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!
