(CR) Yuri!!! on Ice

[Guardian Enzo]

Today is the 17th birthday of Evgenia Medvedeva, who - in addition to being the current world champion - is apparently the world's biggest Yuri On Ice fan (and shipper).

[Thess]

She's adorable. I love how Kubo made her a picture with Viktor.

[DMurphy]

As far as whether it'd be better or more realistic to have Yuri and Victor facing dire reproach from the rest of the skating community for their relationship -- it might be more realistic, but god knows audiences are starved for stories that depict LGBT relationships in a way that isn't tragic.

Would it be wish fulfillment if they didn't have people reacting angrily? Sure, probably, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of wish fulfillment fiction now and then.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Thess

She's adorable. I love how Kubo made her a picture with Viktor.

I'm not sure even that can match getting a signed Sailor Moon drawing from Takeuchi-sensei.

[orion]

This thread is very educational. I wouldn't have known about Johnny Weir until now.

There are subtle references, including the title Yuri!!! on Ice [Pop Star on Ice( a documentary) was the Weir equivalent].

[chi4ko]

The more you rewatch, the more things you catch... I think Yuri's mother would not mind Victor as her son's spouse. See how happy she is with the kiss! Take another look at Yuri's room: I suspect she had known for a long time that her son's admiration for Victor was a bit too obsessive to be waved off as just admiration (do you keep photos of the person you idolise on your desk?).

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Yet another instance of the anime staff being 'inspired' by real-life skaters!

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[Thess]

Originally Posted by chi4ko

The more you rewatch, the more things you catch... I think Yuri's mother would not mind Victor as her son's spouse. See how happy she is with the kiss! Take another look at Yuri's room: I suspect she had known for a long time that her son's admiration for Victor was a bit too obsessive to be waved off as just admiration (do you keep photos of the person you idolise on your desk?).

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I'm pretty sure that was a celebrity crush. You know instead of a hot babe or Brad Pitt posters, he has Viktor ones. If was just skating admiration he wouldn't have a framed photo of the dude or non skating-pictures. Look at that huge one posing with his dog, I can't even fantom in whose mind that is a 100% heterosexual man's behavior. Of course his mom is overjoyed her son got to smooch the man he had practically built a shrine for.

Speaking of his puppy crush on Yuuko, it began because she coached him in skating, in teaching him, protecting him and giving him pointers (and the person who has taken the baton now is Viktor). All his memories about her and why she became important in his life are linked to skating, nothing outside it (he doesn't even meet her again outside the skating rink, just saying). This isn't to diminish his former infatuation, what I mean is that Yuuri's emotional development and his skating aspiration and dream have always been linked. He seems to form these bonds or start his affection because of his athlete's passion. His love for skating, in other words, has always been the main focus of the development of his arc, and his relationships serve to polish his career.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Thess

Speaking of his puppy crush on Yuuko, it began because she coached him in skating, in teaching him, protecting him and giving him pointers (and the person who has taken the baton now is Viktor). All his memories about her and why she became important in his life are linked to skating, nothing outside it (he doesn't even meet her again outside the skating rink, just saying).

Yuuko and Nishigori were with Yuri when he bought Vicchan. I don't disagree with your point, but I do think that you underestimate their friendship a little.

[Thess]

Originally Posted by LKK

Yuuko and Nishigori were with Yuri when he bought Vicchan. I don't disagree with your point, but I do think that you underestimate their friendship a little.

Vicchan was related to skating, though (he was trying to emulate Viktor). I'm not really underestimating their friendship, I think that Yuuri loves skating that much and forges his deepest bonds connected to his passion, if that makes sense.

[Veritas]

I stopped watching after episode three, but I'm trying to catch up.

Ep 3

- Yuuri's costume a reference to Plushenko's "Asisiai" program?
- Yurio's such a hilarious little bitch.
- Hottest bachelor in the world is a figure skater. Mmkay. Maybe hottest bachelor in that building at that moment.
- Exhibition lighting during the skates.
- It's funny that people seem to be drawing similarities between Yuzuru Hanyu and Yuuri considering Yurio has the same skating career trajectory: the early debut in Seniors, command of quad jumps, the twiggy body type.
- May have just been the "camera" work but Yurio's last spin looked like it was traveling like crazy.
- Is the guy doing the voiceover during Hot Springs on Ice the guy who actually does it for real skating?
- Backloading all of the jumps in the second half of the program isn't really done. The first time someone landed two quads in a short program was in 2010.
- DOn't know why I noticed but another little detail I liked was Yuuri's skate guards being two-toned in Japan's colors.
- Yuuri's last season? Skaters go back on their retirements all of the time.
- This whole competition was actually a really douchey idea on Victor's part.

Ep 4

- Hell of a big to-do over a guy who's never even coached before. How much can he really demand as payment.
- Explain the figure skating scoring system like it even makes any sense at all.
- Will that steam be removed in the DVD?
- Reference to the Team Challenge Cup on the Detroit Skating Club marquee. Interesting. The first one was held this year in Washington. This puts us in mid-late April.
- Yuuri was damn fine when he was annoyed at Victor's "girlfriend" remark.
- Is Mila also Grand Prix level in Women's? I wish they'd mention what was going on in the other disciplines.
- The ballet woman better have a background in figure skating because besides aesthetics, the two sports have little in common.

Ep 5

- Watching cartoon people fall during their programs is every bit as painful as watching actual skaters splat.
- In fact, the programs themselves are also as nerve wracking to watch.
- Strategy of making Yuuri less nervous about the SP by hugging him and making him more nervous about that seemed to work.
- Whether Victor means to or not, he's lucking into doing what works for Yuuri. Y's "mental weakness" is probably due to him being the shy, introverted type that tends to be neurotic. All of that self-criticism can make one's thoughts a negative place to be, so with the hug and yelling encouragement to Minami is a decent way to get out of his own thoughts.
- Minami is cute but I hate his design.
- It's kinda hilarious to me how casually everyone seems to talk about quads and dropping them into the last half of a program. It's not like it's never done, but here's the drama coming in that's not particularly accurate.

I'm still having difficulty placing Yuuri within the ranks of in-universe skaters. So he is the only thing happening in Japan's men's singles. Is Women's singles the thing that's carrying Japanese interest in figure skating?

Also I'm wondering if this series has sparked any interest in real figure skating since the actual Cup of China competition was this weekend. Did anyone from here watch it? NHK Trophy is this weekend, assuming it hasn't been called off due to the quake, then the Grand Prix Final is two weeks after that.

[Romanticide]

I'd like to watch this, but i'm worried they'll kill off Yuri or Victor. It's 12 episodes, right, so 4 more to go?

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Veritas

- May have just been the "camera" work but Yurio's last spin looked like it was traveling like crazy.

I always thought Yurio's spin was traveling too.

- Is the guy doing the voiceover during Hot Springs on Ice the guy who actually does it for real skating?

That's what I heard but I haven't seen it confirmed.

- Yuuri's last season? Skaters go back on their retirements all of the time.

Yep. I'm counting on it. (Bring on season 2!)

- Is Mila also Grand Prix level in Women's? I wish they'd mention what was going on in the other disciplines.

Spoiler for character spoiler from the English web site:

Mira is a singles skater, ranked 3rd in the world.

Originally Posted by Romanticide

I'd like to watch this, but i'm worried they'll kill off Yuri or Victor. It's 12 episodes, right, so 4 more to go?

5 more eps to go. Episode 7 aired last week. So eps 8, 9, 10, 11, & 12 are left.

[Gravitas Free Zone]

Originally Posted by Romanticide

I'd like to watch this, but i'm worried they'll kill off Yuri or Victor.

That would be one of the more random plot twists in anime history.

[Romanticide]

Originally Posted by Gravitas Free Zone

That would be one of the more random plot twists in anime history.

Considering the track record of LGBT+ characters in media....well. And those often end up random twists too.

[Arya]

Originally Posted by Thess

I'm not really underestimating their friendship, I think that Yuuri loves skating that much and forges his deepest bonds connected to his passion, if that makes sense.

I'm looking at it as this "skate universe" is just the stage of the story, but it represents a "full universe", so to speak. That would give a more rounded shape to Yuuri and also the other characters.

Speaking of Yuuko, I wouldn't call her a "puppy crush", to me Yuuko is/was Yuri's comfort zone, the person he felt perfectly at ease with. The show contrasted the "declaration" performance he gave to her with his public performance to highlight it, the former was the expression of how comfortable Yuri was before her in contrast of a stadium audience. And that even if she was already married.
In fact, to me at least, while it was framed as a declaration" performance, the most important aspect of it was to display how Yuuko was his "family" in his skate universe; of course she being a mother rounds her well in such a role. Had been Yuuri hetero, she easily could have been inspirational and effective as much as Vicktor if you ask me. But he is not. And the first evidence of it is exactly Yuuko. She is his osananajimi, but she didn't wait for him as always happen in any anime, but got married and had even children instead.
She is, or seems at least, well aware of what's going on in Yuuri's head more than himself, in fact later the moment Vicktor stepped in she stepped back (and even broaden her motherly embrace to the young Yurio).
But Yuuko for Yuuri became also a shelter. My take of Yuuri is the one of a boy who tried for his whole life to conform himself to the standard values of his society, but actually didn't succeed. That's why, among other things, despite having the talent he failed so far in figure skating and his sexual maturity was close to zero and also why Yuuko didn't make him fly. And this is not strictly related to skating, this went beyond it investing his live as a whole.

Don't know if I'm seeing too much in it, but if I have to look at some message, the most straightforward seems to be how defining and important love is for a person, regardless the gender or the orientation. And in this light I think that the lack of any homophobia sentiments, while of course a bit striking if looked at it as just a sport anime, makes sense in this broader sense, since this story is not (may be not) about homosexuality, but is about unprejudiced love and what a big component of a person it is. Of course is a message that seems trivial, but I love it, despite not being invested in the slightest into the actual romance, because it's built in a way that kinda one statement confirms the other. If you agree that love defines a big part of you you can't then deny that it's true regardless your orientation.
The lack of homophobia sentiments is also like saying, hey, look what would happen if those sentiments were not around, those two guys would look perfectly fine, wouldn't they? (probably this story could not have happened if set into a realistic frame, not in these terms nor with this straightforwardness).

[chi4ko]

Spoiler for new episode:

-Some more Yurio and his grandpa.
-New skaters are: JJ (Canada), Emil (Czech Rep.), Mickey (Italy) - what a siscon!, Seung Gil (Korea).
-Yuri does great again! He emits Eros like some sort of pheromone now! (I'm waiting for 'mating season' jokes.)
-The first place is taken by JJ, Yuri and Yurio are the 2nd and 3rd.
-Makachin got sick after eating buns and may not make it. :<
-Victor is coming back to Japan to stand by Makachin. Upon Yuri's request. Amaaaazing! Yuri's grown into such a confident person. The power of love!
-Yakov will be Yuri's coach for the day. Stay tuned!

Random notes:
-There is so much contrast between Victor + Yuri vs. Yurio + Yakov. Victor and Yuri feel fully united as a team now (so much they really look like an item >3) whereas Yurio is too distant to anybody who is not his grandpa.
-Blade kissing! This is so lewd I'm speechless! XD
-Tie-pulling was really passionate. ~

[bakato]

This time they're throwing donuts into the mix? Yurio's fan's got some serious aim. With Yuri skating the same two programs, you'd think this'd get old real quick, but somehow they always manage to throw us for a loop.

[awesomejellystar]

Bruh, someone told me that it was gay, funny, and that the fanbase shitposts.
So I watched it.
And now I actually have a timer set up so I know what time to get on Kissanime every Wednesday.

My life has spiraled into ice skating hell.

[Stark700]

Episode 8:

Thought this episode was pretty entertaining. Competition continues with the other countries competing including Korea.

Character chemistry between Victor and Yuri is still memorable this episode. Yuri's latest performance was pretty fun to watch imo. I think at this point, Yurio easily recognizes that he's improved. His reunion with Yuro was priceless lol

Yurio's own performance was very impressive imo. One of the best so far in this competition. JJ also impressed me quite a bit.

[leongsh]

This show goes for the jugular of a large demographic of fans of the show:

Spoiler:

Yurio wearing cat-ears

It's a fun episode with a quick snatches of interesting peek into new characters. It's Yurio's short segment with his Grandpa picking him up from the airport that's the best of the lot. Miyano is nailing it as Canada's JJ in presenting JJ as a narcissistic and confident character that has the skills/goods to prove it.

It felt like 10 minutes. This show is such a fun watch.