Ok I don’t hate OtaYuri but I hope the YOI staff doesn’t make them “canon” just yet.
WTTM progression is clearly rushed, they have only befriended each other for a few days, (and tbh the glove-biting part was unnecessary and clearly made out of fanservice, not something that would be logically done if you consider the character and relationship development that has happened between them in canon) (but that’s just my opinion)(Like, I probably can imagine this if we have enough development on Otabek’s part)
Also, regarding canonical character development, we’ve seen how Yuri craves affection and self validation. He’s still 15 years old and he’s lonely much like a any overachieving petulant 15 years olds are. What Yuri needs now more than a significant someone is a friend. A friend who’d go through silly shenanigans with him, who’d consider him as equal. Not a boyfriend, when Yuri’s clearly not well-acquainted with how societal constructs and labels would require him of social maintenances he has not understand just yet.
Knowing how it took months for Viktor and Yuuri to develop their relationship, and how real and healthily well-balanced Viktuuri is, how grounded to reality they are, I hope YOI staff take their time to develop Otayuri too. Not rushing them into romantic relationship just yet, let them deepen this new budding friendship first!
This was also the reason why on ep 10 it was explicitly stated that Otabek is Yuri’s first friend. Because that’s an IMPORTANT role for Yuri’s character arc that has been entrusted to Otabek. By pushing that Otayuri is “canon” within a few days of their relationship, and focusing more on their “romance” while joke-mocking on their “friendship”, it’s like the staff are dismissing the prominence of Otabek’s arrival in Yuri’s life that is to make Yuri opens up little by little by giving him a friend.
I’m not an anti whatsoever, Idec about the age yada yada. I just feel like Yuri needs a friendship more than romantic relationship that would demand him to act a certain way when he’s still enwrapped in this hard cocoon he made for himself. He needs to learn on how to mature and get comfortable with affection first. Later, when he’s had a few years past the angsty teenage edgelord phase, and understand that it’s OKAY to love and be loved and how to maintain a relationship, then I’ll support it wholeheartedly.
PS it ended up as a rant I am sorry I can’t word this well, I only had 3 hours sleep. xo
tl;dr i dont hate otayuri i just hope yoi staff know what they’re doing