General Yuzuru Chat

[MrPudding]

it's on the train now

[matchanodoame]

2 hours ago, SparkleSalad said:

Have any famous mangaka done his portrait, yet? If not, why not, and when will they?

 

2 hours ago, kaeryth said:

 

Lotte did a Yuzu x Tatsuki Fujimoto (Fire Punch Manga Artist) for the 20th anniversary of Xylitol.

 

 

Source with article on the collaboration [X]

 

After Sochi some of them did. I'll just drop the link to the article here https://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/17/ah-my-goddess-patlabor-artists-draw-figure-skating-gold-medalist-hanyu/

[katonice]

The poster seems to have been a collaboration from fans from different countries.  

 

While I also feel that the gesture is a little bit too much (bit too "stalkerish" for me), I do appreciate the thoughts and feelings that went behind the initiative, and that it's bourne out of genuine love and support for Yuzu. I'm hoping that Yuzu will see it the same way, and that he'll feel more encouraged by it rather than uncomfortable (and not too embarrassed lol). 

[SparkleSalad]

42 minutes ago, matchanodoame said:

 

After Sochi some of them did. I'll just drop the link to the article here https://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/17/ah-my-goddess-patlabor-artists-draw-figure-skating-gold-medalist-hanyu/

 

How to unsee JoJo... >_<

 

I'm surprised by how... not great at capturing him these professionals are. This is the only one I think comes close:

 

 

 

[Xen]

28 minutes ago, katonice said:

The poster seems to have been a collaboration from fans from different countries.  

 

While I also feel that the gesture is a little bit too much (bit too "stalkerish" for me), I do appreciate the thoughts and feelings that went behind the initiative, and that it's bourne out of genuine love and support for Yuzu. I'm hoping that Yuzu will see it the same way, and that he'll feel more encouraged by it rather than uncomfortable (and not too embarrassed lol). 

Hmm, interesting question. When do certain actions by fans become "stalkerish"? Where do we draw the line between acceptable behavior and non-acceptable behavior. 

I think at this point, he's learned to take everything in stride, even if he's super embarrassed or uncomfortable. And the feelings behind the poster is of course, understandable, just well wishes from fans. 

 

The problem with any action we do as fans, is whether what we do is for the benefit of the star/athlete/idol etc that we admire, or is it just a way for us to vent our feelings. In so far as public declarations are concerned, I guess I err on the side of more subtlety, where the person in question can kind of either leave it or take it. Kind of like the banner that we gathered here-it's something that he can hide in the deep recesses of a closet if he's embarrassed by it. Or proudly hang it up on a wall. But the key is that where the banner hangs, that's up to him to decide-we got our feelings and messages across, but how to deal with it is up to him and in his own private sphere. Same with scrapbooks-he can choose how he wants to proceed. And even the world map that we made-even though it is public, there's still a bit of privacy left. Being that it's up to him how he wants to deal with it (he can get the link and choose not to open it, or choose where to open it). The map also took quite a bit of coding effort, so I think that would be quite appreciated by him (since it seems he likes gifts that have effort in its creation), and the fact it is so inclusive and open to everyone around the world will make him happy.  But that's why I'm a bit hesitant to send fanart of say Yuzu, to Yuzu- it's a bit more in your face, and more about me and using him as a muse, than anything that he asked for. Unless he actually says its okay or asks to see my fanart, I think it's better if I share it just among fans. =)

 

[SparkleSalad]

37 minutes ago, katonice said:

The poster seems to have been a collaboration from fans from different countries.  

 

While I also feel that the gesture is a little bit too much (bit too "stalkerish" for me), I do appreciate the thoughts and feelings that went behind the initiative, and that it's bourne out of genuine love and support for Yuzu. I'm hoping that Yuzu will see it the same way, and that he'll feel more encouraged by it rather than uncomfortable (and not too embarrassed lol). 

 

Oh, no doubt they were being super sweet. I probably sounded too mean. I'm sure at least it will make for a good anecdote for him when at age 50 he's asked to describe the insane levels of popularity he experienced at the height of his career.

[CupidsBow]

3 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

I think in Japan, or even elsewhere would have been fine and fun. But that it's right next to the place where he feels safe and safely away from that kind of attention is what bugs me.

 

And I understand what you mean re: fanart, I mentioned it, too, though it was more of an afterthought. I probably don't fully understand, because I don't do it myself, but somewhat, I do. I just think it's better if it's about skating. like, fanart of him skating. (I have in my head the image of a fanart of just his smiling face from Asaichi, that was nice, indeed, but...)

 

Anyway, I don't necessarily mean focused on the stuff he likes, but just to think more about him. And of course, his favorite thing is skating, which brings me back to fanart of his skating being ok, especially if it's full body (by my standards, which might not be worth much lol).

 

I get both sides here. I'm in Seoul and into kpop so I can say it is super common here for fans to rent out ad spaces either in heavily populated areas or areas near whether the idol's company is, not just bus stop but the sides of buses, in subway spaces, inside subway trains, inside cafes (on the calling bells that let customers know when their drink is ready) literally anywhere they can get them. It's is partially as the gesture for the idol, partially for promotion, but also partially as an ego thing for the fans.

I'm sure the fans that put the birthday message at the bus stop outside TCC meant it as a purely sweet gesture and I see that. But I also see how it's kinda creepy a touch intrusive and it just doesn't really translate well there. He's not an idol. He doesn't need promoting. Especially not in Canada... Not when he's mentioned pretty explicitly a few times he doesn't like being treated like an idol and sees tcc as his little safe space where he can walk around freely and not be bothered.

Idk it might have worked better if put up in Japan or hell in Korea with a good luck message for pyeongchang as a kind of way to promote him as an olympic medal contender? send picture of that to the internet and hes bound to catch wind of fans in different countries doing that form him...

 

I don't want to put down the fans for doing it because i understand where the gesture comes from, as someone who has chipped in for a subway add for my nugu fave's birthday. But there are, uh, negatives. Hopefully he won't be creeped out by it and will take it as the heartfelt gesture of fan support it was intended as. 

 

Also yeah, if he mentioned something he wanted he'd get flooded with it. a member of a korean boy group mentioned he wanted a macbook and received like 10 from fans. any time an idol mentions something specific they want now they get called out for fishing for fangifts.

 

It would be WAY better if Yuzu fans were to take any Kpop birthday-event trend they dont get gifts and don't rent ad spaces but instead raise money for a charity and donate in his name. That and sponsoring chunks of land for forest restoration are probably the best birthday projects i see happening.

[axelsandwich]

9 minutes ago, CupidsBow said:

It would be WAY better if Yuzu fans were to take any Kpop birthday-event trend they dont get gifts and don't rent ad spaces but instead raise money for a charity and donate in his name. That and sponsoring chunks of land for forest restoration are probably the best birthday projects i see happening.

Yeah, I agree with that -- I think sending donations to places or causes he cares about (eg. Ice Rink Sendai, skating help for disadvantaged kids, funding asthma research or something) would be great as a future initiative. 

[CupidsBow]

1 minute ago, kaerb said:

Yeah, I agree with that -- I think sending donations to places or causes he cares about (eg. Ice Rink Sendai, skating help for disadvantaged kids, funding asthma research or something) would be great as a future initiative. 

 

I put this forward as a Planet Hanyu birthday project for next year. 

[Neenah]

13 minutes ago, Xen said:

Hmm, interesting question. When do certain actions by fans become "stalkerish"? Where do we draw the line between acceptable behavior and non-acceptable behavior. 

I think at this point, he's learned to take everything in stride, even if he's super embarrassed or uncomfortable. And the feelings behind the poster is of course, understandable, just well wishes from fans. 

 

The problem with any action we do as fans, is whether what we do is for the benefit of the star/athlete/idol etc that we admire, or is it just a way for us to vent our feelings. In so far as public declarations are concerned, I guess I err on the side of more subtlety, where the person in question can kind of either leave it or take it. Kind of like the banner that we gathered here-it's something that he can hide in the deep recesses of a closet if he's embarrassed by it. Or proudly hang it up on a wall. But the key is that where the banner hangs, that's up to him to decide-we got our feelings and messages across, but how to deal with it is up to him and in his own private sphere. Same with scrapbooks-he can choose how he wants to proceed. And even the world map that we made-even though it is public, there's still a bit of privacy left. Being that it's up to him how he wants to deal with it (he can get the link and choose not to open it, or choose where to open it). The map also took quite a bit of coding effort, so I think that would be quite appreciated by him (since it seems he likes gifts that have effort in its creation), and the fact it is so inclusive and open to everyone around the world will make him happy.  But that's why I'm a bit hesitant to send fanart of say Yuzu, to Yuzu- it's a bit more in your face, and more about me and using him as a muse, than anything that he asked for. Unless he actually says its okay or asks to see my fanart, I think it's better if I share it just among fans. =)

 

 

I agree with the bolded part all the way and it is my problem with that panel. Yuzuru was not given a choice whether he wants his face displayed publicly there or not, and that is not okay. Also, I don't see the need for the gift to be to be so in your face like this?!!! wouldn't it be better to have it in sandai and then put a picture of it on social media, I am sure he will see it and it won't cause him any embarrassment.

Yuzuru is not an idol and I think that anything outside of his skating and his planned public appearances is off limit to the fans. He does not need publicity but he does need to have a safe and quiet place where he can focus on himself.

 

I don't think that this particular panel is bad but I worry what else is coming with the fans getting bolder and encouraged by these actions. Some lines need to be drawn so that we as fans do not cause him any discomfort, or harm him and his family and friends in any way. And we all need to remember that what we consider okay may not be what he thinks acceptable.

[CupidsBow]

2 minutes ago, Neenah said:

 

I agree with the bolded part all the way and it is my problem with that panel. Yuzuru was not given a choice whether he wants his face displayed publicly there or not, and that is not okay. Also, I don't see the need for the gift to be to be so in your face like this?!!! wouldn't it be better to have it in sandai and then put a picture of it on social media, I am sure he will see it and it won't cause him any embarrassment.

Yuzuru is not an idol and I think that anything outside of his skating and his planned public appearances is off limit to the fans. He does not need publicity but he does need to have a safe and quiet place where he can focus on himself.

 

I don't think that this particular panel is bad but I worry what else is coming with the fans getting bolder and encouraged by these actions. Some lines need to be drawn so that we as fans do not cause him any discomfort, or harm him and his family and friends in any way. And we all need to remember that what we consider okay may not be what he thinks acceptable.

 

nnnggghhhh this. it being something coming out of kpop fandom (though i guess it might be common elsewhere? idk) i do kinda worry we're going to get the very often toxic trait in kpop fandom of fans constantly trying to one up each other hot on it's heels. this can be great if the fans are trying to one up each other in charity donations (it happens) but it gets real dumb real fast. that's why you had an ad space in time square being rented, so that fan group can go 'top that' to whoever they are rivals with. That's why there was a trend of fans paying to name stars after idols (? which i'm pretty sure is a scam anyway?) but it's also where sasaeng culture comes from. oppa will remember me cuz i slapped him! oppa will remember be because i sent him a letter written in blood! oppa will remember me cuz i slept under his sink for a week! Oppa will remember me because i spiked his drink with laxatives! etc. let's never go there yeah.

[axelsandwich]

1 hour ago, KatjaThera said:

The problem isn't so much about taking them down - and somehow I don't see people selling ad space as being particularly copyright conscious. But we also have to remember ISU claims the rights to every footage that is taken during ISU events. And everything else is either printed or online media. Non-copyrighted stuff would be just stuff like him posing for fans outside of venues, or those pictures taken with him at TCC or so. With Japanese copyright laws being extremely strict, we inevitably break them now and then, but my answer was more in reaction to the headphones or Pooh would be copyright infringement. Admittedly, it'd be copyright infringement more obvious and easily recognizable to the Canadian authorities, but, technically, just about anything would be copyright infringement ^_^;

Well no, performer's copyright over their own image if fan-taken especially in sports is actually a grey area in copyright law (at least in Aus) because it's questionable whether they fall under a protected copyright subject matter even though you may intuitively think they should (performers have moral rights but they don't really apply in this situation/would be hard to argue). So infringement in that 'raw' situation is not guaranteed. ISU/the venue claiming rights to footage via contract is a good point though that would potentially remove the ambiguities and give copyright to ISU (I'd have to look at the T&Cs of the tickets to see exactly what they're claiming). Japanese copyright laws don't have anything to do with the situation if the ISU has copyright, unless they took the image from a JP broadcaster. 

[Xen]

25 minutes ago, CupidsBow said:

 

I put this forward as a Planet Hanyu birthday project for next year. 

Actually, I thought of this when you mentioned charity projects:

--Since Yuzu always wanted to help the sport along, help other skaters and athletes, I was thinking maybe we can setup a charity foundation in his honor. It's not necessarily for skaters who train at Sendai, but possibly for skaters in the Miyagi region. And said fund can help cover some of the competition fees, equipment fees etc that are incurred in the course of training. 

-Now of course, this is super ambitious, and I'm not sure if we have anyone in our fandom who knows how said foundations work in either US, Canada, Europe, China or even Japan. But possibly a trust or an NGO basis. And then there are issues how taxes work. But I think this is a type of foundation/trust that would be a terrific contribution on his behalf to the skating world. 

- He already has something working since some of the money from his biographies are going to Ice Rink Sendai. The question is is it easy to hook up such an initiative with the existing fund for the ice rink? 

 

Edit: I don't think this will work as a birthday project. More like what happens when he decides to...that...project.

 

 

[axelsandwich]

19 minutes ago, CupidsBow said:

 

nnnggghhhh this. it being something coming out of kpop fandom (though i guess it might be common elsewhere? idk) i do kinda worry we're going to get the very often toxic trait in kpop fandom of fans constantly trying to one up each other hot on it's heels. this can be great if the fans are trying to one up each other in charity donations (it happens) but it gets real dumb real fast. that's why you had an ad space in time square being rented, so that fan group can go 'top that' to whoever they are rivals with. That's why there was a trend of fans paying to name stars after idols (? which i'm pretty sure is a scam anyway?) but it's also where sasaeng culture comes from. oppa will remember me cuz i slapped him! oppa will remember be because i sent him a letter written in blood! oppa will remember me cuz i slept under his sink for a week! Oppa will remember me because i spiked his drink with laxatives! etc. let's never go there yeah.

Let's not think too many steps ahead - there isn't another fandom for a skater that is on equal footing with Yuzu's fandom. So I don't think there will be any one-upping happening anytime soon. Kpop's cesspool of toxic fan culture dysfunction is systematic and spans decades (aided and abetted by the entertainment agencies themselves =___=). This is hopefully just a one-off fan gesture, albeit slightly misguided. If they do it again, if it stays for too long or he/someone else from TCC expresses discomfort about the issue, then cause for a bigger pushback. 

[SparkleSalad]

15 minutes ago, CupidsBow said:

but it's also where sasaeng culture comes from. oppa will remember me cuz i slapped him! oppa will remember be because i sent him a letter written in blood! oppa will remember me cuz i slept under his sink for a week! Oppa will remember me because i spiked his drink with laxatives! etc. let's never go there yeah.

 

That sounds like the furthest thing from culture...

 

I don’t understand any of this fan stuff - I think sending expensive gifts and renting ads is too much even with celebrities - but I think the donation idea is very nice and something I’d be a part of.