Yuri!!! on ICE

Yuri!!! on ICE is a figure skating anime made by the studio MAPPA. It first aired in Japan from October to December 2016 and has 12 episodes. Sayo Yamamoto directed the show, and the manga artist Mitsuro Kubo wrote the original story with her. A former competitive skater named Kenji Miyamoto created the skating routines. He even helped record the sound of real blades on the ice, so every jump and spin feels true to the sport.

The hero is Yuri Katsuki. He is 23 years old, and he is the best male skater in Japan. But he is also very nervous, and his nerves often hurt him in big events. After a terrible season, he goes back to his small hometown, Hasetsu, on the island of Kyushu. The town is based on the real city of Karatsu in Saga. His family runs a hot spring inn there. Yuri does not know if he wants to keep skating at all.

Then something surprising happens. Yuri copies a famous program by his hero, the Russian champion Victor Nikiforov. Someone films it, and the video spreads online. Soon Victor himself shows up in Hasetsu. He says he will take a break from competing and become Yuri's coach. At the same time, a 15-year-old Russian star, also named Yuri, gets angry. Yuri Plisetsky is talented, proud, and quick to shout. He believes Victor promised to coach him first. Fans often call the two skaters by nicknames so they don't get confused.

From there, the story follows a full season of competition. The skaters travel from small local events in Japan to big international meets, including a final in Barcelona. Each episode mixes intense skating with funny everyday moments. Victor is playful and hard to read. Yuri Katsuki slowly learns to trust himself, and the young Russian Yuri pushes hard to prove he is the best. Many other skaters from around the world appear too, each with their own style and story.

The heart of the show is the growing bond between Yuri Katsuki and Victor. What starts as a coach and a student becomes a deep and loving relationship. The series treats it with warmth and care. It is also a coming-of-age story for an adult. It shows that you can find new strength, and even love, after you think your best days are over.

Yuri!!! on ICE was a huge hit. It won seven awards at the first Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including Anime of the Year. It also won honors at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival. Its home video releases topped the Oricon sales charts in Japan, and it was one of the best-selling anime there in 2017. Real professional figure skaters praised the show and talked about it in public. For many viewers, it was their first close look at the beauty and pressure of figure skating.