Can you hear, our heart beat? No? Well, turn up the volume to hear us (and special guest, Nikola, of [YOI Wednesdays](https://twitter.com/yoiwednesdays)) talk about fans of Yuri!! on ICE!
Next week, we'll be talking with a guy who literally wrote the book (well, _a_ book) on Chrono Trigger, Michael P. Williams, to talk about fans of Chrono Trigger!
## Where can I learn more about YOI Wednesdays?
Would you like to learn more about Nikola and YOI Wednesdays? You're in luck!
- Nikola's Twitter: [@notgneissatall](http://twitter.com/notgneissatall)
- YOI Wednesday Twitter: [@yoiwednesdays](https://twitter.com/yoiwednesdays)
- YOI Wednesday Podcast: [soundcloud.com/yoiwednesdayspod](https://soundcloud.com/yoiwednesdayspod)
## Episode outline
### Fandom Facts
**History and Origins:**
> Yuri!!! on Ice is a 12-episode anime series following Katsuki Yuuri in his competitive figure skating career. The series is produced by MAPPA, directed by Yamamoto Sayo [_Michiko and Hatchin_, _The Woman Called Fujiko Mine_, some episodes of _Samurai Champloo_ and _Space Dandy_] and written by Kubo Mitsurou.
> — [Fanlore - Yuri!!! on Ice](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Yuri!!!_on_Ice)
**Search Data / Growth:**
_Yuri on Ice_ had a huge spike in interest between [October 2016 and December 2016](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2016-07-01%202018-07-31&q=%2Fg%2F11cmg5bxns) (which coincides with the release of, at the time, the only season of the anime). Interest in the show has been pretty consistent since then, though not nearly as popular as during that period.
The top 10 countries for _Yuri on Ice_, by search volume, are as follows: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Chile, Singapore, Russia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Hungary (Canada is 16th, United States is 18th, and Australia is 22nd).
Looking at [redditmetrics for the YOI subreddit](http://redditmetrics.com/r/YOI), the subreddit reached 5000 subscribers in under a month, but growth has been pretty flat since then.
**Fan Demographics:**
- [From a fan survey run by KykyElric](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeo89_0mbccjeTrVoP2HYSvRfWGIyhTgec4YeEHcw4LjEF-Pw/viewanalytics), we do have some data about some of the over 2000 respondents:
- _Age:_ The most populous group was ages 19-29 (36.2%), followed by 16-18 (31.3%), then folks 13-15 (23.4%). Put differently, more than half of those surveyed were under the age of 18
- _Gender_: The largest group was people who identified as female (79.1%), followed by male (5.3%), 'still figuring it out' (4.3%), and genderfluid (4.1%)
- _Sexuality_: The largest group identified as heterosexual (33.2%), followed by bisexual (22.7%), and pansexual (11.8%)
There are also some bits of data:
- _Favourite character_: Viktor Nikiforov (35.1%), Yuuri Katsuki (31.3%), Yuri Plisetski (15.4%)
- _Favourite ship_: Viktuuri (89.3%)
- _Sub vs. Dub_: Sub (77.8%), Either (18.8%), Dub (3.4%)
- _Ice skating interest pre/post:_ Converts (41%), Interested - No change (37.6%), Uninterested - No change (11.7%)
- _Fan contributions_: Fan art (35.4%), Theories (28.7%), Memes (27.8%)
- _Favourite non-main-character skater_: Mari Katsuki (Yuuri's Sister, 47.3%)
**Fanac Fast Facts:**
- _Yuri!!! on Ice_ has almost 30 000 fanfics on [Archive Of Our Own](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Yuri!!!%20on%20Ice%20(Anime)/works)...
- Top Three Ratings: Teen and up (32%), General Audiences (28%), Explicit (19%)
- Top Three Categories: M/M (89%), Gen (9%), F/M (5%)
- Top Three Tags: Fluff (25%), Angst (10%), AU (8%)
### What did we discuss?
- What do you wish people knew about `FANDOM`?
- What is the best part of of being a fan `FANDOM` (e.g. in terms of participation within the fandom, opportunities, feelings)?
- What is the worst part of being a fan of `FANDOM` (e.g. in terms of perceptions, bad elements of the fandom)?
- Where do people meet to talk about the fandom? Is it centralized in one place?
- What is one of the biggest parts of the fandom (e.g. vidding, fic, cosplay, etc.)?
- What are some of the biggest points of conflict / contention in the fandom?
- What are some common myths or misconceptions about the fans that you wish would go away?
- What are some of the problematic parts of the fandom?
- What are some of the heartening parts of the fandom?
- Are there conventions or other big meetups for fans?
- Based on what you've experienced of this fandom, what are the fans like (i.e. do they tend to be male, female, etc.)?
- How did you get into the fandom?
- How do you participate in your fandom?
- If we did an episode on one of your other favourite fandoms… what would that be?
- When did you know you were a fan?
- What do you wish people knew about your fandom?
- What’s your fondest memory related to your fandom?
- What one aspect of this fandom is most attractive to you?
- Is your participation in your fandom mostly online or off?
- Do you express your fandom in your everyday life, or is it just between you and your fellow fans?
- What’s your most notable experience with this fandom? How did it happen?
### [Last Episode's](http://fanthropological.com/e/367eda7b035c14/#player) Famous Last Words
**T**
What is it that got people in, given the repeated video, audio, short season, etc.?
**Z**
Who is the oldest fan inspired by Yuri On Ice to get into figure skating?
**G**
Was it's integration with social media any part of people being fans of it (e.g. Instagram being featured in the show)?
**Jen**
Will Tanya Harding be participating?
### This week's spotlight
**[Heartbeats, a Yuri On Ice Zine](https://heartbeatszine.tumblr.com/)**
> A Yuri!!! on Ice PDF Zine project for charity focused on characters showing their love for each other using the different languages of love.
>
> There will be two zines:
> - the main PG-13 zine, and
> - an 18+ zine for any and all explicit nudity, sexual content, and/or graphic violence
The zine was released February 14, 2018, and appears to have raized $665 USD for _Charity: Water_.
**[Born To Make history: A Yuri!!! on ICE Fan Gathering](https://yoiconph.com/)**
> **Born To Make History: A Yuri!!! on ICE Fan Gathering 2** is the follow-up to the warmly welcomed and well-attended Born To Make History: A Yuri!!! on ICE Fan Gathering. This event pays tribute to the history that Yuri!!! on ICE continues to make. Since its premiere last October 2016, Yuri!!! on ICE continues to inspire and invigorate its fans even more than one year later.
>
> **Born To Make History: A Yuri!!! on ICE Fan Gathering 2** will bring back the beloved features of the previous event with more exciting additions. The extensive Artist Alley and carefully curated Merchant Market serve as the centerpiece of the event. Thought-provoking panels, specialty talks, and cosplayer meet-and-greets round out the program for this day-long celebration of life, love, and Yuri!!! on ICE.
- [//Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) -> Victor Wedding Event Yuri on Ice, life size cutouts]: #
- [//Unclear if running a third time]: #
### Famous Last Words
This week's famous last words around *next week's* fandom, Chrono Trigger!
**T**
Has anyone written a musical about Chrono Trigger?
**G**
Is anyone out there who has attempted to write Chrono Trigger into the Final Fantasy continuity?
**Z**
Is there a fan-work (comic, VG, etc.) that is widely regarded as the 'true' sequel to Chrono Trigger?
**Nikola**
Is the fanbase very close to Final Fantasy in terms of demography, or is totally different?
## Where can you find us online?
We are everywhere! Most notably though, we like to hang out in a few places on social media:
- If you want to be part of our podcast (or just want to check us out), we record our podcast LIVE on [twitch.tv](http://twitch.tv/thenickscast) every Monday at 20:00 Eastern Time!
- For all the latest updates, check us out on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast)
- To see the latest hijinx from our conventions or even our daily lives and adventures, check us out on [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)
- For our latest convention updates, *Let's Plays*, and other in-real-life video, [check out our YouTube channel](http://youtube.com/thenickscast)
- We're also on [iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210), and [Google Play](https://play.google.com/music/m/Icmngxz7yhaoivdvivvf6q6c2pu?t=Fanthropological), and would love it if you could leave a review and rating!
- if you want to reach us, and for some reason none of those work for you, try [
[email protected]](mailto:
[email protected])
- You can check out [our website](http://thenickscast.com); that will mostly bring you back to this stuff.
- Everything is `thenickscast`, so if you can't find us, go on your social network and search for that!
## What is "Fanthropological"?
How did you read this far without asking this question?!
Fanthropological is an anthropological (ish) podcast where we bring the fan's-eye view to you! Each week, we take a look at a different fandom, dig up interesting background, trivia, and history, and try to get to why it is that people are a fan. We also try to highlight good causes related to that fandom, and find interesting things that fans have created to share those to the world. Each episode is about an hour. Ish.
## Who is "The Nickscast"?
*We* are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek ... who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick. Yes, we are super creative (dare we say, the _most_ creative).
*Ahem*
We are Nick Green, Nick Terwoord, and Nick Zacharewicz: We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom, and all that is shiny and interesting in that realm. It's what lead us to start our first podcast, our satellite podcasts, Fanthropological, and so much more.
We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans: We dream of a world where other fans aren't "those Weird-o's", but just folks with different tastes. A world where fandom is full of discourse and analysis, and there are plenty of tools and resources to help. Fans building communities to do good in the world. *Because everyone's a fan.*
## Credits
### Sources
- [Google Trends - Yuri On Ice](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2016-07-01%202018-07-31&q=%2Fg%2F11cmg5bxns)
- [Redditmetrics - r/YOI](http://redditmetrics.com/r/YOI)
- [Google Docs - Yuri!!! On Ice Survey](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeo89_0mbccjeTrVoP2HYSvRfWGIyhTgec4YeEHcw4LjEF-Pw/viewanalytics)
- [Archive Of Our Own - Yuri!!! On Ice](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Yuri!!!%20on%20Ice%20(Anime)/works)
- [Anime Feminist - [Interview] Sayo Yamamoto, director and storyboard artist](https://www.animefeminist.com/interview-sayo-yamamoto/)
- [Fanlore - Yuri!!! on Ice](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Yuri!!!_on_Ice)
- [Amino - Yuri On Ice & My Love for Skating](https://aminoapps.com/c/anime/page/blog/yuri-on-ice-my-love-for-skating/Rqtw_u1oZ7oZ8J2PQqorjd5lzDXXqv)
- [Dose - This Figure Skating Anime Is Smashing Gay Stereotypes](https://dose.com/articles/this-figure-skating-anime-is-smashing-gay-stereotypes/)
- [Fanlore - Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Otabek_Altin/Yuri_Plisetsky)
- [Fanlore - Yuri!!! on Ice](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Yuri!!!_On_Ice)
- [Kotaku - Why People Are Hyped About A Male Figure Skating Anime](https://kotaku.com/why-people-are-hyped-about-a-figure-skating-anime-1788662926)
- [Odyssey - Why "Yuri On Ice" Is So Popular](https://www.theodysseyonline.com/why-yuri-on-ice-is-so-popular)
- [Otaquest - Interview With “Yuri!!! on ICE” Creator Sayo Yamamoto: Part 1](http://beta.otaquest.com/sayo-yamamoto-interview-part-1/)
- [Quora - Would You Consider Yuri!!! On Ice a Yaoi/Shounen-ai?](https://www.quora.com/Would-you-consider-Yuri-On-Ice-a-yaoi-shounen-ai)
- [r/YOI - Anyone Else Start Ice Skating after Falling in Love with YoI?](https://www.reddit.com/r/YOI/comments/5vxygw/anyone_else_start_ice_skating_after_falling_in/)
- [The Daily Dot - Figure Skater Johnny Weir Talks ‘Yuri on Ice’ and Anime Fandom](https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/johnny-weir-yuri-on-ice/)
- [The Verge - Yuri on Ice: Everything You’re too Embarrassed to Ask](https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/21/13987438/yuri-on-ice-sports-anime-explainer-guide-faq-tumblr)
- [Tokyo Weekender - From Yuzuru Hanyu to “Yuri on Ice”: Japan’s Fascination With Figure Skating](https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2018/03/from-yuzuru-hanyu-to-yuri-on-ice-japans-fascination-with-figure-skating/)
- [Women Write About Comics - How Yuri!!! On Ice Reawakened Figure Skating Fandom In Us](https://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2017/04/how-yuri-on-ice-reawakened-figure-skating-fandom-in-us/)
### Music / Sound
- ["Lazy Pirouettes"](http://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_4.php?q=639&Genre=Orchestra) by TeknoAXE used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
- All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!
