ravenonice

[ravenonice]

I still have the Makkachin tissue box I bought at that con too! And I brought it all the way to my semester abroad in Scotland and to my first ever skating competition last year 🥹

It's in pretty rough shape now but that's just a sign that it's well loved ❤️

Well. The ice ado news suck. I knew it wasn't gonna happen for a few years now I guess...but at least there was this glimmer of hope. And I suppose in the grand scheme of things this is such a silly thing to be genuinely upset about...(over sharing ahead) but yoi was released in literally the hardest time of my life, literally a week after I lost my dad. And it brought me joy and probably helped me to not completely lose my mind. It has been my comfort show ever since.

I rarely get this attached to media. I couldn't tell you my favorite book or favorite movie because those things are so fleeting and I love something else very quickly...but even though my engagement with it differed throughout the years, it always remained a part of me and I always came back to it when I needed it.

I'm not even that into anime anymore as I was as a teenager but I do pay my crunchyroll subscription even if it's just so I can watch yoi whenever i need it...I should get the blue ray honestly it's weird that I never did xD

I think my fondest memory of the yoi fandom was when I went to Frankfurt book fair in 2017 and cosplayed Yuuri. I had ordered his Japan jacket but it took too long to arrive, I was devestated, I was outright panicing. But what could I do? I had to improvise. I got some blue boxers, a white shirt and the ugliest blue tie I could find at tk maxx and went as drunk banquet Yuuri! And I had a BLAST! I think that was by far my most successful cosplay ever and I wish I could share it with you but my sd card broke and I don't have the photos anymore :'( I had so many Viktor cosplayers come up to me, roleplay a little, tell me that they wanted to burn my tie xD It was fun! I even made katsudon piroschki to share with everyone! I also had a hard time leaving bc I got stopped for photos so many times! So if anyone who was at that fair all that time ago remembers me and still has photos, please send them my way <3

So I guess what that teaches me is that I can make the best out of a bad situation :') Well. We just gotta write even more fanfiction now I guess <3

#yuri on ice #yuri!!! on ice

[ravenonice]

I never wanted to be more wrong in my entire life I'm so sorry....

I think by now most of you heard that Dean Fujioka is performing History Maker at the ice show Fantasy on Ice and that it's their opening number?

What I haven't heard anyone mention however is that both irl skaters who are in the anime, Nobunari Oda (commenting on the gpf short program) and Stephané Lambiel (commenting on the gpf free skate) are both performing in that ice show and skating in that very opening number!

I haven't seen yet bc the show isn't broadcasted until the 25th of June, but I've heard from people who were at faoi that Stephané even did a second colab with Dean and skated to Sukima! (I'm not putting my hand in fire for that though)

I heard a lot of talk about Johnny Weir but not about those two so that's a fun fact for you all 😉

#yuri on ice #yuri!!! on ice #ice adolescence #i am in misery #rip yoi

[ravenonice]

Well. The ice ado news suck. I knew it wasn't gonna happen for a few years now I guess...but at least there was this glimmer of hope. And I suppose in the grand scheme of things this is such a silly thing to be genuinely upset about...(over sharing ahead) but yoi was released in literally the hardest time of my life, literally a week after I lost my dad. And it brought me joy and probably helped me to not completely lose my mind. It has been my comfort show ever since.

I rarely get this attached to media. I couldn't tell you my favorite book or favorite movie because those things are so fleeting and I love something else very quickly...but even though my engagement with it differed throughout the years, it always remained a part of me and I always came back to it when I needed it.

I'm not even that into anime anymore as I was as a teenager but I do pay my crunchyroll subscription even if it's just so I can watch yoi whenever i need it...I should get the blue ray honestly it's weird that I never did xD

I think my fondest memory of the yoi fandom was when I went to Frankfurt book fair in 2017 and cosplayed Yuuri. I had ordered his Japan jacket but it took too long to arrive, I was devestated, I was outright panicing. But what could I do? I had to improvise. I got some blue boxers, a white shirt and the ugliest blue tie I could find at tk maxx and went as drunk banquet Yuuri! And I had a BLAST! I think that was by far my most successful cosplay ever and I wish I could share it with you but my sd card broke and I don't have the photos anymore :'( I had so many Viktor cosplayers come up to me, roleplay a little, tell me that they wanted to burn my tie xD It was fun! I even made katsudon piroschki to share with everyone! I also had a hard time leaving bc I got stopped for photos so many times! So if anyone who was at that fair all that time ago remembers me and still has photos, please send them my way <3

So I guess what that teaches me is that I can make the best out of a bad situation :') Well. We just gotta write even more fanfiction now I guess <3

#yuri on ice #yuri!!! on ice #ice adolescence

[ravenonice]

Well hello everyone...it's been a hot minute since I've been on here properly...and idk if anyone even really cares enough but oh well. I'm just gonna ramble anyway.

I have decided to not continue writing Playlist of a love/your love's like music. I noticed that writing on that fic has lead to me falling back into behaviors are harmful to me so no matter how much I would like to tell that story, I don't think there's a way to do it properly without me spiralling because I get too involved with my characters. At least not without completely revisiting Yuuri’s backstory....so maybe when I feel like it I may revisit the concept of Yuuri waking up in Viktor’s room at some point but I also have so many other things I want to write and those take priority, alongside an original project I've been working on.

However. I started writing down Viktor’s backstory for that fic some time ago. And since I don't really want to trash that, I think I will upload the first chapter of that soon. It should end up being a shorter fic of max 5 chapters.

I'm also almost done with a new chapter for hearts of glass! So look forward to that too!

Idk when any of that will drop but oh well you've waited this long xD

#yuri on ice #yoi fanfiction

[ravenonice]

YES I LOVE IT WHEN MY WORLDS COLLIDE! TURN IT UP!!!!

give her a CHANCE!!!

[ravenonice]

Solo Ice dance is what you're looking for! And yes the ISU is recognizing it beginning next season, however from the wording it's more supposed to be an educational tool/thing to do as you try to find a partner instead of a proper discipline in it's own right sadly. But on a national basis I think there's multiple countries that seem to have a proper field!

Here's the link to the ISU page about it:

Can we have men and women’s singles equivalents of ice dance, I just want to watch my faves skate without falling on their ass hard after a failed jump

#figure skating #ice dance #solo ice dance

[ravenonice]

Having some Viktor Nikiforov ass feelings seeing this suit tie combo

#we have to burn that tie #I'm not even a shoma stan #this is a tragedy #that suit is fire though #yuri on ice

[ravenonice]

I'm sure at least some of you have by now seen ice dancers Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell skating together:

And let's just get this out of the way: They're STUNNING! Absolutely amazing! And I am beyond excited about what's coming!

But here's what we're NOT going to do:

Especially on Twitter I've been seeing comments like:

"IRL YURI ON ICE!"

"Viktuuri paved the way!"

Or

"Yuuri and Viktor did it first!"

And it's disappointing.

When Skate Canada changed their rules to allow couples of all gender constellations in ice dance and pair skating it was a huge deal! And now that the ISU is allegedly considering following suit and therefore same sex couples maybe being allowed in international competition in the foreseeable future is even more HUGE!

What is happening right now in figure skating and ice dance is revolutionary and a big step forward in a sport that, even though it attracts a lot of lgbtq+ individuals, is still pervaded by homo- and transphobia!

This rule change doesn't just open up the field for homosexual romance stories, it also officially includes non-binary athletes, who are kinda existing in a grey area so far.

Plus, this isn't necessarily an LGBTQ+ issue. Another issue in pairs and ice dance is that is seen as inherently romantic...and audiences and judges hardly accept any other narrative. If you and your partner don't seem like you are madly in love, you don't have any chemistry at all and your presentation is worth hardly anything.

This leaves us with juniors and sibling duos skating routines with sexual narratives (not good) and skaters who are pressured to fit in a mold of what a figure skating/ice dance pair should look like and present as. And it doesn't really matter what they're comfortable with. It's what gets you points from the judges and praise from the audience.

Also there are much more women in the sport than men. This leaves a lot of women who'd like to compete in dance without a partner. Sure, there are solo dance competitions now. But it's not recognised by the ISU yet and also it clearly is not exactly the same as with a partner as things like lifts and partnered dance spins aren't possible.

While this rule change opens up the sport for lgbtq stories, it also helps to open up the sport to a wider range of performances and stories that aren't romantic or sexual in any way.

Putting the label "gay!" on a same sex couple in ice dance and pairs isn't necessarily helping the cause...and I admit that I am guilty here and I need to tone my excitement for that side of it down a little maybe 😅

So please respect the work that people in the sport have put in and the work Gabi and Madi are putting in right now to pave the way for this exciting rule change, and don't ascribe any part in it to Yuuri on Ice, no matter how much it may remind you of that end credit scene of Yuuri and Viktor.

Thank you 🫶🏻

Here's a few links for further reading on why this is a huge step forward that do a much better and more detailed job at explaining this than I do!

#WHICH GAY OLYMPIC SKATER IS RUNNING A 18+ TUMBLR FOR HAIRY MEN P*RN AND CARS??! #Like I'm very sure they're lying but...what if he's NOT AHAJDKSLSL #This has to be one of the funniest things that happened to me ever lmfao #figure skating #ice dance

[ravenonice]

This post is getting trafic again and I hate to inform you all... but Deniss cut his hair 🥲

Young Viktor Nikiforov 🤝 Deniss Vasiljevs

Having fans gush over their long hair

#figure skating #deniss vasiljevs #viktor nikiforov #yuri on ice

[ravenonice]

Me: I'm gonna post a new chapter every week!

Also me: *writes without editing for two weeks straight and forgets to post*

[ravenonice]

MAPPA ACKNOWLEDGING THE EXISTENCE OF YURI ON ICE IN THE YEAR OF THE LORD 2023???!? WHAT???

#WHAT #IT'S JUST THE OPENING BUT??? #HELLO?? #IS THIS THE POWER OF FAOI AND YUZU?? #yuri on ice #yoi #yuri!!! on ice #yuuri on ice #Youtube

[ravenonice]

Yuzuru Hanyu (and friends) skating to History Maker!

❤️😭❤️

#yuri on ice #fantasy on ice #faoi 2023 #yuzuru hanyu

[ravenonice]

YOI-meta: Yuuri's love confession and Viktor's seemingly insensitive reaction

There are several ways to read Viktor's comment on Yuuri's love confession depending on the level of his knowledge of Japanese language and culture at this point in the series. While it seems insensitive and blunt at first glance, the possible explanations are more in line with Viktor's character and the concept of the show than Viktor only caring about Yuuri's necktie in one of the most significant moments of their relationship.

So let's break this down!

1. Language barriers

The press conference held by the JSF is on Japanese TV for a Japanese audience, hence Yuuri was speaking Japanese. By now, Viktor has been living in Japan for about 5-6 months and while he possibly knows enough Japanese to get along on his own and communicate with Yuuri's family about basics like food or the weather, complex speeches are probably still beyond his abilities.

Besides Russian, Viktor speaks English and French, so we can assume he has a knack for languages. But whereas Cyrillic and Latin characters have some resemblances, Japanese has three different types of characters (hiragana, katakana, and kanji) and they are all vastly different from Western scripts. Beginners spend a hell lot of time learning these in addition to vocabulary and grammar. It's not a stretch to assume that Viktor understood parts of Yuuri's speech but not enough to connect the dots. Like "here, Yuuri presents his season theme, which is about love... Oh, I heard my name! He's talking about me now! ... Was that something about a gold medal and Grand Prix Final? That's my Yuuri! He's so fierce! I love this! But ugh, he really needs a new tie! That hideous thing doesn't fit his new image at all!"

2. Utter shock

That face...

Looking at this scene, Viktor either is completely shocked because he didn't see this coming or he's trying hard to understand Yuuri's speech. While in my personal headcanon, language barriers keep him from understanding the speech, a person who is described as a genius and already speaks three languages might be able to follow the speech after living in the country for several months (I'm not sure about this though, but some people learn at lightspeed once they start obsessing over a subject). In this case, his reaction is a coping mechanism due to overwhelm. So far, Yuuri has said a few sweet things that showed Viktor how much he matters to Yuuri, but this is a whole new dimension of expressing affection, especially coming from someone who is so reluctant to voice their feelings. And while Viktor undeniably has been hoping for Yuuri to love him back, seeing his love confessing his feelings live on national TV is quite something to process.

Which leads me to...

3. Viktor doesn't take Yuuri's love confession seriously

This interpretation falls into the category of "Did we watch the same anime?" and I will briefly explain why using some past instances of Viktor's reaction to Yuuri using love language:

Episode 2 "I want to eat katsudon with you!":

Episode 3 "I'm going to become a super tasty katsudon. Please watch me!":

Episode 4 "I want you to stay who you are":

We see the occasional confusion, which is attributed to the fact that Viktoir is still familiarising himself with Yuuri's unique way of expressing his feelings and desires. However, ultimately, in all of these scenes, Viktor is genuinely happy that he means so much to Yuuri. Although Viktor can be pretty insensitive at times, he never mocks Yuuri, which says a lot about his character. Not even when Yuuri says things like "Katsudon is my eros!" It's not in his personality. So far, throughout the series, Viktor has helped Yuuri become more confident and express his feelings. As soon as he understands Yuuri's speech and has processed the meaning, he would be tremendously happy and proud. But mocking Yuuri for his necktie when he just expressed the full dimension of his feelings? Just nope. He's not JJ.

Bonus: Viktor's reactions after episode 5 (the pattern continues)

4. The necktie is a metaphor

This interpretation came up in a Twitter discussion with @maetae2288 (kudos to her for bringing this up!) and it can coexist with interpretations 1 and 2. In a story that is limited to 12 short episodes, you don't waste precious air time on throwaway lines.

For this interpretation, I would like to refer to Tumbleweed's translation errors master post. It's a super long post, so I quote the relevant part:

「 初めて自分から繋ぎとめたいと思った人、それがヴィクトルです 」 [...]'For the first time in my life, there’s a person I want to hold on to. That person is Victor.’ Also, while I think this word choice is the best choice, 'hold on to’ doesn’t quite get all the connotations of 繋ぎとめたい across. Tsunagi tomeru is composed of two words, tsunagi = bind and tomeru = stop. It means tying the subject to something and stopping it from going away. Since he added 自分から, 'from/by himself’ in front of it, it infers Victor being the first person Yuuri wants to reach out to and bond with, and with those bonds, bind them together so that they would never part.

I highly recommend reading the full post if you're interested in the linguistic nuances of translations from Japanese to English with regards to Yuri!!!.

In his speech, Yuuri voices his desire to form an inseparable bond with Viktor (it's quite a lot like "stay by my side and never leave" if you think about it although he uses a totally different vocabulary). Bonds are often symbolised by a knot. In this sense, the necktie comment would refer to the new bond Yuuri and Viktor will form henceforth.

It's unclear when Viktor learns about Japanese love language and dating culture (you can read my post on Japanese dating culture in YOI here). In episode 9, Viktor correctly identifies Yuuri's (accidental) marriage proposal, but when did he brief himself on these things? In fact, he uses love language as early as episode 3 ("I love katsudon"), but was he aware of this? It's beyond doubt though that the creators knew what they were doing when they gave him this line. In this light, his necktie comment suggests that he understood Yuuri's kokuhaku very well and gave a unique response that refers to their future bond and is true to his character. This is pretty smart, actually.

To sum this up, whether Viktor understood Yuuri at once and responded accordingly, or his line foreshadows that he will understand somewhere between episodes 5 and 6, his comment implies that they will start dating soon after. And we see the result in episode 6.

If you like my meta posts, please consider giving my blog a follow or checking my works on AO3 (link in bio).

[ravenonice]

I just managed to catch up with my favorite ongoing yoi fic after not having the energy to read it since...November? And it was "only" 4 chapters...but they're massive chapters (I wish I could write chapters that long 🥲)

I couldn't sleep so at like 4 am I picked it up again, read until 6:30, slept 3 hours, did what I had to do today and just spent the last 2 hours reading the rest. And now I am in shambles.

I can't with these two idiots anymore, fucking oblivious idiots...and I can't even tell them to just fuck already BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THAT GOD DAMN IT!!!

They're not only teasing each other they're teasing me with smut and being adorable and stupidly adorable nicknames and yet they just can't seem to just be happy together come oooooonnnn 😭

But also at the same time I don't want this fic to end so...I guess I just have to deal with being in pain 🥲

#I'm actually a wreck right now #I will be thinking about this for the next 10-20 business days #If you can guess the fic you win 100 imaginary points #yuri on ice #yoi #yuri!!! on ice #yoi fanfic #yuri on ice fanfiction

[ravenonice]

I think this one might be an intentional reference though 😉 (Piper didn't get the memo)

Stéphane put History Maker on this photo too ✨️

We got a photo of the History Maker performance!

Source: Dean Fujioka's instagram (link)

For everyone wondering if, when and where they can stream the show:

Twitch user starrrynote will often stream faoi broadcasts. The next broadcast is of the final show in Kobe on the 25th of June, 1pm JST. There will also be a recorded broadcast of the show in Niigata on the 27th of June, 7pm JST. As far as I know there are no other broadcasts planned.

I can highly recommend watching the whole show not just for history maker! The show is packed with beautiful skaters, most well known of course Yuzuru Hanyu who will perform towards the end.

The cast list for the B-Tour (which is going on rn) is as followed:

Yuzuru Hanyu

Nobunari Oda

Takahito Mura

Keiji Tanaka

Stephané Lambiel

Javier Fernandez

Johnny Weir

Deniss Vasiljevs (my personal favorite btw!)

Satoko Miyahara

Kaori Sakamoto

Mai Mihara

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier

So as you can see the cast is absolutely stocked with amazing performers and Olympic medals 😊

#yuri on ice #figure skating #faoi 2023

[ravenonice]

The person you mean is in fact Stephane! But he's doing an end pose of one of his programs (I'm not that familiar with Stephane's programs I'm afraid so I can't tell you which one from the top of my head). As far as I've heard, they were all asked to do the end pose of a program that had a special meaning to them. (Again not putting my hand in fire for that 🫣)

So even if it looks a little like that, it's not the yuri on ice end pose.

If I have the time I'll try to identify them all 😊

We got a photo of the History Maker performance!

Source: Dean Fujioka's instagram (link)

For everyone wondering if, when and where they can stream the show:

Twitch user starrrynote will often stream faoi broadcasts. The next broadcast is of the final show in Kobe on the 25th of June, 1pm JST. There will also be a recorded broadcast of the show in Niigata on the 27th of June, 7pm JST. As far as I know there are no other broadcasts planned.

I can highly recommend watching the whole show not just for history maker! The show is packed with beautiful skaters, most well known of course Yuzuru Hanyu who will perform towards the end.

The cast list for the B-Tour (which is going on rn) is as followed:

Yuzuru Hanyu

Nobunari Oda

Takahito Mura

Keiji Tanaka

Stephané Lambiel

Javier Fernandez

Johnny Weir

Deniss Vasiljevs (my personal favorite btw!)

Satoko Miyahara

Kaori Sakamoto

Mai Mihara

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier

So as you can see the cast is absolutely stocked with amazing performers and Olympic medals 😊

#yuri on ice #figure skating #faoi 2023

[ravenonice]

I'm scrapping a chapter a lot of people liked bc it was so wholesome...but I replaced the part of the story that chapter was supposed to set up so it doesn't have a purpose anymore...

I kinda feel sad about it, but I also like the new chapter a lot. The playlist version felt a little out of place to me because Yuuri just went from thinking about Viktor and everything that he had just discovered about himself to...Not acknowledging it for hours even though he was actively interacting with something that had Viktor written all over it.

It felt weird...get what I was trying to do, merging canon and my new storyline a little bit, but it just didn't work well.