#otayuri?

[fuckboiforkacchan-blog]

i identify as the way yurio calls otabek an asshole

[rinkame]

LOOK AT WHAT THE OTABEK BOT JUST POSTED.

[meru90]

I've been following you for 2 years but I'm going to unfollow. Your art is cute but I wish you would try to educate yourself and understand why genderbends & ships like otayuri can be and are harmful. Hope this doesnt sound too mean. Have a nice life

nahhh if you feel the need to unfollow me you are free to do so :,D 

[viktors-steamed-buns]

This fandom needs to figure out which ship name to use for Yuri and Otabek because holy hell there's a lot

[acearohippo]

YOI Fandom needs to chill

Recently, in the Yuri on Ice Fandom, a new possible ship has made it’s way over the horizon and it has a lot of people getting all up in arms to either man it or sink it.

Yeah, I’m talking about yurabek (otayuri? orio? yurbek? herofairy? fairyhero?).- whatever ship name that is decided for Yuri(o) x Otabek

Now, a lot of people are excited because, finally, Yurio has found himself someone who he can get along with that doesn’t make him either a) want to physically harm them, b) makes him feel self-conscious/self-loathing, c) annoys him or d) isn’t his grandpa. Which is wonderful as it’s always good to find that one person who you don’t feel the need to keep your guards around. Someone who sees you as you see yourself and who just wants you to shine in your own way. And, tbh, Yurio NEEDS that someone, someone who’s closer to his age, who he can connect with because he has a lot of pressure on him (from his peers, his mentors, fans, and himself) to succeed in a sport that is very, very technical and stressful. I don’t ice skate, but even I can tell how much effort you have to put into it TO JUST KEEP YOURSELF BALANCED ON THE ICE. So here’s a dude- a very handsome and sweet dude- who just shows up and is shown to be very interested in Yurio, not because he wants to antagonise him or belittle him, but because he sees him as an equal. A boy becoming a man he respects. Otabek wants to get to know Yurio, and only him, because he can relate to him and the fans want to see them together, forever.

However, as the other half of the fandom keeps on pointing out, “YURIO IS ONLY 15, a child (by American Standards)!!!!!!! OTABEK IS 18, AN ADULT (by American Standards)!!!! That’s paedophilia!!! (by American Standards)” Which, totally makes sense because- by American standards- that’s disgusting. I admit, I, for one, am definitely not for adults dating children and I do follow American standards. So, I’m actually happy people are getting all up in arms over this, but there’s an issue among fandoms that make their arguments sort of moot to me, even though I agree with them, and it’s a two part-er:

1) it’s only disgusting because people are immediately assuming, on both sides, that the romantic relationship that would form between Yurio and Otabek can only be a sexual one. Like, there is an unwritten Law, forced upon us by society, that in order for two people to be “dating” they need to have sexual relations. This is the first mistake fandoms make because, dating doesn’t and should’ve have to be mainly about sex. Dating is about forming a connection, an emotional bond. The way people form those bonds differ and it doesn’t need to be through sex. Otabek and Yurio can date and wait until they’re both consenting adults to do the do, or not because a relationship doesn’t and shouldn’t be built mostly on sex!!

2) keeping in mind that people seem to think that sex is the only way to be in a “romantic” relationship- the second issue of fandoms is that fans are completely A-OK with two or more UNDERAGED CHARACTERS HAVING SEX WITH EACH OTHER. I will never, ever, understand how people will get upset about an adult having, consensual, sex with a minor, but two minors having, consensual, sex is totally fine?? The thing that makes people squeamish about couples with big age gaps is that it’s a minor having sexual relations, and that’s ick. So how is it not so ick when all the parties are minors?? “Oh, well minors don’t understand the full meaning of what they’re consenting too, which is why adult-minor relationships are disgusting.” Well, damn, so what you’re saying is that, even though a minor can’t truly consent with an adult, somehow they can when it’s with someone their own age?? And people need to chill with this whol “18 means you’re an adult now!” like, no, not really? You don’t suddenly become worldly and wise the split second you age from 17 to 18 (believe me, ask literally anyone. You will still feel like a child) so, how can people get all up in arms over a relationship where one of the parties is 18?? (tbh, ages 18-20 should be called preadult. like, we have preteens? Yeah, preadults. You think you are an adult, but, truly, you know jack shite and can’t do jack shite and you just want your mom/dad to keep doing everything for you)

So with those two issues in mind, I really cannot fault people for wanting to ship (a very healthy) relationship between yurio and otabek. I didn’t even cover how each country has it’s own laws of adulthood age and age of consent (which are two VERY DIFFERENT THINGS- like, Japan’s adulthood age is 20 but the age of consent is 13. Yeah, let that sink in.) so be thankful for that (I’ve seen a lot of posts have covered that already, so I don’t need to delve into it)

I’m gonna finish with this: Fans are gonna ship what they want, how they want, and what they don’t want and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them. If the Yurio/Otabek ship really irks you, block the ship tag or ignore the ship posts. Likewise, if you ship them and see others don’t, do not be assholes and shove it in their faces. Bottomline, be respectful of each others ships and let’s continue to love this fandom.