Unanswered Questions from the Yuri on Ice Finale

A lot happened in the Yuri on Ice finale and we’ve got to talk about it.

First and foremost, the Yuri on Ice finale pair skate was utter perfection, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to recover. It has thoroughly killed me dead. The fact that Yuuri got silver, while somewhat disappointing, is still a satisfying conclusion for me. It keeps Yuuri motivated to stay in the sport. Even Yurio wants Yuuri to keep going, and this is a character who violently yelled at him to retire at last season’s Grand Prix Final. Victor wants to see Yuuri win gold “five times,” so Victor obviously wants him to continue as well. The conclusion has left a lot of possibilities open for the show to continue and I’m thoroughly satisfied.

That said, there was a lot of ambiguity with how things left off and the fandom is divided on just what it means.

Will Victor remain Yuuri’s coach?

The string of dialogue in the included in the screen shots below seem to indicate that Victor plans on attempting to coach Yuuri and compete at the same time. That sounds kind of impossible, but it’s Victor we’re talking about here. He’s an unending chain of surprises.

Additionally, Yuuri asked him in episode 9 to be his coach “until he retires.” Victor stated he hopes Yuuri never retires. This sounds like a promise to me. The Yuri on Ice finale even starts with a very upset Victor asking Yuuri to continue. I don’t feel like these two incidents would occur if Victor planned on leaving his position as Yuuri’s coach.

That said, some people in fandom don’t feel he can do both and think he’ll be giving up his position as coach to repeat again. Which will be it be? Guess we’ll need some OVAs or a second season to find out.

Will Yuuri be in Russia with Victor or return to Japan?

The ending scene takes place in Russia, with Yuuri running towards Victor and Yurio. The context of this scene is a bit sketchy. Does this imply that Yuuri is living in Russia now? Are they using the same St. Petersburg rink as Yakov’s team or are they just visiting? Is Yuuri just visiting Yurio and Victor and are the two Russians training under Yakov once more? So many questions. So few answers.

Forever on replay #yurionice pic.twitter.com/1v61mTaHYg

— Von (@swknusnpnk) December 21, 2016

This one is much more open to interpretation. The Yuri on Ice finale didn’t expand on the context of this scene, but I personally believe Yuuri is definitely living in Russia now. They’re engaged and I don’t see them living in separate countries regardless of who they choose to train under. In fact, I’m hoping that if we get a season two, we’ll see happy cute cohabitation in Victor’s apartment.

Man, I guess we just need to get a season two, right? Darn.

Will Victor compete in more than just Russian Nationals?

Victor was very ambiguous when he stated he wanted to return to competing. By competing in Russian Nationals he would become eligible to attend the World Championships right alongside Yuuri and Yurio. That’s still part of the 2016-2017 season, though, and he makes no mention of skating beyond that. Could we have an entire season with both Yuuri and Victor skating, or would he stop after sharing the ice with Yuuri at the World Championships? This part is even more vague than the last question. Personally, I’m not too fond of losing the coach/student dynamic, so I hope we can return to it as soon as possible, but whatever Kubo chooses to do, I trust her to deliver.

But in order for her to deliver, we really need a season two.

But wait?  What’s this?

HOW DO WE GET A SEASON TWO??

That’s the question of the hour, isn’t it? Kubo has more story to tell and has expressed interest in continuing it if given the chance. So fandom, it’s our job to help increase the chances that we’ll get OVAs or a season two. I’ve talked to various people involved in different aspects of the industry and, while it’s not a perfect science, here’s how you can help.

• Purchase the DVDs and Blurays – These are expensive, but often cited as the most important metric.
  • CDJapan – Bluray, DVD
  • Sunnyshore – Bluray/DVD Set
  • Amiami – Bluray
  • Aitai Kuji – Bluray/DVD Set
• Watch on Official Websites ONLY – They track the numbers easily.
  • Crunchyroll (Subbed)
  • Funimation (Dubbed)
• Purchase Official Merchandise
  • Yuri On Ice Official
  • Crunchyroll

There’s more story to tell. These questions may have answers. Is the Yuri on Ice finale the end of the show for good? Will we forever be left with these questions with no definitive answers? I hope not. I’m sure fanfic will help fill the void, but let’s get to work and help give Kubo a chance to tell more of Victor, Yuuri, and Yurio’s story.

For those of you suffering from withdrawal from the show already, consider joining us at our Yuri on Ice New Year’s Gala!

Author: Angel Wilson

Angel is the admin of The Geekiary and a geek culture commentator. They earned a BA in Film & Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz. They have contributed to various podcasts and webcasts including An Englishman in San Diego, Free to Be Radio, and Genre TV for All. They identify as queer.

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