This is a great series to watch this holiday season, and it’s available in its entirety on Crunchyroll!

With hundreds of them in Crunchyroll’s catalog, sports and romance anime are a must-have every season. Amid this plethora of series, it can be hard to find your rare pearl. But if you’re a fan of these two themes, we’ve found the perfect anime to binge on during the end-of-the-year holidays.

Released in 2016, Yuri!!! At ICE, you will be given skates and taken to the center of the skating competition, where snowflakes, competitions and love stories are mixed together.

what are you talking about

Yuri Katsuki carried all of Japan’s hopes of winning the figure skating Grand Prix, but he suffered a crushing defeat there. He returned to his hometown and then considered retirement, despite his persistent desire to skate. One day, five-time world champion Viktor Nikiforov, accompanied by a young Russian Yuri Plisetsky, comes to find him to renew the competition…

Sports anime the way we like it

This original piece was primarily talked about because of its subtle sporty dimension. Yuri!!! We ICE is actually one of the first anime to focus on figure skating and more specifically on men.

Rest assured, you don’t need to know anything about the industry to appreciate the journey of Yuri and his colleagues as skating professionals. And with animation sublimated by the experience of MAPPA studios, even the most novice viewers can be fascinated just by the proposed choreographies.

A perfect mix of sport and slice of life, the series balances training sessions, competition and quiet moments, all filled with a good dose of humor and emotion. You will also have a hard time choosing your favorite of the championship, as each character brings their share of joy, sweetness and tears.

With only twelve episodes, the anime will keep you guessing with its unique tournament atmosphere, accompanied by subtle messages about mental health, the pressures of a sports environment, and self-confidence.

A wonderful novel on ice

What would a Christmas recommendation be without a little love? Because yes, Yuri!!! ICE is not just about sports! In addition to following the professional and psychological evolution of his young hero, you will also witness the birth of romance between him and his mentor.

What, at first glance, is only sincere admiration for a colleague, gradually turns into romantic feelings. It’s enough to further upset our hero, who wants to concentrate on his career and not disturb his partner.

The series gave us a great lesson in tolerance without using this relationship between the two men. A positive representation that stands in a world devoid of hostility and clichés, widely praised by the queer community internationally.

And with its mesmerizing landscapes ranging from summer Japan to snowy Russia, Yuri!!! on ICE may become your new favorite anime that you binge watch every year during the holidays.

All 12 episodes of Yuri!!! on ICE is available in VOSTFR on Crunchyroll.