General Yuzuru Chat

[Lambari]

If he doesn't come up with a new competitive program next season (even if I'm hoping for a new short) I hope that he has a new EX.  He said that he couldn't skate to Masquerade because it's too draining, but he could explore a different style in a EX without the competitive/technical constraints.  Though It's probable that he will use Crystal Memories since It's choreographed by David Wilson and has english lyrics. But It's too similar to the style of EX he has always done and I'm honestly not a big fan of it compared to the others (choreo, song etc).

[bubbletea0712]

2 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

I sometimes wonder how embarrassed Yuzu might feel to face these people who get attacked by his fans online... I'd be surprised if there was no awkwardness facing Johnny this Summer. Or how it must have been to see Lilian after this mess. Or any of the other people who get attacked. I imagine how he probably has to apologize to some of these people and that alone would be enough to make me shut up. It's irrelevant if the people that were attacked were really in the wrong or not. Yuzu and his team can handle it when people are in the wrong (see Johnny at FaOI, although that was apparently poorly handled, IMO). He still has to meet most of them and be civil and I know I'd feel like crap. Especially when the fans aren't very often calmly pointing out things or explaining. Many times they're vicious and that's unacceptable, regardless of anything. And Yuzu is the one who has to apologize for it or at the very least face these people and act like nothing's wrong. Yuzu is against bullying of any kind. I don't understand why his fans just cannot comprehend that.

 

Also, this kind of knee-jerk, vicious reaction also contributes to the bad reputation of Yuzu fans. And gives arguments to those claiming we're all just mindless fangirls who will crucify anyone who isn't pro-Yuzu. All fans are so mad about that reputation, but then some of them go and act in ways that only seem to confirm it... I don't get people, sometimes, I really don't...

Somehow.....after my mental breakdown by stress from figure skating I realized that we can do NOTHING. Bad people will always bad people nothing gonna stop them. It just can't help it. I know it's sad but just think about it. Some of us may picture other skater fan that bully Yuzu bad but there are good one too and can they do anything? I think we should do what we should and not do what we know it's bad. (This is just an opinion from me.)

P.S. You guys can share opinion with me. Maybe I'm wrong and my dark mood can't find any better solution......

[Veveco]

On a lighter note:

 

 

[Anki]

I was wondering whether Origin is a more difficult and judges unfriendly program, as compared to say H&L and Seimei. So I decided to compare the first three skates of the LP from the last three seasons (which all had four quads). I stopped at three as 2017/18 season only had three. I counted Worlds 2019 as the third time for Origin because RoC 2018 LP was a complete Yolo on the spot with injuries bad enough to need crutches - so really an anomaly. Also I think it is ok to compare NHK 16 to Olympics 18 and Worlds 19 because Yuzu couldn't train properly under injuries for 2-3 months. Image training can't really make up for lost competition skating and judges familiarity. it is fair to say his Olympics 18 & Worlds 19 physical state was likely where he may have been at 2nd GP or GPF had he not get injured, since it's usually when he peaks in the past too. With that in mind, the number of visible major mistakes he made and the PCS he got are listed for comparison:

 

Hope & Legacy (2016/17 year) 

ACI - 2 bad landings, 2 falls. PCS: 86.6

SC - 1 fall, 1 pop. PCS: 88.12

NHK - 1 fall. PCS: 92.52

Average PCS: 89.08

 

Seimei 2.0 (2017/18 year)

ACI - 2 bad landings, 1 pop, 1 fall. PCS: 89.5

RoC - 1 bad landing, 1 pop. PCS: 94.38

Olympics - 2 bad landings. PCS: 96.62

Average PCS: 93.5

 

Origin (2018/19 year) 

ACI - 2 bad landings, 1 fall, 1 pop.  PCS: 87.9 

Helsinki - 3 bad landings.  PCS: 92.42

Worlds -  1 bad landing.  PCS: 95.84

Average PCS: 92.05

 

Interestingly, Yuzu makes similar amounts of visible mistakes in the first three skates each year (although bad landings are less severe than falls).  So Origin isn't necessarily much more difficult. Using PCS as a guide, it appears whilst judges liked Seimei 2.0 slightly more than Origin, they liked Origin more than H&L at similar stages. However, Seimei 2.0 may also be getting higher PCS due to it being the second season, and had a reputation already. If you compare the average PCS of the first three skates of Seimei 1.0, it is slightly lower than 2.0.  

 

Semei 1.0 (2015/16 year)

ACI - 1 fall, 1 bad landing. PCS: 92.1

SC - 2 bad landings, 1 fall. PCS: 88.94

NHK - completely clean PCS: 97.2

Average PCS: 92.75

 

Between two seasons, Seimei was skated 9 times (cleaned on third go, but it only had three quads). In one season, H&L was skated 7 times (and only cleaned on 6th time). Like said above, Origin only had a proper skate of 3 times. So it really needs a few more outings before a proper comparison can be made. If you look at early stages, its trajectory is actually better than H&L.

 

[micaelis]

I've been thinking quite a lot recently about being a Yuzu fan and with the interest in this thread right now being focused on that I think it right to add a few words to the conversation.

 

First, after looking at what other skaters have in terms of fan interest sites and such I can say, at least for those in the English language, that this site here in scale and activity has no parallel to be found for any other skater.  As for Yuzu himself it has no peer.  In many ways it could be labeled Hanyu Central.  I can't imagine that Yuzu doesn't know about us here and doesn't keep tabs.  He is always considerate of his fans and what way to better know his fans than through the Planet.

 

Second, being a Yuzu fan is more than just having an interest, or even an obsession.  It's a way of life and like all ways of life it has its do's and don't's.  I'm not sure how Yuzu fans act on other Yuzu sites but on this site decorum is mandated.  Moreover, while  there is a great deal of what I view as trivial chatter going on there is also a great deal of meaningful discussion taking place.  The analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of his programs that have been so much the main part of the recent conversation here serves as a prime example.  It is also evidence that being a Yuzu fan involves intelligence as well as enthusiasm.

 

Third, the animosity which we see in so many fans of other skaters in their criticisms of Yuzu and Yuzu fandom I feel is frequently the result of jealousy.  Not jealousy necessarily of Yuzu's obvious superiority but also of his fans.  None of their skaters are prominent outside of skating like Yuzu is.  None of their skaters get the kind of gush from the commentators like Yuzu does (well, maybe the Americans over Nathan but that's just Americans for you.  Incidentally, I'm American so I think I can criticize here).  The thing is none of their skaters can get huge victory parades or meetings with the emperor or really high civilian awards (People's Honor Award).  None of the other skaters get Poohbursts (or analogous fan tributes) like Yuzu does. None of the other skaters have fans following them around the world like Yuzu does.  They see Yuzu fandom and wish they had the same but, quite simply, their skaters just don't have the sheer enthralling charisma Yuzu has nor, despite all their achievements, which should not be dismissed, will those skaters ever get that.

 

Finally, Yuzu fans are not just young and middle-aged and even elderly Japanese women.  There are men (such as myself) out there who greatly admire Yuzu and their are non-Japanese (such as myself) who greatly admire Yuzu.  Moreover there are fans of Yuzu who aren't even necessarily figure-skating fans.  Yuzu's following is a following that is focused on Yuzu the person, not simply Yuzu the skater.  There is a nobility in Yuzu which transcends sport and that's where his greatness lies.  It's a nobility in which Yuzu acknowledges his gifts as a skater and the gifts of his fans (not simply the Poohs but the interest and love they have for him).  Yuzu wants to give as much as he receives.  He sees that as a duty and it's a duty he doesn't shirk.  I can't think standing on top of a moving truck and waving, waving, waving,  sometimes bowing and such could not have been boring.  But he did it because he owes so much to his fans and this was one way to pay them back.

 

All in all, I think it safe to say that the Yuzu phenomenon is comprised not only by Yuzuru the skater, even Yuzu the human being, but his fans are also a crucial part of that phenomenon.  It is, in fact, his fandom that makes the Yuzu phenomenon what it is.  There may be other skaters who achieve what Yuzu has achieved but I can't think any skater now or in the future will have the following that Yuzu has because with Yuzu it's not just his skating that is being celebrated by his fans.  It's his humanity.

[fyere0]

4 minutes ago, Anki said:

I was wondering whether Origin is a more difficult and judges unfriendly program, as compared to say H&L and Seimei. So I decided to compare the first three skates of the LP from the last three seasons (which all had four quads). I stopped at three as 2017/18 season only had three. I counted Worlds 2019 as the third time for Origin because RoC 2018 LP was a complete Yolo on the spot with injuries bad enough to need crutches - so really an anomaly. Also I think it is ok to compare NHK 16 to Olympics 18 and Worlds 19 because Yuzu couldn't train properly under injuries for 2-3 months. Image training can't really make up for lost competition skating and judges familiarity. it is fair to say his Olympics 18 & Worlds 19 state was likely where he may have been at 2nd GP or GPF had he not get injured, since it's usually when he peaks in the past too. With that in mind, the number of visible major mistakes he made and the PCS he got are listed for comparison:

 

Hope & Legacy (2016/17 year) 

ACI - 2 bad landings, 2 falls. PCS: 86.6

SC - 1 fall, 1 pop. PCS: 88.12

NHK - 1 fall. PCS: 92.52

Average PCS: 89.08

 

Seimei 2.0 (2017/18 year)

ACI - 2 bad landings, 1 pop, 1 fall. PCS: 89.5

RoC - 1 bad landing, 1 pop. PCS: 94.38

Olympics - 2 bad landings. PCS: 96.62

Average PCS: 93.5

 

Origin (2018/19 year) 

ACI - 2 bad landings, 1 fall, 1 pop.  PCS: 87.9 

Helsinki - 3 bad landings.  PCS: 92.42

Worlds -  1 bad landing.  PCS: 95.84

Average PCS: 92.05

 

Interestingly, Yuzu makes similar amounts of visible mistakes in the first three skates each year (although bad landings are less severe than falls).  So Origin isn't necessarily much more difficult. Using PCS as a guide, it appears whilst judges liked Seimei 2.0 slightly more than Origin, they liked Origin more than H&L at similar stages. However, Seimei 2.0 may also be getting higher PCS due to it being the second season, and had a reputation already. If you compare the average PCS of the first three skates of Seimei 1.0, it is slightly lower than 2.0.  

 

Semei 1.0 (2015/16 year)

ACI - 1 fall, 1 bad landing. PCS: 92.1

SC - 2 bad landings, 1 fall. PCS: 88.94

NHK - completely clean PCS: 97.2

Average PCS: 92.75

 

 

 

 

Very interesting analysis. I like to see all the stats laid out like that. Though, average PCS for H&L, 89.08? **** right ***, judges.

 

What I'm really looking forward to seeing is what will happen score-wise if Yuzu really *performs* Origin. He never got to that point because he had so many layout changes and physical struggles  - he *skated* Origin, but at Worlds especially he was channeling everything he had into landing his jumps, so that by his standards, he hardly had the energy left to perform. (I make note of this because he gets evaluated according to *his* standards, not to the standards of the field. If someone else had skated that program in the exact same way, well, that might be another scoring story.) But if he can show it in competition with that Media Day fire and dynamism, hopefully the PCS will go boom. 

[KatjaThera]

37 minutes ago, Anki said:

I was wondering whether Origin is a more difficult and judges unfriendly program, as compared to say H&L and Seimei. So I decided to compare the first three skates of the LP from the last three seasons (which all had four quads). I stopped at three as 2017/18 season only had three. I counted Worlds 2019 as the third time for Origin because RoC 2018 LP was a complete Yolo on the spot with injuries bad enough to need crutches - so really an anomaly. Also I think it is ok to compare NHK 16 to Olympics 18 and Worlds 19 because Yuzu couldn't train properly under injuries for 2-3 months. Image training can't really make up for lost competition skating and judges familiarity. it is fair to say his Olympics 18 & Worlds 19 state was likely where he may have been at 2nd GP or GPF had he not get injured, since it's usually when he peaks in the past too. With that in mind, the number of visible major mistakes he made and the PCS he got are listed for comparison:

 

Hope & Legacy (2016/17 year) 

ACI - 2 bad landings, 2 falls. PCS: 86.6

SC - 1 fall, 1 pop. PCS: 88.12

NHK - 1 fall. PCS: 92.52

Average PCS: 89.08

 

Seimei 2.0 (2017/18 year)

ACI - 2 bad landings, 1 pop, 1 fall. PCS: 89.5

RoC - 1 bad landing, 1 pop. PCS: 94.38

Olympics - 2 bad landings. PCS: 96.62

Average PCS: 93.5

 

Origin (2018/19 year) 

ACI - 2 bad landings, 1 fall, 1 pop.  PCS: 87.9 

Helsinki - 3 bad landings.  PCS: 92.42

Worlds -  1 bad landing.  PCS: 95.84

Average PCS: 92.05

 

Interestingly, Yuzu makes similar amounts of visible mistakes in the first three skates each year (although bad landings are less severe than falls).  So Origin isn't necessarily much more difficult. Using PCS as a guide, it appears whilst judges liked Seimei 2.0 slightly more than Origin, they liked Origin more than H&L at similar stages. However, Seimei 2.0 may also be getting higher PCS due to it being the second season, and had a reputation already. If you compare the average PCS of the first three skates of Seimei 1.0, it is slightly lower than 2.0.  

 

Semei 1.0 (2015/16 year)

ACI - 1 fall, 1 bad landing. PCS: 92.1

SC - 2 bad landings, 1 fall. PCS: 88.94

NHK - completely clean PCS: 97.2

Average PCS: 92.75

 

 

 

This is great for getting an idea for the judges' reaction to the programs. Regarding difficulty, I think it'd also help seeing the BV of the programs at the times, and, just for kicks, the number and types of quads (as it seems for other skaters, at least, PCS seems to depend on that). IMO, technically, Origin is more difficult than H&L and Seimei, because it's also a pretty different type of choreography and it feels busier (except for the opening and we know he was planning a 4A there, so that's probably why it was fairly empty; not even Yuzu can probably do 4A from the beginning for a million transitions).

 

@micaelis I agree with most everything you've said, except one thing: I don't believe Yuzu owes his fans anything. He's an athlete, not a pop star and he is where he is because of his own hard work, as well as the way he was raised by his parents and trained by his coaches. I'm sure he wants to give back to his fans as gratitude for their support, but that's because he's a great guy. Objectively, he doesn't owe his fans anything and I hope all his fans understand this. I'm thinking you probably meant to say 'he feels he owes' in which case, I agree, but I wanted to be clear

[micaelis]

2 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

@micaelis I agree with most everything you've said, except one thing: I don't believe Yuzu owes his fans anything. He's an athlete, not a pop star and he is where he is because of his own hard work, as well as the way he was raised by his parents and trained by his coaches. I'm sure he wants to give back to his fans as gratitude for their support, but that's because he's a great guy. Objectively, he doesn't owe his fans anything and I hope all his fans understand this. I'm thinking you probably meant to say 'he feels he owes' in which case, I agree, but I wanted to be clear

I want to thank you for clarifying what I intended.  I did not think he actually owed his fans anything except acknowledging how important they are to him.  We have to realize that as a result of his experiences of the earthquake I think he has a keen awareness of how fragile life is, which has raised his sense of right and wrong well above that of most individuals.  The very substantial donations he's made to Ice Rink Sendai and other programs meant to help in the recovery are a clear indication.  As such, much of his generosity, as I see it, is because of his sense that he is fortunate to be alive when so many other thousands from the quake are not.  Ice Rink Sendai did not collapse from the quake but the sixteen-year-old Yuzu could not know that when he was fleeing the building during the quake.  As it was Sendai was right in the middle of the destruction from the subsequent tsunamis and out of just over a million in the population well over one thousand Sendaians perished.  It's very possible that he may have known some of those who died.  So, yes, I agree that he does not objectively owe his fans anything but I think what he gives to his fans is just part of what he gives to children and elderly and all the others he visits in outreach activities and such. It's all part of Yuzu's way of being thankful that he survived.

[yuzuangel]

Hi everyone! We're looking for new moderators and helpers for Planet Hanyu. We're open to a wide range of levels of involvement/commitment! If you're interested please contact us! 

 

 

[Henni147]

3 hours ago, micaelis said:

I've been thinking quite a lot recently about being a Yuzu fan and with the interest in this thread right now being focused on that I think it right to add a few words to the conversation.

 

First, after looking at what other skaters have in terms of fan interest sites and such I can say, at least for those in the English language, that this site here in scale and activity has no parallel to be found for any other skater.  As for Yuzu himself it has no peer.  In many ways it could be labeled Hanyu Central.  I can't imagine that Yuzu doesn't know about us here and doesn't keep tabs.  He is always considerate of his fans and what way to better know his fans than through the Planet.

 

Second, being a Yuzu fan is more than just having an interest, or even an obsession.  It's a way of life and like all ways of life it has its do's and don't's.  I'm not sure how Yuzu fans act on other Yuzu sites but on this site decorum is mandated.  Moreover, while  there is a great deal of what I view as trivial chatter going on there is also a great deal of meaningful discussion taking place.  The analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of his programs that have been so much the main part of the recent conversation here serves as a prime example.  It is also evidence that being a Yuzu fan involves intelligence as well as enthusiasm.

 

Third, the animosity which we see in so many fans of other skaters in their criticisms of Yuzu and Yuzu fandom I feel is frequently the result of jealousy.  Not jealousy necessarily of Yuzu's obvious superiority but also of his fans.  None of their skaters are prominent outside of skating like Yuzu is.  None of their skaters get the kind of gush from the commentators like Yuzu does (well, maybe the Americans over Nathan but that's just Americans for you.  Incidentally, I'm American so I think I can criticize here).  The thing is none of their skaters can get huge victory parades or meetings with the emperor or really high civilian awards (People's Honor Award).  None of the other skaters get Poohbursts (or analogous fan tributes) like Yuzu does. None of the other skaters have fans following them around the world like Yuzu does.  They see Yuzu fandom and wish they had the same but, quite simply, their skaters just don't have the sheer enthralling charisma Yuzu has nor, despite all their achievements, which should not be dismissed, will those skaters ever get that.

 

Finally, Yuzu fans are not just young and middle-aged and even elderly Japanese women.  There are men (such as myself) out there who greatly admire Yuzu and their are non-Japanese (such as myself) who greatly admire Yuzu.  Moreover there are fans of Yuzu who aren't even necessarily figure-skating fans.  Yuzu's following is a following that is focused on Yuzu the person, not simply Yuzu the skater.  There is a nobility in Yuzu which transcends sport and that's where his greatness lies.  It's a nobility in which Yuzu acknowledges his gifts as a skater and the gifts of his fans (not simply the Poohs but the interest and love they have for him).  Yuzu wants to give as much as he receives.  He sees that as a duty and it's a duty he doesn't shirk.  I can't think standing on top of a moving truck and waving, waving, waving,  sometimes bowing and such could not have been boring.  But he did it because he owes so much to his fans and this was one way to pay them back.

 

All in all, I think it safe to say that the Yuzu phenomenon is comprised not only by Yuzuru the skater, even Yuzu the human being, but his fans are also a crucial part of that phenomenon.  It is, in fact, his fandom that makes the Yuzu phenomenon what it is.  There may be other skaters who achieve what Yuzu has achieved but I can't think any skater now or in the future will have the following that Yuzu has because with Yuzu it's not just his skating that is being celebrated by his fans.  It's his humanity.

 

Sometimes it's really hard for me to talk about THE fandom of an athlete or other celebrity. There are so many different types of groups, networks and people... from supportive and warmhearted to secondhand ambarrassing and rude... from a pieceful follower to a hardcore stalker you have everything in the pool. Sometimes it's even both and this the craziest thing actually: Some of the users who spread hate on SN might be the same people that left kind and encouraging messages in Yuzu's beauty blog or in the fanbook.

 

In the 17/18 season I started to communicate about figure skating on GS, YT and Twitter and I have to say: in no other sport (and I follow pretty much everything) did I feel such a strong need to defend my favorite, start pointless discussions with antis or riot against the system. This was an absolutely crazy experience and sometimes I felt so tired that I wanted to quit... However, Yuzu's skating made me stay and the Planet is a real treasure. Here I can follow his incredible journey without any stress and share my thoughts and feelings with other nice fans. Big thank you for all the streaming parties as well!! It's like watching your favorite event at home with your family 

[fyere0]

Apropos of nothing I was watching some competition videos and was reminded of one of my favourite little Yuzu moments: at Gangneung Arena for 4CC 2017, the test event for Pyeongchang, at the end of the gala. He talked to the ice for a much longer time than usual, petted it gently and gave it a smile, and one year later it remembered him and rewarded him. If he ever skates at Saitama again, maybe the ice will remember the little kiss he gave it the last time he was there.

 

 

 

Any other favourite cute tiny Yuzu moments that have been captured on fancam?

 

[TallyT]

3 hours ago, Henni147 said:

whole post

 

 

I agree with all this. Yuzuru is an amazingly multifaceted skater and personality, and therefore his appeal to fans both in his own country and worldwide is also multifaceted, there are all sorts of people who admire and love him for all sorts of reasons.  I do think (and have said before, not sure if it was here) that Yuzuru also has a unique, oddly vulnerable quality born of what he's had to go through, his courage in doing so and the way he puts his feelings and emotions out to us, and I do think that makes us more protective of him that a sportsman who was big and tough and clearly emotionally armoured (the fact that Yuzuru probably is emotionally more capable and strong than pretty much everyone around notwithstanding). 

 

Some fans take it way too far, and attacking that kid for the fact that he didn't scan his post to make sure none of Yuzu's music accidentally showed up -? That's even more way too far. I can understand the impetus, but I wish they wouldn't.  I think some of the fringe actually blur the lines between fictional fandom (anime, manga, TV etc) and real people with real feelings.

 

Then again, I recall when I was a teenager watching pop stars on the top music show getting their clothes ripped off by manic fans...

 

 

 

[rockstaryuzu]

11 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

I imagine how he probably has to apologize to some of these people and that alone would be enough to make me shut up.

You just reminded me of how his family (i.e. his father) had to apologize to their neighbors in Sendai after fans started showing up at their house, making life difficult for everyone on the street. 

 

I wish people would think a little before they fire off whatever it is from the keyboard. 

[rockstaryuzu]

13 hours ago, TallyT said:

And we promptly all wanted it to be kept... preferably forever.  

Amen! but when you watch him skate it on the FaOI broadcasts, you can see that it's really taxing him. I'd kinda like Yuzu to be able to breathe at the end of his programs...maybe I'm expecting too much?

[rockstaryuzu]

7 hours ago, fyere0 said:

 

Very interesting analysis. I like to see all the stats laid out like that. Though, average PCS for H&L, 89.08? **** right ***, judges.

 

What I'm really looking forward to seeing is what will happen score-wise if Yuzu really *performs* Origin. He never got to that point because he had so many layout changes and physical struggles  - he *skated* Origin, but at Worlds especially he was channeling everything he had into landing his jumps, so that by his standards, he hardly had the energy left to perform. (I make note of this because he gets evaluated according to *his* standards, not to the standards of the field. If someone else had skated that program in the exact same way, well, that might be another scoring story.) But if he can show it in competition with that Media Day fire and dynamism, hopefully the PCS will go boom. 

See, this is why I actually hope he will bring it back this year. I want to see what Origin would be like at Yuzu's idea of 100%.