I think it’s important to drop some facts and maybe some discussion on Otabek and Yurio as a romantic ship, since it’s such a heated topic. It’s better that things get discussed rather than argued over. So, episode 10 was slaying life. And then Mr. Hot-Mysterious-Motorcycle-Guy saved our Russian kitten from literally all of us his fans.
Literally, we all know that the show is hinting. The dialogue isn’t romantic, but the feeling is there.
So! Into the boring shit we go!
Firstly: By loose definition (Wikipedia and a dictionary,) pedophilia is a psychiatric diagnosis in which a person over the age of sixteen is sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children. Is Otabek over sixteen? Yes. Is Yurio pre-pubescent? No. It can be pretty much assumed that, as he is fifteen, he has hit puberty already. Don’t get me wrong, there could be special circumstance, and at one point Yurio mentioned something in dialogue about him needing to skate as much as he can before his ‘body changes’ or something along those lines, but it doesn’t make much sense to look super far into these things. He’s fifteen. Generally, that is not going to be a pre-pubescent age, or even an early pubescent age.
After some research, another way I found pedophilia diagnosed was as an adult(18+)’s attraction to a minor of a five year or higher age gap. How many years span between Otabek and Yuri? Three. Age of consent between minors and adults in both Yurio’s and Otabek’s home country? Sixteen. As soon as Yurio is sixteen, he is legally able to consent sexually. And aside from that, I’m damn near sure that Yurio is going to turn 16 relatively soon.
So there’s the boring shit. Would Otabek having sex with Yurio at this exact point in the show be considered illegal? Yes. Pedophilia? No.
But that is beside the point. To those thinking that anyone shipping Yurio and Otabek is pedophilia… Why would a Yurio-Otabek relationship instantly need to involve sex?Healthy relationships, particularly not teen ones, don’t tend to work that way, if I am not mistaken.
Generally, falling in love with someone seems to begin with friends. Friends for whatever reason.
Sometimes friends simply for the sake of needing a friend.
Those friends then bond more closely through mutually shared ideas, thoughts and interests. After time is spent together, however long that may be, they build trust for each other, and… They fall in love. This is how Yuri & Otabek’s relationship has begun. It may not play out in this way, but…
It doesn’t matter at this point that Yurio is fifteen, because right now, he is only just getting to know Otabek. They are starting out as friends, and getting to know each other. Their relationship doesn’t have to be sexualized, because they aren’t on that level yet, and at the pace they are going, they likely wouldn’t reach that level for quite some time. By the time that level of care for each other is reached, they would likely be of an age in which it wouldn’t matter.
Not only this, but both Otabek and Yurio seem to be getting along well. They’re fairly alike. Even Otabek seems to think so.
They’re both quiet, stoic little things. They probably have mutual interests.
They’re simply enjoying each other’s company. Very non-sexually, might I add. They have so much potential as a healthy, beautiful relationship.
Nothing but My Aching Soul 