Since Heated Rivalry debuted last November, the sports romance show has been all the rage. Based on Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid, the HBO Max and Crave show follows two rival hockey players — Russian Ilya Rozanov (Conor Storrie) and Japanese-Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) — and their epic decade-spanning love story, full of steamy hookups, angsty pining, and forbidden love.
If a love story between two male athletes on ice sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Across social media, people have been comparing Heated Rivalry to Yuri!!! On Ice. MAPPA’s 2016 sports romance anime also depicted a same-sex relationship between two male athletes, one Russian and one Japanese, but the tone and general storyline are vastly different. Still, while Yuri!!! On Ice is not nearly as spicy as Heated Rivalry, it is a foundational text, not just in the world of anime but in the greater genre of television.
If you’re not familiar with Yuri!!! On Ice, it centers around anxious figure skater Yuri Katsuki, who takes a hiatus from his skating career after fumbling an important tournament. Much to his surprise, his figure skating idol Victor Nikiforov shows up at his family home and offers to coach his grand comeback. As Victor coaches Yuri, the two develop a soft, tender romance.
The groundbreaking thing about Yuri!!! On Ice was that this wasn’t subtextual at all.
There’s an epic kiss on the ice after a great performance by Yuri (one that rivals Scott Hunter and Kip’s big smooch in Heated Rivalry’s penultimate episode). Yuri and Victor even get engaged, exchanging rings and promising to get married after Yuri’s grand prix win.
Some argued that the those queer themes were too subtle to pick up on. But the more subdued storytelling worked well within the show’s greater story: it was never a show just about gay characters, but a show about self-doubt, connection, and the love of a sport. The main characters just so happened to be a queer couple.
Yuri!!! On Ice was hardly the first anime to depict a same-sex relationship on screen.
But it was one of the first to become amazingly popular in the United States — and one where the leading couple actually got a happy ending together.
Yuri!!! On Ice takes place in a reality seemingly free from homophobia, and that very fact helped challenge some of the real-life biases in the sport. Openly gay figure skater Johnny Weir became a fan of the series and spoke about how “every little bit [of representation] helps.” Now, a decade later, Heated Rivalry is doing the same for hockey.Unfortunately, despite Yuri!!! On Ice’s popularity, the show only got one season. A spinoff movie was supposed to dive Victor’s past in Russia, but after many delays, MAPPA cancelled the film due to creative differences. But if the fervor for Heated Rivalry proves anything, it’s that the people yearn for more gay ice romance. MAPPA take a hint: there is no better time to revive Yuri!!! On Ice.
