I Heard That A Large Reason Why Yuri On Ice Is So Popular In Japan Is Because Of How Realistic It Is.

I heard that a large reason why Yuri on Ice is so popular in Japan is because of how realistic it is.

I gave it some thought, and I think that’s not restricted to Japan at all - it’s a genuine reason regardless of the nation.

I think that stems from the lack of typical anime tropes. It’s what makes the anime accessible to newcomers or to people who haven’t previously enjoyed anime. I know for a fact that many fans of YOI have never seen anime before or never enjoyed the concept of it but easily got into Yuri on Ice.

I think this is precisely the lack of anime tropes that adds to its realism and makes it easy to pick up for anyone. Of course, it’s not trope-free, not at all, but let’s list a few of the ways in which it managed to defy the popular tropes: it’s not set in high school, the characters are adults (but the life of those who aren’t isn’t centered around school), there are no annoying female characters, no female body related fanservice, doesn’t rely on the same gags repeated ad nasueam, the main character is considered “weak” because of an actual mental illness and not just being wishy washy and bland, the protagonist doesn’t always win gold (in fact, he never does, but sometimes he doesn’t even place on the podium), there are no villains and no heroes, all the characters are likeable in some way, most of the stunts they perform are imaginable in real life (even if not always 100% doable), the gay relationship isn’t passed off as a joke and doesn’t involve typical BL dynamics, the characters actively use social media (like most people these days) and change their outfits every day.

There’s even more that you could add to the list, but I think this shows enough already.

Of course, that’s not to say that Yuri on Ice features no anime tropes because it does, but they’re usually not as invasive or off-putting as in many other anime.

I think realism really is an important part of Yuri on Ice and why the anime was able to gain so many fans, especially among people who were nver particularly interested in anime as a whole. Through not pandering to otaku culture, it was able to show a natural, organic story, one that most people could relate to or at the very least imagine in real life.

I think it is really is the realism in it that struck a chord with so many people - it felt grounded in real life, presenting situations and conversations that could actually happen, as well as people (and their cultures) from all over the world, all with their strengths, weaknesses and motivations that were believable and often relatable. I personally think it was the anime that you should show to someone who thinks that anime is just flashy fights and pink-haired girls with huge breasts and tons of screaming.

Yuri on Ice was a story in anime form, but it wasn’t what you could call a ‘typical anime’ and I think that’s partly what made such success possible. Through not following usual paths set up by many popular anime and manga series, it was able to go beyond the otaku community and grab the hearts of people who would never otherwise watch anime.

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Okay, Tumblr, we need to talk.

Listen, mermaids are not my thing. I am pretty indifferent towards them in general, but I see a lot of you in my dash posting about mermaids, so I saw this novel and even though I have just started it and I can’t tell you if it’s going to be good or not, I feel it is my civic duty to tell you it exists. Ready?

Ice Massacre, by Tiana Warner.

A book about a little island at war with a growing colony of mermaids living in the waters around them. So they send warriors to fight them, but historically men don’t do very good against that mermaid lure magic thing they do, so they decide to send a ship full of highly trained girl warriors, and the protagonist is the one Useless Lesbian™ of the ship (who, by the way, also happens to be a lady of color, like most people in the island).

Like I said, mermaids are not my thing and I have only read a few chapters, but so far it is fast-paced and action-y, with a touch of fantasy. The kind of entertaining book you read fast and easy.

Sounds good? Happy to hear it. The paperback is fifteen dollars, but it’s literally less than a fucking dollar for Kindle right now and until July the 31st, because a sequel is coming out in two days and they are having a special offer.

Now go grab your fantasy lesbian mermaid girl warrior novel or something.

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pixie-not

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*presses clear on calculator 10000000 times just to be sure*

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pixie-not

8 years ago

when u a puppy and wanna play with everything

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pixie-not

8 years ago

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pixie-not

8 years ago

here’s to all the people whose lives will be endangered for the next four years. here’s to all the people who aren’t white, straight, cis, male, rich, old, abled or Christian.

here’s to the Jewish people, and Muslims, and Buddhists, and Sikhs, and atheists, and other non-Christian religions.

here’s to gay people, and lesbians, and transgender people, and bisexual people, and asexual people, and intersex people, and pansexual people, and agender people, and genderfluid people, and everyone else who isn’t straight or cis.

here’s to women, trans and cis and genderfluid and agender and intersex and otherwise. here’s to women who won’t be able to get an abortion or seek help from planned parenthood.

here’s to black people, and to brown people, and to Hispanics, and to Latinx people, and to people of Asian descent, and to Native Americans, and to mixed people, and to everyone else who isn’t white. here’s to the immigrants who don’t know if they’ll be able to stay in the same country as their family.

here’s to the young people who’ll be in debt for decades because of college tuition. here’s to the young people who can’t even afford to go to college in the first place.

here’s to people who can’t afford to go to college. here’s to people who can’t get a well paying job because of their gender, race, sexual identity, or otherwise. here’s to people who will never know what it’s like to be financially comfortable. here’s to people that can’t afford a quick trip to the hospital and never will because of no medical insurance.

here’s to mentally disabled people, and physically disabled, and people who are both. here’s to mentally ill people who aren’t getting the help they need because they can’t pay for it or don’t know how to ask for it or are told they’re overreacting.

here’s to everyone who voted for a real change in order to be let down by the stupid and bigoted people in this racist, misogynistic, classist, abilist, anti-Semitic, Islamaphobic, homophobic, transphobic, and every other kind of ugly country. you don’t deserve this, and you never did.

and lastly: “all men are created equal.” here’s to that being the biggest piece of bullshit anyone has ever written.

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pixie-not

8 years ago

one time my friends and i got bubble tea and my one friend didn’t know abt the tapioca pearls and he took a sip and then opened his mouth and let like 9 of them roll out of his mouth and onto the floor and then whispered “what the fuck”

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pixie-not

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