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Of course this series is visually gorgeous. I also personally thought the pacing after the first ~3 episodes was good, each bringing Violet into a scenario that challenged her in a new way or showed her a new facet of the ideas she's trying to understand. It's a story seeking to show her development and growth as a person, and I think it does a good job of showing that and making it believable. I didn't see it as overly melodramatic-- for one, we're talking about very heavy emotions, from trauma and PTSD due to war as well as death. It also serves to counter ... Violet's flat affect, and as she begins to show more emotion others actually become less melodramatic. And the visual language of anime has always included dramatic expressions and voice acting, that's nothing new or particularly egregious in this one. Ultimately I think it did a good job of what it set out to do, and I'm glad I watched it.

The presentation and everything about it is honestly stunning. While the environments can be more simplistic that lets the character design, animation, and color choices really stand out and just be honestly jaw-dropping. I just wish the story had been more.

There were some moments when it seemingly wanted to take itself seriously, but then certain story beats came out of nowhere and undermined that. It was fun, but just solid, not really anything special in my opinion. The characters contribute to that because they feel pretty static. My roommate commented (with 20 minutes left in the movie) that they don't really change or develop. ... I like them, but they don't reeeally have well-developed arcs. Lio is the standout, I love him, and Galo comes closest to it so their dynamic really does carry the emotional weight of the story but I know it could've been more. But hey what can I say it gets an 8 for enjoyment from me and now Lio's in my favorite characters...

This anime has its problems, but it's also just incredibly close to my heart, and I will defend it as a sports anime with a deep love of skating and a queer love story. It has pacing, editing, and animation issues, but it constantly surprises you and makes me more emotionally invested than another technically perfect show (also-- it's still good. the routines can be rough, but it has many visually beautiful moments.) It plays with your assumptions-- the straightbaiting and fanservice baiting in the first eps, ep 7, of COURSE the iconic ep 10 that changes everything, ep 12. That makes it ... so fun to rewatch because you do really see everything from a new perspective and it gives you more understanding of Viktor, Yuuri, and Yuri(o)'s characters. And while it's production was constantly down to the wire-- and you can tell they almost bit off more than they could chew with animating-- there are still new details and elements to discover with every rewatch. It only has the time to develop its 3 main characters but they're fantastic.

Ultimately it's a show about struggling to express one's emotions through their chosen art-- here figure skating-- and the support system around them. Sibling love (lol), unrequited romantic love, agape, eros and love for skating itself: it comes back to what they can only express on the ice. But it's also about having that expression appreciated and responded to in competition-- hence Yuri P.'s skate in ep 12, and the internal changes that happen for Viktor when he meets Yuuri. This, plus the technical elements of scoring that it brings in, is why I will defend it as a sports anime.

Also, as a queer person, yeah I embrace this show as gay. I don't generally enjoy BL but this didn't feel like it upon rewatch (again, the show plays with your expectations in the first few eps and then recontextualizes it all by the end in a crazy fun way of storytelling). It's ultimately organic, and a good part of the show's beginning is Yuuri literally discovering his sexuality in Viktor. They are practically the most important people to each other. Their love for skating and the ice becomes part of their love for each other. Beyond the teasing scenes and admittedly ridiculous lines they meet each other where they're at and respond to each others' needs. Viktor supports Yuuri and brings out the best in him, and Yuuri helps Viktor reconnect with the ice and overcome a depressive, uninspired slump. The show doesn't work if they don't love each other, and lmaooo its def not platonic.

It also represents a kinda strange moment in figure skating-- before the rules change after 2018 Olympics, in the midst of quad jumps gaining importance in the men's division, and so much backloading of said jumps haha. Yuri P. almost feels like an Eteri girl in how he pushes himself, those crazy jumps with Rippon and Tano arms. In 2016 those scores were Very anime but in Beijing 2022 Nathan Chen would've broken an in-universe record. Also, as I write this on 4 May 2022, the International Skating Union is apparently considering revoking Russia's Grand Prix Series event, the Rostelecom Cup-- where Yuuri and Yuri P. are assigned. There's a deep love for figure skating itself in the show-- Sayo Yamamoto also incorporated it into the Persona 5 opening cinematic, and other original works featuring figure skaters-- so the show really captures that moment in time and that love shines through even as the details change.

Ultimately this is a show that feels, to me, like it was pushing against time and money constraints to express its love of figure skating (and message that we can achieve incredible things by sharing that burden with those we love) as much as skaters themselves push against the boundaries of physics and anatomy to perform. It's a show that will always be special to me, flaws and all. I def encourage you to watch it!

This is definitely a fun anime (though I disagree with the Yuri!!! on Ice comparisons). I enjoy Reki's shonen energy, how that plays off Langa, and Cherry and Joe's dynamic. But I have very little patience for characters like Adam, and felt like they didn't fully address and resolve everything going on with him by the end, a montage which also had me going "AYO?????" and just brought the story way down for me. The show was seeming like it was setting up a discussion of grooming, or the access that wealthy people have to power and influence, but they don't really follow through which ... left a bad taste in my mouth.

(This was maybe not the anime to expect that from-- it was more about hype and aesthetic and maybe being present in the moment to properly enjoy a sport and the camaraderie that comes with it?-- but Adam is More than I remember Hisoka being and a corrupt Diet member with an investigator on his tail, so like, they're definitely setting it up.)

Also-- since when did /bashing someone's face with your skateboard/ become a technique? Since Adam gave it a name, I guess. but WHAT. Apart from Adam I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics were a lot of fun. I bought into the hype that it was selling. Don't think I'll rewatch, but I'm glad I saw it once.