Yuri "Yurio" Plisetsky (Юрий Плисецкий) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beautiful_monster) wrote2017-01-21 11:25 am
beautiful_monster) wrote2017-01-21 11:25 am
Reference notes
For jotting down important canon information from the show
- = canon details
--- = interpretation
Ep 1
-Creeping on Yuuri being depressed in the bathroom and telling him to fuckin retire. We don't need two Yuri's
---INITIAL THOUGHTS may change watching later eps. Partly just offended that someone who could make it all the way to GPF and be as well known as Yuuri is in the skating field could be so pathetic (as defined by a 15 year old who definitely knows all about life and its complexities.) And in part he does see Yuuri as a major source of competition for him already, and the challenge and insult is his way of trying to establish himself as a real competitor to be taken seriously despite being the youngest going into the GPF next year. (The coming year will be his first not competing in the Juniors>)
-Chatting easily with Viktor. Vik is trying to advise him on his performance and Yuri's whining that he WON so WHO CAAAARES SHUT UP VIKTOR. Ignoring coach when he gets scolded for blowing Viktor off too.
---Not too major. Just a starting point for the arc of character growth he follows over the season. (Learning to accept instruction, push himself, listen to advice to grow as both person and athlete)
-Sports news special cites Yuri as the second of Russia's champions (alongside Viktor)
---Important to keep in mind with relation to how much Yurio likely brings in through sponsorships, appearances, etc. If he's so widely renowned in Russia he is very likely bringing in a decent income which explains how he can hop countries and stay in hotels for months on a whim.
-also note that the official bio on the series website states that Yurio is the primary source of income for his family.
Ep 2
-Finding out Viktor has run away to coach Yuuri in Japan. How could he leave him for that fatso?????!?!! Especially angry because Viktor had promised to coach HIM previously
---BETRAYAL!!!!!
-Has a cat. Likely a himalayan! Other items in his room include a leopard print bag, laptop, PS Vita(??)
-Immediately runs off to Japan to follow Viktor when he finds out where he is. His plan is literally to wander around the city yelling for Viktor in hopes that he'll just stumble across him. He knows Viktor is in this city since he's tagging it in photos he uploads, but not exactly where
---Is no one monitoring this child???? The answer is no probably not. Later episode indicates his mother is out of the picture, his coach is unable to control him (he can't control Viktor either. it's a hard life for Yakov), his grandfather tho loved is not always present. Yurio does whatever the hell he wants pretty much. It is just luck that what he wants to do most is figure skating.
-Loves the creepy statues. Also loves all things leopard print and tiger faced. He fuckin tears up over a shirt with a cool tiger face on it.
-Flashback showing that when he was younger he pushed his body past reccommended limits, performing quad jumps when it could cause damage to his still developing body. It's when he's getting scolded for this that Viktor encourages him ("I used to get scolded for that too") and promises to coach him if he won without doing quads.
---Yurio REALLY LOOKS UP TO VIKTOR. They seem to have followed very similar paths in their skating career and are rink mates (under the guidance of the same coach), so Yurio looks to him as a role model in the field and measures his own talent and skill against his. The promise to coach him is very important to him.
-Only makes it to the skate rink after someone hears him yelling for Viktor and tells him to try the rink. But then THE PIG!!! shows up talking about finally getting permission to skate, so naturally Yuri kicks him through the door and gripes at him while grinding his head into the ground. A good child. PARAPHRASE: "lmao you think some pathetic cry baby can change just cuz Viktor coaches him? Mooooron"
---yurio for fucks sake. Combo of anger over Viktor ditching him and the feelings towards Yuuri mentioned in ep 1 going on here.
-Explains to Yuuri about the routines Viktor had been planning and his concerns over not being able to surprise the audience. "He knows that better than anyone: if you don't have any inspiration left, you're as good as dead. [...] I know I can surprise people more."
---It seems like he has a close working relationship with Viktor if he knows this much about the things that have been worrying him. At least close enough to be in on discussions Viktor must have been having with Yakov. They're familiar with each other. He's also at a significant point in his life where he feels confident in his abilities and wants to put everything he has towards achieving them. He genuinely believes he can take Viktor's place at the top of the skating world, and it doesn't appear to be because he thinks Viktor is incapable so much as understanding that Viktor seems to lack the confidence to hold that spot right now. He even explicitly states he'll need Viktor's help to do it! This is his chance, and he wants to go for it.
-Lays claim to a storage room in the hotel to sleep in. Yurio please. (It gets cleaned up and converted for him to actually use later because no one will really let a teenager live in a closet.)
---Yurio please. Also he picked the closet because it is in Viktor's room. He is not letting Viktor out of his sight for some rinkwrecking pig to steal :F
-"I can't take a bath with other people!" NOT EVEN 30 SECONDS PASS "Give me food! And a bath!!!"
-This is the ep when he gets the Yurio nickname. Complains when Viktor calls him by it >8( THAT'S NOT MY NAME VIKTOR!!!!
-The first time he hears Agape play he says that innocence crap makes him wanna barf. SUPER LAME. He wants to do Eros because it sounds more adult and exciting. Obviously he doesn't get it and is SO OFFENDED. Viktor tells both Yuris they're more mediocre than they think and that they can't choose their own image if they want to surprise people (since from the audience perspective they're "a kitten and a piglet"). Yurio agrees to skate Agape at the end of this tear down.
---This speaks both to his confidence in Viktor to know what he's doing when it comes to skating, and to his determination to win in Viktor's eyes in order to bring him home. Basically as much as he'd personally rather skate Eros, if Viktor thinks Agape is what's going to challenge him more then that's what he'll do since Viktor has more experience, and its specifically Viktor's opinion and respect he wants to win.
Ep 3
-Picks up the tone of the choreography for Agape with just one viewing.
---Obviously there will be months of training and repetition to refine it and get all the timing right, but he has zero doubt in his ability to perform the routine and capture the mood of the music in the way Viktor wants him to.
-Has a tiny smug moment over Yuuri getting told he won't be taught anything he can't do right now
---Basically preening because that's not a concern with HIM 8) he can do a n y t h i n g
-LESSON WITH VIKTOR: His critique is that this is not a performance where greed (to win) and confidence should take the center stage. Explains that he needs to feel the music rather than spending all his time thinking about what to do during it.
---at this point he doesn't really get the point of any of this instruction. He is trying, but trying TOO HARD basically
-lmao the pig's eros is a pork bowl 8'D
--- L M A O 8'D
-Sent to go meditate under a waterfall where he thinks of training as a child in the past, thinking about his grandfather and the fondness he has for him.
---The first breakthrough in coming to understand unconditional love as a concept
-Yuuri asks for instruction in landing a quad salchow, and Yuri agrees to instruct him in it. He's rough and harsh in critiques, but the glimpse we get does look like he's being genuine in his instruction.
---He doesn't want to win on an uneven playing field. He isn't afraid to bring Yuuri up to his level to better challenge himself. Also probably some growing acceptance of Yuuri as a person here.
-Although he gets praised for this being his best performance of Agape yet, he's not satisfied with his showing. He ends up leaving the competition on his own before hearing the official results because he knows well enough what the outcome was.
---He's SO DISAPPOINTED IN HIMSELF, but it looks like this incident only bolsters his resolve to continue training and pushing himself to defeat Yuuri at the GPF. Yakov later explains he went unchallenged by his competitors in the junior level, and the trip to Japan to compete against Yuuri was a wakeup call.
Ep 4
-Yakov's ex-wife, Lilia, arrives to instruct Yurio in ballet to bolster his performance in Agape. She will choreograph his free program. "If selling my soul is all it takes to win, I'll give you my body no holds barred."
-He moves in with Lilia to train under her.
---15 and moving away from family to live with a coach for months on end to practice 24/7 :)!! Granted this is a decision he explicitly agrees to. This is a life he wants to lead. But it still says a lot about the quality of life he's leading. He's very isolated both from family and potential friends. Later we learn that Otabek is his first actual friend! He's not very socialized at all (aside from charming sponsors.)
Ep 5-7
-SO MAD ABOUT YUURI DOING WELL IN HIS FIRST COMPETITION
---that rinkwrecker
-Basically Yuri is getting offscreen training and participating in his competitions throughout these episodes. He's only on screen when watching the matches that Yuuri is involved in. The second of Georgi's is the only one he misses.
---Takes competition seriously. He is staying up to date with how well his competition is doing so he can measure himself agaisnt them and gauge how far he needs to go to surpass them.
Ep 8
-Meeting grampa in Moscow :> Immediately bolts to avoid a crowd of fans at the airport and meets up with his grandfather outside. Greeted him with a bear hug and is quick to complement the piroshkies he made him even while he's talking about how much he likes katsudon.
---LOVES HIS GRANDFATHER.
-Comes across Viktor bragging about Yuuri and sulks that he's not getting a mention too. Interested in what Viktor has to say to a question regarding Viktor's own future in skating, and when he dodges the question tells him to stop acting like he's still the top Russian figure skater. "I'm the star in this event!"
---Irritated that he's not getting recognition yet and that Viktor might really be retiring before Yuri ever has an opportunity to challenge him in official competitions. Remember this is his skating idol and senior rinkmate; he wants to measure himself against him more than anyone else.
-Catches Yuuri in an elevator! Still insisting Yuuri is going to fuckin lose and he'll make Viktor come back to Russia to stay with him.
---YOU WON'T WIN RINKWRECKER. He just wants to learn from and compete against Viktor so much and wants Yuuri to get out of the waaaay. It's worth noting that this confrontation was much more mild than when he kicked Yuuri through a door in an earlier episode. In his own way he's warming up to him and gaining respect for him as a skater even if his feelings on Yuuri (and Viktor) are complicated. This encounter was really no worse than any competitor shit-talking prior to a match; typical sports bluster with Yurio's naturally aggressive attitude thrown on top.
-Grampa isn't coming to Yurio's skate :( (Can't make it? Won't??) He'd been counting on being able to perfect Agape by having his grandfather watch
---holy shit is he wearing makeup for this. he might be to max out his beauty for the performance
-What is Lilia saying to him during Yuuri's performance? No audio. Yurio's face hidden.
---Probably giving him encouragement and last minute advice to try to boost him in spite of his grampa's absence.
-Disgusted by Yuuri and Viktor's display after Yuuri's showing.
---SO GROSS, HOW CAN THEY ACT SO CHEERFUL AND FULL OF PDA BEFORE HE'S EVEN PERFORMED DON'T THEY KNOW HE'S GOING TO CRUSH BOTH OF THEM!!!
-Actually FALLS on his first jump. Tells himself it's because he lacks overall experience (however we have only seen how he never misses a jump before this showing!!)
---He's thrown more than he expected by the absence of his grandfather. Plus all his mixed feelings about Yuuri and Viktor are distracting him here. He's been told to tear his old self down and rebuild to make himself stronger during his training up until now, and Lilia tells him he hasn't finished the rebuilding portion of his training. This is probably very true. He's young; he's immature; he is lacking the breadth of experience that some of the older skaters have. Even though he is a very confident and driven person, he isn't done growing into the man he's going to be one day. He's still open to being shaken up particularly because of the state of change that his youth puts him in. He's still coming to understand Agape and unconditional love, and actively seeking to prove himself to the world and Viktor, and that can leave even him vulnerable and uncertain at times.
-AND THEN VIKTOR LENDS HIS COACH AWAY TO YUURI
---VIKTOR!!!!!!! >8(??!?!?!
Ep 9
-Much milder irritation and confusion about Yakov taking on Yuuri
---Very likely that the situation was explained (Viktor's dog being suddenly ill). Yuri would understand this as a fellow pet owner, but the situation is definitely still an aggravating and awkward one. Yakov is his coach, and now he has to share him with someone he's in direct competition with for the day.
-Grampa shows up again! Seems like he wasn't feeling well the day before ("I thought you weren't feeling well?"), but he's made Yuri special katsudon piroshkies as an apology for missing the performance. He is very fond with Yuri and encourages him to do well.
---So definite strong support from his grandfather! Yuri values his support highly and is clearly grateful for it. This puts him in a much better mood compared to his uncertainty and poor spirits the day before.
-Changes the arrangement of his jumps to have more in the latter half of the performance (when fatigue is higher, worth more points??) specifically to give himself more of an edge against Yuuri and JJ. Yuuri, Lilia, Mila, Yakov all comment on how difficult and challenging this will/must be for him.
-Starts to cheer for Yuuri during his performance! (Comment from JJ: "All supportive now that you've clinched your spot in the final")
---JJ is probably not entirely off the mark. Yurio definitely feels more secure now that he's secured his spot, but we've also seen that he's someone who wants to challenge himself as much as possible. He's approached Yuuri from the beginning of the series as someone that he wants to compete against, so he wouldn't be satisfied for Yuuri to fall out of the competition because he wasn't also giving his all. He wants to win because he knocked him out with his own superior skills, not because Yuuri psyched himself out for whatever reason.
-Finished second to JJ and he's SO OFFENDED
-Yuuri turned into a hug monster and it's all very confusing and alarming. Yurio actually ran away trying to escape. He has NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. IT WAS WEIRD. But later he tracks Yuuri down and makes him eat katsudon piroshkies after scolding him for letting himself slip just because he was bummed out over Viktor being absent. "I was in top form and earned a new personal best, only to lose to JJ again! You have no right to feel more down than me, katsudon!"
-Also proves he's aware of when Yuri's birthday is. He looks so pleased and smug while Yuuri is eating and takes the chance to brag about his grampa's cooking.
---Again, proof that he wants to compete against Yuuri while he's at his best! This is also another instance of showing how he's warmed to him over the course of the series. He's seemed less angry with him for "taking" Viktor away in these recent episodes and more aggravated that he's not as confident in himself or pushing himself as hard as Yurio would like. He likes him in his cranky, rival-esque way.
Ep 10
-Max tsundere over his fans. He looks blatantly uncomfortable posing with them for pictures and had to be told not to insult them himself, but the second JJ's fiance implies anything negative about them he snaps out insults at her. "Don't diss my fans and call them ugly, you ugly-ass bitch!"
---He can be aggravated at having to deal with crowds, but actual insults against them are UNACCEPTABLE >(
-OTABEK APPEARS. Yurio's very first reaction to him is to ask what the hell he's looking at and call him an asshole.
---g. good job yuri. Literally all Otabek did was look at him and he got flustered by it. He doesn't know what to make of someone who doesn't even react to his temper like Otabek.
-RUNNING AWAY FROM YURI'S ANGELS when Otabek appears on a motorcycle and tells him to get on. He hesitates briefly before taking the offer.
-We learn that Otabek and Yuri actually trained together at Yakov's summer camp 5 years ago, but Yuri didn't remember him. (tbf he was 10 at the time) (Otabek comment: "Yuri Plisetsky had the unforgettable eyes of a soldier.") (Yuri response: "I had just moved my home rink from Moscow to St. Petersburg. I was desperate. I'd decided that I wouldn't complain until I was good enough.") The pair go on to discuss how they moved home rinks around and (imply) they missed their homes.
---WOW A LOT TO TOUCH ON HERE. Most important is to note that Yuri doesn't disagree with the eyes of a soldier comment. He actually explains why he looked like that. He was a 10 year old kid who missed his home enough that he wanted to complain, but felt like he didn't deserve to or was obligated not to until he became talented enough to rise through the ranks of the skating world. There was a heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders at the time that Otabek first met him. Probably not safe to dig deeper into this information until we get confirmation one way or the other about season two; there are a lot of scenarios that could leads to that kind of weight being put on a kid, and it doesn't come up in more detail than this during the series so it seems Yuri doesn't dwell on whatever the situation was; at least for the purpose of the story of Viktor and Yuuri. He's living in the present just fine.
-Otabek says he thinks they're alike and asks if Yuri is going to be his friend or not. A helpful voice over tells us Yuri has never had anyone ask to be his friend before.
---Further indication that Yurio's had a fairly isolated life. Skating is everything. He doesn't have time to socialize with kids his own age. He's never been shown to long for it or have any regrets about the path he's led in life, but that doesn't change that this is a new experience for him. This encounter with Otabek will carry a lot of weight for him throughout their friendship now. First he saves him from fangirls, then they bond over similar experiences, then he asks to be friends. It's really exactly the kind of relationship Yuri needs; someone who is more than just a friendly rival to him. This is an actual friend.
-Otabek and Yuri go out to eat and everyone fuckin barges in on their frienddate. :U Yuri is annoyed but obviously doesn't stop them.
-THE DANCE BATTLE COMES OUT. Yuri calls it disgusting
---because it absolutely was disgusting to a 14 year old with no hormones. Where did the stripper pole even come from. What kind of formal banquent turns into that???
---He was absolutely T H E R E for the dance competition before it turned into a bunch of stripping though. He was real into beating Yuuri THIS IS WHY HE'S SO DETERMINED TO OFFICIALLY COMPETE AGAINST HIM. WHERE THE FUCK DID YOUR CONFIDENCE GO YOU STRIPPER PIG
-Viktor and Yuuri are married?! Engaged?!?!
---Yuri CANNOT BELIEVE. THE THEFT OF VIKTOR HAS BEEN COMPLETED?!
-VIKTOR NIKIFOROV IS DEAD. "Why do you look so happy to be looking after that damn pig? [...] Not all skaters look up to you. Just go away already, geezer." and a bunch more garbage about the ring being garbage and proving Yuuri isn't worth shit blah blah I'm 15 and take me seriously!!!!
---I'M FIFTEEN AND I DEFINITELY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU OR COMPETING AGAINST YOU AND TAKE ME SERIOUSLY VIKTOR!!!!!
Ep 11
-Lilia explains that she believes Yuri has been able to grow to new heights thanks not only to the training he's received, but because of the relationships he's been fostering with people. (Stated while a montage of all his relationships plays out, ending with him and Otabek agreeing to be friends).
---Y E P. Yuri spent his whole life being too focused on skating to really develop sincere relationships with anyone other than his grampa, and over the course of the series that has changed. He's warmed up to Yuuri, come to accept that he can't hold onto Viktor the way he wants, made a new friend in Otabek, and developed positive relationships with Mila, Lilia, etc. It's opened his eyes to social experiences he was lacking.
-His performance of Agape this time is so impressive that Lilia looks dumbstruck on the sidelines.
---See above notes for implications of how much Yurio's grown to lead to this.
-CHEER FOR OTABEK. they good friends. He's so impressed by Otabek's own style for ice skating (impressive height and distance in jumps) (nothing stated, his expression just speaks strongly to appreciating and being pleased by his performance)
Ep 12
-Viktor catches Yuri just before his final performance. "For now, I'll time my return to the Russian Nationals." "Hey, does that mean Katsudon's retiring?" "That's his decision. He said he'd decide after the GPF was over." Yuri looks actively worried about Viktor for a split second before Viktor hugs him.
---Why does everyone he wants to challenge himself against keep retiring. Chances are he's also real irritated with Yuuri for upsetting Viktor like this. He knows Viktor would also want to compete against him (Yuuri) rather than only one of them being on the ice at a time, so he sees this as a thoughtless action against Viktor by someone who should love and understand him. Basically, Yuuri has fucked up in Yuri's eyes >8(
-Flashbacks confirm that Yuri did take note of Yuuri and wanted to see him skating without any mistakes, at top form. He wants him to be that challenge.
-"What, you're gonna retire once you win gold? You don't care anymore now that you got a higher score than Viktor's? That's bull! Don't disappoint me! THERE ARE NO GOLD MEDALS FOR PIGS TO FEED ON! I'm going to win! Are you watching Katsuki Yuuri? I'm gonna beat your record some day. If you retire now, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life. Moron!"
---I. Yeah. This is just more confirmation of everything I'd been assuming about his views on Yuuri. WE'RE RIVALS NOW AND YOU CAN'T FUCKIN RETIRE SO THERE >8( Being mad at him for Viktor is still a thing, but this competitive streak manifesting is absolutely the primary drive in his feelings towards Yuuri.
---We don't see clear interaction between Yurio and Yuuri or Viktor after this, but given that Yuuri and Viktor held a pair skate exhibition odds are neither has retired and Yurio will have settled back into grumpy fondness for the both of them.
- = canon details
--- = interpretation
Ep 1
-Creeping on Yuuri being depressed in the bathroom and telling him to fuckin retire. We don't need two Yuri's
---INITIAL THOUGHTS may change watching later eps. Partly just offended that someone who could make it all the way to GPF and be as well known as Yuuri is in the skating field could be so pathetic (as defined by a 15 year old who definitely knows all about life and its complexities.) And in part he does see Yuuri as a major source of competition for him already, and the challenge and insult is his way of trying to establish himself as a real competitor to be taken seriously despite being the youngest going into the GPF next year. (The coming year will be his first not competing in the Juniors>)
-Chatting easily with Viktor. Vik is trying to advise him on his performance and Yuri's whining that he WON so WHO CAAAARES SHUT UP VIKTOR. Ignoring coach when he gets scolded for blowing Viktor off too.
---Not too major. Just a starting point for the arc of character growth he follows over the season. (Learning to accept instruction, push himself, listen to advice to grow as both person and athlete)
-Sports news special cites Yuri as the second of Russia's champions (alongside Viktor)
---Important to keep in mind with relation to how much Yurio likely brings in through sponsorships, appearances, etc. If he's so widely renowned in Russia he is very likely bringing in a decent income which explains how he can hop countries and stay in hotels for months on a whim.
-also note that the official bio on the series website states that Yurio is the primary source of income for his family.
Ep 2
-Finding out Viktor has run away to coach Yuuri in Japan. How could he leave him for that fatso?????!?!! Especially angry because Viktor had promised to coach HIM previously
---BETRAYAL!!!!!
-Has a cat. Likely a himalayan! Other items in his room include a leopard print bag, laptop, PS Vita(??)
-Immediately runs off to Japan to follow Viktor when he finds out where he is. His plan is literally to wander around the city yelling for Viktor in hopes that he'll just stumble across him. He knows Viktor is in this city since he's tagging it in photos he uploads, but not exactly where
---Is no one monitoring this child???? The answer is no probably not. Later episode indicates his mother is out of the picture, his coach is unable to control him (he can't control Viktor either. it's a hard life for Yakov), his grandfather tho loved is not always present. Yurio does whatever the hell he wants pretty much. It is just luck that what he wants to do most is figure skating.
-Loves the creepy statues. Also loves all things leopard print and tiger faced. He fuckin tears up over a shirt with a cool tiger face on it.
-Flashback showing that when he was younger he pushed his body past reccommended limits, performing quad jumps when it could cause damage to his still developing body. It's when he's getting scolded for this that Viktor encourages him ("I used to get scolded for that too") and promises to coach him if he won without doing quads.
---Yurio REALLY LOOKS UP TO VIKTOR. They seem to have followed very similar paths in their skating career and are rink mates (under the guidance of the same coach), so Yurio looks to him as a role model in the field and measures his own talent and skill against his. The promise to coach him is very important to him.
-Only makes it to the skate rink after someone hears him yelling for Viktor and tells him to try the rink. But then THE PIG!!! shows up talking about finally getting permission to skate, so naturally Yuri kicks him through the door and gripes at him while grinding his head into the ground. A good child. PARAPHRASE: "lmao you think some pathetic cry baby can change just cuz Viktor coaches him? Mooooron"
---yurio for fucks sake. Combo of anger over Viktor ditching him and the feelings towards Yuuri mentioned in ep 1 going on here.
-Explains to Yuuri about the routines Viktor had been planning and his concerns over not being able to surprise the audience. "He knows that better than anyone: if you don't have any inspiration left, you're as good as dead. [...] I know I can surprise people more."
---It seems like he has a close working relationship with Viktor if he knows this much about the things that have been worrying him. At least close enough to be in on discussions Viktor must have been having with Yakov. They're familiar with each other. He's also at a significant point in his life where he feels confident in his abilities and wants to put everything he has towards achieving them. He genuinely believes he can take Viktor's place at the top of the skating world, and it doesn't appear to be because he thinks Viktor is incapable so much as understanding that Viktor seems to lack the confidence to hold that spot right now. He even explicitly states he'll need Viktor's help to do it! This is his chance, and he wants to go for it.
-Lays claim to a storage room in the hotel to sleep in. Yurio please. (It gets cleaned up and converted for him to actually use later because no one will really let a teenager live in a closet.)
---Yurio please. Also he picked the closet because it is in Viktor's room. He is not letting Viktor out of his sight for some rinkwrecking pig to steal :F
-"I can't take a bath with other people!" NOT EVEN 30 SECONDS PASS "Give me food! And a bath!!!"
-This is the ep when he gets the Yurio nickname. Complains when Viktor calls him by it >8( THAT'S NOT MY NAME VIKTOR!!!!
-The first time he hears Agape play he says that innocence crap makes him wanna barf. SUPER LAME. He wants to do Eros because it sounds more adult and exciting. Obviously he doesn't get it and is SO OFFENDED. Viktor tells both Yuris they're more mediocre than they think and that they can't choose their own image if they want to surprise people (since from the audience perspective they're "a kitten and a piglet"). Yurio agrees to skate Agape at the end of this tear down.
---This speaks both to his confidence in Viktor to know what he's doing when it comes to skating, and to his determination to win in Viktor's eyes in order to bring him home. Basically as much as he'd personally rather skate Eros, if Viktor thinks Agape is what's going to challenge him more then that's what he'll do since Viktor has more experience, and its specifically Viktor's opinion and respect he wants to win.
Ep 3
-Picks up the tone of the choreography for Agape with just one viewing.
---Obviously there will be months of training and repetition to refine it and get all the timing right, but he has zero doubt in his ability to perform the routine and capture the mood of the music in the way Viktor wants him to.
-Has a tiny smug moment over Yuuri getting told he won't be taught anything he can't do right now
---Basically preening because that's not a concern with HIM 8) he can do a n y t h i n g
-LESSON WITH VIKTOR: His critique is that this is not a performance where greed (to win) and confidence should take the center stage. Explains that he needs to feel the music rather than spending all his time thinking about what to do during it.
---at this point he doesn't really get the point of any of this instruction. He is trying, but trying TOO HARD basically
-lmao the pig's eros is a pork bowl 8'D
--- L M A O 8'D
-Sent to go meditate under a waterfall where he thinks of training as a child in the past, thinking about his grandfather and the fondness he has for him.
---The first breakthrough in coming to understand unconditional love as a concept
-Yuuri asks for instruction in landing a quad salchow, and Yuri agrees to instruct him in it. He's rough and harsh in critiques, but the glimpse we get does look like he's being genuine in his instruction.
---He doesn't want to win on an uneven playing field. He isn't afraid to bring Yuuri up to his level to better challenge himself. Also probably some growing acceptance of Yuuri as a person here.
-Although he gets praised for this being his best performance of Agape yet, he's not satisfied with his showing. He ends up leaving the competition on his own before hearing the official results because he knows well enough what the outcome was.
---He's SO DISAPPOINTED IN HIMSELF, but it looks like this incident only bolsters his resolve to continue training and pushing himself to defeat Yuuri at the GPF. Yakov later explains he went unchallenged by his competitors in the junior level, and the trip to Japan to compete against Yuuri was a wakeup call.
Ep 4
-Yakov's ex-wife, Lilia, arrives to instruct Yurio in ballet to bolster his performance in Agape. She will choreograph his free program. "If selling my soul is all it takes to win, I'll give you my body no holds barred."
-He moves in with Lilia to train under her.
---15 and moving away from family to live with a coach for months on end to practice 24/7 :)!! Granted this is a decision he explicitly agrees to. This is a life he wants to lead. But it still says a lot about the quality of life he's leading. He's very isolated both from family and potential friends. Later we learn that Otabek is his first actual friend! He's not very socialized at all (aside from charming sponsors.)
Ep 5-7
-SO MAD ABOUT YUURI DOING WELL IN HIS FIRST COMPETITION
---that rinkwrecker
-Basically Yuri is getting offscreen training and participating in his competitions throughout these episodes. He's only on screen when watching the matches that Yuuri is involved in. The second of Georgi's is the only one he misses.
---Takes competition seriously. He is staying up to date with how well his competition is doing so he can measure himself agaisnt them and gauge how far he needs to go to surpass them.
Ep 8
-Meeting grampa in Moscow :> Immediately bolts to avoid a crowd of fans at the airport and meets up with his grandfather outside. Greeted him with a bear hug and is quick to complement the piroshkies he made him even while he's talking about how much he likes katsudon.
---LOVES HIS GRANDFATHER.
-Comes across Viktor bragging about Yuuri and sulks that he's not getting a mention too. Interested in what Viktor has to say to a question regarding Viktor's own future in skating, and when he dodges the question tells him to stop acting like he's still the top Russian figure skater. "I'm the star in this event!"
---Irritated that he's not getting recognition yet and that Viktor might really be retiring before Yuri ever has an opportunity to challenge him in official competitions. Remember this is his skating idol and senior rinkmate; he wants to measure himself against him more than anyone else.
-Catches Yuuri in an elevator! Still insisting Yuuri is going to fuckin lose and he'll make Viktor come back to Russia to stay with him.
---YOU WON'T WIN RINKWRECKER. He just wants to learn from and compete against Viktor so much and wants Yuuri to get out of the waaaay. It's worth noting that this confrontation was much more mild than when he kicked Yuuri through a door in an earlier episode. In his own way he's warming up to him and gaining respect for him as a skater even if his feelings on Yuuri (and Viktor) are complicated. This encounter was really no worse than any competitor shit-talking prior to a match; typical sports bluster with Yurio's naturally aggressive attitude thrown on top.
-Grampa isn't coming to Yurio's skate :( (Can't make it? Won't??) He'd been counting on being able to perfect Agape by having his grandfather watch
---holy shit is he wearing makeup for this. he might be to max out his beauty for the performance
-What is Lilia saying to him during Yuuri's performance? No audio. Yurio's face hidden.
---Probably giving him encouragement and last minute advice to try to boost him in spite of his grampa's absence.
-Disgusted by Yuuri and Viktor's display after Yuuri's showing.
---SO GROSS, HOW CAN THEY ACT SO CHEERFUL AND FULL OF PDA BEFORE HE'S EVEN PERFORMED DON'T THEY KNOW HE'S GOING TO CRUSH BOTH OF THEM!!!
-Actually FALLS on his first jump. Tells himself it's because he lacks overall experience (however we have only seen how he never misses a jump before this showing!!)
---He's thrown more than he expected by the absence of his grandfather. Plus all his mixed feelings about Yuuri and Viktor are distracting him here. He's been told to tear his old self down and rebuild to make himself stronger during his training up until now, and Lilia tells him he hasn't finished the rebuilding portion of his training. This is probably very true. He's young; he's immature; he is lacking the breadth of experience that some of the older skaters have. Even though he is a very confident and driven person, he isn't done growing into the man he's going to be one day. He's still open to being shaken up particularly because of the state of change that his youth puts him in. He's still coming to understand Agape and unconditional love, and actively seeking to prove himself to the world and Viktor, and that can leave even him vulnerable and uncertain at times.
-AND THEN VIKTOR LENDS HIS COACH AWAY TO YUURI
---VIKTOR!!!!!!! >8(??!?!?!
Ep 9
-Much milder irritation and confusion about Yakov taking on Yuuri
---Very likely that the situation was explained (Viktor's dog being suddenly ill). Yuri would understand this as a fellow pet owner, but the situation is definitely still an aggravating and awkward one. Yakov is his coach, and now he has to share him with someone he's in direct competition with for the day.
-Grampa shows up again! Seems like he wasn't feeling well the day before ("I thought you weren't feeling well?"), but he's made Yuri special katsudon piroshkies as an apology for missing the performance. He is very fond with Yuri and encourages him to do well.
---So definite strong support from his grandfather! Yuri values his support highly and is clearly grateful for it. This puts him in a much better mood compared to his uncertainty and poor spirits the day before.
-Changes the arrangement of his jumps to have more in the latter half of the performance (when fatigue is higher, worth more points??) specifically to give himself more of an edge against Yuuri and JJ. Yuuri, Lilia, Mila, Yakov all comment on how difficult and challenging this will/must be for him.
-Starts to cheer for Yuuri during his performance! (Comment from JJ: "All supportive now that you've clinched your spot in the final")
---JJ is probably not entirely off the mark. Yurio definitely feels more secure now that he's secured his spot, but we've also seen that he's someone who wants to challenge himself as much as possible. He's approached Yuuri from the beginning of the series as someone that he wants to compete against, so he wouldn't be satisfied for Yuuri to fall out of the competition because he wasn't also giving his all. He wants to win because he knocked him out with his own superior skills, not because Yuuri psyched himself out for whatever reason.
-Finished second to JJ and he's SO OFFENDED
-Yuuri turned into a hug monster and it's all very confusing and alarming. Yurio actually ran away trying to escape. He has NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. IT WAS WEIRD. But later he tracks Yuuri down and makes him eat katsudon piroshkies after scolding him for letting himself slip just because he was bummed out over Viktor being absent. "I was in top form and earned a new personal best, only to lose to JJ again! You have no right to feel more down than me, katsudon!"
-Also proves he's aware of when Yuri's birthday is. He looks so pleased and smug while Yuuri is eating and takes the chance to brag about his grampa's cooking.
---Again, proof that he wants to compete against Yuuri while he's at his best! This is also another instance of showing how he's warmed to him over the course of the series. He's seemed less angry with him for "taking" Viktor away in these recent episodes and more aggravated that he's not as confident in himself or pushing himself as hard as Yurio would like. He likes him in his cranky, rival-esque way.
Ep 10
-Max tsundere over his fans. He looks blatantly uncomfortable posing with them for pictures and had to be told not to insult them himself, but the second JJ's fiance implies anything negative about them he snaps out insults at her. "Don't diss my fans and call them ugly, you ugly-ass bitch!"
---He can be aggravated at having to deal with crowds, but actual insults against them are UNACCEPTABLE >(
-OTABEK APPEARS. Yurio's very first reaction to him is to ask what the hell he's looking at and call him an asshole.
---g. good job yuri. Literally all Otabek did was look at him and he got flustered by it. He doesn't know what to make of someone who doesn't even react to his temper like Otabek.
-RUNNING AWAY FROM YURI'S ANGELS when Otabek appears on a motorcycle and tells him to get on. He hesitates briefly before taking the offer.
-We learn that Otabek and Yuri actually trained together at Yakov's summer camp 5 years ago, but Yuri didn't remember him. (tbf he was 10 at the time) (Otabek comment: "Yuri Plisetsky had the unforgettable eyes of a soldier.") (Yuri response: "I had just moved my home rink from Moscow to St. Petersburg. I was desperate. I'd decided that I wouldn't complain until I was good enough.") The pair go on to discuss how they moved home rinks around and (imply) they missed their homes.
---WOW A LOT TO TOUCH ON HERE. Most important is to note that Yuri doesn't disagree with the eyes of a soldier comment. He actually explains why he looked like that. He was a 10 year old kid who missed his home enough that he wanted to complain, but felt like he didn't deserve to or was obligated not to until he became talented enough to rise through the ranks of the skating world. There was a heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders at the time that Otabek first met him. Probably not safe to dig deeper into this information until we get confirmation one way or the other about season two; there are a lot of scenarios that could leads to that kind of weight being put on a kid, and it doesn't come up in more detail than this during the series so it seems Yuri doesn't dwell on whatever the situation was; at least for the purpose of the story of Viktor and Yuuri. He's living in the present just fine.
-Otabek says he thinks they're alike and asks if Yuri is going to be his friend or not. A helpful voice over tells us Yuri has never had anyone ask to be his friend before.
---Further indication that Yurio's had a fairly isolated life. Skating is everything. He doesn't have time to socialize with kids his own age. He's never been shown to long for it or have any regrets about the path he's led in life, but that doesn't change that this is a new experience for him. This encounter with Otabek will carry a lot of weight for him throughout their friendship now. First he saves him from fangirls, then they bond over similar experiences, then he asks to be friends. It's really exactly the kind of relationship Yuri needs; someone who is more than just a friendly rival to him. This is an actual friend.
-Otabek and Yuri go out to eat and everyone fuckin barges in on their frienddate. :U Yuri is annoyed but obviously doesn't stop them.
-THE DANCE BATTLE COMES OUT. Yuri calls it disgusting
---because it absolutely was disgusting to a 14 year old with no hormones. Where did the stripper pole even come from. What kind of formal banquent turns into that???
---He was absolutely T H E R E for the dance competition before it turned into a bunch of stripping though. He was real into beating Yuuri THIS IS WHY HE'S SO DETERMINED TO OFFICIALLY COMPETE AGAINST HIM. WHERE THE FUCK DID YOUR CONFIDENCE GO YOU STRIPPER PIG
-Viktor and Yuuri are married?! Engaged?!?!
---Yuri CANNOT BELIEVE. THE THEFT OF VIKTOR HAS BEEN COMPLETED?!
-VIKTOR NIKIFOROV IS DEAD. "Why do you look so happy to be looking after that damn pig? [...] Not all skaters look up to you. Just go away already, geezer." and a bunch more garbage about the ring being garbage and proving Yuuri isn't worth shit blah blah I'm 15 and take me seriously!!!!
---I'M FIFTEEN AND I DEFINITELY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU OR COMPETING AGAINST YOU AND TAKE ME SERIOUSLY VIKTOR!!!!!
Ep 11
-Lilia explains that she believes Yuri has been able to grow to new heights thanks not only to the training he's received, but because of the relationships he's been fostering with people. (Stated while a montage of all his relationships plays out, ending with him and Otabek agreeing to be friends).
---Y E P. Yuri spent his whole life being too focused on skating to really develop sincere relationships with anyone other than his grampa, and over the course of the series that has changed. He's warmed up to Yuuri, come to accept that he can't hold onto Viktor the way he wants, made a new friend in Otabek, and developed positive relationships with Mila, Lilia, etc. It's opened his eyes to social experiences he was lacking.
-His performance of Agape this time is so impressive that Lilia looks dumbstruck on the sidelines.
---See above notes for implications of how much Yurio's grown to lead to this.
-CHEER FOR OTABEK. they good friends. He's so impressed by Otabek's own style for ice skating (impressive height and distance in jumps) (nothing stated, his expression just speaks strongly to appreciating and being pleased by his performance)
Ep 12
-Viktor catches Yuri just before his final performance. "For now, I'll time my return to the Russian Nationals." "Hey, does that mean Katsudon's retiring?" "That's his decision. He said he'd decide after the GPF was over." Yuri looks actively worried about Viktor for a split second before Viktor hugs him.
---Why does everyone he wants to challenge himself against keep retiring. Chances are he's also real irritated with Yuuri for upsetting Viktor like this. He knows Viktor would also want to compete against him (Yuuri) rather than only one of them being on the ice at a time, so he sees this as a thoughtless action against Viktor by someone who should love and understand him. Basically, Yuuri has fucked up in Yuri's eyes >8(
-Flashbacks confirm that Yuri did take note of Yuuri and wanted to see him skating without any mistakes, at top form. He wants him to be that challenge.
-"What, you're gonna retire once you win gold? You don't care anymore now that you got a higher score than Viktor's? That's bull! Don't disappoint me! THERE ARE NO GOLD MEDALS FOR PIGS TO FEED ON! I'm going to win! Are you watching Katsuki Yuuri? I'm gonna beat your record some day. If you retire now, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life. Moron!"
---I. Yeah. This is just more confirmation of everything I'd been assuming about his views on Yuuri. WE'RE RIVALS NOW AND YOU CAN'T FUCKIN RETIRE SO THERE >8( Being mad at him for Viktor is still a thing, but this competitive streak manifesting is absolutely the primary drive in his feelings towards Yuuri.
---We don't see clear interaction between Yurio and Yuuri or Viktor after this, but given that Yuuri and Viktor held a pair skate exhibition odds are neither has retired and Yurio will have settled back into grumpy fondness for the both of them.