citrusjunos

Of course, it literally isn't Yuzu against the entire sport, though it can feel that way most of the time. He has his team and the support of some people within the sport, but when it comes to the public-facing figures (i.e. former skaters, journalists, etc.), it cannot be denied that many of them have turned their back on him or only use him for his popularity. They say nice things about him when it benefits them, and then turn away and ridicule him in the next breath. On the other hand, as we all know, the key, hidden, influential figures in this sport and his career aren't much better (ISU and JSF). Is it a little bit presumptuous for me to say that he has no one in his corner? Probably. I wouldn't be surprised if he has small pockets of support within JSF (as crazy as that sounds). However, these people would never openly say anything against Yuzu's detractors (and Yuzu wouldn't want that either), and it's clear that politically, there are more who want him gone than not, so it is very frustrating. It is very frustrating that the one of the very few people whom Yuzu considered worthy of respect has said this about him. Because for Yuzu, when it comes to defending himself, it's damned if you do, damned if you don't. So it's even more important--it's extremely crucial that the people who claim to support him, who have a voice, do. Javi literally said that Yuzu was complaining about the hole. He straight up said that he thinks the pop had more to do with Yuzu's takeoff rather than the hole. This is literally the only time Yuzu has ever said there was nothing to be done, that he felt his form was perfect, but that he was unlucky there was a hole. This is literally the only time Yuzu has ever said that an error wasn't his mistake. Yeah, Javi may have put his foot in the mouth this time, but the fact that he'd question the existence of the darn hole after having known Yuzu's integrity personally, saying it's something people could say as an excuse, rather than simply going, "That sucks, mate. Happens to the best of us. We'll see how he'll catch up in the free," says a lot more about his character. I don't condone witch hunting either, which is why I'm ranting here

If any of you guys are interested, there's only two days left to submit any artwork or message for this fan project! There's no need to submit any artwork if you just want to leave a message for Yuzu

For me, it's not that I genuinely thought they were best friends or anything. Both Javi and Brian have said that they don't really hang out or see each other outside of training and competition. But Yuzu has always been genuine. He may not have seen Javi as a close friend, but clearly, he treasured whatever sort of friendship they had. Yuzu cried for him, cheered for him, and even mentioned him in the Worlds 2019 pamphlet as one of the people who's supported him every day through his injury for goodness' sake. He said that Javi was one of the few people whose success genuinely made him happy. He cried because Javi finally got the medal he'd narrowly missed in Sochi, and then cried further when he said he was retiring. He invited him to Ciontu, when all the other guests were his choreographers or his idols whom he never really competed against. He even has Javi's signature on his old, potato yet treasured iPod! He has never said this or been this way with any other skater. So, they may not have been the closest of friends, since it truly is difficult to be friends with your direct competitors, but Yuzu may have at least thought that he had a true supporter in him, especially now that Javi's retired. I'm not one to subscribe to the "skaters must be friends because they took a selfie together" delusion, but you can't tell me that all of the above was faked. At least not from Yuzu's side. That is what kills me. It kills me that Yuzu doesn't really seem to have anyone in his corner. I expected this betrayal from a lot of people, but regardless of the true status of their friendship, those six to seven years training together should be more than enough for Javi to know Yuzu's true character--he'd never make excuses for anything. Whenever he has a bad skate, he never mentions his injury or his asthma or any other factors affecting him and always says that he'll work even harder next time. Yuzu acknowledging the freak hole on the ice and mentioning his ankle injury after a loss is a very recent development. This is why this hurts so much. Out of all people, Javi should know better. Well, either way. I had given Javi the benefit of the doubt multiple times, but this is truly inexcusable. Even if you don't like the guy very much, you don't just essentially call him a liar on national TV (when you know he's anything but), especially since he's done nothing but compliment and support you throughout the years.

To be fair, while I also wouldn't be surprised with a retirement announcement, I think holding a solo press con isn't an indication of anything. Jason and Jun held their own solo press cons, too. Since Yuzu didn't medal and journalists couldn't really interview him properly in the mixed zone, it just makes sense to hold a press con with everyone so that they can ask all their questions at once, rather than Yuzu having to hold separate interviews. And yeah...when you list it out like that, he's been through a lot this past quad, to say the least. And just when we thought it couldn't get worse....

Everyone's emotions are running a little high, and there's always been a subconscious thought in our minds that he will retire eventually, so I guess when those two factors are mixed...we get a little scared. There was also the fact that he seemed so beaten down in his post-skate interviews, said he's given it his all for no returns (paraphrasing), and now the news from Nobu about him being depressed...that I personally wouldn't be surprised if he called it quits soon. However, I am not Yuzu and no one really knows what's going on in his brain. I do agree that this is probably just a regular press conference, and now that I've thought more about it, I don't think he will announce anything here either, except maybe regarding his participation in Worlds. In the end, we'll all just have to wait and see tomorrow. All I want is to see even a glimmer of happiness or just any indication that he's coping well

While I will also support whatever decisions he makes, I have to agree with you. I hope he skips Worlds and gives himself more time to heal physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually before making a final decision about his career. It's been a couple days, but the wounds are still fresh. Of course, we could all be freaking out over nothing, but I have no doubts that the media will just straight up ask him if he's going to retire. Ahh, I guess it's time to cry again. Each day there is always something new to break our hearts. [NEWS]

God, I didn't realize how much this was stressing me out. I feel like I can finally breathe after a week. This is probably the lowest my heart rate's been for the past couple days

Replies say this is just confirmation of travel, not arrival. At this point, I'm not trusting anything anymore until I see pictures

Javiii I'm so happy Yuzu has the support of people like Nobu and Javi. There are too many people doubting him, so I hope he knows that there are even more people around the world who believe in him and have faith in his abilities. [NEWS]

One of the biggest reasons I admire Yuzu is because he never compromises his values. I'm sure many of us would rather forget that awful season where the ISU pulled off the most egregious robbery, essentially devaluing and humiliating Yuzu's skating even when he tried to play their game, wearing down his confidence in ever winning again, gaslighting him to think he was stagnating of all things -- but if there was one good thing ever to come out of it, it's that he returned to focus on his vision of what great skating should be. And so we've been incredibly blessed with amazing programs that feel authentically Yuzu: beautiful skating with elements seamlessly flowing from one to the other, with every detail thoughtfully added to interpret all the nuances in the music, and last but not the least, performed to perfection with intense passion and raw emotion. By staying true to himself instead of pandering to the system, ironically, he's given himself the best possible chance to win again, and with it, the return of the fire and confidence that had been taken from him. This is why I think Beijing is more than just a battle with the 4A as a weapon. He's using his whole skating as a weapon against the direction the sport is heading in. People will surely cry about base value differences and him jumping "lesser" quads (they already are lol) besides the axel, but if he lands it with two high quality skates, it should be an automatic win no questions asked, since he honestly should just be winning on GOE and PCS alone. It's almost like a litmus test to see if there's any integrity left in this sport. Anyways, Yuzu himself believes that victory is possible with this all-or-nothing strategy, so I guess we just have to go all out with our support, too! May his efforts, struggles, and heartache over this past quad finally come to fruition on the biggest stage this Olympics 🙏

How can anyone not cheer for him wholeheartedly? I've never seen him put in only half of his efforts; he always gives his best no matter what. He's always so honest about his feelings, his fears, yet he doesn't shy away from declaring his goals, even with the possibility of failure. "Giving up is scary" -- this is the mindset that has made him a champion and is a wake up call that I absolutely needed right now. I myself find it so much easier to give up, because you can't fail if you never try, right? And then he kicks my cowardly logic with "not all efforts are rewarded, but if you don't put in the effort, then there is nothing to be rewarded." Okay, Yuzu...Fine. I'll also give it my best . Never have I been inspired or motivated by any athlete/celebrity/personality, but somehow, Yuzu can do it just by being himself. Go crazy with your crazy dreams, Yuzu! We'll be there every step of the way. Thank you for inspiring so many of us.

Just a PSA for everyone. It seems that this photo book was published without Yuzu's permission. Not sure of OP's sources, but let's tread carefully for now.

Hello all, For those interested, I turned the above translation into pdf format for easier reading. Enjoy! Side note: I printed my own copy of this translation, and as I was stapling it, I realized that this was my first fanyu "merch" ever, since I've been too broke and too cheap to buy any and too unlucky for free giveaways Never would've thought that I'd be eagerly reading an academic paper as part of any fandom. Just another part of the fanyu experience, I suppose This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

I thought I was the only one! Now, I just stick with "Ten to Chi to" whenever possible.

[NEWS]

Yuzu and Shuzo-san doing the fusion dance

WTT LMEY is definitely my favorite of the three. As for Ten to Chi to, I agree with you that the step sequence and choreo sequence have definitely improved. Actually, both programs have evolved in terms of the detail and quality of everything in between the jumps, which makes them so rewatchable and enjoyable despite the mistakes.

Cross-posting from the WTT Day 2 thread: Max on WC21 Men's event and Yuzu, now with English subs. I know that there are some people who find Max a bit problematic, but I have never really seen any other foreign commentator who knows or even tries to understand Yuzuru as a skater beyond the surface level. "Hanyu taught us...that a jump must be loved. You cannot abandon it on its own, in a corner of the rink. A jump must have something before, something afterwards, it must be valued by the athlete. The Hanyu who wants to land the 4A aims to jump a perfect element, not just in terms of score, but for all that surrounds it." Yep, this is why his skating stands out so much to me. There are skaters with great skating skills, but none who can really blend in the jumps the way he does. His transitions also don't feel like transitions for the sake of transitions. Whatever steps he uses matches the music and the theme of the program. My current favorite example of this is the twizzle exit from the 3A in Ten to Chi to. "What he wants now, is to be the first skater to land a 4A. From a strictly technical point of view, I'm happy he is continuing. From a human point of view, I ask myself whether a champion like him deserves to get on the ice, perform a perfect program and then see himself underscored by the judges. By people who shouldn't even address him on the street, if you see what I mean." Describing every fanyu's struggles. I don't know whether I want to laugh or cry when I think this, but it does feel validating hearing him say that, because no other figure skating public figure (lol) wants to address or even acknowledge judging problems when it comes to Yuzu.

I meant it figuratively, but after I wrote it, I saw how it could also be taken literally given the context And as for mediocrity hating excellence, that is quite true in many situations across various fields, though I usually see that attitude more in individuals rather than entire systems or organizations. Yuzu is respected quite a lot by his fellow skaters, but he is unfortunately not the one the ISU wants to excel.

And the season is over! This was such an incredibly tough season for Yuzu, but even with all the challenges--the virus, the earthquakes, the lack of training time, the asthma attack, and the immense mental and emotional burden he carries every time he decides to compete--this is still probably the strongest he's ever been. He just keeps getting better and better. I don't know how he does it. Even though he made mistakes in the past two competitions, the causes were more external, rather than internal (though he would never make excuses for less-than-perfect performances). Without these external factors, I just feel like he can consistently do four-quad programs now with such ease. And it's not just his physical strength that I'm in awe of, but his heart. He has spoken again and again about how much other people have suffered more than him during this pandemic and how much this all weighs in his mind at every competition. As an exemplary human being with empathy, he understands just how important it is to not spread the virus and to take proper precautions, despite many, many other people and the whole ISU constantly spitting in his face (and other skaters' faces who take this pandemic seriously) by completely disregarding safety regulations and even mocking it at times. This pandemic shrouded the whole world in darkness, and everyone's hearts and true natures were laid bare. Yuzu's light only became brighter in the dark. In these uncertain times, his consideration of others and the kindness of his soul only became more apparent, while the narcissism of others only intensified. I'm sure he still has mixed feelings overall about deciding to compete, but I hope he knows that his words and performances gave many people the strength to carry on, and that he's done the best that he could under the circumstances. He performed his responsibilities as a Japanese representative and as a human being with such grace and care, even though the two responsibilities seemed to be conflicting at times. Yuzu, thank you for genuinely caring about us and the people around you. With that said, I am begging the universe to give him what he deserves. Two letters: 4A. I know that hoping for fair judging at this point is wishful thinking, so at least just give him this, his biggest dream. Out of his rollercoaster of a career, this may be the wildest ride yet. I'd say buckle up, but the ride has already started and is steadily accelerating. There'll be more ups and downs and loops, and we'll get pulled in every single direction along with him, but please universe, let this ride end with a satisfying journey to look back on. No matter what, we will be with him the whole way.

I'm pretty sure Max would have a fanboy moment, and I would not blame him (though he'd probably be able to reel himself in better than any of us afterwards).

Well, we know that Yuzu sometimes lies. Not really lie, but withhold certain information until he feels he's ready. In an interview at the end of the 2016-2017 season, he was asked whether or not he was going to put in a 4Lz, since he was practicing it at the gala, and he denied it. And guess what appeared during Olympic season? But it's definitely his prerogative to reveal however much he wants about his training. I'm not particularly concerned by it. For as much as he withholds certain things, he is also very clear and vocal about his dreams and goals. He said he was going to land a 4A, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see

Speaking of Nam and Romsky, your comment reminded me of them talking about how scary it is to skate after Yuzu This was from a couple months ago, so many of you may have seen it already: https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/comments/h7exdd/how_universally_terrifying_it_is_to_skate_after/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 (EDIT: I pasted the clip as a link instead of embedding, because it kept autoplaying.)

Max talks about Yuzu and how much he enjoys commentating. Says he first saw him at Junior Worlds and fell in love at first sight after seeing his huge 3A. Truly an OG fanyu. Oh, and apparently, Angelo's a coach now. This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

Nam puts down Pyeongchang Seimei for most memorable program, and Yuzu and Javi as athletes he admires One of the comments says that Kolyada also put down Yuzu and Javi. Love to see these two receive so much respect from actively competing skaters. This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].