Round and gold [YOI 10]
No actual skating happened in episode 10 of Yuri on Ice, but you know what? I'm okay with that. This episode was a doozy. Commentary below, less liveblog-y than previous.
Okay. So.
Once again, I was spoiled for a lot of it before actually watching the episode, since it aired during the day over here and I was at work and for some reason I can't persuade myself to stay off twitter and FFA, even on YOI days. I'm terrible like that. But even if you know how a story goes, the journey is part of the fun! So even though I knew the general idea of what would happen, and even though this episode had minimal/no skating, there was still plenty of stuff to interest me.
It's nice to finally get an episode partially from Victor's point of view! This is something that people have been wanting - including myself - and it's just so nice to get into his head a little bit. It's also nice to have his friendship/rivalry with Chris rounded out a little - it was obvious before that they know each other really well, but the extra layer is really great.
I didn't really know what to think of Chris at first, but he's grown on me a bit over time, and he grew on me even more in this episode. Sure, he comes on kind of strong, but... aside from that, he seems like a really nice, fun-loving person. The kind of person who could seduce you with his ~mature sex appeal~, but who could also make you laugh. I like that. (Plus, he has a sexy voice and adorable eyelashes. Can't beat that.) It also helps that, with regard to some of the stuff that happens later in the episode, he's very genuinely enthusiastic and supportive. It's nice!
asdlkfjkkk I love that Victor had trouble remembering JJ's name. I really, really love it. It just emphasizes that JJ talks a big game, but he isn't half of much of a bigshot as he thinks he is. OUI, THE TRASH KING OF LAVAL IS NOT EVEN A BLIP ON THE RADAR OF THE TSAR OF SKATING fffffff er I mean. /cough
(Totally legit though) Goddamnit JJ, why do you have to be... so... yourself... Though, okay, he actually isn't that much of a jerk - mostly it's just that he has an inflated ego - I like that little bit where he invited Otabek to join him for supper, and it was a genuine well-intentioned offer; shows that he can be an ass and also be nice. It's something that's very familiar to me; like I've mentioned in previous entries, his whole attitude feels very fitting with Canadian guys of a certain age.
I love the contrast between Victor's lack of impression about JJ VS how curious he seems to be about Otabek. It's clear that he has some respect for Otabek, both as a fellow professional, and as an individual. He takes Otabek seriously, and to me there's this implication that right now, Otabek is good, but some day he'll be formidable.
PHICHIT. PHICHIT PHICHIT PHICHIT is adorable and I love him. And I love all those pictures on his instagram. Especially that one with Guang Hong... and the group photo of the Cup of China skaters. I have a one-track mind. But they're so cute!
Victor's POV of Hatsetsu is so... ahhh it's so cozy and nice! I love that he seems to feel comfortable in this place, that it's become somewhere where he can have both life and love. A good place for his future home, perhaps? :D
Anyway.
WHOA - I expected Otabek dramatically sweeping in on his motorcycle to rescue Yurio from screaming fans to be, well, dramatic, from what we saw in the preview. And that scene is everything I had hoped for. OTABEK IS SO COOL AND I AM AN INSTANT FAN. "The hero of Kazakhstan", eh. I like it. 8) 8) 8) What a guy. It's really interesting to get a bit of his backstory, that he met Yurio quite a while ago, and that Yurio had left such an impression on him at the time.
"Are you going to become friends with me or not?" ...AWW. Okay, I love this duo. That moment between them is actually very, very sweet. I hope we'll get several more scenes between them in the next two episodes. Yay, Yurio made a friend!
...Ah. The church scene with Yuuri and Victor - you know, I never thought we'd see something like this. Between these two, specifically, but also in general. This isn't something that I get to see very often, and it makes me feel warm and happy. And it's just so... very, very sweet, and more understated than I expected, and the exchange of rings is just so romantic. It's so... cozy? Not over-the-top.
I think the line that I like best from this particular scene, though, is: Tomorrow, show me the skating that you can honestly say you liked best. I don't know why I find that part romantic, but I do. I think it might be that I appreciate the fact that there's no cheesy "Will you marry me" or "I love you" - declarations like that actually tend to squick me out a little. Something that takes the longer path to saying that kind of thing is the best, especially if the other party knows what one means without needing to ask what is intended by it. Or at least, that's more to my taste.
When it comes to the restaurant scene, well. I probably have my Phichit -> Yuuri goggles on too tight, because the way he paused before announcing his congratulations, the expression on his face... I just get "I've been pining after you" vibes, hah. With a side of "I'm happy for you, but I also feel like I just got punched in the gut". IT JUST looks like more than simple surprise! But obviously, I am hella biased. (And now I want to give Phichit a hug. Or somebody else should give him a hug. Whatever. Hugging-of-Phichit needs to happen. In general. Regardless of the circumstances. xD)
I love how everyone was so happy for those two. Even all of those random people who overheard it when Phichit yelled "HEY EVERYONE, MY FRIEND GOT MARRIED!", heh. Too cute. And meanwhile Yuuri's FREAKING OUT, and Victor's like "Oh, it's an engagement ring~ We'll get married when he wins gold~" PFFF. So adorable. (And so like Victor, to just say it like that, as if it's a given thing.)
ETA: ...It just hit me that this scene happened. This scene. Happened. Matching rings. "They're a set!" "MY FRIEND GOT MARRIED!" "Oh, no, these are engagement rings, we'll get married later." This conversation happened. This... happened. Jesus, I think I might cry. (Happy tears.) It's just - sorry, having trouble with vocabulary - seeing it on the screen tells me that someone thought about this, and felt that it was a perfectly reasonable and logical scene to illustrate. Something completely natural to add to this story, which takes place more-or-less in the real world. And of course something like this would never happen in real life (specifically, in my real life). It's not something that could happen here, where I am, between two men. That somebody could announce a marriage between two people of the same sex in public like that, and everyone would be happy about it. But somebody dreamed it up and put it on a screen as if it were the most normal thing in the world. And it makes me so happy that it exists.
...Ah, anyway.
Sidenote: During THAT MOMENT when everyone suddenly remembers "Oh yeah, we're competing against each other" - holy shit, that closeup of Phichit.
1. He's fucking hot.
2. He looks like he's wearing eyeliner.
3. Seriously, this guy's cat eye game is ON POINT.
4. ...Okay, that's it, I'll never be able to imagine him as anything but the kind of dude who wears eyeliner when he's going out. :D
I love the little snapshots of moments that we get of the other competitors, including the ones who didn't make it in... Mila and Sara sitting together again! Michele being an annoying brother and Emil wanting to drag them all out clubbing! And Seung Gil with his doggy! And LEO AND GUANG HONG TALKING TO EACH OTHER ON THEIR PHONES, EEEE. Someone sent me caps of those two after the ep aired, but without context, so I was wondering why they both looked so upset (they couldn't possibly be sad that they're far apart - I mean of course they feel that way in my dreams but canon does not = my dreams! xD) Mutual sadface over not being able to get livestreams for events to work is something I TOTALLY FEEL, YO. ...The fact that they're clearly Good Buddies who talk to each other even when they aren't involved in competition together lifts my little LeoJi shipping heart.
Also, holy shit, Guang Hong - hot pink leopard print curtains? TACKY. AS. HELL. ...But you know what, considering some of my unfortunate life choices in the past, I am in absolutely no position to judge. Especially because yes, there was one point in my life where I would have jumped at the chance to have leopard print curtains. Except make them bright blue, thank you. And sparkly. (Actually, I had a shirt like that. It rocked.) ...Anyway.
This episode was too short. THIS EPISODE. WAS TOO SHORT. On the upside, the next one is bound to have plenty of skating, which is great for me. But, ahhh... this one just feels. Too. SHORT. Even though some very important things happened in it, in terms of development of characters and character relations.
However: Oh snap. THOSE PHOTOS IN THE ENDING CREDITS. Wow, Yuuri sure does get wild when he's had too much to drink. And that dance with Victor...! Not to mention the poledance-off against Chris, wow. Even if Yuuri was plastered, I can see why Victor fell in love and was pining from that moment until he went to Japan. xD
(Also, Hetalia folks - is it just me, or does Yurio look kind of like Norway in the dance-off photos? I think it must be the combination of light blond hair + blue suit, I dunno. Anyway, I like it. And pfff, sure Yurio, you were "forced" into it... yes... I believe that....)
Aaahhh, this episode, though. It was a good episode! An early Christmas present, even! It warmed my heart. <3 And of course I'm looking forward to the next one!
This entry was originally posted at http://yuuago.dreamwidth.org/3521993.html. You can comment here or at the original entry.
Okay. So.
Once again, I was spoiled for a lot of it before actually watching the episode, since it aired during the day over here and I was at work and for some reason I can't persuade myself to stay off twitter and FFA, even on YOI days. I'm terrible like that. But even if you know how a story goes, the journey is part of the fun! So even though I knew the general idea of what would happen, and even though this episode had minimal/no skating, there was still plenty of stuff to interest me.
It's nice to finally get an episode partially from Victor's point of view! This is something that people have been wanting - including myself - and it's just so nice to get into his head a little bit. It's also nice to have his friendship/rivalry with Chris rounded out a little - it was obvious before that they know each other really well, but the extra layer is really great.
I didn't really know what to think of Chris at first, but he's grown on me a bit over time, and he grew on me even more in this episode. Sure, he comes on kind of strong, but... aside from that, he seems like a really nice, fun-loving person. The kind of person who could seduce you with his ~mature sex appeal~, but who could also make you laugh. I like that. (Plus, he has a sexy voice and adorable eyelashes. Can't beat that.) It also helps that, with regard to some of the stuff that happens later in the episode, he's very genuinely enthusiastic and supportive. It's nice!
asdlkfjkkk I love that Victor had trouble remembering JJ's name. I really, really love it. It just emphasizes that JJ talks a big game, but he isn't half of much of a bigshot as he thinks he is. OUI, THE TRASH KING OF LAVAL IS NOT EVEN A BLIP ON THE RADAR OF THE TSAR OF SKATING fffffff er I mean. /cough
(Totally legit though) Goddamnit JJ, why do you have to be... so... yourself... Though, okay, he actually isn't that much of a jerk - mostly it's just that he has an inflated ego - I like that little bit where he invited Otabek to join him for supper, and it was a genuine well-intentioned offer; shows that he can be an ass and also be nice. It's something that's very familiar to me; like I've mentioned in previous entries, his whole attitude feels very fitting with Canadian guys of a certain age.
I love the contrast between Victor's lack of impression about JJ VS how curious he seems to be about Otabek. It's clear that he has some respect for Otabek, both as a fellow professional, and as an individual. He takes Otabek seriously, and to me there's this implication that right now, Otabek is good, but some day he'll be formidable.
PHICHIT. PHICHIT PHICHIT PHICHIT is adorable and I love him. And I love all those pictures on his instagram. Especially that one with Guang Hong... and the group photo of the Cup of China skaters. I have a one-track mind. But they're so cute!
Victor's POV of Hatsetsu is so... ahhh it's so cozy and nice! I love that he seems to feel comfortable in this place, that it's become somewhere where he can have both life and love. A good place for his future home, perhaps? :D
Anyway.
WHOA - I expected Otabek dramatically sweeping in on his motorcycle to rescue Yurio from screaming fans to be, well, dramatic, from what we saw in the preview. And that scene is everything I had hoped for. OTABEK IS SO COOL AND I AM AN INSTANT FAN. "The hero of Kazakhstan", eh. I like it. 8) 8) 8) What a guy. It's really interesting to get a bit of his backstory, that he met Yurio quite a while ago, and that Yurio had left such an impression on him at the time.
"Are you going to become friends with me or not?" ...AWW. Okay, I love this duo. That moment between them is actually very, very sweet. I hope we'll get several more scenes between them in the next two episodes. Yay, Yurio made a friend!
...Ah. The church scene with Yuuri and Victor - you know, I never thought we'd see something like this. Between these two, specifically, but also in general. This isn't something that I get to see very often, and it makes me feel warm and happy. And it's just so... very, very sweet, and more understated than I expected, and the exchange of rings is just so romantic. It's so... cozy? Not over-the-top.
I think the line that I like best from this particular scene, though, is: Tomorrow, show me the skating that you can honestly say you liked best. I don't know why I find that part romantic, but I do. I think it might be that I appreciate the fact that there's no cheesy "Will you marry me" or "I love you" - declarations like that actually tend to squick me out a little. Something that takes the longer path to saying that kind of thing is the best, especially if the other party knows what one means without needing to ask what is intended by it. Or at least, that's more to my taste.
When it comes to the restaurant scene, well. I probably have my Phichit -> Yuuri goggles on too tight, because the way he paused before announcing his congratulations, the expression on his face... I just get "I've been pining after you" vibes, hah. With a side of "I'm happy for you, but I also feel like I just got punched in the gut". IT JUST looks like more than simple surprise! But obviously, I am hella biased. (And now I want to give Phichit a hug. Or somebody else should give him a hug. Whatever. Hugging-of-Phichit needs to happen. In general. Regardless of the circumstances. xD)
I love how everyone was so happy for those two. Even all of those random people who overheard it when Phichit yelled "HEY EVERYONE, MY FRIEND GOT MARRIED!", heh. Too cute. And meanwhile Yuuri's FREAKING OUT, and Victor's like "Oh, it's an engagement ring~ We'll get married when he wins gold~" PFFF. So adorable. (And so like Victor, to just say it like that, as if it's a given thing.)
ETA: ...It just hit me that this scene happened. This scene. Happened. Matching rings. "They're a set!" "MY FRIEND GOT MARRIED!" "Oh, no, these are engagement rings, we'll get married later." This conversation happened. This... happened. Jesus, I think I might cry. (Happy tears.) It's just - sorry, having trouble with vocabulary - seeing it on the screen tells me that someone thought about this, and felt that it was a perfectly reasonable and logical scene to illustrate. Something completely natural to add to this story, which takes place more-or-less in the real world. And of course something like this would never happen in real life (specifically, in my real life). It's not something that could happen here, where I am, between two men. That somebody could announce a marriage between two people of the same sex in public like that, and everyone would be happy about it. But somebody dreamed it up and put it on a screen as if it were the most normal thing in the world. And it makes me so happy that it exists.
...Ah, anyway.
Sidenote: During THAT MOMENT when everyone suddenly remembers "Oh yeah, we're competing against each other" - holy shit, that closeup of Phichit.
1. He's fucking hot.
2. He looks like he's wearing eyeliner.
3. Seriously, this guy's cat eye game is ON POINT.
4. ...Okay, that's it, I'll never be able to imagine him as anything but the kind of dude who wears eyeliner when he's going out. :D
I love the little snapshots of moments that we get of the other competitors, including the ones who didn't make it in... Mila and Sara sitting together again! Michele being an annoying brother and Emil wanting to drag them all out clubbing! And Seung Gil with his doggy! And LEO AND GUANG HONG TALKING TO EACH OTHER ON THEIR PHONES, EEEE. Someone sent me caps of those two after the ep aired, but without context, so I was wondering why they both looked so upset (they couldn't possibly be sad that they're far apart - I mean of course they feel that way in my dreams but canon does not = my dreams! xD) Mutual sadface over not being able to get livestreams for events to work is something I TOTALLY FEEL, YO. ...The fact that they're clearly Good Buddies who talk to each other even when they aren't involved in competition together lifts my little LeoJi shipping heart.
Also, holy shit, Guang Hong - hot pink leopard print curtains? TACKY. AS. HELL. ...But you know what, considering some of my unfortunate life choices in the past, I am in absolutely no position to judge. Especially because yes, there was one point in my life where I would have jumped at the chance to have leopard print curtains. Except make them bright blue, thank you. And sparkly. (Actually, I had a shirt like that. It rocked.) ...Anyway.
This episode was too short. THIS EPISODE. WAS TOO SHORT. On the upside, the next one is bound to have plenty of skating, which is great for me. But, ahhh... this one just feels. Too. SHORT. Even though some very important things happened in it, in terms of development of characters and character relations.
However: Oh snap. THOSE PHOTOS IN THE ENDING CREDITS. Wow, Yuuri sure does get wild when he's had too much to drink. And that dance with Victor...! Not to mention the poledance-off against Chris, wow. Even if Yuuri was plastered, I can see why Victor fell in love and was pining from that moment until he went to Japan. xD
(Also, Hetalia folks - is it just me, or does Yurio look kind of like Norway in the dance-off photos? I think it must be the combination of light blond hair + blue suit, I dunno. Anyway, I like it. And pfff, sure Yurio, you were "forced" into it... yes... I believe that....)
Aaahhh, this episode, though. It was a good episode! An early Christmas present, even! It warmed my heart. <3 And of course I'm looking forward to the next one!
This entry was originally posted at http://yuuago.dreamwidth.org/3521993.html. You can comment here or at the original entry.