General Yuzuru Chat

[river]

19 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Not even Yuzu could make speedos look good. Actual Olympic swimmers don't even look good in them. 

 

I would say there's only one way to find out... but we all know you're right. Nobody looks good in a Speedo.

[rockstaryuzu]

5 minutes ago, river said:

 

I would say there's only one way to find out... but we all know you're right. Nobody looks good in a Speedo.

If you want to try convincing him to wear one - be my guest! 

[fyere0]

41 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Not even Yuzu could make speedos look good. Actual Olympic swimmers don't even look good in them. 

 

I wouldn't advise a Speedo for Yuzuru, because they're fundamentally hilarious, but to be perfectly frank, nature has blessed him with 4A-birthing hips and I have no doubt he would carry a Speedo off fetchingly if forced to don one. 

[barbara]

1 hour ago, rockstaryuzu said:

but then it would be an entirely different sport, one that was actually fair.

 

I agree though. If there were some kind of official appeals or review process, or a way to challenge the call, things would seem a little less David (the skaters) vs Goliath (the judges). 

The judges could hold off on their total score and use instant replay before finalizing. They do sometimes have a tentative judgement - why not apply that to every element? Even if it added, say, five minutes to the K+C, it would be worth it. Part of the problem (beyond the bias and stupid calls) is that they have to make such quick decisions - the four minute format hardly gives them time to accurately judge things like transitions and flow...

[yuzuangel]

 

SOoo cute

[rockstaryuzu]

11 minutes ago, fyere0 said:

nature has blessed him with 4A-birthing hips 

Why, why, why did you use this turn of phrase? My brain went some really strange places on that one. 

 

Joking apart, at least in a Speedo we'd get to see just how big those thigh muscles really are. In a spirit of academic inquiry, I mean. 

[yuzuangel]

3 minutes ago, barbara said:

The judges could hold off on their total score and use instant replay before finalizing. They do sometimes have a tentative judgement - why not apply that to every element? Even if it added, say, five minutes to the K+C, it would be worth it. Part of the problem (beyond the bias and stupid calls) is that they have to make such quick decisions - the four minute format hardly gives them time to accurately judge things like transitions and flow...

Well, apparently 30 seconds of actual program time was too long for them, I doubt they'd accept 5 minutes to the k+c. Or maybe they could play more ads during broadcasts?  

[barbara]

1 hour ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Not even Yuzu could make speedos look good. Actual Olympic swimmers don't even look good in them. 

Only the French think they look good in speedos. I've seen a couple of pictures of Yuzu in shorts and his thighs are almost freakishly muscular (not an insult).  Even his knee caps have muscles.

[MatchaBeans]

8 hours ago, Umebachi said:

Taking care of the small things immediately around you and shining a tiny bit of light in the small corner of our world - this is how we can spread the circle of compassion.  For me, Yuzu's greatest asset is not his amazing athleticism or artistic talent but his adherence to 一隅照: he has continued to pay attention to those immediately around him and give kindness and compassion no matter what he is going through, and as he is maturing these values appear to be growing stronger within him. Of course, he loves to be the centre of attention as a skater and a performer, but his acts of generosity are carried out behind the scenes, outside of the glare of media and fandom - even paying attention to the needs of the media when they badger him and showing no resentment or irritation but instead showing generosity by answering their questions with respect and care, even the unpleasant ones; or giving kind words to Alina after the gala, or by extending friendship to an autistic child in his class who was feeling ostracized by others... I was a very spoiled and egostistical child and he puts me to shame when I reflect on my own selfish actions.  His actions motivate me to strive to be more understanding and compassionate towards the feelings of those around me, and not be swept in by the storm of hatred swirling around us in this tempestuous world.    

 

What did Yuzu say to Alina? It seems she is going through a lot more than we know. The fall on the 2A, which caused an injury, should not have made her tearing up that much. Maybe seeing her junior training mates overtaking her so fiercely contributed to that somewhat. Anyway I hope she is OK. 

[yuzublaze]

30 minutes ago, barbara said:

The judges could hold off on their total score and use instant replay before finalizing. They do sometimes have a tentative judgement - why not apply that to every element? Even if it added, say, five minutes to the K+C, it would be worth it. Part of the problem (beyond the bias and stupid calls) is that they have to make such quick decisions - the four minute format hardly gives them time to accurately judge things like transitions and flow...

This has always baffled/stunned me. Even when I was younger, I would be amazed at how the scores could come out so-- almost instantaneously. But now, looking at allllll the judging messes that continue to happen in this sport...Not so magical anymore. I genuinely don't understand how anyone can expect an accurate, holistic review of both technical and PCS within that period of time-- especially at an international competition, where there is just so much to judge in every second of skating and where the score matters so much and will be put under such scrutiny.

Either they invest in or find some generous souls who will help them improve their technological processes, or put up with the extra x minutes of judging... or continue to suffer from the decline of a dying sport.

(although maybe the bias should be a first priority... )

[KatjaThera]

I think a lot of people are reacting in a too emotional way to this TCC thing. What could Brian have said that Yuzu hadn't already said? That Ghislain had encountered some trouble and was being delayed? If people had just left it at that instead of trying to look for further, deeper reasons, everything would have been fine. We don't know if Brian could talk about the stolen passport - if there's a police investigation, depending on the jurisdiction, the information they can reveal could be limited. And if he had acknowledged the problem on Tuesday, he would have been assaulted by "So why aren't you going to Yuzu then?? Why didn't you go in the first place??" and that wasn't something he could properly address. Revealing any issues - even just communication ones - with Yuzu, his team and/or JSF would only create more discussion that Yuzu seriously didn't need. I still don't get why people couldn't just take his words, accept them and do what he did: wait and make the best of it in the meantime. Instead, everyone started freaking out all over the place and looking for additional information everywhere. We really need to calm down sometimes. Yes, we worry, but we need to trust Yuzu a bit more, tbh. He knows what he's doing, even when he's going crazy.

 

Also, like others have said, it's JSF who obviously have the last word on Yuzu. They are the ones who submit information to ISU. They are the ones who release statements on him. I'm sure if TCC ever dared do that, there would be a huge mess because I'm pretty sure they are not allowed to. Japan is very strict on stuff on like that. It would be either JSF or ANA as Yuzu's main sponsor/technical employer who should speak up. I'm not sure even ANA can do it as long as Yuzu is an active skater under JSF jurisdiction. JSF should have come out and explained the situation, that only one coach was allowed, Yuzu's pick was Ghislain, but unfortunately due to unforeseen problems, he was delayed in arrival. Brian said that any attempt at changing coaching accreditation should come from JSF, too. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Kobayashi asked Yuzu and Yuzu said no, not to create more of a fuss and that he'd just wait for Ghislain. Truth is, I doubt anyone knew how long it would take. Ghislain could arrive ahead of Brian, but probably wouldn't have accreditation anymore and what a mess would that be. Either way, all JSF could have said was stuff Yuzu said anyway, but that wasn't enough for people. This age's obsession with knowing everything is quite annoying to be honest. If Yuzu says it's fine, can't we just believe him it's fine? At least until we know more?

 

As for Yuzu being closer to Ghislain, I think it's true, and partly because Brian has to be impartial, while Ghislain can dedicate himself mostly to Yuzu. Another big part is that apparently Yuzu and Ghislain are soulmates when it comes to jumps. When Ghislain mentioned his interest in biomechanics of jumps, it was like BINGO. I'm not sure how much Yuzu can discuss his studies in English, but they obviously share a common interest and probably have very similar attitudes towards jumps. I think putting them in contact was really great of Brian - though whether or not he saw this coming is questionable, as I'm not sure Brian knew Yuzu's interest in jumps was so detail oriented in 2014. That said, Yuzu has always made it clear that he understood Brian's focus on skating skills and all the other stuff aside from jumps and that he has adopted that as his philosophy. He wants the jumps, but he doesn't want jumping competitions. He focuses and obsesses over jumps, but only to perfect them to a level where he can include them in his intricate choreography without having to sacrifice anything. And I think Brian knows that, but it must still be hard to watch over Yuzu when he does these things and just let him do it and try to advise him so he won't get injured in the process. He knows Yuzu has to make his own choices, and I'm sure it's not always easy for him to watch Yuzu following through on these choices. At the end of the day, Brian is only human, too, he's not going to be perfect or react perfectly at all times. But I wonder how many coaches would hand off as much power to their skater as Brian does? How many coaches would say: "ok, you're the boss, I'm just here to support you"? TCC respects Yuzu and his decisions and they treat him like a responsible adult. Why must we make a mountain out of every molehill when TCC is literally the best training place in FS?

 

Maybe some people don't know how much and how viciously Brian was attacked after Yuzu moved there. How people were accusing him of mistreating Yuzu, worsening his asthma, destroying his style, trying to sexualize a teen and even some conspiracy theories that Brian was trying to ruin Yuzu to make the path clear for Patrick and Javi. Of course, these were a few crazies, but it's the same type of people who overreact on everything and create a fuss. And then there was the post-Boston mess when so many fans went after Brian, blaming him for focusing on Javi too much and how it was his fault Yuzu fell apart in the free. The comments then were really vicious and many called for Yuzu to leave TCC. Good thing Yuzu is more mature than that and he talked it out with his team. My point is Brian and TCC aren't perfect, but from every problem that has ever arisen, they have learned and made sure it didn't happen again. Yuzu obviously cares for them and appreciates them and on this, I trust him to know better whether they are good for him or not. Also, I'm pretty sure that face to face and towards them, Yuzu isn't really the type to keep quiet if he's unhappy with something, so I'm quite sure the issue will be discussed, solved and settled and measures will be taken to prevent this from happening again.

 

But instead of just moving on, we're letting Phil Hersh revive the whole issue. When we know he loves to stir up things and especially enjoys upsetting Yuzu fans and then insulting them. Do you honestly think if Brian had said: "JSF submitted Ghislain's name and I was surprised as I only found out about it later. But then I spoke to Yuzu and he told me he knew I was busy and wanted to give me a break, which was very nice of him, especially as I'll be away for the holidays again, with the double whammy of Japanese Nationals and Russian Nationals. On top of that, he was aiming to bring back 4Lz and for that, having the jump specialist Ghislain made more sense, so as usual - and as I had suspected - Yuzu had solid reasons for his choice and I fully agreed with it, once I knew the whole story." Phil would actually publish it like that? It wouldn't fit his narrative. Nevermind that his title is "Trouble in paradise?" but the very first statement Brian makes, that is quoted is that no, there is no trouble in paradise. Although, of course, Phil made full use of Brian adding an 'I think' or so there, that still throws a shadow of doubt, while Brian probably just didn't want to speak for Yuzu before speaking with Yuzu.

 

Brian has gone through many painful moments with his skaters, Yuna leaving did serious damage, to the point he once said he promised himself not to get emotionally attached to skaters anymore. Obviously he's failed in that, and thankfully so, but that will also mean that every bump is likely to hurt him more than any of us. The time spent before he and Yuzu finally clicked must have been hard. Yuzu's CoC accident must have been hard, as well as the rest of that season. Shanghai must have been hard, trying to balance his reactions. Boston was probably a nightmare. Yuzu's injury then probably adding to it. The Loop madness was probably hard. Then the Lutz madness. Then his emergency surgery, framed by his top two skaters, OGM candidates falling apart. Javi going silent, Yuzu injured. Having to balance between them again, when Javi had to continue his training, but Yuzu frustratingly couldn't even jump. Making it work somehow, only to then spend months not knowing if either of them was coming back and having to be ready to support whatever decision they made. Losing other skaters he spent much time, effort and emotion on (Stephen, Lilbet, Gabby, though maybe her a bit less, as Lee was always her main coach) Yes, even seeing that Yuzu clicked so much more quickly with Ghislain and growing closer after the NHK injury, must have caused mixed feelings, because that's a normal human reaction. Having to watch over Yuzu through another injury. I'm sure even witnessing the scoring mess and trying to find a strategy to fight it. And I'm sure he wasn't smiling and shrugging while watching Yuzu sitting alone in the KnC either. But when what one does or doesn't do on SNS matters more than what they're probably feeling and thinking - and that based on years of actions, rather than just words - well, no comment on that I guess.

 

And just for the record, I'm not saying Brian was correct in his actions, but what he did/didn't do, IMO, does not, in any way, justify all the outrage, and I'm not just talking about the comments on his instagram (which I also haven't read and have no intention of reading). It was all just amplified by people's negative emotional stage, but I hope we can all step back and just let it go already.

[Vulnavia]

15 minutes ago, KatjaThera said:

Brian probably just didn't want to speak for Yuzu before speaking with Yuzu.

 

Then he shouldn't have been speaking to Hersh about the situation at all, and especially not before he discussed it with Yuzu. (Or if he felt that giving no comment would look bad, he could have just simply stated that there is no problem at all between Yuzu and his coaching team and that they'll be with him next week at JNats.) Just like he should not have been doing 'everything is shiny and happy and wonderful here at the Cricket Club!!!!!' posts on Instagram while his top student was alone at a major competition, regardless of the circumstances. I've worked in PR and social media and I evaluate Brian's terrible PR game from that perspective. Not everyone who disagrees with you is some hysterical overly emotional fan just flipping out and overreacting.

[rockstaryuzu]

34 minutes ago, KatjaThera said:

But when what one does or doesn't do on SNS matters more than what they're probably feeling and thinking - and that based on years of actions, rather than just words - well, no comment on that I guess.

 

Well, I have a comment to make. 

 

I'm Brian's longtime fan. Since he was a skater. I've always watched what he's done and followed any news there was about him. One thing that's been a recurring theme in his life, is that he is always sincere in his intentions and he always does the best he can. Whether an observer would agree that what he does is the correct course of action or not, Brian's heart is now, always was, and probably always will be, in the right place. 

 

It hurts incredibly to see him get attacked like this (and I'm just a fan who never met him, not someone who works with him every day.). It hurts even more knowing that Yuzu trusts him, likes him, and respects him, as is evident by all their interactions that we've been able to see, and that Yuzu is probably hurt by seeing his fans viciously attack his coach for things that are a) often insignificant and b), frankly, not the fans' business to begin with.

 

Yuzu's coaches are clearly precious and important people to him. Why can't we fans respect that? None of us would attack his parents that way. No more should we be heaping abuse on his coaches, then, especially over a situation none of them could help. 

 

[quadaxelwin]

10 minutes ago, Vulnavia said:

 

Then he shouldn't have been speaking to Hersh about the situation at all, and especially not before he discussed it with Yuzu. (Or if he felt that giving no comment would look bad, he could have just simply stated that there is no problem at all between Yuzu and his coaching team and that they'll be with him next week at JNats.) Just like he should not have been doing 'everything is shiny and happy and wonderful here at the Cricket Club!!!!!' posts on Instagram while his top student was alone at a major competition, regardless of the circumstances. I've worked in PR and social media and I evaluate Brian's terrible PR game from that perspective. Not everyone who disagrees with you is some hysterical overly emotional fan just flipping out and overreacting.

 

 

Didn't Brian also call Yuzu "very sensitive" when he had that practice drama incident with Denis Ten at 2016 Worlds in Boston? I heard Denis used to purposely disrupt Yuzu's practice, and Yuzu got annoyed because it was getting repetitive. Then Orser opened his mouth by calling Yuzu "sensitive" and didn't defend Yuzu from the backlash that followed. This isn't the first time I've seen him open his mouth to the media in ways that was like "wah?"

However, I do feel Yuzu has chemistry with all 3 coaches at TCC; Tracy, Orser and Ghislain. Seeing as how Eteri camp also has 3 coaches for each top skater, maybe 3 is a magic number. I think whether or not Yuzu has a favorite coach doesn't matter, as long as all 3 contribute to coaching Yuzu, and as long as Yuzu feels happy at TCC.

I cannot imagine Yuzu training anywhere else, because he's been in TCC for almost 9 years now. It's his second home. 

 

Also I think TSL trying to create drama between Ghislain and Orser is not helping. Doug Haw should seriously text TSL to stop creating necessary drama about Yuzu's coaches. 

[Danibellerika]

7 minutes ago, quadaxelwin said:

Doug Haw should seriously text TSL to stop creating necessary drama about Yuzu's coaches.

 

Or he could stop giving them nuggets of gossip in the first place.  What does he even get out of this?