough love" demeanor and seems to act cold at times... but she overall still cares about other people, just not in the most approachable or conventional of ways. her silent confidence in that she can succeed and perform the best she can be worthy of her family title is what makes her, for the lack of a better term, her.
it's implied in text that ruby is romantically interested in kei-chan, though tbf a lot of uma rivals are written like this. for what it's worth, i love keiruby a lot. it's a ship that's inherently compelling knowing that they have rough upbringings. ruby has to live up to the expectations of being the daughter of a prestigious racing family, and kei-chan feels the need to repay the people she loves through her racing... both kei-chan and ruby also have conditions that impact their racing; kei-chan being born frail and needing a lot of attention, while ruby has asymmetrical/ misshapen legs. they parallel each other and inspire each other.
kei-chan and ruby have important interactions later on in the climax... and they mean to each other a lot. so this all is worth mentioning, i think.
ruby gets a phlegmon and forced herself to take a break for the rest of the classic year. after a convo with her, ruby invites kei-chan to her mansion. she tells her that she watched her debut race in secret (without her other friends knowing). it's here that ruby asks how kei-chan can sprint with all her might, to which she answers that it is her life's purpose to do so. it struck smth in ruby.
ruby, for a moment, laments that kei-chan has a greater resolve than she does. she then vows to kei-chan that she will be the great successor of her family, as they watch the sunset together.. beneath the burning crimson sky. ruby isn't really open about her feelings like this too, it's a rare sight to behold.
after some time, kei-chan gets a medical checkup and her physician reports that she's in great condition! our efforts have paid off, her body is developing really well thanks to the supplementary feeding! she's a light eater, so she's encouraged to have small nutritious meals after training. along with strength and endurance training, kei-chan can start training with no problems. everyone congratulates her.
kei-chan then tends to the hospital children much like every visit she does, while we're treated to morning coffee by her parents. her mother then explained that, kei-chan was the one to bring up that she wanted to race as a child, inspired by the umamusume on the hospital tv. running is definitely something kei-chan has been thinking about for a long time now... her dream.
it then explains why kei-chan is so rash in her decision making. her determination gets in the way of her rationality.. running is something that she's been working towards her whole life, not only because she's an umamusume but also because it's the only thing she feels like she has going for her. to her the greatest repayment she could give everyone is through her racing, and that's why she got so nervous, asking for us to scout her. this interview and our remarks also speaks volumes about her character.
her insecurity of wanting to give back because she felt she never reciprocated anything greater in return also seeps into her general demeanor; how she feels happier for others than she does herself, and desperately wants results because of that. this isn't even acknowledged as an insecurity until much later.
it's simply hard to ignore the uneasiness we feel throughout kei-chan's career. she indeed has a deep sense of resolve, and is very selfless.. perhaps too self-sacrificing. even when she has countless people loving her and caring for her, she can never feel satisfied with herself.. which is a genuine shame. she can only describe the care and love she receives as plain "kindness". achieving results should not come at the cost of herself and her own health.
after the hakodate sprint stakes, she talks to herself for a bit... my heart broke for her so bad here. this poor girl...
during the classic year summer camp, fellow sprinter and rival yamanin zephyr also noticed that kei-chan is indeed getting tired. it's hard to admit for kei-chan but it ultimately is true. she's wringing herself dry but she's too desperate now to see that. it's clear that from here the tides will turn into something much more gruesome. a storm is indeed coming.
ruby then also comments on kei-chan's weight after summer camp...
...immediately after running the keeneland cup, she requests that we take on the centaur stakes, but because of growing concerns and the emergence of dangerous patterns, we try to stop her... but she relents. for the first time we see this kind, soft-spoken girl fight back, and it feels like a hopeless situation.
you must wonder what kind of mental weight kei-chan has on her shoulders. to feel so indebted to others the only way she sees herself as worthy is to repay the favor. she can't be told to simply live as she is now, because that is never enough to express her gratitude. it devoids her of purpose. she sees herself as being "spoiled" and can't live with that. she genuinely blames herself for bringing her parents turmoil they never had to live through if she wasn't so frail.
there isn't a lot we can do in this situation. as a trainer your priority is to make sure that your trainee is happy, that they're running the way they choose to & that you have their full support. if you've read or watched any of the other material you will know this is a challenge for all trainers. the first anime touched on this... cinderella gray touched on this... star blossom is going to touch on this too (which i have unfortunately been lightly spoiled on). we too blame ourselves for not having the courage to tell kei-chan to take things slowly, that it takes time to bear the fruit of labor that she wants to see. she rushes through each objective and runs haphazardly on the track, and while that certainly brings us results... it's ultimately going to cost her. and yet we pushed her on because we simply didn't have the foresight nor courage to say "no".
immediately after the centaur stakes kei-chan requests we go straight to the sprinters' stakes. again the progression of these races breaks my heart every time. i'm still unsettled just from reading it, i can't imagine what the global localization will look like when she releases in 2027.
honestly, knowing that these tragedies and stories in the main career storyline are based off of real-life events (with some creative liberties) makes this so much more grim. i know it's probably not as serious as i make it, but knowing the surrounding circumstances you can't help but wonder, no? these stories have to be written, then to be approved by cygames higher-ups, then be approved by the horse owners afterwards (or maybe they don't need to?).. again i'm surprised that a gacha game (franchise) with a diverse female cast can send shivers down my spine and care for characters like this, as i do shrug off most gacha games... they don't have the greatest records out there.
then again umamusume is supposed to be a representation and celebration of japanese horseracing through an alternative history and universe, for better or for worse. it's definitely in the best interest of cygames writers to at least get the essence of the characters right, and i'm grateful for that.
back to the story, we ultimately decide against kei-chan running in the sprinters stakes, abandoning her wishes and betraying her. ughhhh it's such a hard read too because, we didn't even want this to happen, but knowing the circumstances now, it has to.
kei-chan then, snaps back. she knows she's risking her life, but she believes this is the best way for her to go about things. kei-chan strives to be kind, but conflates kindness with self-sacrifice and self-harm. to shield others and put danger her way instead. she understood that this came with its consequences, that bad things were going to happen. placing most of the burden of herself, not fully understanding that it will affect the people closest to her... she feels remorse but she has to keep going, to keep her only dream alive. it's at this point where i believe her selfless ideals ultimately turn into self-serving ones, no matter how righteous she makes herself here. it screams desperation.
she then grasps the application forms, and tries to submit them herself. as her trainer we couldn't possibly let that happen, and we clasp onto her.. but even at our (plural) lowest like this, she still chooses to not hurt us. she could never want to hurt us physically, that simply won't do.
"what does it mean to be given everything, but only have yourself to give in return?" to me kei-chan's story is a really good frame of analysis on what that entails. it's a thesis that begs for deconstruction, and one that i am unfortunately familiar with.
i know what it feels like to lose everything. plenty of times i've been told that i have potential, that i'm not trying hard enough, that i'm too high on my own moral horse for acting "out of line". needing to burden other people's wishes and sacrifices on your shoulders is not great for anyone, let alone a child.
i was a child star singer trained by my mother ever since kindergarten. this was how i have basically a lifetime of music experience. in elementary i was bullied a lot, couldn't focus in class well because of that and had terrible grades, and we used to be beat by our dad too. it was a painful way of living, and i had no means to fight against it. one day i became the ever so elusive "gifted child". i'm not sure when, why, or how it happened, but it was the greatest catharsis kid me could've ever experienced until then.
the problem was, this stripped me of my childhood. i don't think i was ever a "child". more like i was a tiny adult soul struggling in a kid's body. needing to adapt to the times quick, juggle work and performing, excel at everything and work to get... maybe a good pat on the back and a trophy or two. it made me feel like i was an object for achievement than an actual child to be cared for and to be loved. i was basically the product of my mother's labor. i know she's doing what's best for me, but i can't deny the pent up resentment that's been building over the years. i didn't get to live the dreams i wanted to, only the dreams of people who put theirs on me.
while our lives may be very different, i understand the perspective and struggle of kei-chan very well. she missed out on a normal childhood because of her weak constitution, and while she learnt to be patient and kind with others, she also lived with a lot of guilt from not being able to do anything to repay the people she loves. i imagine kei-chan is on a different side of the same coin, in that she felt like she was an object of affection with no further purpose in life, and as an umamusume i bet she also couldn't live listening to that. like she says, she wants to live a fruitful life as much as we do, but she ends up compromising her own health and wellbeing. she put the kind of pressure that i externally got from others on herself. that ultimately cost her.
i've been workshopping this idea for a while now, but it's related to the idea that kei-chan sees the acts that we and many others do for her as simple "kindness", and gives back that same "kindness" in return that ultimately breaks her. it's not perfect but i feel like it's worth the shot putting it into words:
i believe there is such a thing as acting "selfless" for "selfish" reasons, as much as people can act "selfishly" for "selfless" reasons. the binary view of being one or the other detracts from the fact that we have ascribed these qualities to ourselves and other people to protecting our egos. if you were to use those two things as an objective view on the morality of certain behaviors then i believe you're missing the point... if you act kind out of your own "selfishness" does that take away from the fact that you are doing good for others? in a vacuum, no; equally speaking if you were to act "selfishly" and rashly out of the kindness of your heart, does that mean you can't possibly perpetuate harm? of course not. it's really three-dimensional and depends on a case-by-case basis.
when you act out of overwhelming kindness you end up being too self-sacrificing and start disregarding yourself and your own basic needs. there's no point in lessening one's suffering for your own further suffering, especially when you both are similar in status. shouldn't you strive to both be equal (as you can be)? or at least uplift one another? you're not a god, what is the point of suffering then? on the same coin, when you act out of overwhelming "selfishness" for your own personal gain you disregard other people and it circles back to having no respect for yourself too. isn't it good to simply connect with people? could one possibly be so self-absorbed that they lose the meaning of connection? that doesn't sound like an ideal to me.
what's important to me is that you find a way to balance your personal needs with the needs of other people. it's what i believe most children have been subject to growing up in a world where they have lesser rights than "legal" adults do. we have no autonomy so we have to work twice as hard to get twice as less in return, and have twice as more work to do, and that mentality carries over into adulthood. in kei-chan's situation, she took upon the burden of carrying what she believed to be idealized wishes and the ultimate repayment of kindness into self-destruction— because that kind of kindness she's been given her whole life, to her, can only be given back with absolute glory. i'm sure it's not anyone's fault that she thinks of herself so lowly, more that her circumstances are simply so rare that she too, is a rare case.
i again should remind you that this is based on the umamusume character alone and not opinions based on the actual stallion. what happened to the irl k.s.miracle is very different, but if you know a lick of keiba you would also know that his last race was indeed at the 1991 sprinters stakes, where he was euthanized. obviously in this story she doesn't end up taking part in the sprinters stakes, and falls unconscious instead. that doesn't make this moment any less heart-wrenching though. she was so fixed on running, but she has reached both her peak, and her limit. this is as much as her body will allow her to.
kei-chan now knows that too.
i'm surprised you found this
ok i'm getting ahead of myself here. obviously this is going to have a good ending, but i thought it was important to sell the tension just like the dialogue did for me.
it's been a few days and we visit kei-chan (and so do ruby, bamboo memory and daitaku helios! they're all her friends and rivals and they raced around the same time as k.s.miracle did irl. i haven't brought them up 'til now because their friendship with each other isn't as important as kei-chan's relationship with ruby). she's still unconscious, though.
her physician mentions that kei-chan's "soul" (in this case i think lack thereof) can have an impact on her body. i think of this more as a coma, though honestly idk how long comatose even lasts, or what the shortest form of comatose is like. here's something i could fetch from wikipedia though:
Prognosis
Comas can last from several days to, in particularly extreme cases, years. Some patients eventually gradually come out of the coma, some progress to a vegetative state or a minimally conscious state, and others die. Some patients who have entered a vegetative state go on to regain a degree of awareness; and in some cases may remain in vegetative state for years or even decades such as the Aruna Shanbaug case[49] or Edwarda O'Bara.[50]
Predicted chances of recovery will differ depending on which techniques were used to measure the patient's severity of neurological damage. Predictions of recovery are based on statistical rates, expressed as the level of chance the person has of recovering. Time is the best general predictor of a chance of recovery. For example, after four months of coma caused by brain damage, the chance of partial recovery is less than 15%, and the chance of full recovery is very low.[51]
The outcome for coma and vegetative state depends on the cause, location, severity and extent of neurological damage. A deeper coma alone does not necessarily mean a slimmer chance of recovery; similarly, a milder coma does not indicate a higher chance of recovery. The most common cause of death for a person in a vegetative state is secondary infection such as pneumonia, which can occur in patients who lie still for extended periods.
it's a cool theory because it brings the inner workings of the umamusume universe into question. in a bluesky thread on stay gold (which was so much shorter compared to this) i talk about how only a few umamusume can peek into our universe and how that forms the way they think about the world, but now i'm wondering if the "soul" of an umamusume is innately "connected" to the "souls" of actual racehorses, or if this is a bunch of hokey that i'm going on about. ...shouldn't it also be really frightening for umas to get comas like this too? i get it's a fictional universe but y'know, cygames doesn't just let their characters outright *die*. that's crazy. i wonder if they simply avoid death altogether (ignoring previous ancestors)? actually, now that i think about it.. special week's maternal mother is known to be deceased. maybe i was wrong on that point. they wouldn't let their *main* cast of characters die is what i meant to say.
kei-chan's physician even admits that not much is understood about umamusume, at least on a medical standpoint. but then i also begin to wonder how advanced medical studies have been thanks to the anatomical similarities between humans and umamusume. beyond the obviously baffling animal features and the amplified animal strength, obviously.
...what if they found the cure for cancer? >_>
anyways, enough with the theorizing.
ruby then steps up and asks if what we witnessed happen to kei-chan is true. unnaturally silent, she somehow understood the situation, and knew exactly what to do. she asks the others to leave the hospital, and asks helios, bamboo and zephyr a favor.
kei-chan... still doesn't wake up. they're running out of time.
they have to arrive at ruby's before sunset. by coincidence an accident occurred nearby the hospital and the roads are jammed with car traffic (yes, this genuinely does happen. so cliche. but i can't even begin to care rn). sunset approaches, they need to move.. now!
...helios then proposes that they move kei-chan by handcart and sprints there. unorthodox, but that's helios for you. i love her so much.
helios, bamboo and zephyr then soar into the ever setting sun with us on a simple handcart, and a still unconscious kei-chan. the first time i read this i was genuinely so confused. "wtf is happening? what are we doing? what am i supposed to imagine in my head rn??" but now that i've read this sequence so many times now it is as bonkers as how i imagined it. umamusume has these touching moments yet also never fails to add comedy into the tension for the release to massively pay off, it's like the comedy supplements these tenser moments. particularly they do this very well in the first umamusume anime, the one that came out before the game released in japan.
because of the simple premise of horse girls achieving superhuman feats there is no lack of funny-serious moments like this one. ijbol thinking about it again. maybe i simply don't engage enough with animanga, but this series' stories will never fail to make me feel enthralled, sorrowful, happy, and yet so in awe at the same time. in particular, in such a precarious moment like this one, the trio find themselves running and laughing together moving the handcart. sometimes there's beauty to find in tragedy. even if the "tragedy" here is admittedly, really, really absurd.
also very neat detail: helios being a front runner pulls the cart while zephyr, a pace chaser, and bamboo, a late surger, push the cart from behind. maybe it's because they want to have helios shine here, but again, this is a detail i feel like many people will miss if they don't know each of the trio respectively. it's cute.
they inevitably tucker themselves out, so now it's our turn to carry kei-chan. in contrast to the umamusume, we as a human trainer do our best to carry her, despite the obvious lack in strength and physique. umas and their trainers share very sweet bonds in a myriad of ways, this is one facet of many and i will forever appreciate the importance of teamwork and synergy being emphasized in these stories, and how the trainer is emphasized as half of the union of trainer and trainee to make things work.
and on a related note: it is a little predictable but i do think cliches like this are very much a tired debate topic but i still think they're important. to shrug off the "power of friendship" as something overdone. it simply reminds us of who we are as human beings and how we're supposed to treat each other. the world today is so deprived of kindness and forgiveness it feels like these basic ideas are points that should be made. to teach people how to love and to care for each other, to build community and find solidarity together.
―"Red".
This is also where the metanarrative starts to intertwine with the main story.
I will not comment on what happens until the end of this exchange.
Kei-chan: A blank slate for the future. I don't have a "future." Because there was only this moment. There was only this place. For me, winning the Sprinters Stakes was the only option.
Ruby: Is that really true?
Kei-chan: ...!? Huh... Ruby...?
Ruby: ―The Sprinters Stakes. A lightning-fast race held over 1200m at Nakayama Racecourse in autumn, where one competes to claim the title of "fastest." The most fitting race to prove the nobility of one's bloodline, or to earn the honor necessary to repay a great debt of gratitude...
Kei-chan: That's right... That's why I... I absolutely had to win...!
Ruby: ...Miracle-san. The Sprinters Stakes is a race to determine the fastest runner of the autumn season.
Kei-chan: ......Eh? (Note: Google Translate is terrible with single kana. Blurbs like this turn into actual words like, "picture", as in the Japanese word for it.)
Ruby: Haven't you considered it? Didn't it even cross your mind? ...Or perhaps that, too, is a call from your soul. But, Miracle, there is definitely a future ahead.
Ruby: March, with cherry blossoms in full bloom. Chukyo Racecourse, 1200m turf course. On the stage of the G1 race, the pinnacle of the series, they compete for the title of spring's sprint champion. The Takamatsunomiya Memorial race.
(Event: Background Change)
Ruby: I'm sure the Takamatsunomiya Kinen is something you all are familiar with.
Ruby: The Takamatsunomiya Memorial is a race with a distinguished history. My grandmother once won it, and she became famous as the restorer of our "prestigious family." But since then, times have changed. The meaning of racing has changed. This race is not just about competing for the prestigious trophy, but also about creating a memorable event that will leave its mark on history. The source of strength in racing. A lightning-fast 6 furlong race where pure speed is the deciding factor.
Ruby: Times change, meaning changes, and that stage becomes... it became our race.
Ruby: I will be competing in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen the next spring. To prove the nobility of the blood that flows through my veins, I will become the champion of the fastest races in both autumn and spring. And—to make that honor shine even brighter, I, Daiichi Ruby, request that K.S.Miracle participate in the Takamatsunomiya Memorial.
Trainer: ............!
Kei-chan: The Takamatsunomiya Kinen...? The Takamatsunomiya Kinen.... Well, that's... yes, that's true. The Takamatsunomiya Memorial... that's certainly true. ...But still, I don't have a future.
Ruby: ......Why?
Kei-chan: My body... I think it's probably beyond repair. I've surely used up all the treasures I was given. I can no longer perform my miraculous run.
Ruby: (long pause)
Kei-chan: My peak was 'now'. Next spring... I don't think I have the speed or the physical ability to go that far in the future.
Ruby: (shorter pause)
Kei-chan: ? Ruby,
(Smack!!)
Kei-chan: Eh.....? Agh....... (Note: Google Translate combined え and あ into "air/ えあ". Thanks a ton.)
Kei-chan, internal dialogue: (My cheek... hurts.)
Ruby: ...Please refrain from making such rude remarks.
Kei-chan: Ruby...?
Ruby: You!! ...You were my light.
Kei-chan: Huh..?
Ruby: During a time when I couldn't see where I should go or what hope I had, your running, your speed, your very being illuminated my path. You are my light. You were a miracle to me. Therefore, passion has awakened in my heart, and that crimson glow continues to burn within me.
(Event: Background Change)
Ruby: There is no end to your brilliance. ...Is there really such a thing as a limit?
Ruby: Your future is a blank slate? That's simply impossible.
Kei-chan: Ruby...
Ruby: Live up to your name and embody a "miracle", KS Miracle. ...And let's compete together. On the stage where the fastest of the future will be decided... together!
(Back to the story book metanarrative:)
(Event: Background Change)
Kei-chan: "The shattered glass begins to tremble. The gentle hands gathered up the pieces that had been shattered into tiny fragments, those gentle hands were always so warm. Supported by the iron earth, enveloped in the pouring sunlight, guided by the strong wind that blows through. Touching the bright red stone..."
Kei-chan: "Broken wings spread wide, a broken heart turns towards the sky. One more time. Once again — one more time!!"
(We finally, finally return to reality.)
(Event: Background Change)
Kei-chan: One more time... I wonder if I can run.
Trainer: Miracle...!
Her eyelashes flutter, and her blue eyes peek out faintly. Her hoarse voice still reaches my ears. She stumbled but slowly rose to her feet. I supported her body—and then carried her away.
Kei-chan: ……………………Me too. Me too. ...To the Takamatsunomiya Kinen. ...I want to go. ...I'm going, ...Ruby.
Ruby: (long pause) —Okay, then.
kei-chan has finally woken up.
duuuude. you cannot tell me how amazing this climax was. there's a reason why i had to share so much dialogue... i regret bloating up this blog but i simply cannot stand people missing out on so many setups that lead up to this moment. i felt a lot of it was important but, this is why i love her story. even if it's a little silly in some places.
paralleling the stallion's very short racing career, this all happens in the span of 8 months after kei-chan's debut (with obviously differing dates). meaning, this all happens in her classic year (i mean, we did read a bit of her interactions in classic year summer camp). 30 in-game turns. this all escalates in such a short span of time it's still surprising to me how much story they managed to put into it. the tension buildup from her smaller, rash actions; to her parents telling you that it's her dream to run; to kei-chan getting desperate, wanting to win; to her fellow friends and rivals, even taking notice to her declining condition at all; to then, ruby — the illustrious, prestigious daiichi ruby, giving kei-chan newfound hope because she too gave her hope to cling on... making a declaration of rivalry to her (and especially a declaration of love), to then even slapping her, bringing kei-chan to her senses and slowly waking her up? that's incredibly rare for any uma to do... but especially coming from the usually well-mannered ruby, goddamn. honestly it's even funny. they managed to get a chuckle out of me in such a serious climax too, it's great. so unnecessary yet so important. (please understand that this is not an endorsement of ruby's behavior. i just think it's a little silly.)
...either way, kei-chan and ruby both need each other to keep racing. to keep on striving for their best selves. this story gut punches you at so many turns as disaster inevitably arrives.. and every setup is not wasted and are all tied into a bow into an immensely dramatic, yet warm and bittersweet conclusion. and not to mention the metanarrative too. it is simple, but it serves as a part of the setup to kei-chan's downfall. i also felt that i needed to include it here because kei-chan uses the glass blue bird as a framing device to parallel to herself, and even she herself narrating that story also alludes to what happens to her here. love love love this story so much. absolutely worth another reread if i ever felt like it. i'm really only praising this story so hard because through all the visual novels and adventure point-and-click adventure games i've watched people play, i don't think i've ever seen any story attempt to tell its plot in such a short yet ambitious matter, and not to even mention doing it well. maybe it's because i lack a point of reference, but that doesn't douse out my compliments regardless.
the latter half of the story is when kei-chan reflects on what she's done and even apologizes to us for jeopardizing her own health the way she did. she wishes to build up her strength just like we did earlier, but to also take our time as well. she wants to rekindle the enjoyment that comes from racing, and strengthening our rivalry and powerful bond with ruby together, reforming and bringing new life to sprints. she does still have her insecurities, but with encouragement from friends she learns to accept her circumstances better and run her heart out regardless. to run with strength and to run with pride. again, if you need to read that (and extra romantic interactions with ruby and other friendly interactions with mejiro palmer for example), please read more on umareader.idsmile.xyz. the full story is absolutely worth reading, especially after things calm down after this predicament.
kei-chan's growth in her career genuinely means a lot to me because her character is worth analyzing. her traits and how i can relate her to myself helps me understand my own problems better. obviously kei-chan's actions are not to be treated with either overwhelming praise or animosity. the reality of her situation is that she felt she had to run the way she did because she felt it was necessary, and her desperation and determination fueled her to run. she is a good person at the end of the day and i don't think what she does to hurt others and most importantly herself should take away from who she actually is. i'm sure we all have internalized issues that we struggle with and they don't just happen for no reason. i'm sure we also find ourselves in circumstances that we can't really fight and simply have to live and cope with. it's not healthy for anyone but it is how life goes at the end of the day. the important thing is that we keep being kind in spite of that. especially in these trying times.
for the longest time because i never got the chance to have meaningful relationships, i always thought that i needed to repay the kindness that people have given me in return. but now that i've been on the internet for probably 9-10 years now i can confidently say i do not need to make a deliberate attempt to make people happy that way. ultimately people act out of their own kindness because they want to and that kindness isn't always going to be appreciated or even be reciprocated. but that's not the point. you don't need to give back to serve a purpose. you don't need to reciprocate because you need to or even have to. sometimes living well, eating well, resting well is good enough. there are many things worth being alive for. treat yourself well. treat yourself kindly the way you treat others. kei-chan is a reminder to me that you can still live a happy life and still thrive. you just need to understand that not every moment is going to be the right one.
i'm sure there are a lot more minute details that i have missed out on kei-chan specifically... or hell, even ruby. lest we talk about the rest of the sprinters. i haven't read the random story events so there's definitely a lot of character building i've missed out on, but that gives me more anticipation for when they release in global! there's always going to be something new to learn. every day. and i'm happy for that. for now people barely know kei-chan (both a blessing and a curse). thankfully people haven't truly flanderized kei-chan yet (beyond global fans running with the idea that helios is being... cucked? by kei-chan? okay, really?). the loud minority of people mischaracterizing her are small fish in a big pond, i'm sure more people will love her when she comes out in global as well as the others too, the 90s sprinter umas are all great.
to end things off... if you're already a fan of kei-chan, thank you for reading and sticking around. again these are the large brush strokes of kei-chan's story and is a gateway into understanding her and loving her more. i'm sure there are problems with my interpretations especially given my current lack of knowledge... i play only on the global servers because i don't want to burn myself out playing umamusume especially given that i'm a (currently) full-time musician. i write this out of actual love for the character and i am sure that i will pick up more the longer i go. i'll be with you all soon, just going to be a little slower. i'll even pick up keiba by then too, hopefully ^~^
if you're a new fan of umamusume (particularly one who plays on global servers much like i do), i hope this sheds some new light on who kei-chan is. she's ignored quite frequently in general conversation and she only has so many dedicated english-speaking fans. they're about as rare as a unicorn. i hope you all can join in on loving her now to understand the rest of the umas better. cygames writers usually don't disappoint and they have many, many great stories to tell. this is a story that has really touched my heart. i also hope this gets you interested into reading on the other umamusume. it's a shame that global conversations about jp umas boil down to talking about each character's most dominant trait and running a marathon with it. sweep tosho, one that usually people reduce her to being the loud bratty with uma, recently came out as a playable... and people are finally loving her for the important mare she is in not just the game, but in japanese horseracing history. a lot of umas are not what even the game makes them seem in random events. let that tell you that you should be doing your reading on this series more. maybe even start following keiba. be willing to learn and explore, and you'll learn to love better too.
this is my first time writing a long blog, so a lot of this is definitely filled with probably unnecessary fluff. or maybe it's me lacking confidence on how i want to speak my heart. again this blog isn't going to be perfect but i am passionate in sharing my love for umamusume no matter how invested people actually are in the series. as soon as we catch up with japanese servers with the accelerated schedule there are a lot of umas that people will learn to love. genuinely cannot wait to do more reading on the umas that people don't really mention. thank you again for reading!