General Yuzuru Chat

[Umebachi]

This is getting a bit off topic, but I recall when YoI first came out, there was a discussion with the creator of YoI who mentioned that Yuri Katsuki has some characteristics reminiscent of Tatsuki Machida because she is a great fan of his.  But even here there are only tangential similarities in their storyline (training in the US, etc.).   Yuri Plisetsky is based on Lipnitskaya - with a gender difference.   Ofc, Stephane plays Stephane.  The YoI characters tend to make references to the generation of skaters before Yuzu.   I am glad that YOI brought more people into FS world, but I don't see it making any specific reference to Yuzu, although many casual viewers may make that assumption.   

 

Perhaps YOI discussion could be continued on another thread?

[andchipzz]

Well, in anime world, Yuzuru is a mix btw the villainous-but-not-really sports-man senior who every junior wants to defeat. A specter that terrorize challenging athletes.

But he is also the protagonist challenger, the one who face a challenge head-on, got defeated, went to train and/or level-up, come back to the next competition, and conquer. 
In other words, Yuzuru is a top athlete, legendary level, a very strong competitor, but he is also a very resilient human.

[KatjaThera]

Actually, it was later discovered that Yuzu sort of appeared in YOI himself. There's a shot where a character is holding a magazine that looks a lot like an anime version of LGC Yuzu. So one can argue that, like Stephane and Nobu, who appeared as themselves, Yuzu also exists as himself in YOI (only I guess he's competing in a different dimension lol as he should, since he's on a different level from everyone else )

[KittySaurus]

2 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

Actually, it was later discovered that Yuzu sort of appeared in YOI himself. There's a shot where a character is holding a magazine that looks a lot like an anime version of LGC Yuzu. So one can argue that, like Stephane and Nobu, who appeared as themselves, Yuzu also exists as himself in YOI (only I guess he's competing in a different dimension lol as he should, since he's on a different level from everyone else )

[madraykin]

10 hours ago, Vadrouille said:

I did not watch TSL, but I am curious to know what they mean by saying "Hanyu is screwed" ?

Do they mean that Yuzuru is now screwed by the judges who will call his quads under rotated, justified or not,  to lower his TES , GOE and also PCS, because for the judges more TES = more PCS.

Or they mean "screwed" as to say that Yuzuru is now weakened, not as good as their American favorites like Nathan and Vincent?

Either way, It is their opinion, they always say bad things about Yuzuru and many other skaters who are not their favourites.

Thank you for your explanations.

Spoiler

It was basically "Oh, Nathan was only at 75-80% at JO so I thought 'Hanyu is screwed'" from Dave

 

[Songster01]

As someone who was brought back to FS by YOI, I am eternally grateful to Sayo and Kubo for their obvious admiration for fs, and for making such a _beautiful and well-written love letter to the sport_.  The creators have always been extremely respectful of skaters and their biggest desire was and is to make more people love fs. And because it was a brilliant and huge hit globally it's a major reason, and let's be honest about this, many people became interested in FS (or became interested again) before the Oly season, especially outside of Japan and Russia where fs is much less popular.  Numerous real skaters were delighted by the show.  Honestly, I do not understand the depth of fs fan hostility towards the minority of (probably primarily younger or newer) fans who excitedly link Yuuri and Yuzu.  Compared to the vicious nonsense actual long-time fs fans throw daily at Yuzu since he became a threat to their fave(s), a youngster noting that yes, Yuuri (a beloved and charming character) and Yuzu (the super popular and beloved GOAT of FS and an all-round Good Egg) share the same general body shape (and love of the 3A) is so obviously not intended as an insult.  Let's not forget Yuuri also once wore Yuzu's R&J 1.0 outfit years before we first meet him as a character.  Minami the fanboy of his senpai Yuuri wears it in his honor at a sectionals competition.  So it's not shocking that some people take these few parallels and run with them (because fans are fans, no matter what they are into).  Like any good work of fiction, the main characters in YOI may be inspired by multiple models, but become their own thing during the creative process.  It's pretty clear Yuuri is inspired more by Machida and Takahashi when it comes to the type of talent he has and his temperament.  Honestly, Yuzu is reflected much more in Victor's role than Yuuri's: Victor is the one celebrity skater whose presence brings the media running to a small town; he's also the uncompromising artistic skater who exerts such control over his creative process, the kind celebrity who cares about treating fans with respect, and the GOAT of his fictional fs universe who is the supreme complete men's skater, the one who has been difficult to chase for years.  But even so, Victor and Yuzu also have many differences in temperament, situation (Victor gets burned out by success, Yuzu is far from burned out), and fave jumps (the 4F being Victor's signature jump).  Victor's costumes reference Jeff Buttle and Johnny Weir; and physically Victor is inspired by the American actor John Cameron Mitchell.  But like Yuuri, he is also a unique creation thanks to the skill of his creators to meld these influences into a unique character. 

 

IMO, Yuzu doesn't need to be protected aggressively from this well-intentioned ignorance that is def not meant to insult. At most a polite reminder to the person that the two are mostly different is all that is needed.  More knowledgeable YOI fans including myself have pointed out the many differences between Yuzu and Yuuri multiple times in YOI circles, but one can only do so much in such a big and diverse fandom.  Not everyone hangs out in one convenient space (again rather like fs fandom!), so such info will have to be repeated as new people encounter YOI and FS.  I've never seen it as ill-intentioned, so perhaps we'd better spend negative energy elsewhere? 

 

 

[4Nessie]

6 minutes ago, madraykin said:

  Reveal hidden contents

It was basically "Oh, Nathan was only at 75-80% at JO so I thought 'Hanyu is screwed'" from Dave

 

Ouch  

Spoiler

Sometimes I pity the boy. They made up hyping narratives and super floated scores and all that is pretty much keeping him from developing into a really great skater. Wasted potential. 

 

[rockstaryuzu]

4 hours ago, Nighticeswan said:

I think Yuuri was based off of Yuzuru and that's why I stopped watching after the first episode. I agree their personalities are not alike and it really frustrated me that I thought the character was based off him and therefore misrepresented him. I know the author says Yuuri wasn't, but I just felt that way.

 

That being said, I think the show is really good for getting new fans into skating and if someone looks into who Yuzuru is they'll quickly figure out Yuuri and Yuzuru aren't alike 😄

Fact: the creator of Yuri On Ice has stated outright that she based Yuri on Tatsuki Machida.  So Yuzuru doesn't match up with Yuri in any way (although there are definitely some articles out there saying he does). But I can see why someone who likes anime but doesn't know figure skating would think it is him. 

[Yuzurella]

Yuzu is not just the GOAT of figure skating. He's also the GOAT of "I turn myself into a mythical figure who only appears often enough to stoke my fans' thirst".

[rockstaryuzu]

1 hour ago, madraykin said:

  Hide contents

It was basically "Oh, Nathan was only at 75-80% at JO so I thought 'Hanyu is screwed'" from Dave

 

 

Spoiler

But do people seriously think Nathan believes his own hype? I don't. No one smart enough to do a STEM degree at an Ivy League school would swallow media stories about themselves hook, line, and sinker. It's much more likely that he just ignores it all. 

 

[Yuzurella]

I wonder if we'll ever see real-life Yuzu riding a bike.

 

After the... questionable design of the new Lotte Xylitol campaign, I have really high hopes for the new Sekkisei clear file designs.

[Murieleirum]

12 hours ago, Toni said:

 

I think everyone is over-analyzing the screaming. ACI, as the first contest of the season, will always lead to over-the-top screams, for multiple reasons: 1) we've had months of anticipation. 2) they add to the frenzy by making us fight for seats, waiting in line for many, many hours (some of us overnight) thus we're already in a frenzy, and 3) costume reveal. 

  

Since it's the die-hard fans who have the most emotional reactions at the first contest, and these are the fans who go to non-ISU events like ACI, also since everyone has now seen the costume in pictures and video, there will naturally be less pandemonium in the next events. Also: assigned seating, so less build-up. 

  

Yuzu deliberately revealed that costume early. He usually skates around for awhile, but this time, he took his jacket off almost immediately. I think he knew the reaction he would get and decided to get it over with early, so the disruption could die down as quickly as possible and the skaters could then practice in relative peace. I, for one, couldn't have stopped myself from screaming if I tried. Purple is my favorite color, and that costume... every time he passed by, I felt like... this must be what it felt like for the first people to see Michelangelo's David. A perfect masterpiece. I am not ashamed. 

 

You only mentioned your own emotions in justifying the mass behavior that happened at ACI, and of course you are, that's exactly what happens - fans get overwhelmed with emotions and do not think about other people. It happens when they run after Yuzuru's car, it happens when they (any skater's fans) steal other people's seats, etc. etc. Who decides where the line is? Between what is acceptable and what is not? I wish Yuzuru could speak out more explicitey about this and say it bluntly when he thinks fans are exaggerating, but I feel like he kinda did when he said "I am grateful for my fans for letting me concentrate", which from Japanese to English means "I hope my fans will respect other skater's concentration and my own when cheering for me". 

 

The context is everything. Again, you only spoke about what I felt, but I am asking you to think about how others might have felt: Yuzuru himself, other skaters.

 

Plus, you said something that is upsetting: it's not the diehard fans who go to non-ISU competitions like ACI. It's the fans who can afford it. Big difference.

 

For example, I was lucky enough to win a ticket for Saitama and be in Japan during the WC of 2019, so I went and I cheered. When Nathan's score was announced, I felt like booing. I was so disappointed. Booing at the judges of course, not at poor Nathan who did a great job. But I couldn't, because I had to think about other people's (Nathan's) feelings. And booing is not the same as cheering, but... come on, I don't have to repeat myself. Yuzuru has been recently, in more than one competition, visibly irritated by some behaviors that went over the line.

 

One other thing, in Helsinki 2017 during the winning ceremony, there was an Italian lady screaming "Yuzuru! Look over here! I love you!" again and again and the desperation that I could hear in her voice was just a little... well, no. That is not the kind of support that Yuzuru needs, that is just obsession and do you really think Yuzuru doesn't feel the difference?

 

I know it's annoying and you don't wanna hear it, but... this is just what I think at the end of the day. You are free to disagree and I don't want you to be ashamed, I just want people to think a little bit more about context. 

 

 

[Henni147]

12 hours ago, Yuzurella said:

I really wonder what Nathan and other hyped skaters think of all this overscoring and media hype. Do these skaters themselves really believe that hype? Do they really believe that their scores are a realistic reflection of their true abilities and a fair judgement of their performance levels? Do they really believe they're already as good as their scores suggest, as good as the media claim they are? Or do they know very well what games are being played and they're being pragmatic and just playing along?

 

Well, Nathan said himself: "If something you really want to watch is artistry, go watch ice dancing. I think with what we're doing now, we're bringing such an athletic aspect to the sport."

 

I think he is very aware of the current judging madness and let's be honest: he would be a fool to change anything in his strategy or skating style as long as it works out for him. The only question is, how long it will work. His entire skating stands and falls with the quads, literally speaking.

 

@Yuzurella Agree with your whole post. I feel exactly the same.

 

7 hours ago, andchipzz said:

One of the newest comment : "Yuri on Ice in real life!"

And I was like NOPE and started my rant on why you should never say that Yuzuru is Yuuri! I don't know why it make my blood boil, but maybe because of all the incidents and injustice that Yuzuru decides to accept and fight against by aiming to perform better than the ISU and the rest of FS community think he can.

 

My biggest problem with any kind of comparison between real life people and fictional characters is the following (this is not only a YOI related issue):

 

Every fictional character has a creator behind him, who can write his story line, armor him with superpowers and control his fate in a convenient way. If Yuri is meant to get a happy ending, he will get it. If he is predestined to land a 5T or surpass the 400 point barrier, he will do it. A pencil and sheet of paper make it possible.

 

I was really pissed that Yurio scored 118 points in a short program with a layout that numerically should not be able to get more than 116 under the old +/-3 system. That was not only inaccurate but an insult to Yuzu's achievements, who had just set the 110 WR around that time.

 

Yuzu has no creator, no prewritten storyboard, no one who can control his fate and make sure that he gets his happy ending. He has to fight for his fate and create miracles himself alone. That's why no anime character in the world can ever be compared with him really.

[Veveco]

17 minutes ago, Henni147 said:

Well, Nathan said himself: "If something you really want to watch is artistry, go watch ice dancing. I think with what we're doing now, we're bringing such an athletic aspect to the sport."

Right. Fun fact: in several languages (French, Italian, Spanish ...) figure skating is called "artistic skating". So, yeah... let's call it, uhum, a cultural difference of opinion. 

[4Nessie]

12 minutes ago, Veveco said:

Right. Fun fact: in several languages (French, Italian, Spanish ...) figure skating is called "artistic skating". So, yeah... let's call it, uhum, a cultural difference of opinion.