You might think figure skating is all glitter, grace, and emotional piano music — but Yuri!!! on Ice says, “Oh no, my friend, this is a blood sport with sequins.” This week, Mandy Kaplan is joined by actor and voice powerhouse Zehra Fazal (Borderlands 3 & 4, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, The Chosen Adventures) to unpack the cult anime that somehow manages to combine Olympic-level athleticism, emotional breakdowns, and gay hot tub scenes.Mandy, bless her open heart, has only recently dipped her toe — or skate — into anime. Zehra, meanwhile, is the kind of person who can tell you the real-life skater each character is based on, and yes, she knows the choreographer’s name. Together, they untangle Yuri!!! on Ice’s tangled triple-axel of meaning: Is it a sports anime? A love story? A metaphor for crushing self-doubt wrapped in butt shots and ice shavings?They talk about everything from the meticulous realism — real skaters performed every routine for animators to trace — to the quietly radical queerness at its core. They also cover anime’s emotional shorthand (why everyone screams), its strange obsession with mid-scene “fake ads” for imaginary Hot Pockets, and how Yuri!!! on Ice makes body image, pressure, and perfectionism part of its storytelling language. By the end, Mandy admits she’s still a little confused, but also a little bit moved — and possibly a little bit hot for Victor.This episode has everything: 80s training montages, screaming siblings, existential self-doubt, and the most loving debate about anime crotch shots ever recorded. So lace up your skates, pour yourself some sake, and prepare for a deeply emotional deep dive into nerd culture’s iciest corner.Links & Notes

• Yuri!!! on Ice (2016 anime series) — Crunchyroll
• “History Maker” by Dean Fujioka, the Yuri!!! on Ice theme song
• Follow Zehra on Insta

Make Me a Nerd

• Website: makemeanerd.com/join
• Instagram: @mandy_kaplan_klavens
• TikTok & Bluesky: @mandymiscast

---
Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.