8:50 PM May 7 (Sunday)
Sorry! I overslept!
U-Um...
Good morning, Yuri!
Only Aeroflot has kept me waiting as long as you have.
Oh, Japanese dogeza!
Victor will be staying in Hasetsu to be my coach.
But to me, it's surreal, more like having a god around than a coach.
Resting is a part of work, too.
To think that a coach of my very own is going to be here every day...
And that coach is Victor Nikiforov himself.
He said I could pay his coaching fees later,
but I wonder how expensive it will be.
Yuri, you tend to flub your jumps when something is on your mind.
Fourth Skate Like Yourself... And Complete the Free Program!!
Like Yourself... And Complete the Free Program!!
Hasetsu Hot Springs Yu-topia Katsuki
Yuri, maybe we should nix having three quads in your free program.
But...
I-If I want to win the Grand Prix Final, I need those.
Why?
Even if there's only one quad,
just get a perfect score on the program components!
Figure Skating Scoring System
Let me pause here to explain the scoring system in figure skating!
Technical Elements Score (TES)
Jumps and spins count toward a technical score.
Program Components Score (PCS)
Choreography and interpretation count toward a presentation score.
TES + PCS
Deductions
The total score is a sum of those two, minus any deductions!
Total Score
When I skate, I tend to lose technical points by missing jumps,
but close the gap through the presentation score.
At any rate, this isn't good enough.
I have to change.
Yuri, do you know why I decided to become your coach?
Huh?
I was drawn to you because of the music...
The way you skate like your body is creating music.
I want to create a high-difficulty program to maximize that.
Only I can do that.
That's the gut feeling I had...
And the short program validated it!
Perhaps you should produce your next free program.
Huh?
But my coach has always chosen my music—
Ow, ow, ow!
Isn't it more fun to do it yourself?
That hurts!
But my previous coach...
Who was your coach again?
Th-Thank you, God...
Yuri?
Ciao, ciao!
I haven't seen you since the Grand Prix Final!
Oh, it's been a while.
I hear Victor's your coach now?
Uh, sorry.
Why are you apologizing?
Ciao, ciao, Celestino!
I'm his coach, Victor!
You're playing at being a coach in Japan?
Cut it out already.
Hey, hey...
Why didn't you let Yuri choose his program music?
Huh?
I usually select music for my skaters,
but I also let them choose if they want.
Yuri only brought me a piece once.
I believe it was composed by an acquaintance.
It wasn't bad, but...
You think you can win with this music?
Uh...
Please choose the music for me after all, Coach.
Yuri never had confidence in himself.
I told him time and again to trust himself more, but...
Okay, thanks.
U-Um, Celestino...
I'm going to redeem myself at the next Grand Prix Final!
That's what I wanted to hear you say at last year's Grand Prix Final.
I'm so glad.
I couldn't bring myself to contact him for so long...
Yuri.
Could I hear this music he mentioned?
Uh...
Why didn't you tell me?
I'm your coach, aren't I?
Right. Sorry.
Huh?
That little piggy's producing his own free program?
How are you, Yuri-kun in Russia?
Did you choose your free program?
I look forward to seeing it.
Is Yuko trying to scout the enemy?
Damn it.
But producing his own program, huh?
Oh?
Yuri, did you go to Japan to find a girlfriend?
No. Get off me, Mila.
Are you horny because you dumped that hockey player?
I wouldn't put myself in that situation.
I won't get myself almost killed just for going on a date with another girl.
I've been practicing lifts lately, too.
Let me down, hag!
I'm only three years older than you.
Yuri. Mila.
Coach Yakov...
Put me down already! Come on!
Are you two switching to pairs skating?
S-Sorry.
I wonder what happened to Yuri in Japan.
He used to hate practice.
He was arrogant about his abilities
because no one in his age group rivaled him.
But I think his face-off with Yuri Katsuki in Japan was his wake-up call.
This may make things interesting.
Hey!
Huh?
It's Lilia Baranovskaya!
The former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet!
Thank you for coming, Lilia.
So which one is he?
If I don't like what I see, I'll go home.
Who's this hag?
No cavities.
Ow, ow, ow!
Physically, he's abysmal.
We start from square one with ballet lessons.
Do what you want.
What the hell?!
I will choreograph your free program.
First, I've decided on your next goal.
Become this season's principal—
no, prima ballerina.
If you are willing to sell your soul to win.
P-Prima ballerina?
If selling my soul is all it takes to win,
I'll give you my whole body, no holds barred.
I am Lilia Baranovskaya.
Go home and pack up your things.
You'll be living with me from now on to practice.
With Yakov, too.
Lilia!
Don't get me wrong, Yakov.
I don't intend to get back together with you.
Huh? What?
I... I wasn't hoping for that at all!
I don't really get it,
but Yurio-kun's coach brought in his ex-wife.
Now he's getting scolded by her day and night.
Huh, I see.
Have you chosen the music for your free program, Yuri-kun?
Oh, well, I had Victor listen to one...
Oh, I see. So this is how it sounds.
But his reaction was lukewarm.
The Smackdown
You should think of other possibilities.
My usual way was to have my coach pick something from what was available,
and to let him choreograph it, too.
But Victor wasn't like that.
He choreographed his own programs and had new music written to create stories.
I did dream about doing that myself someday, but...
Oh, Phichit-kun...
He's practicing back home in Thailand.
Hey, Phichit-kun?
Sawasdee krab.
Yuri!
It's been a while. How have you been?
You're practicing back in Thailand, huh?
Yeah, Detroit's boring now that you're gone.
Oh, you should come visit Bangkok.
I'll show you around.
Khob khun, kup.
Hey, Phichit-kun, do you remember how I had a music demo made?
Oh, yeah!
By the conservatory student?
You asked her to compose it, right?
Yeah. It got shelved in the end...
Sorry, and after you spent time composing it...
Oh, it's fine. Just keep it.
Sorry.
Things got awkward with her after that.
Oh, I see...
I'll put out feelers to see where she is.
I'm sure she's not mad or anything.
This piece has been bothering me for a while.
It really is a bit weak...
But I guess that makes sense.
I asked her to compose a piece that'd express my whole career as a skater.
She did capture it pretty well...
My underwhelming life in competitive figure skating.
What should I have done differently?
No! No!
Not like that at all!
Throw yourself away!
Your past self is dead!
People who can be reborn as many times as necessary are the strong ones.
Welcome, Victor! Welcome Back, Katsuki Yuri
What? You still haven't chosen the music?
Why can't you trust your own decisions?
Just try to remember something, like when a girlfriend loved you.
Huh?!
S-S-Sorry! Right now, it's just that I—
Oh, right. You've never had a girlfriend.
Yuri, let's go somewhere today.
No, it's okay.
Yuri, let's go take a bath.
I'm going to sleep.
Yuri, let's go to sleep together.
I can't stand this guilt!
Good morning, Yuri.
Let's go to the ocean.
Okay...
Oh, seagulls.
Black-tailed gulls.
Ever since I came here,
I'm reminded of St. Petersburg when I hear seagulls in the early morning.
I never thought I'd leave that city,
so I never used to notice the seagulls' cries.
Do you ever have times like that?
There was a girl in Detroit who was really pushy and kept talking to me.
One time, a rink mate got into an accident.
I was pretty torn up with worry...
I was in the hospital waiting room with that girl.
When she hugged me to comfort me,
I shoved her away without thinking about it.
Wow, why?
I didn't want her to think I was feeling unsettled.
I felt like she was intruding on my feelings or something, and I hated it.
But then I realized that Minako-sensei, Nishigori, Yuko-chan, and my family
never treated me like a weakling.
They all had faith that I'd keep growing as a person,
and they never stepped over the line.
Yuri, you're not weak.
No one else thinks that, either.
What do you want me to be to you?
A father figure?
No.
A brother, then? A friend?
Then, your boyfriend, I guess.
I can try my best.
No, no, no, no, no!
I want you to stay who you are, Victor!
I've always looked up to you.
I ignored you because I didn't want you to see my shortcomings.
I'll make it up to you with my skating!
Okay, I won't let you off easy, then.
That's my way of showing my love.
When I open up, he meets me where I am.
I shouldn't be afraid to open up more!
She's going to redo the music.
Okay, I look forward to it.
Until she's done, um...
Please teach me all the jumps that you can do!
It's no good at all.
Even the king crab we ate yesterday had a better free leg than you.
Do it again, starting from the same place.
Your response?
Yes, ma'am!
It might have been good that he left Victor's side early.
He's trying to rebuild his strengths.
Welcome, Victor! Welcome Back, Katsuki Yuri
Victor, please let me do that one more time!
Wow... Hasn't it been tens of thousands of times?
Just thirteen.
I've thought this for a while, but you have pretty good stamina.
Well, I have that, at least.
You said you get hungry when you're nervous in competition, too.
You haven't suffered any major injuries, and you're younger than I am.
S-Sorry!
I couldn't help it!
Is it getting that thin?
No, no, no! Everything's okay!
I'm hurt... I can't recover from this.
Sorry!
Please get up!
Well, those two seem to get along fine.
It's here!
Victor, listen!
Oops, sorry!
The music for the free program's done.
If you want more impact,
maybe the last jump can be a quadruple toe loop?
Huh? For the last one?
With your stamina, I think you can pull it off.
You'd rather not?
I'll do it!
Okay.
Oh, right.
Yuri, did you change the musical theme?
Oh, um...
What is it?
The theme is "on my love."
That's the best theme.
Perfect.
Okay, let's finish this!
Yeah!
Kachu Snack Bar
What?
The Grand Prix assignments were announced?!
Crap, crap, crap!
Do you three realize what time it is?!
Mom! The assignments!
Crap, crap!
Yuri!
The assignments are in.
Where?
Where'd the little Japanese piggy get assigned?
Congrats!
Congrats on Your Assignment in the GP Series, Yuri!
Thanks.
Okay, I'll explain which events you'll be competing in.
But first!
Since the Katsuki family still doesn't know much about figure skating,
we'll give a simple explanation!
Oh, that'd be very helpful.
Figure Skating Grand Prix Series
What is the Figure Skating Grand Prix series?
Skaters with high scores in the previous year
Czech Republic Russia China South Korea
Switzerland Italy Russia Thailand USA
Kazakhstan Canada
First Event: Skate America
participate in a maximum of two competitions out of six worldwide.
Second Event: Skate Canada
Third Event: Cup of China
Fourth Event: NHK Trophy (Japan)
Only the top six skaters advance to the Grand Prix Final,
Fifth Event: Trophée de France
Sixth Event: Rostelecom Cup (Russia)
which decides who's number one!
Top 6 Male Figure Skaters
And this season, Yuri's been assigned to
Third Event: Cup of China!!
the third event, the Cup of China!
Phichit Chulanont
Yuri's former rink mate, Phichit from Thailand, will be there, too!
Oh, Phichit-kun!
And his second event will be...
Sixth Event: Rostelecom Cup (Russia)
The sixth event, Russia's Rostelecom Cup!
He'll be up against his fated rival, Yuri Plisetsky!
I'll kill you! Yuri Plisetsky
Yurio
Wow, Yurio! Davai, davai!
So I'm already facing Yurio in the Rostelecom Cup...
You'll be minding the house during the season, Maccachin.
That's right...
It'll be my first time in a Grand Prix series without Victor in the lineup.
I bet if you show up
with Victor as your coach, they'll think you stole him from the sport.
Maybe skating fans worldwide hate you now!
Sorry! We're on your side, Yuri-kun!
Yeah, we are.
I'll come cheer you on this season, too!
Yuri!!!
First up is the Cup of China!
Huh?
Yuri, last year...
In the Nationals...
I think I finished eleventh because I messed up my prep.
I see... So you have to compete in the block championships.
What?
Oh, we're talking about domestic competitions.
To explain, Yuri-kun had a big-time loss in last year's Nationals.
Japanese National Championships!! Utter Defeat
Qualification Loss
So this year, he has to work his way up from qualifying competitions.
Must Compete in Qualifying Competitions
So his first event this season is the
Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Championship
Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Championship in September.
It'll be his comeback competition!
Ow.
Well, you'll breeze through that.
Oh, but Minami-kun from Fukuoka will be competing in it!
Yeah, he beat Yuri in the Nationals.
Minami Kenjiro from Kyushu, said to be the #1 star among younger skaters!
Right...
It's already been more than six months since December, when I thought I was done for.
Good, good.
We can cheer you on this year, too!
Good luck.
Dad...
We need to use this chance to make money!
Dad.
You'll autograph a sign, won't you?
Until now, I thought I was fighting all by myself.
But now that Victor's here, that's totally changed.
Some things are still the same.
Some have changed.
Now everything feels so new.
I may never be able to regain what I've lost,
but I can clearly see what's in front of me now.
Okay, from the very beginning.
That's right, Yuri...
That's beautiful.
He was so reluctant at first,
but he's becoming more and more like a prima ballerina.
I only have a short window before my body changes.
I'm going to take advantage of everything I can right now to win.
Figure skaters are only competitive for a short time.
This will probably be my last competitive figure skating season.
I don't know how long Victor will stick around
or how long my body will hold up.
So please, God...
Give me Victor's time, if only just for now.
Yuri, you haven't named the piece. What will it be?
Yeah, perfect.
September...
Victor's and my season will finally begin.
Let's Send the Power of Sports Throughout Japan! Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Figure Skating Championship
To Be Continued!!!
It's my first official competition in a while.
I'm so nervous...
This is my coaching debut.
Yuri, what would you like me to wear?
Oh, just your usual clothes, please.
Fifth Skate: Face Beet-Red!! It's the First Competition!
Fifth Skate Face Beet-Red!! It's the First Competition! The Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Championship
The Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Championship.
Stay tuned!