Ice Skating and Romance: A Boundary Breaking Anime

Licensed by Crunchyroll and produced by studio MAPPA, Yuri on Ice is a twelve episode sports anime about the world of figure skating. It first came out in 2016 to receive a widely positive reaction from anime fans. After spending over a year with it on my “to watch” list, I finally got on Crunchyroll and started watching.

Yuri on Ice follows the life of figure skater, Yuuri Katsuki, a shy 23-year-old from Japan, who’s just experienced a major loss at a competition. After falling into a funk at this blow to his career, Yuuri is uncertain about where to go from there. That is, until his idol and figure skating legend from Russia, Victor Nikiforov, unexpectedly shows up at his family’s hot spring, declaring himself Yuuri’s coach. The two spend the rest of the series discovering unexpected things about themselves and each other as their relationship grows.

Yuri on Ice is a great character-driven that draws you into the ups and downs of Yuuri’s journey as a figure skater and person. One thing that struck a chord with me, was the show’s honest and poignant portrayal of anxiety. In the first episode, Yuuri apologizes to his mother for losing over the phone in a bathroom stall, uncontrollable tears pouring down his face. It’s a raw moment that sets the foundation for Yuuri’s character arc.