rockstaryuzu

WTH is that 'Kevin Reynolds" at NHK? Dude announced his retirement this spring, yo.

The idea that any Canadian sport federation has a gazillion dollars for something like that: They probably used other political pressures...

I dunno. I tried counting the rotations and I'm not 100% sure I see 4.5...but he's spinning so fast I can't hit the pause button quickly enough to be 100% sure I got it all. I'd be shocked if he did 4A, honestly. He never struck me as that great of a jumper but he's clearly been working hard...

Someone at Skate Canada is being an ass...

Stuck in traffic on the 401...

Someone had to make a Timmie's run before they could put the list out, I bet... no posting can be done without coffee and donuts... Edited to add: How do I post/embed an outside gif so everyone can see it?

...or all 3 days of CiONTU. Nice of the ISU to make sure we got the opportunity.

I stand corrected. Everybody waiting for the assignments: It's only 1:25pm here (13h25 for those on the 24-hr clock)(My city is in the same time zone as Toronto). ISU hasn't even had time to come back from lunch yet. As this is my first year on watch, I don't know exactly what hour they release assignments, but I'd say it won't be for at least another 30 - 90 minutes. Plenty of time to watch a FAOI highlight reel or something...

Shoma went to SC last year. What are the odds he'd do it twice in a row? I peg him for SA & NHK this year. By the same reasoning, Yuzu is due for SC, since he was at CoR last year instead. Here's hoping that's how it works!

This is really what I am hoping Brian will say if asked. I would enjoy that!

I though it was. Gabby Daleman seemed to think so when she mentioned it in one of her YouTube vlogs. Someone asked her what she thought of Evgenia's arrival and Gabby was just all giddy and excited about having all of them at the rink, and mentioned Boyang by name.

Come on, Skate Canada! Yuzu-baby needs a new gold for his collection!! It has nothing to do with me having tickets, no sirree Bob.Not why I'm rooting for it at all :p.

So, is Brian planning to encourage competition between them then? And how come no one ever asks about how Boyang's presence will affect Yuzu? Inquiring minds want to know!

I vote for Celestial Maiden. I like TCC raccoon too. and in light of the recent conversation, I think we need one called 'Sparkle Explosion" too. You know he's going to do a costume like that sooner or later.

I'm agreeing with you, and going one further, in that, as I've said before, I think him being that person is exactly what enables him to portray what he does on the ice, and also what allows him to share his emotions as part of the performance and in interviews, with his skater friends, etc. I'd even go so far as to say he's a great example of what modern, positive masculinity can be, but if I say that, then I'm delving into gender politics and getting a bit too heavy for this forum I think. Regarding the term 'fey' - the first time I ever saw the word, it was being used in a book I was reading to describe someone who had the power of 'second sight' - i.e. could see prophetic visions. So for me the term has overtones of 'unnaturalness'. And I find Yuzu to be very natural * in his performances, so that's why it doesn't feel like a good fit to me. *Natural for him. I'm pretty sure half the jumps and steps he does would never come naturally to anyone else... I still feel sorry for Mura...

Tbh, I'm not sure you're entirely wrong... I think at least one of the H,ILY costumes was sparkle-free...but then it did have shiny black patent leather pants so, still shiny... IMO, Hanyu's the type of person who would look sparkly even if he wasn't wearing any. He'd sparkle even in a burlap sack I think.

@BWOZWaltz that's exactly what I was trying to convey. That OP said it better than I ever could.

Oh, I gave up wondering about that a long time ago. When I make reference to his masculinity or femininity, I'm talking about his identity as he presents it to us in performances. I'm firmly of the opinion that his sexuality, in the sense of who he'd be attracted to, is not our business. That being said, the thing he's shown repeatedly in interviews etc is that he LOVES gold. So I'd say he'd date it if he could.

I'm sorry, going without sparkles is the one thing of which I'm 100% sure the boy is incapable...

...do it with the women. Imagine the battle between Alina and Evgenia being described in terms more suitable to lions on the African savannah...

Some blessed, wonderful soul posted this on Youtube: Shoma's Shae-Lynn Bourne-choreographed piece, Great Spirit, starts at 1:20. I've been dying to see it, and it does not disappoint. It really looks like Shoma wanted to challenge himself with something very new and different and, well, hard. I hope we see lots of it this season, either as an ex or (maybe?) an SP...

Brian mentions it in an interview I think. I'll see if I can find the link... Ah, here. It's a translation from an Ice Jewels interview: https://wherespacepooh.tumblr.com/post/161490922159/brian-orser-interview-ice-jewels-vol-6-may Read the paragraph beginning 'After the SP, any special discussions or...?'

Is this your very first post? If so, great start! To clarify, for me, and in the strictly scientific sense of the term: Alpha male = Top Dog in the pack. No one can deny that this is Yuzu. The negative and sexist connotations that have been baggaged on to the the term in recent years have absolutely zip all to do with it's actual meaning. To me, Yuzu is able to express himself on ice the way he does because he's secure in his identity as a man. There's no self-consciousness, no affectedness (contrast this with Johnny Weir, who I find is a very self-conscious performer). It's something that flows naturally from the core of his personality. My theory is that he would not be able to do that without being confident and secure in his masculinity. That doesn't mean there's something negative in him being any other way, it just means that this is what I perceive sets him free to be beautiful, graceful, and elegant. And it reminds me of old, old ideals of what gentlemen were supposed to be like. You'd have to be quite a student of history to see where i'm coming from here, but there was a time when beauty, grace, and elegance were considered positive signs of good character in a man.

Yes, no argument. If you mean alpha in the sense of "strongest wolf, the one who leads the pack." I'm saying it's precisely because he's that, that he can make some really typically feminine artistic choices and get away with it.

Heh, considering he wanted to unite Japan, he'd be delighted that it was someone Japanese doing it.