Geo1

Keiji’s coaster is slightly better than the coasters that they awarded at the 2016-17 Grand Prix Final in Marseille….

The eyes, the nose, the cheekbones, the lips... THE TOTAL PACKAGE.

As I said, I’ll follow Yuzu whatever he does. I’ll follow his career as a coach, if he decides to do that, but I won’t be following the mainstream senior men’s competitions unless Yuzu is involved in a coaching capacity. In that case, I’ll be busy sending negative vibes to all of the skaters competing against Yuzu’s students. I don’t think he will be coaching anytime soon, if ever. If he stays healthy, he still has the better part of three seasons ahead of him to try to do everything he wants to accomplish as a competitor. After he stops competing, he will likely want to continue skating in ice shows. Even if he stops competing, he will probably remain very popular and will be involved in CMs. Maybe he might do some modeling or acting (I hope!). He will probably finish his university degree at Waseda. He is so multitalented and has so much charisma and the “It Factor” so that the possibilities are endless.

I'm done with competitive figure skating when Yuzu retires. I'll follow Yuzu whatever he does.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2019/09/19/figure-skating/cristina-valdez-ecstatic-fulfilling-dream-seeing-yuzuru-hanyu-skate-person/?hootPostID=d240e28e63e877e4842bf5e3083d3b3c#.XYZLLyhKjaS Valdez, who founded the Crescendo Conservatory four years ago, is still uncertain about whether Hanyu has seen her troupe's salute to him. I inquired as to if she had sent a video of the performance to him. "I'm a bit of a modest person I don't want to force myself on him," Valdez commented. "Fans tell me he may have seen it. I did make a Notte Stellata Pooh and had all my dancers sign the card with a picture of it and we left it in the gift box. If he wasn't aware of it before, he might be aware of it now." I did send an email to Erin d'Eon, the skating coordinator, at the TCC with a link to the rehearsal video shortly after it was posted, giving full credit to @cvdnce and providing the back story. I asked that the email and video link be passed on to Yuzu's team and she replied that she would.

The only difference that I can see is that the more expensive one comes with a "logo sticker", whatever that is. That's the one I ordered myself. Make sure that you order the Blu-ray if that is what you are intending and not the DVD. The Blu-ray should play in any region. The price for the Blu-ray once the order is in (before shipping and import fees) should be a bit less than the list price because they will deduct the sales tax which is included in the list price. The sales tax is only payable by Japanese residents. If you are ordering from outside of Japan, they will deduct the sales tax.

Check out the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International website. There is a tab for Live Streaming with the next live streaming scheduled for September 12 at 11:30 AM. https://skatecanada.ca/2019-autumn-classic-international/ @sallycinnamon will add more options at the ACI thread:

You remember Abba from your childhood! I was dancing to them in a three piece suit with flared pants and platform shoes at discos à la John Travolta under a glittering disco ball and strobe lights!

As our boy has grown into a man, I would be interested in seeing what the ladies' reactions would be if Yuzu was to perform to Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy," in a butt-hugging costume with LGC/Masquerade hair and attitude, making appropriate faces and gestures to the chorus: If you want my body and you think I'm sexy Come on, sugar, let me know If you really need me, just reach out and touch me Come on, honey, tell me so, tell me so baby For those who don't remember the song or are too young to know it, this is it.

You're very welcome! Glad it had the desired effect! I needed someone to share my post traumatic stress disorder.

Yes, I have been traumatized by the image of lifeless, waxen-faced Yuzu wearing what Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” was planning to wear on her wedding night that never happened…

A Pez dispenser on STEROIDS!!! Are they selling these at the Amazon Japan site?

I had the chance to chat with Ghislain Briand on three occasions at last year's ACI, and on one of those, which was shortly after Yuzu had the fall in practice, I asked him whether there was any cause for concern since he left the practice early. Ghislain replied that Yuzu was fine and that he had left early because he had done everything he needed to do. Then he said something to the effect of "Yuzu has to fall occasionally otherwise I wouldn't have a job." I then said "Are you sure you don't do anything to make him fall from time to time?" Ghislain replied with a mischievous grin, "Not that I would admit to." A very nice, humorous and friendly guy.

My guess is that the entire team will be staying in the official hotel and traveling together. TCC may not be too far away, but it's still a hassle to get everyone together to travel to Oakville. I ran into Brian in Montréal in 2017 late at night at a Keg (we were the last ones there) and chatted with him briefly. I think he enjoys having dinner and a few drinks at the end of the day and staying at a hotel that's only a few minutes away from the venue makes a lot more sense.

I didn't recognize him at all... Looks like a clone job gone horribly wrong.

@mercedes is right – Yuzu's wax statue does look more like him than he does in the pink boudoir monstrosity!

WTF were they thinking? Doesn't even look like Yuzu!

I'd love to see him starring in a samurai movie or in a remake of Onmyoji.

How much more sinful can you make it?

Off-topic, but did you guys know that Simon Reed, the main commentator – "a triple axel out of nowhere" – of British Eurosport was an actor? Not only does he share that distinction of having been an actor with our Yuzu, Simon is apparently known for having starred in a movie called, "Ninja, The Violent Sorcerer" and he captained the (Teddington) Cricket Club. He is the brother of deceased actor Oliver Reed whose last role was "Proxima" in the movie "Gladiator" (2000) with Russell Crowe. Proximo: "I was not the best because I killed quickly... I was the best because the crowd loved me..." Maximus: "I will win the crowd... I will give them something they have never seen before." The context may be different, but the words certainly apply to Yuzu, particularly those of Maximus. Yuzu is our gladiator on ice. Unfortunately, Oliver Reed died of a heart attack during the making of "Gladiator" and the director, Ridley Scott, had to use CGI to finish the movie.

Simon Reed of British Eurosport says the same thing at 3:17 of the 2018 Rostelecom Cup SP video: "It's got to the stage now, where he almost transcends the sport..." If only the judges would recognize his transcendence...

Yuzuru Hanyu is such a truly inspiring, selfless, caring, sensitive, humble, unassuming and peerless human being... There is no one else like him. I'm an old guy who's been through a lot in life, I've never been a fan of anyone or anything before Yuzu and I don't cry easily, but I had tears.

The conductor and spiritual core of the little local orchestra, Matsushita-san, died in the earthquake. There is a clip taken two weeks before the earthquake. Following the last practice shortly before the earthquake, Matsushita-san said, "Let's do our best (again) next week." Those were his last words to the orchestra. The singer told the members of the orchestra that "Haru Yo Koi" was made 24 years ago and it's about hoping to see someone who one has not seen for a long time and will never see again, but in (hearing) this song, it would be good to see that person (again).

Not having taken part in the Olympic torchbearer discussion, I didn't know that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants the 2020 Olympic Games to showcase Japan's recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear crisis. https://www.oann.com/japan-speculates-over-identity-of-final-olympic-torchbearer/ In a Reuters news article entitled "Japan Speculates Over Identity Of Final Olympic Torchbearer" dated August 22, 2019, it says: "This time, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants the Games to showcase Japan's recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear crisis, fueling speculation that the choice could be a young person or emerging athlete from the devastated northeast. "Olympic organizers say that they will not reveal the final torchbearer's identity until the torch arrives in the stadium on live television, watched by billions of spectators." It then lists potential athletes, including Yuzu: "Yuzuru Hanyu, a heartthrob for the Japanese, who became the first man in more than 50 years to win back-to-back figure skating gold medals, also figures in the discussion. He hails from Sendai, a northern city hit by the 2011 tsunami." If they really are trying to showcase Japan's recovery from the 2011 disaster, Yuzu would be the ideal representative of that because of his accomplishments and dedication to the recovery of the area. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, he is immensely popular with the people and has also received the People's Honor Award in recognition of everything he has done. Knowing Yuzu, he would be inclined to not accept the position of final torchbearer even if it was offered to him because he is not a summer Olympian; however, if they said that his being the final torchbearer would assist in the recovery of his hometown of Sendai and Tohoku, he would likely accept it. This was the reason he decided to accept the acting offer when he played the Lord of Sendai in "Tono, Risoku de Gozaru" ("The Magnificent Nine"). He and his father decided that it was appropriate for him to accept the offer because it was a story about the people of Sendai helping themselves to recover from their financial difficulties. Yuzu is also someone who is very high profile and very much in the eyes of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Imperial family. Having said all that, I have a feeling that it will be someone else that will surprise everyone by running into the stadium bearing the torch to light the Olympic flame.

When Agawa Sawako was interviewing Mika Ninagawa, the photographer who took the pictures of Yuzu for AERA magazine, she didn’t recognize Yuzu and asked who he was. When told that it was Yuzu, she was surprised and remarked that he was beautiful. Mika Ninagawa said that Yuzu can change himself at the flick of a switch.