Yatagarasu

Honestly, with all our drinking games, we'd probably need to invest in organ cloning as just one transplant wouldn't be enough! And I sure hope this isn't going to be a harbinger of this season's programs. Sigh.

Hello, hello! Interrupting regular programming to invite everyone to Ice Fantasia viewing, in just a few hours! Should be a lot of fun (especially considering some of those clothes for guys. Goodness) No but seriously do come, we can relax and have fun.

Someone please pass the vodka

It was and we had a brilliant time here, together. I would certainly love to see him there, though I still don't expect it, because I think he'd have a fab time, with much less pressure too. And of course, of course, we benefit too

Well I mean ... they have to have at least 3 versions. Looking right, left and straight I will take them all and surround my bed desk with them! And since it's killed Hydro day, have this, time-stamped - this look. That smirk!

I think they keep it hidden somewhere because they know Japan would get a sudden increase in burglaries otherwise. They're mean, so no offer to sell! @WSYZ And more at @Pamigena's tumblr, because she was a darling and scanned them!

That one! Ahahaha this brilliance, I swear! Thank you! And his eyes, that is what sort of tops it! He's looking straight at where the guy doing the interview was sitting. Also Kaori's face @Hydroblade yes yes, both! LOL forever tbh.

Lots of peeps compared him to a cat but then FaOI this past summer happened and well. Say hi. You can see a tonne of Yuzuru Neko in that old thread! he was ... lovely.

You know what else was funny this season? Remember that show, post Nats, where everyone from team Japan was there? And then they put Yuzuru the cardboard cutout to complete it?

We never really, truly recover from these things. We sort of just suffer. Cumulatively @Hydroblade the pic died. Yuzu killed it

Everything about this, never not going to be funny! We had a not-first pancake, delayed first-pancake with a garnish of OMG your Axel Yuzuru and a missing glove mystery. It was a good comp, that one.

It was! Which sort of makes it extra hilarious because I can just see her face. I'd be thinking well pack your own ruddy gloves next time

Yes, that's the one! Thank you! I hope @WSYZ can see it? It is somewhere in this forum of ours too but currently it's escaping me! Here's the murder face though - click I still find the whole thing hilarious, but especially the shake shake! ETA Or the one above! Thanks @Ajora!

I keep saying we need to make a care-package and send a supply of hair tonics to TCC.

It would not surprise me, negl. I think often those kind of things are picked up from relatives and it'll tickle my shriveled heart if this is actually coming from Yumi! She's a fab woman by all accounts and it couldn't have been easy to raise this little troll! @WSYZ there is video somewhere, let me see if I can dig it up.

I cannot hold it together, when ever I see that moment. The worst is that I know what's coming so I just start laughing sort of preemptively and good grief, by the time he shakes that thing I am so gone! Everything after that is just me crying with laughter I'm a terrible person, I know but it's funny, ok.

Really? I was cracking up something awful! I still do, whenever I see that moment and the worst of it is when he when he sort of waves with the glove. I keel over

Yay for learning how to multiquote! but it really is a practical little thingie, even if an occasional pain! And no, no, goodness. I just picked the name because I liked the whole Great Crow concept, that doesn't appear just in Japanese mythology but you'll find it in China and Korea too for example (in China, it goes far back as appearing on neolithic pottery) and the idea of a divine intervention/ will of Heaven/ representation of the Sun in Japanese especially because well _____ Also guys, please let the other forums thing go. They have their thing, we have ours, and here we can just concentrate on our own fun (and angst! )

I loved that moment because to me, it represented well how Yuzuru gets in his ultra-competitive mode and I love that side of him so that avatar is my precious and I am not letting that one go. Basically, it's a knock, knock who's there? He is, avatar

Absolutely. I don't even understand how any Hanyu fan could to be honest, considering what happened way back then, and since then but then, now I'm being idealistic! I'll open a bottle though, and have myself a 'party' at home

I keep disagreeing with peeps today Nope, not happening. I am decidedly not going to rejoice. I don't care what anyone thinks about that but as far as I am concerned I don't see why I should. People can of course, but there's no should there. And in my case, I most definitely will not. I'll also of course not begrudge the victor and wish them well, and in the abstract, it would be good for skating, but at the same time, I'm not a person who cheers for everyone (I don't even understand that concept to be entirely honest) and I am a person who is very much focused on my own fave(s) or Yuzuru in this case. This is a sport so for me, as a highly, highly competitive person, it won't be a time to rejoice! I am who I am

I find that first photo to be particularly beautiful. I guess the movement, her expression, hair, the dress ... lovely!

In re to the first bit, I only know two things - never to underestimate Yuzuru and that I don't know what he's going to do. His head is an interesting place. Especially now, as I have no idea if at this point, even he knows what he might want. Never mind if it is doable as a quad is a very long time. Plushenko is his idol after all but at the same time, his health/age is what it is. Mix that and it's an interesting combo! So I'm a happy clam, and I am not thinking much about what'll happen later on; I'm going to enjoy the now, wherever that takes us. I was mostly talking about a what-if, though even in that case I feel like the Canadians and Cha are a far bigger question mark here. Mhm, I agree with that for sure. Just wanted to expand a bit on all of this in the sense that it's a complex issue, overall so there's much to consider even with fan-enthusiasm. And in general, I forgot to add that while we have many Boyang fans here, we also have those who are not (much like we had a mix in re to Javier), so if some peeps simply aren't enthusiastic, it's more than fine of course. Considering his head coach is going with him, I am leaning heavily towards summer camp but we'll see. In either case it'll benefit him, that's for sure!

I'll have to disagree slightly with this. Yes, of course they should have all opportunities but that's a bit idealized IMO because Yuzuru, and others there, also have a right to a good training enviorment. There is a reason why you mostly won't have direct major competitors training under one coach, and why if it happens, it often doesn't work out. These athletes are on top of the food chain and they got there by being insanely competitive, among other things. They are not regular people, in those terms; their thought processes are different and this isn't related to being nice or a good person. Yuzuru is a good person. He's also a competitive monster. When you have two, never mind a group, of direct competitors with those mind sets in one place for prolonged amounts of time, then chances are, there are going to be major, never mind minor, issues. Take a look at how Javier and Yuzuru trained for these Olympics and what Brian said. The training environment can suffer and Brian, Tracy and co did amazingly well to handle just the two of them and bring them both to PC prepared so well, while of course, Javier and Yuzuru helped out. But everyone kept talking about the fact they train together precisely because it's not easy to pull off. So ideally, sure, everyone should be given every opportunity but in reality, it doesn't quite work that way as coaches have to take into the account those skaters who are already there and how a newcomer would potentially influence the atmosphere in the club because their needs, and the club itself, also matter. And this of course, while TCC can at this point pick and choose, due to their current position. I mention this because for example an emerging club might prioritize differently. Mind you, the newcomer, like in the case of Boyang, can be a perfectly nice person; it doesn't mean one whit because there could still be major issues in the end and in Boyang's case, with 2022 being in his home country, and the pressures that are already popping up, it is going to be a pressure cooker. Plus of course nobody knows how he will react to training with someone like Yuzuru. Then there's the other issue of home country of TCC, ie Canada to throw into the mix in terms of Fed pressure on Brian from there and how the possibly emerging Canadians will rock the boat. Then on top of that, Zu might decide to go for three and Cha who should be hitting his stride. How do they, and the newcomer, react to each other, and how does that influence the whole lot? Training environments are tricky to maintain at this high end of the sport as people involved are well, high-maintenance, to put it that way. This is why I believe it is Brian and Tracy primarily who are going to have to think hard if it is sustainable or not. It's a complex issue that goes a bit beyond everyone should have the opportunity because if it isn't working out, opportunities for all are lost. Like I said, I can tentatively say that I think it could work out because of how they seem to be and because Brian and Tracy and co already have a lot of experience under their belt but on the other hand, I can also see how it could easily go wrong. So if someone is worried about another top athlete joining TCC, I think it's normal and I don't have a problem with people thinking this isn't good news, in those terms. In terms of Yuzuru, and actual skill, to risk being called biased, I don't think it matters at all if Boyang will train there for the next quad or not; Yuzuru is Yuzuru. Everything else is underestimating Yuzuru, in various ways.

I'm not a fan of seeing major competitors with one coach either, it's always very difficult but it can work sometimes. It worked out with Zu and Javier even if it wasn't all sunshine and roses with them either, as some like to romanticize what happened. I think it could maybe, potentially, work with Boyang and Zu too (though I am super reluctant to say that as I am not in Zu's head and I don't actually know either man) but honestly I really do feel Brian is the person who is the biggest question here, what with his current roster plus the fact China's hosting in 2022, so talk about potential pressure and conflict if Yuzuru decides to go (and heck, even without it). If Zu wants Beijing, his biggest 'threat' is his health IMO so really, I wouldn't worry about any other issues. I am, as usual, very, very zen