9 minutes ago, Pammi said:

 - he maybe was always destined for great things, 

This. I feel like this is true. If it wasn't skating, then it would have been something else, maybe. Some people just have the light.

9 hours ago, Pammi said:

I think there is some of what we have all said in why Yuzuru matters so much, but there is also the way he is linked to a terrible natural disaster in that he and his family and community physically  experienced it as a trauma (and the rest of the nation and other people from around the world also emotionally felt for those affected), yet he was able to follow his dreams amidst his expressed mixed emotions about the disaster and the choices he was making about his life, and emerge as a symbol of hope - he is such a beautiful young man in so many ways, with a rare magnetism, wonderful communication skills, warmth, empathy, as well as his unique talent and artistry - he maybe was always destined for great things, but his personal history is tied into what his people experienced in 2011 and this is another factor in his significance to them.  Hope this makes sense!

Yuzu himself has said that the quake completely redefined his views on life, essentially saying his life can be seen as before the quake and after it.  Because of it things were put into perspective.  For a while right after the quake he seriously thought about leaving skating, but wiser heads prevailed and I think the rest of humanity benefited.  Last night I was looking at an early interview with him, with that mop-topped urchin we all love and he was smiling and talking about his plans to go to the Olympics.  I'm sure everyone here has seen those.  You look at that smile and you see an enthusiastic innocence that after the quake you do not see.  He still smiles but his smiles now are not his prevailing expression.  He's been too close to so much death, even fearing for himself at one time as the quake was ongoing, to be always seeming happy.  The thing is now his smiles come not from habit but from a specific experience right then.  When he smiles now we know he really means it (unless it's his media smile and even then he means it, but in a different way).  Yuzu has since 3/11 been a man on a mission.  Exactly what the mission he did not know precisely back when his world changed but his non-skating public performances since then have been tied to doing what he can to help relieve those who suffered so much and have also been tied to his shared experience with all those who suffered from the quake.  It is the children, the elderly, the ordinary Japanese person that he has given so much of his time to over the years.  Also he dedicates each skate to the victims and he realizes that it is their involvement with him as he skates that keeps him going.  The thing is Yuzu has become a national hero, one of the prime examples of one who has overcome the obstacles the quake threw into his path and he's done everything he can to make his successes their successes also.  There is a word that describes that, one that is often misused, but in Yuzu's case it is totally accurate.  He is, in fact, something more than a talented athlete.  He is a very noble human being and his life enriches all of ours as a result.

5 minutes ago, micaelis said:

he's done everything he can to make his successes their successes also

He really has, and he also attributes his success to their (and our) support, that he could not have done it without them/us and the other people around him - and there is no doubt in my mind about the genuineness of his statements relating to his feelings about his people and his supporters.....yet another quality that draws us to him, we know that he is genuine and true in his words and actions.

3 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Why do you think Yuzu is so important? I don't mean, why is he popular, or why are you a fan...but rather, what's his significance in the grander scheme of things? 

I think that his life experiences made him understand how your individual actions have the potential to affect the world. I feel like he found a way to make the most out of that, and combined with how he leaves his soul on the ice, he's touched so many people who belong to different countries, religions, career paths... A small amount of Hanyu energy in so many places could make the world a bit better.

If all his fans feel as inspired as some of us do to become the best version of ourselves that we can be, even if we're still a small percent of the global population, it's still a good thing and allows us to learn lessons that can be passed on the next generations.

 

Of course that's a bit idealistic but i think that the potential is definitely there.

50 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

This. I feel like this is true. If it wasn't skating, then it would have been something else, maybe. Some people just have the light.

 

I've always felt like this. He's someone who will shine everywhere. No matter what he does later. Because he has the drive, the motivation, and everything else..

For me, Yuzu is an artist and Yuzu himself is a part of his art. It is like 'body art' that he expresses his art through his own body/movements. He creates a world with his performance and us/the audience get to see the world through him. His performance triggers many emotions within my mind as his body moves in a way that I can only describe it as an emotional stimulant (yep, he's a highly addictive drug to me).  Also his musicality enables his audience to feel the music through him. When he performed Ballade No.1 at PC, the entire audience in the arena as well as the people watching TV must have felt the music. He became the music. Yuzu has said in one of the press cons after PC that figure skating is an art based on sound technicality or something like that. Correct technique itself contains beauty within. When you see something is correctly carried out, you feel satisfied. That satisfaction makes you feel good mentally as well as physically in a way. His performance pushes my senses to make me feel what is there. 

 

I've heard Japanese commentators said this more than few time when Yuzu skated one of those mesmerising performances or broke WR and that is 「この青年はどこまで私達に夢を見させてくれるのでしょう」it can be translated "How far can this young man make us dream". It is like we are in the realm of dreams that keeps weaving dreams after dreams (occasionally nightmares...) 

 

All his other attributes like great communicator, hugely talented athlete, adorable/dorky character, gorgeous looks, quaky/ otaku side, hard worker, (I can carry on but I'm running out of time...), that works like 'layers' of his charms. I was also really impressed with his communication skill at the press cons after PC. His speech showed his wisdom. He is not just a clever boy but he truly is a wise man.

All these are included in the whole package. He has many qualities that people can relate to as well as be inspired by. 

 

Yuzu at 24hr TV showed his continual effort towards supporting the disaster region. I've also watched today's (Aug 27th) Every news show (the one that someone posted a Jpn TV guide with HANYU SP SHOW written on). The contents were almost the same as 24hr TV Yuzu segment but it had few more footage from his visit to Naraha town. I loved watching Yuzu among the people who appreciate him as a person not Yuzuru Hanyu the figure skating superstar. He uses his star power to bring attentions of people to where it's needed. He can create Hanyuconomy to support them as well. But beyond that, Yuzu visited there in person. The school visit, the crafts class visit and the ice show. His busy schedule means time is really precious and yet, he went there to show his support. He talked to the school kids encouraging them to grow up to become someone who can support their home town directly through their action. His compassion is something I didn't know when I fell for him initially but became one of the reasons I respect and follow him now. 

 

The conclusion: He's got it ALL!!

 

1 hour ago, BWOZWaltz said:

「この青年はどこまで私達に夢を見させてくれるのでしょう」it can be translated "How far can this young man make us dream". 

What a lovely way to put it. 

5 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

This might be a bit of a silly question to ask the Planet, but I've been mulling this over for a while now and I can't come up with a satisfactory answer. So, here it is:

 

Why do you think Yuzu is so important? I don't mean, why is he popular, or why are you a fan...but rather, what's his significance in the grander scheme of things? 

 

I ask this because in some ways, his phenomenon doesn't make sense. For example, when he got injured last season, I really felt deeply that it was a tragedy and genuinely prayed he would recover for the Olympics. That's not a normal response for me, and I wasn't a full-fledged fanyu yet at the time. I found myself wondering why I got so caught up in it. 

 

And if you look at Yuzu's work outside the rink...he's done great things for the 3/11 recovery effort. However, if there was no Hanyu, would there have been someone else to step in to that role? Why him? 

 

If you think about it, why does this skinny kid from Sendai with all the big ambitions matter so much?

 

 

 

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.

5 часов назад, rockstaryuzu сказал:

Why do you think Yuzu is so important? I don't mean, why is he popular, or why are you a fan...but rather, what's his significance in the grander scheme of things?

Yuzu is important cuz he inspires so many other people to better versions of themselves in a way, he inspires talents, you want to be at least just a bit more hardworking looking at him, he shows you that you can make your dreams come true if you wish and work for it hard enough. And he is a very sunshine person - so until such people are in this world it's not completely corrupted and wasted))

But first of all I become drowned to his skating cuz he put all his soul into this and it didn't change since then.

Sorry for barging in on serious talk, but today I happened to be browsing through my origami papers and was surprised when I found out there was gold-colored foil! So I folded my own rendition of the gold swan (it's a little clumsy, foil is really hard to fold, I realized). May it lead Yuzu to success and, most importantly, happiness in the future 

 

5 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

This might be a bit of a silly question to ask the Planet, but I've been mulling this over for a while now and I can't come up with a satisfactory answer. So, here it is:

 

Why do you think Yuzu is so important? I don't mean, why is he popular, or why are you a fan...but rather, what's his significance in the grander scheme of things? 

In so far as skating is concerned, he is probably closest to what I would consider the living embodiment of figure skating. No more, no less. 

In terms as a person, he is a beautiful soul, regardless of what he is doing. A beautiful mind and soul that should be valued, praised, honored and for us to aspire to. 

Many things came together to make Yuzu such an interesting person, and make it very easy to like and root for him

His skating is beautiful, effortless, and elegant . If nothing else, you can admire the beauty he creates on ice.

He is a likeable person.. kind, polite, funny, emotional, and relatable in so many ways

His life story is inspiring. All he went through since he was a child and how he fought for what he wanted is very admirable and inspiring.

His charity work and how he never forgets his country, the earthquake victims and people supporting him

He also is a big success story against too many odds and hardships that you get to watch happen and experience with him, which is something that we as humans like very much.

Also, he is flawed and not perfect, which makes him someone we can understand and connect with. 

 

Basically, Yuzu, his life, success, challenges, art and work are the perfect combination that make him special. 

all i know is is that i couldn't fckin stand figure skating until i watched him skate and now i know the rulebook by heart.....magnetic isn't a strong enough word for him

3 minutes ago, MajaHled said:

Sorry for barging in on serious talk, but today I happened to be browsing through my origami papers and was surprised when I found out there was gold-colored foil! So I folded my own rendition of the gold swan (it's a little clumsy, foil is really hard to fold, I realized). May it lead Yuzu to success and, most importantly, happiness in the future 

 

Because he is the gold standard for many things. His jumping technique is the best. There is no short-cut, no hiding things in a corner etc. And this is his philosophy and approach of everything he does in figure skating. He always strives for the 100% full rotation, even if only 75% is required. And as a champion he set the friendly, fair-sport, respectful athmosphere at men's singles we have now. This is actually unprecedented. There were a lot of times when the biggest rivals in mens couldn't stand each other and also showed it - the most recent were Plushenko and Yagudin, as well as Johnny Weir and Evan.  Hanyu always not only showed nothing but respect to his competitors, but even cheered them on when they did something nice. He respects the sport first and foremost, no matter the nationality of his competitors.