Forcefield

Kinda happy NYT covered him because they're also covering some other parts of FS and other skaters. Although I'm kinda salty about some things and still happy about some others, but conclusively I guess any media attention is better than none especially that he is still in ninja mode. I think the author may have wanted to follow him through NHK and even Nats as well but now he has an article and not much to write about this season and decided to bring in the fan worship with some extra focus on it. Eta: Just checked and yes it is front page! *o* How long will that last? lol OT: I was listening to my usual radio show this morning and the two hosts were talking about how after the holidays and with decorations coming down and with their favorite football team not making the playoffs its a tedious and boring 2018. I'm listening like, wtf I'm biting my nails off everyday as Olys gets closer. Then the hosts asked listeners to call in to reveal any cool personal stuff happening to them in 2018 that might make this winter better. I had to stop myself from calling to remind them that there is the Winter Olys. Lucky, the 2nd caller did! And the hosts were like, Oh yea! Shows how little we care about this Olys. Oh sad.

Took a quick look at the article. Not only do I love her for the Purple Yuzu Prince promo, but for once there's an article that doesn't focus on FS costumes or how "unsporty" or "gay" figure skating is or the other "it" thing in FS to argue about which is artistry vs athleticism. Thus promoting Figure Skating for the Olympics by taking up another angle making good points for the Casual viewers - hurrah.

Am here to add my shallow comment that the shape of Hanyu's eyes seem cat-like and mischievous. First time I see someone that's not a cartoon with such curve shaped eyes. I love his eyes so much. If he's not smiling the first thing I look at Hanyu is his expressive eyes and ngl I spend some time staring at them in his photos.

Yea, mte. But time zone wise, wouldn't it be better if the TCC Olys team actually head to Japan early and just train at a rink there? Heard that it might be what Russia may be doing for their team, and if JSF can't rent out an entire rink for their own skaters at home it's a damn shame.

They do these "new" features on Yuzu especially since he's now a part of the Olys team, but with no new material from him. Is he going to stay in Canada up until Olys, or does he have an obligation to return to Japan to be part of new Olys promos or take part in a team building event or something, I wonder. Anyway, I wouldn't think we're not going to be kept in the dark until February since by then I bet even the rest of the world will be asking, "Where's Yuzu?" Anyway, I always get chills when I remember/hear that quote from Yuzu during Sochi about the next Olys, (not an exact quote), "The strength of the athletes of our generation determines the change of the next Olympics." It may have been one of his goals to be a part of spurring that growth towards the next Olys and I do think he is one of the biggest contributor to the men's rapid growth which no one had seen coming and this Olys will be nail-biting asf.

can't unsee it now

The beauty of the jump. His form. The camera angle. This gave me chills.

Omg Kagawa is such a troll. That poor kid. If the kid was a fan originally, then I think he just lost a fan. But this just makes me remember Yuzu and his one day skating class in Aug and I miss him even more. Can't believe FIFA WC is already next year. Coupled with the Winter Olys, 2018 is ready to kill me.

Well, I just find it interesting that each country is in charge of hyping up their own skaters, like USA > Nathan for OGM and Japan is all "H3ll yea, let's go for that 1st and 2nd place finish on the podium with 2 OGM contenders" and then there's S. Korea, home of this upcoming Olympics, and they're like "Fck the rest, we know which guy really sells tickets. We're going to hype up Yuzu without anyone telling us to" Conclusion: King Yuzu. Yuzu is the boss. The real deal.

The pro is that if Nathan, Boyang, Patrick, and Kolyada (assuming they're all going to Olys) also skates for team, it'll be an indirect competition and Yuzu will know what the judges will score him and them for imperfect (or perfect) programs, and it might be good to know his status going into the individual event, on top of shaking out 2-3 months worth of no competitions. Shoma will also be coming back from 4CC so if Yuzu does both team SP and FS it will not only give Shoma rest, but will actually block one of his big competitors from wringing out any nervousness, yet at the cost of himself potentially burning out. So no matter how you look at it from either side, there's bad points and good points to make. I'm sure I didn't even cover half of it. At the end of the day, I just wish there will be no regrets.

Worry-wart alert! Now that the dice has fallen, and there's no more speculation on who is going where, suddenly my heart decided that it should start worrying now that Yuzu seems to have no international competitions between now and PC. Oh goody, another few weeks of worrying.

Dem, this uploader is fast:

I've been replaying this over and over. I miss him sooo much. Can't believe last minute I worried that JSF might troll us and not name Yuzu to the team. Well, yes I'm a habitual worry-wart.

How was Worlds/4cc announced last year? Was there a video/stream? Did Yuzu get announced together with everyone even when he was absent?

RE: Nao Kodaira as Team Captain I'm always happy to see a female athlete shine in the spotlight. Also, I don't know much about her, but she seems to be honored and highlighted at awards and team building events also in the media alongside Yuzu, and looking at her wiki she's as much of a high profile and deserving athlete herself even if we take away seniority (wiki >> Kodaira is the current world record holder in the team sprint and the sprint combination, as well as the current Japanese record holder on the 500 and 1000 metres distances. In 2017, she became the first Japanese woman to win an individual single distance world title ). I would have been happy if Yuzu got the role, I understand if he declined, but I would also even believe it and understand if JOC didn't offer him the role and chose Kodaira unanimously. Also, don't know much about speed skating and if they have allotted spots like FS, but she must have already be named on the Olys speed skating team. JSF has not even named Yuzu to Olys at this point (although it's a no-duh).

Also, I'm rewatching and rereading @¯\_(ツ)_/¯'s translation of his interview with Hodo Station after GPF 2015. What he said about media attention is sad and very relevant for this situation as well, and this void (though in this case perhaps more self-imposed isolation) will thankfully spur him on for Olys.

I'm kind of hoping JSF have heard from Hanyu and are just withholding news until after Nationals or the Gala, so that the focus will rightfully be about the skaters competing at Nats instead of Hanyu who can draw the media like moths to a flame even with his absence and the smallest update (I respected Nobu for only telling the media after GPF and Yuzu's WD that he contacted Yuzu for his birthday and got the update on his condition). Tbh, if Yuzu is announced to be on the Olys team, even with his absence at this year's Nats, you bet headlines will roll; a race between Shoma and Yuzu. Btw, love the new banner!

Please excuse my ignorance: Who is Adian?

Yup and makes me also miss him so much and his ability to charm the media/reporters, his alien-ness and yet eloquence, even his kuyashii-ness.

I understand the feeling, but hope is really the last thing to die, so I'm sure all of us will continue to believe him no matter what our fears say until the moment his scores are announced in PC if he makes it there. And really, as Yuzu fans we've learned to swallow our fears, tears, salt and bitterness (and in my case, pettiness) and just like Yuzu we will have to be strong and believe in him and also move on to continue to support him no matter what. Believe me it's a collective effort. And the fandom really helps. I'll probably start crying again about how much I miss him every few days until he skates in a competition or show again.

To be reeeeeal honest? I only said it because it's been rehashed over and over by the media and ubers - the thing about repeating until it sticks? it works for casuals like me who don't know anything about ballet or posture. That's how PR or propaganda works, right? That ballet is what sets Chen a part? And that's also why for me posture or ballet doesn't matter, unless I notice it (because then even if to an untrained eye like me it's a problem then its a problem) and why I roll my eyes when ubers bring up his ballet training YET AGAIN. Like: I know that about Chen and since I'm no expert sure why not, but I still think Yuzu looks the most elegant anyway. In other words, I see what you see.

Even without his jumps, I wish he was well enough to appear in the Nats gala, unfortunately if he just got on ice recently he may not be far along enough (not to mention the trolls that would have a field day with him missing the competition but appearing for an ex). Right now I don't miss Yuzu in competitions and all the nail-biting that comes with it as much as I actually just miss his skating and happiness. I still wonder if he's going to stay in Canada through the new year. In a normal season he would probably be in Japan with at least a few days of rest I would think, but maybe rest and being off ice isn't what he really needs right now. And well I guess its better than 2014 with him having to spend new years in a hospital or 2016 with a flu. I shouldn't be so picky.

Reading this, I kind of feel for Chen. Maybe that's why his ubers and the media keeps on pushing the ballet training story, and that he has the best posture out of the bunch (which tbh is not a priority for me unless it's really noticeable and bad). But really, Chen's strength for me would be his confidence, which is something I really like in Hanyu as well, and seems to be lacking in his fp as the season builds, imo.

Tbh this is true, but I'm just spilling because Hanyu has been injured and out most of the season, and its like irrelevant since he's been out and a "can you not gloat?" kind of deal, even if that may or may not have been the intention, but really maybe this also proves that Hanyu is still relevant and a threat despite being MIA.