General Yuzuru Chat

[KatjaThera]

 

21 minutes ago, BWOZWaltz said:

 

 

The actual show starts 12 noon so I'd say the extra time is to allow for sponsor adv. It would be a recorded live not live streaming so they would edit some of the contents and that's probably where commentators (Nobu?) do their bit.

The doors open at noon, but the show starts at 1pm. And I'm pretty sure it's a live broadcast. Though they could do interviews and such afterwards, since the broadcast is 3 hours and the show is scheduled for 2 and a half.

 

18 minutes ago, eagle said:

 

Personally I think Yuzuru didnt manage to embody the aura of Prince, so to speak. He tried very hard, but it's just not in him.

I've seen Prince's performances, it felt different. A western skater or skater who's a hardcore fan of Prince would have done better.

Seimei, like Yuzu himself said, is more him.

Hope & legacy was too subtle in it's message/nuances, it didnt come across as rising up from Tsunami , even from my Asian eyes(that's what Shae LB said the message was)

 

Like I'm a fan of MJ, Michael Jackson(yeah yeah, same era as Prince). I know if a dancer does MJ's song close to MJ's moves. \

For instance, in one of the tribute to MJ, my friend was praising a Kpop idol for doing Smooth Criminal. I was <facepalming> , it was bad. I directed him to one of MJ's conserts where MJ performed Smooth Criminal, specifing look at the feet.

 

I don't think the purpose of LGC was really Yuzu becoming Prince, it was more becoming a rockstar. Going crazy and having fun and interacting with the audience. I admit, I'm that familiar with Prince, but I don't think he ever had any of those playful little gestures that Jeff - Western skater, no idea if hardcore Prince fan or not, though - incorporated into the choreography. So I'd say rather than Yuzu trying to be Prince, LGC was Yuzu taking inspiration from Prince and becoming his own brand of rockstar (a very Japanese thing to do, actually...) But that's just my take on it. It was a tribute, yes, but I don't think becoming Prince was his goal.

 

And I do wonder about the tsunami thing as well. I can sort of see it as Yuzu's story, in a very abstract way, but personally, Yuzu's take about it being about nature fits much better. Whatever it is, it's so incredibly beautiful that I find it hard to believe anyone - not meaning you, particularly - would put it down just because it doesn't have a clear message.

 

I'd also argue that while Yuzu probably perfectly embodied a traditional Seimei or a historical one - I admit, I don't have enough knowledge to say so myself, but I have seen people with more knowledge say he did it perfectly - as far as Onmyouji movie Seimei, they didn't even go near the more playful side of Seimei, which actually really surprised me when I watched the movie, after seeing Yuzu's performances. So one could even argue it's incomplete, though it was obviously what they aimed for, the serious Seimei.

 

11 minutes ago, kiches said:

@KatjaThera and @eagle I’m not that familiar with Prince but I thought the program suited Yuzu just fine and I think others would agree, and I think the judges appreciated it too. It’s just that he never skated it squeaky clean so he didn’t get to score too high with it. If he had I expected it would’ve easily been a new WR at the time.

 

You could be right. It just seemed to me that imperfect Chopin was still scored higher than imperfect LGC, though I haven't actually checked the numbers. But like I said, it's just an impression, probably born out of my bias for LGC lol

[BWOZWaltz]

On 4/7/2018 at 3:28 PM, singermelodie1 said:

  Reveal hidden contents

interesting

 

 

I can't decide wether I should be at Stéphane or at the cameraman. [admin edit: inappropriate] 

 

On 4/7/2018 at 10:04 PM, Forcefield said:

 

 

I am not okay with this hairstyle

 

unless he's skating as a samurai (okita souji).

 

I think Okita souji is a good choice as some of samurai hair style involves "boldness" on the top but many of the images of Okita is not the bold one. However, Yuzu previously referred his face as "kuge" (aristocratic class) face so his face is not really a warrior but more an aristocrat. Abe no Seimei was a spiritual adviser kind of position to many of the nobles and emperors at the time and I think Yuzu definitely suits that kind of profession more than samurai. Having said that, in the making of the CM for Monster Hunt, Yuzu said he likes using axe as his chosen weapon so he likes to be a warrior with power.

Also we have to consider about his hair type before any hairstyle change can happen. His hair looks really thick and straight so it'd be difficult for him to grow it really long...tons of wax or mousse to control it. He said his out-of-the-bed hair is like antler beetle with hair sticking out here and there... I love to see that!!

 

[eagle]

13 minutes ago, KatjaThera said:

 

The doors open at noon, but the show starts at 1pm. And I'm pretty sure it's a live broadcast. Though they could do interviews and such afterwards, since the broadcast is 3 hours and the show is scheduled for 2 and a half.

 

I don't think the purpose of LGC was really Yuzu becoming Prince, it was more becoming a rockstar. Going crazy and having fun and interacting with the audience. I admit, I'm that familiar with Prince, but I don't think he ever had any of those playful little gestures that Jeff - Western skater, no idea if hardcore Prince fan or not, though - incorporated into the choreography. So I'd say rather than Yuzu trying to be Prince, LGC was Yuzu taking inspiration from Prince and becoming his own brand of rockstar (a very Japanese thing to do, actually...) But that's just my take on it. It was a tribute, yes, but I don't think becoming Prince was his goal.

 

And I do wonder about the tsunami thing as well. I can sort of see it as Yuzu's story, in a very abstract way, but personally, Yuzu's take about it being about nature fits much better. Whatever it is, it's so incredibly beautiful that I find it hard to believe anyone - not meaning you, particularly - would put it down just because it doesn't have a clear message.

 

I'd also argue that while Yuzu probably perfectly embodied a traditional Seimei or a historical one - I admit, I don't have enough knowledge to say so myself, but I have seen people with more knowledge say he did it perfectly - as far as Onmyouji movie Seimei, they didn't even go near the more playful side of Seimei, which actually really surprised me when I watched the movie, after seeing Yuzu's performances. So one could even argue it's incomplete, though it was obviously what they aimed for, the serious Seimei.

 

 

You could be right. It just seemed to me that imperfect Chopin was still scored higher than imperfect LGC, though I haven't actually checked the numbers. But like I said, it's just an impression, probably born out of my bias for LGC lol

On LGC, I'll put it down to me being old school. I get it on Yuzu trying to be his own brand of rockstar, doesnt come across as that either for me. Yuzu is Yuzu, he doesnt have rockstar aura, he doesnt need to be one. Japanese are naturally more restrained anyway.

 

Oh, dont get me wrong, I loved Yuzu's H&L performance, not so much cos of the WR but the subtle nuances. That's Yuzu & very Japanese, lol.

The main point I was addressing on the - Yuzu felt audience not appreciating him trying out LGC& Hope & Legacy topic. I vaguely recall Orser saying in an interview that he(Orser) felt it was too quiet but Yuzu wanted to do it anyway.

 

[KatjaThera]

3 minutes ago, eagle said:

On LGC, I'll put it down to me being old school. I get it on Yuzu trying to be his own brand of rockstar, doesnt come across as that either for me. Yuzu is Yuzu, he doesnt have rockstar aura, he doesnt need to be one. Japanese are naturally more restrained anyway.

 

Oh, dont get me wrong, I loved Yuzu's H&L performance, not so much cos of the WR but the subtle nuances. That's Yuzu & very Japanese, lol.

The main point I was addressing on the - Yuzu felt audience not appreciating him trying out LGC& Hope & Legacy topic. I vaguely recall Orser saying in an interview that he(Orser) felt it was too quiet but Yuzu wanted to do it anyway.

 

It could be we have different standards for rockstars lol I thought he pulled it off pretty well.

 

I guess H&L might be too subtle for some yeah... and maybe the WR performance does influence my overall impression, but I think it's quite perfect. Also, personally, I'd much rather Yuzu experiment like that than just settle into a pattern. But I hope even Brian grew to appreciate H&L in the end.

[robin]

10 minutes ago, eagle said:

Yuzu is Yuzu, he doesnt have rockstar aura, he doesnt need to be one. Japanese are naturally more restrained anyway.

 

Yuzu is not restrained, at all. It feels to me you are trying to see Yuzu from a limited, what you think Japanese people are like, perspective but that’s a misrepresentation of him. Yuzu is a rockstar and he owns it 

[valkyrie]

3 minutes ago, eagle said:

On LGC, I'll put it down to me being old school. I get it on Yuzu trying to be his own brand of rockstar, doesnt come across as that either for me. Yuzu is Yuzu, he doesnt have rockstar aura, he doesnt need to be one. Japanese are naturally more restrained anyway.

 

Oh, dont get me wrong, I loved Yuzu's H&L performance, not so much cos of the WR but the subtle nuances. That's Yuzu & very Japanese, lol.

The main point I was addressing on the - Yuzu felt audience not appreciating him trying out LGC& Hope & Legacy topic. I vaguely recall Orser saying in an interview that he(Orser) felt it was too quiet but Yuzu wanted to do it anyway.

 

 

japanese people aren't inherently more restrained or suited to certain types of performance styles than anyone else though. you can say that you think lgc didn't suit yuzuru specifically, but that's nothing really to do with his race or nationality...

[Fay]

By Japanese standards, Yuzu is anything but restrained - and he does have a rock star aura about him, you can believe me, I saw him live. He kept the audience riveted while doing nothing but crossovers in black UA - and he sure knew that. In fact, after seeing a number of Japanese skaters perform, I refuse to believe that fable of restrained Japanese skaters - our Russian skaters could do with a lesson of two of becoming so much at one with music and performing with it as well as letting their emotions take over. 

It’s just that LGC happens to be a competitive SP with a very difficult layout and crazily intricate steps - all of them earning points. So it’s an athletic program first and foremost, there’s no denying that. The late Prince didn’t have the daunting task of landing quads and doing spins - so there’s no way Yuzu could have lost control over what he did. We can hardly blame him for that. 

[nihil]

6 minutes ago, eagle said:

Yuzu is Yuzu, he doesnt have rockstar aura, he doesnt need to be one.

I love rock and Yuzu does have rockstar aura, and it's natural, I would say.

[yuzupon]

@eagle I'm kinda curious. If you say Yuzu doesn't have a rockstar aura, who among the skaters would you say have it? Or none of them, probably, because they are not, you know, rockstars?

[robin]

4 minutes ago, Fay said:

By Japanese standards, Yuzu is anything but restrained - and he does have a rock star aura about him, you can believe me, I saw him live. He kept the audience riveted while doing nothing but crossovers in black UA - and he sure knew that. In fact, after seeing a number of Japanese skaters perform, I refuse to believe that fable of restrained Japanese skaters - our Russian skaters could do with a lesson of two of becoming so much at one with music and performing with it as well as letting their emotions take over. 

It’s just that LGC happens to be a competitive SP with a very difficult layout and crazily intricate steps - all of them earning points. So it’s an athletic program first and foremost, there’s no denying that. The late Prince didn’t have the daunting task of landing quads and doing spins - so there’s no way Yuzu could have lost control over what he did. We can hardly blame him for that. 

 

Yup, Yuzu isn’t even the only example of a Japanese skater who can perform the heck out of an extroverted program 

[eagle]

10 minutes ago, valkyrie said:

 

japanese people aren't inherently more restrained or suited to certain types of performance styles than anyone else though. you can say that you think lgc didn't suit yuzuru specifically, but that's nothing really to do with his race or nationality...

My opinions are derived from directly dealing with Japanese people in real life. Plus I'm Asian. We ARE inherently more restrained than the regular westerner who speaks their minds. We have rules & behaviour protocols to follow, seriously. And I'm said to be westernized thinking cos I break a lot of the rules, ok.

So, you guys dont have to be so defensive about it, I'm saying as an actual Asian living in Asia.

 

[KatjaThera]

I'm not @eagle, so I'm not sure if this is correct, but I don't think the intention was for that comment to refer to race or nationality as much as culture.

 

I could be wrong, too, but generally, culturally, and as a result of their upbringing, the Japanese are more restrained than Westerners. Certain things are frowned upon in Japan, as far as I know. Of course, that is changing and has been changing and it's not quite the same anymore, but it's still more so than in many places in the West.

 

But Yuzu has always been passionate and a little wild, especially by those cultural standards, on the ice at least - though it sometimes 'leaks' off the ice as well. So I don't think he really is that much more restrained, if at all, on the ice. (Although, if you compare early LGC with later LGC, you can see how he gained confidence from the more hesitant performances in the early days. But IMO, that had more to do with confidence and finding the kind of rockstar behavior he was comfortable with than cultural restraint.)

[Fay]

2 minutes ago, eagle said:

My opinions are derived from directly dealing with Japanese people in real life. Plus I'm Asian. We ARE inherently more restrained than the regular westerner who speaks their minds. We have rules & behaviour protocols to follow, seriously.

So, you guys dont have to be so defensive about it, I'm saying as an actual Asian living in Asia.

 

Yeah, but you’re confusing real ordinary life and performing on the ice. Every single skater aims at becoming a different persona while performing - and Japanese skaters are more successful at it than most. I’m a fair judge - as most of us are - because I’m non-Asian. 

And Yuzu just rocks. he’s a natural with stuff like PW and LGC. 

[robin]

2 minutes ago, eagle said:

My opinions are derived from directly dealing with Japanese people in real life. Plus I'm Asian. We ARE inherently more restrained than the regular westerner who speaks their minds. We have rules & behaviour protocols to follow, seriously. And I'm said to be westernized thinking cos I break a lot of the rules, ok.

So, you guys dont have to be so defensive about it, I'm saying as an actual Asian living in Asia.

 

 

Projecting your own experience with Japanese people on Yuzu, no matter how representative your experience is, might not be accurate. Yes, Yuzu does not express his opinions too directly and has a very intelligent and diplomatic way with words, but when it comes to expressing his emotions he is very unrestrained. 

[eagle]

7 minutes ago, yuzupon said:

@eagle I'm kinda curious. If you say Yuzu doesn't have a rockstar aura, who among the skaters would you say have it? Or none of them, probably, because they are not, you know, rockstars?

Not skaters of course. Off hand, hmm, Freddie Mercury leaves an impression. He was the one who popularised We will rock you.

 

From US , Bruce SPringsteen. These are 1980s guys.  Michael Jackson was pop star

 

It's ok ya all, younger generation taste is different. The younger generation can go gaga over Justin Bieber(which we facepalm at,hahaha) so I would reckon the current rockstar landscape is different