Although fans awaited the arrival of Yuri!!! On Ice The Movie: Ice Adolescence, MAPPA and the anime’s production committee recently announced that they have officially canceled the movie. Naturally, fans eagerly awaiting the film for several years were disappointed with the announcement. However, for those who wish to watch series with themes similar to ice skating anime, here are eight anime shows to watch if one likes Yuri!!! On Ice.
Buddy Daddies
The original comedy and action anime television series Buddy Daddies premiered in the Winter of 2024. Helmed by P.A. Works, the star cast included Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Koki Uchiyama, and Hina Kino. From March 2023 to August 2023, the anime series was released on Blu-ray and DVD in six volumes.
Buddy Daddies revolves around the story of two assassins, Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa. Their world mainly involves execution and intel gathering. However, their lives take a turn on Christmas when they encounter a young girl, Miri Unasaka. Miri is looking for her biological father, who is killed, but the two assassins take on the role of househusbands to shelter her. Thus, their sole motive is to take care of Miri and provide her with a normal childhood.
Buddy Daddies is a fun series to watch, just like Yuri!!! On Ice. Although the subject matter is entirely different, what makes Buddy Daddies similar to the ice skating anime is its theme of familial bond, even though much of the bonding happens outside of actual family members.
SK8 the Infinity
This sports anime has similar themes to Yuri!!! On Ice. SK8 the Infinity is another original anime that premiered in the Winter of 2021. Hiroko Utsumi directed the anime television series at Studio Bones, and the twelve episodes are available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
SK8 the Infinity centres around a pair of high school students who become friends through skateboarding. Before meeting Langa, Reki would participate in “S,” an illegal and dangerous underground race. There, he hurts his arm and loses the match.
Eventually, Reki meets Langa, who, contrary to his situation, has no experience in skateboarding. Langa’s need for money leads the two friends to “S,” where Langa is forced to skate. The twist comes when Reki discovers that Langa might help them win the race. However, as is typical of sports anime, both Yuri!!! Ice and SK8 show a good representation of hardworking protagonists and the insecurity and low self-esteem they feel while competing.
Given
It was in the Summer of 2019 that Studio Lerche animated Given. The BL anime television series is based on Natsuki Kizu’s manga of the same name. Apart from the anime television series, the manga has been adapted into an anime film and a live-action television series.
Given explores themes of love and friendship through a guitarist and vocalist named Mafuyu Sato and his fellow guitarist and basketball player, Ritsuka Uenoyama. One day, when Ritsuka fixes Mafuyu’s guitar, the latter asks Ritsuka to teach him music.
After inviting Mafuyu to jam with his band members, Ritsuka discovers the former’s melodic voice. Eventually, Ritsuka hopes to make Mafuyu the lead singer of the band, an offer that Mafuyu hesitatingly accepts. Although Given deals with darker themes of love and heartbreak than Yuri!!! On Ice, what makes the two slightly similar is its portrayal of BL relationships and the ups and downs one may encounter while trying to sustain a relationship.
Free!
Another sports anime like Yuri!!! On Ice, Free! is based on Kōi Ōji’s light novel, High Speed!, and incorporates the themes of the mental state of athletes in a professional competing space, friendship, and enjoying life. As such, viewers who admire quality character development besides competition are in for a treat.
Free!, or Free! Iwatobi Swim Club premiered in the Summer of 2013. Animated by Kyoto Animation and Animation Do, the series sees a group of friends from a high school swim club experience old and new friendships while trying to maintain the swim club’s reputation. The anime features Haruka Nanase and his three friends—Rei Ryugazaki, Nagisa Hazuki, and Makoto Tachibana—along with Rin Matsuoka.
Aside from Rei, during their childhood, the four friends competed in a relay race and ended up winning the tournament. They eventually went their separate ways after Rin moved to Australia, but they were reunited in high school. However, the reunion does not turn out as they hoped, paving the way for a riveting tale of friendship and professional rivalry.
Banana Fish
Banana Fish is based on Akimi Yoshida’s 1985 manga of the same name. The manga’s time of writing explains its setting in the mid-1980s. Utsumi Hiroko directed the 2018 anime television adaptation at Studio MAPPA, incorporating themes of action, crime, and adventure. In that way, the only similarity Yuri!!! On Ice bears with Banana Fish is its production house. However, the reason it is included in this list is because of the strong portrayal of the two leads. Ash and Eiji share an emotionally complex bond that is as deep, if not more, than Viktor and Yuuri’s.
The story of Banana Fish follows a juvenile gang leader, Ash Lynx, and a photography assistant, Eiji Okumura. An infamous mafia picks up Ash and raises him. At 17 years of age, Ash begins investigating a drug called Banana Fish.
Ash’s older brother and Vietnam War (Iraq war in the anime) veteran, Griffin, has only uttered “Banana Fish” since returning from the war, catalyzing Ash’s investigation. Subsequently, Ash meets Eiji at a bar, marking the beginning of an adventurous life for the duo.
Chihayafuru
Yuki Suetsugu’s Chihayafuru manga was later adapted into an anime television series in the Fall of 2011. It received two more seasons, eventually ending in March 2020. Additionally, the manga series was adapted into two live-action films in 2016.
A Madhouse production, this sports and drama anime revolves around Chihaya Ayase, whose childhood dream was to see her sister, Chitose, become a successful model in Japan. While she dedicatedly supports her elder sister’s modeling career, she meets Arata Wataya. The encounter changes her life, as the talented karuta player inspires Chihaya to play karuta and become Japan’s top name in the sport. Struggling to make her dream come true in a society biased against women, Chihaya becomes a role model for those who dare to dream.
A sports anime like Yuri!!! On Ice, the series also delves into the complexity of relationships and making a name for oneself. Although Chihaya and Yuuri’s struggles are different, they are constantly supported by their loved ones who wish to see them succeed in life and their preferred choice of sports.
Tsurune: Kazemai High School Kyudo Club
The 2018 anime Tsurune is based on Kotoko Ayano and Chinatsu Morimoto’s light novel series. Directed by Takiya Yamamura at Kyoto Animation, the anime’s first season ran for 13 episodes. Yet another tale of love for the sport, friendship, and achieving resolution, this anime is a must watch for those who love Yuri!!! On Ice.
Minato Narumiya gets inspired to learn a martial art form, kyudo, after hearing the sound made by the bowstring when an arrow is released. Moreover, the sound, “tsurune,” explains the series’ name.
After Minato eventually quits the sport due to an incident, he is compelled to get back to it once again. Along the way, he meets enigmatic archers and his childhood friends who turn his life around as he picks up kyudo again.
Haikyu!!
Currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix, Haikyu!! is another sports anime like Yuri!!! On Ice that ran across four seasons, from 2014 to 2020. The anime television series is based on Haruichi Furudate’s manga of the same name. Production I.G animated the four seasons and four films, making it one of the most famous sports anime in the present.
Haikyu!! features the Karasuno High School’s volleyball team and its association with Shoyo Hinata. Hinata, who aspires to become the top volleyball player, is short. However, he does not let his short height hinder his love for the sport and shows utmost perseverance to prove that nothing can stop him from making his mark in the field of volleyball.
The anime, like Yuri!!! on Ice, brilliantly explores the themes of sportsmanship. With Karasuno, the teamwork is evident. Meanwhile, Viktor singlehandedly makes up for the lack of team members to support Yuuri. But what makes Yuuri and Hinata’s situation similar is the way the two make friends even among professional rivals and eventually develop a healthy relationship.
