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Yuri!!! on Ice TV Anime Reveals Story, Key Visual, Character Designs, October Premiere

The official website for the Yuri!!! on Ice television anime series revealed the character designs, story, key visual, and October premiere on Friday.

The series will star:

Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Yūri Katsuki, a 23-year-old figure skater who is faint-hearted and gains weight easily. He's the "figure skater with the world's biggest glass heart." His favorite dish is a 900kcal breaded pork cutlet bowl. His greatest skating assets are his peculiar sense of rhythm and unique step. However, he is weak to pressure and messes up at crucial moments. He's at a crucial point in his career, and he bets everything on one last skating season.

Kōki Uchiyama as Yuri Plisetsky, a 15-year-old next-generation Russian figure skater who has won three consecutive junior world championships. Because of his looks, he is called the "Russian Fairy," but as soon as he steps off the ice he becomes vulgar and acts more like a delinquent. He is an ambitious person who believes without a doubt he will become the best in the world.

Junichi Suwabe as Victor Nikiforov, a 27-year-old "living legend" who has garnered the attention of the world. He is a skater who has won five consecutive world championships. He is popular with men and women of all ages, and he has a rock star-like charisma. Yūri has been chasing after him since he was a child. Victor begins to take an interest in Yūri for a strange reason.

The show's story revolves around Yūri Katsuki, who carried all of Japan's hopes on his shoulders to win at the Gran Prix Finale ice skating competition, but suffered a crushing defeat. He returns home to Kyushu and half feels like he wants to retire, and half feels like he wants to continue ice skating. With those mixed feelings swirling inside him, he confines himself inside his parents house. Suddenly the five-time consecutive world championship ice skater Victor Nikiforov appears before him, and along with him is Yuri Plisetsky, a young Russian figure skater who is already defeating his seniors. Victor and both Yuris take up the challenge on an unprecedented Gran Prix series.

Manga creator Mitsurou Kubo (Moteki, 3.3.7 Byooshi) and director Sayo Yamamoto (Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Michiko & Hatchin) are credited with the original work for the series. Yamamoto is also directing and overseeing the scripts for the series, and Kubo is designing the original characters and drawing the storyboards. Additionally, Tadashi Hiramatsu (Parasyte -the maxim-) is adapting the character designs for animation, Kenji Miyamoto is credited with the figure skating choreography, Taro Umebayashi (aka milk from PIANO) and Taku Matsushiba (PIANO) are composing the music, and Keisuke Tominaga (Kids on the Slope, Terror in Resonance music director) is the music producer. MAPPA will animate the series.

Yamamoto already directed an "Endless Night" short featuring figuring skating for the Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition (Japan Animator Expo) project from Studio Khara and Dwango last August. Atsushi Kamijo designed the characters for the short and Kenji Miyamoto handled choreography. Eiji Abiko served as key animation director.