Back to bishamon_ten's Profile bishamon_ten's Profile

This is my first review but I felt the need to write one since Yuri!!! on Ice left me with a lot of emotions.
First of all I would like to give everyone the advice to not let yourself be deceived by screaming yaoi fangirls or comments about fanservice.
Do yourself the favor and start this show, take in the art, the soundtrack, the feeling you get while watching. And then decide for yourself.
Personally I think everyone can enjoy this anime, some more than others. I never fell so hard and so fast for a show and it's been forever since I sat nervous in front of ... my laptop every week, waiting for the new episode to be released.

Story 10/10

We start with our protagonist Yūri Katsuki, a renowned japanese figure skater, right after his first Grand Prix Final. Devastated about his loss he returns to Japan, trying to get back his love for figure skating by reenacting the free program of his idol and living legend Viktor Nikiforov. The video goes viral, leading to said legend traveling to Japan and starting to coach Yūri.
I don't want to spoil any more of the story than I already did but let me tell you the last show which surprised me as much as yuri on ice did was Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. The story flows naturally and is so well thought through it surpassed my wildest imaginations. I was left wondering if I just finished the same show which I started 12 weeks ago.

Animation 8/10

I had to deduct two points since on some episodes the animation is a little bit wonky. However to be fair we should consider the fact that figure skating is a sport highly consisting of a lot of fluent motions and trying to animate all programs equally is just not possible for an original anime. Even though some skating is a little bit off, the short and free programs of our protagonist are breathtaking to watch and my eyes were glued to the screen as soon as he set foot on the ice.
The rest of the anime is absolutely gorgeous, the style itself is amazing but do yourself the favor and look up backgrounds in different episodes, they left me breathless.
One of my absolute favorite things on yuri on ice were the costume designs, every single one was unique and fitted the character it was made for so well.

Sound 10/10

I fell in love with the soundtrack as soon as the opening started and every episode only made me fall more and more for it. The soundtrack accompanies the animation perfectly and underlines the emotions in every scene so well.
The songs used in the programs vary a lot, may it be beautifully arranged classical pieces or modern pop music, yuri on ice has it all. I have been listening to the soundtrack for hours and I never grew tired of it.

Characters 10/10

Every character in this show is diverse and unique, I am honestly not over the fact that this show managed to make me fall in love with all of its characters.
If I'm honest here I disliked some of them when they were first introduced however their backstories changed my view of them forever. Yuri on ice grants every character depth and personality and nearly none of them feel like only supporting characters. I could go on forever why I absolutely adore the characters but it would take too long so I'll focus on the main three: Yūri Katsuki, Viktor Nikiforov and Yuri Plisetsky.

Yūri Katsuki functions as the narrator for the main part of the anime and introduces us to his life. His character is honestly so refreshing as he is not a typical sports youth trying to get into nationals or having a hidden talent which is suddenly discovered. He starts out as a professional with a lot of experience and even if he constantly belittles himself we can see how talented he really is. His struggle with anxiety and low self-esteem is sincerely portrayed and never made fun of.

Viktor Nikiforov is mostly seen through Yūris eyes as the ideal skater, 5 time gold medalist, the legend completely out of reach. But as we get further into the story we can see Viktor as a normal human being, as a friend, as a rival, as a lover. I won't really go on about the lover part since I don't want to start a debate, but you have to be blind to not see it. Viktor himself narrates one episode, revealing a lot about his character and his own struggles.

Yuri Plisetsky most definitely had the best character development in this show and I am so glad his character turned out so well. He is 15 and the youngest skater in the bunch. As a teenager he is moody and demanding, arrogant even. However throughout the show and thanks to his encounters with Yūri, a Viktor he never knew and so many wonderful people, he learns about the different forms of love and matures.

And despite the fact that Yūri and Yuri are rivals they respect each other, you can see Yūri sincerely cheering for him and they even become friends.

Enjoyment 10/10

Honestly I want to make it 100/10. I have never been so in love with a show as I am with yuri on ice. When I started I was a little doubtful as I have seen quite a few sports anime and other genres which queerbait a lot. I really adore the director Sayo Yamamoto ever since I watched her original anime Michiko to Hatchin so I was excited as well. I have been crying every week (but I'm a huge crybaby so that does not mean it was sad) and watched every episode more than once. Yuri on ice will forever be one of my absolute favorites. I wish I could experience it all over again.

Overall 10/10

Yuri on ice set the bar really really high and I hope the anime industry will take notice of its success. Everything played so well together, it is definitely my top anime of 2016. Please do yourself the favor of watching it.