But with falling headfirst into Anime, the world of Anime discussions have now been opened up. The first Anime I would like to discuss is the first one I fully completed and that is Yuri on Ice. When it was first released last November, Yuri on Ice was huge (and deservedly so). Even someone who had no interest in it (like myself at the time) had heard of Yuri on Ice.
Now I have completed it and like the rest of the fandom, patiently wait for the feature movie to drop, I would like to discuss Yuri on Ice with those who have finished it. This post will contain spoilers, so STOP READING if you don't want to be spoiled. Yuri on Ice is only 12 25 minute episodes, so you can easily binge watch it and come back to this post. I'm sure you don't need anymore encouragement from me to spend an afternoon binge watching some Anime.
Opening Credits
Something I have noticed about all the Anime's I have watched so far is that they take opening credits to a whole other level. I honestly don't know how anyone could skip an opening credit for any Anime as they are so beautiful. But aside from Attack on Titan (discussion post coming soon), Yuri on Ice has some of the best opening credits I've seen.Opinions
As I just changed my username to be a parody of Yuri on Ice (CarenzaOnBooks is a very subtle tip to how amazing this Anime is), I can safely say I love it. It's short, it's sweet and it hooks you in, which makes it perfect for first Anime. I have never been someone who is interested in sports, but watching Yuri on Ice makes me want to learn figure skating. It was also surprisingly educational as I don't think the average person knows much about figure skating and figure skating competitions.
Yuri K is the sweetest character to exist. I adore him. The depiction of someone suffering from anxiety and learning to overcome their fears was one of the best things about this Anime. Yuri K felt so real and like he was someone you could bump into on the street. He also had the perfect reaction when his idol, Victor, became his coach. If you put me in a room with my idol and told me they were going to coach me, I'd flail uncontrollably for about a week.
I also loved Victor. He was exactly the kind of coach Yuri K needed, someone who was going to push him, but understand how challenging it would be for him. In truth, we all want someone like Victor in our lives. Someone understanding, but helps us to achieve our dreams.
Whilst researching for this post, I read some criticism about the relationship between Victor and Yuri K, saying that in episode 7, they hid a kiss. I read about this on Wikipedia so it may not be true, but watching clips on YouTube, it does suggest that there was a kiss an Victor's arm hid it. If that is the case, then it would be a disappointment as apart from that the curators have been great at depicting the same-sex relationship. A part of me wants Yuri K and Victor to be in a romantic relationship, but part of me also is content with them being friends. It will be interesting to see how they deal with it in the feature film.
Each episode ended on a mini cliffhanger and made you want to watch more. I finished Yuri on Ice in around a week. I am unbelievably excited for the feature film and hope it has all the feels that the Anime had. I would like to see how the other characters (i.e Yuri K's family and the other figure skaters) are doing. I will admit that I hope it focuses on Victor and Yuri K, as I don't care for Yuri P that much.
It made me very happy to see members of different ethnic groups as well as sexual orientations and countries. Of the Anime's I've been watching so far, there is a lack of representation and this filled the whole that was missing.
I've already said I adored Yuri on Ice, but I'll say it again. It wasn't just about figure skating, it was about achieving your dreams and great relationships. I hope the feature film does this beautiful story justice.
Carenza x
