seeingteacupsindragons:

I’ve
spent some time lately trying to figure out why, exactly, it always rings false
to me when people call Viktor a “playboy.” And I think I figured it out:

Viktor
Nikiforov believes in love.

Viktor
is definitely presented as a playboy. That’s not the problem: he has millions
of male and female fans who literally swoon over him, he’s noted for being “free
with his charms,” is called “the world’s hottest bachelor,” and his initial
behavior with Yuuri is very forward,
physical, and flirtatious. Even seven episodes of character growth in, his
initial reaction to comfort Yuuri is kissing
him.

So
it’s not that Viktor doesn’t have the groundwork laid for this interpretation.

Most
“playboy” archetypes fall into this pattern of having been hurt in the pat by
someone—a parent, a friend, usually a former lover—and they are now jaded and
no longer believe in love. The love interest is there to facilitate the playboy’s
growth by being warm and loving and caring and everything the playboy needs and
convince them that love doesn’t have to hurt. The playboy’s character arc takes
them through this long trial in which their love interest is used as free
emotional labor and an emotional punching bag while the playboy works out his
personal issues.

While
we have basically no backstory on Viktor, he doesn’t appear to have been hurt
like this in the past. He’s just a sad, lonely man with major depressive
disorder and no friends or family, apparently. Which, as my brother pointed out
when I made this argument to him, doesn’t sound very much like a playboy.

As
soon as he meets Yuuri at the banquet and realizes, “I could fall in love with
this man,” he chases it with
everything he has. He already knows how much he wants and needs love and how
much good it could do him. He’s not running away from affection, he’s running
full-tilt toward it.

Which
neatly averts any “using Yuuri as an emotional punching bag,” and for that I
will be forever grateful.