General Yuzuru Chat

[SparkleSalad]

2 minutes ago, xeyra said:

 

I understand after your last experience. 

 

Even booking the day before wouldn't have saved me last time.  Trauma lingers. I don't think I'll feel confident enough to book until after Olympics.

[ruruzest]

1 hour ago, MrPudding said:

The headline made me read it 

As for the content, I'd say same ol same ol stuff

Were they at ACI when I was there and broke down and cried at his presence ? ( a real cry complete with snots and tears)

[Danibellerika]

So happy to hear he is recovered! Part of me wants to see it to believe it, but I will take whatever positive news I can get.  I miss him terribly.  But back to the article. I read it on the train ride in to work and this line made me smile:

 

Quote

Several thousand of Hanyu’s fans had traveled from Japan, China, South Korea and the United States to see him compete.

One thing I really liked was that they acknowledged the various nationalities of his travelling fans.  FINALLY!!  Yes, not every Asian fan is Japanese!! And I'm pretty sure that bookstore he is talking about in Manhattan is Kinokuniya. When I was there a little after worlds there were a lot of magazines. A Yuzu mag was the first thing to greet me when I walked into the store and I felt like I was at home or something.  And then I was there in October and they had less magazines but still quite a few. 

 

Quote

Sayuri Arimoto, 50, a software engineer, had traveled from San Mateo, Calif., to see Hanyu, even if it left her co-workers puzzled. “You travel to Europe just for figure skating?” they asked her.

 

This is essentially me.  My first trip to Europe was to see a figure skating competition. I really didn't even see much of Helsinki.  But Yuzu made it so worth it. One of the happiest days of my life.  And now I'm going to South Korea to...see figure skating competitions but this was always a bucket list thing, Yuzu or no Yuzu. It's just now a lot more important because of him.  

[CupidsBow]

1 minute ago, Danibellerika said:

So happy to hear he is recovered! Part of me wants to see it to believe it, but I will take whatever positive news I can get.  I miss him terribly.  But back to the article. I read it on the train ride in to work and this line made me smile:

 

One thing I really liked was that they acknowledged the various nationalities of his travelling fans.  FINALLY!!  Yes, not every Asian fan is Japanese!! And I'm pretty sure that bookstore he is talking about in Manhattan is Kinokuniya. When I was there a little after worlds there were a lot of magazines. A Yuzu mag was the first thing to greet me when I walked into the store and I felt like I was at home or something.  And then I was there in October and they had less magazines but still quite a few. 

 

 

This is essentially me.  My first trip to Europe was to see a figure skating competition. I really didn't even see much of Helsinki.  But Yuzu made it worth it.  And now I'm going to South Korea to...see figure skating competitions but this was always a bucket list thing, Yuzu or no Yuzu. It's just now a lot more important because of him.  

 

I'm one of those people that only really travels if I have a purpose to go there. I would happily travel around europe or to canada or something for figure skating over just a random aimless holiday XD

[SparkleSalad]

Now that Javi's let slip, do you think we'll hear from Yuzu or Brian about it, too?

[Forcefield]

When did Jounetsu announce they were doing a special on Yuzu? Just wondering. I wonder if some filming crews have been going to Canada to get some film for features/documentaries after Olys, or if there's none at all because it's Olys season. Maybe TCC was the one saying no to any substantial updates or coverage on Yuzu.

[Fay]

 

 

 

[micaelis]

Well, I've read the NYT article, read it with the same attention to detail I used when years ago I was grading student writing as an English teacher at the University of Nebraska.  What I found was what others here have found, the writer did not display a real sense of the ambience of men's figure skating today.  I found it particularly revealing when he wrote of Yuzu's obsession with guads.  The way it was phrased, it seemed that Yuzu was unique in that respect.  The writer obviously did not know how quadmania is an obsession embracing all the top male skaters this day, a mania lying at the center of the perennial debate over athleticism vs aestheticism.  His concentration on the fans was also revealing, although it has to be said that much of what he said is valid.  The Hanyu fans are, in terms of their intensity and loyalty, unique amongst skating fans.  Like what was noted by a commentator several years ago, saying 'everywhere he goes it's a hometown crowd', that observation was partially true, the full truth being that his fans come from all over and not just Japan.  As such I think the writer was negligent.  He should have searched to see the whole breadth of Yuzu's fan base.  He didn't, so that's a mark against him.  What I do commend him for, however, is that he didn't attempt to refute claims that Yuzu is the greatest male skater ever.  He accepted such claims as valid.  I should note, however, that his stance does not actually endorse those claims but understands that those claims have good reasons for what they assert.  I do feel he was in error, but then he was writing for an American audience, so it's understandable, that he put Nathan Chen as Yuzu's rival for the gold.  In that respect he was obviously ignorant of the fact that this Olympics' men's field is one of the deepest ever.  There are seven potential claimants for the gold, although based on his record Yuzu is the obvious favorite.  By and large, though, I found the article acceptable.  I'd give it a C, maybe a C+, primarily on the fact that in general the portrayal of Yuzu was accurate and not overly critical.  I certainly think that the portrayal of Yuzu fans as obsessive, while a bit of an overstatement, was fundamentally true.  All you have to do is look at the Poohvalanches and the willingness to wait outside all night to get in, the willingness to get up at all hours of the day or night to watch him competing on TV or computer, all these things are true.  Some of the fans do almost cross the line, though.  I was looking at a Yuzu vid, his 2014 GPF freeskate and I saw a flower boy retrieve a bear (not a Pooh, this was just a plain brown bear) that was almost as big as the flower boy himself.  I have to say that that was a bit excessive.  On the other hand we Yuzu fans are proud of the fierceness and intensity of our admiration of him, realizing that we are admiring a person who is truly worthy of that admiration.  The thing is, the Yuzu fan base, to a great extent fueled by YouTube and Daily Motion, is constantly expanding.  Last year at this time I did not know Yuzu existed.  If it wasn't for my out of curiosity clicking on his 2017 WC freeskate while looking for bicycle road racing, I would have missed out on one of the great experiences of my life,  the discovery of an individual who is truly great and not the product of hype.  Yuzu needs no hype.  He's great enough to speak for himself. 

[Floria]

hace 16 minutos , Forcefield said:

When did Jounetsu announce they were doing a special on Yuzu? Just wondering. I wonder if some filming crews have been going to Canada to get some film for features/documentaries after Olys, or if there's none at all because it's Olys season. Maybe TCC was the one saying no to any substantial updates or coverage on Yuzu.

Sometimes I think that the lack of news is a part of TCC pre-olympic strategy. It is always more difficult to fight the unknown and for Yuzu it is an advantage now that his rivals (except Javi) know nothing about his current state and possible layout changes.

[kiches]

On 1/4/2018 at 8:20 AM, SparkleSalad said:

 

Hmmm, he is obsessive, though. Unbelievably, cartoon genius level obsessive. How else do you achieve perfection? I don't see it as bad.

 

Maybe because my quest to see him has so far been quite extreme given that I have to travel intercontinentally no matter where he competes but I didn't think those fans were anything but sensible human beings who have realised that such miraculous beauty is essential for a healthy soul.

Sorry, when I say the story is about obsession I (and the article) mean obsessive fans. He is clearly obsessed with figure skating, but I don't think anybody would fault an athlete for being so devoted to their sport. Don't worry, many of us here also have "extreme" stories about traveling to watch him skate - to me I liken it to fans of other sports traveling to see their favorite players or teams. In any regular sport this should be the norm! I'm certainly guilty of crossing the sea to watch him skate.

 

 

On 1/4/2018 at 8:31 AM, Yatagarasu said:

 

But it is a story about obsession. Only legends have this kind of following, which I think in a way was brought up through the mention of him being akin to an idol. The Michael Jackson reference is spot on; even now he inspires similar things but back in his glory day it was utter madness. It's what follows those who are greats. Yuzuru does have an almost fanatical fan base, a large one and that is exactly the short hand that you use to try and to explain just how great he is. Jackie's quote is also all right because notice he says they see Yuzuru for the first time. 
The whole thing sets the tone of just how much of a legend he is, starting from Lambiel's greatest ever, to finding the mooks in Manhattan, not Japan, to the atmosphere surrounding him, coupled with the he's that good he can win with reduced content, to Carroll's words being placed in such a way that it's obviously a salty outlier. We'll agree to disagree I guess because for me, it's excellent, minor wobbles aside.

 

Yes, the focus of the article was about obsession, but I think there was also a highlight of what some could see as an "unhealthy" level of obsession. On the whole I think the fans and perspectives included were more balanced than we find in other western article about him. I particularly liked the comments from the Japanese fan that was his neighbor in Sendai and the one that flew from Dubai. I think the less flattering accounts were of the woman who said she moved from China to Japan. I wish they had decided to include some non-asian fan comments, even the American fan they interviewed had a Japanese name - or even better, if they had some male fan comments! I think Jackie's quote itself is fine, because I think he's half exaggerating on purpose so it appears harmless to me. The mooks in Manhattan are also clearly at Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore chain - I can attest that my local Kinokuniyas in San Jose and San Francisco do not get the same selection of sports magazines or Yuzu content! To me, the article is okay overall as it at least offers varied degrees and stories of his fans - I just wished the writer had done a bit more research on actual figure skating since it's apparent he's not an expert and may not have even consulted one to proofread his work. I still want a print copy of this though, Yuzu in an American newspaper DURING US Nationals is rare, but probably an opportune time to publish such a piece.

[KatjaThera]

I share at @SparkleSalad's relief. Though I didn't get my picture taken, it was a relief not to be quoted again, as I dreaded what they'd say. And it's actually that first article that put a huge damp on this one. I talked to that writer for at least 10 minutes and all he found worth writing was that I was checking my phone for news every few minutes. I talked to him about why I like Yuzu and while admittedly my answers weren't as emotional as others, it would have maybe helped show the variety among fans. So, I guess, because of my own experience in talking to the guy - and I didn't particularly want to be quoted or named, but I did want him to consider my words more in his impressions - I see it in a not so great light.

 

Overall, the article seems kind of all over the place. He kind of jumps from topic to topic, like he doesn't really know what he wants to say. His words about Yuzu are very nice at times and he seems like he wants to compliment without fawning, but he also seems to completely fall off the wagon at times.

 

I also find the word 'obsession' to be offensive, as it often has negative connotations. Why can't they use 'devotion' or so? As for Yuzu's fixation on quads, I also find that offensive, because it takes ambition and balls to keep challenging. It would be so much easier to settle for what he can do and play safe. It'd also be nice if they mentioned the others' fixation on quads because it's the only way they can try to keep up with him.

 

And lastly, some of the quotes seem plucked from other interviews. Like the "I want to stir something in people's hearts" from the ANA interview last year or when it was. And that bugs me... And also makes me question everything in that article that I haven't heard from other, credible sources. Like the bus and coach pick-up stories. Especially since we've seen Yuzu often being driven to the club, most probably by his mother.

 

Also, and this is left-over from reading a ton of Western media articles about X Japan that made me want to tear my hair out with the inaccuracies, I'm very much against the "oh, it's Western/US media, inaccuracies are fine, just be happy they wrote anything at all." Honestly, from my PoV, if they can't get their facts straight, I'd rather they don't write anything at all.

 

That said, the article wasn't bad. And it got a lot of stuff right. Personally, I'd rather just label it as weird ^_^;

 

On the other topic, thank you, Javi! I feel a bit sad, because he seems to be playing down their friendship/companionship again - or maybe just setting the record straight - which may or may not be a consequence of fangirl comments. But I agree with who said separating them was a bad idea. I can see why it would seem like a good idea, but such a change in training habits in Oly season... but hopefully they know better.

 

Oh and regarding the quiet around Yuzu, my favorite thing in the whole NYT article, and I HOPE this is true, was Kobayashi with the timer, limiting journalists' time with Yuzu to around 5 minutes. It shows JSF - or at least Kobayashi - is looking out for him and will not let the media attention affect him. And remembering Brian said he believed the top three skaters being caught in a lot of media stuff until very late at night after the SP in Sochi played a big part in why they messed up in the FS, as they didn't get to rest much, I find that JSF attitude very encouraging.

[Forcefield]

3 minutes ago, KatjaThera said:

Oh and regarding the quiet around Yuzu, my favorite thing in the whole NYT article, and I HOPE this is true, was Kobayashi with the timer, limiting journalists' time with Yuzu to around 5 minutes. It shows JSF - or at least Kobayashi - is looking out for him and will not let the media attention affect him. And remembering Brian said he believed the top three skaters being caught in a lot of media stuff until very late at night after the SP in Sochi played a big part in why they messed up in the FS, as they didn't get to rest much, I find that JSF attitude very encouraging.

 

I'm glad you highlighted this part because it was a bright spot for me too, but with my tunnel vision and nature to let the bad stuff get to me, I had totally forgotten.

 

Now another prayer that plz plz plz have the media stuff cut short after the SP so all the men can rest.

[kiches]

@KatjaThera if you've ever seen some of Yuzuru's older documentaries before Sochi there was footage of him taking the subway in Toronto (when I went to Toronto for Skate Canada and did some sightseeing, I recognized the interior immediately when I saw it b/c of the documentary), so I don't doubt that there may be some truth to the bus anecdote.  I think Yuzu USED to take public transportation to the TCC, but nowadays he's driven there.

 

Due to his popularity I do think they have some non-standard protocols in how they transport him. They had him enter/leave from the back entrance at ACI last year due to the crowd, whereas the year before the crowd was much smaller and he came in through the front door like all the others. Sometimes that level of security is necessary to ensure his safety, although it makes me a bit sad that it's required. I think most fans at least respect his personal space and privacy outside of competitions.

[KatjaThera]

2 minutes ago, Forcefield said:

 

I'm glad you highlighted this part because it was a bright spot for me too, but with my tunnel vision and nature to let the bad stuff get to me, I had totally forgotten.

 

Now another prayer that plz plz plz have the media stuff cut short after the SP so all the men can rest.

With the events in the morning, it should be better, anyway, and no matter what, they should be able to get a decent night's sleep, I think. But yes, I hope JSF will keep him as away from it all as possible.

[KatjaThera]

1 minute ago, kiches said:

@KatjaThera if you've ever seen some of Yuzuru's older documentaries before Sochi there was footage of him taking the subway in Toronto (when I went to Toronto for Skate Canada and did some sightseeing, I recognized the interior immediately when I saw it b/c of the documentary), so I don't doubt that there may be some truth to the bus anecdote.  I think Yuzu USED to take public transportation to the TCC, but nowadays he's driven there.

 

Due to his popularity I do think they have some non-standard protocols in how they transport him. They had him enter/leave from the back entrance at ACI last year due to the crowd, whereas the year before the crowd was much smaller and he came in through the front door like all the others. Sometimes that level of security is necessary to ensure his safety, although it makes me a bit sad that it's required. I think most fans at least respect his personal space and privacy outside of competitions.

You're right, I remember that... and it did look like he was accustomed to it. But it could also have been for TV only. But that's just the skeptic in me lol. The chances of him getting recognized and followed back then were quite small, though, I think... But who knows?

 

However, if this story is true, it brings me back to that birthday ad in the TCC bus stop and my initial, negative reaction to it... so it's all quite