Yurii!!! on Ice was a marvelous anime that dared to change the norm of sports anime since it included one of the anime community's most famous LGBTQIA+ relationships. Because of this inclusion of a same-sex relationship, fans of the title were extremely excited to see more of the anime, which included OVAs and, most importantly, a film.
Sadly, fans' excitement has come to a bitter end.
YURI!!! on ICE the movie: ICE ADOLESCENCE is no longer happening
Yuri!!! on Ice's promised film, ICE ADOLESCENCE, was officially canceled by animation studio MAPPA this past weekend, leaving many to wonder what exactly happened behind the scenes to lead to this film being canceled seven years later. What's more, fans are dying to know whether this means the anime will return in the future or disappear to never be seen again.
To begin with, the YURI!!! on ICE the movie: ICE ADOLESCENCE was initially announced back in April 2017 after the anime rose in global popularity. This good news marked the start of a potentially successful Yuri!!! on Ice universe since there were endless possibilities with where the anime's story could go.
In the film's instance, we were going to explore Victor Nikiforov's (the protagonist's fiancé) journey to becoming one of the most prolific ice skaters in the world. This film would've provided tons of context to Victor's backstory, so it would have definitely been a smash hit amongst fans.
Even so, this wasn't enough of a reason to keep production going for more than seven years.
「ユーリ!!! on ICE 劇場版 : ICE ADOLESCENCE」
— TVアニメ「ユーリ!!! on ICE」 (@yurionice_PR) April 19, 2024
製作中止のお知らせ
“YURI!!! on ICE the movie : ICE ADOLESCENCE” Cancellation Notice#yurionice pic.twitter.com/3ykLBgsvoB
As reported by both the official Twitter announcement and Crunchyroll, the anime film was intended to be released, but somewhere along the way, production just couldn't keep up.
"We deeply apologize for not being able to meet the expectations of all those who have continued to support us through these years. The production committee and staff have been in constant discussions to create and deliver the movie, but due to various circumstances, we have had to make the difficult decision to stop the production."Yuri!!! on Ice Official Twitter
MAPPA, the animation studio tasked with producing the film, did not shed light on the reasons behind the film's cancellation.
Still, knowing MAPPA's reputation for taking on tons of new and exciting anime projects such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Attack on Titan: The Final Season, it's possible that MAPPA was simply overwhelmed by how much they had on their plates.
No matter the reason, fans are gutted by the decision and are coming together one last time to reminisce fondly on Yuri!!! on Ice.
Fans react to Yuri!!! on Ice cancellation news
Naturally, disappointment is the feeling many feel after hearing the news that an installment they were promised is never going to see the light. Some even feel betrayed by the decision since Yuri!!! on Ice was one of the projects that put MAPPA on everyone's radar. However, almost everyone acknowledges that this cancellation is a devastating loss.
"Y’all been teasing this movie for years and now y’all calling it quits. I need financial reimbursement for this emotional damage," one fan expressed on Twitter.
Another user held the same sentiment, stating, "Honestly no one will ever understand the trenches of being gaslit as a yuri on ice fan for the last seven years lol."
Hopefully, this isn't the last we hear of Yuri!!! on Ice. But for now, we must cope with ICE ADOLESCENCE not being a part of the future.