General Yuzuru Chat

[liv]

I am still not worried... that much. Sure it's getting closer, he's missing J Nats, which was his nightmare scenario, but there is a month and a half left and much can be done in that time. The other guys have definitely not shown any consistency yet this season, so it's not like they've built up momentum heading into the Games. If we wanted him to stay in his bubble until the Olympics and not face the pressure that would surround him if he was in Japan... well, that has certainly played out, although not how we hoped.  I will reserve my panic until February. If his injury prevents him from being his best, well, it won't be because of lack of effort on his part to be ready... it will just be that fate conspired against him with events leading up to that unfortunate day in November.  Watching that fall and how he collapsed on his leg... it's lucky he *escaped* with the injury that he did... it could have been far worse: we are still talking about him competing, and when you can compete, you always have a chance. 

[Anony]

2 hours ago, kaeryth said:

Something to smile at... from @sweetwater's post at the Mascot Fest!

 

At 5:25, most majestic ina bauer  11/10, better than bacon, a life experience

[axelsandwich]

3 hours ago, Murieleirum said:

 

Omg whoever's in there is a genius

it's yuzuru 

[micaelis]

Right now the most pertinent question is, should he go to 4CC.  I really think he should, simply to get him back to thinking of himself as a competitor.  Should he 'dumb down' his program, that is maybe eliminate a jump pass or downgrade a quad to a triple, or...well, you get the drift.  It's really significant what happened at ACI this year.  He didn't skate fully his intended program but still established a new scoring record.  His program has one of the highest, if not the highest, base values.  He should really think about getting the points with his PCS, an aspect of his skating that is consistently very high.  Everybody's so obsessed with quads, both skaters and fans.  Yuzu should not yield to that thinking, after all, he's the COMPLETE skater.  That's his advantage.  The only other skater that can be seen as 'complete' is Shoma but he is not consistently so.  Patrick has the PCS but not the jumps.  Boyang and Nathan have the jumps, but not the PCS.  Shoma's the only real threat there, but lacks consistency, as I pointed out.  I really feel that if Yuzu skated 'safe' he'd get the gold.  I know that is not his usual approach.  He'd like to pull out all stops and we have seen that he can succeed sometimes when he does that.  Look at GPF 2014, FS program.  But I can think of some times where he skated so hard he became careless.  There are no easy answers, I know, and this season has been undoubtedly the most troublesome season Yuzu has ever skated, even more than 2014-2015.  Above all it has been a test of Yuzu's patience.  He'd like to heal overnight.  That isn't happening.  I think it might be a blessing in disguise that he has had to endure such a long interruption in his training.  His patience is going to be really tested once he's back on the ice, but he should remember that the problems he's been facing are largely due to his having attempted that jump back in November before he was sufficiently warmed up, a clear example to him of what can happen if you lose patience.  If anything, I think the knowledge that he was the element largely responsible for that fall has to have a sobering effect on him.  But has it sobered him enough that once back on the ice he is ready to exercise patience every second of the way?  I can't say.  None of us can say.  Probably Yuzu himself can't say.  But if he's learned the value of patience and applies that knowledge as he returns to the ice and ultimately to competition, well, then I can see gold in his future, hopefully gold accompanied by a couple of new records.  Now THAT would be the mark of the 'absolute champion'.

[monchan]

hi everyone, I'm new mem. I registered to keep updated of Yuzu's situation. Cuz there are so much pressure and expectation on his 2nd OGM I've just got smt to say.

 

Ofc as a fan like everyone else I hope he can get it, not becuz I'm achievement freak but cuz I know Yuzu REALLY wants it, and he might not accept anything less. But even if he won't get it, it's not smt of disappointment, to his fans and to his country at allll, Yuzu ofc would be sad as a perfectionist he is, but he eventually would move on with it w a strong mindset like how he did w past failure. I say this cuz there's so much hype about his 2nd OGM to the extent ppl take for granted he SHOULD get it, like it's his FAULT, or failure if he won't. He alr has a more competitive career than anyone of his day, his name is ALREADY in the list of legendary skaters, he doesn't need to prove anything.

 

I feel an awfully similar path with him and Yuna Kim, both are legendary skaters, OC at age of 19, entering their 2nd OC as reigning OC and WC and WR holder. Yuna Kim's performance was perfect but she only got silver and there was kinda big controversy how she didn't get gold. So even when things are perfect it might not turn out right, we don't need to feel extra pressure about how he must skate perfectly.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

3 時間前, kaerythさんが言いました:

Something to smile at... from @sweetwater's post at the Mascot Fest!

 

 

_ So much personality. You're the mascot to end all mascots. A good 1/3 of my YouTube hours are dedicated to you. There will never be another like you. Please live forever, Kumamon.

[Katt]

Whatever happen at Olys wont change anything about his legacy in this sport

 I know fans want it because he want that 2nd Ogm so bad but at this time, his health and his well being are the most important things. There's alot people are writing him off, media gloomy talks about him everyday, I dont want to see his fans join them. Just try to imagine how Yuzuru feel right now. He's on the recovery, not being able to train properly, there's enough fear and self-doubt inside. Lets send all the positive vibe instead of adding extra pressure to him.

 At the moment, I would be happy with the news of him back to on ice training. I have to admit everytime i see any metion about WR, it turn me off abit. I'm not intend to offend anyone, thats just me feel thats abit unnessesary thing

 

 

[katonice]

It might be because we've already had time to digest the news, but I'm not feeling so devastated seeing this now. 

 

[PapiandPooh422]

13 minutes ago, katonice said:

It might be because we've already had time to digest the news, but I'm not feeling so devastated seeing this now. 

 

But still.. The edit implies that there's a missing spot. And it's in the middle. 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

 

5 時間前, Murieleirumさんが言いました:

 

Omg whoever's in there is a genius

 

Kumamon. Is. Real. There's no one in there but Kumamon himself. Please take your blasphemous words back. ;_;

 

1 時間前, Kattさんが言いました:

Whatever happen at Olys wont change anything about his legacy in this sport

 I know fans want it because he want that 2nd Ogm so bad but at this time, his health and his well being are the most important things. There's alot people are writing him off, media gloomy talks about him everyday, I dont want to see his fans join them. Just try to imagine how Yuzuru feel right now. He's on the recovery, not being able to train properly, there's enough fear and self-doubt inside. Lets send all the positive vibe instead of adding extra pressure to him.

 

It won't change things for us but it'll change plenty for the sport, especially the men's field, in the eyes of the world at large. And for him. While I'm aware he can't think the same, to us fans, whatever will be, will be, you're right about that.

 

Naysaying does seem to work wonders for his motivation, though. And it's not something he's a stranger to. Positivity has its own pressure and writing him off may actually counter balance that and release some of it. Theoretically, he's no longer the front runner for the gold anyway. Which I think is a good place for him to be. His results all these years have shown that he is far more consistent as the chaser than as the chased. So, I think a good balance of support and doubt is a necessary ingredient in the recipe for success. His recipe for it anyway.

 

I have absolutely no doubt he can pull off what he plans but I'm plenty unsure of whether he'll be able to pull it off exactly when and where he wants to, since he can be a bit of a headcase prone to mental landslides. So far he's been able to deliver at least one perfect program in the really big events so there's no reason to doubt he'll at least be able to do that, given that it's an established pattern with him. And if it's going to be just the one, I'm hoping it'd be the FS. If he delivers a flawed SP, I'll probably still be sweating bullets but if he delivers a flawless one, I'll probably drown in my own anxiety long before he ever takes the ice for the FS.

 

The whole thing is a process so, I think people are simply going to do what comes naturally. And that includes being salty, I've since come to learn.

 

So long as everything remains at tolerable levels, I actually think it's a good thing.

 

50 分, katoniceさんが言いました:

It might be because we've already had time to digest the news, but I'm not feeling so devastated seeing this now. 

 

 

45 分, PapiandPooh421さんが言いました:

But still.. The edit implies that there's a missing spot. And it's in the middle. 

 

Lol! There's literally a Hanyu-shaped hole.

[yuzuangel]

1 hour ago, monchan said:

I feel an awfully similar path with him and Yuna Kim, both are legendary skaters, OC at age of 19, entering their 2nd OC as reigning OC and WC and WR holder. Yuna Kim's performance was perfect but she only got silver and there was kinda big controversy how she didn't get gold. So even when things are perfect it might not turn out right, we don't need to feel extra pressure about how he must skate perfectly.

Welcome to PH, @monchan

 

I do and don't see a similarity. I also loved Yuna Kim, as she was my favorite skater after Yuzuru, so obviously I'm biased towards her. But even as a huge fan I could see that after winning OGM, she never regained a fraction of the drive, hunger, and perseverance that Yuzuru has shown after winning. Yuzu skated every GP series and went to every Worlds. He has continued to break records every single year. He's been upgrading his technical layout every single year. In his interviews you can see that skating is his life. Yuna created masterpieces post-Vancouver but she was a different skater. I don't fault her for it either, skating is a hard sport, and she dedicated almost all of her life to it, injuries and all. But that just goes to show that what Yuzu has done has been nothing short of...spectacular.

 

Anyway I know your point is that the Olympics likes to shake things up. But I think Yuzu knows and has been trying hard to combat that variance (and the odds being against him) so if there's anyone who can do it, it's him.

[PapiandPooh422]

16 minutes ago, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

Lol! There's literally a Hanyu-shaped hole.

And it's not just middle, it's THE FRONT MIDDLE PART! It's JSF low-key stating that he's still their biggest star!! 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

22 分, PapiandPooh421さんが言いました:

And it's not just middle, it's THE FRONT MIDDLE PART! It's JSF low-key stating that he's still their biggest star!! 

 

Actually I think it's the gods telling JSF who the One True King is. They had Uno there before but then had to move him to Hanyu's spot to maintain balance. So whichever spot Hanyu is in, his absence leaves a very huge impact. And given that they are forced to move Uno up and leave the spot for the actual crowd-puller open to remind people who that person actually is, well, it's quite hard not to feel smug. Which I do.

 

...damn. I've always thought I'm at least semi-decent as a person but this just goes to show how rotten I really am at the core...please excuse me while I go fruitlessly reflect.

[Hydroblade]

15 minutes ago, PapiandPooh421 said:

And it's not just middle, it's THE FRONT MIDDLE PART! It's JSF low-key stating that he's still their biggest star!! 

It's a literal representation of my heart: A Hanyu shaped hole just like @¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said... 

 

 

[KatjaThera]

I, too, want him to get that second OGM because he wants it really badly. I also want him to win it, because, IMO, nobody in the field deserves it more than him, based on overall talent and skills. There is this impression that the OGM should go to the athlete who has been the best over the past four years, it should be proof and crowning glory of that. In all truth, though, the Olympics is just another - much bigger, much more media covered and much more stressful - competition where whoever gets it the most right in those 3 minutes + 4 minutes and a half wins. And it has little to do with who has been dominating for the past 4 years. I'm not sure if that's encouraging or depressing lol.

 

Yuzu's kuyashii face is hard to deal with and I don't want to think about how he would feel if he doesn't win. But as a survivor of everything he's survived so far, he'll be fine, eventually. Also, since there was talk earlier about aiming for podium instead of straight up gold, I have to disagree. Part of why I love Yuzu is his crazy ambition. It's probably because I have a similar attitude, but whenever I see Javi mentioning 'podium is fine, color doesn't matter', I feel disappointed. I know it's probably a healthier - and, in his case, more realistic - attitude, but I just can't understand how a competitive athlete can think like that. So I understand Yuzu very well. And I'd be disappointed if he was ever fully satisfied with second or third. Of course, that doesn't mean second at CoC14, in those circumstances, wasn't amazing (controversies aside), to give just an example of how sometimes circumstances play a huge part. And, in general, taking the performance into account, more than the score is important (SP at Helsinki particularly comes to mind). However, that he wants to win and goes for the win is a big part of why I admire him. Despite being almost 10 years older than him.

 

And although I'm being repetitive, I'll say it again: I don't think there's much point in worrying about how much time he's had on the ice, in practice or in competition. Sure, more time is good. But come the Olympics, he could be in a perfect shape physically and mentally, and then still get a hangup somewhere, and fail. Or he could be in not perfect shape and still manage to pour that into a laser-sharp focus and blow the roof off. He's done both before. He's very unpredictable, but that's another of his charms. He's not an alien, and he's not a robot. He's a normal human being, who has ups and downs and weaknesses and strengths, but who does some absolutely stunning things when everything falls into place.

 

Bottom line is, maybe what would make our lives as fans easier would be to enjoy the journey, too. And the nerves are part of the journey. If he were always spot on and you'd never have to worry, I think it'd get boring really fast (and he'd have even more haters :P). So, let's just try to enjoy it - even this not knowing what will happen, because that, too, is part of who he is - and cheer him on and be ready to be there if things don't go right, and treat him like the GOAT he is, whatever happens. We can't help being nervous, because we care, but it's all about how we deal with it. Trying to embrace it and put a positive spin on it should help, though, I think.