I’m probably not the most qualified to answer this, so maybe @fencer-x wouldn’t mind chiming in a bit? But from what I know and have seen it looks like the concept of soulmates in Japan isn’t that different from the West. I don’t really feel comfortable getting into how extensive the Japanese understanding of soulmate is.

For what it’s worth, I have seen zero negative response on my TL. So, I’m not sure where those people are coming from.

As for me, personally? I feel fandom, as a general whole, not just any specific fandom, has sort of taken the idea of soul mate and made it something concretely romantic. However, the concept is that of someone who perfectly completes you, is your other half, and while that often has a romantic end, it’s not in the definition. A soul mate can be a romantic partner, most often the concept is used romantically, but it can also be a best friend.

Have you ever heard the What’s A Soulmate? audio? That’s basically my perfect definition of a soulmate.

Fandom seems to have a real problem understanding the concept of love in Yuri!!! on Ice, so it’s little wonder some seem to have a problem understanding the concept of soulmates, as it’s understood by both Japanese and westerners. Because there’s no difference. Really there’s not. It’s just, as Ally says above, that fandom has diluted the meaning of ‘soulmate’ down to a WHOLLY romantic meaning, not understanding that it’s everything.

It’s love, in all its forms–and yes, i

ncluding romantic–it’s destiny, it’s a bond, it’s being meant to be with this person. Being completed.

It’s much like 愛 in Japanese, their word for love; they have a separate word for simply romantic love (恋), but 愛 encompasses everything, whole kind of love–romantic and bone-deep and cherishing and fawning and unselfish and selfish and everything in between. There’s a WORLD of difference between “suki da” and “aishiteru” for “I love you”–the former is rattled off easily and spans the length and breadth of like/love. You can use it to describe how you feel about corn, you can use it to describe how you feel about your wife. But aishiteru? Almost no one says it, because it’s just so HEAVY. There’s even a whole day dedicated to husbands going out in public and shouting it for their wives to hear, to kind of encourage men to be more open about their feelings and to also just express their love in its most concentrated form.

And that’s what a soulmate is–a true mate of your soul. A friend, a companion, a partner. A lover, yes, but so much more than that.

If you think having all of this love inside that word dilutes the meaning of the romantic component, then I feel very sad for you, because it means that you think romantic love is weakened by being coupled with affection and genuine LIKING someone and caring for someone’s happiness. As if platonic and romantic love cannot coexist.

More to the point, if you still need Yuuri and Victor’s romantic feelings spelled out for you? Well there’s no helping you. Kubo-sensei has gone on record as finding it amusing that western fans have to ask her what happened in episode 7. You make her laugh by not being able to figure it out. Yuuri said that he wanted the theme of his skating season to be 愛, and that means EVERYTHING involving love. It means Eros–which was initially a foreign concept to Yuuri, having to think of something that drives him wild because he had no real experience with sexual feelings (consciously at least) to fall back on. But by episode 11, he’s thrown Victor kisses and kissed their exchanged rings as a link back to Victor–a symbol so that Yuuri didn’t have to waste his focus distracted by not understanding what their relationship was.

If it was meant to be that confusing or ambiguous, then the point of the rings would be lost :P

I’m not sure where these ‘negative tweets’ are that the asker mentions; every Japanese person on my feed is thrilled, noting that their being ‘soulmates’ makes perfect sense.

The entire story of YOI is all about love and all its forms, and how all of those forms are just part of a greater whole. It’s why Yuuri just wants Victor to stay Victor, because becoming any ONE thing seems to sideline all of the other things. Even a lover, a 恋人 in Japanese, is literally someone you share 恋 with–but Yuuri doesn’t want just romantic passion. He wants a partner and companion and someone he can fight with and someone he can eat katsudon with.

We saw through the series the bond between Makkachin and Yuuri, the first meeting was a happy Makkachin approaching Yuuri, and then following him when he was running or training (with Victor or not). We saw that the two of them has a deep bond, and I know that Yuuri isnt the kind of person to replace one nail with another (like to see Makkachin as another Vicchan), because he knew that. So chapter 8 hit me like a truck OF FEELS

Yuuri recieves a call of Mari, saying that Makkachin is very sick. 

Yuuri then remembers Vicchan, We would think that he will break up, remembering such tragic events that occurred on his last Grand Prix.

But, the next thing he does, is call Victor, to go to Japan to see his beloved dog.

He didnt break up, mainly because he didnt want Victor to suffer like he did. Believe me, when you lost a pet and you didnt have the chance to say farewell or goodbye is the worst thing ever, you feel disappointed, hurt, regret, it instantly hurts you, knowing that you could be at their side, saying that everything will be okay, that this will last a few minutes even if it was a lie. 

So I feel very surprised and amused, at how strong this boy is, at how he can surpass his fears to protect the beloved one. He didnt want Victor to be through that, not like him. He put his fears of performing alone aside, to let Victor go to Japan. To face a competition alone in a foreign country without support (and we know how much Yuuri needs it, even after his development). Victor wolud think that it wasnt that bad (haha lies) but Yuuri doesnt think that, he knows this matter with Makkachin was important.

And it hit me, I couldnt do that, the death of my dog still affects me, But Yuuri was so brave, he insisted, and he didnt think it twice and that so admirable, so proud at how far Lil pork cutlet is doing, and im not the only one surprised :’)

ツキプロch.    ‏@tsukipro_ch (2016.11.11) 『ツキプロch.』をご覧いただき、ありがとうございました。次回は斉藤壮馬さんの趣味遍歴が語られる「CAFE SolidS」。予告からもお察しいただけるとおり、やや闇が見え隠れします。「ツキクラ」コーナーではRegulusの楽曲収録に密着します！お楽しみに♪ #ツキチャ