Anime Fans Can’t Handle ‘Yuri!!! On Ice’s Second Olympic Outing

If you hadn’t heard, the 2018 Winter Olympics are in full swing. The event got underway this [...]

By Megan Peters

If you hadn't heard, the 2018 Winter Olympics are in full swing. The event got underway this month in South Korea, and all eyes are on its figure skating programs. A few days ago, the world freaked out when it learned Team Japan hit the ice with an anime OST on its side.

And, well - they just did it again.

Yes, the 2018 Winter Games just made anime fans very happy as Team Japan hit the ice once more with Yuri!!! On Ice helping it out. The team sent two of its stars into competition for the Pairs' Short Program. The individual event saw Miu Suzaki and Ryuichi Kihara skate to their now-famous anime routine after they showed it off at the pairs' team event this week.

The routine was a smooth one and was the third one out of tonight's figure skating coverage. Suzaki and Kihara landed all their tricks but had some technical points shaved off due to execution errors.

The routine was the same one which the Japanese pair skaters showed off at the Olympics earlier this week. The duo performed to a piano version of "Yuri!!! On Ice," the theme song of a popular anime series about figure skating. This time, NBC commentators were ready to talk about the anime when the repeat routine began after skating icon Johnny Weir gave the experts a crash-course on the fandom this week.

As you can see above, fans are still as emotional over the routine tonight as they were earlier this week. The touching performance was not only beautiful, but it solidified the popularity of Yuri!!! On Ice. The acclaimed anime has only one season to its name, but it was widely praised by fans and critics. So, here's to hoping all this Olympic buzz will push the series towards a second season.

If you are not familiar with Yuri!!! On Ice, then you have plenty of time to get acquainted with the series. The show premiered in October 2016 and tells the story of Yuri Katsuki. The young man is a professional figure skater who suffers from crippling anxiety, and Yuri chooses to break from the sport after a dismal appearance at the Grand Prix Final. However, things begin to change for Yuri when a video of him skating to a routine by Victor Nikiforov goes viral. The latter skater is world-renowned for his beauty and skill - and Victor comes all the way to Japan to coach Yuri. The two grow closer as they come to rediscover their passion for skating, and sparks fly when Yuri realizes his admiration for Victor goes further than he once thought.

Were you excited to see the short program again? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!

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