It may seem like a simple, trivial theme for a show that centers on a competitive sport, but that is precisely where its beauty lies. Of all emotions, love is perhaps the most complex; a unifying feeling that can bolster or break someone. It hurts, it heals, and it gives hope. It is the great motivator behind countless calls to action, and YOI draws upon it to tell the story of three lost figure skaters—Yuri (Yuuri) Katsuki, Victor Nikiforov, and Yuri (Yurio) Plisetsky. They are all unique, individualized personas. And yet, they are startlingly alike in that each one of them is desperately afraid.