I’ve been watching anime since the late 90s. There was a long period in between past and present that I lost touch with anime. Long story short, I was married to the wrong man and lost myself in the process. It wasn’t until I met my current (and final) husband that I fell back in love with anime.

Do you have an anime that changed your perspective on what anime could be? Was it the first series you ever watched? Or, like me, was it something in the middle that took your breath away and changed your world of anime?

YURI ON ICE

I write a lot about Yuri on Ice because it is truly the one anime that changed my perspective on what anime could be. Up until this point in my anime adventure, I had not really watched a sports anime, let alone a BL (boy’s love) anime.

I was in a local shop when I saw the merchandise. I kind of laughed and thought, “An ice skating anime?”

However, that thought changed into, “Well, it has merch. It can’t be too bad.”

Then, one day, I saw it on Crunchyroll and thought, “One episode. I’ll give it one episode.”

Then, this happened and I was hooked!

Anxiety. I am sure that there are other anime that deal with the topic of anxiety, but this was the first for me. As a person that suffers with anxiety issues, Yuri was relatable. In so many anime shows, the main character is usually bulletproof, but that wasn’t the case with Yuri. From the get-go, he suffers silently with his insecurities and anxiety despite being Japan’s top skater.

The Theme of Love. Yuri on Ice does something magical with the theme of love. First, you have the love of ice skating. All of the athletes in the show love ice skating with their entire being.

Unconditional love is demonstrated by the love Yuri’s family and friends have for him. They’re wholly supportive of his skating career. Heck, the whole town supports Yuri.

Then, there is Victor searching for inspiration and love. He’s at the top of his game, but it is lonely at the top. Finding Yuri saved his life.

It all leads to the romantic relationship between Victor and Yuri. However, it’s done subtlety and crafted in such a loving way. There are no make-out scenes or over-the-top love confessions. It is beautifully crafted in subtle touches, private subdued moments, and one very hidden public kiss.

Yuri on Ice led me to a whole new genre of anime. Both sports and BL. Since then, I have found many sports and BL anime that I love. Without taking that chance on Yuri, I wouldn’t have broadened my horizons.

What about you? Which anime changed your prospective?