¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thanks. Will check it out. All in all, I think his only error was mentioning that match because from what is described here, what he said later doesn't seem to gel too well with it as he wasn't wrong in saying Hanyu employed a tactic he knew he could win with, because he knew he could outscore everyone else in terms of GoE. This doesn't seem to be as parallel to the Jp vs Pl situation as his brain fart seemed to make it think it is so it sounded more to me like he was praising the Japan team's tactic, if anything. Lol. Oh well. Everyone makes mistakes. His remark, while unnecessary, wasn't so bad and it certainly wasn't meant to be mean-spirited in nature.

Oh, so what the Japanese team did wasn't a good thing? Sure as heck disnt sound like it from the way Kozuka drew the comparison. Cos what he said about Hanyu's strategy made it sound like he feels it's an extremely sound and correct one (which it was). IiRc, what he said was, "He didn't go all out with difficult quads and just depended on what he knew he could win with." So that's what I thought the Japanese soccer team more or less also did to advance to the next round (albeit it seems like their strategy wasn't to win). Maybe that the criticism and realization of their error was how they were able to come back in the next match to score 2 goals against Belgium. ...either way, I guess he must have had an airheaded moment then, as @Yatagarasu put it, if the Japanese soccer team's attempt at it wasn't a well-received one. Maybe it's the fundamental idea he was trying to draw comparison to but failed to realize the huge difference in terms of situation and execution. He was all positive and very honest in his input. Although seemingly not very close in terms of relationship, his observation of Hanyu from afar was a keen one. He said at the end that Hanyu's the sort that, when he gets something in his head, he'll just go ahead and execute it with very little hesitance, and sees it through to the very end. Like when everyone's happy with just being able to do one trick on a kendama, Hanyu would go beyond and learn whatever tricks he can. He also said that Hanyu is the kind that is able to achieve whatever he puts his mind to. I mean, I'm guessing Kozuka has finally allowed himself to believe that with Hanyu's win at PC.

I'm not sure about others but I don't have a significant problem with that remark he made. Then again, I don't have a clear idea on what went down in the Japan vs Poland match and I have yet to see the full version of this program. But based simply on what the guy was saying, while his analogy isn't 100% on point, what he's saying doesn't strike me as fundamentally untrue, injury or no. And it didn't sound as though he was playing down what Hanyu did to me. On the contrary, he sounded kind of awed and subtly approving of said strategy. But I get that not everyone may have heard the same. I was more surprised by the lack of faith he admitted he had in Hanyu winning it again (he also admitted he didn't expect to him to take Sochi either) but then again, I probably shouldn't have been as he never struck me as one of the closer sempais, just one of those who watch from the sidelines more than having a lot of direct interactions with the guy himself. In fact, his revelation about Hanyu always having been very courteous to him says it all, as according to him, it sometimes gets to a point where it gets in the way of actual communication. So from that account, I surmise that Kozuka is more a sempai whom Hanyu respects but also maintains a respectful distance from. The interactions he described Hanyu as having with him sounds a far cry from the ones Hanyu has with the likes of, say, Oda and Mura, whom he seems to regard more as peers. Heck, his interactions with Miyamoto the choreographer is a lot closer. It's nothing to really crucify the guy over, really, all things considering. But that's just me. Also, one of the host dudes mentioned something about Hanyu having extremely passionate fans who may take offence at things like getting his name wrong (like mixing up Hanyu with Habu), and this seems to put some stock to this guy's observation. It seems oddly prescient of him somehow, although he probably probably didn't expect the backlash to be aimed at Kozuka. Kiyozuka is pretty hilarious. xxD

Despite his appearance, I've long since concluded that this guy probably has a skull at least as thick and as hard as an old tortoise's shell. Those poor ladies seem a bit traumatized though. Hope they get over it...

Haha, that was actually the inner expression I imagined Takahashi to have when he decided to compete again. You don't make that sort of decision lightly. And for a guy who calls himself a herbivorous type, you gotta have a healthy amount of guts and competitiveness to come out of retirement like that. I guess my perspective is more or less on the same page as the artist which is probably why I can tell what they're probably trying to communicate. >_< And yeah, if I find it again I'll post a link here. I remember it being black and white with the three Oly medallists (possibly with their medals). It's from a high perspective so Hanyu who's drawn front and center had ultra long legs thanks to it.

Okay, so I may have gotten my artists mixed up and the one piece I like a lot could be from a different artist with a bit of a similar style to this (tho it's this artist i'm more familiar with and associate bolder lines and western aesthetics to in the world of Hanyu fanart). I can't seem to find it again. Looking through this artist's Tumblr and Instagram again tho, it strikes me again how pleasing their renditions of SEIMEI actually are, despite the harder art-style. And everything else looks nice and respectful to the subjects to me, even while remaining true to their individual ethnic features. It's supposed to look simplistic, like you said, but on closer study, I find that it really isn't. There's actually a lot of fine details in quite a few of their other pieces, which is what made me think the expressions are captured very well by this artist. The more I look at this artist's style, the more I appreciate it, even if it isn't my aesthetic.

@BWOZWaltz Ah, but your emotional reaction isn't your fault. Still, I think the artist isn't being stereotypical. Hanyu actually has very classically Oriental features (I know some here don't appreciate that term but I can't think of anything more accurate so I hope you all will let this slide in the interest of objectivity) so it stands to reason he will look that way based on this artist's style and perspective. I might have felt the same way you and @LadySnowblood do if it weren't for the respect and admiration for Hanyu one can feel oozing out through their other renderings of him. Takahashi, with his deep set features, doesn't have a typical Oriental face, so to speak, and their sketch of him here reflects that properly. To my eyes, anyway. They still haven't gotten the hang of Uno yet but I think they'll get there with enough practice. So I don't think this particular artist, at least, garners the emotional reaction you have towards other more bláse western art style. But it's understandable if this particular style has been ruined for you by less sensitive artists in the past. So you don't need to feel bad about how you feel, I don't think. If there's one thing i feel you should recognize though, is that this artist most certainly isnt mediocre. ^.~

Yeah, they are. ^^ Hmmm, maybe it's the Western caricature style (which I'm guessing is what you don't appreciate) that makes it harder for you to discern the subjects but I could also tell right away who they were meant to be without the tags. All three of them. Takahashi and Hanyu I could tell from the faces (Hanyu's I find especially accurate, tbh) and Uno I could tell from the hair. I can't be absolutely certain but I also don't think @katonice was asking because she couldn't tell who they were. She could but because it's a different style, she just wanted to make sure, is the vibe I got. But, of course, I could be wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/ ¯ This artist's style is very distinctive. It's very bold and captures the subjects' expressions quite well, I feel. And it's rather free of Japanese art-style influences, too, which I feel makes it very fresh. I'm able to tell who the artist is now even without seeing the username, which I can't always with Japanese artists, other than a few of them. Overall, while not a personal favorite* because of the harsher lines (which is not a flaw, just not a personal gravitation), I don't dislike it at all. Heck, I wish I could draw half as well. >.< p/s: Even so, there's a particular piece drawn by this artist that is actually one of my favorite fanart of Hanyu. Gonna see if I can dig it up...

And what's that? Turning their straps into suspenders that you leave hanging off the sides of your trousers instead of properly looping over your shoulders while letting the shape of the hardware appear only in a tell-tale fashion as bulges in your pockets? So that when people question their color (e.g.: "I bet those aren't real medals...they're probably fake and aren't even silvers or bronzes" or "show me those *expects to not see any gold at all*") you can smugly pull them out of your pockets, enjoy the gobsmacked look on the doubters' faces before casually stuffing them back inside? No wonder he wanted two...the effect just isn't the same with just one*. >_< *I think maybe he used to loop the strap around the medal before stuffing it into his pocket when it was just the Sochi one he was showing off. Or maybe it's just too much trouble to do that now that his other hand is full with its companion. xP

Thank you, @Yatagarasu and @Katt for the enlightening conversation. Either way, these are exciting times for FS fans. if I have to be honest, I'm still only part way there myself but it's always interesting to learn more about things I have a vested interest in.

Yeah I get that which was why I mentioned Tomono and other younger less accomplished Japanese skaters assigned at least a GP might want to take advantage of Takahashi's supposed--for now--absence there to build some up. But I wasn't aware that it could go to a point where it's that overt...however did Hanyu manage to surpass Takahashi way back when? I know he had superior tech skills already then but I also seem to recall he won over Takahashi despite errors and Takahashi having had a cleaner skate. Was it because of his bronze medal win at WC 12? Did that help him.earn enough of a rep to inspire judges to allow him to surpass what was then essentially Japan's biggest skating legend?

Oh yeah. Lol. What's going on with his bum knee anyway? Was it the kind of injury that would heal and allow a skater to compete as if it was never there if given enough time to fully heal or was it a lasting one? It's going to be extremely tough to be competitive throughout the season, even if it's only for a few comps within the domestic circuit, if it's the latter.

So...by those guidelines, he got in because he got a silver at last year's CoR? Oh yeah, when I said Hanyu is a big fish, what i had in mind is a megalodon. >_< You...you mean to tell me if Tomono skates like he did at Milan or better and Takahashi splats a few times in the same comp, he could still win over Tomono?? I actually just realized that you actually *are* one of those who are worried about Takahashi's return. I didn't read the earlier pages of this thread and just went straight to the last page. ^^; But if the above scenario is possible, then I guess you and the rest were right to worry... But if this were the case and the guy does deliver, which is what I'm hoping, then what chance do any of the younger skaters have at all, even if they performed better? Unless they performed well enough with superior tech content, if your worries come into fruition, they might have been better off not getting out of the bed at all.

WC wasn't. It never is. But Nats 17 was. I was talking about the latter because that's what's important here, since we're talking about who gets to go to the next WC. And it's hard to imagine Takahashi not gunning for a spot himself if he intends to do well at Nats. Unless he is solely focusing on performance without much care for the results, and only wants to see how he measures up against others when his focus has shifted, which is what he seems to be alluding to. I wasn't talking about Takahashi. I was talking about Tomono. If he does better at JNats 18 than what he already did at Milan, Takahashi may pose less of threat, no matter how well he does. Yeah. Not happening. Not how the universe works, even with the miracles it bestows upon its inhabitants sometimes. Unless these other two have a very off day, even if he gains another quad to bring the total up to two, the best he can hope for is finishing behind them and ahead of others. But even that isn't a sure thing. So I certainly hope that isn't what he's seriously hoping for. Because then his focus wouldn't have shifted at all, like he claimed, and he'd be setting himself up for more bitter disappointment. But if his focus isn't the same any longer, then he may just find himself drawing up very close behind within local standings...but certainly not the world. Yeah, he does have those. But at the end of the day, those mean nothing if he can't manage physically. True dat.

Thank you! This is very enlightening! I get it now. ^_^ Come to think of it, if there are more than one spot, then other factors besides Nationals placing come into play. Hanyu actually qualified for the third spot in all the traditional sense. Can't believe I completely forgot about that. Sorry! But I'm confused now. Judging from @Yatagarasu's words, his Nats entries aren't byes but according to you, they are. Which is it now? Oh you mean people wanting to see him compete in the int'l circuit so badly they hold down others who actually did better than him. I guess that's always a factor. In that case, these younger skaters are going to have to really bring their A game in the GP and build their reps up as much as they possibly can there. I mean, the guy's got the right to compete again and if the judges want to prop him up, it's on them. But this also means these young skaters now have to fight harder, which I see as a good thing. They've got an opportunity to come out on top still and give local judges less excuses to lowball them if they deliver well enough on the int'l circuit since Takahashi isn't going to be in the GP. Or most of it. For now.

He earned his spot at Worlds, but the pond at JNats was smaller then, with the biggest fish away nursing battle wounds. I know this sounds harsh but that's the reality of it. The gap between Japan's top 2 and the next best few is just too wide. Why deny that fact? While it doesn't change the fact that he has a lot of potential, if he lives up further to it with Takahashi back in the picture, doing even better than he did at Milan, then he'll be able to come up ahead without worries, just like Hanyu and Uno. But how he measures up against Takahashi and vice versa is unknown at this point, and can go either way. Tomono still has the advantage of being active, young and having a good last major outing. Takahashi is older and is coming back from a 4-year hiatus. Sounds like there's nothing to worry about. But if Takahashi comes up on top despite all his disadvantages, well that means Tomono still has a lot to work on. And it's not just young skaters but Tanaka has to watch his back as well. If Takahashi delivers (with quads) his chances are slimmer too. All in all, to the best man goes the spoil. And that means everyone, including both hanyu and uno.

Alright then. I stand corrected. But if this is the case, there's even less reason for younger skaters who only have youth and potential that has yet to be realized on their side to think they should be given a chance and not have opportunities "taken away" just because they are young and have potential, if even those with achievements under their belts don't get any and have to prove themselves as long as they are healthy enough to. So I don't get the worry that others seem to have. If Takahashi does better than those younger up-and-comers, he deserves to go so far as he is able to. Opportunities in this case aren't "taken away". They have to be grabbed so if you don't get it, it just means you failed. That's what it means to swim with big fishes in a big pond.

That's basically what I meant but I'm also saying it's still viewed as a privilege to some degree when you don't have to fight for a representing spot in a preceding qualifying comp, because you have a body of work for people to measure. Hanyu and most other champions seem to feel this way which tells me why they are always competing at Nats when they can, even if the rules technically say they don't necessarily have to. I mean besides wanting to be the National champion, that is, which I understand is a big deal in countries where the sport's presence is strong. I mean, aren't his JNats 17 and 18 as well as his recent Olympic qualifications technically byes, since he didn't compete in the preceding year's Nats which also acted as qualifying comps? Or am I understanding the term wrong? Because that could be a real possibility. I'll admit, I think my understanding of quite a few aspects of the sport is still quite rudimentary. So feel free to correct me if I'm very wrong.

Ah no. I was only using your comment as a springboard to launch my opinion to those who were worried for younger skaters. ^^;; By privilege that skaters with achievements get, I meant instances as showcased by Hanyu's several byes and Plushenko being picked over Kovtun as the sole male singles skating representative in Sochi, because those are given to them due to trust, faith and confidence, all of which they have earned throughout their entire careers. Those are well-deserved. The judges aren't going to be kind. Whoever can deliver best is the person to send.

If he proves to be good enough, I hope he gets it, too. Skaters should qualify by their own merit, not simply by the privilege of being young. Privilege in competitive sport, in my most honest and humble opinion, has to be something that is earned, so it should only apply to skaters with achievements under their belt and even then only on specific occasions with all conditions met. If the younger skaters lose to him despite having the advantage of being younger and having actively kept up with training because Takahashi is better even after a gap of 4 years, then these kids should really step up their game. Because that's just reality if they seriously want to be competitors that bring actual results. If they want international competition experience so badly, then they've got to prove that they fully deserve it. Just my two cents, ofc. I have a lot of pennies saved up. >_<

*dusts off an old expression* HYPE. Poor Takahashi. It's as though the guy's return has both a bright side and a potential dark side, through no fault of his own. But I wouldn't worry too much about it, least of all with Hanyu once again on the receiving end of abuse. With him practically a god in Japan now, whose legion of fans completely obscures Takahashi's even in his hey-day, I sincerely doubt that it would unfold the same way back when his senior experience was still shallow (and he was chomping at the bit to stand among and ultimately overtake his highly accomplished seniors). When that happened before, he was still considered a young upstart gunning for a place with the greats who have been doing what they were doing for years when he still had yet to "pay his dues". And with Takahashi himself expressing that he felt threatened, these fans probably felt they had to protect him Now that Hanyu's gone so far and beyond any greats that have ever existed, and more than paid his dues in the form of two shiny OGMs (and the endless struggles he went through to get them), and with Takahashi the one that's starting from a much lower position after being absent for so long, and as such shouldn't be feeling threatened, I doubt even the most ardent and illogical of his fans would be so out of their minds as to target anybody, least of all Hanyu. I mean, of all people. Like, you don't touch the b2b OGM and a People's Honor Award bearer. It just isn't done. They should at least have enough sense to know that doing that would only make them look like utter imbeciles (not that it didn't before) and hurt the skater they are cheering for. 'sides, guess who's the one with the protective fans now, who can possibly get as scary as Takahashi's once were, if not scarier? >_< I mean I don't think Hanyu fans would take it out on Takahashi the way Takahashi's ones took it out on Hanyu...but they'd probably be very quick to educate these...wayward thinkers, should they lack a sense of self-preservation and do the unthinkable by openly starting something. Jokes aside (or was I really joking back there?), while I'm hoping they won't reemerge at all, or have mellowed out over the years, even if they were to resume where they left off, they'd probably go for an easier target should Takahashi not end up right behind Hanyu and Uno, where I think they would at least grudgingly accept thinking that's the spot he should be in. If that happens, even if the unfortunate young skater has a much smaller fanbase, I'm not sure if Hanyu fans would stand for it, knowing that the skater would be going through what Hanyu himself went through. That said, it is exciting to see what he has to offer now. And the effect his presence would have on other skaters. Guy's a legend. I bet it'd be surreal to the younger ones to have a chance to skate against him. It might feel surreal (with a touch of nostalgia) even to Hanyu, and it will definitely feel that way for Uno.

l really wasn't thinking about it too deeply or analyzing it too much. It was a gut feeling that everything I've seen and heard of him after went on to reinforce. What he's like in private or what his life behind closed doors is like isn't something I think about when I consider him as a person (let's hope he doesn't have some psychopathic serial killer tendencies) so I don't take it into account because it's a non-factor to me and my mind simply doesn't go to places it considers as irrelevant. That's how it functions so I don't end up second guessing myself all the time on things that, although interesting, ultimately shouldn't matter to me. I think I've said all I can on this subject and if some parts of my perspective are not comprehensible to you, then anything else I may try to add is not going not clear anything up. Might even make things more murky. Some people here get me fully, some get me partially (like you, tho I appreciate your effort in trying to at least grasp my lizard thoughts as best as you can) and there are very probably some who think I'm simply talking out of my ass. I'll take what I can get. All in all, as a final note before I move on from this subject once and for all, to the relief of most here, if the collective sigh of it I'm hearing in my head is anything to go by, my impression of him is based on what struck me right from the very start and has thus far remained unchanged. I don't expect everyone here to feel the same (though I can't stop myself from asking why) but, at this point, I can't be convinced to change my mind either. From your explanation, which tells me your thoughts are equally as valid as mine, it's clear to me that our minds all work in different ways. Since that is the case, it's only natural that we may sometimes struggle to completely understand where another person is coming from. I have to say this fully applies to me as well as there have been some thought processes I've encountered here and in my daily life that I haven't been able to fully comprehend but still managed to get on with the person or persons behind them like a house on fire most of the time. My own dad is one of these people. In real life, I mean. Although I see the guy a lot, I must confess I'm not privy to everything he does in private (nor him I) but I don't think I'm assuming too much by thinking he doesn't visit these forums. >.< So! Let's just drop this (finally!) and go our own ways on the subject. P/S: Thanks for allowing me a glimpse into your mind, btw--it's a very interesting one ^^

Nah. Or at least, I don't think that's what it is. I think that's just those two deeper spots that he has on the corners of his eyes (some people are born with em) popping due to the filters used on the image.

Oh. Haha. Dang, I'm so used to his erasure that I didn't even notice or found it odd that he was missing. But if they only had enough room to feature 3, it stands to reason that Jin's the one that gets dropped (even tho imo it should really have been Uno since his quads don't really compare well to the quads of the other two and Jin...but Uno got further with his than Jin did with his incredible Lz regardless so...) Let's hope his experience at TCC will help him move up front and center into everyone's faces this next quad.

Oh okay I see 'em now. Lotsa huffy ice dance fans..tho I can't say I don't see where they're coming from. Some of them seem to think they are bigger news than the quad revo but I'm guessing that's mainly salt for not having V&M be included in the list at all. It is very odd tho because some of the items listed are really quite negligible by comparison... @ralucutzagy: He's mentioned in the #1 entry along with all the other quadmeisters, which is about the same amount of spotlight as Chen and Uno got. Really, as far as the focus on men's go, they really didn't do too badly this time around. To me, anyway.