A couple of weeks ago, I finished watching Yuri on ICE, an anime about a skater's (Yuri) journey to the Grand Prix Finals. Although it is your typical shounen-ai (or presumably shounen-ai), the anime does have a lot to offer. However, what stood out to me the most was a tiny detail that the animators add in the 11th and 12th episodes.

As already mentioned, the anime follows the journey of Yuri Katsuki as he competes for a spot in the Grand Prix Finals under the coaching of Viktor Nikiforov, a five-time world champion. Viktor also happens to have promised Yuri Plisetsky (nicknamed Yurio) that he would coach him. Yuri and Yurio both idolize Viktor and both want him to be his coach. So, Viktor choreographs a program for both Yuri and Yurio and makes them compete to see who’s coach he will be. Yuri is the winner and then, the whole journey towards the Grand Prix Finals becomes a competition between Yuri and Yurio. Both are finalists to the Grand Prix Finals and it is there where they truly see each other’s potential.

Throughout the entire anime, I identified with Yuri. He is someone who always tries his hardest but can never seem to make things just right. That’s how I feel. Yuri wasn’t able to reach his full potential until the very end; will I too not reach my full potential until the very end? It’s very difficult to keep going when you don’t see results, as shown by Yuri’s attempts to quit. However, Yuri is a hard worker; that and his potential are what led him to the Grand Prix Finals. I am a hard worker too, but sometimes I question whether I lack potential. It’s really scary to think about, what if, even with all the possibilities, I end up nowhere?

Even though I think I might end up nowhere and all my efforts will go to waste, Yuri on ICE gives me hope in an odd way. Episodes 11 and 12 of the anime take place during the Grand Prix Finals. They show all the programs of the six finalists.

Here is what gives me hope.

Yuri performs his program in the 12th episode. It's the same program we have seen him perform over and over. However, this is a special program because he was finally able to do a jump he could never do before. During his step-sequence, Viktor is seen skating in his younger days, performing that same jump; Viktor’s spirit lives in Yuri, or rather, Yuri has finally surpassed Viktor. During this scene,young Viktor is shown as a black shadow, and then Yuri is shown in full color. That really caught my attention because what greater compliment can you receive than being thought as surpassing your mentor? This is especially important for Yuri, someone who lacked self-esteem and finally (finally!) got to be where he wanted to be. He even broke one of Viktor’s long-time records!

In the 11th episode, Yurio performs his program. Again, it’s the same one he has performed countless times before. Yet, this program is also special, for he makes his coach remember Viktor in his younger days; Yurio has also surpassed Viktor. He also broke one of Viktor’s long-time records. Seriously, what more could someone want than surpass your mentor? This does not mean that Yuri and Yurio are better than Viktor. On the contrary, it means that Viktor managed to bring out their full potential. It was thanks to Viktor and to each other that they managed to break those records and while Yurio did win gold, Yuri didn’t fall far behind, winning silver.

Perhaps it’s me over-thinking it, but these scenes really hit home. I don’t have a mentor per se, nor someone I look up to. Does this mean that I won’t be able to reach my full potential and get nowhere in life? Of course not! Yurio was expected to win gold since he was a prodigy. Yuri on the other hand, was someone who caught attention and had potential, but it was not enough to get him to the Grand Prix Finals. I want to say it was Viktor who led him there, but I think it’s something deeper than that: motivation. Yuri wanted to be like Viktor, and it was in him that he found motivation to keep trying.

Things are similar in real life, we need motivation to keep going. However, we must find it ourselves, not wait for it to come to us. Although we might have pessimistic thoughts from time to time, it’s important to not let it consume us. When they do, that is when we lose. Only when we work hard, keep trying and motivate ourselves is when we will rise winners, just like Yuri.