fyere0

Too bad his idol wasn't Yagudin instead of Plushenko, then he could've done a Winter tribute and hit 3/4 of the seasons.

Another thought... I think these two choices make it all but certain Haru Yo Koi will be his official exhibition program. After Pyeongchang he sounded like he really wanted something Japanese for this year.

But if he's doing a full on Plushenko Nijinsky tribute then this means...we're probably going to get a black costume???

(I don't know who made this simple yet satisfying meme, tell me if you know, lol)

Was there ever any word on what Javi skated in Muskoka? I was curious if he had a new program, but haven't heard anything.

'Willowy' is probably one of the first things I would call Yuzuru if I had to describe him physically, to be honest. It's a very nice and accurate descriptor: long and slim, graceful, flexible, looking like he's moving with the wind. HYK reminded me of a weeping willow or weeping cherry tree when I first saw it.

I think what is so unique about Yuzu might be summed up like this: he has always been a person who makes 'what ifs' a reality. When he was younger, he was the embodiment of possibility, and now, in his prime, he is the greatest example of what happens when the potential of a remarkably talented young person is truly followed through on despite all the challenges lying in his way. He has: -Forced the scoring system to the breaking point -Been one of the key players in facilitating the rapid technical development of the sport not just on the men's side but in women's and juniors as well -Proven the value of being well-rounded with an excellent foundation, and showed what happens when a figure skater has the correct balance of fundamental technique, elements, and artistry, all at the highest levels; his competitors and good coaches of young skaters are studying his skating REAL HARD, I'm sure -As a native son of an afflicted city and an athlete who is seen to embody the important Japanese virtues of resilience, humility, hard work and strength (just as the people of Tohoku were praised for their conduct after the disaster), has become a symbol of hope and triumph in Japan at just the time the country needed a boost in morale, and never stops using his position to draw attention to the cause of reconstruction. All the other Japanese skaters at the time of course did fundraising, charity shows, etc, but his personal connection runs deeper and makes his situation more poignant. -Has single-handedly provided an economic and visibility boost to a 'fading' sport and to his city/prefecture, which is still in recovery (and, I'd venture to say, in wider Japan as a whole in certain ways). Wherever he goes, ticket sales and tourism dolla dolla bills (or whatever the local currency is) follow. Hanyuconomy! Hope the ISU has a plan in place for what they're going to do when he rees. All that, plus a strong association with a cuddly icon everybody loves, an endearing sweetness and goofiness that offsets his shark-like competitive instincts, an open acknowledgment of his weaknesses and failures which keep him human and relatable and makes you root for him to succeed (he is great but he is not infallible, which makes him more intriguing and, I think, a better athlete), a personal life shrouded in mystery, a body like *chef kiss* (if y'all into that), and a face that fits very nicely with the current trends for young male beauty in east Asia, and you have yourself a phenomenon it is very easy to get emotionally invested in.

I wonder if they would still have used Yuzu's SP for an example if he'd gone to the training camp, lol. Imagine him sitting there with the protocols, and his own personal marked-up copy of the protocols, and a copy of the old rules, and a copy of the new rules, and a set of matching highlighters and some white-out, evaluating his own program with a dead serious face like .

I heard this recently: "Mado Kara Mieru," a modern classical piece that begs for a free program by a Japanese skater. Yuzu would interpret it beautifully. It's by Hong Kong-American composer Christopher Tin, with Japanese vocalists, and it uses nature metaphors to describe the different stages in a human life - great for skating because the song keeps evolving and tells a story, and each stage has a different flavour/emotion to it.

1. H&L's biellman spin OR Chopin's backcounter 3A 2. Seimei's one leg entry into a camel spin OR The Swan's combination sit spins (so beautifully timed to the musical phrases.) 3. First person to land 4A in competition OR Win perfect streak in a season 4. 3Peat Olym Champion OR WR holder in SP, FS, and Total under the new system for another 5 years (this means even after another successive Olympic season) (both, set 3 world records in Beijing and hold those for the next five years after *cackles*) 5. Haru Yo Koi and Requiem of Heaven and Earth OR The Swan and White Legend (White Legend is underappreciated as an ex, and I think Notte Stellata is the best of all those programs.) 6. Sexiness: PW 2.0's running-through-hair OR Chopin 3.0's Ina Bauer (a more introverted, less intentional-looking sexiness.) 7. Costume and hair: LGC or Seimei 8. First person to land a 4T-4T combo in competition OR first person to land a Quintuple Toe in competition (lmao just because it's ridic) 9. Change coach and compete for another 4 years OR Retire before the 19/20 season and go on a hiatus before returning as a coach in 2022 (Ghislain should take him on as assistant jump coach at TCC! Specialized technical coaching is the only kind of coaching I see him conceivably doing in the next decade.) 10. Skate clean to LGC in competition or land a Quad Flip in competition (going back in time to do this; I don't want him to repeat it) 11. Yuzu's program choreo: Jeffrey Buttle OR Shae-Lynn Bourne (Shae's got elegance, but Jeff really knows how to challenge him on every single beat and note of music.) 12. Favorite rawness/passion: RJ 2012 World or Seimei NHK 13. Chopin's ending pose and reaction: NHK/GPF/World/ACI/Pyeongchang (the perfect combination of monk-like serenity and bad b*tch) 14. Yuzu's struggling with English moments OR Yuzu's laughing sound (the struggle is real and you know it'll always end in a present participle) 15. ITA commentaries OR No commentary 16. Yuzu guest starring in a new movie OR Yuzu guest starring in Tokyo Ghoul 17. New hair color OR Stage make up (men of Team Japan past and present, kidnap him and teach him some things. Daisuke will do his brows, Tatsuki in charge of eyeshadow, Keiji will draw a nice sharp eyeliner wing for him, and Shoma will apply lipstick and any necessary facial decoration, overseen by Nobu.) 18. Drama: Skate to YOI's EROS for an exhibition OR Get an IG account (neither) 19. earphones OR pooh 20. If YUZU were not a figure skater: would you want him to be a baseball player OR soccer player (lbr at this point he's spent enough of his life on ice that he'd just fall over if he tried to run and kick a ball at the same time) bonus: Music choice: Shoma's Moonlight or Alina's POTO (I haven't seen Moonlight yet but LITERALLY ANYTHING is better than what they foisted on poor Alina)