BEST GAY ANIME CHARACTERS PROFESSIONAL
To not only draft these routines - which have been praised by actual professional skaters for their accuracy and attention to detail, some of which even have original compositions - but to animate them as well was a large task and a hefty contribution to its ambition. Throughout the span of 12 episodes, quite literally dozens of ice skating choreographies are showcased. It centers around the life of Yuri Katsuki, a 23-year-old, Japanese professional figure skater at a make-or-break moment in his career and the subsequent results of him accidentally recruiting his longtime idol and Russian national sensation Viktor Nikiforov to be his new coach. As a project, it was extremely ambitious. A prequel film was scheduled to be released in 2019 but has been delayed due to difficulties operating within COVID-19, despite the show’s generally overwhelming popularity and warm reception. It was produced by MAPPA, directed and written by Sayo Yamamoto, scripted by Mitsuro Kubo, and under the chief direction of Jun Shishido.
“Yuri On Ice!!!” is an original animation that premiered on October 6th, 2016. It’s not a piece of queer media about being gay per se, but one that allows queer characters to simply exist in their own complex realities. The show intimately deals with bigger issues, like overcoming insecurities, general self worth, and confidence. Similar to “Given,” a show I talk about in more depth in my previous Gays In Anime piece, “Yuri On Ice!!!” is a show in which the characters have complex, stand-alone arcs separate from their sexual identities. “Yuri On Ice!!!” is probably the most well known modern anime acclaimed for its LGBTQ+ themes and characters.