Heated Rivarly is currently the hottest talk of the town. This hockey queer romance, an adaptation of Rachel Reid’s Game Changer novel series, has won hearts across the globe and landed the show’s stars in newfound fame. This six-episode series tells the story of pro hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
It recently concluded its airing, and fans cannot get enough of it. A sequel to the show was announced after its finale, and adding to the cheer was the author, Rachel Reid’s, announcement that a third book, telling Shane and Ilya’s story in the series, is in the works. But amid this celebration, another corner of sports fandom feels noticeably quieter.
How Did “Yuri!!! on Ice” Go From Cultural Moment to Lingering Absence?
Anime fans are feeling a little forlorn, for they had a groundbreaking queer story a decade ago that revolutionized queer representation in anime. This anime is “Yuri!!! on Ice“, a 12-episode story about professional figure skaters, Viktor Nikiforov from Russia and Yuuri Katsuki from Japan. Yuuri comes back home after a loss and weighs his options. Opportunity strikes when his idol, Viktor, offers to mentor Yuuri for the next competition. Thus begins a cross-cultural romance that blooms on the icy floors of the skating rink, telling a story about characters who feel deeply human. The queer story was treated as the lead text instead of a subtext. The emotional vulnerability and honest depiction of struggles proved just how unprecedented the story was.
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The announcement of the follow-up film, “Yuri!!! on Ice the Movie: Ice Adolescence,” initially felt like a victory lap. It was slated as a prequel focused on Viktor’s youth, and it certainly sounded bold, intimate, and worth the wait. Viktor’s confidence (and arrogance) was formed after facing his own share of struggles, which were only fleetingly mentioned in the anime. When MAPPA officially revealed the project in 2017, it initially felt that the wait would soon come to an end.
Will The Ice Adolescence Movie Be Released?
However, years passed with only sporadic updates, key visuals, and reassurances that production was ongoing. Then, in 2024, MAPPA suddenly announced that “Ice Adolescence” had been officially canceled. No dramatic explanation followed, only a brief statement thanking fans for their support. For many, that confirmation was devastating, but it also brought a painful clarity after years of limbo.
Why Does Heated Rivalry Remind Us About Yuri!!! On Ice?
If you love Heated Rivalry, there is a strong chance Yuri!!! on Ice captured your heart, or would have if you found it later. Both stories understand rivalry as intimacy. The icy floor is not only their battleground but also a confessional.
Like Shane and Ilya, Yuri and Viktor are defined by what they draw out of each other. Both narratives reject the notion that love weakens ambition, instead showing how it sharpens it. This shared thematic ground is why Yuri!!! on Ice continues to be cited in discussions of queer sports narratives years after its release.
Fans who adore Heated Rivalry for its emotional honesty, slow-burn intensity, and refusal to treat queer love as a gimmick will recognize the same DNA in Yuri!!! on Ice. The Heated Rivalry sequel news resonates because it represents something Yuri!!! on Ice fans lost along the way: narrative follow-through. Rachel Reid’s hockey universe thrives on emotional continuity.
Seeing Heated Rivalry move forward highlighted what was missing on the anime side. Sports romance fans know how rare it is to find stories that combine competitive intensity with sincere queer love. Yuri!!! on Ice mattered because it proved something. It remains a landmark, not because of what it failed to become, but because of what it already was. Its absence still stings precisely because it once held so much promise.
Yuri!!! on Ice Trailer
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The post Heated Rivalry Gets A Sequel, But This Similar Queer Sports Anime Is Still Waiting For An Update appeared first on Koimoi.
