General Yuzuru Chat

[yuzupon]

Re criticism on social media,,, here’s a new mantra my counsellor just taught me over this pandemic: if you wouldn’t go to someone for advice, do not take their criticism either. Help a lot.

what do those people know,,, and especially, sorry to be this blunt, those ignorant western or western-oriented ‘fans’? Just shrug it off.

[Henni147]

About the state of Yuzu's programs:

 

While I feel that skating to Heaven & Earth was a rather long-term plan, LMEY appeared to be a relatively late and spontaneous decision. We know that initially Jeff gave Yuzu various piano pieces, but they didn't seem to work well. That probably "cost" Yuzu some preparation time and LMEY is still in the experimenting phase at this point. Maybe Yuzu wanted to use JNats as a test, if it's worth keeping it or not. Since it worked out quite well at its first outing and the overall resonance is not bad either, he just might keep and fine-tune it.

 

To be honest: The debut performance of LGC at ACI 2016 was less convincing to me than LMEY was here. Apart from the 4Lo LGC was far away from the quality level at GPF or Worlds. Yuzu just might need this half a year to polish the choreo and the quality of his elements to make LMEY really shine and a potential Oly winner.

However, he may find something better and say goodbye to this SP. He had one great performance with it after all, so the preparation was not in vain.

 

I really like the concept of H&E. While it gives Yuzu a bit more breathing room, it still doesn't lose anything of its skating quality and artistic value. Of course it needs to be polished here and there, but for a program debut it was absolutely stunning and I'm sure that Yuzu will keep it, no matter what some critics say.

@rodica If I remember correctly, Yuzu mentioned on the first day that it's more important to him to skate clean and perform the new programs well. Bringing the 4Lz would have been an unnecessary risk. He clearly didn't need more to win here and it was definitely a smart decision imo.

[monchan]

Wow Yuzu in HYK costume is more and more beautiful I feel he might eventually fly away from us 

 

Keeping a program will depend on its success rate in competition. Besides the pandemic prob, I hope he can get more outings with these 2 to see how they work. This is the best debut in his 11 yr senior, quite insane right. I think the isolation time, while difficult, helps him refine his own training method and understand himself better.

 

Frankly, the audience will buy anything he skates FLAWLESSLY. The magic that draw ppl in is his skating, not the music. Some ppl can keep complain all they want, but it's cuz he skated so well that they need to nitpick. If he didnt skate so marverlously, even the music wouldnt matter, they might come after his ass about how Yuzu is OVER.

[Henni147]

1 hour ago, monchan said:

The magic that draw ppl in is his skating, not the music.

 

This. It's one thing to attract the audience with popular music. People tend to overlook any flaw in the skating as long as the music is good.

But the real skill is, if you can make the music piece work with your sublime skating. And this is what Yuzu can do. Make you actually listen to music that would probably never be in your playlist, if not for him.

 

Footnote: Personally, I like about 90% of Yuzu's music choices and I'm grateful that I got to know many great pieces through him.

 

 

EDIT:

ISU has updated Yuzu's bios, but only his JNats title. Programs are still Ballade and Seimei LOL

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00010967.htm

 

Also:

 

And Shizuka reacted to Yuzu's performance:

 

This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

[monchan]

[NEWS]

Phiten congratulated Yuzu on his title and promised to keep supporting him

 

[tafattsbarn]

12 hours ago, Sukigirl said:

Agree. I don’t think the Ina Bauer added much to the program. The last spin too didn’t seem to match the music with the exception of the raising of hands to the sky to the last note of music.

 

I wonder if he could end with a jump ie 3A similar to Beautiful storm. 
 

Just to add what I love about the program: The middle portions including the step sequence are beautiful and languid. And the dramatic pause in the middle where he covers his face and then raises his hand? Absolutely gorgeous 
 

 

 

I gasped when i read this, not gonna lie haha. That last spin is one of my favorite parts! I think it perfectly captures the contemplative nature of the program, and it leaves me feeling rather wistful. I also love it because there is no big climax, and so it feels like a very natural place to have the program end. As the music begins to close out i'm left feeling as if the thoughts and emotions the program has awoken are continuing to dance along. I'm not sure how to explain, but the program just is, there's no big fuss; and i think the ending spin perfectly encapsulates this. It's beautiful and peaceful. 

 

Please Yuzu, don't take it out! T - T  

[micaelis]

8 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

 

Perhaps because of his experience being called upon to be that icon of hope for 3/11, Yuzu is quicker to recognize the need for such an icon now and knows that he is in a position to be one such. One could hope more people with his kind of influence would follow suit.

 

 

 

That experience of being an icon for 3/11 is about to be much more important early next March, when there are bound to be many observations of the 10th anniversary of the event.  Yuzu will be one of those near the top of the list of most of those desired to be present at those ceremonies and also one frequently interviewed because of the history of his personal experience and also the history of his involvement with recovery efforts.  I'm thinking there will be many requests for interviews because he is comfortable in such situations and very thoughtful and articulate in his responses, precisely the sort of person desired as an interview subject.  It's going to be a trying time for him then because of so many memories being brought to the fore.  At least it'll be done before Worlds because if it came after worlds he'd lose the concentration required to prep for them because of the unpleasant anticipation of what would follow.  

[yuzuangel]

9 hours ago, amylance1215 said:

I like the 3Lo where it is. Its placement is perfect and I wouldn't change it even for higher points. 

And this should answer your question about the spin. So far all opinions I've seen, even from people who have not been fair to Yuzu before, is that the call is extremely harsh and unreasonable. JSF is bs and biased as always. 

 

Huh 2 revs? For some reason I thought it needed to be 3 revs so it sorta made sense. But this isn't just being overly critical, it's just wrong. He clearly held it for 2 revs+.

[SitTwizzle]

27 minutes ago, yuzuangel said:

Huh 2 revs? For some reason I thought it needed to be 3 revs so it sorta made sense. But this isn't just being overly critical, it's just wrong. He clearly held it for 2 revs+.

Here is the tech panel notation handbook for 2020-2021. Spins are pp.7-17 and I understand the spin loses value under 2 revolutions, not 3.

https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/rules/sandp-handbooks-faq/24781-tphb-single-skating-2020-21-final/file

 

[monchan]

29 minutes ago, SitTwizzle said:

Here is the tech panel notation handbook for 2020-2021. Spins are pp.7-17 and I understand the spin loses value under 2 revolutions, not 3.

https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/rules/sandp-handbooks-faq/24781-tphb-single-skating-2020-21-final/file

That doesn't apply for change of foot spin:

From your file (page 7)

"The change of foot in any spin must be preceded and followed by a spin position with at least three (3) revolutions. If this requirement is not fulfilled the spin will be “No Value” in Short Program and marked with a “V” in Free Skating"

If JSF had said 3 revs that's excusable (still too much of a reach as he got at least 2.5 revs), but they said "2 revs", so that's a faulty feedback.

 

I've never given a shit about spin before, but now they even come for his spins to rob him it's just THAT pathetic.

[Anni]

 

 

 

 

So many Yuzu crumbs in the last days. Seeing him skate again was a wonderful Christmas gift for all of us. Thank you Yuzu

This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

[liv]

I always understood it to be 3 revs as well...and then it made sense to me watching the replays... but 2 revs? Ok, then that's nitpicking... but at least he'll always remember this and it won't happen again at a more important time.

[Pammi]

13 hours ago, Umebachi said:

 

I would ignore those comments.  Unfamiliar musical composition sounds like indistinct noise to human species unless their hearing capabalities are trained and enhanced from early infant/childhood.  It takes practice upon practice to open your mind and learn to hear and see beauty all around us.  Artists create the bridge between us and that place of enlightenment.  And Yuzu is channeling himself through the art of skating to connect us to new experiences and to new discoveries.  You can't force people to accept his generosity, but pity them for they know not what they do (and they are missing out on one helluva a magical party!).  

 

I find it interesting that many "westerners" find Baroque music boring and repetitive because they are not exposed to these instruments and cadences in a modern setting. So it's not just "Asian" music, but perhaps any composition with complex musical phrasing.  Yet, one can walk around the town squares of Prague and you can find musicians playing Telemann's trumpet solo on the streets and crowds gathered around in rapture to hear that glorious sound.  Or you can be moved to tears by the soulful voice of Parisa who cries for her homeland Iran, but then the bubble bursts when a neighbor complains and ask to  turn down that "caterwaul"... oh, the pity!        

 

BTW, the composer of the H&E original music is Isao Tomita  富田勲 - who is a well known composer in Japan, but perhaps better known overseas for his pioneering work on electronic music (Tomita synthesizer).   He composed the theme music for many anime as well as multiple NHK dramas, so his music is intertwined in the memory of many Japanese from my generation.  I think he is masterful at creating a complex texture of sound - perhaps coming from his long experience with electronic music composition.  

 

Some thoughts on the H&E composition:  It seems Yuzu has re-arranged the original theme music to enhance the drama of the 4 minute program, with the  main motif representing the sound of rolling waves, which come and recede repeatedly with different intensities.  The opening starts with he roaring of the battle, which recedes with the light cascade of biwa strings into a lull - perhaps a pause in the battle or a moment of reflection in one's life, as Uesugi Kenshin did when he asked himself whether all the killing was right.  The quiet moment passes into another wave of music as the force of history rises up again and throws us upward (the moment of 3A-2T combo) and we parry with a flowing counter-measure (this is the 3Lo) to regain balance.  In the quiet moment in the middle, the plucking of the strings represent the "aha" moment as the neural network in our brain cells make connection (sorry, I'm a molecular biologist) as Kenshin has a brief glimpse of satori/nirvana (or in the case of Yuzu, a feeling that he's got that Nessie 4A!).  But it's only a glimpse as we are thrown back into the waves again (4T-3T, 4T-eu-3S). The music builds up toward the final climactic wave which does not end in a fanfare but fades into a gentle denouement of stroking music, lulling us into meditation, and snaps into the dramatic closing motion of reaching out to Heaven while staying connected to Earth.   Is this the moment of satori and nirvana?  Or is this the lament of Jesus as he cries out to his father - oh, why hast thou forsaken me?  We don't know the answer - it's up to us to keep striving and the story leaves us with a feeling of awakening and a renewed energy /commitment to keep dancing in the storm.  

 

A human story is not a simple, linear story, because life is complex and we can only arrive at a deeper understanding when we reflect and recover through many rounds of suffering and effort.  This is the story of Yuzu, and the story of all of us living through the pandemic.     

 

I leave you with the clip of the opening of original Taiga drama series, "Ten to Chi to", and a short segment (poor quality video) of that famous meeting of Kenshin with his arch-rival Takeda Shingen in a one-to-one match.  Kenshin has his buddhist white cowl and mounted on a white horse, with blue garment underneath - this image of Kenshin has been seared into my brain from my childhood days.   Lord Shingen, by contrast, is bedecked in bright red armor.  They battled each other but they also respected and cared deeply about each other's well being (except that they were willing to go kill each other - go figure - men!).   

 

Wow thanks so much - I love your interpretation of the music! Personally, I didn't need any explanation to feel its beauty, magic, and complexity, the piece appealed to me from the very start,  but this is so interesting!! I love how you use the jumps as players in the story, as of course they should be, and Yuzuru, and Shae Lynn, are masters of weaving the jumps into the choreography/story so that they are a seamless part of it. I love this music and programme so much...some have said it needs this and that polishing up but to me, in that moment watching in awe on the 26th December, it was perfection itself. I will watch the video now as I know it is bound to enhance my understanding and therefore also the experience of re-watching the programme, which I intend to do, many many times!! A treasure for us to keep forever; I see it as our generous gift from Yuzuru.

[Veveco]

 

I hereby petition for Heaven and Earth to be nicknamed "Tenchi"

(H&E& = Ten To Chi To -> Tenchi) which sounds like "tenshi" = angel. You can't convince me that Yuzu isn't an angel in disguise.

 

I knew I had it right yesterday 

 

[river]

Okay, here's the rule they're citing from the tech panel handbook:

 

"Spin in one position with change of foot: less than 2 revolutions in a basic position on one foot

 

If a spin in one position with change of foot is executed with a basic position with not less than 2 revolutions on one foot only and no basic position with not less than 2 revolutions on the other foot, it will receive: In Short Program “no value“. In Free Skating it will be marked with sign “V”."

 

So the claim is that Yuzu didn't hit 2 consecutive revolutions in a basic position after the change of foot. I was a little harsher than Jackie when I rewatched the spin frame-by-frame (not sure his thigh is quite parallel to the ice when Jackie started counting) and I still got 2 revolutions before he changed positions and broke the basic position for a second. It's a ridiculous call. Especially given what passes for a "sit position" for many other male skaters - sometimes if you watch closely they never get parallel.