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Oh! I saw some users successfully tagging my username recently and thought the problem has since been resolved. Sorry bout that. Thanks ever so much for the link! *^__^*

Would you mind tagging me as well? I'd like to bask in the spooky majesty of that performance, too. I'd try looking for it myself but that thread currently spans 40 pages...

Wow. So they really gave them to him. Imo, those fans are one of the best gifts and greatest honor an athlete can ever achieve. It's a testament to everything he's ever done for the sport and for those whose lives are touched by his endeavors. When I first saw them, I thought they'd make a great gift to the athlete himself so it's really good to know that the fan was generous enough to gift it to the athlete that inspired their hard work and all that absolutely breathtaking art. Being a fan of intricate details, I'm absolutely positive that he'll love them to pieces. And if I were him, I'd treat them as the crowning glory of all of my achievements and treasure them even more than any medals I've ever won. ^^ When asked in a post victory interview with Yuji Ueda in Sochi, he replied that he roomed with Machida in the Athlete's Village. I don't know if he remained there from after his event was done until after the closing ceremony but I honestly don't think he's overly picky about living conditions, especially short-term ones, considering the 4 days he's lived as a refugee at an evacuation shelter where the conditions were pretty much dismal. If he could live in conditions where every time he stepped out of one of the portable toilets, he had to scrape human faeces off the soles of his shoes, he can handle subpar room conditions. He'd probably rate them all 5-stars after those 4 days. Methinks he can probably handle and stomach a lot more than the average person, heh. I have horror stories of my own about rooms I've stayed in in Tokyo. They're all clean but they're also...hmmm...the last one I stayed in a few months back gave me hives. I'm not at all sensitive to this sort of thing usually and it's never happened to me before anywhere else I've ever stayed within Japan and outside of it. So I'm thinking that hotel chain must've used some kind of super industrial strength detergent to wash their sheets and while my body can take a lot of punishment immunity-wise, it drew the line at the chemicals used in this one.

While I get why so many are so taken with a black outfit for SEIMEI, I never quite understood why you all think it's a good idea. Even though it gives off a cool effect, with the nature of SEIMEI, black seems more reminiscent of the dark forces of evil he's supposed to be fighting. In any fanart of it I've seen, while pretty, the overall image always comes off as dark with an evil quality to it. Especially with the foxish aura Seimei exudes. That's probably neither the message nor image Hanyu or anybody else for the matter wants the program to project. I don't think it is, anyway. Which is why I get why he wanted to stick to light colors. Black would've worked real well for anything else but even if it does look good for SEIMEI, it would completely deviate from the image I think he wants to present, which is good and an aura infused with light energy. Not dark!Seimei. And while we're on the subject of his SEIMEI costume, I'm thinking he might wanna rethink the silver elements. It goes very well with the white and the gold finishings but it's *silver*. xxD Speaking of the gold bits of his costume(s), although far from over the top and even tasteful, subtle definitely isn't something that's in Hanyu's nature. >_<

In hindsight, the way this competition ended was the best way it could have turned out for him, especially for this particular season. He got both the carrot (perfect SP & WR) *and* renewed determination in the form of blazing fire on burning coals (his yikes!FS that's the complete opposite of his SP) to fuel him towards gradually building his delivery up the rest of the season. His Zen-like attitude after shows that he's gotten the message loud and clear and has accepted it as his truth. Also, because these are familiar programs, the build-up will be more steady than last season, where his trajectory was not predictable and for a moment there, really could have gone either way. Chopin is like the good cop, or dear ol' dad Louis (from Fresh Off The Boat), and SEIMEI's like the bad cop or fierce and demanding mom Jessica. Incidentally, Hanyu is like Eddie, Emery and Evan all rolled into one. xxD So this is exactly the kind programs he needs to continue one bettering himself. And his showing of them at ACI is also exactly the kind of early start he needs for a highly promising finish to the season. And then, there are his newfound caution towards his health and improved wisdom towards competitions. His attitude towards them is different than in the past in that he's no longer as tunnel visioned and stubborn* and is now open to accepting help and revealing weaknesses, showing that he no longer thinks of himself as weak by doing so--something which I think both his failures in the past and Fernandez have taught him. And because he made the wise decision to compete here, even with lower level tech than was planned, it was able to happen riiiiight at the start of the season so he didn't even have to sacrifice a more major event, where the tension is higher, to gain these chips. The signs seem to indicate that this season is shaping up to move on an upward trajectory. :o) Fingers crossed! ^^ *tunnel visioning and stubbornness still had to happen somewhere though--they're part of who he is--and he aimed the full power of them at his poor 4T...which is a dear old friend and really didn't deserve it, just as his 3A didn't deserve to be shoved roughly to the side when it was running up to embrace him as always because he was too busy trying to get the 4T to cooperate instead of listening to what it's trying to tell him. xD It's funny how he sees a big picture and weaves an entire grand fabric starting from when most people were still busy weaving only pretty friendship bracelets but then tunnel visions on the details sometimes. It's probably a necessary process for his big picture to not just be a complete one but a beautiful one from all angles and even moreso under the microscope. Lol. But man, he needs to treat his friends (the 4T and 3A) better. He's clearly taken them for granted here. >_<

What. You mean it's not one? *swerves to angrily face admins* You told me Planet Hanyu was just named as such because church, temple, synagogue, etc. of Hanyu would attract the unwanted attention of international authorities. Which we *don't* want. You gave me your word that it's just a front for what is really a religious place of gathering in the name of our one God! And that is Hanyu! Next, you'd be telling me He doesn't exist! You two-bit scamming yahoos! Gimme my membership monies back!

*timidly raises arm* But I didn't expect it per se. I didn't watch it live but I did think shortly before the competition started, that the probability of the dude skating clean wouldn't be on his side since his SP was clean as a whistle but he's not skating after Fernandez going into the FS, and the last time that happened, it was back in Boston. Also, he's got a bum knee and this is only the first comp of the season and his last skate of SEIMEI wasn't exactly a clean one *and* he's doing it with a new layout and revamped choreography. Then I got to thinking about details and thought that Lz being a hot and cold element for him even as a triple and him bringing it to the forefront would likely mean he'll pop it this early in the season. Then I moved on to the second half and prayed hard that he wouldn't have problems with his 4S combo because it messes with his head too much so I thought if he's gonna pop something, please let it be the 4T or the 3A, both if need be so long as his combo is clean, because he'll come back from failing them easier than he would the combo. I don't usually analyze the possibilities of the kind of skate he'll deliver because it gets harder to do so deeper into the season so I just don't think much about it usually. But I think the signs were pretty much there this time so my head just sorta involuntarily picked up on them. Anyway, he pulled off his combo despite everything so that's a win in my books. Of course, I didn't anticipate he'd pull the I'm-a-stubborn-never-say-die-mule routine to this extreme degree and what-is-even-a-cohesive-program-anymore?-YOLOs his way all through the second half, lol. I was expecting maybe one or two YOLOs but not that stubborn and dogged determination to reach a consensus with that doggone 4T which he ultimately didn't properly manage to, to a point where he half-assed his 1st 3A and kicked the second one to the curb altogether. The way I see it, that was a very reckless, who-the-fug-cares-anymore shitstorm of a performance and it was actually...pretty fun to watch. It's like watching his true nature being revealed when tight control is no longer an option so there's nothing to stop the flow. >_< And it's his first fall since December! He took so long getting back up I was wondering if he was entertaining the notion of just going fug everything I'll just stay down here and let the ice cool my ass and back until the music ends. He kinda looked like he might be thinking that for a few seconds there, lol. All in all, and please don't stone me for thinking this, the whole thing appeared to have a slightly cartoonish quality to me so I actually found it quite entertaining. Now, in my head, when the guy fully bombs, it's either the really heartbreaking sort like what happened back in Boston, the meh sort like what happens usually at the start of a new season, or this slightly comical one here at ACI, which is new. Note: I don't consider his COC '14 performance a bomb. Given the circumstances, that one was actually a very successful skate.

Be my guest. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. ^^

I don't know about the organization bit, I only know how to start threads. I can open up a thread and perhaps someone with a penchant for organizing things can create a summary at the end as news about a specific event starts to taper off? Me, I'm happy with just a thread dedicated to these vids, perhaps with comments made back on other related threads if people want to make any. I can live with a bit of disorganization as long as the chaos is made out of the same kind of things. Cos it'd still be a lot easier than trying to trace back vids in here.

I checked out that other thread but it doesn't contain many videos if at all. Plus posting access is limited to admins. Might I suggest we open up a thread in the media subforum specifically for the purpose of posting these event-related or whatever news/info related videos? Like a general one with the event or whatever quickly describes the video as the title? This way, all these precious resource don't get lost in the wave of general posts here on this thread and would be better preserved for future reference...

Thank you so much for the links to all these great videos. Is there anywhere here on the Planet where these videos are all put together and separated by events or something? Like sometimes I can't watch them immediately or want to go back to see something again but at the rate this thread moves, it's impossible to find the specific posts containing these videos again. I'd bookmark them but they're too numerous. And when the videos are duplicated in quotes, the hunt becomes that much more difficult as it becomes confusing. Also, downloads, especially the pino ones, are set to private (for good reason I suppose) so I can't find them on my own on dm...

I wrote a longish essay about this in hopes of posting it somewhere when there's an opportunity and it finally came knocking. But I think I've hit my word quota for the day. Oh, oh, oh! I've got another long essay written about this as well! But maybe some other time. I've babbled enough for the day. ^^; Will placehold these to come back to another time! Consider yourselves warned. >:o)

If I were a summer Olympian who has a high potential for medaling but also has a thing for medal aesthetics, I'd look for a winter Olympic sport to thrive in instead so I can switch to being a winter Olympian cos the medal designs for the Winter Olympics are so much nicer in general (sure it has its hits and misses but it's different each time, while still fully retaining the Olympic spirit), which I'm guessing is because the summer edition, having been around for a few decades longer and thus having a longer history, has to stick to some sort of template while the winter edition, when it came along, even though it also had to adhere to the template at first, decided somewhere along the way that it was too cool for old school (haha geddit? xD) and broke away from it. Or evolved, so to speak. Which I'm glad it did.

Don't all decently-sized medals ultimately look like that? It's just some appear classier than others. >_< This one is most definitely on the classier side of the spectrum in my books. Very far in, too. The politicking is what makes it intriguing though. I don't love it, but I can live with it and find fascination in it. If Hanyu has a killer strategy of his own, and pull it off well enough to win, it won't be simply in figure skating that he'd be winning. ^_~ The road to his ultimate goal is a long and treacherous one, and Hanyu is the kind of mind that knows exactly how to navigate it (without compromising his morals ofc). Haha, this guy is as outspoken as they come. He's as much as admitted it and he's even said it's the least Japanese part about him, which is why he compensates for it in other ways (excessive bowing, being ultra polite, being careful to not take things and people for granted, his SEIMEI program...these are all things he's said himself btw. I didn't make them up.). I doubt cultural differences, in this area at least, were ever as huge a factor for him as it would be for others. He probably found it very ironic, even, that here he is in a country with a culture where he can run his mouth off as much as he wants without risk of backlash or repercussion buuuuut to cash in on it, he'd first have to learn to speak the language well enough, which is in a field of study that's reeeeally not his forte. Heck, he couldn't even score as high in Japanese as his other subjects like he thought he could. LoL! So yeah, I surmise that he sucked at it at TCC because his English sucked. He couldn't say what he really wanted to say in it and probably chose to clam up and avoid doing it altogether until he could put it off no longer. It's not like he can use a translator at all his practices. In Japanese, he's *very* articulate and precise. I'm sure you've noticed. He's so articulate and confident he leaves no doubt in the listener's mind when he speaks. Which his dissenters wilfully and obstinately misinterpret as arrogance. If he were an English-speaker, he'd make Obama proud. Or, if Brian understood Japanese, he'd no doubt be getting an earful day in and day out. I think his English has probably improved a lot since but it's likely still not at a level where he can sufficiently articulate his thoughts, of which there is a lot and very deep. And he's never been keen enough in the language arts to find a way around it. Trust me, he's not. I am, and I can spot someone who isn't from a mile away. He has a passing interest but that's it. His continuing effort to speak in English at interviews and presscons, while admirable, is more due to his character rather than an innate interest in it. But I think regardless of his interest, or lack of it, he realized he had to find a way, any way, to properly communicate his thoughts and ideas and when he did, it resulted in better communication and output all around. ^__^

I don't actually mean falling back to old training habits. That's gonna happen regardless. I don't think that he has new training habits, even, so it's not even a case of relapsing, I don't think. I think it's more him doing what he's always been doing and when people ask him to stop, or to do something else, or tell him what they think he should do for the season, he listens more willingly with less mental second-guessing. And then he tells them what he thinks and discusses with them and together they find a way to marry both ideas and come up with a winning solution. And now that he's in this good place, it's unlikely he'd go back to shutting people out, considering the consequences it brought. Even if the lessons he learned were valuable. So I mean as in thinking. His thinking has evolved. He communicates better with his coaches now. Why would he suddenly suck at it again? That makes absolutely no sense. Not to me, anyway. >_<

...I like my idea better (the detailed one that paints Brian and Hanyu as evil scheming cohorts) but yours sounds more plausible. *deflates*

...I want to believe Brian and Hanyu have reached a consensus with one another. Brian seems very happy with the way his relationship with his student has finally unfolded in recent interviews while in older interviews, he's always been more reserved and less comfortable with talking about his relationship with this particular student when it comes to communication. And even if Hanyu is bullishly set with his ideas, he's never not at least given Brian a heads up first. One that's long enough before a competition for Brian and him to at least be able to discuss it over first. Hanyu has always been wilful but he's never been disrespectful*. It's something that even Eteri Tutberidze envied all his coaches for (she used a different term that's not exactly accurate but I think this is what she was really seeing). Also, Hanyu is all about moving forward with the lessons he's learned. What some of you are worrying about is that he hasn't learned his lesson and is going backwards by doing what he's always done. He's never done that. Not when he's already shown signs of progress. Even Tracy has acknowledged that and seems very happy with where Hanyu is at now. So I want to believe that Brian and Hanyu have an evil master plan and rubbing their hands in glee. Together. With Tracy shaking her head in resignation in the background but affectionately becoming a willing accomplice anyway. One other thing, the media has no power over an athlete. Not if the athlete doesn't let it. *thinks of the time he pulled a face at Brian that would have earned him a box to the ear had it been a less patient adult he pulled it at* ...okay, he's never disrespectul when it really counts anyway. That was just a playful and cheeky moment. >_< And it shows the amount of comfort and leeway Brian allows him. I like to think that little positive sapling has grown into a beautiful tree that is their current relationship as student and coach. ^v^ It hasn't been the smoothest of rides but the journey to the most beautiful destinations very seldom is. I really hope they're more or less there now and all the worry I see here is unfounded.

Hmm...this makes me wonder if it isn't a counter strategy to Chen's. Like if they both start with relatively easier layout and good artistry but as the season wears on, you can see more clearly the difference when one maintains his quality despite more difficult tech while the other is progressively watering it down even if the tech becomes more impressive. People are impressionable and judges are people. It's best to use that to his advantage? If massive amounts of quads is Chen's weapon, being able to maintain high performance quality for everything else while still jumping considerably large amounts of quads (even if it's not the highest in number) is Hanyu's. And only Hanyu's. If this is indeed what he's going for and it works (because they'd have to be more careful in giving out Chen his PCS relative to his, and I don't think they'd be too generous towards him at ACI, if past scoring is to be believed) he'd essentially be using Chen's strategy against himself and using each competition to his advantage. Ain't better way to respect a competition than letting it serve a meaningful purpose leading up to a grand finale. Oh boy, I hope Hanyu's layout is a simple one (for him), cos--hey! Right knee needs a break!--but with more accent on other elements <3<3<3 Or maybe I'm just overthinking it but it's a nice thought anyway. xD

He saw the wonders it worked for Fernandez. The boy *really* has learned. *^___^* Well, he does that all the time anyway. Watch what others do, see how well it's worked for them and apply it to himself and make it work for him 100x better than it worked for those he copied it from. Edit: Damn, I meant to add this to my last comment but whenever I edit to add a quote, this keeps happening :o(

Nah, I think it's good that he is. So the guy can start adjusting for strong competition even when his condition isn't the greatest. Even better that it's Fernandez, because it's familiar competition so he doesn't become needlessly extra in his adjustment. It's a perfect start to the season, I'd say. I just hope he uses the opportunity wisely and that his injury can be kept in control.

Because that worked out so well in past seasons. >_< This shows he's finally learned. What's the point in aggravating his injury by revealing his cards so soon? Especially when he could use it to his advantage instead? Uno's shown most of his, and Chen hasn't but his strategy is clear. And we still haven't seen what the other three are going to be doing yet. The field heading into the Games this time is very different from the last. Hanyu may be the reigning World Champion but unlike past Games, this one doesn't have just one favorite with a single biggest threat to it. This one has competition, all with their own carefully devised strategies, coming from all sides. It's exactly the kind of competiton Hanyu said four years ago in Sochi, right after his win, would come to be. He hoped for it. Now everything is in place exactly the way he wants it to be. And he's got *one* shot in nailing it the way he wants to nail it. So unlike past seasons, he's gotta be infinitely wiser about every move he chooses to make in this one. Anything he wanted tested out, he'd have done it all in the past seasons. Any risk this time has to be very carefully calculated. He has multiple hands he could play. And his smallest one is already bigger than most out there. Why not play it first? Brian knows what he's doing. It's nice to see Hanyu on board with it. For once. P/s: In terms of revealing his injury, which some may find uncharacteristic of him, know this: All eyes are on him as the defending champion and the one to beat. That's inevitable. So instead of needlessly withstanding the pressure of scrutiny, why not be transparent (or at least semi-transparent) from the get-go? It'd relieve a lot of the pressure that's meaningless to bear anyway. No excuses being made here, since those are usually made after the fact. The injury is worrying, but it's a lot less than if he were to have stubbornly hidden it and continued going for broke.

Oh yeah it does. Lol! The straight diagonal lines look more like folds to me, really, and the randomness effect is anything but lazy, like some one you think. That is not easy to carve and probably cost a lot to achieve, you all. And it looks that way, too. In fact, they look a lot like some of our friend's costumes, like this one: If you find the medal design lazy, I spose you find this one lazy too, lol. Good strat. 👍

Lol! That looks awfully a lot like a medal. Someone should have one made, red ribbon and all, and put it around his neck.

Wow. I like it. It's a tasteful design, very classy and Zen, right down to the wooden box, which kind of reminds me of the box they store those go pebbles in. The pastel ribbon is nice, too. The whole thing is just very tasteful and Asian. Love it. No, it has nothing to do with the fact that I love: The Japanese one with the cream filling. Not the Korean one with the marshmallow middle. Don't like that one. But the Koreans love it so it could've been an inspiration of sorts. They did come up with the snack after all... But I really, really like the medal design. It's a nice departure from the Sochi one, which was nice, too. They all have a different metallic shade, too. Sochi's one has a darker and more muted quality while this has a nice and softly bright shine. Like matte or frosted or something. The whole design is sharp yet fuzzy at the same time. Has a kind of marble-like quality to it, too. It's a more than worthy design, in my books. It's absolutely beautiful, like SEIMEI solidified. (It also kind of looks like a round designer hand-held bag, with the pronounced ribbon suspension ring and line motif. xD Also like the fact that its unveiling is on the same day the man officially turns up in public for his first competition of the season .)

Lol. Why are you all so certain it's a plane he's (pretending) to fly and not like, the Mothership?