When the finale of Yuri!!! On Ice dropped on December 21, 2016, demand for watching and discussing the episode was so high that Crunchyroll and Tumblr crashed. This moment capped a 12-week period of escalating excitement, beginning with the anime’s October premiere. In a landscape prior to the boom of Thai BL dramas or the release of English-language romances like Heartstopper and Heated Rivalry, Yuri!!! On Ice broke through by depicting a world where queer characters experienced joy, intimacy, and a happy ending.
The series centers on Yuri Katsuki, a 23-year-old competitive ice skater battling anxiety and depression. After a devastating season, Yuri returns home to coastal Japan, contemplating quitting the sport. His idol, Russian skater Victor Nikiforov, unexpectedly arrives at Yuri’s family onsen and offers to coach him. Over the 12-episode season, Yuri gains confidence in himself as both a skater and an individual, developing romantic feelings for Victor.
Many initial viewers were drawn to the figure skating theme, a unique subject for sports anime or live-action dramas. "I love figure skating, so when I saw the news that a new sports anime about figure skating was coming, I was excited," one fan shared. "When the first episode aired, I was glued to my monitor. The episode was magical, and so much better than I had even dreamed. It was love at first sight." Others were captivated by the character designs, animation style, and music featured in promotional videos, while some were already fans of co-creator Sayo Yamamoto.
Crucially, the series resonated with those seeking more queer representation. In 2016, queerbaiting was more common than explicit queer relationships in popular culture. While anime had featured queer characters and relationships before, such as in Revolutionary Girl Utena or No. 6, a canon queer relationship in a mainstream sports anime was uncommon. For many, YOI was fundamental to television history, with one fan noting that "modern LGBT storytelling owes a lot to YOI," adding that contemporary media is "less ashamed of showing a more gentle side of male characters." The character of Yuri helped this fan feel seen and understood his own identity and what love could be.
A Changing Anime Landscape
For many in the U.S., anime had not historically been perceived as a queer space. Early broadcasts of series like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura were often censored to minimize or remove queer storylines. In 2016, anime was only beginning to gain mainstream traction in the U.S., where animation was generally viewed as a medium solely for children. Anime, in particular, was often associated with shonen series that were prioritized for import in the 1990s and 2000s. While platforms like Crunchyroll, which transitioned from a fan-translation site to a legal licensing service, were beginning to shift this perception, watching foreign-language media was still relatively uncommon.
However, the growth of streaming services and social media-driven fan culture facilitated easier access to and discussion of international media. Crunchyroll saw a significant surge in paid subscribers around this time. Yuri!!! On Ice contributed to this expansion, becoming the most-tweeted-about anime of the fall 2016 season by a substantial margin. For many Western viewers, especially girls, women, and queer individuals, it redefined perceptions of what anime could be and who it was for.
On platforms like Tumblr, YOI was ubiquitous. The apparent kiss between Yuri and Victor in Episode 7 became a rallying point for fans, signaling the presence of queer, comforting media and convincing many to watch the series.
A Sports Anime First and Foremost
While YOI is often recommended within queer media circles, its success is rooted in more than just its representation. As a sports anime, the series meticulously depicts the inner lives of elite male figure skaters. It frequently employs varied animation styles to provide insight into a performer's mindset during routines. The series showcases skaters from diverse international backgrounds—Thailand, Canada, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, the U.S., Japan, and Russia—all striving for artistic expression through demanding physical and mental resilience.
"It was cool to have an anime with a diverse cast and a soundtrack to match," shared one fan who rewatches the series annually. "It’s a story of love and hope and friendship and community, and it has and continues to get me through dark times in my life. It was unapologetically queer when I was first coming to terms with my own identity, and when I first saw it, I thought: if even a mainstream anime like this can be queer, surely it’s okay that I am too."
The series enlisted Japanese figure skater Kenji Miyamoto to choreograph its routines, lending the anime a high degree of sport-specific authenticity. Miyamoto’s recorded performances were used for reference and incorporated into the sound design, capturing the authentic sounds of skating. This dedication to its subject matter earned recognition from real-life skaters, and the opening theme, "History Maker," was played during the opening ceremony of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Nagoya. Additionally, Japanese pair skaters performed to "Yuri On Ice" at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The Legacy of YOI
A decade on, the world has seen significant political shifts, making the existence of YOI even more vital, according to fans. "There's been a global rise of fascism and far right thinking around the globe that's a direct response to the kind of social progress that YOI represents," one fan observed. "This extends to all arenas. On the flip side, progress pushes forward regardless, and shows like Heated Rivalry prove the concept that YOI laid out: queer sports representation is fundamental."
Despite its immense success and lasting impact, YOI has yet to receive a second season. A prequel film, Yuri!!! On Ice the Movie: Ice Adolescence, was announced in 2017, but the project was officially canceled in 2024 due to various circumstances, with producers citing creative differences. Nevertheless, fan hope persists. The recent announcement of a strategic partnership between Netflix and animation studio MAPPA for global anime projects has fueled speculation, especially given MAPPA's subsequent work on popular titles like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man.
"If this show were to come back, the fandom would revive and its comeback would break the internet," said one fan who has seen new generations discover the series. "I feel that edits are very popular as of right now. I've seen SOOO many edits with 600,000+ likes and every comment is people who have waited for years, still hoping we see them again."
In the interim, fans continue to celebrate the groundbreaking sports anime through rewatches, pilgrimages to Japan, sharing the series with friends, and creating transformative fanworks. "It is one of the pieces of media that I always keep coming back to, no matter how many times I take a break in other fandoms," shared another fan. "It’s been with me through a lot of stages of my life: heading off abroad to uni, getting stuck with my family during Covid, and still now a full decade after I first learned it existed. I know I’ll be rewatching it a decade from now, too."