Trainer Tanabe
Trainer Tanabe is a veteran male trainer who appears in the anime film Umamusume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era. Commonly known by the nickname Nabe-san, he is a highly respected figure among junior trainers and staff at Tracen Academy due to his long career and past achievements. Driven by a firm belief in the potential of his trainees, he passionately devotes himself to guiding them toward their dream of becoming the strongest runners.
Overview
Trainer Tanabe is a veteran male trainer who appears in the anime film Umamusume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era. Commonly known by the nickname Nabe-san, he is a highly respected figure among junior trainers and staff at Tracen Academy due to his long career and past achievements. Driven by a firm belief in the potential of his trainees, he passionately devotes himself to guiding them toward their dream of becoming the strongest runners.
Appearance
He is an elderly man whose visual features include long white hair, a mustache, and signature round sunglasses. In flashback sequences showing his younger days as a novice trainer, he is depicted with an appearance reminiscent of someone in his twenties.
Personality
Trainer Tanabe balances a deep respect for his trainees' autonomy with passionate instruction. He exhibits a somewhat preachy demeanor when sternly scolding overconfident runners, though this behavior stems from an unwavering belief in their talent. He maintains a pragmatic conviction that only an Umamusume can truly understand the feelings of another Umamusume, which occasionally leads to emotional disconnects with his students. Still carrying lingering regrets over being unable to guide a past trainee to her ultimate stage, he harbors a strong sense of responsibility and dedication to his work.
Abilities
His training methodology emphasizes respecting the self-direction of his runners. When signs of overwork or psychological doubt emerge, he excels at evaluating their state and intervening through guidance and counseling to bring them back on track. He willingly supports demanding physical regimens such as long-distance endurance running and possesses the proven ability to thoroughly train and condition multiple prospective runners to meet the standard for admission into Tracen Academy.
Background
Having amassed a distinguished career at Tracen Academy—evidenced by the numerous trophies adorning his residence—Trainer Tanabe stepped away from active duty after his former trainee, Fuji Kiseki, suffered a career-halting injury. He spent years in semi-retirement, residing in a makeshift shack on a riverbed outside the academy grounds. His passion for training was reignited when Fuji Kiseki introduced him to the promising runner Jungle Pocket. Deciding to return to the profession, he resumed active instruction to help Jungle Pocket reach the top of the racing world while also taking charge of coaching her companions.
Relationships
He holds lingering remorse toward his former charge, Fuji Kiseki, for being unable to lead her to the Twinkle Series due to injury; her introduction of Jungle Pocket ultimately prompted his return to training. As the dedicated mentor of Jungle Pocket, he frequently scolds her overconfidence while harboring immense faith in her potential. He also takes responsibility for training her friends Lou, Shima, and Mei. Respected peers and junior trainers at Tracen Academy, including Trainer Okita, Aoi Kiryuin, and Riko Kashimoto, hold him in high regard. In flashbacks, a mentor figure appears who imparted foundational wisdom to a young Tanabe regarding the prestige and difficulty of winning the Japanese Derby.
Trivia
The character's design and name are modeled after real-life horse trainer Sakae Watanabe. Additionally, the director noted that Tanabe's narrative role—a retired mentor living in a humble shack who returns to the sport upon meeting a raw talent—was directly inspired by the character Danpei Tange from the classic sports series Ashita no Joe.