In fact, although the script for the Produ version of the *Uma Musume* Season 2 anime was identical to the original version in another timeline, the animation was not exactly the same.
For the original *Uma Musume* anime, although Kei Oikawa served as the supervising director for both seasons, the actual production companies were different. One was contracted to P.A. Works, while the other was contracted to Studio Kai. However, for the second season, P.A. Works also participated as a cooperating production company, handling outsourcing for entire episodes.
Studio Kai was only established in June 2019. Although it is a newly formed animation company, its predecessor was Gonzo, the animation company known for being "the studio of unfinished endings" (the "lamewei" studio), having produced titles like the first season of *Full Metal Panic!*, *My Bride is a Mermaid*, and the first season of *Strike Witches*. Therefore, it is not essentially a new animation company.
After its establishment, the company absorbed some staff from Satelight, the production company behind anime such as *WorldEnd: What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us?*, *White Album 2*, and the *Symphogear* series. In particular, the production team for *Symphogear* essentially transferred to this company.
In other words, *Uma Musume* Season 2 was actually produced by the same production team as *Symphogear*, not by P.A. Works.
Since the production teams are different, the style naturally differs slightly as well.
It is visible to the naked eye that the 3D scenes in the second season increased, and there were even some bloopers, though they weren't obvious; if you didn't pay attention, you wouldn't notice them.
In Lin Zhiyan's version, both the first and second seasons of the anime were produced by the same company and the same team, so naturally, there would be no difference in style.
Budget?
As Produ's flagship anime in 2021, the production budget was not an issue at all; there was no such thing as adding more 3D scenes to save money—it was all about quality.
Even if there really were 3D scenes, they would definitely be better made than the original, because the game's production company is a subsidiary of Produ, Cygames. The 3D in the anime could fully utilize the related equipment and technical experience of the game's 3D, an advantage that the animation company Studio Kai couldn't match.
The animation of the live performances is not inferior at all, Produ, after all, has the production team of "Love Live!" on board.
In other words, "Uma Musume 2" doesn't need the flashy special effects that "Demon Slayer" does. In fact, from some of the running animation and the hand-drawn live performance at the end of the first episode, one can see how ample the production budget for this anime is; it could even be described as "budget maxed out."
If the second season of "Uma Musume" in another timeline could be called excellent, then Lin Zhiyan's version is even more excellent—so excellent that it's impeccable.
"The First Evolution"
The story is not about Tokai Teio's genius, but about her indomitable spirit, which instantly broadens the scope of the narrative. Being an anime adapted from reality also gives one the feeling that the plot quality is guaranteed. Add to that the superb reputation that Produ has accumulated over twenty years...
With all these favorable factors combined, the result was universal acclaim after the animation began airing:
"Although only one episode has aired so far, the viewing experience is quite good."
"You can see the dedication of the animation production team in every aspect."
"I can only say, as expected of LSP's main animation this year, it's really strong."
"I'm sure the upcoming content will be heartbreaking, so I'm not looking forward to that, but I'll definitely watch every subsequent episode. After all, I'm really curious to see if this animation can truly surpass the average sales per volume of *EVA*."
"Whether or not it'll be heartbreaking is one thing, but choosing Tokai Teio as the protagonist for the second season was a great decision. After all, her prototype is no ordinary legend; that's something the first season's protagonist, Special Week, can't compare to."
"The first season was very good, and I like what I've seen of the second season so far. I hope it can maintain this quality for the rest of the series."
"It's a shoo-in for the top anime of January. Now let's see if it can really take down *EVA*."
***
The production quality is impeccable, with universal acclaim from the audience—this is what is known as "word-of-mouth."
However, this anime isn't just about good word-of-mouth.
The promotion has been very effective, with ads plastered everywhere. Moreover, it isn't just airing on a single television station; it's covering the entire country, rotating across several channels, and also being streamed on all major online platforms.
Another point is "whether it can surpass the average volume sales of *EVA*."
Although Lin Zhiyan never explicitly stated that this was the final goal he intended to achieve with the second season of the *Uma Musume* anime, and the official stance remained ambiguous, Lin Zhiyan certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity to use this in his promotion. After all, it's a tactic only he can use, and he can only use it once.
Immediately after the first episode aired, several animation-related online media outlets released articles with headlines like "Can the second season of *Uma Musume* really help Lin Zhiyan achieve his goal of surpassing *EVA*'s average volume sales?"
This topic is indeed worth discussing, so once the discussion was ignited, many netizens joined in.
Many people believe it's possible, and their reasons are:
This topic is indeed worth discussing, so once it gained traction, many netizens joined in the conversation.
Many people believe it is possible, and their reasons are:
"Lin Zhiyan has even made an animated film that surpassed *Spirited Away* at the box office, so what else is impossible?"
"With the high popularity accumulated from the first season, combined with LSP significantly increasing investment in the production and promotion of the second season, plus the mobile game launching in February, this is clearly an attempt to build a top-tier IP in one go. Under these circumstances, it's not impossible for the average Blu-ray sales volume per volume to surpass *EVA*."
"Reason tells me that it is absolutely impossible for any anime to surpass *EVA* in disc sales, but Lin Zhiyan's anime really cannot be judged by conventional wisdom. If he thinks it's possible, then I'm willing to believe it's possible."
"Lin Zhiyan is a god; if God says it can be surpassed, then it can be surpassed. No logic? Does God need to explain logic to mortals?"
There are also many who believe it is impossible to surpass *EVA*, and they have their reasons as well:
"When *EVA* was released, there was no such thing as online streaming. If people wanted to watch the show, they had no choice but to buy the discs. We are in the streaming era now, so even with the 'power of money' from mobile games, it is absolutely impossible for a TV anime to achieve an average sales volume of 200,000 discs per volume."
"Indeed, the times are different. Disc sales are no longer what they used to be, yet people still want to compare it to the 'child of the era,' *EVA*?"
"Indeed, times have changed. Disc sales in this era have long been in decline; still want to compare sales with the 'Child of the Era,' *EVA*? Even Lin Zhiyan couldn't pull that off."
"It's not that I don't believe in Lin Zhiyan; the key is that *EVA*'s disc sales record is even harder to break than *Spirited Away*'s box office record. The fact that it has held its record for even longer just proves this."
"The movie box office revenue model is enduring, and as time goes on, it's even more likely that films will appear that break box office records. TV anime, however, has already entered the streaming era, and as time goes on, overall disc sales will only continue to decline. This is the general trend; Lin Zhiyan is impressive, but it is absolutely impossible for him to reverse the overarching trend of the entire anime market."
Of course, some people have argued: Lin Zhiyan did say he would produce a TV anime with disc sales surpassing *EVA* before 2022, but it's hard to say whether *Uma Musume* Season 2 is that project. It might be another anime entirely. Unless Lin Zhiyan admits it himself, it's too early to discuss this.
Controversy brings buzz, and buzz brings popularity.
The result was that *Uma Musume* Season 2 already had considerable popularity just as it began airing.