I was rewatching YOI and then i started singing with the opening and realized that in the first part of the song
Can you hear my heartbeat
Tired of feeling never enough
I close my eyes and tell myself
that my dreams will come true
Yuuri was just dancing alone, interpreting the lyrics of the song. This might be what our katsudon is thinking to himself. After losing the Grand Prix, he was so down and he thought that he will never return to the ice again. He is tired of feeling he’s never enough. But then, according to him, “he got tired of being depressed” so he returned to the ice, copying Victor’s Stay Close to Me program (this might be applicable to line 3 and 4). Then the second verse goes:
There’ll be no more darkness when you believe in
yourself you are unstoppable
Victor comes into the frame at the end of “my dreams will come true.” Well, it is Yuuri’s dream to skate on the same ice as Victor, right?
Also, this made me think that the following lyrics is Victor’s serenade to Yuuri. He’s convincing him that it’s the right choice to return to the ice with him as his coach. Upon seeing the video, Victor felt that Yuuri has set his heart on fire. Maybe this is what Victor is looking for since he is rethinking his career: the fire–and he saw it in Yuuri’s performance. When Yuuri accepted his coachman-ship, it is now Victor’s job to keep Yuuri’s doubts and anxieties away.
And when our dear Dean Fujioka sings “you set my heart on fire…” VICTOR LEADS US TO THE YURIS AND YUURI AND YURIO ENTER THE FRAMES. With a close-up on Yuuri on the word “fire”. The next verse is when the two skate as a pair.
We were born to make history
I believe that Victor sees the two Yuris as his inspiration (for his coaching and for his performances on the next level). Both made history when they broke Victor’s world records (short program for Yurio and free program for Yuuri).
We’ll make it happen, (on the frame: Victor and Yuuri–they really made it happen, little pork cutlet bowl made it to the platform at the end of the GP!)
we’ll turn it around (on the frame (Victor and Yurio–Yurio turned 1) Victor’s absence and 2) another “Yuri’s” presence in the same division as an inspiration and won gold yaaaas!)
Yes, we were born to make history (the three of them–I hope that it will only get hotter next season as the three of them compete in the same division)
Bo-bo-born to make history
We were born to make history
This is Victor’s solo part. On this part on Ep 11 and 12, GP competitors were on the background, they are also history makers in their own way after all. I can also see this as Victor’s anthem back when he was alone on ice, back to the times when he has it all. Hence, the solo.
And on the last line, Victor leads us again to Yuuri and Yurio. The two has given him a reason to compete again. The pair then skates to
Yes, we were born to make history
We were born to make history (frame: Victor and Yuuri, then Victor and Yurio–this, I believe, is a dedication to both of their relationships with Victor, however different, it still yielded the same result: victory.)
Yes, we were born to make history (all three of them–a possible affirmation to a healthy competition among the three in the next GP i hope haha)
In the end, Victor and Yuuri exits to the left while Yurio to the right. This might mean that Victor continues to coach Yuuri and Yurio stays under Yakov. This is still a blur to me since we need season 2 to confirm this or any additional literature.
If the end pulled the two Yuris on the same side while pulling Victor on the opposite direction, it could’ve meant emphasis Victor’s mentorship. If this happened instead, our reading could have been withdrawn from season 1 itself. That would be easier. Haha.
I’m not an expert or anything so let me know if you have any thoughts on this. Especially about the meaning of the changing colors and the paint splatters :D
Here is the link to a comparison between YOI’s ep1 and ep11 OBBs.
