Yuri!!! on Ice

I write this as a gay adult man who's actually interested in proper M/M romantic representation and as someone who's jaded of queerbaiting and stereotypical heteronormative gay relationships in the shounen-ai genre. So when I was drawn into the hype that YOI offers a compelling storyline which extends beyond cheap queerbaiting and homo-fanservice, I was intrigued to say the least.

I am going to do my best to be entirely unbiased. There are certain redeeming qualities to the show that I think deserves mention.

a) Ethnic representation: It isn't often to see America being represented by a Latino, to see prominent cast members from Russia, ... Thailand, China, Switzerland etc.
b) Proper treatment of women: Women are not objectified with melon boobs without any form of agency at all. Common anime tropes of the possessive brother veering into romantic desire of his sister are effectively established and subverted accordingly.
c) Accurate representation of anxiety and its debilitating effects onto one's psyche, projecting insecurity, doubt and unworthiness onto everything around you.
d) the soundtrack is well composed and suitably appropriate.
e) effective narrative turn of events in the later episodes that cast light on why certain earlier events transpired the way that they did.

Now, moving on to the problems (SPOILERS INVOLVED):

Horrible ambiguity involved in the main M X M relationship. Frankly, it's disgusting. The relationship between the two characters was never firmly established as fully canon; but there were so many moments between them that comes across as queerbaiting; but never realised as a full-fledged canonical couple that is settled beyond a doubt. The kiss is censored, the rings are dismissed as "Onajimai you" (for good luck), and even if we were to believe that they are "engaged" at some point, the conversation between Victor and Yuuri at episode 11 and 12 was so formal, as though between a coach and his student, that it just isn't the way a fiance would speak to one another! It vacilliates between intense homo fanservice ("So Yuuri, what are you going to do to make me excited?" and outright denial of their relationship, where Yuuri insists that OURRELATIONSHIPISNOTLIKETHAT. It's pretty sad; the show's entire premise is centered on Yuuri finding his sexual maturity and confidence in himself, as well as displaying his "love" of Victor to the world, however, there has NEVER been an explicit declaration of love, only outright denials and public displays of affection are either censored such that there is room of ambiguity for what it is, or veering on intense bromance.

To those people who claim that the ambiguity is what drives the homoerotic tension of the show, I ask you as a gay person. Would you have said the same thing if the couple was a heterosexual couple? You wouldn't, precisely because ALL shojo anime, even if it operates on some level of ambivalence or ambiguity, is always resolved with an outright declaration of romantic intention - it's what makes the scene magical, or romantic. Love is something that should not be hidden, and if this was a shojo show, we would be accusing the creators of playing us for fools. So why are we applying a different standard for YOI? Why is it possible for JJ in episode 11 to declare that he's going to marry his girlfriend, whereas Yuuri and Victor have to hide their relationship, their supposed engagement as "onajimai", good luck charms?

Secondly, as a sports anime, it fails on the exact reason that I've mentioned above. Every single sports anime ranging from Free to KnB is all about being CLEAR, CONCISED and DETERMINED on the desire or the goal that you aim to achieve; ie this is what I want, and this is what I plan to do in order to get there. Rather, in YOI it's all about Victor Victor, it's not like that it's not like that. Well then, Yuuri, what exactly is the nature of your relationship? The true nature of their relationship is never fleshed in full, and as a sports anime, the skating scenes were repetitive and unnecessary - is it really needed to cramp 6 skating performances in one episode, of which it pretty much looks the same with bad animation anyways? Plot is almost non existent as well; and seems to exist solely to push for fanservicey elements between the two protagonists.

Lastly, the anxiety that Yuuri experiences is becoming a tired, recurring plot device that is losing its effectiveness. in EVERY single relationship conflict, it's always Yuuri who causes the conflict, due to his anxiety such that you can almost distill it down to a formula: Yuuri's anxiety causes some form of misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the situation -> They fight -> Cold War -> They get back together after Yuuri skates. It's never Viktor who begins the fight, speaking of which, we still do not know anything much about who Viktor is as a person; he exists as some cheap 2 dimensional perfect character that is there to lift Yuuri from his anxiety like some Godsend. Asides from the fact that he seems a little clueless on handling Yuuri's anxiety, he doesn't seem to have any flaws as a human being.

Lastly, please please please do not every compare this to No.6 where the relationship is explicit, sensitively drawn out, and the characterisation and relationships are honest and sincere, without any cheap queerbaiting at all. Due to its cheap exploitative queerbaiting, which feels deceptive - despite getting "engagement rings" in 10, their relationship at 11 and 12 was so horrifying formal, without any of the characteristic warmth of newly engaged - it deserves nothing more than a 5.

And for goodness sake, please do not mention that the kiss HAD to be censored due to Japanese media laws. I studied media in Japan at one of Tokyo's top universities. There is no such law involved; Shinsekai Yori and No.6 had explicit M/M kisses and they were aired on TV you know.

While 2013's Free is considered many things but perfect, its role in broadening an avenue in mainstream media for other fanbase-dubbed "manservice" works is undeniable, rekindling a bygone genre only previously seen by those who sought it. Yaoi isn't exactly new to the medium, the ever-ceaseless late 2000s cultural shift contributing towards LGBT acceptance's decay from a taboo to mundane facet in media. Just in 2002, t.A.T.u.'s "All The Things She Said" music video was banned by several broadcasters and countries for its "controversial" content where two women kissed. And today, Miley Cyrus dry humping everything barely merits a shrug from most people. If being ... desensitized has done anything positive to our current society, it's allowing others to express themselves openly without it being harshly shut down by a majority rule, which also carts over to anime... well, kind of.

Anime has always been pushing the boundaries of what's considered acceptable content for decades, striving in its brazen depiction of whatever it chooses to highlight. And no, I'm not just speaking on the mid 2000s boom of lolicon fetishism, I'm talking about all the way back to its humble beginnings, with titles like Belladonna of Sadness making waves in 1973 with its phallic imagery and sexually charged content that could still be seen as provocative, even by today's "no boundaries" standards. Content that ultimately went on to inspire the works of many creators, with one notable example being acclaimed director, Kunihiko Ikuhara; a man who's also credited for bringing an artistic touch to themes of sexual liberation through his various hyper-stylized works. Sexual decadence and open expression have always been a part of anime's arsenal, the only real change is how frequently they're being used.

Which brings us all the way to Fall season 2016, which alone has 4 to 5 anime titles that either overtly or hinted at homoerotic relations in some way or another, while just a decade ago, receiving 4 to 5 titles with these undercurrents in it within a year's time was considered a milestone. As the 2010s pass, our increasing rate of connectivity, information sharing and understanding of others has diminished miscommunication and heightened acceptance of alternative preferences, sexual or otherwise, resulting in a largely overlooked trivialization of sexual content in anime.

In some ways, Yuri On Ice could be seen as another byproduct of this trend, if only to a much more abrasive degree, positioning men in suggestive poses while participating in a sport used as a vehicle to portray who they are as people. And where something like Free boasts eye-grabbing swimming sequences, Yuri On Ice capitalizes on ice skating scenes that dwarf the efforts of most animated TV productions. Too bad it isn't enough to distract from the fatal flaws that plague the entire production. You see, Yuri on Ice tries its damnedest to shed light on its cast; a cast that is constantly reduced to doujinshi deviant art-bait clippings despite its honest efforts to mold them into believable personalities.

But the question is, does Yuri on Ice justify it? Is there a base purpose for its shounen-ai fluff to be there? I may not be Ikuhara's fan, but there's no denying each of his works deliver provocative, purposeful messages. There's always a constant need to stress freedom of expression with homosexuality itself just being another extension to further emphasize that idea. Self-indulgent at times but justifiable if you care for what he's trying to say. But what about Yuri on Ice? Does it actually justify these men's intimate devotion for each other or is it just trying to fetishize everything to draw out a marketable audience that usually takes in this content at their own leisure? Is there a purpose here outside of being titillating manservice? What I'm trying to ask in the most ignorant and offensive way possible; is Yuri on Ice just being gay for the sake of being gay?

— Views episode 6, guy figure skating grabs his ass "I think I'm gonna come"—

Well... I guess that answers my question.

Yuri on Ice is a harmless fanservice pastime dressed up as a coming-of-age story and cut from the same cloth as any other sports tournament anime, let's stop pretending otherwise. The sooner we kill the pretension that it's something more profound than that, the faster we could sit back and enjoy it for what it is; a fun, easygoing yaoi-bait show with pretty boys trying to balance characterization and fetishism on the same pedestal.

And as yaoi-bait entertainment goes, Yuri on Ice is definitely a show stopper when it comes time to take the games to the ice. Brought to life by Mappa, a young studio renowned for their presentation and audiovisual prowess, Yuri on Ice is yet another notch under their belt, boasting ice skating scenes so free-flowing that at times it's easy to believe that they might have been rotoscoped. It's this selling point that got most to give Yuri on Ice the stamp of approval, and understandably so. You don't really get this much effort from an animated TV production on a regular basis. But do I think that's reason enough to warrant all the appraisal it has gathered? Of course not. Those 5 minutes per episode aren't a saving grace for the other 15 minutes, especially when those 15 minutes often spend its time being a mishmash of basic fanfare for literally every sports story ever conceived or a roulette spin of yaoi/comedy for those who care for it.

Half of the ice skating involves numerous elements, like panning around the competitors in a news camera fashion with occasional audience reaction shots to round it out. When you realize that the actual dances are being overlaid onto different backgrounds with minor, sparse tweaks to delude, you find the show's highlights disappointingly operate on a limited dispensary. They retain their integrity as the show's highlights, but they're not all they're cracked up to be. And honestly, that aspect of it doesn't even bother me since the changes make every encounter fresh. What does, however, is its half commitment towards its characters in one direction or the next.

Trying to build legitimacy for its characters while simultaneously reducing them to objectified pretty boy specimen for the sake of manservice has left Yuri on Ice in a gimmicky realm where all of its achievements could only muster up to being "that show with the really nice ice skating scene," a sentence worse than death for anything looking to stand the test of time. From nobody's fault but its own, this anime has effectively built itself a glass ceiling that it could never surpass.

But enough of me taking the piss out of this show, let's go over the basics that it chooses to cover and what good it was able to do.

In the world of competitive figure ice skating, Victor Nikiforov stands as the person to beat, being a beloved and envied figure throughout the sport's industry, as well as a person of inspiration for newcomers trying to break into the field. With an elegant physique that exudes self-confidence and a natural knack for the sport, Victor is the complete package. One of the countless people that adore him is our main character, Yuuri Katsuki, a novice ice skater who idolizes everything about him, to the point where his sole dedication to the sport of figure ice skating derives from the infatuation that he has for the otherworldly reigning champion that's always occupying his TV screen. Through dumb luck and perfect timing, Yuuri is presented with the once in a lifetime opportunity to study under his mentor, the story subsequently dedicating itself to their blossoming relationship as it coincides with the world tournament that wraps everything up within it.

Yuri on Ice's flamboyant characters are given simple reasons for their ambitions, the show's format complementing its cast; ice skating being both the engine of characterization, every character's idiosyncrasies expanding on their personalities, and a divider granting those characters undisturbed time in the limelight, the story's short, 12-episode tournament format spurring frequent ice skating characterization and an inexorable sense of movement toward a definite finality. Ice skating characterization examples include Chris Giacometti's lowbrow episode 6 exhibition relaying his sexual and methodical confidence in appeasing the audience versus the protagonist's quick flashes that redeem his low sex appeal, Victor's unworried nonchalance regarding his envied, exceptional technical skills, Yuri's eccentric, soft style despite his fiery personality and even minor characters like Jean-Jacques, the show's JoJo stand-in, whose cockiness translates to a showboating spectacle. The theatrics, choice of techniques, tight turns, and loose gesture all coalesce into a final form that define who that person is on and off the ice rink—this characterization the show's biggest strength.

And perhaps this very thoughtful decision to characterize the characters' personalities is also the reason I find the whole thing to be a waste. Because despite itself, Yuri on Ice was a show that was never meant to appeal to me. So where I would usually outright dismiss something like this, it just so happens that there were nuggets of detail within it that I found appealing. An appeal that required me to drudge through content that I couldn't psych myself into caring for no matter how hard I tried.

And really, it didn't have to do much to make me like it, just either muffle the shounen-ai content down to a realistic degree or stop dancing around the idea and just fully embrace it. The show is suggestive of the possibility of there being an actual sexual interest between the main leads but at the same time, it only cock-teases this idea to maintain the illusion of the fiction it wants to sell. And once again, excuse my politically incorrect wording but if you're going to be gay, be all the way gay goddammit. Stop pussyfooting around. I don't need some full blown orgy like Sausage Party's celebratory ending, all I want is a clear yes or no for where they stand, none of this "just gay enough" gray area. Is it so hard for a male homosexual relationship to be taken seriously for once?

Now with all that being said, is Yuri on Ice worth the watch? Yes, but only if you have nothing else in your catalog. As it stands, it's not something I see any need to jump into. Yuri on Ice is that intermediary show that you pick up to pass the time on your way on to better ones. What it has that works is its wonderful ice skating scenes and the usage of it to inform the audience of who the characters are, as for everything else, it's either standard for its genre or serviceable to a very niche market.

There's probably a big diff between "quality" and "thirst quencher" and I'm gonna have to say YOI - definitive - belongs to the latter. I don't see how this should be rated so high otherwise.

Viktor indeed threw/temporarily stopped his career for Yuuri but that doesn't point to how big-hearted/grand act/in love he is with the guy (if in the first place they ever showed Viktor suffering from having withdrawn temporarily from his career). Viktor along with Phichit are simple creatures who take delight in life -- and this if anything really illustrated the fact for me.

Please don't be quick to throw story artistry away? Spoilers ... - if Yuuri's and Viktor's narration in ep 1 and ep 10 respectively didn't show you how dirt poor the production team treats storytelling as an art I don't know what might. They are very literally telling you word for word what is happening in their story. It's so blatant you can even miss the fact you're being spoonfed. They don't care about storytelling. YOI just wants to show you how enjoyable and recreational life can be. Viktor can probably just narrate "And that's how I met the Japanese beauty, Katsuki Yuuri, and came to be engaged with him. Love, life and peace." and fandom will still be screaming their lungs out w/o prior context. What...

As some of the reviewers have put it, Yuuri's character is a joke. A complete mess. Know why? He was only born to fulfill the role of guy lover. Have we ever heard of what he thinks about ice skating w/o bringing Viktor not even seconds into his monologue? You can be influenced, sure, but if *every* monologue winds up being about Viktor I think we've got another problem coming...

The only thing worthy of praise is how we're missing Yuuri's actual position in the story - which we automatically assume we aren't, bc he's the protag and anything he sees is by default true. We're misled into thinking he's a rather lousy and cowardly skater but each and every ep reveals otherwise. He's got decent to great skills and if ep 10 revealed anything he's not the persona that's been presented to us on screen. Though that still doesn't make his characterization any less confusing (or maybe he just isn't thinking about anything at all) except accepting love and life as it comes? Really, YOI is ultra bland. If you walk the streets today or sit in a cafe you can see the same thing (and that's everything) that's happening in YOI. People, connections, fun, laughter.

It can appear to be great on the surface for portraying rl well but you guys are losing a lot of focus. Character development, plot, anguish with the sports -- there's absolutely nothing going on in YOI other than a bunch of ppl getting to enjoy their lives. It's no different from Tamako Market, Flying Witch etc in genre and you have to ask me, YOI can't even pass for a love story, not bc it doesn't have love but it's not a /story/. You don't just slap two people together and then skim right to the end saying they're in love before we have the chance to watch it happen.

For an ice skating show the routines are gorgeous eh? (lmao) How many times has Yuuri repeated his Eros routine now? Are they, idk, skating or flapping their arms? The frames, oh man. Do these athletes even care about ice skating beyond a recreation and a naive, selfish pursuit of getting to enjoy life?

YOI's good enough as a slightly above mediocre, slice of life about inherently nothing (maybe lofty starlit adventures?). No it's not even about ice skating, it's about how the athletes as people /make use/ of ice skating. I think Ginban Kaleidoscope had a better focus on ice skating and it's main theme is a /love story/.

So... guys, please stop. Sword Art Online, Kimi no Na wa, now this. You guys are really... (coddles forehead with hand)

Yes watch it, watch YOI if you want bc it can bring you up in a bad mood (humans are so easy to get entertained) but for the love of, don't go around throwing it like some monumental trophy bc facts:

- No. 6 did the first gay anime trope
- Samurai Flamenco had fun fucking with itself but had a better proposal that wasn't even intentionally gay (perspective of the guy proposing)
- Just go watch Ginban if you're thirsty for ice skating
- Watch any yaoi if you want actually, they can be unexpectedly deep (tho dramatic) for all they're worth

You know ppl applaud that Viktor and Yuuri are met with no resistance but I'd rather say that's the problem. Are they not gonna be met with resistance in the real world? The problem with YOI is that it pulls all these moves, have Viktor stop his career or be met with relative non-prejudice and these acts invoke a phenomenal reaction from fandom bc of the implied meaning.

A meaning which shld only come to fruition after you've worked hard for the outcome. YOI has done nothing but skim over /any and everything/ and you get happy just from a single line narrated by a character. Next episode they're gonna goof around again and if Viktor just says "And we got married!" I think fandom is gonna spontaneously combust.

YOI is almost like a fanfiction at this point -- not because it's so fantastic and unreal but wish fulfillment. Fandom is so thirsty they'll probably eat anything up. I can see what YOI's good for, but fandom has to realize they're pushing their expectations onto this show and making it sound 100x better than it really is.

Bafflingggg. I won't ever agree, letting Kiseijuu or the likes sit in the same rank at this.

Review, cause I'm mad, and not even at the show but this fandom for being so thirsty that they scream groundbreaking even for a pointless mess. That's what yoi is, a pointless mess, a terribly failed attempt at best, that is on the level of "I dont even think you tried at all".

You call it groundbreaking, I can't even call it sport anime, so I kind of wish they would erase it from the genres here, because new people might think this is what sport anime is.

But to what to put there instead? I DO NOT KNOW. Because this show is just a ... mess. The comedy probably stands if you like this kind, it just made me hate everything even more. Sport anime? Shounen ai? NONE OF THESE HAPPENS. There is some figure skating with awful art and repetitive themes that will bore you to hell after half of the show, and then there is a flamboyant probably bisexual - as I dont really believe he was ever with a man before - who forces himself on one of his admirers.

I can't tell you how creeped out I was with Victor after like three episodes when it became clear, the show runners suck at writing, and they won't ever tell you about their(especially HIS) real feelings. Because without discussing their real feelings for each other, Victor was a bored millionaire who came to play with this poor japanese boy OUT OF BOREDOM OF HIS OWN LIFE. He took a break from figure skating to go and fool around, pretending to be cheerful - he was so fake ohmygod - and outgoing. Like wow, ok man, there is so much to love about you.

And then there is Yuuri. I wish I could have a 2hours long video of that five seconds when he shouts ITS NOT LIKE THAT for the people around the table after they got their NOT-engagement rings. That is his character. I am only here to repeat It's not like I'm gay. His whole struggle to be a better skaters from episode one is gone with Victor showing up and starting to fool around with him. Everything is just Victor Victor Victor/It's not like that It's not like that. And that is not what sport anime stands for! But also not what a supposed groundbreaker anime with gay line should be. It shouldn't be VAGUE if it's groundbreaker. There shouldn't be room for doubt for anyone, but that can't be right? Because Japan is too conservative. Oh please, then what's the point of doing an anime with EXAGGERATED AND WITH THAT ANNOYING gay in it, if you will just back out at every last second? This is not how you change people's opinion about gay people. Not with making them flamboyant and fake without actually talking about their feelings so people could see love between two men can be just as sweet as any other.

This story was a mess. You can't take it seriously for the sport or the love, but not even for the comedy which sucked. And no, I won't talk about the other characters as they did not matter for the show. Poor Yuri was supposed to be a main, and he was just mostly ignored because they added unnecessary showing off scenes for Victor instead of cutting some extra minutes to make his character deeper. But still, he was the only sport anime like character.

And there is also no point of talking about a story, as there is hardly one. The show and with that you all who liked it, only care for the gay so what's the point? People'll watch it for the gay that everybody shouts about, then if they know not much about anime/sport anime they'll scream it's great, the others who saw way too many queerbaiting already will probably be creeped out like me - because just how could the makers go so overboard and still be freaking chickens, I do not understand.

Plus, listen to people who say the art sucks. It is like the whole show. At first glance you see it's something shiny and good, but then you go deeper and it's ugly and undetailed. Also the repetitiveness will bore you to death. There was more creativity to SWIMMING in Free than to the skating here. And I was so hyped for the skating, so I just want to shout into the makers face for not even satisfying me with that.

And just please. PLEASE. Stop comparing it to No6, you are utterly disrespectful to everything that story stands for everytime you say they are on the same level.

Yuri on Ice is, in my opinion, a mediocre anime that was held back more by its topic of choice and the 12 episode limit than the overall directing. It does, however, bring issues from both.

When animating other sports such as ping pong, tennis, and even football, you can often make short-cuts and get away with occasional stiff movements. However, ice skating is a much more visual sport, requiring the animator to be skillful in translating every body movement in order to capture the same sort of magic. As a result, the technical mistakes made in Yuri on Ice leave more of an impression than ... they would otherwise have in any other show. This was especially apparent in many of Yuri’s earlier skates where many scenes were often choppy and Yuri himself was barely even recognizable at certain points. Is this the studio’s fault? Overall, I would (mostly) say no. MAPPA did an overall excellent job, particularly in the performances in the last two episodes, even including details like Victor spinning around in tandem with Yuri during his skates. The fault here lies more with how demanding ice skating is to animate rather than the incompetence of MAPPA’s well-known animating team. Nevertheless, the oscillating quality of animation still undermines the impact of some of the individual performances.

Furthermore, as someone who is not familiar with ice skating myself, Yuri on Ice left much to be desired. Many skating techniques such as the triple salchow and quads were shown throughout the course of the show, but the show never fully explained why the moves were so difficult and demanding other than showing skater errors (which helps convey an image, but can only go so far). While the skaters practice as demonstrated by their montages, they never practice individual techniques and only serve to create a general picture, so the viewer can only vaguely assume how hard the jumps are and what sacrifices the athlete had to make in order to compensate for it during the actual performances. It removes much of the emotion and thrill that would be there otherwise. Additionally, the development of Yuri’s skating ability was primarily done through a combination of self-monologue and superficial errors. While the latter element was conveyed well, as a viewer I was more interested in seeing more improvement in the overall choreography rather than just in the jumps; I often had to rely on the commentary rather than the visuals in this regard, which is counter-intuitive for a sport like ice skating. Admittedly, Yuri demonstrating his first skate and free skate eventually felt repetitive, and the differences between each skate became less noticeable. This is indicative of real competitions, but it can eventually get droning to watch given how often we see Yuri skate. The monologues is a directing choice that I’m more split on personally. It distracts from the actual performance taking place, but it is in many cases unavoidable given the 12 episode limit and ergo the small pockets of time the characters are given to develop outside of the competitions. I personally felt that certain monologues often interfered with the show, but I can’t think of many ways to address the issue.

This ties into my next point, which is that I found most of the characters to be boring. I didn’t find them visually unappealing since many of them (for the most part) had distinguishable and vibrant designs (and as a Korean, I am grateful that they didn’t design the Korean representative horribly as some anime/manga occasionally tend to do). What I found boring were their personalities, or rather the lack of development and background given to each of them. Whether it’s Otabek, Leo, or Christophe, we’re often granted only momentary backgrounds into each of these characters, during the performances themselves no less when we’re supposed to be focusing on the visuals. I would’ve much preferred that Yuri on Ice follow the footsteps of other great sports manga/anime like Ping Pong and Eyeshield 21 and focus more development outside of the competitions rather than only during them. Yurio’s development was especially affected by this as well despite being the secondary protagonist. Much of the screen time was given to Yuri, so a good chunk of Yurio’s development came from during the skates than outside of it. Even in the last two episodes, both Christophe and Phichit were barely given more than three minutes of screen time for their routines, which is barely acceptable. I can’t wholly blame the director for this though as the 12 episode limit cripples the potential for a variety of possible character development. Regardless, I found it hard to care about many of the supporting cast and what the medals meant to them with only brief, momentary expositions.

To highlight a character, I had trouble figuring out whether or not I liked the inclusion of Victor. It’s certainly an interesting twist to have a role model and former competitor suddenly impose himself on to the main character as his coach, and it is what originally hooked me into the show in the first place. However, Victor is an extremely unrelatable character. The majority of his development is conveyed by his coaching ability juxtaposed by his perceived skating ability. However, the element is already lost since many people have very little experience being placed on a pedestal like that, much less in an area unfamiliar to many such as figure skating. In fact, the setting itself only takes place because Victor was not entertained as his status as a competitor since his ability was so far ahead of the rest. That is a feeling and emotion that already cannot be properly conveyed to the viewers. As a result, while I enjoyed the companionship between Yuri and Victor, I did not find his personal development nor the one shared with Yuri as viscerally evoking as I thought it would be.

To highlight another character, I greatly enjoyed the inclusion of JJ, despite having as much exposition as the rest of the minor characters. Initially portrayed as an unbeatable figure with unshakable pride nailing every jump skillfully without fail, he is the first one to be crippled by the pressure of competing on the grand stage. The difference in the two is so massive that I couldn’t help but be taken slightly aback by the character’s emotions. JJ initially served as a great antagonist through his sheer ability as a skater and his endless confidence, but the director chose to show an interesting development by exploring one of the many elements of being a skater, and what better way to do it than by tearing down the most powerful opponent? This was one of the few developments I greatly enjoyed (though I was miffed that his performance still allowed him to receive a 3rd place), and I would have liked that the show tried to explore more personality diversity this way than through the aforementioned expositions.

I’d like to highlight the third and final character, who in my opinion is one of the better characters in the anime. This character does not exist. What I mean to say is that Yuri on Ice does not have a forced antagonist that is meaninglessly vitriolic. While it may occasionally work in other genres, it often does not work in the sports genre as such characters are usually overdramatized and don’t push the narrative forward in any other way other than to be unnecessarily obnoxious. I realize I am harping on this trope a bit too much when I think it can be done well with proper care (Agon from Eyeshield 21 is a good example of this). That being said, I’m glad that such a character did not exist as he would have run counter to the overall atmosphere of the show and surely would’ve had dragged it down further.

There are a few things I want to mention before I close out this review. This anime had a fantastic soundtrack, and for the international aspect that this anime tried to capture, it was done wonderfully, extracting all types of music ranging from classical to rock. Many of these were not sung by Japanese (or at least I couldn’t tell the difference) which is a great attention to detail that helped make the setting feel more genuine. If there is one minor thing I really disliked, it was how Yuri’s Love Eros skate was designed to model after a katsu-don than actual love. Even for Yuri on Ice’s standards that’s just a bit too silly, and never in any of my times witnessing that skate did I ever receive an image that even vaguely reminded me of a katsu-don. The material for stolen love was even right there in the form of Yuuko. That’s just one example, but the point is that I really didn’t find the Katsu-don imagery that appropriate, an impression that I only grew more confident in each time I saw Yuri skate Love Eros.

Would I recommend Yuri on Ice? Sadly, no I wouldn’t; despite being clearly well-thought and superficially well-made, there are too many core issues ranging from character development to pacing for me to confidently call this a solid anime. The average animation is subpar, almost all the characters are not worthy of any note, and the overall momentum of the plot leaves much to be desired. It is however original, both in the sense of its concept as a whole and the fact that it does not derive from any manga, light novel, or etcetera. It is impressive in that regard, and Yuri on Ice is not anything MAPPA should be ashamed of for such an ambitious project.

Yuri on Ice! is a series I never would’ve given the time of day to if it weren’t for other surprisingly good sports anime like Haikyuu! Or Ping Pong The Animation. However, I’ve come to realize that sports anime can be some of the most relatable, since they place the viewer into a more realistic setting rather than transporting them to a mystical fantasy world where one could only dream of existing. This causes the hardships the protagonists are going through to be moreso empathized with, and their overall growth throughout the series to be better understood. The same could be said about Yuri, but ... the show does have some yaoi elements that could make it less relatable to the majority of anime viewers.

Produced by TV Asahi (Shinsekai Yori) and Avex Pictures (Noragami Arogoto), Yuri on Ice pretty much had a precedent set for it from the beginning. The pilot episode contains some expert levels of animation and a likable cast of characters. The humor was well timed, and the skating segments were entrancing to watch. Yuri Katsuki, a once famous Japanese figure skater, has fallen from grace and decides to retire in seclusion following an abysmal performance at the World Grand Prix event. It’s not that his love for skating died, it’s more or less what he thought he had to do after being so embarrassed at the competition. Instead of sucking it up, Yuri does what all of us would… eat pork cutlet bowls and watch the wheels fall off on his pride.

His once idol and Russian skating champion, Victor Nikiforov finds out about Yuri’s retirement after a video is posted of the him skating Victor’s winning program. Naturally he takes it upon himself to become Yuri’s coach and help him get back to form by winning the World Grand Prix the next year. Yuri on Ice is a great tale of redemption, told mostly lightheartedly, and connects the viewer to the minds of the skaters through inner monologues and flashbacks. Unlike a team sport like Haikyuu or Kuroko no Basket, this series draws heavily on the strength and focus of the individual to tell its story. Each character’s ice time can almost be seen as a vignette; a glimpse into the individual’s internal strife or what gives them the motivation to skate at all. It’s short and sweet, allowing viewers just a taste of the sport without having much time to get boring.

Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give the anime as a whole is that it doesn’t really pander to its viewers. The fujoshi themes are there, but never really seem to go overboard. Having the peculiar relationship between Victor and Yuri can be offputting to some (including myself who dropped it at episode 4 initially), but it’s meant to be. Yuri doesn’t even realize he’s gay when he first sees Victor, causing the blossoming of their relationship to be awkward at times. Yuri as a character is obviously flawed, but through Victor he develops some “real” motivation and ends up reaping the benefits and takes risks to impress him. I can't say that I cared for the copious amounts of man service showing up in the anime. Chiseled, half naked men loafing about in hot springs are not high up on my enjoyment list.

Victor, on the other hand is a character who I didn’t necessarily enjoy. Serious and sensual one moment, while silly and flamboyant the next. He seemed to be a necessary evil for the thematic relevance of a yaoi relationship, but didn’t strike me as “relatable” on any level. He certainly didn’t emulate the impression I had of a world figure skating champion. The writers made up for it with Yuri Plisetsky, the Russian teenager who embodied every cutthroat high school jock whose parents pushed them to the limits. He was immature and often showed it externally, and was too young to realize how unimportant what he did really was in the grand scheme of things. His jealousy and envy of protagonist Yuri was humorous based on how unnecessary it was. The rest of the characters didn’t make much of an impression to me. Many had their own backstory, but existed as little other than placeholders in Yuri’s story.

PS- I’m not really sure how old those triplets were, but they sure were mature for their age… using smart phones to post videos online and explaining the rules of figure skating? Yep, seems legit.

As previously mentioned the animation is on point in this anime. My knowledge of ice-skating is solely from watching the Winter Olympics but the intricate detail involved with the skaters movements during their individual segments are breathtaking. i've also been told that it is technically correct as well, adding to the realism of the show. normally a focus as intense as this show has would detract from the animation in other normally a focus as intense as this show has would detract from the animation in other scenes, but Yuri on Ice does not falter here. The character models and emotions are emblazoned on their faces quite accurately, which is nice to see.

The sound effects in this anime are well timed and realistic for the subject matter. However, the music was very hit and miss for me. Some songs (especially the English ones) were hard on the ears, though most of the orchestrated tracks were well developed and presented. The OP, although catchy, was not a track I could get onboard with for some reason. The ending was much better in connecting with the anime in general, and showed the lighthearted flair Yuri on Ice is known for. Voice Acting was superb all around, and the various nationalities of the skaters in the show were illustrated effectively here.

Should you watch Yuri on Ice? I'd say at least give it an episode or two of a preview. The series doesn't shy away and it'll be apparent whether or not it is a series for you. I enjoyed it for what it was, and tried not to get too wrapped up in the yaoi business, as I feel like it detracted from the overall presentation through no fault of its own. It certainly wasn't a series I thought I'd even get through, so that should speak for itself. If I could break it into a sentence it would be: “A beautiful story of redemption, though not without blemishes, that takes you on a lighthearted and fun journey back to the top.” An anime best viewed with less than serious intent. I'd recommend it to any fans of the sports genre looking for something new, and who aren't put off by a little more than bromance. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out my other Fall ‘16 reviews!

There isn't really a plus side to Yuri on Ice beside being an ice skating show with guys. Although there are a few good moments and the ingredients for a sport anime are here, the love story overwhelms everything. As it unfolds, you quickly notice nothing else than romance matters: rivalry, friendship, family, other skaters and even competitions lose most of their appeal fast, sometimes to the point of becoming trivial. It doesn't help that the protagonists are a bit shallow and rely too much on surface caricature to build a personality; the story rapidly becomes a weak excuse and a routine for romance, joining ... the routines on the rink. Sadly, the performances on ice are also repetitive and bear no thrilling, giving you the feeling you've seen one, you've seen 'em all!

Without the support of inventive and stylish art and animation in its execution, Yuri on Ice ends up as a failed soufflé. Lacking in every aspect of its writing, breathless in the artistic ambitions that could have redeemed the show, it falls short of everything. Not bad enough to fall below the appreciation of "average", but there's nothing more to expect from it.

Yuri!!! on Ice, one of the most talked about series of the 2016 Fall Season. It introduced a sport that was not that much seen in anime series, ice skating, and complemented it with a fun set of characters that combined the seriousness of their efforts/goals and the comedy that existed everywhere. Unfortunately, that good mix was not enough to make it into a great series.

First of all, there is no actual story and the pacing is all over the place. Despite the fact that the show brings us a seasoned athlete, so there is no focus how he gets to be a hero from ... zero, which is a welcome change, the show just jumps from one place to another in a matter of seconds, while in between there is mainly just dorama between Yuri and Viktor. That is pretty much the gist of this. We get to see other ice skaters too and see parts of their past and thoughts, but considering the show covers 8 months, everything just feels rushed; jumping to a new scene, dorama ensues, other characters just say their piece, they dance, there is tension and repeat. It is a shame, because the focus on the competition could have been handled in a more balanced way and bring out the best in everyone.

Second of all, while the show starts with an upbeat vibe and successfully achieves a balance between disappointment and comedy and tries to procure a story, it pretty much fails at its premise. While they try to showcase a trio of main characters that are intertwined, Yuri – Yurio – Viktor, Yurio did his own thing after the first couple of episodes and seemed to have no relation to the other 2 other than forcibly connecting them with lines “I will not let him beat me”, etc. It seemed liked there would be a more serious rivalry or drama, but Yurio went down his own path and seemed as though he was battling himself to surpass his limits and only as a secondary thought he wanted to prove himself to the rest. But that just might be my personal gripe.

Third of all, the worst part was the excessive fanservice of the BL baiting, because it took precious time that could have been used for smoother transitions or fleshing out characters. The biggest hook of this series is, of course, the relationship between Yuri and Viktor which from the start was controversial to many. Up to the end, the subtler hints became full throttle baits, but only baits, with every single episode. It is understandable since fanservice can garner more audience, but if they kept it in a subtle way, it would possibly have the same results (apart from the rabid screaming) and at the same time it would give it a higher quality. Unfortunately, that never happens and with each episode you will probably wonder “What more can they do?” Believe me, they can and they do!

As already mentioned before, the characters do not have the depth they should have. Undoubtedly, Yuri and Viktor and then Yurio are given the most attention, but only Yurio turned out well. Yuri and Viktor, because of all the fanservice, their characters remain in a state of limbo trying to create more dramatic scenes between them rather than care for them as individuals. There is a personality underneath, but as their core is their relationship, it falls rather flat and while they are both very likable, they are not much more. Yurio on the other hand has some development, because he only focuses on himself and although we do not see much of his thought process, the bits here and there portray his troubles much better. The rest of the characters are given some attention and we see their thoughts, stress and weaknesses, but it feels half of what it could have been.

Animation-wise, it is also disappointing in the ice skating section. The first 2 episodes are truly beautiful and there is detail in almost everything, which of course set the bar too high for the rest of the series. Naturally, a series with that much movement can hardly keep up with perfect animation in every episode, but there is barely any improvement from the 3rd episode on. They reuse animation without trying to polish it in some places at least, it can look very awkward and overall, it just takes away from the experience and considering this is part of its selling point, it is a shame, especially when it seems more attention is given to Yuri and Viktor scenes. Other than that, the show has vibrant colors and the art often takes a more comedic approach with exaggerated features to portray various emotions or entire scenes. There is much detail on the uniforms they all wear, which are distinct and always fitting the music they are dancing to and generally, the art definitely matched the show’s style. Also, the opening sequence is truly beautifully made with flowy colors all around and sketch-like characters ice skating.

The sound was good; voice actors did a very good job, the soundtrack was on point and everything fit. The opening song can be addicting and combined with its animation, it makes a really great opening that not many would skip.

Overall, I did enjoy this series, just not outside the rink as much. I liked seeing them dance and hearing their thoughts while dancing, but there was chaos outside with badly handled situations and forced drama/fanservice to keep up the ship between the 2 main characters. It was disappointing, because it had a strong start that seemed like it could offer a solid journey, but the priority was not that so the excitement kind of wears off in that department. But it is a great watch for someone that truly can enjoy the 2 main characters’ relationship!

Yuri on Ice is one of those shows that hype you up with a trailer that promises if not outstanding then at least appealing animation and a premise ripe for drama, and... that's about it. At no point does the actual show get better than or even live up to its promise, which is a telltale sign of poor execution.

It ultimately doesn't matter how much research you do about the sport you're writing about if the athletes you're writing make no sense in any universe, real or fictional. Victor Nikiforov, the world's best male figure skater who - at the age of 27 - ... can't possibly have much more left to give his sport, loses his “inspiration” and decides to take a season off. As in, up and leaves Russia, apparently with not a word to the public, the skating federation, the sponsors... you know, all those people who make it possible for him to be nasty rich and famous. So there goes realism as Victor leaves home to become the coach of a guy who's a perfect stranger to him, for flimsy reasons to be explained later on, and that's possible because... he's Victor, I guess. That's all the explanation we ever get when it comes to him, which is unfortunate since he's supposed to evolve from the protagonist's unreachable idol into a flesh and blood human being the protagonist is personally close to. He's supposed to be an important main character who's slowly but surely humanized in the eyes of the rest of the characters who all look up to him to some degree, but that never really happens. Oh, there's a halfhearted attempt to explain away his lack of a personality but honestly? It just feels like weak storytelling.

Weak storytelling reminds me, the show wants to be so many things at once, it ends up being none of them but a schizophrenic amalgamation of poorly constructed sports drama (you know things are not going well in a sports anime when you'd be okay with just about anyone winning, you just want the repetitive sporting sequences to end already) and lowbrow comedy populated by a jarring mix of characters who are “realistic” and characters who are insufferable caricatures (the triplets? JJ? Give me a break.) This mess is peppered with character and relationship drama that never really gets explored beyond a few scenes which, at their best, suggest complexity (Russian Yuri and Victor's bittersweet mixed feelings towards each other, while largely unsaid, are perfectly understandable and thus far more compelling than any other relationship on the show) and at their worst are really just fanservice taken to a distasteful level. It's been said before but it bears repeating: gay characters and relationships have been done well by mainstream aka non-BL anime before. Not often but it does happen. It doesn't happen here.

In conclusion, YoI is far from the best or worst of the medium. The animation, script and sound are all safely in the 'average' range. It's not the kind of bad I'd warn people off of – if you're interested after seeing the trailer, give it a try. Maybe you'll find it enjoyable entertainment. Just don't expect anything life-changing, because – despite promises to the contrary – no history gets made here.

Before I start, I would like the preface this by saying that a 6/10 means I deemed the show as "fair" or "fine". Many people think of anything below a 7 to be bad news, but that is not the case in my reviews. As always, you are free to agree or disagree with my own views as you like, but I always do my best to review a project in totality, and not just based on enjoyment as many reviewers tend to do. Now on to all the technical stuff!

Yuri!!! on Ice is Fall 2016's most popular anime, with an interesting take on the ... rarely touched field of professional figure skating. Originally I passed on starting this show as I figured it would be a fairly average sports anime with a fair amount of yaoi bating for all the fujoshi's out there. However after hearing positive opinions on the show I figured I'd give it a shot, alas it was about what I expected: alright.

Story: ~5
A five according the grading criteria on this site is described as "mediocre" or "average", and I found this to be a fitting way to describe the writing of Yuri!!! on Ice. I'll avoid summarizing the show here in an effort to avoid spoilers, as well as avoid repeating information that finished viewers are already aware of. To be straightforward, the writing wasn't particularly impressive, and ended up falling into a more predictable sports anime type of plot. Main character loses his passion for the sport -> In getting a new coach his spirit is revitalized and he struggles to reach the top and win 1st place. Through Yuri and Victor's little adventure towards the 1st place in finals, we find ourselves subject to many story telling issues.
1. Weak characters that last an episode and then just make cameos that serve as a time filler or attempt at comedic relief
2. Forced romance (if you even want to call it that)
3. Mild melodrama to make things seem like plot points
4. A story that is crammed into twelve episodes and finds itself struggling to keep up with and develop all of the main characters.
5. A final episode that felt extremely cramped and rush as they tried to fit too much info to properly end the show. (And I can't agree the show was properly ended either. Sure there might be a second season coming, but it still felt rushed and we barely saw any of the performances compared to usual, and saw basically nothing in terms of conclusive material)

Although many of my points seem like complaints, the story itself was still follow-able, and served as a fine background for people to indulge in the animation and sports drama.

Art: 7
A seven is likely low enough to get me punched by plenty of people, but I still think it to be a fair assessment. The animation was good, but there are two main reasons this score isn't higher for me. One reason would be that there often seemed to be a severe contrast in animation between different scenes. For example, it was obvious most of the budget was poured into the skating scenes, but in turn the scenes outside of the skating rink oftentimes were comparatively weaker. My second complaint is that I found it obvious that this show did not have enough time every week to produce the art they wished for. By this I mean that because the artists are restricted so heavily by time restraints and deadlines, it often seemed like the art felt choppy even in the skating scenes. To further illustrate this, in the earlier episodes I often found myself annoyed with some of the skating scenes because it was obvious they were drawn apart from the backgrounds on which they were drawn for. The skaters themselves were drawn to show disparities in depth from the camera, but they still seemed out of place compared to the constant picture of the rink behind them. I can't really fault the artists for this though, as drawing every single frame of an ice skater and their respective rink would take immense amount of time and budget. And here's where we end with my rating of 7.

The art was good, but it was obvious that the art could have been better if the show had more time and money behind it. Alas it was a single season show with an episode weakly, so it's hard to ask for much more. Thus we end with a good rating of 7.

Sound: 7

I plan on keeping the sound section on the shorter side because I don't have a ton to say about it. The music across the whole series was good. Oftentimes it felt like the staff chose good songs for the respective performances. Apart from just the music, the voice acting was good as well. The VA's did perfectly well for most of the characters, and the voices were cast well for each individual character. Another positive note here is that the foreign voice acting were better than most anime. A good example of this would be the French reporter seen in the last episode, who was voice acted by someone who obviously spoke fluent French, whereas in anime it is very common for companies to just have a Japanese individual attempt speaking a language in which they are not comfortable in.

Overall, good sound in general. Nothing absolutely amazing, but nothing I can really hate on either, so the safe rating of 7 was given.

Character(s): 5

To be abrupt, many characters were very simple and one-dimensional, and as discussed before in the story section, were undeveloped and under-utilized. The rating 5 means average, and I found that very accurate in describing the characters of a show. No characters stood out as very interesting, but instead fell into very common tropes. The main character, Yuri, was the average wimpy MC who has to change who he is to reach the top. Victor was a fairly average bubbly flamboyant male. Yurio was an angry teenager. And most other characters could be described in one or two words.
One more thing to comment on would be the awkward forced romance between Yuri and Victor, but I won't complain too much about that because if I do I'll likely just be called a homophobe.

For a short summary : The characters were average. Not much else to say there.

Enjoyment: 5

In terms of enjoyment I found this show pretty average. I didn't particularly enjoy or not enjoy the show, so an average score of 5 would likely be the best option here. It's worth noting however that I did tend to enjoy the skating scenes themselves because I found them interesting as a person who has never been into figure skating, but this enjoyment was counteracted a bit by the fact that many performances were just repeated. To be conclusive, in terms of enjoyment, I found this show to be average.


Final Thoughts. Overall Rating is a 6.

The show wasn't awful. It was alright. Generally a 6 or above on my list means I consider the show recommendable. Objectively I don't think this is a great show by any means, but I can understand it's appeal to specific people or audiences.

Was "Yuri!!! on Ice" overhyped? Yeah, I think that's perfectly fair to say. Is it an awful show? By no means. It's just alright.

This concludes the review. If you'd like to further discuss anything, or have any questions, you are always free to add or message me. Thanks for reading the review guys and gals.

After watching the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2016 and some Youtubers reactions to it I decided to give Yuri!!! on ICE a go. At first I quite liked it, then it became less and less enjoyable with every episode...

I generally don't watch sport animes nor BL so the show was new to me in these aspects, but did not capture me in the slightest because of these elements.

Let's start with the sport aspect... For the first 5 or so episodes it felt like I was watching the Olympics. I did not really understand how difficult the performances were but it felt good to see them. After ... that it just became more of the same with more and more forced personal struggle. The last 2 episodes were really really boring because of this....

For the BL part it felt like it was there to be there so our main character could improve for a reason and that's all. It was obvious from the start but there weren't enough screen time for it to feel entirelry right with me when the establishment of the relationship happened. There were tears, anxiety, happiness after that but all of it felt forced and it got more screen time than necessary...

The story was like this: Get somewhat familiar with the characters > Competition > New characters > Competiton > New characters > Competition and that's all. Because of this the characters were vague for me. All had some kind of a dream but nothing I would remember after some days. Especially Yuri's character was bad. It was all over the place. Agressive, submissive, brave, cool, crybaby, anxious, etc. Inconsistency in it's finest.

The art and animation was alright but a lot of short clips were repeated more than once. I did not like the skating bits however. They felt too much like cheap green screen parts from older live action movies with unmoving backgrounds... The character designs compansated for it though, they were quite good.

The one part I praise is the sounds. The OP and ED were good especially the OP as far as the music goes (The animation for them was kinda meh...). The songs the skaters were skating to were diverse but enjoyable and really set a mood for the skating. The voice actor selection for the skaters were really good as well amd they did a fine job with their lines.

The last thing I would like to rate is the fanservice. It was definitely for the female watchers. Asses, musculine (half-)naked men, shiny and tight costumes for the performances, and some close up lipshots...I still can't get over those....

All in all it was watchable, even entertaining to some degree. I expected far worse than what I got because of the Youtube reviews.
I wouldn't recommend it to everyone but if you like ice skating or shipping male characters with each other then give it a go.

Btw I'm a straight man in his early twenties with an acceptance to homosexual relationships. Maybe someone can better understand this review with these informations.

Yuri On Ice was a show hyped up by many, and because of that I decided to give it a go. I'm a queer male, and enjoy seeing homosexual relationships played out well, and that was what I was looking for in Yuri On Ice. However, I was disappointed greatly by the show.

Story: 6/10
From the get-go the story wasn't something I found remarkable, I'd never watched any other series, but figure skating isn't unheard of in the anime database. The whole story was incredibly predictable, beforehand you already knew what the outcome was going to be, and because of that it brought the story down ... for me. There was never a point in the story that I was shocked by a decision made, as none of them were shocking, they were all predictable. The ending wasn't much better either, and in all honesty is very forgettable. It didn't give much enjoyment having made it to the end, as a lot of series do give you once you finish.

Art: 5/10
Episode 1 was amazing in terms of animation, the figure skating scenes shocked me with how fluent and smooth they were. They played around with different animating styles, the set-up shots of scenery were even enjoyable to look at. But this didn't last for long, it was very obvious the studio only focused on the first few episodes, as beyond episode 3 the animating dropped drastically. It is very clear that Yuri and Yurio were the main focuses of animating, and when it comes to the supporting characters they do not put as much effort into animating them. You can tell very easily the studio was in over their heads with the animating they wanted to do, and the time they had to do it. It's commendable they did manage to animate every performance, but it did come at a cost.

Sound: 10/10
The sound is the one thing I cannot discredit in this anime, starting off with the amazing opening. 'History Maker' is the song used, and it was a perfect song to use. It got me hyped for the show, it really has a triumphant feel. "We were born to make history," the lyrics really set the show up in the right way. The voice acting was enjoyable as well, there was never a time I heard a character and thought they had made a bad decision with it. They all fitted the characters they were playing. The OST was undeniably beautiful, the music in this anime was unreal, and something I'll praise Yuri On Ice for endlessly.

Character: 8/10
The main characters (Yuri, Yurio and Victor) were all enjoyable characters, they each had their flaws that were shown and worked on. They are easily relatable characters, the situations they go through are ones many people can relate to and see themselves in. They are all extremely realistic, and are well rounded characters. Each one of the three are well developed in the show, and seeing them grow was something I did enjoy even though I'm not the biggest fan of the show. However, the one flaw I found within Yuri was his reasons for developing, more than not they were all prompted by Victor. It was a shame that this relationship had to be the cause of many changes in Yuri, and he couldn't develop on his own most of the time.

Supporting characters are a completely different stories, they were so rushed and often we were introduced to a character made out to be so important and mighty. Only to never see them again; Kenjirou for an example. We were introduced to Minami Kenjirou earlier on in the series, and he was made out to be an up and coming figure skater. Only for him to be cast aside after an episode or two of being in the spotlight, it was things like this that made being introduced to the characters feel pointless. Especially when we were introduced to so many as Yuri went to different tournaments and competed against everyone. No supporting character felt completely developed and explored in the way it felt they were being set up for.

Enjoyment: 4/10
Overall, I did not enjoy Yuri On Ice. As a queer male, it felt too much like queerbaiting for me to enjoy. The focus felt more on the homosexuality than the sport at times, which I feel it shouldn't have considering it is a sports anime and not Shounen Ai. It felt like just another series that Fujoshi's and anyone else interested in gay fanservice would like. Which is not a bad thing, it was just something that didn't appeal to me. This series could easily, and has easily, appealed to non-anime and manga fans, the homosexuality was a touch that interest many people. I would never consider rewatching Yuri On Ice, I did not hate it, but I struggled to make it through it once around. Watching it again would have no point, other than to see the characters that got discarded over the episodes.

Overall I gave Yuri On Ice a 5/10, it was not horrible, I don't hate it. But it didn't have anything that I found special, which is easily a personal thing. I would recommend watching Yuri On Ice, as it can easily appeal to you. If gay fanservice and Fujobaiting is not your thing, I don't feel you'll find much enjoyment from watching this. But if it is your thing, you'll love Yuri On Ice.

Yuri!!! on Ice is not amazing unless you're a 14 year old yaoi fangirl. Or if you're Canadian.

It's a fun comedy mixed with sports anime made for women by women and there's no need to think it's anything more because it isn't.

Story? What story? Yuri Katsuki's anxiety problems and homoerotic relationship with Victor? Because that's all you're getting. The plot progresses with the figure skating competition which sadly gets boring when the same formula for showing the skating and characters is had. It also doesn't help when there's only 12 episodes to flesh out such a huge cast of characters.

The character design ... is vast and diverse and the better aspects of the show thanks to Kubo Mitsurou's beautiful artwork but the animation tends to be stiff and the skating scenes which should be the most eye opening and exciting are boring and even embarrassing. You have to give them credit for never backing out and fully animating everything though. All the budget seemed to be wasted on the first episode so that left the rest of the show to be horribly looking and repetitive skating scenes where the only redeeming thing is the music. In the later episodes many backgrounds are unfinished but the scenery is nonetheless beautiful and the attention to detail on particular tourist spots is worthy of praise.

Next to the character design the other good thing about this show was the music, from the catchy OP to the unique songs used by each skater in their programs. It has everything and you'll find yourself wanting to listen to them again, even JJ's narcissistic theme song.

Now here's something not so good: the characters. The cast is huge and underdeveloped because the anime only has 12 episodes, which left even the main three to be cheap fanservice. The main two characters are Yuri Katsuki, a Japanese skater and his coach Victor Nikiforov who just so happen to also be the main couple of the series. The other main character, if you could call him that, is the rival and the Russian Yuri. Do these characters ever change and develop beyond what they are from the beginning? No, instead they sell what they are, a homoerotic love triangle made for fujoshi. Victor especially is grating since he seems to just be a bishounen character with no development or personality whatsoever beyond being perfect and beautiful. Some characters are unique and memorable like the Swiss skater and Miyano Mamoru's character JJ but they only serve as being jokes and space for the competition. The few female characters that appear are very good and what you'll find in any decent josei anime, since this is what Yuri!!! on Ice essentially is. It is refreshing to see a sports anime dealing with adults instead of high school kids for once and the overall cast is very fun and entertaining.

The comedy is cheap and boring, it's all fanservice for the lowest consumer, like the equivalent of panty shots and accidental boob groping in an ecchi anime. Just watch the first episode and decide for yourself if a beautiful Russian man appearing naked with a full shot of his ass is fanservice or not.

In my opinion the worst part comes from how popular it has gotten and people praising it for having a gay couple. To me it's nothing different that what you will find in a common BL anime. It's not groundbreaking when they are constantly taking back whatever progress in their relationship is made; instead of outright stating "WE'RE GAY" it's ambiguous to the end in the most unsatisfying way that only fujobait can be. It is also not the first "mainstream" anime to have a gay relationship especially when it was obviously made for fujoshi. In a way Yuri!!! on Ice tries to balance itself between being completely yaoi for the otaku that will support it and waste money on it and the other mainstream audience that watched it for the skating, and for that it's obvious they held back even though they're supposed to be an established couple. For a show that deals with finding love and doing your best we see none of that when the main character can never hold the end of his deal in neither his skating career or his relationship with Victor.

Overall, it's a fun show to watch if you need a laugh but nobody should pretend it's anything more or that it's groundbreaking. It's not that deep.

After falling into great defeat in the Grand prix finale, Yuuri Katsuki, whom was Japan’s figure skating representative, decides to return home to determine where his future lies. His opportunity for success in skating was looking dim as many obstacles were stopping him from returning to the world of skating.

However, after being posted a viral video of him skating to a program that Viktor Nickiforov performed, this reaches to Viktor himself, leading him to the decision of being Yuri’s coach and bring him back into the world stage again. But the competitiveness thickens as Yuri Plisetsky, a rising star, craves for the defeat of Yuri ... Katsuki to prove himself of Viktor, earning back his mentorship.

At this extent, Anime was screaming for an all-male cast anime to handle their theme with subtlety and wasn’t forgettable as hell, which is quite common among these animes, but finally Yuri on ice came and broke the dubiety that we long had for these sport animes. Moreover, YOI comprehends its theme like no other and executes that with lucidity. I believe that they’re other aspects of the show that boasted its popularity but its simplicity particularly is what made it relaxing to watch, it really screamed for diversity of its target demography as its plot undergoes basic elements tolerant to all kinds of viewers.

Yuri on Ice may have a generic plot, but understands what to do with its mediocrity. The value of the anime shouldn’t be diminished for its choice of plot because it was clear what deliberate approach YOI was taking initially. Generally, Yuri on Ice has kept me exceptionally entertained till its very end and its plot was the last thing that stopped me from enjoying this show.

The relationship between Yuri and Viktor was the foreground of the show. It just danced along so beautifully with the plot because it never felt overly exaggerated with its BL nature in contrast to shows like junjou romantica where they express highly stereotypical gay couples. No anime really attempted to convey the genuine personality of a gay couple without feeling the need to embellish it for the purpose of pandering. The relationship felt natural and was never enforced, it does make sense that both tutor and tutee grew affectionate for each other if they intended to get to know each other personally behind the competition itself, regardless of gender in which the anime never took into consideration. The show convinced itself that there were no needs to create two characters of opposite genders just to play the romantic segments of the show based on its media perception, and quite frankly, I like that. The show felt modern and the relationship of Yuri and Viktor massively contributed to that aura. At this extent YOI has the most healthiest and pragmatic portrayal of a gay couple in an anime ever; there really isn’t any competition.

The YOI soundtrack and music is absolutely remarkable because of how suspenseful and congruous it was with its concept. As one stated, YOI from an international perspective done amazingly because of the variety in the music, all from many categories of music genres and sung in different languages to really define the show’s diversity. The opening is ridiculously memorable and lasting. At first the opening captivates you and really takes on the characteristics of what it means for an anime to be sports. The opening is dazzled in tension as the orchestra raging from the background condenses, becoming more powerful and striking. The full song shows even more of that and just gives you the chills. The desire of wanting to listen to the opening is really consistent as I haven’t skipped the opening a single bit, hence its endurance. The reason why I rated YOI a nine on the musical aspects however is due to the unfairness of the songs used for the skating sequences. The songs for the secondary characters weren’t nearly as powerful and compelling in tempo and dynamics as Yuri’s performances were, if anything they were quite forgettable, making most of the episodes boring to watch.

I honestly couldn’t of thought of any other art style for YOI because the one used in the show was just downright perfection. The characters and the art style just went, completely reconcilable.

As much as I have complimented the choice of plot beforehand and the path YOI chose to take, I can’t say much more for the plot itself as it’s embedded with flaws, particularly with its premise. The premise was a complete mess as it immediately starts off with info-dumping supported by lazily done chibi designs of the characters to express comedy, which was anything but humorous since it’s an overdone way of exhibiting comedy. Resuming to my words beforehand, the premise explains its sports through info-dumping, and if anything, only told me that they’ve create a poor exposition rather than the sports itself. The whole basis of storytelling is to show rather than tell the story to its audience and by explaining the core constituent of the show to us rather than expressing the sports to us progressively throughout the anime really suggests the producers’ inability to create a story. To summarise, the premise was disappointing.

Speaking of which, the majority of the characters initiated in the first episode have little to no actual significance to the plot and only serve for comical values despite being given a shortage of screen time and presenting nonsensical humour that the younger audience of the show may most likely enjoy. Some of the characters didn’t necessarily needed introduction such as the brunette fan girl and were added just to make better of our protagonist despite many other characters playing that role. Yuri on ice should have most definitely cut down on the amount of characters it had because it deduced screen time for other stuff that came more crucial.

The character development was just lacklustre since there was barely anything to develop for the characters to begin with, especially our main protagonists. Yuri was just too inconsistent. Yuri was only ever presented as the shy type for the first episode then 1-2 episodes later, he was a sudden confident badass on stage with no justification whatsoever; an episode later, he’s timid again. Yuri’s anxiety wasn’t a genuine issue at all, Yuri’s anxiety was a complete plot device as it is extremely repetitive and is solely used at times where the plot couldn’t develop itself neither the relationship between Viktor and himself. Overall, he just happened to be full of confidence ever since Viktor was his coach just because. He was practically told by Viktor to act provocative when doing his Eros performance and he just happened to succeed. Yuuri feels incredibly melodramatic as a character that other parts of his characteristics serve for the sake of cheap feels. When Yuri would convey his meek behaviour, the plot would always find a way to take full advantage of that and victimise Yuri because he’s not nearly as “good” as the other skaters, but this is only as a way to promote Yuri and make his mad skating skills of a surprise in spite of always having them in the early stages.

Contrastingly, Viktor’s character was too consistent, the audience were never introduced another side of Viktor to develop at all as his flirtatious, cheeky behaviour was the only characteristics on display. I honestly wished they had been more in-depth with Viktor’s love life when he was “talking” about it for awhile in episode 10, we’ve of gained something at least from Viktor because to me, Viktor is an shallow character who puts on an act of persistently being seductive, handsome and complete perfection but there’s nothing contradicting to that to convey. Viktor’s character isn’t much left to be desired as an actual skater since he was a hardly explained character as a competitor, or better yet, how he invested into the world of skating that clarifies his prominence. As a reviewer stated, the setting itself takes place because Viktor was not entertaining as his status of a competitor since his abilities are way beyond every else to begin with. As the way the story is, I was in desperation of figuring out Viktor as soon as I knew most of the distinguished characters in the show were aspired from Viktor, making him the genesis of this show, so it would only make sense to know where the origins of the show stemmed from. Generally, we’ve only seen the surface of what Viktor could be and his shallowness pretty much qualifies enough to be an entire flaw of its own.

Yurio was the only person who developed from the show because we saw how he conducted himself from the start of the show to the end; even the show was contrasting it from time to time, particularly highlighting how he modified his style in skating depending on his behaviour. Initially Yurio had an incredibly rude, aggressive nature but gradually, he became of elegance and beauty and that was heavily embodied in his skating sequences, making us more emotionally invested in Yurio’s character.

Not only did the characters barely undergo development, but they were extremely stereotypical as there was barely anything distinctive about any of them, not a single unique trait. Yuri being the shy character in every single sports anime that doubts themselves just to make it seems like they won’t win even though they always, Viktor being the handsome and famous that comes off hard to get despite picking the protagonist out of everyone they met ever, Yurio being the grumpy rival just because, Chris being the fan service, oh lord, I could go on. What makes this an issue is the fact that I’m having a hard time figuring why did Viktor choose Yuri particularly, to which the anime never gets profoundly of. There’s absolutely nothing distinguishable of Yuri that the producers emphasizes so why the choice of Yuri over everyone else that makes him worth choosing?

As maturely presented the shounen-ai is, it is to question as the relationship of Viktor and Yuri doesn’t really come crucial to the sports, therefore the plot itself. What were they trying to demonstrate by expressing the relationship of Viktor and Yuri? Furthermore, I’ve had trouble with which degree the relationship stands as it was never really fully fledged. Yuri on ice has only been showing hesitation with openly embracing the complete gayness of the relationship as it could never assure itself of the absolute desire both Viktor and Yuri had for each other. One minute, Viktor and Yuri are publicizing their relationship, another censoring their sentiment, hiding it and are ambivalent of each other. Each episode just didn’t compliment and support each other and there were constant shifts regarding their relationship. The choice of this gives off a range of ideas of why the producers done this. Did they do such to lure in the audience till the end by using cheap tactics such as fetishising and not making the relationship canonical or does the relationship have a foundation that supports the vital existence of the passion Viktor and Yuri have for each other?

With a huge audience that doesn’t actually do figure skating, I including, it was hard to feel engagement with the competition as the technical aspects of it were hard to grasp the feeling of. As one reviewer stated, which was a ridiculously good point, Yuri on ice doesn’t clarify the complexity of some of the techniques and why some were treated with more astonishment than the other. Why and how is a quadruple loop technically difficult than a quadruple salchow? Why does placing your hands high in the air while doing triple techniques score you high scores despite the skill being easy independently? For a show that wants to emotionally connect to its viewers through the sports, it should be aching for profundity with the execution and how well explained their sport is, but clearly YOI wasn’t looking for that.

Just a quick note and minor flaw, the pacing of the show felt rapid, everything was happening in the blink of an eye that it was hard to tell how many weeks or months it’s been between each episode or so. With only twelve episode to maintain with, everything was very time abusing and Yuri on ice just needed more episodes to space itself out. I can honestly understand why the producers would choose to end the show in Christmas week as Yuri on ice is excessively Christmas spirited and belongs to the winter season.

The real question is after all this though: What is the objective that Yuri on ice have always had in mind? What were they striving to achieve at the end of the series? You may think that the goal would automatically be there since the anime has a really basic concept and say that it’s to win the Grand prix final, but after what happened at the last few minutes on episode 12 (I don’t want to spoil) can we really say that’s the objective? Now that they’ve reach the Grand Prix final and the results were revealed and stuff, what is awaiting for this show now? Does the whole thing restart again just like that? The issue is the fact that I can’t see where this show is going and where its future lies.

Yuri on Ice deserves the publicity it got, but not how it’s perceived, especially with those calling Yuri on ice a “masterpiece” because it’s most definitely afar from that. From a critical perspective, they’re major flaws implanted in this series that stopped this show from embracing its potential it had, but to say that this show suffered from them? Now that’s something else. Yuri on Ice was always conscious of the mistakes they’ve already made but weren’t bothered by them since being critically acclaimed was the least of their priorities, I’d recommend watching this show with high expectations concerning its entertainment values rather than its critical values. It’s stupid to go into this show with deliberate hate or high standards because it’s laughably damn obvious that you’ll receive not nearly half of that.

Give this show a goddamn break

For a show that circulates around ice skating homos, constant fangirling, marriage and a guy that screeches “I’m gonna come!” you’d really expect a really well written piece of work? From this? As for my opinion, I’m neutral with this show as entertainment-wise, it’s just outright fantastic but that, alas, doesn’t excuse the show from a critical stance, a lot having to do with why they chose this and that, etc. as Yuri on ice lacks basic clarification for what it does. I will definitely be looking forward to the second season as I will be sticking around for it but generally, Yuri on Ice will forever be a Christmas one hit wonder and the second season will never be as popular as the first because nothing will be like the first but itself.

Positive:

• Simplicity
• Execution of Viktor and Yuri’s relationship
• Decent generic plot
• Great and appropriate usage of music
• Ridiculously suitable art style

Negatives:

• Irrelevant characters
• Poor character development
• Reason for/Limited shounen-ai elements
• Stereotypical characters
• Viktor
• Melodramatic/Victimizing
• Cheap and lacking in comedy
• Disengagement in the competition
• Unclear objective
• Poor premise
• Instability in pacing

Yuri on Ice = 6/10

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site)

[Synopsis]: After a crushing defeat during the Grand Prix Figure Skating Final in Sochi, Russia, a crestfallen Katsuki Yuuri (Toyonaga Toshiyuki) returns to his hometown in Japan. Unsure of himself and whether or not to proceed with his career, Yuuri’s life takes an unexpected turn when a recording of him performing the routine of his idol and world champion figure skater Victor Nikiforov (Suwabe Junichi) goes viral. To his surprise, the video attracts the attention of Victor himself who abruptly flies to meet with him and offers to become his coach. With Victor’s help, Yuuri redoubles his ... efforts to win the upcoming Grand Prix and overcome the other accomplished skaters and his newfound rival Yuri Plisetsky (Uchiyama Kouki).

[Characters]:

The story of Yuri!!! on Ice can best be distilled within two primary focuses. The first is the growth Yuuri experiences over the course of his journey, both as a figure skater and as a person. The second is Yuuri’s relationship with Victor which matters a great deal in regards to both of the previous facets of the show. When we first encounter Yuuri after his defeat in Russia, he sees himself as a failure and a lot of his development and his interactions with Victor are aimed at overcoming this self image – of coming into confidence and self-worth. This transformation is very pronounced and you get a keen sense of where Yuuri is at each step of his transformation. In this way Yuuri is a fairly endearing character.

Yuuri’s relationship with Victor is an interesting one. He idolizes him as a figure skating champion and is endlessly appreciative of his offer to mentor him however above all else there is unquestionably a romantic element to their relationship. In some ways this is well executed and in other ways it becomes rather problematic. The way Yuuri attempts to discern his feelings is very vague and is reflective of his own uncertainty. This feeds well into his meek personality and the unconventionality of the romance. Their bond has some charm to it and it adds meaningful depth to both of the characters.

Conversely, Yuri!!! on Ice opts to be far more suggestive than concrete in how it portrays their relationship. It leads the viewer along with insinuations and fan-service rather than truly committing to what in all reality should be an authentic relationship. The way the show skirts around a genuine portrayal of romance is profoundly infuriating and while some viewers might invest themselves in the show’s allusions more easily, I found its execution to be rather irritating. Moreover, Yuuri and Victor’s dialogue is very overt which means that they often speak their thoughts out loud. This approach of straightforward, internal exposition renders the dialogue a little plain and the show could have found a more tactful or artistic way to convey the emotions and thoughts of these characters to the viewer.

Yuuri and Victor aside, Yuri!!! on Ice presents a rather extensive supporting cast. Some characters such as Yuri Plisetsky, Christophe Giacometti, Jean-Jacques Leroy offer fairly memorable characterization and stand on their own within the scope of the show’s narrative. Yuri!!! on Ice is very interested in portraying a tournament scene full of potential champions and rising stars and to some degree it succeeds. Many of the other skaters and the remainder of the supporting cast leave a lot to be desired however. The way in which the tournament introduces them, provides them with an almost token backstory and motivation for winning, all before dismissing them felt awkward and forgettable. They exist for an ephemeral moment only to provide the audience with a less interesting story and the sense that Yuuri has some measure of competition before him. Some of these characters are better than others but many of them they don’t feel like they exist beyond the story they are given – they are written in simply to lose.

[Art/Animation]:

Perhaps the most striking component of the first episode of Yuri!!! on Ice was its fantastic character animation and choreography. With figure skating sequences choreographed by professional skater Miyamoto Kenji and the visionary Yamamoto Sayo at the helm, the visuals of Yuri!!! on Ice sported a lot of promise. This potential manifests in full form during the show’s first episode however it has a hard time ever rising to the same degree of execution afterwards. Yuri!!! on Ice was plagued by a variety of quality drops and issues and while they didn’t entirely compromise the show’s presentation, there were countless instances of very off-model character designs and awkward bits of animation. These things somewhat undercut the show’s strong sense of choreography and otherwise fluid animation.

On the topic of animation, there was a great deal of reused animation throughout the show. This is spruced up in various ways as to not be too obvious however once the sequence makes its 3rd or 4th appearance it starts to wear on the performance. This is somewhat forgivable however as most of the reused shots and sequences can be seen as a necessary evil in how the figure skaters repeat their choreographed performances. Though the characters often don’t look quite like themselves, their performances generally capture the kind of emotion they are channeling. There’s a kind of integral emotion, sex appeal, and femininity within figure skating and the way this manifests within the routines of the characters and their personalities is an interesting element of the show.

The last thing I’ll touch upon are the character designs of the cast which were quite good. Yuuri is very average-looking and unassuming which goes hand-in-hand with his self-conscious personality. The dissonance between Yuuri’s ordinary design and the person he becomes while skating is utilized well by the show to explore the changes within his mentality. Victor’s design is sensuous and poised and although this often obscured by the show’s crude sense of comedy, his design speaks well of his characterization. The other characters all sport both distinct and memorable designs as well and visually fit very well into the tournament setting though some fail to follow through on their individuality with their respective characterization. In a similar vein, the wardrobe of each of the skaters is flashy and dynamic and adds another visual element to their performances.

[Story]:

The core narrative of Yuri!!! on Ice is pretty straightforward. The story follows Yuuri, Victor, and the rest of the competition as they work to improve themselves and subsequently compete within the tournament bracket culminating in the Grand Prix Final. What’s interesting is that the show doesn’t proceed as traditionally as one might expect. The first few episodes establish a fairly standard underdog story however this isn’t the ultimate tone of the show. Though lacking in self-confidence, Yuuri really is a professional skater and is even more accomplished than some of the people he competes against. The story then becomes more focused on Yuuri himself as an individual and how he interacts with Victor rather than playing into such a conventional setup. It’s a story of self-exploration and empowerment threaded together by themes of competition, love, and romantic discovery.

Another important element of Yuri!!! on Ice are the figure skating performances which dominate the show in its later half. To some degree, the way in which each character skates is reflective of their mentality off the ice and the way their mindset drives their performance is one of the primary ways the show imparts significance to each performance. This is especially important for Yuuri and Yuri Plisetsky whose transformations are most apparent in how they skate. The show doesn’t allow for a lot of time outside of the competition and so the way it manages to explore characters is by using cutaways and flashbacks during their sequences. This can feel pretty disruptive at times and occasionally even felt like a means of cutting around animation corners. Rarely are the performances allowed the room to breathe and progress uninterrupted but when they are they are quite spectacular to watch.

The primary issues of the show stem from its problematic portrayal of Yuuri and Victor’s relationship and the lackluster characterization of the supporting cast. Given the numerous fan-service scenes and instances of suggestive dialogue, too often does Yuuri’s relationship with Victor feel like it exists for the sake of the viewer rather than for the characters themselves. It’s presented in such a way that, while their romantic interest in each other is genuine, the show skirts around ever actualizing what they are talking about. It implies that they are boyfriends, lovers, partners, etc. but only through the veil of humor and Victor’s own levity. It’s not as black and white as some of the relationship ‘baiting’ you might see in other shows but it certainly plays off of the viewer’s own desired perception rather than offering something authentic. It has a handful of endearing scenes that attempt to sincerely progress their relationship however these steps forward are somewhat undermined by the other aspects of their portrayal. There’s something legitimate in their attachment to one another but it would have been far potent had all of their scenes been explored as honestly as some others.

[Sound]:

While it’s a hard thing to find concrete value in, I thought Yuri!!! on Ice had strong sound design. Within the presentation of figure skating there are a lot of minute details that you can play off of to heighten the immersion of the scene and the show follows through on a lot of these. The acoustics of the skating, the crowd in the distance, and the way in which the sound of the performance seemed to fit the size of the venue were impressive details.

The soundtrack was decent but didn’t present anything that stood out in my memory. The tracks to which the skaters performed to were varied and some were pretty engaging but others were far less memorable and distinct.

[Final Thoughts and Rating]:

One aspect of the show that I enjoyed but wasn’t able to highlight earlier was its use of social media. Through various media platforms and commonplace social networks, Yuri!!! on Ice is able to introduce characters, places, and events in a quintessentially modern way. The very premise of the show is derived from a video of Yurri’s skating going viral. The characters feel integrated in a true-to-life way and it was a very interesting and fun addition to the show’s presentation.

As a whole Yuri!!! on Ice is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s strength lies in the development of its protagonist and the various figure skating routines that attempt to distill the passion, personality, and drive of the show’s cast. Yuuri’s relationship with Victor, while compelling in several aspects, is somewhat tarnished by the underhanded way it is portrayed within the scope of the show. Art quality issues permeate the length of its run and the writing and dialogue is all a little too straightforward which leave a lot of the side-characters feeling uninteresting. The comedy feels natural within the tone of Yuri!!! on Ice however the gags and levity of the show somewhat upset the dramatic potential of its story and characters. The show’s stellar first few episodes set an incredibly high standard that the show had a hard time surmounting afterwards.

Rating: 6

I gave Yuri!!! on Ice a 6 because, despite its various faults, it still managed to present something both charming and at times even beautiful. Though it had its share of production issues, the figure skating was often graceful and while it wasn’t executed to the degree that I wish it was, the way in which the routines of the skaters reflected upon themselves was engaging. At its core, the relationship between Yuuri and Victor was a good one and it worked well in regards to Yuuri’s development however I think a less manipulative display would have gone a long way for the show. Yuri!!! on Ice was

[Recommendations]:

I would recommend Yuri!!! on Ice to those interested in the premise of the show and in its sport. There’s plenty of figure skating to go around and while it doesn’t handle itself in the same manner as a traditional sports show, it should appeal to that interest all the same. An additional facet of the show that may attract some viewers is that in dealing with Katsuki Yuuri and Victor Nikiforov who are 23 and 27 respectively, Yuri!!! on Ice presents a more mature cast of characters. Those uninterested in the bond between Yuuri and Victor may want to stay away from the show as it accounts for a significant amount of the show and what it sets out to accomplish.

First of all I would like to say that sports genre is my cup of tea, I like this genre a lot, because I haven't seen the intensity of sports captured perfectly anywhere else but in anime.
(This will review will highlight the pros & cons)

Pros:

+ Both the OP and ED are great
+ Really good background music, well synced
+ Animation was interesting, handling this wasn't easy. Too much movement and they were done smoothly.
+ Avoided a school based setting and took the world stage. This is rare in anime.
+ ........that's it?
...
Cons :

- Too many fangirl service.
- Charecters were not well developed. There wasn't a single charecter that makes you wish : "I want to be like him!"
- The relationship between the coach & player could be a good point they could work on, but they blew it away.
- The storyline was way too predictable. There was no shocking result.
- They used the same fixed songs which got boring in the end. They even danced the same way, well of course if it's the same song the base will always stay the same. But at least you would expect something new in the final, unfortunately there is none.
- The main dish of a sport anime is struggle. We would want to see a relatable charecter who grows up in front of our eyes. Yuri was not such a charecter. The only problem he had that he lacked confidence. Still did the coach actually did something about that? No. He was the role-model of yuri, victor staying by his side was enough for him. Yuri ended up consoling his own coach. I won't call that coaching, victor was just an inspirational charecter to yuri.
- No showcasing of sportsmanship, no real details about the figure skating world was given.

Lastly, if you are wishing to watch this anime to see figure skating only then don't watch it. Watch real life pro figure skating if you have never watched before. You will be stunned. Only reason to like this anime is figure skating itself is a beautiful sport.

Six or so episodes into this anime, it felt like I'd finally found it: a sports anime that was more than just queer-bait, something that was well directed with good pacing, and avoided worn tropes of sports anime (something about a start-up high school club that's just trying to make it in the big leagues), and also with well-developed characters. Unfortunately, however, in the end, Yuri on Ice proved itself to be somewhat of a disappointment.

For the first four or five episodes, we get the set up to a somewhat not believable but highly engaging plot. Professional figure skater Yuri Katsuki has just had a ... disappointing failure at the Grand Prix finals in figure skating do to his inability to handle anxiety under pressure. However, during the off-season, a video leaked of him perfectly skating a routine the legendary Viktor Nikiorov had broken records with the previous season. Viktor comes all the way from Russia to meet Yuri, and in the process upsets his home-country protege, also named Yuri (Plisetsky). Yuri (usually called Yurio in the anime) travels all the way to Japan too and him and our main character Japanese Yuri compete to have Viktor as their coach by skating to sets that oppose their personalities choreographed by Viktor himself. I won't spoil what happens in this, but this was far and away the best part of the series. We had fluidity between the artform of skating and character development, we got to know a relatively few amount of characters but they were thoroughly well developed.

The only somewhat disappointing part of these first few episodes were what appeared at first to be simple queer-baiting for comedy, however it very quickly turns out to be more than this as several hints (some subtle, some not so much, but I'll avoid spoiling) develop for an actually meaningful relationship between Viktor and Yuri. Fortunately, this never becomes the main focus on the anime and is normalized as a background development rather than used as a gimmick to attract a target audience, which earns it some marks, although at times it got awkward trying to balance this part of Viktor and Yuri's plot with everything else going on at the end (more on that later). Though at the end of the day it got awkwardly shoehorned in, Yuri and Viktor's developing relationship early on was one of the highlights of this anime.

So far, this is sounding like a good review. But along comes episodes six and seven, and now some of Yuri on Ice's flaws come to the forefront. We begin to follow Yuri, Yuri-o, and Viktor through the core of the competitive figure skating season. In these episodes (and throughout the series, but especially here), the beauty of the show's stellar animation comes to life as we see wonderfully directed scenes of all the skaters doing their routines. Unfortunately, this is all we see--with the exception of one episode--for the rest of the series.

At this point, it becomes clear that trying to fit this much into 12 episodes was too ambitious. We meet too many characters too quickly who are all extremely under-developed, their entire backstories are just told with voice-overed thoughts while they skate in competitive matches. Most are not developed at all, and if they try to make them dynamic (such as the favorite to win the gold, a bombastic skater from Canada named JJ begins to get nervous), they do so in a contrived, rushed fashion. The development of our main characters becomes almost a distraction from just trying to fit as many somewhat monotonous, albeit beautifully animated, skating performances that are overly dramatized with characters just spoon-feeding their emotions to the viewer into each episode.

The few moments that we aren't just watching figure skating performances with over-acted dramatic voice-overs and flashbacks, we're seeing somewhat contrived drama in Yuri and Viktor's relationship where they'll randomly threaten to leave each other for no good reason that are immediately resolved for no good reason. By episode 9, the last three episodes have blurred together as they were all nearly identical; Yuri starts out crying, him and Viktor have a little pep-talk/hugging and crying session, all the skaters do performances where they try to dramatize some portion of their backstory with voice-overs and flashbacks while they're doing their performance, we see the skaters get their scores and react, the episode ends. Episode ten is a welcome break from this formula, but it unfortunately gets full of randomly rushing Yuri and Viktor's relationship at a much faster pace than is at all believable and ill-fated attempts at humor to humanize the other characters who, up until this point, we have no reason to sympathize with at all. Most of them we've only spent five minutes with watching them skate up until this point, and I realize at this point with some amount of disappointment that there are only two episodes, and I'm probably never going to have a chance to give a damn about any of these characters except for Yuri and Viktor, whose entire development has been so sidelined and rushed to cram everyone else in that I'm beginning to not care about them either.

But maybe, I think, this can redeem itself in the next two episodes. And, nope, the last two episodes are virtually indistinguishable from the 6-9, except now it's the final so all the characters can act a little bit more dramatic. By the end, it just kind of feels monotonous and hollow.

In sum we have a well-set up plot with a handful of good characters in the first few episodes marred by obnoxiously faced pacing halfway through the series and sidelined by a bunch of half-baked characters whose entire subplots are spoon-fed in an overused, rushed, formulaic fashion, with only contrived drama and bad humor to break the monotony. But not all is lost, though the skating routines got very repetitious halfway through, they were gorgeously animated with an amazing attention to detail, and certainly those who enjoy figure skating will appreciate the amount of effort that went into depicting their sport. Some of the cinematography and camera angles that went into directing these scenes is gorgeous and innovated, even though they're overused and worn by episode 9. The first few episodes were, if a bit overbearing with the humor, still really good and the way Yurio, Yuri, and Viktor interact in those episodes is some fine character development. Further, the character designs (purely in terms of animation) are top knotch, among the best I've ever seen (if only they had some substance behind the pretty faces). The soundtrack is, also, for the most part really good, with a healthy mixture of emotional original tracks, peppy pop music, and great classical music for the skater's performances, as well as decent background music that matches the era of the transition scenes. But the fact that I'm thinking of anything that isn't a performance, where the characters are actually supposed to interact and develop as a "transition scene" is evidence of how rush and monotonous this anime got at the end.

Still, if you're going to go for a sports anime, at least this tries to step out of the cliched tropes of queer-baiting with bishounen high schoolers. Further, it earns some points for developing a gay relationship that wasn't the somewhat insulting and abusive shounen-ai variety, or just hinting at it to bait the fujoshi (ahem, Free!), and consequently, I'd recommend it over most of the close substitutes in its genre. Perhaps if they had tried to do what this did in 25 episodes it could've been salvaged.

Story: 4/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 7/10
Character: 3/10
Enjoyment: 6/10
Overall: 5/10

I really had high hopes for Yuri!!On ice when it was first released , since I love figure skating and wished they'd make an anime about it, (was more into ladies' figure skating), and I was disappointed after watching the 7th episode, I liked the first two episodes, but then the animation started getting..crappier? The scenes were changing so fast, there weren't those nice anime silent moments anymore, and they started turning it into a yaoi rather than focusing on the sport itself, I wished they spent more time creating good animation when it came to skating,and also on the characters, even though I like ... Victor. In the end I'll just say that this anime doesn't make me anticipate the end, it seems rather predictable, Yuri will win for sure, I just don't see the struggles really.

My overall rating of YOI would probably be a 5.5. Don't get me wrong, this anime was quite enjoyable for me. I wouldn't go as far as to rave about it, but it was entertaining. The best way to sum it up for me would be to call it cute.

Story
I don't think the story was anything that blew me away, it started off okay. I was into it enough to finish the series. My only problem with it was I found myself questioning the importance of some elements and why certain things were developed and others were not. This is more so about characters, but ... I"ll get into that more later.

Art
I liked the art style, it was cute and colorful and very upbeat. Very good for a lighthearted and short anime.

Sound
The sound was all right, I couldn't get into the other skaters' music that much. I found the opening grew on me after a bit, and I liked Yuri's music he skated to in the beginning. Otherwise, it didn't really stand out to me as a soundtrack.

Character
The characters started off okay, and they were fun to watch. My biggest disclaimer about this show is don't go into it wanting amazing character development, you're not going to get it. I had to remind myself not to get tunnel vision when it comes to the characters, because it can be easy to be sucked into wanting to be frustrated by the same characters not changing much if at all.

Enjoyment
I did enjoy this anime, I did look forward to the next episode of it. The show wasn't bad, I did enjoy it. YOI is a good lighthearted anime if you want something to watch and enjoy without too much seriousness. What conflicted with my enjoyment was my frustration at Victor and Yuri's relationship not really going anywhere. I didn't feel like Yuri changed much and I didn't see why they couldn't work it out, because the relationship dynamic would have worked out really well in my opinion.

Overall
I liked YOI, I would totally recommend it if you're thinking of watching it. Just don't push anything you're really into right now to make room for it. I don't know if it's a show I would be able to binge watch in a day, it's a little too fluffy for that. I just couldn't get past the unsatisfying ending. I felt like it was too ambiguous and played too safe. I know that not everything is so black and white, but what frustrated me is that the dynamic between Yuri and Victor was, and it was so muddied by external factors that it became more complicated than it needed to be.

A blade touches the ice, gliding along, scratching the white, cold surface as it moves. The skater jumps in the air on one foot, spinning once, twice, and once more as they land on the opposite foot, landing a triple axel. The crowd cheers loudly as the skater’s arms fly out in happiness. Whoa, let’s rewind…this is no 1991 competition. This is an anime about a simple Japanese 23-year-old male, trying to find who he is in this completive world of ice skating. Back up now…or better yet, let’s flash forward.

Now forget about history for once, or the fact Olympics exists for now, because in ... this anime it isn’t even about that.

Story:

Starting off solid with a competition, a norm in the sports anime currently, and as a sports anime, the breakdown of the plot should be simple enough. It’s one word: competition, competition, completion. Yes, this anime is filled with men going at it in a better wardrobe than anyone, and with pretty much the same routine, over and over and over and over again. Getting bored yet? Good. That’s what I like to hear! Keep spinning around just like they do in the anime when they finish they’re routine. Oh man, I’m getting dizzy. Let’s move on.

Now, now, it isn’t just about the fact these guys can spin like ballerinas on ice better then ballerinas can on normal flooring. These guys are Olympic worthy, but that’s not the point. The point is the coming to age story of the 23-year-old man returning home after college and a hard defeat in the skating world. He’s just figuring him-self out! The 23-year-old is still young, and anyone can make mistakes, change their course, and twirl into a different direction. Through this, the atmosphere of the work is fantastic. My heart is leaping after each episode, reaching for more and more. I feel my fangirl coming alive. The comedy, oh lord, the comedy! I laughed after each hilarious moment! However, something is missing. Something big!! Something more I crave after each and every single episode.

Where is my drama?? Yes, drama! There was a need for so much more drama! This anime would’ve been amazing if there was a touch of drama in the plotline more than there was. There was only positive outlook, and although the meaning of it was well reached, I did need that drama for balance… to be able to reach out for that positivity. How could there be positivity without dark dramatic inspiration? Things that should’ve been shown were not shown at all. Competitive sports needs drama for it to flow, for it to move freely. There needed to be that negative backstory for a positive comeback to happen! There was limited drama in this, not enough to label it as the genre it deserved.

Art:

Okay, I’m defeated. The art wasn’t that bad. Perhaps I was too enhanced on how well designed these men’s bodies were, but honestly, the flow of the animation was really well laid. The speed of when the character’s routines were in play, I would’ve thought there would be some mistakes, but it was pretty smooth. But not all can be sparkles and glitter. There were a few tweaks and bloopers that humans made, which is normal. No problems.

The character design…okay, guys, I love this design. It was great! This is the design. Although, I would’ve liked better designs surrounding a few characters since this anime featured many multicultural characters. I’m not flailing my arms like a madwoman, but I do wish a few of the characters were tweaked.

Sounds:

So…please rise for the opening sequence. Holy cheese on a stick! Can I get anymore hyped about this opening? I was legit dancing. The opening for this anime is fun, exciting, and enough to get you on your feet to dance to. In addition, it doesn’t show boring slideshows, but a splatter of skating dance moves of all three main characters. Beautifully well done!

For voice acting, the Japanese is really well done even though each character is speaking Japanese regardless of their nation. But it would’ve been fun to have each nation to have their own language when spoken to each other. I did have a listen to the English dubbed, and I would like to give some good kudos to the English voice actors for trying to corporate the accents their characters were from. Although spoken all in English, the accents were fine enough to listen too.
Characters:

Ah the characters. Let’s start off with the youngest shall we? Yuri Plisetsky, a 15-year-old Russian who is trying to be older than he really is. He’s supposed to be a main character, and we don’t get much. Oh how I wish we could’ve seen more of him. Honestly, there can be a whole spin-off made from him. There is hardly no backstory on him, no history on why he acts the way he acts (although harsh coaching and parenting when he was younger could be the answer). There is a soft side to the boy, which was nice to see for five minutes, which is seen from his grandfather briefly. He’s extremely lacking…however, he is a main character for a reason. He’s the antagonist obviously…duh! But that’s not just it…he is the youngest person in the show who is competing with guys twice his age. He’s inspirational, harsh for the others competing, and proves that anyone at that age doesn’t matter. Well rounded character overall, but needs to be completed.

Victor Nikiforov…ah…this handsome fellow. Oh how I wish you were real. I need a Victor in my life. One that holds pom poms and cheers for me when I do exams…actually, no that would be distracting…and for all the wrong reasons. He is what puts comedy in this show. He’s a positive outlook on competitive sports and has a spirit that puts motivational speakers to shame. He inspires people to do their best after he knows he might’ve not done so himself. He doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body! And that’s the problem. He’s a bit too perfect. Not only is he a bit too positive, hilarious, and handsome, but he has no backstory, no weakness. How can a guy like this not have a reason to be who he is? I want to know his inspiration. What? Or better yet, who does he look up to? Before he met Yuri! That is the question. In addition, he needs a weakness. There is a sort of secret that he’s keeping. One that will add the drama to the story. Oh, how I will dream of the day!

Yuuri Katsuki, the main man of the story, the story it is based around, the 23-year-old man I was speaking about at the beginning of this review. Our protagonist is a normal Japanese man just trying to figure himself out. He goes back and forth between struggling to find himself, fighting depression, finding love and happiness, and going through a journey that changes his life. He has great character development, one that really fits this story well. He is the coming-to-age character we want to see in the anime. But there he needs to start acting his age and not act so awkward like a 15 year old teenager.
The rest of the characters really match up towards completive spirit. Shout out to the Canadian character! Good to see that! But I would love to see a tougher performance and competition in the anime. It’s no Olympic games, but I do need some action.

Enjoyment:

So I’ve figured out I have this thing for sports anime that makes me watch them at a really fast pace regardless how good they are in terms of content. I watched this show in less than 12 hours…yes, you heard me right folks! 12 hours! This show had some really good moments were I screamed like a fangirl, and moments where I sat staring at the screen wondering if I should wait a few days until the watching the next episode. I found myself captivated in the way these men moved; although anime, felt like I was watching real life skaters. And in occasion of the Pyeongyang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, I felt it was right to watch.
In short, I was inspired. As a retired completive athlete, I enjoyed watching these characters go at it, sharing their “short” story, trying to reach the top of the world. I felt the nostalgia of competing. Although not in the same sport, I know the same anxiety of going out there, being under pressure, and seeing the disappointing look in the coach’s eyes. I get it all.

Which is maybe why I have such a connection to these types of show.

Yuri on Ice is a whirlwind of excitement. It shows the themes of love, support, and inspiration while mentioning that it’s okay to have fun at what you love to do regardless of the outcome. Passion comes first when dancing the night away on thin blades. It’s a slippery road, but as long as the path is clear what the hell, right?

I give this anime a 65% on the skating scale.