As each episode goes by, and especially episode 10 and 12 for Victor and Yurio respectively, it is clear that things we all are led to believe are true are not
And yet it's really frustrating how there are viewers out there who insist what the characters believe, in their limited POV and flaws, are absolutely true.
An obvious example is how Yuuri is hard on himself about his skills as an elite skater. He doesn't talk about how good he is, and when he flops, his confidence tanks. Yet we are shown that he is in the top six in ep 1 and how he is selected as the male skater on JSF page. Yet some of y'all think he's not that great and bash him about it. If you don't trust Victor who sees Yuuri got what it takes to win gold, then believe Yuri who sees Yuuri as a worthy rival.
Another one I see is that Yuri is negatively affected by Yuuri and Victor - that they treat him poorly. That Yuri doesn't like how annoying there are: therefore he's not going to be calm and friendly. And somehow that means they are bad to him. It's true Victor teases him a lot, but that is most definitely because they've known each other for a while. Meanwhile Yuuri admires how fast Yuri can grow, how determined he is to have a smashing senior debut, and that he definitely can make it to the finals (ep 3); and cheers on even when Yuri cannot hear him (ep 12).
The thing about Yuri is that he believes everyone is a rival, and doesn't see that they want to be friendly or sincerely cheer him on. He incorrectly thinks the others are pitying him (ep 8) when really, just earlier, the two went "WOW HE EMBODIES AGAPE. AMAZING" and it is not in any condescending manner. And it's established whatever they think about on ice is their true feelings. When he does his SP at GPF, Yuuri and Victor shows up in the people he associates with agape - those who have supported him. Like Yuri is slowly learning to accept people's friendliness. Otabek breaks the ice, yeah, but it's not like only he matters and the other main men are hurtful to him. Cut that out.
Victor is a unique case because before he has his own POV episode, all we have is him talking as Yuuri skates. Otherwise you learn this and that from other people, saying he's selfish and only cares about skating. I can't believe - when ep 10 and 11 spells it out clearly that he was selfish because his career was #1 in his life for as long as he competed; that he was dragged down by the staleness and how it's expected for him to stay on top alone and that he seriously needed a change - that people still think he's careless. Or rather inhuman. And that defeats the point because especially from Yuuri, the closer he gets, the more human in Victor he sees. That the rumors you learn are not necessarily true.
I'm not saying you can have your own interpretations on their thought patterns and characterization because that's just nature to interact with fiction. But when you think the extreme opposite of what the narratives have shown to be false, that Yuuri is a mediocre skater and got nowhere before Victor coaches him; that Yuri is the real victim; and that Victor is heartless and purely selfish and not thinking of what others can improve on, then; then you're not taking in the story right. Or even choosing not to, and that's what irritates fans who genuinely appreciate the characters.
