AKA: Yuri on Ice, ユーリ!!! on ICE

Genre: Sports

Studio: MAPPA

Episodes: 12

Seasons: 1

Available On: Crunchyroll, Funimation

I thought this would be a fitting way to end Pride Month. Though, I will acknowledge I completely slacked for this month. I’ll aim for a lot more activity next month!

Summary

Yuri Katsuki carried the hope of all Japan on his shoulders in the Figure Skating Grand Prix, but suffered a crushing defeat in the finals. He returned to his hometown in Kyushu and hid away in his family’s home, half wanting to continue skating and half wanting to retire. That was when the five-time consecutive world champion, Victor Nikiforov, suddenly showed up with his teammate, Yuri Plisetsky, a young skater starting to surpass his seniors. And so the two Yuris and the Russian champion Viktor set out to compete in a Grand Prix like none the world has ever seen!

VIA CRUNCHYROLL.com

Production

There’s probably not an anime fan alive who isn’t familiar with the mammoth of a studio known as MAPPA. It’s not even just the productions they have under their belt. It’s the sheer quality that we’ve come to expect from them. Might I say, this is one of the reasons the show was so beautiful and pleasing to the eye. MAPPA really needs no introduction but some of their most notable works are; Terror in Resonance, Inuyashiki, Jujutsu Kaisen, Banana Fish, Dororo, Kakegurui, The God of High school, Zombie Land Saga, The Final (lol) Season of Attack On Titan, Chainsaw Man, Hell’s Paradise, the list goes on and on.

Characters

Viktor Nikiforov – Russian figure skater/Superstar. He really keeps you on your toes. A driving force behind both Yuri’s and inspiration to all. A former 5 time skating World Champ who decides to become Yuuri’s coach.

Yuuri Katsuki – Everyone’s favorite little pork cutlet, he has a big heart seemingly fragile. Easily deterred, as seen with his ease of gaining weight piled on with tons of anxiety and depression, he’s capable of greatness.

Yuri Plisetsky – My grumpy Russian boy. He’s the opposite of Yuuri in every way minus the admiration for Viktor. I don’t want to say too much because then I’d probably spoil most of the show, but I LOOOOVE him.

My Thoughts

This is the gayest shows I have ever seen so I had to post this (during the last week of Pride Month). And it’s not pandering, it’s not filled with situational coincidences where it can be interpreted into different things, no the MC is G A Y and we love to see it. It’s so unapologetically queer I almost couldn’t believe it.

The reason this show is great to me is because even if you were to erase it (not saying it should be but just go with me here) if it were about a couple of straight ice skaters, it’d still be an interesting concept. Would it hit as hard? Probably not but let’s be honest, I can’t name a straight sports anime and neither can you.

Anyway, let’s focus on what matters; anxiety. As someone who suffers from it, I found it to be a realistic depiction of it. After losing, Yuuri had to really collect his thoughts and get himself together, and it wasn’t easy. He failed, a lot, and it was frustrating for everyone. But he didn’t give up. Viktor, of course, was a crucial part of this and in return it helped evolve their relationship as well. And it wasn’t just Viktor.

It was the other participants as well. They truly pushed Yuuri to do his best which also helped them all want to do their best in return. Let’s not also forget my actual favorite Yuri, my little Russian Tiger, and his development as well. It was the array of characters that had me praise the show so much.

Conclusion

As an avid anime sports fan, this is at the top near some other greats for me. Going in, I fully expected to not care about any of these characters, yet I do. MAPPA really needs to get that second season and movie out of the vault! What is it with studios and hoarding sport shows? All in all, when I finally sat down and watched it, I liked it very much. Also the stripper pole?? Once again, Happy P R I D E.

🍙🍙🍙🍙

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