¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Iunno...I find Seimei, or rather the image projected by both Mansai's and Hanyu's portrayal of him, more foxy than feline. And while Mansai's one still had the delicacy and slickness found in foxy qualities in his very actions in the movie, Hanyu's one stop at the image and branches out to a different projected quality. To my eyes, his actions (his dance) projected a fiercer aura to it cos they're bigger and more emotional, as in you can see all the fire tightly held back. While Mansai was more slick and cool as a cucumber all throughout. Also find that picture of Mansai resemble more Chen than Hanyu. Even thought it was Chen at first until I read the post. Can't see Hanyu at all, really.

I've heard mention of this fabled version but never saw it for myself. And never could work up the determination to look for it since I won't understand what's being said. So would be eternally grateful if you'd be willing to translate, sub and share it. *^_^*

I can see it but only if I access a member's profile page. Can't see it displayed openly on the boards anymore, like I used to. Is that a deliberate move?

Yeah, the guy is fully capable of it. From what I can tell, he's *very* good with words and communication (only in a language he's comfortable speaking, of course) . But in interviews, when people aren't exactly seeking real answers and were really only asking for the sake of asking, why bother? xD

I think kids actually get this, you know? He's actually really great for them. It's the older kids (mid to late teens) and adults who might wanna wring his skinny neck and shake him and go, Make! Some! Sense! But onomatopoeia has been proven to work better on kids' younger minds and shorter attention spans than lengthy explanations. So he'd be a great coach to the younger demographic. Might wanna keep it limited to them, though.

Oh, so there isn't any way I can view my own hidden comments? In that case, that's all right. I'll just make a new post. Do hidden comments still contribute to a member's post number? And speaking of post numbers, I can't seem to see them any longer...

Is there a way to view hidden comments and unhide them? I think I may have accidentally hidden one of mine wrongly...

The second one looks like a skating class. The first one looks like a battle scene from the Mana series with a bunch of Mad Mallards.

Okaaay, here goes nothing (warning: it's loooooong ass--like, even the paragraphs are long -.-; ) In all fairness, Uno, to my knowledge, has never said he wanted to be the best. From the time he turned senior, he's only ever said he wanted to beat Hanyu. I don't think he even explicitly said he wanted to win. It's always been beating Hanyu, as far as I can remember. Hanyu, on the other hand, had been all about wanting the Oly gold, wanting to be the absolute best, and wanting to be the kind of skater that no skaters he's competing with can beat, from Day One, all of which he still has yet to waver from. So far, he's managed the first two, but not the last, because in becoming the best, truly and simply the *very* best, he has to first be beaten on the way there. Now that, win or lose, he's indisputably the best competitive figure skater to have ever lived (until someone who surpasses him in skill and achievements comes along) he only has being unbeatable left to check off his bucket list of epic accomplishments to achieve (landing the 4A in competition would be considered as major but not epic, proportion-wise). Uno is probably aware that even if he were to beat Hanyu, he won't be able to take the reputation of "best" from him. Because to be the best is to harbor ambitions that surpass the lofty ones Hanyu has set for himself. I don't think anyone with the drive capable of tackling that exists in the senior ranks right now. Because it is not just due to the fact that Hanyu was born this way, his attitude towards attaining his goals was also largely shaped by his unique circumstances. Most of us are just glad we're alive the same time as the guy but imagine having Hanyu as an active competitor to go against. That's a rare opportunity and it won't last forever. So even if Uno (or anyone else currently in the field for the matter), can't ever take the title of 'best' from the guy, he nevertheless can still try to beat him. Because whether or not he's successful, he could say he's given it his best shot. Come to think of it, we don't know what Hanyu himself would've done had someone like him been the person to beat back when he was an up-and-comer. Chan had been the one to beat then and while he was a tough opponent and a competitor that's favored by the judges at that, he wasn't exactly the Mt. Everest Hanyu is right now. His (Chan's) best scores back then did not require a crazy amount of quads to beat, even if your GOEs and PCS weren't quite in the same league yet. And some lifting helped but it didn't need to be an overt amount to the point where judges and tech panels are actively turning a blind eye to your shortcomings. Coupled with the fact that by chasing Hanyu, you'd essentially be chasing a guy chasing *himself*, well, you really don't have much choice but to bank on higher BV and see if the guy trips and falls on his face while chasing his own shadow. And let's not forget this freaking monster isn't just chasing himself, but somewhere along the way, even as you see his back far in front of you, if you happen to look back, you'd somehow also see him right *behind* you stalking and chasing *you* down like some bloodthirsty predator. So maybe some people are right to blame him for the quad craze that's going on right now (though I don't think it's right to take an antagonistic stance towards him for it). Honestly, though, I can't say I am able to highly respect Uno as a skater or even as a competitor, and out of all the top 6 contenders, I can safely say I respect him the least because he's the only one, in all honesty, who is doing things that can firmly be counted as--wait for it--"cheating". I say this because what he's doing has been clearly defined in the rulebook as "cheated jumps" so this isn't an opinion. It's just what it is. Him not getting called out for it or caught for it doesn't mean he's not doing it. Yes, he does not mean to do it and if he could do better now he'd have done so already but all that still doesn't change the fact that he's *doing* it. The technique he employs is prone towards it, he knows it, but has so far chosen to not do anything to make it less prone because that would take him away from his current ultimate goal. So he keeps doing it. And getting the same kind of scores or more as those who *aren't*. Even if it seems he's being encouraged towards that direction, doesn't mean he should keep going towards it. But he *is*. And all this because he wants a chance to beat Hanyu on the quite highly probable chance (as indicated in past seasons) Hanyu would have an off day. But since he's made it clear that that's his ultimate goal for now, even though I don't see it as the most ethical of decisions, I can understand it, as this is the only direction he can move along to have a chance at reaching the goal he's set for himself. Even if it's at the risk of a shortened career. And that's probably why his team is supporting him. He's probably laid his objectives out clearly to them and although highly dependent on the whims of others including that of lady luck's, like I just said, this sacrifice of integrity and possibly longevity is probably the only way for him to attempt achieving them. It doesn't change the fact that he's worked his rear off to achieve what he has (which includes consistency, something I think his participation in a high number of successive competitions last season helped with a lot), so I can at least respect that and his determination to reach his goal. Aaaaand that's where I personally stand on this whole debate. I'm neither looking for agreement nor disagreement (though anyone is, of course, free to do either), but just telling it the way I see it from as objective a standpoint as I can manage as a Hanyu über. Phew! That feels pretty good to get off my chest, though I have to apologize to those who attempted to wade through all of that. >_<

Can you please define "bashing" and "villifying"? Because it seems a rather subjective term in most debates like this I've seen so far. I have both positive and negative opinions. As a preview, I think that what Uno is doing may not necessarily be the right way to do things from a bigger picture perspective, but it is the only way to do them based on what he wants to achieve. Everything else is simply elaboration so I suppose could leave it at that if you're all wary, lol.

...would anyone here care to hear my thoughts on the matter regarding Uno or would contributing towards this discussion in any way be discouraged? I wouldn't be so hesitant if this were simply about Hanyu but since it's an ongoing debate about someone else... Somehow, things seem to get more heated when the debate is on someone else (usually a direct rival) than when it's on Hanyu on this board, or on any other boards, really. Which I think is due to the Hanyu factor being weighed against others instead of against Hanyu himself (or others weighed against Hanyu). Things just tend to become more volatile then, lol... So if y'all want this topic to come to a close, I'll keep my thoughts to myself and refrain from contributing to avoid possibly dragging it out longer, no problem. Warning: If you say you want to read what they are, I'll tell you right now that the post will be a long one, like a lot of my posts tend to be, so you might wanna ask me to shut it just because of that.

Far as I'm concerned, when watching male skaters, who are excellent, skate, I think of awesome competitive swimmers swimming. Now, I still see other skaters the same way except for Hanyu. When I see him skate *now*, I think of a fish swimming. That's beyond athleticism so I guess we can't blame those who can't fathom it just yet. And if that's the new medal design, I guess they're recycling past templates now, right down to the ribbon's design. It's cool, though. I always liked the bagel design. If Hanyu takes gold, he'd have something that matches his hero's one. :o) ...can't say I like it better than the Sochi one, though. Maybe about the same? I definitely like it better than the Vancouver one, which is a very cool design but as an Olympic medal, seems a tad too whimsical. @KatjaThera Thanks! It's real swell of you to think all that ^^ (Still waiting, btw... :(()

As much as I advocate Hanyu's choices this season, I don't actually feel there's anything essentially wrong with people being disappointed in them. I mean noone here is expressing disappointment in him (though I can't say the same for people on other mediums). But as FS fans, and Hanyu fans especially, we want to see maybe at least one new program from the guy who's been wowwing us, one way or another, for almost his entire career. It's pretty much an involuntary desire at this point. And generally, that's not asking for much, all things considered. But being the Oly season, most would eventually come to accept that there'll be no new programs from some skaters (Hanyu being one of them) because of highly understandable reasons. As fans, our brains and, to a far extent, even our hearts fully understand, and if given a choice between seeing him struggle with new progs and potentially not deliver when it matters the most as opposed to recycled ones with greater potential of the best outcome, every single one of us would pick the latter choice in a heartbeat. But until we are explicitly given the turnaround, we can't quite curb the disappointment still, on what is simply a mere promise. I get that. And that's fine. But what gets to me is people confusing having to essentially see familiar programs with the skater backpedalling. That isn't even a misjudgment anymore. It's a complete misidentification. Programs are a major part of a skater's career, yes, but they are not what make the skaters. Programs are merely vehicles, or tools, (I did say more on this later, and it's later) and what they do with them, the kind of life they breathe into them, is what makes them the kind of skaters they are known for. Sure, doing the same program over and over and over without strong reasons behind it can easily be seen as lazy or simply cowardly if they don't have a good reason for it, even if they were to consistently up the ante in terms of tech and layout, and sometimes, perhaps, it is. But so long as they're upping their ante, even if a skater were to stick to the same two programs their entire career, it's *not* a step back. What it is, is a form of stagnating, and while not the most exciting of choices, we all know that it's sometimes necessary. As far as Hanyu is concerned, we can definitively conclude that he is the last person we should ever have the gall to label as "lazy" and " cowardly" without outing ourselves as blind and forgetful imbeciles. And since no one is doing that (here at least), even if some of us are more bitterly disappointed than others, I'm glad that none of us here are that. But Hanyu has chosen to stagnate this season in terms of program choices. Let's acknowledge that. But game or no game, this is the first step, a necessary one, towards delivering clean skates of his level on a consistent basis. And I believe that if he captures the feeling of it, he might be able to evolve even further and deliver clean skates more consistently even with new programs and higher difficulty next time, thus finally breaking his old pattern. And though some of us may be more bitterly disappointed than others at this turn of events for this particular season, if he's able to deliver what he promises, and grow even more for the future, then I'm sure we'll all be extremely glad for it at the end of the day. For now, we'll have to sit down and allow ourselves to think properly: would you give someone with a new program but essentially the same, or if not exactly the same, then similar, theme they've been doing since time immemorial more credit than Hanyu, who's repeating a program that he's picked out amidst the plethora of themes he's explored and given us across the last few seasons, and one that's, when compared to everyone else, warhorse or no warhorse, is quintessentially different? He's doing an ethnic program, for chrissakes, which most of the rest of the world has never seen a top contender in the field do. On Olympic ice. The fact that he even feels confident enough to give the world that is precisely because he's tested it out before *and* knows that the world is capable of accepting it. If we're going to be disappointed that his FS is a repeat, then I think we should similarly be disappointed with those who are using new programs but are essentially sticking to the same old theme they're known for. That's only fair, I feel. All said, we'll all come to realize that there's no real point of contention for his choice to revisit SEIMEI. I think people are more lamenting that he'll be repeating both progs and SEIMEI just happened to be the last one announced since the ship for Chopin has sailed long ago. I'll admit I wasn't as thrilled when that was announced, much as it also deserves to be a Hanyu Oly prog. But I was also aware that LGC did a number on him and the next season is really not one to be experimenting, especially since he may be nearing the end of his competitive career and needs to show the world the culmination of all his effort. Knowing that, and that his choices are limited for the kind of showing he wants to give, I accepted it without complaint. *shrug* I think the guy himself most probably feels the exact same way with having to repeat his SP as well, especially since he's decided to stick with SEIMEI since day one. I'll be truthful, though, it wasn't until I saw what he made of it in the recent ice shows he did that the small disappointment fully lifted. So...this is what happens when I'm kept idling in the waiting room...everyone else has to suffer torrents of word vomit. Better pray they don't keep me waiting any longer...

If he skates clean with no downgrade from, say, even his current layout, there would be absolutely no argument that he should be on top, even if everyone else and their mothers and mammoth BVs skate clean and had better momentum going in. The only way he'd lose is through under-the-table dealings. Or one of those skaters or their mom suddenly develop Hanyu-like skills on the ice. This is the reality of where Yuzuru Hanyu stands in terms of strength in present times. A perfect Hanyu is, as of the next few years at least, unrivalled. This is something he's made objectively clear even in a sport that is thus far, subjective. And until someone who can rival, truly rival, or perhaps even surpass him in level of completeness appears, it will remain as such. Though they wouldn't actually be rivals because by the time this person or persons appear--and it very well could be one of the boys competing today--Hanyu would've been long r****d. So if he doesn't win despite clean skates even with his current BV (some 89 point something for his FS, was it?), no it's not okay, because not only is it criminal, but it'd be a very, very dark smudge on the sport and the Games, instead of something infinitely beautiful (who knows with these muttonheads...unbridled human greed is a very real thing, after all), on a scale larger than any previous Games scandals or controversies. I can't imagine any amount of money would be worth that, and not to mention whoever they let win above an awe-inspiring Hanyu at his very best (at that point in time) ultimately won't really get to enjoy their victory all that much, so it'd be a disservice to them as well because regardless of how high their BVs or how error-free their performance, nobody with properly functioning brains and eyes will truly see them as deserving, not with Hanyu out there in the field and having delivered his best (because, as said earlier, the playing field is *not* a level one at the end of the day currently, which is why others have no choice but to stack BVs and count on Hanyu faltering--which Hanyu cannot afford to do now with this strategy being used against him (and working), so the guy is literally being forced to skate clean, which perfectly explains his program choices this season), but humans have done worse things for less. Which is why, short of boycotting the Games, or even ISU events, for the rest of our lives, there's really nothing anybody as individuals can do about it. So instead of stressing over that, because that's just folly (cos seriously, if I let myself be stressed over human issues I can't do anything about, most of which will continue to exist as long as humans are around, I'd only develop psychological ones myself and no one else would be suffering for it but myself and my family), I'd rather just focus on the one thing that I know for sure will give me life--and we all know what that is, because I'm sure it's basically the same for all of us here. And believe it or not, I actually find the second scenario more cringey, not because he wouldn't have deserved the win (I imagine this is only possible if everyone else made even more costly mistakes) but because of the inevitable fallout due to its similarity with Sochi. Gold or no gold, avoiding an outcome where his delivery is less than perfect is a major part of the reason why he's been driving himself so hard, even by his standards, these last few years. What he truly deserves is to win in a way that would garner absolutely no questions and no dissenters, in a way that even those who don't want him to win have to accept it, however grudgingly. So I really don't want either of the two scenarios to happen but if we set medal color aside, I'd really, really prefer clean skates from the guy. Not for myself, or anyone else, but for him. Because, as evidenced in past Games, it's not simply the color of the medal that truly impresses the masses that paid attention, but how memorable the performance. And as long as his is a memorable one, even for him, chances are high that the gold can't not go to him, if the organizers want their event to go down in history as one of the greatest (as any other outcome would deliver the opposite effect), with the only thing that could top the show being two or more players on the field that are like him. It's a very real possibility in future Games, too, if this next one goes down in history the right way.

So his SEIMEI 1.0 costume matched the garb Mansai's Seimei was wearing in the climactic scene of the first movie, those flowers and his old blade guards. That was a neat little hat-trick of matches. *scratches head*...a greyhound?

People and their generosity in further fueling and stoking the already-out-of-control inferno within Hanyu's defiant spirit FTW. I really, really hope Hanyu sees all this talk for himself so he can use it as fodder to perform in a way where he could in the end rub it in lots of faces. 8D

Yeah, and what I'm saying is that your heart needs to get with the program. He's incredible but as evidenced in past seasons, he doesn't just get there magically, he has to fight himself tooth and nail for it. And while I understand that's the beauty of it, are you seriously saying you'd rather see him do this again during the Oly season, instead of maybe witnessing him do something else to prove that he's capable of even more? Trust me, there is nothing for your heart to feel down about, and everything for it to feel excited over, but only if you allow yourself look at the big picture. Simply close your eyes and imagine it. Because you'd actually be getting more than what your heart thinks it wants from Hanyu. Actually, yes, I can. I think you may have missed the point I was trying to make a bit there. I'm also not sure whether you're agreeing or disagreeing with me when you mentioned Fernandez, and I'm not sure how that very last bit you said about Hanyu needing more time to get into his progs has anything to do with what I was trying to say so I'll just explain anyway. When I said experiment and improve like crazy, I meant going beyond your comfort zone in order to expand it while, at the same time, striving towards perfection. Fernandez hasn't expanded his by a whole lot in the rather ample time he has had between the last Oly and this one, both in terms of theme and tech content. He's upped the difficulty in terms of layout but that's it. Uno expands technically (artistically and expression-wise, he's still more of a one-trick pony the way Fernandez is, since he sticks to the same kinda theme as well) but doesn't seem to be overly concerned (yet) with correcting his weaknesses as evidenced by his eagerness to simply pile on the difficulty this season despite his existing issues. And because of this, as good a performer as he is in the one theme he's covered so far, his programs aren't one with his tech the way Hanyu's ones are with his. If judged the old-school way (re: pre-Hanyu), what he's doing is enough but you throw in Hanyu's standard, and you see how he (Uno) and everyone else, pale in comparison. I'm not talking about style, because that's subjective. I'm talking about delivery of a high quality (in terms of *everything*), cohesive program. Fernandez, stagnant as he is, is miles ahead of him here. Everything in his programs seems to gel well together, especially when he's having a good day. But well, it's really still too early to tell with Uno, since he only really exploded last season so he may surprise us yet after this, if his body holds out. But what I'm saying is, figure skating has been around a long time but the leap in progress has never been as large as it is from the last Olympics to this one. And the only constant factor in this very exciting cycle is Hanyu, beginning from his win in Sochi. And because he's been exploring themes, correcting weaknesses and polishing his strengths even while constantly upping his tech, he now has a program that is so vastly different from everyone else's, it's one of a kind, that he can revisit and that has already earned him high GOEs and PCS once before so he can be assured of getting them again if he delivers, which he now has a higher possibility of doing even with higher tech content because he used another season to explore beyond even its boundaries. Now he can simply concentrate on polishing this trusty one even further *and* upping tech content with room for mid-season development and contingency plans. Name me another skater who has half of all this, another skater who's trained his body and honed his mind to a point where he's now capable of some, if not all, of this. Most skaters only have one card to play. A couple of them maybe have two. Hanyu has about a half dozen, at least. All these take incredible foresight, a brilliant mind and a vision beyond the self and beyond simply wanting to win. This is the real reason behind why it's been said that there are good skaters, there are great skaters and *then* there is Yuzuru Hanyu. Other skaters skate, Hanyu's been playing friggin' shogi all this time. This has always been his method and I was wondering why hasn't anyone else done something like it, even on a lesser scale, before he came along?

+prolly a bunch of posts with similar sentiments (only came in after the 922 mark): I suppose pissed/disappointed is a natural reaction for a lot of people but I feel it's more something they can't help doing to themselves rather than any real influence from outside forces. Hopefully those of you who are harboring some disappointment or resentment will fully come around before he actually goes out there and proves your anger/disappointment unjustified. Because I think if Hanyu had gone with new programs, even if the programs are new and the tech gets an upgrade, essentially, we'll be seeing the same process all over again. The guy will struggle in the early season and by the second half, it's a gamble on whether he nails it or not. As an audience, my reaction would be: Early season: ....man I wish I knew how to fall like that. Mid season: ...okay, he's getting there...hopefully...maybe... <--the only time this didn't happen was the season he did both Chopin and SEIMEI, strangely enough Late season: Let him pull through please let him deliver oh please oh please oh please *shushes heart whining about over-stimulation* Which is completely fine, during the mid-cycles. I daresay it's what I prefer, even. But come the Olympics, while the whole world's watching, building consistency leading up to it to show the world perfection (which gives them the illusion that the skater was born able to skate like that) is the game. Especially for Hanyu, who's remembered as the guy who won with a WIP skate, he has all the more reason to show them his finished product, and while this finished product is something FS fans think they've seen before (seriously, I think we ain't seen nothing yet), it'll be something completely new to the rest of the world. Imagine the amount of new fans the sport would gain if he and everyone else manage to do what they're aiming to do in PyeongChang. The future possibilities for the sport are just... If the Grand Prix series and World Championships are more about the fans, the Olympics is about the world, bigger than just us established fans. We always forget that. This is the one chance skaters get to actually make their sport appeal to a wider range of audience, and although they usually squander it by making it seem boring, with all the quadmeisters and Hanyu trying to deliver his absolute best (only possible at this point with these two programs, but the rest of the world don't know that, and they don't need to) this time around, it'll be different. I think ISU has been waiting all their lives for something like this, and it's actually happening. And it's dependent upon the strategies of all the leading contenders. I guess that kind of explains the judging last season. Cos if the quadmeisters provide exhilaration and excitement that get people pumped up, Hanyu's performance, if perfect, would seal the deal, showing them what a perfect FS performance that's both sport and art at the same time, is really like in its ultimate form. Hanyu has done so many new things and pushed the sport forward so much and this one is just another form of something new, really. This is a major, major step forward, people, and not even a slight shuffle back. Maybe it's harder to see since it's hidden underneath the giant vehicles we call "programs" (and that's really all they are, vehicles--more on this later, maybe) but rest assured what he's attempting this season is something he's never done before, and I don't just mean the layout (since him upping his tech is really nothing new) and if he's successful, the result will be something *nobody*, FS-fan or no, would have ever seen before. Hanyu is the sort of skater you'd never dare to keep your expectations too high for even while knowing that at some point, he'll probably wow you, so you only dare to remain very hopeful, in normal seasons, because the former is just folly when it comes to Hanyu. Right now, though, I'm actually having high expectations, not just hopes, because I feel there's a good chance they will actually get answered. You know, kinda like making an informed decision when making a huge investment. I think I'm finally more or less on the same page as @meoimawhen it comes to Hanyu and the Olympics. He'll do fine. I think. xxD At this point, I'm actually wondering why more people aren't already doing what Hanyu 's doing. Experiment and improve like hell during the mid-cycles, and then pick the best stuff from these mid-cycles to polish for delivery to the entire world in the O-season. They don't even have to do it exactly like him (increase tech content), but only maintain their best efforts (meaning no downgrade, which most skaters until now seem to resort to doing). I really do think this would open more people's eyes to the appeal of figure skating rather than those who somehow managed to stumble upon it themselves. It would kick the doors wide open for people to flow in, rather than the trickle all this time. This may be the only time in a long while we'll get to see all this happening, the effects of which would dramatically change the very future of the sport, and the major role Hanyu will play in it. Wouldn't you all rather see this then what is more or less, while very exciting, essentially just another mid-cycle attempt?

Speaking of which, how do fans pass gifts to their fave skaters at AC? Do they prepare gift boxes for skaters where fans can toss their gifts into like they do at ice shows? That doesn't seem too likely seeing as it's a competition event...

Nooooooo! It wasn't that long ago when I saw it. Like 6 months or less, and it was probably up for years before that T_T What's the name of the channel? If it's something I don't remember, maybe it's a different one. And I could've seen it on youku (tho I checked a couple of the users who upload lots of Hanyu vids and it isn't them either :/)

I honestly can't recall but it might be the same one used in that DM video you embedded (before it got edited) since the commentary sounds like something I've heard before, lol. Tho I could've also heard it from this video as I might've seen it before myself seeing as I've gone through this uploader's vids before >_<

Oh no wait. It's not this one either. Lol. The one I saw actually included the parts where Chan's and Ten's names were announced and them skating up to the podium and mounting it. xD

i edited my comment. xxxxD (this place sure is full of awesome peeps *^____^*)

OH MY GOODNESS. YES. THIS WAS IT. Is. Is it. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!!! @lilsailor That's a very cute gal there in your avatar. 8D

*chuckles* And that's boring?