#congrats on the gpf title!

[eggplantgifs]

Minerva Hase & Nikita Volodin: You Were Mine » 2024 Grand Prix Final

bonus: free skate k&c

[figureskatingpenguin]

Amber Glenn (USA): I Will Find You / The Return | 2024 ISU Grand Prix Final, FS

25-year-old Amber Glenn wins her first Grand Prix Final, becoming the first American woman to win the title in 14 years! 💜

[kittyprincessofcats]

Worlds 2022 - Women’s SP

I’m late to everything again, but idc. Thoughts:

- My girl Mana did so well! I’m so glad her Olympic experience didn’t completely get her down. And it was probably the right choice to play it safe here and just go for a 2A. Congrats on a really nice SP!

- Tzu-Han Ting was really great and I really enjoyed her skate. And yeah, it definitely felt like they robbed her.

- I loved Olga Mikutina’s SP! The music, the choreography, the new costume, and just the vibes of the program were so cool! I’ve said before that I have a thing for goth programs, so yeah - this was right up my alley, loved it.

Also, skating aside for a second: Olga was born in Kharkiv in Ukraine and I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been to focus on training while her hometown is currently being bombed. She’s also been vocally protesting against the Russian invasion since it started (she and Severin Kiefer made the hearts with the Urkainian flag that somes skaters were wearing in solidarity).

- A few years later, the male announcer still hasn’t learned not to mispronounce “Nicole Schott” as “Nicole Schrott” and I wonder when someone is going to tell him that “Schrott” means garbage/junk in German and that he’s been announcing her as “Nicole Garbage” this entire time.

- Mariah getting a small medal is cursed, I hate it. They overscored her so badly here. I really don’t get what was supposed to be so great about that skate. (And seeing people say that they’re just overscoring other white skaters more when the Russians aren’t here... yeah, I can’t help but agree.)

- Haein was really lovely and her score seemed harsh.

- I still dig Karen’s SP (like I said - goth programs ftw). Glad she performed it better here, but what a shame about the popped Loop.

- Wakaba’s scores will never stop making me angry, huh? It’s awful how it’s always the same people who get robbed. I do agree with the negative GOE on the 2A (and with calling it as a 2A) and with the F(e) (I’d have maybe gone for F(!), but yeah) - but the score still seems way too harsh. The PCS in particular is an absolute joke. And it’s telling how the judges don’t always give proper edge calls to other people, but here they suddenly can.

- Kaori’s skate was great! I’ve got to say this Gladiator SP really grew on me - I wasn’t a fan at first, but now I really like it! I’m super happy for her and she really deserves the title after getting robbed of it last year and getting robbed of silver in 2019. Her reaction to the score in the Kiss and Cry was absolutely precious. That said... and I hate to say it, but I do think she was overscored. Not in comparison to how the Russians are scored these days of course, but in comparison to how other Japanese skaters - in this case Wakaba - are getting scored, it’s noticable that Kaori is the one who has the Fed’s support. I just wish JSF had the energy to politic for all their skaters like this.

- Alysa’s skate, to my own surprise, might have been my favourite of the bunch this time. That was just a really enjoyable performance to watch on a purely subjective “do I enjoy watching this” scale. I love the music and outfit and she really seemed to have fun with it. I wanted to hug them when they started crying afterwards. She’s really been through a lot this season. Also they should have definitely placed ahead of Mariah here and I don’t get how they didn’t. (Oh right... racism. Yikes.)

((Also, Alysa is just a really sweet and likable skater that I want to root for, you know? It’s pratially just their adorable and infectiously happy personality, partially that I just really respect seeing someone actually go from a quad jumping kid to a more mature skater who doesn’t just focus on jumps, and partially also that she’s been a sentimental favourite of mine ever since I witnessed a whole bunch of Russian fans vocally root against her at the Junior GPF 2019 in Turin - just because Alysa was Kamila’s biggest competition at the time and maybe because of some Cold War BS as well. If you’d sat in that audience and heard the way a bunch of adults started to loudly roar and cheer when a 13-year-old didn’t win, you’d have started to root for that 13-year-old skater out of principle, too.))

- Young’s skate was another candidate for my favourite program of the event - amazing! Idk why, but this was the most I’ve ever enjoyed watching her skate this SP. So far, I’ve preferred her FS this season while just feeling “meh” about the SP, but this time I loved it! And I’m not entirely sure if that’s because she skated it better than before, or just because I’m not as tense watching this as I was during the Olympics - probably both. But yeah, great skate - should have also definitely placed ahead of Mariah.

- Loena was great and it’s nice to see a small fed skater do so well here! And she’s definitely a fighter to do so well with an injury. And again - a precious reaction in the Kiss and Cry. That said, she was also scored too generously here. The most obvious example is the opening 3Lz3T-Combo: The landing was pretty shaky, but only J9 have this combo negative GOE (-1). Most even gave it +2. And while I admit I don’t always get edge calls right, the Lz in the combo looked like a pretty clear Flutz to me? Am I wrong there?

Conclusion: I will say that while I still have issues with the scoring (the racism was very obvious this time), this was still the most enjoyable women’s SP I’ve seen in a long time. You take out the Russians and suddenly you’ve got an interesting competition again - even so, the ISU still needs a reform because in the long run, no sport can exist without fairness.

[lazuliblade]

CONGRATS YUZU ON FINALLY GETTING YOUR 4CC GOLD!

It’s been 10 seasons. He got his first 4CC silver in his first Senior season as a 16 year-old. Four Continents Championships... I guess you could say: 4th time’s the charm. This was a really good event overall, so I’m happy with it. By the way, the term for a skater winning every title in Seniors over the course of their career is called a “Career Grand Slam” (GPF, Euros/4CC, Worlds, Olympics). The term for winning every title in Juniors and Seniors  is “Career Super Slam” (or Career Super Grand Slam). Yuzu has become the first Men’s skater to achieve this.

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap 4CC 2020 - Men FS

You know you are a skating nerd if you wake up at about 6 am to watch your favorite skater win his title to produce a grand slam. So I will only recap the last group and catch up later on the rest.

Keegan Messing is a skater I really enjoy watching. Sadly he can never quite manage to get it together. The 3As weren't behaving at all, too many mistakes. I still wonder who they will send to Worlds, because Roman Sadovsky won Nats but Nam placed the best here. But I am sure we won't see Keegan...adding one thing that is remarkable about Keegan is the sportmanship and friendship he displays even before his own turn of skating. Hats off for that.

Yuma Kagiyama a 4CC Bronze medal at age 16 and in his first big senior competition! Wow! 🥉😍

Almost clean program. And I think he leapt bounds in the presentation since I first saw him in the junior GPs. Great skate! May he stay injury free and sail smoothly into seniors.

Junhwan Cha really delivered his best free skate this season on hom ice. I think he looked far more secure than before. I enjoyed the program, especially that layback Ina Bauer looks stunning. He still is always left at the judges mercy with the URs. 10 points went down in his technical score. (as they haven't shown those UR marked jumps in the replay I have no idea what to think about that, just that another time the URs prevent him from taking a medal)

Yuzu is a fighter! And Seimei is a breattaking program! ❤️ 4CC crown for the first time! 👑 And congrats on the grand slam! You wrote hystory again! 🎉🎉🎉❤️

Of course Yuzu had no one to match him here, so his win was a sure thing, but let's just be real this wasn't his best free skate, but for me he still looked more free in his performance than he looked with Origin, so from an emotional point it seemed like the best choice. The crossrolls always do it for me. 😍 To have the program shortened was the problem I think. That he just didn't have as many run-throughs as he probably would have liked (he skipped his run-through in the morning practice, but I am sure one more wouldn't have made the difference). The way he went from the 3A to the 3F without any preparation is stunning. I could watch Seimei forever. I really like it that much.❤️ I mean sure he has some work to do 'til Worlds but I am pretty sure he won't go down without a fight. And to face his real rivals will spark a fire in him. I really wonder what layout he will work into Seimei, because today didn't give much away of his plans.(And yeah judging is wack when his step out on the 4Lz gets as much - GOEs as a fall by some judges, to give Jason the same GOEs on a 3A is really something by some judges too. Yeah I do feel Yuzu is judged to a higher standard here and that was exactly what I feared for Seimei's return, that he would always be held to his WR performances of that program. It makes me cringe. His PCS being low is ok considering the PCS cap rule, but wouldn't the rule apply to Jason to with a popped jump? Ok he had no fall...still a fall only prevents a 10 in PCS segments...so how did Jason get more? 😑)

Congrats for finally Gold at 4CC 🥇!

Boyang Jin did show himself much bettter than at the GPF and that matters. Also 4Lz seems to be there again. It really looked like he was in the air forever. He would have been the only one that could have surpassed Yuzu's technical score but not with two pops. He was one that started the race with multiple quads, but as of late it doesn't quite seem like he can manage 4 quads. I really like the music of his program and the last part of the program is really a performance, but his preparation for the quads are really a bit too long of a wait. Still considering his season that was a good showing!

Jason Brown - where do I start? Congrats on the 🥈 medal! Job well done! 👍 Well the way his triples are scored I am not sure he needs a quad to place well. Everyone says quads make your PCS fly high and without them that's normally not the case, but nothing is normal when it comes to Jason. Because he gets the PCS and the GOEs for everything that others need quads for. It's no way to hate on Jason, I do like him and his style and way of jumping, but I just can't quite grasp that his triples (barring the 3A) should be the only ones that can receive these kind of GOEs. (you cannot get those GOEs unless you are from Eteri or your name is Jason Brown I think) Anyway it's not Jason's fault and he did well. The program is well constructed and he feels the music, it just doesn't do much for my own emotion. I have probably just seen too many of Schindler's list programs.

So the last group was enjoyable overall and not a splatfest which is a good thing in men's skating!

[rika-kihira]

Rika Kihira - interview with SkatingChina after 4CC

A kind fan on twitter shared with us the translation of Rika’s interview with SkatingChina, done right after her win at 4CC. Thanks to our proof-readers for their editing!

You can find the original interview at this link, with some beautiful photos of Rika during 4CC ---> https://m.weibo.cn/status/4339891153804578?

Q - Did you sleep well last night? A - I slept from around 3.30am to 9.30am. After returning to the hotel, I used LINE, did some cooling down exercises to relax my muscles. I video called my grandmother, received messages of congrats from my father and sister. I met with my mum at the hotel.

Q - There were many unforeseen circumstances (at this competition), what left the greatest impression on you? A - The issue of my finger. Last year, there was a similar injury and there was a cast placed. Back then I worried that due to the immobility of the finger it could be dangerous to skate, so I didn’t practice the 3A for one to two months, but this time I immediately resumed training the day after my injury. At first, I could not succeed in the 3A, but after regaining composure, I attempted and succeeded in jumping a beautiful 3A. I initially planned to take out all 3As, but my condition improved, so I believe I overcame this ordeal.

Q - How different is winning 4CC from winning gold at GPF? A – Well...I didn’t really consider this question before, as I just thought of both as “international competitions”. This competition made me realise, no matter what obstacles I face, I should not give up easily. At GPF I focused on how to ensure my condition (peak) timed correct at the competition, but this time to even arrive at this condition was an effort. It was only until the morning practice before the free skate that I started feeling some confidence in my condition, and then I adjusted that so I only needed to stay focused. The pace was different from GPF, but I just thought I shall go on with all my might.

Q - Will you withdraw from the challenger event (Challenge Cup)? A - I will go for a thorough examination after I return back to Japan, and then make a decision based on the diagnosis. For now, I do not plan to withdraw.

Q - How do you view the assignment of challenger event? A - I am competing for (World Ranking) points, not because I want to make my schedule packed. I think it is beneficial to earn more points before Worlds, so I accepted the assignment.

Q - How do you plan to adjust your boots? A - For now, I have only changed the left boot. If everything stays fine, I will use this combination till Worlds. But to be safe, I have prepared another three pairs.

Q - Are you making use of the Challenger event to make adjustments before Worlds? A - I need to remember the feeling I had at the GPF of skating my short program clean. I hope to perform a perfect short at this event, to build confidence going into Worlds. Besides checking the SP, I want to adjust my condition to its best and have no worries.

Q - You mentioned GPF and 4CC are “international competitions” to you. What about the World Championships? A - Although all are competitions, but subconsciously I differentiate them into domestic and international ones. But I should and I hope to treat them all the same, to aim to give my best performance.

Q - Are you aiming for a World title, or even an Olympic gold? A - Every time after the free skate, I will pray for good results. I believe it will be the same for Worlds. However, during practice, I do not pray about things like placements. I think about how I can perform my two programs perfectly.

Q - Where did you go in the morning? A - I visited the person who helped dressed my finger to continue with the treatment, then I went to eat Italian food. My mother told me she ate at a really good Italian restaurant a few days ago, so she wanted to bring me. We looked at our schedule and found we only had time this noon, so we had our lunch at that restaurant.

Q - Did you go shopping? What do you like? A - I have not. I like things that are pink in colour and soft and fluffy. The plushies at home are pink in colour. Gifts from everyone are usually picked with suiting me in mind. As for myself, I am not particularly picky.

Q - What kind of impression do you think you give people? A - I never particularly think about this question, but I think the gifts people give me fit the impression I give. My mum often says that it is easy for others to know what I like, and I agree. I really like the colour pink, my bed sheet is in light pink, my bag, luggage and jacket are all in pink too. I realise I should take note about it. Recently, I have reminded myself to have self-control and buy things in blue or other colours too.

Q - Here at the 4CC you did not succeed in the 3A in the short program. At Worlds do you plan to have a layout with 3 3As (between SP and LP)? A - I have not yet performed 2 clean programs in competition, so I am motivated to plan 3 3As between my programs, and ensure that they are executed with quality, no negative GOE. My performance at GPF still had flaws, so performing 2 clean programs is my goal.

Q - Have you thought about your plans after this season ends? A - To increase the number of dance classes and to learn more English. My daily life is centered around training, and I train to perfect my programs and make no mistakes. Hence, I think maybe I should shake up the rhythm once, so it is easier for me to go back to the basics, to improve my dancing and foundations, and increase training in other core aspects outside of on-ice training.

Q - I heard you went to Ghislain Briand to change your technique on the Salchow- that it is more like launching up while grabbing a circle, and it is believed to be easier to execute? A - Although this method is not easier to execute the jump, but according to Ghislain, this method of jumping the Salchow makes it less prone to popping. Although I spent some time getting used to the change, I slowly adjusted and applied the technique to the triple Salchow too. During my training in Colorado, my 3S also became much more stable. I believe this is the reason why my success with 4S followed.

Q - Was the change a very difficult process? A - It was. Originally, I never jumped (the Salchow) this way, and it took a lot of time to adjust. Especially for my 3S, the axis was very tilted at the beginning, such that I wasn’t in the state to consider practicing the 4S. Afterwards, my 3S became stable, and because the foundation was there, I attempted the 4S and successfully landed it.

Q - What are the difference between the two methods specifically? A - The previous method does not allow the left foot to climb over the right foot, and on the ice when bearing weight, you do not use the right foot, so you rely on the left foot/leg to jump. (The current method) allows the right foot to take on some of the weight, but in the end require both feet to work together to jump. My current method is the way Hanyu-kun jump, while the previous one is the method Nathan Chen uses.

Q - So it is easier to jump the 4S than the 4T for now? A - Yes. I was not good at the Toeloop jump to begin with. When my condition is good I can jump it, but I often find my axis in air to be very unstable. Hence, I changed my entry into the Toeloop to a 3-turn, but I am not completely used to it. At the moment, the Salchow is more stable than the Toeloop.

Q - During the process of changing the salchow technique, did you take reference from Hanyu’s videos?                                                                          A - Yes, Ghislain will show me the slow motion replay of Hanyu-kun’s 4S. After watching it, I will have a better image in my mind on how to jump it. So I have always thought of it as a very useful reference.

Q - Did you personally manage to watch him jump close-up? A - There wasn’t any chance to. Even though we did meet at ice shows, he usually jumped the 4T. I hope there will be a chance for me to observe properly in the future.

Q - Previously, you had dance classes and you were seen dancing to Michael Jackson’s song with Satoko Miyahara. What kind of experience was it? A - It was different from the usual dance lessons. It is a style of dance that requires speed and accuracy. There are many things I need to pay attention in steps. Comparing to just remembering the steps, it was much more difficult to pay attention to every detail and I learnt a lot. The next time I go to Colorado, I can still experience such lessons and I hope to challenge myself to more types of music genres.

[mosaicabstract]

Queer Baiting vs. Queer Coding: A Discourse on Yuri on Ice and other media

Sup kiddos. Listen. The Yuri on Ice finale came out two weeks and some change ago, and ever since, I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about how the show didn’t end with a kiss or a wedding or a solid, physical confirmation that Yuuri and Viktor are, indeed, your friendly neighborhood gays. Others are saying that because of this, the show intentionally queer baited its viewers, and that Viktuuri is not, in fact, canon because of it. 

Well I’m going to spend the next however long, as someone who has a bachelor's degree in film and has written lengthy essays about this very topic in the past, explaining why that’s a big pile of poo!! 

(Disclaimer: I apologize if anyone is offended by the word ‘queer’. I’m using is solely because it is the word used in both of the terms I will be discussing). 

Okay, so first, I need you to understand the historical and cultural context of what we call “queer coding”. Queer coding, in film theory, is the implicit and subtle coding of characters to be LGBTQA+ without every explicitly saying it or showing it on screen/in literature/etc. I like to think about coding as kind of an inside joke: if you’re ‘in the know’, you get it. If you’re not, it goes right over your head. For decades, queer coding was the only way that anyone non-straight or non-cis could have any sort of representation in media. Old Hollywood is riddled with some of the best, most subversive queer coding. One of my absolute favorite examples is an Alfred Hitchcock film called Rope. Rope is a thriller about two young, handsome men living in a penthouse apartment together in New York who decide to commit a murder for the fun of it, throw the corpse in a giant chest, and then serve the dead guy’s family and friends a dinner party on top of the chest. It’s morbid and dark, but what intrigues me the most about it is that the two men are, if you’re looking for it, clearly homosexual. It’s never stated. It’s never shown. But they simply are, and if you look closely, you can tell they are through various character traits and wink wink nudge nudge lines in the script. This was much later confirmed by the man who wrote Rope, Arthur Laurents, who was himself gay, and was in a romantic relationship with one of the lead actors, Farley Granger (John Dall, the other lead, was also gay) (x). This was an utter act of subversion. It was a rebellious act, as were all queer codings back then, to have representation in media. (Side note: When I took a class on Hitchcock I read a book by an author I can’t quite remember, and he had an anecdote in his book about being a teenager and going to see Rope in theaters, and coming out in tears and so happy because it was the first time he’d ever realized people like him even existed. Queer coding is HUGELY important in the history of queer media and queer representation.)

Coding still happens today, as well. Just because gay marriage is legal in the US doesn’t mean the fight is anywhere near over (but it’s not like that’s some huge secret). Out and Proud queer media is often a rather niche platform. Film and television are starting to be better about having queer representation, but often it’s either fetishized, pushed to the background, or made into tragedy. Rare and far between are there just like, your average happy-go-lucky shows or films that capture a non-het romance in a normal light. It almost always, still, ends in tragedy. “Bury your gays” is a phrase for a reason, folks. Also in more conservative cultures (such as Japan, where gay marriage hasn’t been universally legalized, and discrimination against LGBTQA+ people is still technically legal (x)), queer coding is a valuable tool for telling queer stories and finding representation. 

Now, we’re going to talk about queer baiting, which is also a thing that happens, but is not the same as queer coding. The difference may be subtle to some people, but it’s there, and it’s all about intent of content and treatment of LGBTQA+ viewers and fans. Where queer coding is done for the benefit of queer viewers, queer baiting is done at the expense of queer viewers. Let’s face it, with fandom culture and non-straight or non-cis people desperately seeking representation and validation from popular media, having a queer relationship/character is a cash cow for a show or film. However, either due to networks or investors or homophobia of certain actors/crew members etc, certain media might find it difficult to just have characters like this. Some certain shows (I’ve especially found this is a trend in television shows... you know the ones) have decided to exploit that interest in the possibility of a homosexual relationship between two (usually male) characters, and they lead their audiences on and make them believe that it’s a thing, only to bring back in ye olde mighty fist of ‘no homo’ heteronormativity and crush everyone’s hopes and dreams, time and time again. (I would argue, at this point, Supernatural makes 99% of its revenue from queer baiting...)

So! Let’s discuss now why YOI isn’t queer baiting, but is, in fact, queer coding (aka why dem bitches be gay af):

I mentioned earlier that Japan is a more conservative place when it comes to homosexuality. It isn’t illegal to be homosexual there, like it is in some places, but there are no laws that protect homosexual people from discrimination, they can’t marry, they can’t be recognized as married (in most places), they can’t adopt, etc. Often, homosexuality portrayed in Japanese media is extremely fetishized and stereotyped. This isn’t all-inclusive. There are some really, really positive strides being made toward queer representation in Japanese media. And honestly, YOI is one of them. And for the record, no, reading the wiki on LGBT rights in Japan doesn’t make me an expert on what it’s like to be gay or trans in Japan. All I have are online testimonies and actual laws, so feel free to comment on that if you know more than I do (which isn’t hard at all). 

Back to YOI. It wasn’t easy to get this thing made. They had to fight to get aired in the first place, only to get relegated to being aired in the middle of the night. I’m not sure if anyone expected them to become the international hit that they did, with millions of watchers all over the world. But, already hanging on by a thread to get aired in the first place, they had to walk a delicate line between getting the green light and bringing you the gay love story of your dreams. 

Because that’s what YOI is. It’s a gay love story. The skating is a platform that they use through which to tell the gay love story,  but at the very core of the show, YOI is about two people who fall in love. 

But Rachel, you say, there’s no confirmation! Nothing from the show to validate their love to the audience! How are we supposed to think it isn’t queerbaiting?!? 

Because it is validated, children. It’s consummated, if you will. Here’s why: 

YOI relies heavily on established genre conventions of romance. Pining, lust, blushing, hugging, etc etc etc. There isn’t a single moment in the show that tells you that it’s just bros being bros, y’know? There’s never that Supernatural No Homo Moment™. But there’s also never a moment where their love is, in the traditional sense, explicitly shown. Why? Because their love is explicitly laid out and shown to you through the grand euphemism of figure skating. 

Think of figure skating as the invisible thread that ties it all (and them) together. They meet because of figure skating. Viktor becomes Yuuri’s coach. Viktor uses figure skating to get Yuuri to love himself and regain his confidence in himself. Viktor puts his own figure skating career on hold for Yuuri. At almost every single performance, Viktor and Yuri have a Moment together, because the ice is the purest form of their love. It’s where Yuuri expresses his love to Viktor. (I mean, for f*ck’s sake, Yuuri’s theme of the season is ‘love on ice’. I even read a meta somewhere that says in Japanese the title can be translated to ‘love on ice’ as well.) It’s love. Their love. On Ice. That’s it. That’s the show. 

Yuuri’s experience skating reflects his experience being in love with Viktor. It starts out shy, embarrassed, self-conscious, and a little inexperienced. But it grows and grows as the season goes on, to show Yuuri taking more risks and gaining confidence. He gets into skating because of Viktor, and Viktor goes back to skating because of him. Their love is directly correlated to skating. 

If you think of their skating as an explicit euphemism for their love story, then the rings? A real engagement. 

(C’MON PEOPLE. Romantic setting. Soft mood lighting. Sliding gold rings onto each others’ fingers. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT)

The pair skate at the end? Their marriage. 

(y’all... full offense but like... matching suits? in front of a ton of people? THE LYRICS OF ‘STAY CLOSE TO ME’ BECOMING A DUET? THEY’RE MARRIED OK gif credit: x)

The kiss? Well...

(CONGRATS IT’S A FUCKING KISS, JUST BECAUSE WE DON’T SEE LIP TO LIP CONTACT, DO YOU HONESTLY THINK IT’S ANYTHING ELSE??? gif credit: x)

Once you stop thinking of things literally and wondering why you didn’t get a steamy make-out scene post GPF final, you will honestly be free. Because for all intents and purposes, that pair skate was either a marriage or a sex scene, depending on how you’d like to interpret it. Point is: it shows them consummating their love. Are you following? If their skating represents their love and finally they’re both skating together... Harold, are you listening? Harold... HAROLD.

Another show I love to compare this to is Hannibal. And I know a lot of people have various issues with Hannibal and the moral implications of it and I’m right there with you bud but if you take a step back and look at it as a heavily queer coded piece of media, a very distinct comparison can be made to the end of Hannibal and the end of Yuri on Ice (I know... I know... but STAY WITH ME HERE OK??). Hannibal was made by Bryan Fuller, an out gay man, and although it’s total possible for gay people to write straight characters (obviously!!!!!!!!!!!! kill that gross stereotype!!!!!!!!!!) it makes the queer coding a little more... apparent. (Warning: Spoilers and also... mentions of gore and violence ahoy)

What skating is to Viktor and Yuuri’s love is what murder is to Hannibal and Will’s love (as fucked up as that is). And how do they end the show? With Will and Hannibal (in the most homoerotic way possible) murdering a dude together, viscerally, and then holding each other, covered in blood. Do you see what I’m saying? IT WAS A SEX SCENE. IT WAS A MARRIAGE. JUST BECAUSE THERE WASN’T THRUSTING OR MAKING OUT DOESN’T MEAN IT WASN’T THERE. It’s what’s beautiful about queer coding. We all watch it and go “Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” whereas all the homophobes watch it and it goes right over their stupid heads and into the void. But yeah, like how the pair skate was Yuuri and Viktor consummating their love, Will and Hannibal fuckin destroying a dude together and then falling off a cliff was them consummating their love. 

In conclusion? YOI didn’t queer bait you. The contrary. It gave you a beautiful gay relationship with a happy ending and a promise for more. Let me reiterate that: it gave you a beautiful, 100% canon gay relationship with a happy ending and a promise for more. You just have to squint a little. Read between the lines. Take your Straight Goggles™ that traditional media have glued to your lil noggin right off and realize that you’re not imagining it and they’re not doing it to fool you. They want you to see it. They want you to know that Viktor and Yuuri are in love. They just have to do it in a way where they can maybe get green lit for another season because the world is still a shit place and homophobes still exist, kapish? 

Look. This isn’t some theory. I’m not saying this like I think it might be the case. No. I know this. I would bet my entire life on it. Trust me. I will not lead you astray. Viktor and Yuuri are in love. You know this. I know this. Kubo knows this. 

(gif credit x)

[boysinblades]

Did you see Nathan Chen's performance? It was amazing and I was internally screaming when he broke 300 pts! Karen Chen's performance too mad me cry she was so graceful in it! (Sadly I don't remember watching the pair skaters but congrats for them too!!)

Of course I watched Nathan! I was blown away by all those quads, like, I was seriously staring with my mouth open O.O If he had made a statement by winning the FS at the GPF he made an even bigger one here with those 5 quads….FIVE QUADS! With that unbelievable tech content and the decent PCS he’s been getting, I dare to say he is a threat for the World Title. And if he is clean internationally like he was here, he will join the “official” 300 club for sure. I’m very curious about who USFSA will give the second World spot to, tho. 

Karen was great! Her 3Lz is a thing of beauty *heart eyes* I just really hope she doesn’t crack under the pressure at Worlds, because the competition there is quite fierce. I think it might be a bit hard for her to break the podium given that she is relatively knew to the top scene and her PCS are not that high, in addition to the Russian girls’ and Satoko’s unbelievable consistency, but they need to keep those 3 spots for the Olympics.

The pairs Champions were Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (unless you mean ice dance, in which case it was Maia and Alex Shibutani). I really liked Denney and Frazier since SA, and they faced some issues with their SBS jumps here, but were still quite good. And I’m so glad they get the chance to go to Worlds :)

[eggplantgifs]

Congrats to Nathan Chen on his undefeated 2017 Grand Prix season!

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap Skate America 2019 - Ladies FS

What to say? Welcome to the Eteri show part 1! Part 2 next week at SC!

Anna Shcherbakova deserved the win here. Congrats on 🥇! 160 points??? Ok whatever...don't get me wrong skating clean and the quads are impressive, but that's about it for me. The program feels blank though you can't deny many transitions in there. Trying to make the program interesting with the dress change, I have seen better...

Bradie Tennell's scores were even bigger of a joke than Shcherbakova's...highest PCS??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Home bonus par excellence! Well she skated clean and I am obviously not her fan...so whatever...

Liza Tuktamysheva - 3As were superb! 👏I am not sold on her program, two little happening between the elements. The red gloves may distract a bit from that and I like her interpretation of the music and her cantilever is always fun.

Kaori's program! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

That's an interesting well chorerographed program. 🔥 🔥 🔥 She had everything in her own hands. She already scored what Bradie and Liza got in the past. I don't understand why from highest PCS in the SP, she dropped to 3rd highest only, just a few points more and she would have gotten the medal. But in all fairness with two popped jumps, that would have been quite a stretch. 4th place finish...I mean the GPF was a distant chance only from the beginning, but still I had hopes...😢 I don't understand what happened with her spin level and why she reveives an edge call when barely anybody receives them, it's fair she receives the call but not when others don't...be consistent with the scoring pls...

For me personally Kaori is my queen👑, will she ever receive a big title? I guess never, but for me personally I watch her 1000 times with a good feeling and she has something special. I could rewatch her program in loop, but never watch any of the other programs again...

Wakaba 😭😭😭

A strong showing in the SP, followed by a messed up FS. Oh well...I hope she can have a better skate next time!🙏🙏🙏

I also liked Eunsoo Lim. Delicate program, but also a bit boring. But it was a good performance! And she just has this kind of presence about her, that I like.

Very sad for Mako Yamashita 😢 Injuries prevented her from training. You can see that she isn't really prepared...

I am glad Karen Chen is back. Her spirals are the best. Just her problems are still the same. Inconsistency and underrotations...😔

Poor Stanislava Konstantinova, a disaster again...oh well...

Some bullsh*t in the scoring like expected, but I am not to upset about the placements...the results are what they are...whatever...I am tired...

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap GPF 2018 - Men FS

Ok that wasn't the result I wanted but anyway:

Congratulations to all medalists! 🎉🎉🎉

Congrats Nathan on your 2nd GPF title! 🥇

I like this program and Nathan obviously made less essential mistakes than Shoma so I am fine with Nathan winning! And how cute was this grin for the late music start. 😍 And I am always amazed by his very thoughtful comments! As a person I really like him, probably if I wouldn't be so occupied by my love for Shoma I would root more for him. I do wish him to have good competition like for everyone.

Shoma ❤️ A silver medal is a good accomplishment! Congrats! 🥈 Please be proud of you!

Sure not the skate he hoped for but he looked much happier than yesterday and actually that is really all that matters to me. Of course I would always want him to win and chances today were good but I would always root for him even if he places 6th. Some really good things about today's program: 1. no falls! 2. All level 4s achieved! 3. Combos all there! 4T2T was tremendous! 😍 4. PCS broke 90! I love this program, maybe I wasn't convinced first sight but this program really works for him in a brilliant way. He is so on point with the music! ❤️ This step sequence is a masterpiece!❤️ The only thing that bothers me a bit is the UR on the 4F...I mean c'mon if you give Junhwan the go with his close to UR jumps, why not give Shoma?😒 I mean sure in the end that wouldn't have changed the results but it would make me feel better.

I wanted Michal Brezina so badly to medal here 😢 But with only one failed quad attempt that was probably a bit unrealistic...I am still happy for him. 4th place is really good! 👏Better result than in his last GPF in 2011. Just to be there is a big accomplishment for him! And I love that his PCS are not even far away from Nathan, he really has grown as a skater and finally receiving some good PCS! And this program has so much charm! All season he shows so much confidence that I wasn't used to in the last years as a Brezina fan. Really soothes my Brezina fan heart and pays back for all these lackluster years. ❤️

Congrats on Bronze! The 3rd Bronze this season! 🥉👍Well seems like Junhwan Cha is promoted as the next big thing in men's skating. I mean so many people always say Shoma is favored, but here comes Junhwan who imo is really favored by judges. He is great no question about that but he doesn't stand out to me apart from the still unnecessary Juliet scream. The program is so trashy it is almost good😅 Well he seems to have a charming personality and this is where he resonates with me, his skating just not so much. I wonder if those many Junhwan fans at the GPF were Korean fans opting to find in him the next Yuna or if these are actually Yuzu fans who adopted him now Yuzu can't compete....maybe a bit of both

Keegan Messing and Sergei Voronov both had some troubles that made them not in contention for the Bronze.

I like Keegan's program very much. And congrats on that 4Lz, even though a bit rough on landing but first 4Lz for him in comp! 👍 Just to be there was a good thing for him, so I think overall he can be satisfied with it. Keegan is saving Canadian skating this season is also something no one would have ever imagined. I like his story coming from the bottom to rise to be the Canadian of the season!

Uncle Sergei always has my heart. Always downplayed in Russia and there he is the best Russian of the Grand Prix series! They have to consider him for Worlds! Please! I admit in his case I am more impressed by his eagerness than his actual programs but I like his skating fair enough if he is on.

Just to hear that Sergei skates to the choreo of Denis Ten makes me remember what wonderful skater was lost this season. I like how Denis stays in memory all season through the little details. He is not forgotten!

I think despite the mistakes that happened today it was a very good competition! Mistakes are understandable on quads but the majority of jumps was done in a good way! The men did not disappoint me at all!

So far for a long recap...this closes Men's GP series! Thank you for reading! 😊

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap Worlds 2018 Men FS

Who the hell could have guessed I was so wrong when I thought the ladies were unexpected....the men were so shocking I still don't know what happened. I was there but still what was this? 😱😱😱😱

The recap from the beginning in order:

I first watched the practice in the morning of the last two groups. Training does not always give you a hint about how the competition will go, but it is always nice to see the training 😊 (only why does this have to be so early 😑?)

The Men FS started very good with Julian Zhi Jie Yee, who made the crowd going for him. Then the rest of the group had some ups and downs but it was still not too bad. Donovan Carillo was a crowd favorit with lots of charme. The next group also had some good performances.

The first unexpected thing I had was when Michal Brezina did a fabulous skate! What? I think I've never seen him this good in years. (Usually he crumbles even in the easiest parts of the program.) Congrats Michal for your 10th place! 👏👏👏

The 3rd group was very pleasing:

A great skate, one of the best performances today was from Kazuki Tomono! In the warm-up he tried the 4S dozens of times with unsteady landings and falls, but in the FS the 4S worked perfectly. 3rd best FS of the day! He really made the 3 spots for Japan happen. And this in his first Worlds, coming in as a substitute. Congrats Kazuki! 👏👏👏

Deniss Vasiljews had the crowd going and his coach Stephane behind the board 😂! Everything worked perfectly! He may not have a quad, but he has beautiful skating with a great interpretation! 😍👏👏👏 His face when he saw the gifted chocolate was priceless! 😂

Misha Ge had a beautiful skate! So passionate! Congrats on earning 2 spots for your own! Misha and his shadow? 😂 Wonder if this is really the end of his career, but I guess so....

Alexei Bychenko was also very good. He always loses points on spins and steps, but he is very reliable and brings Israel two spots again. His best ever finish!

And after some very good groups, the disaster started...I don't know what happened....😭😭😭

It all started with Keegan Messing, who has a wonderful program and a fine Chaplin interpretation, but the jumps were not working, especially his quads. He stayed in the Top 10, thanks to the other skaters who faltered much more, good for Canada...

And then I held my breath for Shoma! It was pure heartbreak 😭!򛑍y heart melted for him even more the way he fought through his program after 3 falls and then his combos all surprisingly worked! Shoma is a true fighter! And not completely falling apart deserves every respect and also for not backing down the content though being injured.

The falls were not that unexpected though, the 4F did not work in training and he did not do any 4Lo in the training. In the end 3 falls, two of them underrotated....

I hope Shoma won't be to hard on himself! He carried all of Japan's pressure through Worlds and all of this season!

Shoma you are amazing!!!!❤❤❤❤ Anyone can have a bad skate, that happens to the best! 😘

I think I cried, but really it is still all a blur, I just know I was emotionally very off...and the rollercoaster was not even over...

Poor Boyang 😢! -9 points for falls only! 😱This was the worst he ever skated. At a point of the program when he did not stop falling I think his stamina just left him. If you fall so much, you may not have enough breath for what lies ahead of you. This was really heartbreaking to watch! 😭 And he dropped so low in the field, thank goodness China does not need two spots with Han Yan retired. My heart breaking made me realize once again that I like Boyang very much.

Mikhail Kolyada was the usual Kolyada, falling on expected quads. But after Boyang this was still much better. And I think Mikhail enjoys his program a lot, his interpretation may not always be shown in full potential, but it is a crowd pleasing program.

Vincent Zhou did not look the most confident in his training, had some falls, so I did not really expect him to get it all together (but in all honesty I only watched all other skaters with half-eyes in training because of monitoring each of Shoma's moves 😉) I still did not expect the performance to be so off! And Underrotations everywhere. I must admit irl it is much harder to spot than on TV but even live the jumps looked off and sorry I don't see much "program" between the jumps. Two spread eagles and some nice music cuts don't count as program. Sorry Vincent! Anyone can have a day off though. Such a shame after a strong SP. And who could have guessed that Max Aaron would place above Vincent?! 😱

So the saviour of the day was Nathan Chen! At least one decent performance in the last group! Deserved winner! Thank you Nathan! 6 freaking quads!👏👏👏

Tbh without trying to pull his achievement down there is not much else beside quads (and a working 3A! Surprise! 😉) in his program. He is skating from one side to another, the jumps are impressive but the rest of the program is maybe only when slow music starts and he does some nice movements with his arms. It is even more obvious live than on TV...And even though I much respect his ability to land many different quads, I really wish he would work on the program more. But well why should he? He still received the highest PCS! And yes ok today I am fine with this, but no skater deserved 90 here. Well I think after 5 lousy performances judges were willing to reward him much higher, because he saved the last group! The win was really deserved, best of the day was Nathan for sure, the points though are another story...

(And before people jump to that conclusion, that Nathan is on the same level as Yuzu, because he got nearly Yuzu's old 2015 WR. Remember one thing: Nathan needed 6 quads to reach the points Yuzu gained with 3 quads! So this says something about levels!)

But anyway congrats Nathan for your World Title! 🎉🎉🎉

The last group just gave us more falls than all of the 3 first groups together 😱😭!

I was so surprised to see Shoma climb the board up so high until he was 2nd place! 2nd place with 3 falls and two underrotations!Wow!😱😱😱 All thanks to equally errorfilled performances from the last group!

Seems like the "always getting Silver grudge" was a blessing today for Shoma! 😉

Congrats Shoma for winning Silver and medaling in all your competitions! 🎉🎉🎉

Congrats to Mikhail for the Bronze! 🎉🎉🎉

So in the end it is the GPF podium again! A circle is somehow closing!

This was exhausting to watch! I am really glad this was the final competition of the season! I don't know if I would survive another rollecoaster of emotions!

And one last thing: The crowd was really amazing! Very supportive of every skater! Clapping along as much as possible! 😊

Sorry for the longest of posts! 🙏🙏🙏 Feel hugged if you made it 'til here! Thank you all for reading!