It reminds me of my favorite gay romances. Although, to its credit, Yuri!!! On Ice shows lots of physical affection between Viktor and Yuri in the form of hugs, touches, and dreamy looks.
Probably the most ground-breaking element of the series is that, unlike typical yaoi, the most sexual contact we see between the men is a single kiss. The relationship grows and changes throughout the series, and most notably, both characters grow and change because of their relationship (my favorite romance trope!). Friends, more-than-friends, coach/skater, even potential rivals on the ice. Unlike yaoi, the relationship between the two MCs is multi-dimensional. Yuri!!! On Ice is a totally different riff on love between men. Sure, there are exceptions, but they’re few and far between. Not that I mind explicit sex-I write it in my romances-but there’s very little relationship to go with it. It’s often highly exploitive and relies upon tropes I personally find distasteful, including the ever-popular non-con/falling for your rapist trope, as well as the gay character who seduces the so-called “straight, I’m straight, dammit!” character. “Yaoi,” or Japanese gay anime, has traditionally been aimed at women. So why am I so excited about this series? Because it addresses a relationship between two men with such grace and beauty and because it’s a runaway hit around the world with both women and men. AND the sexual aspect of it is almost entirely off-screen. More to the point, the relationship between the two protags is beautiful.
Boy, did I call this anime wrong! Sure, the skating is front and center, but the animation is stunning and accurate, as is the portrayal of the world of professional skating. Much as I’m an anime addict (Japanese might call me an “Otaku” – the equivalent of a serious geek), I’m not wild about sports anime (I’m not a huge sports fan), let alone anime series with lots of pretty boys (“fan service”) and unsatisfying almost-romances/ bromances between men meant to titillate and without any real depth. When my buddy, Lex Valentine, told me to watch Yuri!!! On Ice, I hesitated.
Enter Viktor Nikiforov, five-time world champion skater and Yuri’s idol of many years, who arrives in Yuri’s backwater hometown in Japan and offers to coach Yuri to a gold medal in the next Grand Prix.
He’s insecure in himself and his skating in part, we come to understand, because he’s unsure of his sexuality. The series gives me great hope and excitement for the gay romance genre and for the greater LGBT community.įor the uninitiated, Yuri!!! On Ice is the story of Yuri Katsuki, a Japanese professional figure skater who is thinking of retiring after failing miserably in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating finals. The animated figure skating series took the anime world-and the rest of the world-by storm.
Even if you have no idea what Yuri!!! On Ice is, you've probably seen the artwork (I have it featured on my own FB page, by the way!). Recently, Facebook and Twitter have been filled with references to Yuri!!! On Ice.