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Yeah, which was why I said "to a degree." Maybe I should've added in the word "lesser" since Uno also had the advantage of leniency (moreso than others). And I did not consider harder-to-spot tech boo-boos like overt PRs, URs, wrong edges, etc. (IIRC Medvedeva had problems along these lines herself, regardless of whether or not she was called for them) as I was only talking in terms of the skates looking more obviously messy to the untrained eye (falls, pops, step-outs, botched landings, etc.) since that seems to be the only thing Hanyu has left to worry about now, when his mind isn't fully aligned with his body. If the last few seasons are anything to go by, he no longer seems to have any problems with the more minute details, like most others do, either by way of having fixed the problems at a fundamental level, or developed strategies that prevent them from happening. (Which means if the guy doesn't make any mistakes, his skates are literally technically textbook perfect, without having to depend on leniency or bias to be considered as such. How crazy is that?) Anyhow, Uno certainly wasn't as consistently clean as Medvedeva was but he was more than skilled enough and, like you said, more consistent than others, at least enough for the judges to be willing to show more leniency and generosity towards him--which is fine, all talented skaters shouldn't be begrudged this momentary privilege at some point in their careers--all of which ultimately led to his momentum building, as can be seen from the more or less upward trajectory of his scores with no huge dips throughout the last season. He may have scored quite a bit less at WTT than he did at WC but he hadn't plunged below 300 once after he's gone past the mark the first time. Thinking back on it, all this makes the feat Hanyu pulled off at WC all the more astonishing considering he had a lot less momentum going into it than most of the others in the top 6 and then had it decreased even more after his SP. He could still have lost despite his monstrous FS score (which apparently was only the bare minimum within the range he could've gotten with that quietly astounding performance) but instead was able to utterly subjugate an incredibly strong field (that saw the 4th place finisher also scoring above 300) with it and wrested the gold medal back from the stunned hands of the rest. All without the benefit of leniency and generosity brought on by momentum. He did it just by pure mindbending skills, dogged determination and total dominance. Of the strongest field the world has ever seen yet, no less... ...buuut there's no guarantee this scenario will happen again so it's best to assume clean skates from everyone else, which means devising a strategy that will allow him a better chance at building momentum via cleaner skates is likely his best bet going into the Olympic season if he is looking to widen his chances of both being able to bring his best to the table come the Games as well as secure the middle position on the podium.

The beautiful thing about this sport, far as I can tell, and especially if you are as undeniably masterful at it as he is, is you can control the scores you get somewhat. Maybe not down to the decimal, but you can definitely narrow down the range you aim to get and actually land within it. For someone like Hanyu, probably even beyond it. But this is possible only, and only, if you are able to build the momentum for it by having relatively clean skates in most of the important competitions, which also leads to being able to skate later in the FS where points are given more generously. So if you can control the way you perform, you control your scores. Medvedeva and to a degree, even Uno, are the most recent proof of that. It's really just the scores of others you can't help. Wanting badly to win itself doesn't serve as a distraction, I don't think. In fact, wanting to be the one to have your country's flag in the middle and its national anthem broadcasted is a very effective motivator, which I reckon is likely because the want isn't borne out of individualistic desire.The Olympic gold itself, however, is, and as such usually serves as more of a derailment with its tantalizing and elusive bling in the mind's eye...like a materialistic and rather superficial reward. So I really, really hope all the experience he's had and the fact that he already has one in the bag will help prevent him from falling prey to being caught off guard by the shiny again (especially worrying since we all know how much he loves them shinies xD).

=) *thumbs up* I may very well be alone in this but I actually think the OGM isn't really worthy of an athlete like Hanyu, lol. I don't think it's enough, especially for a sport like FS. But since there isn't anything beyond it in terms of trophies marking athletic achievements, it'll have to do. Sides, it's only really worth something in the eyes of the public if the win comes accompanied with a performance of a lifetime, and that, again, is another thing that's really at the public's discretion. Using more recent examples, the acknowledgment of Lysacek's and Sotnikova's wins is lukewarm and paltry at best, outright rejected at worst, even though both, in their own ways, skated their lights out. Let's not forget the many OGMs who just faded into the annals of obscurity and whom people can no longer remember. Hanyu's win isn't the most celebrated ever either, in terms of widespread international consensus. People don't reject it like they do with Lysacek's and Sotnikova's, but they don't feel satisfied with it either. The most dissatisfied one out of all of them being none other than Hanyu himself. Despite what everyone, Hanyu himself included, might think of it, judging by the grit it took to stay on top in Sochi and the results it has brought thereafter, however, I personally find it to be one of the wins with the most substance and perhaps even the greatest in the most subtle of manners. Even if he were to skate his ideal skates in PC and takes home the gold again, it will still only be second to this one in my books. It may not mean much coming from a nobody like me, but it's how I honestly feel about it. So yeah, whether or not he takes home the next gold, I think most of us here just want to see him satisfied (or at least, somewhat satisfied) with his performance, and whatever medal he takes home, that would be his gold. ...tho I have to admit, it's hard to imagine him not taking the gold if he were to manage to pull off a skate that he is at least close to being satisfied with--number of quads notwithstanding but we all know it's not gonna be less than four. But still, at the end of the day, whether or not the gold goes to him is not up to him. Whether or not he is able to skate the way he wants to, now that's something entirely within his switchboard. Hope he doesn't become too distracted by what isn't within his control enough to be able to remain focused on what is. So basically Made in China vs Made in Germany (in terms of mass produced items)? A quick-fix vs a permanent one? A short-cut through the freeway vs the scenic route filled with poetic and natural wonders? The hare vs the tortoise? >.< Wow...the rush of interviews is staggering. And these aren't even all of the ones he did while in Sochi. Not even gonna think about the ones he did after he came back from it. -.-;; (Tho I've seen a lot of them and it was really fun seeing them...)

This is another post-Sochi (post-WC 2014, to be more precise) one that I'm pretty positive by now there are already existing translations and/or subs floating around of (if you know where the hard subs are, feel free to share 'em in this thread ^^) but which I did immediately after the Ueda one when I first fell into this fan...dom? Is this the right word to call it? Anyway, the original YouTube video I used for this has since been taken down/made private and this is the only other one I could find. It's without the first 20 seconds or so and some of the narration have been edited out but as you can see, they don't contain anything too important. Also, as you can tell from the thread title, I don't know the exact date this happened (only that it was some time right after 2014 Worlds), and I'm only assuming this is for Asahi because that's the station I think Matsuoka is attached to. 2014/04/?? Asahi(?) Interview w/S.Matsuoka

...................

Not all man are created equal. This is true. To put it in a relevant context, Hanyu has more talent in his pinky finger alone than he knows what to do with, while others may work just as hard and never reach the heights he has. Not all judges are born responsible. This is also true. And with so many other things at stake in this complicated world we live in, responsibility may not be an option for some. For judges to be responsible, something very fundamental in the way the world works first has to change. Ugly as the world may seem, it does give us things of exceptional beauty to compensate...like the Melissani Cave in Greece, the Rub' al Khali Dunes on the Arabian Peninsula, and one Yuzuru Hanyu's mind and the sublime skating it has brought forth, for example. (Yup. This is actually a Fanyu propaganda disguised as something I would imagine Yoda or Uncle Ben might say. Haha! Sorry. Y'all can just ignore me. I think there was something in the food I ate tonite...)

Lol. Okay, I'll say it then. But it's more of a general reality than pointing of fingers. I honestly don't think there's anybody to point fingers at, really. But if I got this all wrong and you all mean something else, then I apologize and this comment is a standalone that has nothing to do with what everyone else is saying. I actually feel kinda sorry for those who don't get treated as strictly as Hanyu was, still is. All these has only empowered Hanyu, not hold him back. Getting lenient treatment, even if you have the will to improve yourself, is still something that will ultimately stunt your growth and prevent you from reaching your true potential. And being able to get close to that is the only surefire way you can stay on top without relying on the whims of others to be there. These have all been said before. But I find it very true and so find no harm in reiterating. ^_^; Then again, it isn't everyday that someone like Hanyu--whose unique world view enables him to see all these as empowerment, maybe even as his privilege, rather than setbacks--comes along, so maybe it is what it is and everything is the way it should be.

Haha, well that's only how their conversation came across to me. It might come across differently to others. She definitely admires him, it's hard to imagine any skater, older *and* younger, r****d *and* currently competing, who doesn't at least acknowledge his greatness but she's also a competing skater who knows very well the struggles involved so... That and the way he won Sochi does seem to be a bit of a sore spot for him, if his past interviews, his reaction whenever his FS there was brought up, and the subsequent deliver-results-worthy-of-a-champ-or-die-trying mode he's been in ever since are anything to go by. Which makes seeing what he'll deliver in PC reeeeeally something to look forward to. Oh and I've edited the part about what I thought was going through Honda's head, btw.

I actually read Honda's reaction differently. Cos Hanyu said, "Just go out there and do your best, man," in a very blasé manner. He said it that way cos to him, it really is that simple. And since his best has delivered him results that are more like miracles for others, heck his best performances all look like miraculous wonders anyway, the look she gave him, to me, was more one that says, "Yeeeah, that worked very well for you sure, but it doesn't always work that way for us mere mortals...," and the flow kinda fits with Oda's follow-up cos then he went, 'Yeeeah, I went out there and did my best too, you know..." (tho it seemed to me more like he said it in the manner of, "It wasn't like I was half-assin' it out there when I was competing, yanno...") and Hanyu, probably realizing his tiny faux pas, effectively shut down the flow of where that was about to head towards by pulling his 'S' routine and jokingly warned Oda not to bring up Sochi, or so help him God he'll retaliate by bringing up zip-'em-up Vancouver. (I'm beginning to think this guy, despite his angelic looks, actually has a lot of dirt on others he can use as blackmail material, if he so chooses.) That's what I took away from that part of the talk anyway. xD She could very well be internally imploding and going omg the Yuzuru Hanyu is talking to me I'm so not worthy, for all we know. >_<

Ah. Then "May I come to own huge chunks of land" would be more accurate, I suppose. xD

That's an extremely nice-sounding name~. Easy to remember, too. xD Thanks muchly for the info!

What would you consider a "proper translation"? Adding these bits: All the ema he wrote prior to Sochi and the ones on his visit prior to this latest one have been burned--presumably together with all the other ema collected throughout the year--at year-end bonfires (this visit Oda made must've been before Hanyu's earlier this month) Oda's ema says, ”May I become the owner of a huge chunk of land." (Dunno if it's literal or a reference to something else. If it's literal, it's a good wish. ^^) Ganbare, Nobu-kun~! Hope these are good enough, @MrPudding. ^__^ Q: Does anybody know who the blind vocalist + pianist at the Kobe & Niigata venues is? He's crazy talented. Wanna check him out on youtube.

Ahhh I've never seen this! And the video quality seems decent, too. Lol. I feel so dumb now. I guess I should delete my post then ^.^. What happens if I do that and it's the opening post to a thread...? ED: Mmmh on second thought, I'll just leave it up here. Can't hurt, since it's all done up already. People can always just skip it. >_<

Uhh.....might have gotten the date wrong. Just making a guess on a probable one. Go right ahead and correct me if I'm wrong (there's a 50% chance I am). Also don't know which program and station this was from so if anybody knows, I'd be much obliged if you could enlighten me. This is an old one and it be the first interview of Hanyu's I ever attempted. (Gotta love all his post-Sochi interviews xD There are 1230919 of them and I picked this one cos I find it the funniest. Also love most of his really old circa 2010-2012 ones, too ^__^) Think I might've seen another one somewhere but by the time I came across it, this was already done, so...here y'all go. lol. I figured poeple can always skip it if the content looks familiar. xD As always, please approach me if you wish to post this elsewhere. =) 2014/02/15 Interview w/Y. Ueda (in Sochi)

Ohhh. So those are what I'd seen. I just did a cursory check and thought everything's up, lol. Sorry for the misinfo. Carry on.

...I could've sworn I've seen translations for these floating around tumblr somewhere when I was looking around to see if it's been done. think they were on yuzusorbet's blog...? But it really is kind of this uploader to share. It's nice to finally be able to see it on something as accessible as YT. ^v^

Thank you! I'll do just that. 8D

Thank you! (d ^_^ b)

I'd like to start a thread for one very specific non FS-related manga and anime title. I love this title like I love what Hanyu does so I thought I'd start a little corner for it here on this cosy lil' planet as well (even if I were to end up talking to myself xD--it's so special to me I think I can actually carry out a one-man discussion here on it) so more of the things I love can be in one place. I'm thinking the Space Debris subforum is the most appropriate place to do this but would it be welcomed? Is there some other way I should be doing this? Thanks in advance.

^That's not a bow, but a headdesk tho? Which can still work in your context, tho not necessarily as an apology, since it'd be rather painful. Moreso if you're doing it three times. ^^; Sorry for the OOT. Just wanted to point out the sticker/emoticon for what it more appropriately represents.

Here ya go.

[Video link] 1st bit: 2nd bit: 3rd bit: -FIN-

You're right. I recall that now. Any idea if she coached her all the way to the competitive level where the coaches lurk rinkside? Oh! Sorry. I might've misled you with my phrasing. Here's what I meant to have said: He's probably a bit of a fluke even for good ol' Orser, too.

Hola! No, I didn't think I'd be back talking so soon either. But here's another's one of my admittedly rather long and tiresome input. I know none of you asked for it but here it is anyway: For Japanese coaches in general who are serious about wanting to become better coaches, I honestly don't think doing it on Japanese soil is the answer. The Japanese, as a people, have never minded traveling to gain skills to bring back to their country, and I think perhaps having foreign coaches come to you instead of you to them may be counter-productive. Because I'm not sure if coaching technique is all they're lacking. Most North American and European coaches, from what I gather, are good at what they do because their coaching style is more organic. Coaching is a form of teaching and it goes beyond imparting skill and knowledge, and for most Western coaches, the root of their style is in their culture. Western culture generally encourages independence, especially mentally. Unbound by traditional hierarchal values that Asian cultures tend to be, skaters are free to grow into themselves and come into their own. Students growing to an extent where they exceed their coaches is actively and blatantly encouraged.* Downside to this is Western kids do generally tend to get more easily full of themselves compared to Asian ones but they do soar to great heights, unfettered by societal rules. That's likely also something Hanyu may have realized way back when, which was likely why, aside from wanting better quads (something he probably wouldn't have gotten in Japan beyond what he already had back then**) and facilities, even though his original ideal was to be 100% homegrown, the more mulish and prideful part of himself had to cave and eat humble pie™ (recommended by nutritionists, dieticians and the truest of champions everywhere) and seek help overseas, knowing that's the only way someone with his kind of outspoken character (generally frowned upon in Asian societies) can thrive.*** In the end, he chose to do exactly that and, well, hasn't looked back since. He reemerged as the best of both worlds. Hanyu became a perfect blend of skills that are Western-honed, which have enabled him to soar as high, if not higher, than even his Western counterparts, and deep-seated Asian roots, good upbringing as well as natural great character that keep the cockiness at bay, all of which makes him a perfect combo of pluses-with-no-minuses, as well as one-of-a-kind.# Anywho, I dunno if Japan's culture allows for the kind of growth that enables them to pit 100% locally-trained skaters against internationally-trained ones on the international circuit---and emerge triumphant in a fair and decisive manner. As much as I love the country, its people and its culture, it does have a bit of a hive mind syndrome. And while reverence is a beautiful thing, it can get excessive in a culture like Japan's and sometimes get in the way of growth that allows a skater to soar--truly soar--and then keep gliding at great heights beyond international borders. I do apologize if all these seem incredibly rude of me to point out but it's honestly what I think. *Naturally, I'm excluding the Russians from this particular topic because theirs is a bit of a paradox, what with their Western sort of mentality but their skating culture being more rigid with a unique system all of its own. **Abe and Tsuduki are to be commended here. They not only did all they could for him skating-wise, they have done right by him by teaching him and helping him hone a very solid basic jumping technique. Ultimately though, I think the switch from Abe was necessary because she is more naturally a choreographer (which was good for Hanyu's early artistic development) and the kid--given his tender age back then--needed solid guidance from technical specialists to develop to his fullest potential. I think Hanyu was a fluke for her, seeing as she didn't seem to have any competitive skater before Hanyu## nor does she seem to have any still after. He's probably a bit of a fluke even for good ol' Orser, too. [ed. 6/02] Actually the guy's whole existence is a fluke. Period. Added 6/02: ***This is, at least, how I choose to read into it. His reasoning may have been simpler and the whole thriving due to a more open and accepting culture thing could just have been a wonderful side benefit, but I wouldn't put it past his young but sharp mind to have factored it in from the get-go. The move was a huge and life-changing one, and would affect those around him heavily, after all. And he seems the type to acknowledge things like that and make his decisions only after thoroughly weighing them through. #Not saying he can do no wrong. Like most people, he likely has a ton of nasty habits and character flaws but they don't really factor into his life as a professional athlete and worldwide role model. Guy handles publicity like he was born to do it--right alongside skating. Plays the media and the audience like a fiddle, this one. And probably doesn't even mean to do it. Added 6/02: ##@misheyxxxooohas reminded me that Abe had coached Shizuka Arakawa once. Does anyone know if she coached her far enough to accompany her to the competition rinkside? Regardless, she's got two OGMs to her name now. Whodathunk it of this quiet, unassuming lady who shuns the limelight? Maybe she sprinkled some fairy dust for winning on these two. Sorry again for the length. Which only seemed to have gotten longer... Lol!

Oh man, here comes another long one. Apologies in advance. I heard some mention about his thinking having shifted and as a fan of his thinking and/or character (if he ever decides to become a cult leader, I'll be a highly susceptible victim to his brainwashing), I just had to add my two cents. Tho a lot of it may seem like a reiteration or a sum-up of what's already been said, my angle is not so much his layout, etc., but his character/thinking so there's still a difference...I hope. I'm not sure if I'd call what he's doing a major shift in thinking. Perhaps there's a bit of it but it's not a fundamental one where he has to compromise his core values. The guy has strong principles and is an annoyingly stubborn stickler to them to boot, and while a lot of it has to do with a rare combination of overflowing talent and out-of-this-world diligence, never straying from these principles is basically why he is where he is today. So, imo, asking him to depart from them is basically asking him to quit being who he is. At first glance, this move (if he really does stick to it, it's still too early to tell yet and his camp has quite obviously deliberately kept the mystery going for reasons) may seem out-of-character but I think it's all a matter of perspective. Here's mine: His style has always been to challenge new difficulties. And even though he's had to struggle to overcome them, he *did* triumph over them in the end. He's pretty close to collecting all 10 stamps when it comes to figure skating accomplishments. That leaves only one or two before he can redeem his prize (whatever that is) and one of these things is something he's said from day one that he wants to do and has never been able to pull off: to have a high ratio of overall consistency when it comes to his performances. While that doesn't mean he can't mess up at all, it does mean he can mess up only very little and definitely *not* during times that truly count. So far, he's had clean streaks but he's never been able to pull them off long enough to last until the most important of times and that's definitely not enough times for him to consider himself as consistent in his own books. Not to mention the fact that last season, he was anything but, what with only a single clean performance to his name. And although he came out of it on top in the end, he's also experienced how low he could sink in the process when he's no longer the only one pushing the boundaries. So last season, as well as the ones before it, also gave him valuable hints on how to finally tackle this long-standing challenge. It's all been a steady build-up that culminates to the next season which is why it wouldn't do for him to repeat the process when the last season has already proven what the outcome could be. Why waste the chance on a process he's already tried when all the previous seasons are seemingly informing him of something else he has still yet to try? Now is the time for him to gather all the intel he's learned these past three seasons (four, even, if we include the last Olympic one) and come up with a solution that's a good balance of strategy and difficulty, and while there is still a certain amount of risk, well, we all know that there's always going to be some. At least this would be uncharted territory for him, and while it may not guarantee success, who's to know how successful he'd be if he doesn't try sailing through it first? So in true Hanyu fashion, he's going right off to explore. And imma wish him all the best because one way or another, he'll soar. I guess what I'm trying to say is, all in all, I find this move--if it's indeed the one he's taking--still very fundamentally him in all his essence. To me, if to no one else. TL;DR: Where this move would be a step back for anyone else, I'm actually of a mind that it's a step forward for him. He's been traveling at mach speed for so long, slowing down a teeny bit may actually do him some good, being the extra-terrestrial that he is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯