axelsandwich

Taking a stab at this (my Japanese grammar is rusty) but addition of れ could indicate potential form - 降りれそう = 'seems he might be able to land'. whereas 降りそう means 'he seems to have landed/seems like he will land'. I think it just adds another layer of uncertainty (especially in addition to らしい which suggests even more secondland reporting). I wouldn't really take this tweet too seriously unless Yuzu breaks out the 4A at the competition = u =

Good splice of open practice w/ music. Can ACI happen already??

I'm excited about Shoma's costume! definitely enjoying what the shoulder cut is doing for him (and the hair styling here)

sharing @SSS's question here since I'm curious too about the comment that you can tell he's playing with 4A from looking at his 3A. I'm guessing it has something to do with the height of the jump or the extra speed he's rotating with now but that's just a guess.

Posting the speed translations I did for the 24hr TV segment per request here Disclaimer: these are not 100% word for word or necessarily always accurate. The main point is to get the general gist of each part and some nuances have been missed/skipped. Feel free to post an official translation when they appear ( :

brb sending a basket of Poohs to the cameraman (the photographer in me is dying at the thought of that being a photo )

SMOL KANAKO AND YUZU

Pt II from 9:28 - basically, is Yuzu's life literally a movie wtf. Truly, I think Yuzu had a lot of 恩人 (Chinese word roughly meaning 'benefactors'...although that really doesn't encapsulate the almost mystical element of having 'great' people help him in his life or have significant impact on him) in his life, but the fact he's so grateful and giving in return makes it all worth it and easy to support everything he does T__T After skating class Host: You worked hard! How was Hanyu-senshuu's skating class? Sora: It was fun Yuzu: It was fun? But it was tough wasn't it? Host: It was pretty tough! Yuzu: It was truly pretty severe. Sora: /nod Yuzu (softest voice): Skating isn't really a scary thing - it was fun to skate wasn't it? So definitely don't forget that feeling of fun and it will be okay. You can do it after all. Yuzu: The speed skater Hiroyasu Shimizu also had asthma, but he got an Olympic gold medal (at Nagano) and fought the battle til the end. Seeing him, I felt encouraged. Shimizu segment (in which I cry really hard T___T) Shimizu also had childhood asthma. Shimizu: I had to do practice like everyone else, but it was hard on my lungs. Narrator: After retiring in 2010, he did a sports event at Miyagi ice rink in Sendai. After the event, he signed the sports bag of a young boy. Shimizu: He told me 'I also want to get a gold medal at the Olympics. But I have asthma.' That young boy was 15yr old Yuzuru. While passing back the autograph, Shimizu told him 'You'll be okay. You will have to practice hard to overcome the weakness in your lungs. But if you overcome that, you can become someone who can fight on the world stage.' He looked extremely happy and said 'I will (Yes)!' Yuzuru held this message in his heart, worked extremely hard and became a gold medalist. So this time, he also wanted to send his voice to other children. Yuzu: If I have the chance to make someone's feelings stronger or give them courage through me, I think it's a good thing. (performance with Go Hiromi: The Dream Ice Show) End (already translated just then) Hosts: That was superb/amazing! Yuzu: Even though I had a lot of hard times, it is really joyful to be able to make such a production with great people. I skated with that thought. Host: How was it, to see Hanyu-senshuu jump right in front of your eyes? Sora: It has become a much harder layout than 3 years ago... Yuzu: That's right...that's right Hosts: He's giving critique like a professional! Yuzu: I thought if I could skate like this in front of Sora, he would be able to have motivation to do the difficult things, and have a good image/example to use when he's facing practice (moving ahead with practice?). Host: Sora-kun, have you decided anything based on today's experiences? Sora: I want to become an athlete who will challenge difficult things like Hanyu-senshuu Yuzu: If you rotate two more times, you can jump a quad. It's only two rotations! The text above the group photo says: I want to jump a quad! (doubles first!)

No worries - I'm translating as I'm watching since I have to do so anyway in my head, might as well write it down

Rough translations for the video Pt 1 (disclaimer: not word-for-word accurate, just need to SHARE THE FEELS IN ENGLISH, especially the fact Yuzu just refuses to make any excuses to himself T___T this is also why I'm speed-translating at like 11:30PM for this incredible human) About Yuzu's asthma Because of his asthma (since the age of 2), Yuzu was often unable to sleep at night and could not go to kindergarten. Even now, he will sometimes be unable to practice because of it. However, Hanyu doesn't make excuses about his asthma. "There are definitely rough times, but for athletes who have asthma, it's probably normal. I've never really thought that a performance was tough because of my asthma." He takes extreme care by wearing masks and taking medicine but even this year, 2 weeks before Worlds, he had an asthma attack. "It hurt and I couldn't breathe" (but then he still went on to put out a perfect performance at Helsinki) Sora segment: Ikeba Sora is a Junior skater. He came third in the Kanto (regional?) competitions. However, he also has asthma. ((JP TV reenacted his asthma attack at 4yrs old)). Because of his asthma, he could only participate once in his school's sports But in Year 4 (3 yrs earlier), he started skating because Yuzu did an ice show in his hometown Shiba-ken (?) in 2014 and skated to Go Hiromi's song. Sora was moved by the performance, especially his high jumps and coolness. Host: When you talk about Hanyu-senshuu, you looked so happy! Sora's battle with asthma didn't end, despite starting skating. He often had to leave the rink because he couldn't breathe and his parents often thought it would be impossible for him to continue. So there's a present for Sora-kun. Host: 'There's a thing I'd like Sora to see today." Yuzu: She said "the thing he's going to see today is here." (referring to himself) Their Skype chat Sora's like NODDING SILENTLY AND SPEECHLESS so cute and AWKWARD ; u ; Yuzu: 'I surprised him! What should we do? You're nervous right?' (translated before...basically says he likes Yuzu's 3A) Discussing asthma. Yuzu: Do you cough a lot? It's hard isn't it? I also have a lot of these experiences - I have it still. Everyone's experience is probably different but to you, it feels normal doesn't it? Therefore, there's no need to compare to other people. If you think to yourself it's normal, I think it's good if you do your best to conquer it. What are you working on right now? Sora: Double toe loop. Host: One day, will it be possible to practice with Sora-kun? Yuzu: Let's do it next time I come back home Sora: Until then, I will do my best to jump the double toe loop Yuzu: I look forward to it! 1 month later Yuzu and Sora greet each other at the rink Yuzu: What do you want to practice? Hydroblading? I'll do it once, so watch me Narrator: Even though they were practising jumps, Sora's first request is Yuzu's trademark hydroblade. Caption on Sora: Hanyu-senshuu's big fan LOL Host: He's not nervous at all and is immediately practising! It feels like they've formed a connection! Yuzu: Okay, let's try the toe loop. Narrator: It seems Yuzuru remembers the conversation from a month ago. (Sora jumps and fails). Yuzu: Can you try to increase your speed? Okay, with that feeling, go 'GYUU' with all your strength. Ohhhh, you jumped it. You did it. Sora (caption): The biggest smile

ROUGHLY translating the third video: Hosts: That was superb/amazing! Yuzu: Even though I had a lot of hard times, it is really joyful to be able to make such a production with great people. I skated with that thought. Host: How was it, to see Hanyu-senshuu jump right in front of your eyes? Sora: It has become a much harder layout than 3 years ago... Yuzu: That's right...that's right Hosts: He's giving critique like a professional! Yuzu: I thought if I could skate like this in front of Sora, he would be able to have motivation to do the difficult things, and have a good image/example to use when he's facing practice (moving ahead with practice?). Host: Sora-kun, have you decided anything based on today's experiences? Sora: I want to become an athlete who will challenge difficult things like Hanyu-senshuu Yuzu: If you rotate two more times, you can jump a quad. It's only two rotations! The text above the group photo says: I want to jump a quad! (doubles first!)

I had no idea, wow ))): It's so easy to forget he's living with this disease and that it could strike any time. Imagine how terrifying it would be to have it happen while on the ice.... /TOUCHES ALL THE WOOD IN THE WORLD ))): If there's anything to pray for, it is his health at all times ):

omg apparently 2 weeks before Worlds, Yuzu had an asthma attack. It hurt and he couldn't breathe, but then he still skated that perfect program ; ___ ;

I'm not well versed enough in figure skating lore yet so I had to look him up and feel bad now LOL ;;;;; but I think Boyang definitely normalised it as 'a jump you can land'

Hmmm...was it common knowledge that eg. Mura and Nobu were with their wives before they announced their marriage/children? I mean...Yuzu's situation is rather unprecedented (though I hear Daisuke was the nation's favourite prior to him so were there many rumours about him?) but I would still distinguish his case from the idol situation because there's no 'formal' expectation that he remain 'free' for his fans, unlike Johnny's groups who basically have to be celibate in the public eye for eternity =___=;;;; It's just unfortunate for his dating life that he has a lot of 'idol' qualities and a idol-like fanbase so there may be some backlash.

Mm I don't envy his eventual significant other who will have to bear the weight of all that public expectation and curiosity. That being said, think the public are generally more accepting of athletes getting married young and being in relationships though because they're not bound to 'no SO' clauses like idols are and their bread and butter doesn't rely on the honestly super warped notion (in Japan and Asia in particular) of being single and 'available' for their fans. Of course, slightly different for people like Yuzu and Mao who are approaching idol-level fanbases but still. I hope the fans will be more understanding. On a lighter note....how is that final photo from the back even real. His legs look like they go on forever

This little chipmunk-cheeked laser-focused mushroom grew up well (can never get over his hair while spinning LOL)

Nah, I think...at the end of the day they're also teenage boys. Now they know the 4Lz is possible, they definitely would want to go for the biggest, flashiest jump with the most points I think a lot of them are skipping 4S to go straight for 4Lz tbh, but 4S is pretty normalised now so definitely possible it's just not really making the news. The girls on the other hand...so many 4S being rumoured right now among the juniors o _ o

I feel like someone showing a 4Lz is actually achievable makes a huge difference (cheers Boyang). Tbh I think it isn't so much 'easier' to land the 4Lz as they feel like they should train to land it, and so they focus all their attention on perfecting the 4Lz (in terms of short term gain, it's worth more to train the 4Lz than the 4S). Have there been a lot of people who have both or have a lot of quads? (I'm not up to date w/ their layouts)

Doesn't it get the most BV apart from axel? Guess if you had to choose between trying to train the 4S and 4Lz, you may as well try and get a handful more BV hmm..

Have been on a nostalgia YouTube spiral and I will forever support the theory at 1:00 that Javi was urging Yuzu to go talk to Yuna like 'dude, she's alone this is your chance!' but he chickened out and Javi was like 'BRO.......' and then they never ever interacted again ;____;

No reason you can't be both! (see: Adam Rippon and Johnny. Also Boyang) But I'd say elite athletes who also have a sense of fashion or interest in it are still in the minority, especially the men and Yuzu has bloody tunnel vision up to eleven about his skating so my hopes for him to suddenly discover a fashionable side is zero. Our boy generally just looks extremely good by accident and sheer dumb genetic luck (thanks Mama/Papa Hanyu)

edge. I will never understand how they don't just splat and fall on their faces ; u ;

He needs a proper fashion stylist to slap some style sense into him (and some slim-cut pants and patterned shirts and blazers that fit and edgy streetwear......), but that's only because I'm unreasonably invested in Yuzu's unlikely future career as a fashion model At least we - mercifully - see him mostly in his training gear and/or haute couture competitions costumes

No......it's an oversized collared shirt where the collar and cuffs are dark blue and the shirt is some dirty slate grey-blue...and it's not tucked in........