axelsandwich

A better format would have been like Keiji's room with conversation topic cards so they could answer in turns (if it was really meant to be a 'conversation') so she could have more opportunity to answer direct questions. Or simply more interview training (which Yuzu understandably doesn't have lol). Do classical musicians really do much promo stuff? I'm not involved in that world at all but it seems I rarely see them do it on 'regular' TV

No no, just post it! I just wrote up the main points lol, yours is probably more accurate

LOL @ the Matsuoka interview mostly because Matsuoka's face at various points is my true spirit animal. True speed translation, ie. quick dot point summary but I had to share bc trust yuzu Yuzu wants to win decisively and his ideal skate is a situation where everyone skates clean and, on top of them all, he skates cleanly to win The closest he's come to that ideal was the 2015 GPF where everyone skated 'cleanly' (in the sense of giving their best performance overall) and Yuzu also gave his 'best' performance and won On using the same SP and FS: Yuzu said he chose Seimei without hesitation since GPF 2015 so he had always thought he'd bring it out for the Olympics season Matsuoka: 'I didn't think that! Because you did that so well! You got the best score, given how much you suffered and cried over it...I felt like wouldn't it be better to stop instead of going further?' Yuzu: 'Yes that may be true but I think with the skills I have now, I can make a better program.' He's improved his artistry and many different elements (gained from experience) and so in the Olympics, he wants to put out a more complete program On Yuzu's thoughts towards the Olympics: Of course, he thinks of it as a special competition. He really wants the gold medal from the bottom of his heart. It is also a huge 'another chance will not come' pressure. At Sochi after the gold, he thought 'I want to perform that again so I can win with a perfect performance' but he couldn't do it over. But now he's aiming for the title once again. So if he doesn't do it properly now, there's no other time to do this properly. So therefore everything he's done this season has been for that. Matsuoka (to other interviewers): He was truly in 'Olympic mode'. You don't really say that you 'want to win decisively' so Matsuoka's sort of in awe about it and how bluntly and decisively he has an image of everything. Yuzu thinks 'figure skating is definitely still fun, because there are all these new skaters, rivals and amazing people appearing'. Yuzu's suffered tens of times more than a normal person with injuries etc., but he's also been able to experience several times the happiness. He's chosen a path more difficult than anyone after Sochi and so Matsuoka wants to see him happy at Pyeongchang Matsuoka: '[Yuzu] has the confidence - not merely the goal - to surpass his records.' Seeing Yuzu with the attitude of 'there's no option but to win' made Matsuoka see the beauty of sports

I know the answer is 'because Japanese TV' but like.......is that lady dressed up as the Pyeongchang gold medal and, if so, why? Also LOL Nobu is totally me, I showed my parents Yuzu's performance once and as he was leading up to a quad, I looked over and my dad was on his phone and I was all 'WATCH IT NOW!!!! D:<' (I also laughed so hard at Nobu's 'PYEONG-CHANG!' I will absolutely remember this when we get to the Olympics)

I SAID THE SAME THING. They really have 夫妻相!

Yeah, they're building the hype alright and works both ways. Looking forward to Matsuoka's talk, I always enjoy his shocked faces : D

That's my cue? (I actually don't mind this grey shirt LOL). So the pianist is 21-yo Kanon Matsuda and I feel like she kind of has a bit of 夫妻相 with Yuzu actually (夫妻相 is a Chinese word that means they kind of have a 'couple look' to them, which generally means they kind of look similar/give off compatible vibes in appearance/aura). Yuzu's doing the common thing of people used to being interviewed (and not experienced at being an interviewer) which is relating the conversation back to himself. That is, understandably, his point of reference but since Kanon seems extremely shy, she would generally require some more questions and teasing out details from a more experienced interviewer, so it sort of turns into his own monologue LOL. But it was interesting to hear him talk/ramble anyway so : P Pt 2/5 speed translation (usual disclaimer applies: getting the general gist, corrections welcome etc.) Yuzu: After listening to this performance myself, I thought 'wow, I really want to skate to this piano music.' It was a wonderful performance. What sort of memories do you have of this Chopin? Kanon: I was raised in Kagawa-ken. It was after having a recital in Kagawa-ken, we decided to record my debut CD so it is a song with a lot of memories Yuzu: I actually listened to that CD many times. Do you imagine a story in this song? Kanon: Yes, I actually imagine a different story every time. This time, I was thinking of Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga and the feeling that Soames had towards Irene* when playing the music. Yuzu: Amazing. You really read lots of books right? Kanon: Yes, I love it. Yuzu: Hmmm... I don't read books at all Kanon: Well you're very busy... Yuzu: For this Chopin, I don't really have a story or anything I want to particularly convey before the start of the performance, but rather it is conveyed in the middle of my performance. I put myself in the performance and try to assimilate myself with the music. What I was thinking watching you perform, I was noticing the way you added power, the way you breathed and the way you emphasised your breathing and how you phrased (?) the music. I thought it really resembled the way skaters performed their programs. Of course, we don't make sound ourselves but I really thought there were similarities in the way we had a sense for the performance. Kanon: Ah, I'm very happy, thank you very much Yuzu: I learnt I really must make a program like this Kanon: No, no, it's enough. I have also been watching you skate on TV since the Sochi Olympics. Your passion and energy was really amazing. I apologise for only saying very simple things... Yuzu: No no... hmm... how to put this. If it's related to what sort of things we want to remember about the song's theme, there's a feeling of wanting to produce more and more sprouting out... somehow...how to say this. For me, within myself... there are things that I can use in my skate, there's so many things like life...it all keeps spinning. I mean, we are all spinning while skating but there's a feeling like you can't stop** *girl is well read, impressive : D **okay this part was confusing LOL I...think he's talking about the feeling the song gives out - of continuous blooming and that he's always thinking about things he can incorporate from life into his skate, but that's kind of my interpretation.

lol wait what I need to hear this story. Why were they measuring the venue?

LOL JP yuzu fans are no joke

I'm pretty sure it's just gum. I'm kuyashii because I could've seen this if I had stayed in Japan a few extra days

There were around two shelves of magazines and a surprising number of novels (books) that were - from a quick scan - third person books about his skating/methods. I was expecting the magazines but not the books, tbh (there was a calendar in one of the magazines but no separately sold one I think)

Haha I have, ironically, been in Japan so thank you for picking up the mantle! As a little souvenir of my trip, here’s a video of Yuzu dominating the figure skating magazines section (applicable to this airport bookstore and also to the larger FS section at Kinokuniya. They looove him)

Lowkey kind of glad that all the top 6 countries are represented judging-wise in the Men's. I know it prob won't really do much if they really wanted to fix it but it avoids an obvious question mark Team BOrser clearly prioritising balance as much as possible and the FS technicals really tell a story here

But if it’s the draw, then it’s before the FS right? Unless they cut two clips together that had a time skip (he looks like he’s suffering the kuyashii of his free skate lol I don’t think he’d look like that if he was looking at his SP protocols lol)

oh lol I just assumed they were reading their SP/FS protocols, oops Why does he look so........?? sad??? after he smiles with javi???? ??? ?

when you screw up so bad you pass 'kuyashii' and into 'lol' (anyone know which broadcast this is from? looks like the TV broadcast of ACI)

so....I just arrived in Japan and may or may not be trying to find time to visit a bookstore . Are we reaching a consensus that Sportiva has the best internal photos/content? Has anyone posted the contents of Figure Skaters perchance (w/ the Seimei cover)

I'm so happy to read he realises himself that his Worlds mentality is super advantageous and is trying to replicate it (and it worked!). Hope he finds a good 'model' for a FS skate when he's doing well in the SP too ; u ;

ladies and gentlemen, a lesson in using the right bloody lens, camera angle and lighting when taking extreme close ups of people. he looks so soft and cheerful in this one, as opposed to bloody manic. (I'm lowkey salty because it looks like there are some really nice pictures inside the Sportiva magazine but I vehemently dislike the cover) >__>

OH! LOL. Well I haven't done Day 4 yet (it's my plan for tonight huhu ;;) but here's Day 1 (the rest all on my Twitter)

Just in the above clip, from like 0:15 ~ 0:19 but also just throughout the entire video

oh LOL yeah, I was just looking at the time stamp and must have misread basically when they cut to his BEAUTIFUL FACE IN HIS HAKAMA and you hear a male voice..... just listen hard not that I've done so many times or anything.... >_>

Nah I'm just posting from the grave because I saw this today and promptly died

I WAS GOING TO POST THIS TOO I think my Inktober Day 4 illustration for 'Interview' is going to be Yuzu looking at the camera like he's on The Office when faced with a deluge of enthusiastic, rapid and incomprehensible French

A shot of the ACI banners (including PH!) -- I'm guessing some of these were what Yuzu was reading at the end of the medal ceremony in the fan account posted awhile ago? The Twitter poster says that she didn't bring such larger banners herself so she was touched by the love and warm wishes shown by the fans.