Yuri on Ice, one of the biggest animes of 2016, took the internet by storm and, to this day, has an iron grip on its fans. Unfortunately, many of these fans are still waiting for the elusive prequel film that was promised over five years ago.
What is Yuri on Ice?
Yuri on Ice follows professional ice skater Yuri Katsuki as he struggles with his mental health and career. After suffering multiple losses, Yuri takes a hiatus from ice skating. He returns to his hometown to collect himself and consider his next steps. During this time, he meets his hero, Russian ice skater Viktor Nikiforov. He offers to become his coach and help him get back on the ice. With his help, Yuri finds the strength to believe in himself and get back on the ice.
Blogs filled with theories, art, and writing about the show and its potential avenues as it aired filled the internet in late 2016. By the time the show ended, viewers began following multiple ice skaters and the sport. As a result of the show’s massive success, MAPPA became a well-known animation studio.
What is Ice Adolescence?
Ice Adolescence, in theory, is a prequel film that follows a 17-year-old Viktor. The project was initially announced in 2017. In 2018, it was slated for a 2020 release but was pushed back. In 2020, the show’s official account released a trailer featuring a young Viktor taking to the ice at the Olympics. The latest update regarding the film came in January 2023. Unfortunately, it was the same spiel fans have heard for the past three years.
Why the Wait?
The studio has released multiple projects in the past six years, such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Attack on Titan (Season 4). With each release, the hopes of Ice Adolescence become dimmer and dimmer. At this point, Is it even worth waiting? It is difficult to understand why it’s taking over six years for a film to come out when the studio had no problems releasing Jujutsu Kaisen 0 a year after the show’s release. Well, this was the sentiment until a few months ago.
What Scandal?
In November, the president of MAPPA was interviewed. In it, President Manabu Otsuka talks about catching up to legendary studios like UFOtable by releasing many shows of high quality in a short amount of time. This, paired with his focus on producing many shows and bringing in the most money he could for the studio, did not bode well for him.
In September, many MAPPA employees talked about NDAs they were forced to sign that forbade them from complaining about mistreatment from the studio. It is a well-known fact animators in Japan are not treated well. However, this is another level of mistreatment, and this news caused a lot of backlash online.
Based on all of this, it is safe to assume the president canceled the project to make way for more popular shows that would make him more money to pocket for himself instead of paying his animators a fair wage and providing a humane workplace.
Well, that would be a solid guess if the studio wasn’t releasing an original series titled Bucchigiri?! in January 2024. At this point, making heads or tails on the issue is difficult. Until there is an official statement from the Yuri On Ice team, I’ll keep some semblance of hope, but I won’t lose sleep waiting for it.
Update April 19, 2024: The dream is over.
