To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the popular figure skating-themed anime "Yuri on Ice," all episodes of the anime will be streamed for free on YouTube starting at 8 PM on July 17th. On the first day of streaming, July 17th, all 12 episodes will be premiered over approximately 5 hours. The streaming will continue until noon on August 17th.
Voice actors Toshiyuki Toyonaga(who plays Yuri Katsuki), Junichi Suwabe(who plays Victor Nikiforov), and Koki Uchiyama(who plays Yuri Plisetsky), as well as Dean Fujioka, who performed the opening theme, and Wataru Hatano, who played Georgi Popovich and performed the ending theme, have all provided comments.
Toyonaga said, "Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of ' Yuri on Ice'!!! It's a very memorable work for me, as it's the one that earned me the Best Leading Actor award at the Seiyu Awards. It was a short run of only 12 episodes and one season... but so many passionate feelings were poured into it. This passion reached not only people in Japan but also overseas, and there are still people who continue to support it. Yuri, Victor, Yurio, and the skaters from each country will continue to live on in the hearts of everyone involved in this work, and in the hearts of everyone who continues to support them. I feel truly fortunate to have been able to play the main character in such a work. I hope that you will always be able to look back on those memories. 'My name is Katsuki Yuri. I'm a 23-year-old Japanese figure skater on a special training program, just like any other.' This is Toshiyuki Toyonaga, 42 years old ♪"
Junichi Suwabe commented, "As Junichi Suwabe, who plays the role of Viktor Nikiforov, I think that whether it's been 10 years already or only 10 years, people will have different feelings about it, but for me, strangely enough, it's a work that makes me feel both. It's a story that has been loved by many people not only in Japan but all over the world, and the characters that live in it. I feel that the happiness and gratitude I have for being involved in it grows with each passing year. I wonder what kind of 'future beyond that' they lived in in a timeline that we never get to see? I find myself imagining things like that..."
Uchiyama said, "Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of ' Yuri on Ice.' It brings back so many memories. The voice recording sessions were approached with great passion by all the staff and cast. I was able to witness a part of the birth of this original anime from the stage when no one in the world knew about it, and I feel even more now, 10 years later, that it was a truly invaluable experience to witness the work and characters becoming loved by so many people after the broadcast began. I hope that ' Yuri on Ice' will continue to be loved for a long time to come."
Dean Fujioka said, "Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the broadcast of ' Yuri on Ice.' I am truly happy that this work, which has continued to encourage people who challenge themselves to pursue their dreams and goals, is still loved all over the world. I am so happy to be able to celebrate this 10-year milestone with the cast and staff, and with the fans who have continued to support this work. I am grateful that I was able to become a part of this work through the opening theme 'History Maker.' I feel that gratitude more and more as time goes on. Yes, we were born to make history! I hope that new histories will continue to be written for each of us."
The Blu-ray & CD box set, "Yuri on Ice 10th Anniversary SPECIAL Blu-ray & CD BOX," will be released on December 23rd. It has also been announced that a major exhibition will be held this winter.
"Yuri on Ice" is a TV anime that aired on TV Asahi and other channels from October to December 2016. The story follows the protagonist, Yuri Katsuki, who suffers a crushing defeat at the Grand Prix Final, carrying the hopes of all Japan, and returns to his hometown in Kyushu. There, he enlists the help of the "living legend" Victor Nikiforov as his coach and takes on the Grand Prix Series...
Manga artist Mitsurou Kubo and Sayo Yamamoto, known for works such as "LUPIN the Third -The Woman Called Fujiko Mine-," created the original concept, with Yamamoto serving as series composition and director. Kubo was in charge of the storyboards (script draft) and character designs, while Hiramatsu handled the character designs. MAPPA produced the animation.
Below are comments from the voice actors and the theme song artist.
◇ Yoshimasa Hosoya, who plays the role of Otabek Altin
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of "Yuri on Ice." The line, "Are you going to ride? Or not? Which is it?" somehow stuck with me, but at the same time, I also remember that it was a role with few lines. The character was supposed to "speak eloquently through skating," so there were a lot of monologues. I remember thinking that when you turn sports into anime, there are always a lot of monologues, and that it was nice to see the other actors having fun exchanging lines.
◇ Hiroki Yasumoto, who plays the role of Christophe Giacometti
It's an unforgettable and impactful work, and the characters are so powerful that "impactful" doesn't even begin to describe them. I was so happy to have played them. It's already been 10 years. Even after all that time, it hasn't faded at all; in fact, it remains vividly in my memory. And I'm sure it's not just me, but all of you too, right? Yes. That's wonderful. It's so wonderful and makes me so happy that I'm going to go get soaked in ice and other things with Christoph. Please continue to love it a lot.
◇ Mamoru Miyano as Jean-Jacques Leroy
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of "Yuri on Ice"! I have really fond memories of auditioning for "Victor" and giving it my all with a "Vukusnaa
◇ Kensho Ono, who plays the role of Phichit Chulanont
This is Kensho Ono for Phichit Chulanont! Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the TV anime "Yuri on Ice"! This work increased my interest in figure skating, and I received a lot of courage from it back then. I feel truly honored to have been involved! I hope that they will continue to give wonderful performances in everyone's hearts! Thank you all for your continued support!
◇Wataru Hatano, who played the role of Georgi Popovich and also performed the ending theme.
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the broadcast of "Yuri on Ice"! And thank you! Georgi Popovich is a skater who passionately expresses love, sadness, and anger, and when recording, I tried to portray him by imagining the kind of emotions that well up from within. I would be happy if he remains in the memories of many people. I also had the opportunity to encounter the wonderful song "You Only Live Once" as the ending theme, and I was able to see wonderful sights that can only be seen on the "Yuri on Ice" stage. I am grateful to everyone who gave us warm support. Even after 10 years, I am proud as someone who was involved in the production that so many people still love "Yuri on Ice".
