Why 'Yuri on Ice' Was One Of The Best Animes of the 2016 Fall Season

The Fall 2016 anime season has given us many shows that could easily be called favorites, but none has shone more exuberantly than the highly anticipated sports anime Yuri on Ice. From the series initial announcement, fans were excited and anxious to see how an original sports anime that focused on the sport of competitive figure skating would play out and if it would live up to other series of the sports genre. Following the story of two young skaters in competition and their journey to make it to the top, Yuri On Ice provided much more than a glimpse into the figure skating world. A story of rivalry, acceptance, hard work and love, Yuri on Ice blew professional figure skaters, critics and fans alike out of the water and is quite possibly the best anime series of 2016.

WARNING: SPOILERS!

Poster for Yuri On Ice

The Story

Synopsis:
Reeling from his crushing defeat at the Grand Prix Final, Yuri Katsuki, one Japan's most promising figure skating, returns to his family home to asses his options for the future. At age 23, Yuri's window for success in skating is closing rapidly, and his love of pork cutlets and aptitude for gaining weight are not helping either. However, Yuri finds himself in the spotlight when a video of him performing a routine previously executed by five-time world champion, Victor Nikiforov, suddenly goes viral. In fact, Victor himself abruptly appears at Yuri's house and offers to be his mentor. As one of his biggest fans, Yuri eagerly accepts, kicking off his journey to make it back onto the world stage. But the competition is fierce, as the rising start from Russia, Yuri Plisetsky, is relentlessly determined to defeat Yuri and win back Victor's tutelage. (MyAnimeList)

Interestingly, Yuri on Ice is considered to be an anime of the Sports/Comedy genre. It was not until later episodes that elements of romance were introduced into the series, adding another set of obstacles for the series leads to face and eventually overcome. The series initial set of episodes focused on Yuri's skating transformation under Victor's coaching and how Yuri found and felt that he could do anything with Victor's help and support. As the series progressed towards the second half of the season the relationship between the two began to morph into a more personal one, adding a romance aspect to the series already strong student vs coach relationship. It was at this moment that Yuri on Ice almost perfectly blended the genres of sports and romance in ways that left anime audiences stunned, anxious and hungry for more. With the growing relationship between Yuri and Victor now introduced, the series balanced the initial draw of Yuri Katsuki's figure skating career along with his love and admiration for Victor. Both on the ice and in their personal lives, Yuri and Victor remained true to themselves while also pushing one another to be better, allowing Yuri On Ice to stay true to its original sports/comedy label while also turning romantic along the way.

The development of the series story line was near perfection and was captivating through the series twelve episode length. With only twenty-three minutes per episode, Yuri On Ice was able to propel the story at such a pace that both advanced the main leads goals and objectives while not neglecting the series remaining cast or the true nature of the show - figure skating.  

The Cast

(Left to Right: Yuri Plisetski, Victor Nikeforov and Yuri Katsuki)

The cast of Yuri on Ice is one of the most well constructed and lovable casts of any Sports anime I have seen to date. The first and obvious attractions came from the series three male leads: Yuri Katsuki, Victor Nikiforov and Yuri Plisetsky, who each brought an immense amount of originality, personality and joy to the series.

Yuri Katsuki
Age: 23

From his first appearance, Yuri Katsuki is an incredibly reserved and introverted person, reeling from his numerous loses in figure skating competition. That quickly changes however as Victor travels to Japan and exclaims that he will now become Yuri's coach, instilling slight confidence in Yuri to fight his failures. With the help and support of Yuri's idol and now coach, Yuri is ready to take on the competitive figure skating stage with a new air of confidence and responsibility to perform well, as his performances reflect back on Victor. As the series continues Yuri blossoms into an individual who is driven and fully dedicated to his figure skating career, while also becoming more aware of his own feelings towards the sport of figure skating and those towards Victor. Yuri's transformation both from a naive, scared figure skater to a confident undeterred competitor is beautiful, as is his transformation to a young man who has learned the true meaning of love.

Victor Nikeforov
Age: 27

Perhaps more important than Yuri Katsuki and the driving force of the entire series is Russian skater and five time gold medal world champion Victor Nikiforov. Victor's initial introduction is one of extreme beauty and poise as he skates his routine in the Grand Prix Final, inspiring Yuri to copy his routine and eventually bring Victor to Japan. Victor's personality and admiration for Yuri is consistent throughout the series, with only small differences becoming evident as more regarding the duos initial meeting is revealed. Victor on the outside is an unstoppable figure skating legend, but on the inside he is a goofy, honest person who sees Katsuki's talent and becomes determined to foster it due to a few specific chance encounters. Victor throughout the series continuously hints that he has feelings towards Yuri past that of just being his coach, though it takes Yuri quite some time to catch onto this. Even when Victor's reasons for truly taking a season off to coach Yuri are revealed, Victor stays loyal to the job and role he has agreed to play and is true to the figure skater that Yuri has become under his wing. 

Yuri Plisetski
Age: 15

Last but certainly not least is Yuri Plisetsky, Yuri Katsuki's rival in the figure skating world and a former competitor of Victor's. At only fifteen years of age, Plisetsky is set to make his senior debut and compete in the next Grand Prix Final where he vows to crush Yuri Katsuki. While Plisetski's character is more cut and dry than the others, he is portrayed as a tough, hard working skater who will stop at nothing to defeat Katsuki and prove to Victor that he is just as good, if not better than Yuri and even Victor himself. Plisetski's character development is small, but in the flashbacks seen throughout the series we are given insight as to why his attitude is so harsh and why he is so driven so fiercely.

With such strong male leads, Yuri On Ice could have easily thrown the remaining cast aside, but thankfully this was not the case. The series supporting cast is not one of particularly large number but their individualization and relatability to the series subject matter and three male leads made them just as important. This supporting cast stood out from other sports supporting casts, such as that of Free, due to their incredibly detailed and fleshed out characterizations and personalities both showcased on and off the ice. Additionally, all of the figure skaters used in Yuri On Ice are based on real figure skaters who remain active in figure skating, have taken note of their striking resemblances to characters within the series and have praised and endorsed the series for its beauty and portrayal of such a physically demanding sport. 

There are many supporting characters of note, but the group of international figure skating competitors seen throughout the series are the main secondary focus. Covering a range of countries and ages, the figure skaters competing against Katsuki and Plisetski are vastly talented and strong forces that stand between them and a spot on the podium. 

Phichit Chulanont - Country: Thailand

Age: 20

Of all the skaters seen throughout the series, Phichit is most prominent and plays a crucial role in the development of Yuri Katsuki. Yuri's old rink mate from training in Detroit, Phichit is Yuri's greatest friend and supporter and he can always be seen supporting his fellow competitors when not on the ice himself. Additionally, Phichit is the most cute, sincere and kind skater of the group and loves to spend time with his friends while taking as many selfies as he possibly can. 

Christophe Giacometti - Country: Switzerland

Age: 25

One of Victor's biggest fans, Christophe spends much of the series expressing his desire to once again skate against Victor and prove that he himself is worthy of gold. After losing the gold to Victor in the previous Grand Prix Final, Christophe feels he must prove himself to the audience as well as Victor by delving into every performance he gives. Christophe is known for starting his routines slow and gradually building up to showstopping routines usually revolving or involving sexual arousal. Christophe considers Yuri Katsuki to be the one who took Victor away from the skating stage, therefore he must beat him in order to bring his longtime rival Victor back to the ice for another face off.

Jean-Jacques Leroy - Country: Canada

Age: 19

Jean-Jacques Leroy, Canada's most beloved skater with thousands of devoted fans, dances to his own tune. Known to his fans as 'King JJ', JJ thrives on elevating himself on a level and pedestal that is unattainable by anyone other than himself, an attitude that later comes back to hurt him. While his ego is big so is his heart and JJ is determined and driven to the core to obtain the gold, marry his fiancee and take his place among his family of skaters, which include his Olympic champion figure skating parents.

Otabek Altin - Country: Kahzakstan

Age: 18

A skater not as prominently featured in the series, Otabek is a quiet, dark horse that is not to be overlooked. A fierce competitor, Otabek is well loved within his own country though he at times comes off as cold and shy. His claim to fame came in the last Grand Prix Final where he won Bronze alongside Christophe winning silver and Victor taking the gold. Of all the skaters in the group, Otabek is most drawn to Yuri Plisetski, and tells him that ever since they participated in a camp together over the summer he has always striven to be like him though he is three years his senior.

Kenjirō Minami - Country: Japan

Age: 17

A small firecracker also from Japan, Minami is one of Yuri Katsuki's biggest fans and considers him his role model. He aspires to one day be like him and Yuri often compares Minami's skating to that of his former days before Victor became his coach. Never the less, Minami vows to prove himself to Yuri and the skating world while continuing to be humble and grow as one of Japan's number one stars among its young skaters.

Emil Nekola - Country: Czech Republic

Age: 18

Emil is a lovable skater from the Czech Republic who has a dynamic skating style that is all his own. He is incredibly pure hearted and innocent, which allows others to easily pressure, tease and get inside his head.

Leo de la Iglesia - Country: United States

Age: 19

Leo is driven to skate due to one thing: music. Music is his all, and without it he doesn't know if he would have continued in his skating career and journey. He revels in his performances with music that particularly speaks to him and often choreographs his own routines, providing fresh takes and modern strides into the figure skating future.

Seung Gil Lee - Country: Korea

Age: 20 

It's all about calculation. An emotionless person and skater, Seung focuses all of his attention purely on how to improve his skills and fix his mistakes. He takes no interest in the music for his programs or his many fans who support him. 

Michele Crispino (AKA "Mickey" - Country: Italy

Age: 22

Part of a well known brother-sister skating pair, Mickey is well known for his pair skating with his sister Sara in their home country of Italy. When in competition he relies on the presence and support of his sister in order to generate a successful performance, and in everyday life he is overly protective of her from other men. He is good friends with fellow skater Emil and has an incredibly serious and up-tight personality.

Guang-Hong Ji - Country: China

Age: 17

Hailing from China, Guang-Hong is one its youngest aspiring skaters. Good friends with both Phichit and Leo, Guang-Hong is incredibly sweet and impressible and dreams of becoming a Hollywood star in addition to a well known figure skater. 

Georgi Popovich - Country: Russia

Age: 25 

The same age as Christophe from Switzerland and fellow rink mate to Yuri Plisetski, Georgi also hails from Russia and trains under Yuri and Victor's former coach, Yakov. With Victor out of his way Georgi is sure that he is Russia's best skater and he thrives on his artistic ability within his routines. 

The series entire cast is easily one of the most attractive and relatable casts I have seen in anime. With characters who all are distinctly individual, who have specific goals and desires and who you just cannot hate, the cast of Yuri on Ice is truly unforgettable and as the series opening song suggests, is born to make history.

The Music

Equally if not more important to figure skating is the music selected to accompany a skaters routine. How the music reflects a skaters theme and emotionally connects with them specifically parallels to the audiences connection with their performances and can be one of the many make or break elements to a successful performance and high score. As with many other aspects of Yuri on Ice, the music was superb and almost perfectly accompanied each skaters personality, skating goals and themes chosen for competition. While the entire Original Soundtrack is amazing, a few tracks specifically stood out as music that both could be used in real ice skating competition and music that is a beautiful, lingering taste of the entire soundtrack:

1. Yuri on Ice (Yuri Katsuki's Free Skate Program Music/Yuri Katsuki Theme)
2. Stay Close to Me (Aria from Victor Nikiforov's Grand Prix Final skate)
3. Serenade for Two (Michele Crispino's Free Skate Program music for the Rostelecom Cup)
4. Prism (Instrumental - Skaters walking to rink for Champoinchip title)
5. Reunion (Instrumental - Airport scene music from EP 9)

And, of course:

Yuri on Ice Opening: Born to Make History - Performed by: Dean Fujioka
&

Yuri on Ice Ending - You Only Live Once - Performed by: YURI!!! On Ice feat w.hatano

The amount of music used throughout the series is honestly astonishing and for all of it to be of good quality and substance is really quite a triumph and tribute to the series. From music used in each skaters program, to the series main theme to music used in smaller but incredibly significant scenes, Yuri on Ice provides an incredibly stirring, moving and emotional soundtrack that is at least worth a listen if not an immediate buy.

Animation & Art Style

I initially began watching Yuri on Ice was because I had seen the series promotional poster and videos and from an animation standpoint it looked absolutely beautiful. Like many other fans, I had never seen a figure skating series and was curious to see how such a series would be animated and presented. Figure skating is quite tricky to animate, but with the use of special cameras and new live action technology the series animators were able to capture the routines first performed by professional skaters, which were then transformed into animated beauty. I was thrilled to see that the series animation was not only incredibly well done but also greatly tailored to highlight the sports physical difficulty but also the costumes worn in competition. Figure skating costumes are renowned for being over the top and even gaudy, and while the costumes used within Yuri On Ice fit into this stereotype they were just so lovely to look at, both in motion and standstill, that that didn't matter. You will simply be drawn in with animation and an art style that is gorgeous and is truly dedicated to showcasing the sport of ice skating.

Messages

So what is the message of an ice skating, sports anime? Since its sports, shouldn't the series be all about fan service like Free? For Yuri on Ice many messages were left with viewers, with three major statements coming to light by the end of the series first season. 

The first message seen within the series was the fact that you can do anything. Once you set your mind to something anything is possible and any dream is attainable. The second message is somewhat similar to the first, being that you should always do the thing you love regardless of what others say about it or your abilities. In the case of Yuri Katsuki, many saw his skating talent though he did not place in his first attempt at the Grand Prix Final. Additionally. Yuri himself considers giving up at various times, which slowly fades away as Victor comes to his aid. With Victor's help and by overcoming personal obstacles, Yuri is able to focus more on the sport he loves and why he loves it, rather than getting caught up in what other people think of him and their opinions on his choice of career. The final message, perhaps the greatest the series could have given us, was that love can happen to anyone and when all is said and done, love wins. The relationship between Yuri and Victor was beautiful before their relationship turned serious, and even when this occurred halfway through the series Yuri and Victor were the same lovable people they had always been. To make things even better, all those in Yuri On Ice including Yuri Plisetsky supported their relationship, as have all Sports and Yaoi fans. The series message of universal love was quite refreshing for a sports anime and was a wonderful reminder that all love is beautiful, no matter who it happens between.  

"China's On! The Grand Prix Series Opening Event!! The Cup of China Free Skate"
(Episode 7)

"Yuri vs Yuri! The Horror!! Rostelecom Cup, Short Program"
(Episode 9)

"Gotta Supercharge it! Pre-Grand Prix Final Special!"
Episode 10

"Gotta Supercharge it! Pre-Grand Prix Final Special!"
Episode 10

Voice Acting: Japanese and English Dub Performances

As Yuri On Ice has been Simulcast this season, its initial and only available form was Japanese with English subtitles. Halfway through the series however, Funimation Entertainment acquired the rights to the show and began broadcasting it as part of this season Broadcast dubs, with one new episode dubbed in English available once a week. There are those who strictly only watch sub and likewise those who only watch dub, and then there are a select group who watch both, with myself belonging to the last group. I tend to watch anime in its original Japanese first and then watch it again in English in order to see it in its original form before it is edited to fit English. While the sub vs. dub war still runs rampant among fans both sets of performances for Yuri On Ice are incredibly well cast and performed, providing two very different but equally enjoyable versions and languages to enjoy the series.

Why You Should Watch Yuri on Ice

Yuri On Ice is a heart-stopping, tear jerking, thrilling ride from start to finish. It is a true tribute to figure skating and a milestone in the world of anime filled with numerous characters to love, a story that challenges preconceived notions of competitive figure skating, music that is truly moving to experience, voice acting performances that are top notch, animation that is simply stunning and a romance that is sure to leave you wanting more.  

Extra

Yuri On Ice may not be all sunshine and rainbows according to critics. Over the course of the series many have taken particular interest in the mental state of Yuri Katsuki, drawing parallels between him and anxiety and other metal disorders that he may suffer from. This adds yet another unforeseen element to the series and paints Katsuki in a much different light, which in comparison to the series story line and Yuri's personality makes a great deal of sense. While the theory that Yuri suffers from anxiety or other mental disorders has not been confirmed, many critics have pulled the series apart to uncover the meaning underneath the series and are beginning to see it as a series that deals with far more than competitive sports among young men.

How anxiety and mental health shape the story of 'Yuri On Ice'
http://www.dailydot.com/parsec/yuri-on-ice-anxiety-mental-health/

'Moments Life This' - Yuri X Victor (AMV)

Yuri On Ice - Official English HD Trailer

Yuri!!! On Ice - Fall 2016 SimuDub English Trailer

Funimation Entertainment

Available to stream in Japanese with English subtitles at: 

http://www.crunchyroll.com/ (additional fees may be required)

Available to stream in English Dubbed form at:

http://www.funimation.com/home (additional fees may be required)

Original Soundtrack available on iTunes and Spotify

More information about Yuri On Ice can be found at:
https://myanimelist.net/anime/32995/Yuri_on_Ice

DISCLAIMER: 

None of the Videos or Art used are mine - all rights respectively go to their creators and producers