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Yuri on Ice!!! features one of the most tender male-male relationships ever seen in anime. And fans are going nuts over it.



Yes, it’s the first male ice skating sports anime. Characters’ animated movements are sharp and its skating choreography has been praised by real skaters. But if you ask fans why they’re so enamored of Yuri!!! On Ice, its sports element might not be its strongest pull.



Yuri on Ice!!! follows Yuri Katsuki, a 23-year-old disgraced Japanese figure skater after an embarrassing defeat at a Grand Prix event. Katsuki is depressed, overweight and on a skating hiatus when a video of him mimicking legendary Russian skater Victor Nikiforov’s routine falls into Nikiforov’s hands. Ineffably, the legend decides to drop everything and train Katsuki in Japan. Nikiforov’s charisma is a buffer for Katsuki’s awkwardness and truly unrestrained love of pork cutlet (which, at one point, inspires a skating routine):

Figure skating anime Yuri on Ice is a refreshing beam of winter sunlight at the end of a difficult year. In the space of nine episodes it's already earned a cult following, blending an underdog athlete comeback story with an adorable romance between the two male leads.



Yuri on Ice is a rare meeting point between two disparate audiences: anime fandom and professional athletes. World-class skaters love its accurate yet affectionate depiction of the sport, and everyone loves the addictive emotional rollercoaster of its romcom storyline.



Figure skating anime Yuri on Ice is a refreshing beam of winter sunlight at the end of a difficult year. In the space of nine episodes it's already earned a cult following, blending an underdog athlete comeback story with an adorable romance between the two male leads.



Yuri on Ice is a rare meeting point between two disparate audiences: anime fandom and professional athletes. World-class skaters love its accurate yet affectionate depiction of the sport, and everyone loves the addictive emotional rollercoaster of its romcom storyline.



Out-of-shape and doubting himself after a public loss, Yuri tries to cheer himself up by copying Victor's latest gold medal-winning program at his home practice rink. After someone films Yuri and posts the video online, Victor—a megastar nearing retirement, with no new worlds to conquer—drops everything and flies to Japan to become Yuri's new coach, sensing that he has hidden depths as a skater. It's a turning point for both characters, as Victor helps Yuri gain more artistic confidence, and Yuri shows Victor a new way to fall in love with figure skating.