But where's the gay???

Hello!

*raises hand*

Heterosexual here. Hi, my name's Asher.

Let's take a second to discuss this okay?

??!!!onICE is an amazing show that I have very few complaints about (most of which are aimed towards recycled animation, but that's not why I'm here).

So I understand that you're angry.

That's okay, I'm not thrilled about this show airing either. Same boat.

Let's talk about why though. You aren't angry because they made a show about heterosexual ice skaters. I mean hell. If YoI didn't exist, I'm pretty sure no one would even take a second glance at this. It's completely uninteresting. Just another straight forward romance flick to be lost among the dozens of others.

So. It's not the heterosexuality of this show that is the problem. The problem is that the plot TOO CLOSELY resembles the premise of YoI. Still following me?

So nowwe stop to think. Now, what made YoI so much better than this cheesy Hallmark copy?

Can I pose a theory?

Let's start with this: YoI worked VERY hard to help us LOVE the characters. They were relatable!!! Yuri Katsuki crying in the bathroom stall in the beginning? Holy *beep* I've BEEN THERE. And like Yuri, I'm a man, and that's so incredibly embarrassing and treated as shameful.

We've seen panic attacks. Hell, we've seen dynamic characters. Yuri Plisetsky's character development was incredibly satisfying. Even watching JJ lose it during the GPF had me feeling something.

But of course, the center piece of this show was the beautiful relationship between Yuri Katsuki and Victor Nikiforov.

Now why was this relationship so damn special?

Well hey. Let's have done real talk about society and gender roles okay? In the Russian culture, beinggay is something that could absolutely ruin you! There is so much to lose by being gay! And in the Japanese culture, being gay is generally okay.*

*if you are not related to the one forming the opinion, and if you EVENTUALLY get married to someone of the opposite sex. If you don't get married, it's still okay, but now you're a little bit of a social deviant

So what we're seeing here is a modern day Romeo and Juliet situation.

Except. For some BEAUTIFUL REASON homophobia does not seem to exist in YoI!

That's refreshing! That's new! The homosexual characters aren't comic relief or side characters that get killed off. They're just. Normal men who also happen to be in love with each other.

But wait. Let's continue. So these characters are in love. However, it isn't fetishized. Hell, they don't even show an on screen kiss. Instead of declaring "I love you" over and over like they have something to prove, you catch their relationship between the lines. From looks of adoration, to sleeping in beds pushed together (which, as kind of an old-fashioned guy, I really love--their relationship is so pure) you can see. Wow. These people are in love.

Their love isn't some high school hand-holding. And it's not some bestial rutting. It's absolute deduction to each other. It's self-sacrifice. They will do anything for each other. And that is why it works!

This show isn't just some romance. It's watching characters change and help change each other.

It's five years of love and dedication from our wonderful YoI team (bless Kubo-sensei).

A show produced in less than a year with no focus on the many faucets of the plot and characters cannot, and will not compare.

Not because it is heterosexual. But because it doesn't have any real unique meaning. There is nothing special here.

I hope as a heterosexual, I did not ruin your day.

-Ashe

(I'm using a friend's account, since I don't feel the need to create one just to reply to a comment. If you want to lash out at me, do so, but don't go about flaming this user).