#i had so much fun drawing yuuri

[arom-antix]

Detroit bois, Detroit bois, Detroit bois

[imjustapoorwayfaringgeek]

character portraits part 2 this time for yoi fandom

katsuki tends to gain weight easily, even though for most of the anime he's skinny i wanted to keep some roundness to his face. it also matches with his docile personality. i really like his slightly longer hair in the last episode's final scene so i used it.

WIKI SAYS VICTOR'S HAIR IS PLATINUM BUT IT WAS SO GREY IN THE ANIME I THOUGHT HE WENT GREY PREMATURELY LIKE MY MOTHER but i made it actually platinum because him being one of those few people with natural platinum blond hair makes more sense considering he had it since his childhood. this guy gives me bigger, sharp, hooked nose vibes so much but i can't even explain why. i didn't draw him with a full heart shaped smile here but the reason i kept his lips rather thin was because i thought when he smiled it would bring out his heart shaped mouth more. also he's an arctic fox to me, he has fox eyes.

plisetsky was a 15-16 year old who hadn't had his growth spurt yet throughout the anime, it was pointed out by several characters multiple times that he looked feminine, therefore that's exactly what i made him. i assumed his facial features weren't fully developed yet so they're not sharp and bony. he always seemed like a character who tends to overwork himself to me. i gave him eyebags but it's not too visible because i accidentally painted the whole thing way too pastel. that combined with his natural scowl creates his resting bitch face.

otabek gets the kazakh cheekbones. he also has a natural scowl like yuri but i didn't give him an emo face. doesn't mean i won't in the future. it's too pastel here but i usually draw otabek with really red cheeks. he's a biker and kazakhstan isnt the warmest place he probably gets wind burns idk. instead of pure black i like to make his hair very dark brown, it's usually how it is in where i live and i don't live too far away from kazakhstan both culturally and location-wise.(also here's a fact i think yoi fans can have fun with: otabek's last name altın means gold/golden, it's a common word between kazakh and my native language turkish.)

even though it's just a sketch i wanted it to mirror their first encounters. yuri and otabek stare at each other rather meanly, yuuri and victor glance like they're trying to seduce the other.

[rikeijo]

Yuri!!! on stage pamphlet, Kubo Mitsurou - Character comments

Katsuki Yuuri

The character of Katsuki Yuuri, previously still vague, solidified in the scene in episode 4 when he touches Victor's hair whorl. That scene is also one, where I managed to express an idea I've had in my head for a very long time - I wanted to show something like a moment not connected to the main story, when their relationship changes, but not in a logical way. The same thing can be said about the scene in the last episode when, even though Victor is crying, Yuuri pushes aside his fringe and says "So you cry too!" - Yuuri has this very primal (原始的) characteristic of putting his own curiosity first before feelings of the other person, that's a desire he can't suppress. I think it was our intention to use this characteristic to make the viewers expect that he is surely going to act in a way they cannot predict. Throughout the series, Yuuri's character was shaped by misleading the audience to think they know Yuuri's personality and then showing them in each episode that they were not right about him. That's why the character turned out to be much more complex that we thought he would be in the first episode and I think the viewers can sense that the creators had a lot of fun writing him. We sometimes say that the characters are acting on their own, but in this case I think we were writing the character while being bossed around by him.

Victor Nikiforov

Just as it was with Yuuri, I couldn't fully grasp Victor's personality in episode 1, and so his character also solidified over time as I was writing the show. Beginning with the scene in episode 4 when he told Yuuri "I'm not going to hold back" during their conversation on the beach, and then when he was "really hurt" after Yuuri touched his hair whorl, little by little the underlying kindness Victor possesses started to show up more, as even though he had no idea what Yuuri was really thinking, he wanted to get to know Yuuri better and Yuuri to get to know him better too. Actually, I also thought the fact that even staff members couldn't fully comprehend Victor's actions made him all the more charming. Because his actions were impossible to comprehend, the audience too has been watching the show without being able to form any strong assumptions about him and the sense of insecurity you've been getting while watching him was probably also a sign that you started to like the character... I've created Victor by trying my best to draw a cool and beautiful human being. I don't think however, that he could ever be mine. Yuuri also feels this way, but in Yuuri's case he was able to form a very strong connection with Victor thanks to skating. I was writing the show while thinking that I'd like the audience to enjoy the feeling that in every episode, together with Yuuri, they too get to meet Victor they've never seen before, as the relationship between Yuuri and Victor is forming - relationship that was only possible because Yuuri had skating as an excuse [免罪符, it means something like "get-out-of-jail-free card" - funny word choice, but Mitsurou really pushes here the idea that Victor was way out of Yuuri's league. ]

Yuri Plisetsky

In case of Yurio, his character as well as character design were very clear from the very beginning. He was very easy to write. He is my favorite type of character and based on my experience I was sure he's going to be popular. He is the type of a side character, who can outshine even the main character in terms of popularity, so I was careful not to make him "angsty" by e.g. giving him a tragic past or making him have a difficult family situation. With Yurio I didn't want his character to be someone who gets popular because people feel sorry for him, so I gave him family and coaches, as well as new friends, and wanted to show his strength by making him achieve even greater success while being in a relatively good place emotionally. I think I've managed to use the basic manga trope of writing about a strength of found family instead of real family without focusing on the tragic aspects of this trope.

Christophe Giacometti

Chris was born as an ultra sexy character, a character who is very aware of his "eros" and at the same time has the strength to not care when other people stare at him. I decided on the visual side of the character first - I gave him those curled and long, stunningly beautiful eyelashes because I wanted the audience to think: "How grateful we are that such a beautiful skater exists in this world at the same time as Victor!". I also wanted to show the gap between his super cute look with curly hair when he was a child and his present look and suggest that a lot of growing up happened there. While I was writing him, or I should say it was more thanks to the choreography and music we created, the charm that was radiating from him was neither masculine nor feminine, but simply Chris' charm. I personally wanted to make him a "skater who looks good naked" and was having great fun writing him.

Phichit Chulanont

With Phichit, I was aiming to create a pure and energetic person. I've actually heard Thai artists active abroad saying that they want to show everyone the new face of Thailand and also that there are certain aspects of Thailand they were only able to see after they went abroad. So, I felt that young Thai people right now are really making a lot of effort to reconstruct themselves, so I wanted to make Phichit a person who has the spirit to create new things. With the fashion he wears, I was aiming for something Harajuku-like.

Ji Guang-Hong

I've come up with this idea of a Chinese competitor, young but with good skills, as a counterbalance to the great number of overwhelmingly strong competitors who appear in the show. I wanted to make him a character who shows all the signs of becoming terribly good in the future if he continues to gain more self-confidence and experience. When it comes to his personality I was imagining him following the latest trends, like all the modern kids do, or maybe traveling to the USA off-season to train at the same rink with Leo, for example. I intentionally didn't make him really stand-out, because I think he is still at a stage before he can bring out his individual personality.

Jean-Jacques Leroy

Before we even started to think about the story, I effortlessly came up with lines like "JJ won't give up! He can't give up!", so JJ is the character who has already been well-defined even before he was created. We placed a very rough order for his song: a song which feels like it was written by somebody who could win a Grammy. The request we've made for the lyrics too wasn't all that specific but the finished lyrics were well... absolutely amazing! I wanted to make JJ into a character who would make the spectators sing that song while he skates his short program. He is too egoistic, so other competitors who can't get along well with him, simply can't get along well with him, period. He isn't the type who can become friends with everyone. However, he doesn't really care. I wouldn't say that he for sure isn't hurt at all by this though, if you look deep inside, but one of the incredible things about him is that he doesn't let it show on the outside.

Georgi Popovich

We aimed to express different kinds of love and here is the type of competitor who puts all the emotions he's experiencing after he broke up with his lover into his performance. I was thinking that maybe in a country like Russia nobody would have a problem with him doing something like that and so I gave him this kind of artistry, different than the artistry Victor has. And again, also compared to Leo, he's a different type of artist. Georgi is very serious about practice and listens to what his coach says too diligently. But I think he loves himself the most, more than anyone else. He is a narcissist, so he loves his lovers very much too, because they love him. I think that's why he reacts with this "I am the one who can protect you!" thing after he gets dumped. The ability to transform all these feelings into a performance is his strong point.

Nishigori Takeshi

Nishigori was created because I wanted to introduce a point of view of somebody who has gave up on skating. He is also a childhood friend of Yuuri and somebody, who has been watching him from a very close distance - so he's a character with a quite complex setting. He is the only married man [in the show] so I wanted him to be masculine and not somebody who fret over things a lot. I also was thinking that the reason why Yuuri didn't want to go back to his home town for such a very long time, is because of Nishigori and Yuuko. When it comes to Nishigori and Yuuko's relationship, I think Yuuko is the one who started it. She didn't confess her feelings directly but I think it was probably very clear that she likes Nishigori. Because men from Kyushu don't go after a girl who they know they don't have a chance with. They never try to reach a "flower that grows high on a mountain top [an idiom representing a unattainable goal] (laugh).

Leo de la Iglesia

Leo, who was looking up to Victor, is the only competitor who choreographs his programs by himself. He wants to leave no doubt that he is self-producing his programs - he wants to skate his own choreography to the songs he likes to truly bring out his own charm. When it comes to figure skating in the USA, there is a lot of strong competitors in different parts of the country and so there are also skaters of different races. I think there is that conviction that to be able to show your own strengths in these conditions, the most important thing is to express the "I'll be saved by the things I love" core part of you. Leo can't for example jump quadruple jumps yet, but instead he wants to find his other strong points and show them - I wanted him to be a strong person in this way.

Minami Kenjiro

A skater who just made his senior debut, Minami-kun, was created because, just like Yuuri looks up to Victor, I wanted other Japanese skater to look up to Yuuri and Yuuri to be aware that there is somebody who looks up to him. Yuuri had a very bad start at Nationals, so Minami has already won with him once, but I thought I wanted another active competitor to tell Yuuri that he wants Yuuri to continue skating. And so I gave him this pure personality, the kind that Yuuri doesn't possess, so he can yell "I will definitely win with you!". Because of that, he became a character like a classic shonen manga protagonist. And because he has the vibe of anime protagonist I also gave him a matching haircut. I created him feeling that "If Yuri!!! was a shonen manga Minami would definitely be the protagonist".

Otabek Altin

He is a stoic, rugged and serious skater. A type of man who doesn't go to gatherings with other skaters. He left his family and was moving from country to country throughout the course of his training, so he had to wait a long time for a breakthrough. While training, separately from skating, he was also making friends among local musicians, so he has a lot of companions, who are important to him not only in Kazakhstan. He is the type of person who you can trust. He doesn't talk much and doesn't use social media much. But somehow you feel that he can for sure make a lot of progress. He also has this idea to do things that other people don't do. That's why I think that [since he started till the moment we meet him in the show] he's been treating skating very seriously. Otabek is more of a warrior or a soldier than an artist. I see him as this kind of person, who respects competitors who aren't on a level playing field with him and he treats them like comrades-in-arms. That's why, after he met with Yurio at a summer camp and saw his strength, he decided to find his own style of fighting, other than ballet, and he never forgot Yurio, who also had a soldier-like dream.

Michele Crispino

I think Michele loves his sister too much and that's why he doesn't really want to change. He has the skills and skates very good. That's why he managed to get to the GPF and is a very strong competitor, but there's also something missing there and he can't really break through. I wanted to show that his love is of a different kind than the rest of the cast's. I think the kind of love he has for Sara is a little bit different than familial love, but well I think that in his mind Sara is the only person he can trust. But Sara herself thinks she needs to change. I wanted to highlight this change by making Michele a tough/traditionally masculine guy. I was thinking that I want him to use the emotions he has because of his sister to have the break through even if these emotions are not necessarily positive. It was fun writing him.

Lee Seung Gil

SeungGil says pretty harsh things and has the most athlete-like mind of all the skaters. The pressure he is under is huge so, as the real athlete he is, to protect himself from being influenced by this pressure, he doesn't do any fan-service. I think that he is simply a stoic competitor, but because during interviews he says things like: "Is it really necessary for me to answer questions like that?", people misunderstand him and tease him for being cold. The story that I was thinking about for him is that he competes with this stoic attitude, but he knows that if he doesn't become more expressive, he can't win, so he chose a song and costume with an element of surprise. I think this gap is where his charm is. I think he, in his everyday life, isn't interested in things other than skating and usually wears clothes his mum bought for him, or jersey.

Emil Nekola

There are a lot of characters who stand out, so I wanted to design one, who doesn't, and instead simply has a sunny disposition and is like a younger brother or the kid in a group. Skaters from Czech Republic are popular so I thought that it will be a good match to his personality if I make him Czech. The image I have for him is that he is friends with Michele and is the kindest person among European skaters. I was thinking to make him "a big guy who you can depend on". He is very good at physical activities, so I think if, in addition to skating, if he decided to do snowboarding or extreme sports he would be pretty good at them too. He himself isn't really fixated on skating and has a lot of other things he likes to do. But right know he is focusing on skating. That's why, unlike Michele who is like: "Skating is the only thing I have in my life", Emil has a very good way of dealing with the pressure - he is a clever guy.

Closing comments

The things to enjoy while binge watching all episodes

At the end of ep 10, it was revealed that Yuuri at the banquet actually asked Victor to be his coach. If you re-watch the show from ep 1, while having this in mind, the relationship between Yuuri and Victor will surely appear very different. In the beginning of ep 1, when Victor ask Yuuri "Do you want a commemorative photo?", to him Yuuri wasn't someone who really stood out from the crowd. But then, he watched the video of Yuuri skating a perfect copy of his "Stammi Vicino" program, while having some prior knowledge of Yuuri from the "be my coach accident" at the banquet. And as the story goes, because of that Victor's got certain ideas and decided to travel to Japan. If we look at the events from Victor's perspective, it must have been very weird for him, because Yuuri himself asked him to come, but after he came Yuuri met him with this "Why are you here…?" reaction. I think you should be able to enjoy the story even more, if you change the perceptive you watch the show from when you re-watch all 12 episodes at once.

To fans…

I think without both the fans who were supporting us and the staff members who participated in production, we wouldn't be here today. I can't thank you all in person, but we are thinking of doing something, so you can enjoy the world of Yuri!!! even more, as a thank-you gift. I'm looking forward to your continuous support of Yuri!!! on ice.

[bigbigtruck]

Holy moly! I recognize that style of drawing Yuuri and Viktor! I am totally delighted to connect the dots between “artist bigbigtruck who makes phenomenal webcomics” and “one of the creators of an R18 fanzine whose name I totally failed to remember because the drawings were so hot they sort of fried my brain.” In hindsight I should have known!!! It’s the signature facial expressions that somehow convey really specific emotions and the precision pacing that makes comedic moments A+ and emotional beats hit harder! You are so dang good at what you do!

dfgds;lkj Thank you so much!! I had so much fun making those YOI comics--the depiction of Yuuri's anxiety grabbed my heart and i just had to churn 'em out. it got me to learn Clip Studio so win-win! lol Thank you thank you thank you!!

[sunbeamah]

Thank you so much for this JJK fics recs. As a new JJK fan (yes, just started the anime and manga last year), I was confused of what fic to read, but when I found your post, I was so happy. One of my fav is that time-travel fic of Yuji and Choso with teens Gojo/Geto pairing.

https://www.tumblr.com/dnana-2809-blog/746189842162089984/any-recs-for-some-jjk-fics-something-preferably?source=share

Can I ask your fav JJK ships and JJK Brotp?

And maybe your top 5 (or top 7) fav ships (canon or non canon) from all media (manga/anime, tv series, books, cartoon, etc)? Do you have a certain criteria for a couple to be your otps?

Sorry if my ask is kinda long @sunbeamah .....

No problem!!! I'm so sorry for how long it took me to respond to this ask-- I thought about it a lot, made a list, and then got distracted looking into my old favourite medias TT -- this ask made me go back and relive my Fairy Tail days haha, so thank you very much!!!

And also, please don't apologise!!! I appreciate this ask so much-- and again I'm so sorry it took me so long to reply!!!!!

I'm also so glad you liked the list hehe, I loved that fic too!!!

JJK Ships:

Fushiita

Nobamaki

Chosoyuki

Satosugu

Inuita

JJK BrOTP: Nobara and Yuuji!

Non-JJK top 5:

Liutana (Mortal Kombat)

Zolu (One Piece)

Sasunaru (Naruto)

Kagehina (Haikyuu!!!)

Togachako/Ochatoga (My Hero Academia)

Viktuuri (Yuuri!!! On Ice)

Obamitsu (Demon Slayer)

Below the cut is explanations, with JJK manga panels, SO PLEASE BEWARE OF MANGA SPOILERS BELOW!!! (Specifically, the front page of chapter 205 of jjk manga, and a page from chapter 200 as well I'll lyk where it is below the cut!)

Ah and minor Haikyuu manga spoilers! Just down where it says Kagehina

Jjk chapter 205 is under the chosoyuki (number 3) point; chapter 200 is the second image under fushiita, both appear in the first list below.

JJK Ships!!

Fushiita

This probably isn't surprising at all, but I love Fushiita!!! Something about stoic guys melting and being affectionate with bright, kind, mischievous boyfriends just tickles me yk

2. Nobamaki

A strong upperclassman who watches her cheeky, abrasive underclassman with fondness and interest-- there's more to their relationship that I like of course, their connection as 'the girls' that draws them closer, Nobara's instant respect and softness in regards to Maki, and how protective she becomes of her at the exchange event. I like to think Maki is protective towards her in a different but no less meaningful way. Protectiveness is one of my favourite tropes-- ik it's cheesy but it is!!!

3. Chosoyuki

Now, these two man... These two... I just love how she's so confident and outspoken, and how she saw Choso and went 'yeah. That one.' -- I loved their little date, even if he cried ((LOVE a good pathetic man)), and how she made him think differently about himself and his situation.

4. Satosugu

The soulmatery of these 2... The homosexuality of these 2..... They're unmated. A real Sasunaru descendant.

5. InuIta

I wasn't that into them, to be honest, but my friends and I quote that 'Inumaki-senpai! Shake!' scene in s2 all of the time. Eventually, I started to think of them as kind of cute, and then I tried writing them and found Inumaki is a really fun character to write! I love his mischievousness and dedication to protecting his friends (relegated to a life of speaking solely in onigiri ingredients... nah that's probably one of the perks for him).

JJK BrOTP

It's GOTTA be Nobara and Yuuji. The friendship between these two is awesome, I love how she started out thinking of him as an idiot, and then got to know him and realised that yeah he's an idiot, but he's also a little bit fun to have around sometimes. Nah jk, I love how they're 2 peas in a pod, both crazy, both from the countryside, both just as silly as each other. I really love watching them hang out in the few eps we get of that, and the juju strolls they're both in-- they're just awesome!

Top 5 In Any Media (Excluding JJK)

I had to consult my ao3 bookmarks AND pinterest for this. There are a bunch there of ships I don't read anymore but keep 'for the memories' and some ships I am ashamed of! So I didn't include those hehe.

I'll only put 1 per fandom to keep things fair! Cause there is 1 particular fandom where... My ships will fill up all 7 of the spots...

Also, no particular order! Some of these go up and down based on the day, scenario, fic, art, and heaps more factors!

Liutana My first ship! (Excluding my total drama island childhood... gwen x trent u will always be famous. I don't condone s2) I loved them so much, when MK1 came out and I heard about the kiss??? I damn near cried.

Zolu 1 thing about Zolu is that from the first ep I've shipped them 100%. Every episode that they're in is a fun episode to watch, their dynamic is so SDJHVFSBJNE and I really enjoy it! But also... Any time someone appreciates Luffy I kinda... Side-eye a little...... I'm a bit disloyal in that sense...........

Sasunaru Gaanaru is constantly fighting for this spot tho... I am disloyal. I like nejinaru, shikanaru, hinanaru, sainaru, I even wrote an allnaru fic back in the day. It never saw the light of day but man... Also Shikatema is peak love those 2.

Kagehina Height difference, moody x cheerful, sunrise x shadow mountain-- names with symbolism but also it's the sunrise that puts the shadow on the mountain and I say all that^^ but the second Atsumu appeared on screen...... IM A DISLOYAL PERSON!!! And the reunion?? "Tobio-chan!! Don't talk to my spiker like that :)" WHEN I TELL YOU I ALMOST CHOKED ON MY SCREAM...

Togachako/Ochatoga Just getting back into bnha and man.. these 2 GRABBED ME... Allmomo is FANTASTIC too btw-- and I do mean all girls x Momo but I suppose Kaminari can stay, as Jirou's boyfriend.. and Kurotoko (is that still their ship name?!), Fumirumi, Bakukiri let me stop myself before I erupt,

Obamitsu THEM <33 I'm a bigger, 'stronger' (I'm not as strong as her she's something else) girl too so Mitsuri and this ship is just everything to me... Also love Gentan and Muitan!

Viktuuri The comfort ship I always come back to.

Honourable mentions!

Sophie x Agatha, The School for Good and Evil (BABY'S THIRD EVER SHIP!!!)

Kiyoyachi, Haikyuu (I WANTED U ON THE LIST BABY I REALLY DID)

Sidlink, Legend of Zelda (don't look at me like that... I know...)

Kyokao, Ouran High School Host Club (Yes I watched this. I was 10 and it changed my life)

Rennora, RWBY

Gajevy, Alljuvia, Stingue and Fraxus, Fairy Tail

Cleuce, Allclawdeen, Monster High (by all I mean all the girls -- same for Juvia up there!)

Dickkory, DC

[sskklvr]

WAIT DID ANYONE EVER ASK U ABOUT UR YURI ON ICE AU COS IF NOT PLS SPILL I LOVE SSKK AND YOI AND I SHOWED UR DRAWING TO MY BESTIE COS I WAS SO EXCITED I NEED TO KNOW MORE!!!!

AHHGHF SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, THE YOI AU IS A BIG INCOHERENT MESS SO I STRUGGLED TO PUT IT INTO WORDS <//3

THIS IS ALSO SUCH A LONG REPLY BC I JUST. RAMBLE. I AM SO SORRY IF THIS MAKES NO SENSE, IT IS ABSOLUTELY ALL OVER THE PLACE-

Okay! So I really really love the AU, but sadly there's no cohesive plot to follow if we're gonna be honest- I have a few points, like the banquet I changed up, and Akutagawa's appearance as Atsushi's coach is also changed, but other than that I really just have this to draw connections and put sskk in silly little YoI scenarios </3

I tried real hard to match BSD characters to YoI but it was just not working for me [I've been messing with this AU for like, a year after all] Even deciding between Akutagawa and Atsushi as who would be Viktor and Yuuri was a bit complicated, bc I personally think it has potential either way. The obvious, and generally more fitting choice is the one I went with ofc, but I think a version where Atsushi is Akutagawa's coach would be just as interesting!

Anyway, despite being mostly just for kicks, I still tried to put thought into it!

With how Yuuri was constantly surprising and surpassing Viktor's expectations, I figured Akutagawa's ability to surprise Atsushi with his actions would work well. [Also because I think the scene in the parking lot where Viktor tells Yuuri he'll resign as his coach if he doesn't make it to the podium is very reminiscent of the scene in s3 with the imagery of Akutagawa shattering from Atsushi's reckless words-] But again, Akutagawa as Viktor works just as well since Yuuri says in the very first episode that Viktor never ceased to surprise him, if we're going that route. As well as the fact that both sskk and Viktuuri learn from each other throughout their respective journeys together.

Like Atsushi's 2 costumes being based around his ADA design/The Tiger, and Beast, or Akutagawa having a lighter coat/his overall main design being a lot brighter to symbolize the change from yk, the Mafia in canon. I also threw in the Ch88 themed look for Akutagawa's younger version because I wanted to draw Akutagawa with longer hair, but the design itself is supposed to symbolize a sort of 'end' to his skating. Since Viktor begins to lose inspiration further down the line until meeting Yuuri, that's what I'm trying to implement with the design. If that makes any sense-

Since Akutagawa in canon had been searching for worthy opponents as a way to gain Dazai's approval, when he finally met his match against Atsushi he was practically thrilled [for lack of better words/to put it simply--] So I'm taking that idea and throwing it into this AU as Akutagawa gaining back his passion for skating when he sees the potential in Atsushi even despite his loss at the GPF. Speaking of, the banquet also goes a bit differently-

I figured stripping and pole dancing wasn't really Atsushi's style, I don't know how to explain it so I might doodle it sometime, but I have this old ass screenshot of me talking about this AU to mildly sum it up

And going back to Atsushi's 1st costume being ADA themed, I wanted that to tie into Yuuri's first program being about his career and life, and the love he has for the people who stuck by him through everything. The ADA is kind of a perfect example for that, I mean, Atsushi's entire uniform was given to him by each member so I figured it was a perfect parallel. Although there really isn't a tie between the Beast costume and Yuuri's Eros program though- That was just for fun, in a way.

I also definitely want the ADA itself to act as the hot springs that Yuuri's family runs, but I can't figure out which characters would be which person- I'm ALL ears for any suggestions for that btw, I literally only have sskk decided, everyone else is a toss up-

Ahg, there's so much more I'm forgetting, I'm sure, but I wanted to answer this somehow bc I've been dying to get out my thoughts for this AU

Anyway, thank you for the ask! And I'm sorry my response was super late and a full length essay- If there's any specific questions or curiosity, I'll do my best to answer </3

[chat-noir-chocolat]

~ ✼ ❀ All of you ❀ ✼ ~ Please enjoy my full piece for the Uchi edition of the @yoihomezine, where I collaborated with my dear friend, Emma ( @and-then-yoi-happened). Celebrate this end of spring with just the right amount of sweetness and fluff, and be a guest to one of the most romantic Victuuri wedding fics ever written. Let yourself be embraced by the feelings of love, belonging and home. Okaeri!

（＾－＾✿）

Read fic: here.  Read Emma’s post: here. 

[ziezie13]

My first completed fanbinding! There were so many fun typesetting elements I had trouble narrowing the photos down but I didn't include everything. My favorites are definitely the music QR codes and the meta AO3 fics.

Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches by @kazliin

‘…Of all the rivalries in the world of sports over the years, perhaps none has become so legendary as that of Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov and his rival, Japanese Yuuri Katsuki…’

A single event changes the course of Yuuri’s life, throwing him into a bitter rivalry with Viktor Nikiforov that spans across his entire skating career. But as the years go on, rivalry and hatred begin to develop into something very different and Yuuri doesn’t seem to be able to stay away, no matter how hard he tries.

Hatred and love are two sides of the same coin and even though everything changes, some things are still meant to be.

Technical stuff and bonus photos below the cut.

General

197,692 Words / 11 x 8.5 Paper / 500 pgs

Title Font & Chapter Number Font: Just Signature

Chapter Title & Body Font: Adobe Caslon Pro

Misc Fonts: Georgia, Lucida Sans, Zilla Slab, PT Serif, Segoe UI

Designed, typeset, and bound by me.

Programs used: InDesign and BookletCreator.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for enemies to lovers and this fic executes the trope beautifully. It was one of my very first fics on AO3 and since then I have read it countless times. The fic diverges from canon in a single moment and what proceeds is one of the best Victuuri fics of all time.

Materials

This was the first ficbinding project that made it off of my computer. The original plan was to keep the book thinner by scaling the page size up to 11 x 8.5, but obviously that didn't work. I ordered short grain 11 x 17 sheets from Nicole Nikolas Modern Paper Goods and printed with my large-format inkjet printer (which used more cyan and magenta than I would have expected).

Once my signatures were printed I realized just how massive this thing was, and in that moment I decided the casing was going to be leather. I ordered Royal Blue leathers from Peggy Sue Also Leather's Dutchess Collection. And while I waited for that to come in I hand-painted the chapter numbers using Dreamland Watercolor's Beta and a fluid writer. The color changing effect wasn't as dramatic as I hoped but it still turned out gorgeous.

I decided not to complicate things too much and left the spine flat and the edges deckled. I used the basic method of sewing tapes and spaced five of them out across the spine. The headbands are actually Vintage Petersham Grosgrain Magenta ribbons from Fini Ribbon that I folded over some string I had laying around. I also made my own endpapers from Strathmore drawing sheets and more of the Beta watercolor which I sprayed over the sheets using a cheap paintbrush.

I created an embossed frame on the cover by layering chipboard on top of the 0.098" Davey Binder's Board I ordered from Talas. Then I cut out a window so that I could do the title out of watercolor. I didn't have a pairing knife for the leather so I tried sanding down the edges to help minimize the thickness of the folds. I am actually not sure if this helped or not but the leather turned out better than I thought. The only issue was that I didn't have enough of an overlap at the top and bottom on the inside of the book board, and the endpapers couldn't cover the seam properly. I came up with the solution of adding a second layer of chipboard that I covered in light blue construction paper. I made it to the same dimensions as the Davey Board and then glued everything together with pva. I really like the effect it has and it also worked out as a base to paint the title onto.

Typesetting

Typesetting this fic was a lot of fun because of all the social media aspects included in the fic. This included articles, Reddit threads, Twitter posts, Instagram posts, Youtube videos, Tumblr posts, and even meta AO3 fic summaries. I did my best to match the real-life counterparts as best as I could. I ended up using Segoe UI for most of the social media typesetting. The articles used Zilla Slab for the title and PT Serif for the body. The AO3 summaries were the most complicated as they used Georgia and Lucida Sans fonts and jpeg graphics.

The other really exciting element I incorporated was the music. Kaz used music throughout the fic as a very imporvictant part of the storytelling. Yuuri and Victor communicate through their skating and their routines and the music is what brings those routines to life. I placed QR codes in the margins at the start of each routine. It is so cool to hold your camera up and suddenly have the music playing from your phone as you read! I also included an appendix of the music so that when QR codes become obsolete the music is still accessible.

[perdizzion]

the one in which viktor nikiforov, number one durmstrang champion, can’t ice skate to save his life. yuuri katsuki, a muggle-born mahoutokoro student, decides to fix it ✨

[monster-battle]

The first couple panels of a comic from my first commission from tumblr~! ✨ this was for @marshmallowdramatic and their lovely YOI fic in the works 😙

[arom-antix]

So.

That new Gearous Yuuri birthday art, huh?

[collisiondiscourse]

alright codi i need your opinion

is yuri on ice as good as people make it out to be? it’s been on my to-watch list forever and i’d like to know if i’m missing out on something

also history maker fucking slaps

HISTORY MAKER DOES FRICKIN SLAP AND I CAN TELL U FOR REALSIES THAT IF I HAD THE CHANCE TO WATCH IT AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME I WOULD!!!! but if u want a serious codi review.... *cracks knuckles*

yuri on ice is quite literally a ride. in my humble opinion, while it is short and at times a little cheesy, stands today as one of the most emotional pieces of media ive ever consumed.

my personal experiences at the time may bias my review, but i think that yuri on ice has an excellent grasp on creating fun and balanced charscters, and a good perception into what anxiety feels like. Yuuri Katsuki is an excellent protagonist and has such an incredible lense to view the story from that i think it stands as one of the best usages of unreliable narrator in mainstream media.

the plot is both insanely simple and heart clenchingly good, that even without the romance aspect youd be rooting for yuuri the WHOLE way. While i cant vouch for the actual sports aspect as i still fall over on my ass in the ice rink, i know that it has gotten the approval of SEVERAL professional skating legends like Jonathan Weir (who, btw, is one of the first openly gay international ice skaters in the world) and Evgenia Medvedeva (who i love very very much).

The scope YOI set up for issues under competitive sport and being a representative for your country are shockingly real and nuanced. As a person who HAS competed internationally and been described as a prodigy when I was younger, the narratives that followed Viktor, Yuuri, Yurio, and all the other characters were... very relatable. The character development that is shown alongside the raw flaws that every character started with were ones that do exist in society today and I think were excellently addressed.

In terms of the LGBTQ+ and romance aspect of the show—I think YOI is an excellent example of queer media. Aside from the fact that it is barely fetishized (at least not for fanservice), it explores the idea of sensuality and gender expression as something that is ACTUALLY SIGNIFICANT TO THE PLOT (see: Yuuri Katsuki's short skate performance Eros) rather than a 'quirky character trait' or gag. The romance is also excellently made in my opinion and aside with my very few pickings at its pacing—I think that Viktuuri was well developed and satisfying to see bloom. As a young questioning queer person at the time of watching (now proudly bi and gnc!) YOI was a hallmark for media that actually depicted being LGBTQ+ as a comfortable and NORMAL experience. There was little to absolutely NONE discrimination or mentions of homophobia, and it didnt hugely overshadow the plot of the anime itself which largely revolved around the development of Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov as both athletes and people. It was a reminder that LGBTQ+ media doesnt always have to be 'tragic' or 'realistic' in order to be popular.

tldr: If you're watching it purely for the romance, I dont recommend it because it is a sports anime through and through. HOWEVER yuri!!! on ice excellently handles character development, plot execution, and real world issues as an anime. It has EXCELLENT MUSIC that makes me feel so many things AND choreography that blesses my eyeballs whenever i happen upon it again AND a cast of characters that i loved so much that i still remember everyones names until now (n u can quote me on that)—drawing the conclusion that it really is deserving of at least some of its hype.

TLDR tldr; yes oh my god aj please watch it.

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #494

Go Yuri Go!!!, Yuri!!! on ICE official fanbook, Ito Noriko interview, Prop Design

Part 2.

-- I've heard that you had the most trouble to design the katsudon - what do you think about the final design?

I: Hiramatsu-san introduced a few corrections to my design, and I've also received a lot of help from the Color Director, Hirose-san and we have a very sexy and delicious-looking katsudon! (laugh) It was also very important for the Director to make the food look delicious, and that's something that I very much agree with, so we talked and shared our opinions about how the food should be drawn, colored and finished-off, while working on the settings. Specifically, we thought that we should show the density in the sakuga, and the texture by using shadows and different colors for different elements and in the color choice itself, and also that the food would look more delicious if we didn't add any special effects.

-- As the assistant of the Animation Director, your job was to manage the animation team - please tell us some stories about the animation process.

I: It's not related to my job as the Animation Director's assistant, but for me personally, drawing mini-characters was the most fun part. Especially, drawing the Three Otaku Sisters' kamishibai [storytelling using drawing] using crayons, and drawing the explanation with mini-characters moving on actual blackboard was a very new experience to me, one that you can't normally get with other animes. As for my job as the Animation Director, because I designed the katsudon, I think, all scenes with food were given to me. Katsudon, squid sashimi, katsudon-pirozhki and borsch... I like drawing food, so it was fun. As for scenes with characters - I was responsible for the scene in episode 7. where Victor clings to Yuuri. In the cut, where they're looking at each other, after they fell on the ice, Yuuri's facial expression was a bit more awkward in [Mitsurou's] storyboards and in [the Director's] storyboards, but when I watched on the screen the cut that I have actually draw, the nuance was a little bit different... I was wondering why, but I think, because I was drawing while listening to the voice-off recordings, in a good scene I was inspired by Toyonaga-san's performance. Performances of voice actors gave us, animators, very valuable hints.

[Notes: Sounds a bit as if she just decided to ignore the storyboards for one of the most famous scene in the entire anime, but the difference probably wasn't that big, otherwise, I think, she would mention something about Sayo and what she thought about the change... (although it's also possible that she was too busy at that time to be that particular about every facial expression and in her head the scene was different🤔).

Merry Christmas~🌟! ]

[crimson-chains]

I ws gonna do this on anon but nvm this works too. I read all ur mafia au at 3am (pls don't kill me hehe) and I'm in love. It's perfect snsnsksks. Ur art is so fluid and adaptive and so pretty to look at skskssk. And then the storyline hnnnnnngngnggg it has my soul now. I've been in love with yuir on ice sins I watched ep1 and u have no idea how much it means to me. Even tho ur story is an au it still feels like the character's essence still remains. The portrayal of yuuri's mental health issues means a lot to me in canon and otherwise and I almost cried when I read that panel where victor finds out how much he struggles. Then theres the relationships, victor and yuri's romance, phichit and yuri's friendship(they'r brotp), yurio and otabek(sksksks I'm dying from all the feels) and I think I caught a whiff of mila and sara too? Sjdjdjdjdjdjs I've had this au for less than a week but if anything happened to jt, id kill every1 in this room and then myself. I live how u portray each character, especially yurio. And victor is such a nuanced character in this au. Sksksks ilysm. Even tho I haven't drawn in a long time, ur art has inspired me to start again. Tysm for making this

OH, THANK THANK OWO

I’m really happy you like the mafia au <3 <3 <3

It’s been so fun to draw the characters and I’m happy you think I write them well!!!! ^W^

[katsudonwins]

5 Victuuri Fics I Loved This Week

I’m fairly new to the fandom, but I love recommending fics so here I am! All of these fics are relatively old, but they’re all so so good! If you write Victuuri fanfiction and want someone (me) to review it DM me the link and I’ll leave you a FAT comment on Ao3! 

All Things Beautiful by @stammiviktor

Words: 69.7k

Summary: The voice is like bells, sharp and clear yet somehow infinitely soft. Warmth caresses Yuuri’s face and a shudder wracks his frozen frame.

“You’re okay now. You’re safe.”

(In the glacial waters near the North Pole, two worlds collide.)

Review: This is an amazing ATLA universe fic with an original storyline! The character development was so well done and I never felt bored reading it. I definitely recommend it for anyone who love ATLA, or just wants a nice AU with fluff, angst, and getting together. 

Icebreaker by Cesare

Words: 6.1k

Summary: Yuuri's husband is possibly not as oblivious as he seems, because he grins and asks, "Have you never looked up Yuuri?"

"There's a porn actress with the same name who went into politics," says Nate, "so she's most of the results, and some stuff about figure skating."

"Some stuff about figure skating," Victor says ruefully to Yuuri.

(((A post-skating-retirement college scenario based on skygemspeaks' idea about Yuuri's college classmates learning about his figure skating career. I wrote a variation mostly because I just really wanted to include Victor in the mix. This also heavily draws on kevystel's ideas about Yuuri unknowingly breaking hearts everywhere he goes.)))

Review: Okay this one is my absolute favorites of all of the skygemspeaks fics where Yuuri goes back to school and no one recognizes him. It’s so sweet to see outsider POV for Victuuri written so sweetly. This one gave me all the feels.

Young and Beautiful by WinglessCrows

Words: 3.0k

Summary: Yuuri and Viktor go on a date, but people keep mistaking Yuuri for a teenager, which then makes Viktor look like a… not so good person.

Review: The stereotype of Japanese/Asian people always look young but on steroids. This is HILARIOUS! Absolutely made me giggle while reading, especially with how Victor reacts. It’s super short and a really fun read!

Never Met Anyone I Could Laugh With by thehobbem

Words: 20.4k 

Summary: "If you could read all that so ravenously, wouldn't you also have opinions, thoughts, ideas circling ‘round your head that wouldn't let you be until you talked them out of your system?

Victor did. Victor had for years, swallowing it all down because there was no one to listen to it. And there she was, waltzing into his library and dangling the temptation of a like-minded companion in front of him every Friday, before whisking it away along with the book of the week. A literature companion, at least. He'd love a companion companion, but that wouldn't be Miss Katsuki, with his being very, very gay; but that was even harder to come by, so a friend to talk to would be more than enough at this point. Someone with similar opinions about books, and people, and the world as a whole. Someone to laugh with."

Review: This was a strange mix of light angst and awkward but endearing fluff and I LOVED it!! This was the librarian Victor AU we always needed! Also I love Yuuri as a dancer, I really think that it’s such a good AU role for him and he plays it off well here. 

 Just Hold On (We’re Going Home) by kiaronna

Words: 23k

Summary: Where Yuuri remembers the banquet, Viktor forgets, and Yakov Feltsman has his own plans.

“I’ve been made aware of your recent break with Celestino Cialdini, and would like to offer you a trial period where you train under me, in St. Petersburg. There are only three conditions: you will board with another one of my students, you will take ballet with Madame Baranovskaya, and you will help me coach Yuri Plisetsky, who refuses to listen to my criticisms of his spins.” Yakov nods at this point, leans forwards and looks Yuuri in the eye. “I will charge no coaching fees.” With a deal like that, even if it means he has to face Viktor again, Yuuri has no choice but to agree.

 Review: SO MUCH ANGST! But also so much fluff! This feels like a very plausible scenario and characterizes Yuuri’s anxiety and Victor’s burnout really well. This one has scenes in it that still stay with me.

[ibovaryyou]

Fictober 2020 - Day 22

Prompt number: 22 - and neither should you

Fandom: yuri on ice

Rating: G

Warnings/Tags: Victor/Yuuri

Victor can't believe he's going to have coffee with Yuuri. He wonders if it could count as their first date or if it's too soon for that. Lot's of people have coffee without dating. He would laugh so much if he knew Yuuri's mind is wondering exactly the same thing. In a not so far future, they will consider including this in their wedding speeches. For now, it's just coffee and they both think they are the luckiest person alive.

They sit in silence for a bit, looking for the perfect sentence that will convey how interesting and fun they can be. Maybe a joke to break the ice, or a fun fact? For a moment Victor wonders if he knows anything at all as his mind draws a total blank. Yuuri is already counting the seconds until Victor realizes this was a mistake and walks away. If the only knew. Finally, Victor's manners kick in. "Thank you for accepting my invitation, Yuuri, I know you must be tired." Yuuri shakes his head as if he has never felt tiredness in his life. "No, no, thank you for inviting me. It was very kind of you." Another awkward pause. Where were all the witty lines that he had been thinking of for weeks now, thinking about this very moment? Victor takes his menu to buy himself some time and Yuuri follows his lead. "What are you in the mood of?," he asks. "I may have said coffee but you can order whatever you want," he says smiling. He has never felt so nervous in his life, what is happening? Yuuri nods. "Just tea for me, then. If that's alright... I try to leave coffee for finals week." Victor laughs. "A wise man. How about cake? Would you share one with me?" Yuuri nods again. "I'd love to." Victor starts relaxing. They can do this. When the waiter arrives, Victor orders for both of them and Yuuri feels like he could die from listening to him speak in French. He was not ready.

The talk finally, blessedly, starts flowing when Yuuri recovers his breath and dares to ask where Victor learned to speak French. By the time their order arrives, they are laughing. Yuuri feels so warm and content after taking the first sip of his tea. He's starting to feel comfortable in Victor's presence. His heart speeds up a bit when Victor pushes the cake in his direction, so he can reach it, but Yuuri grabs his fork without hesitation and takes the first piece of their cake. Once he actually tastes it, though... it is so bitter and dry! He wonders if it could be stale or if it's him. Victor is looking at him, expectantly. Yuuri didn't want to insult his choice but couldn't lie to him either and just made a non-comital noise. He goes to take more tea to chase down the cake. In the meantime, Victor takes a piece of his own. Yuuri sees him trying hard to school his features. "Oh god, it's awful," he whispers and Yuuri almost chokes on his tea. Victor smiles at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Yuuri. Do you want to order a different one? I can finish this one." Yuuri shakes his head energetically. "No, no, I'll help." "No, please, order another one," Victor insists. "You shouldn't feel obligated to eat an awful cake just for my sake." "And neither should you," Yuuri replies without missing a beat. Victor smiles warmly at him "Touché. Ok, tell you what. We order a different dessert, something that's not cake, since it's clearly not their forté. If it's awful too, we don't come back here every again and I take you somewhere reliable next time," he says adding a wink at the end. Yuuri's heart jumps a bit to give him the adrenaline he needs to shake his head calmly and say: "Next time, I get to pick the place."