Fans slam PETA for a graphic post depicting Silence Suzuka’s fatal race injury.
Nonprofit organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is facing backlash after posting on Thursday (11 December) a controversial image featuring popular horsegirl racing game, Umamusume: Pretty Derby to raise awareness about the suffering of racehorses.
The post included a graphic artwork of popular Umamusume horse girl Silence Suzuka in excruciating pain from a leg injury.
The accompanying text read: “If Umamusume: Pretty Derby were honest, your favourite horse girl doesn’t get a comeback arc. One failed event, and the race is over forever—just like what happened to the real Silence Suzuka.”
The artwork also noted that Silence Suzuka had suffered a “catastrophic injury in a race and was euthanised.”
For context, the real Silence Suzuka had a brief and tragic career, participating in just 16 races over two years. During the 1998 Autumn Tenno Sho, the horse was leading but sustained a fatal leg fracture. Veterinarians determined the injury was severe and would cause further suffering, leading to Silence Suzuka being euthanised.
Fans criticise PETA for sensationalisation and intellectual property violations
Umamusume: Pretty Derby features anthropomorphised versions of famous, real-life racehorses. The game’s existence depends heavily on Cygames’ relationships with the horses’ owners and related parties, such as the Japan Racing Association (JRA). To protect these relationships, Cygames has established guidelines regarding fanart and other derivative works.
The post quickly drew criticism from fans, who accused PETA of over-sensationalising the incident and violating Cygames’ intellectual property, with some trying to give context as to why Silence Suzuka was euthanised, accusing the organisation for trivialising his death.
Comments and reposts called out the non-profit for infringing on the developer’s Derivative Creation Guidelines and repeatedly tagged Cygames, the developer of Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
According to fans who've replied in PETA's post, PETA’s post potentially violates rules 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 of Cygames’ guidelines. These rules are:
- Rule 1: Creative works must not contain “anything that aims to harm the opinions or reputation of this work or a third party” (referring to the game’s IP).
- Rule 2: Works must not contain “violent, grotesque, or sexual content,” likely referring to the depiction of a broken, bloody bone in the image.
- Rule 3: Works must not contain “anything that supports or denigrates a particular political party, religion, or belief,” potentially referencing PETA’s stance on animal cruelty.
- Rule 6: Works must not be published with intent “for commercial use or profit (anything beyond the scope of so-called 'doujin activities'),” possibly in reference to PETA soliciting donations. However, because PETA is a non-profit organisation, this claim may potentially have no hold.
- Rule 7: Works must not include “anything else that is inappropriate in light of the purpose of these guidelines.”
Additionally, fans highlighted players supporting racehorse farms, including facilities for retired racehorses. Cygames has yet to issue a public statement regarding the situation.
