General Yuzuru Chat

[rockstaryuzu]

6 hours ago, BWOZWaltz said:

I always believe that skating reflects skaters' personalities somehow. Yuzu's skating is honest and sincere down to the tiniest details. When he skates, he gives everything. There's no hiding 'cos it's all out there on the ice. You fake something and most people can tell something is not quite genuine about. So what you put into skating has to come from the heart. You skate like you mean it. If your heart is not in, it will show in your performance. I don't get Nathan's skating because I don't really feel what he's expressing it (if he's trying to express, that is). I enjoy Donovan's skating even though his skill level is not quite there yet because he has something that I like - full of personality in his skating. 

 

NC's interview episode is hardly a surprise to me tbh but it is sad to know that the current world fs champion doesn't love fs the way it supposed to be - beautiful. Femininity and masculinity can co-exist in beautiful figure skating in both men and women. Yuzu is what the figure skating beauty is in human form   

 

3 hours ago, Yuzurella said:

 

I totally agree!

 

Yuzu touches the hearts and souls of people with his skating and his performances because he puts his own heart and soul into them. The same is also true for other skaters and performers and people who create some form of art in general. No matter if it's figure skating, writing, music or art, it's always the pieces that are made with the creators putting their whole authentic self inside that make an impact on people.

 

I have never liked Nathan's skating and found it to be boring and uninspired. I thought that he'd become more expressive and interesting with time, but that didn't happen. Instead, his skating and performances seemed to become even more formulaic and superficial with time. It always looked like he just did the bare minimum to achieve his wins and that's it. He just never seemed to be authentic. He never seemed to put his whole self into the game and skate from his heart. It's like he's always wearing a mask and afraid to show and express himself.

 

There's nothing wrong with introducing fresh, new styles, programs and music into a traditional sport. It's actually a good thing. It's always good to have skaters with different styles and more variety. But the people who enjoy ice hockey will keep on watching ice hockey no matter how much Nathan and his friends try to "toughen up" figure skating and make it more "manly". And the people who like and enjoy figure skating are fans because they are fans of the sport, despite the issues and problems it has. If they'd want to watch a sport that's more like ice hockey, they'd watch ice hockey.

 

Having heard those words from Nathan, I also think it's pretty sad that he doesn't seem to love figure skating as what it is in its most ideal form, namely the perfect symbiosis of art and athleticism, male and female, strength and beauty, power and elegance, technical skills and artistic expression. That's why I love figure skating so much and why I've been watching and enjoying it since I was a young kid. 

 

Yuzu is the one who checks all of these boxes and has merged all of the complex and rich facets of this sport to formerly unimaginable heights and levels of perfection, creating masterpieces that go beyond anything else before in their magnificence. That's why figure skating fans love and appreciate him so much.

 

On top of that, Yuzu is so authentic and expressive that he creates performances and programs that touch people deeply. He's also his authentic self off the ice during interviews and other appearances. Despite him only letting the public know few personal facts about himself, he comes across as sincere, real and very lovable. Therefore, he has become such a beloved icon and super star all over the world. People feel it when a person is authentic and sincere. They might not be able to explain it, but they can feel it.

 

I didn't think that I could possibly love and appreciate Yuzu more, but again and again I find more reasons to adore him, not just as a skater but as the absolutely wonderful person he is. He is truly a gift to this world.

First off - Donovan lets the audience see how much he enjoys the sport and how ardently he desires to excel at it. No matter what the music is, or the performance. It's that animating spirit of his enjoyment and his wish to win that makes his skating engaging. Even when he's doing something based on very traditional and masculine Mexican music and dance, it comes across as a natural expression of his own self, not 'look how macho I am'. 

Spoiler

 

When it comes to Nathan, to be honest I was surprised to see his comments regarding what I'm going to call Straightgate. To me, his programs might not be the most engaging, but that's because I don't find American teenagers/college students to be hugely interesting in general - there really isn't much depth there - and I find his programs reflect that he is an American college student. When I have enjoyed his skating, it's been the time when he's able to dig a little deeper and express the emotions in the music. That's kind of why Rocketman worked for him...it's a college kid dancing to music that moves his feet, that's the story, that's all there is. 

 

But never in all of that did I have the impression that the reason his skating was like that because he was worried about being perceived as un-masculine. The fact that he says it was so, well, I've expressed my views over in the Team USA thread so I'll leave it at that. 

 

My point being, maybe Nathan doesn't know himself as well as he ought, and that's what makes his performances fall a bit short. I know people disparage Stojko for his own 'make skating manly again' ideas, but at least Elvis knew himself and put his soul into his expressions of 'manly' skating on the ice, and they were indeed interesting to watch. 

 

 

 

TL, DR: just be your real self on the ice, it works out better. 

[ZuCritter]

Today, reflecting on the struggles of Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, I've been struck afresh by the insane pressure these elite athletes labor under. It makes me appreciate the magnitude of Yuzu's achievement in Pyeongchang even more -- if that's possible. 

 

I'm not making a comparison here, saying that Yuzu is somehow stronger because he won. Both Osaka and Biles are tougher -- mentally as well as physically -- than most mortals can even dream of. And I suspect that, in the arena of competitive sports, it may take more courage to acknowledge the mental toll than to deny or sugar-coat it. In a way, I think Yuzu's refusal to be drawn into the building hype about the potential for a 3rd OGM is a canny bid to safeguard his own sanity. Almost a subtle act of resistance. And if it is, I salute him for it!

 

Anyway, I have nothing but respect for any athlete who makes it to the Olympics and profound love for Yuzu for being the incredible competitor and human being that he is.

 

 

 

 

[IceWings]

And here's what Donovan said when asked a similar question:

He's the same age as N*, so I don't buy the "cut him some slack cuz he's young".

 

Also, they've been grooming N* to be the top men's skater since before Pyeongchang. He's had tons of experience with interviews, so I don't buy the "he's just trying to vibe with the dude bros" excuse either because how can he not understand that what he's saying will be posted for the public to see? It wasn't like he was just chilling with his dude bros in private.

 

Plus this is the exact same narrative that ISU and media have been pushing: classical/soft/artistic (Yuzu)=old; modern/edgy/athletic (N*)=pushing the sport and increasing viewership. Only N* was foolish to explicitly add a gender association with ISU's coded narrative. 

 

And don't forget, when they say increasing viewership, they mean US viewership to increase NBC profits, and half the population in this country are Trumpsters, and the "Make FS straight Again" is right up their alley.

 

That's what bothers me most about all this (besides his insult to the LGBTQI+ community). He's 3x WC champion. To many non-Fanyus and FS newbies, he is the top guy right now, the "new face" of Men's FS, and he wants to replace Yuzu's beautiful vision of FS where the artistic is seamlessly intertwined with the technical to deliver a program that touches people's souls. He wants to replace that with HIS vision of skating, and we know what *that* looks like.

[Neenah]

NC expressed in that interview the same things he had been expressing with his skating and attitude toward performances for years. He also did it as ungracefully as he usually skates.

He is the one who said to watch ice dance for artistry and he is the one who always drops the performance for the quads and "athleticism" (there is also the non costumes). I have never heard NC say anything about the importance of artistry or his approach to the performance aspects of the sport other than the canned answers of I did my best and I like this music. He doesn't even choose his own music. There is nothing authentic about his skating. Honestly, when I heard what he said I wasn't surprised at all. It fits very much with the way I perceived him from his actions and skating.

He is a good athlete, I will give him that. I am sure he works hard and is very dedicated. but I don't think he likes the sport very much. He is doing it because he is good at it and it will look good on his resume.

[barbara]

I can't, offhand, think of a male skater, in the past couple of decades, who is as "masculine" as Plushenko, yet Origin is an homage to him.  He deftly mixed pure power with artistry.  And I don't think he'd ever say that Yuzu's artistic and interpretive approach to the sport is anything but brilliant.  (And Yuzu is just as explosive and physical as NC - he's just also capable of including art in his skates.)

[Guest Mary_kyo]

Evgeni Semenenko was asked "the best singles skater of all time?" and he answered Hanyu.

Evgeni is 2021 Russian junior national champion and was placed 8th in Worlds.

 

 

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

[IceWings]

Another thing I want to mention, back in the day when Yuzu was known as a jumper and Patrick Chan was Mr. PCS, Yuzu praised Patrick and said it was difficult for him to do the deep edges like Patrick because it tires him out when he tries to do deep edges for a long time.

 

Compare that to how N* and others who just dismiss the skills and athleticism required to do things like deep edges, complex transitions, etc. 

[Kadova]

10 hours ago, BWOZWaltz said:

I always believe that skating reflects skaters' personalities somehow. Yuzu's skating is honest and sincere down to the tiniest details. When he skates, he gives everything. There's no hiding 'cos it's all out there on the ice. You fake something and most people can tell something is not quite genuine about. So what you put into skating has to come from the heart. You skate like you mean it. If your heart is not in, it will show in your performance. I don't get Nathan's skating because I don't really feel what he's expressing it (if he's trying to express, that is). I enjoy Donovan's skating even though his skill level is not quite there yet because he has something that I like - full of personality in his skating. 

 

NC's interview episode is hardly a surprise to me tbh but it is sad to know that the current world fs champion doesn't love fs the way it supposed to be - beautiful. Femininity and masculinity can co-exist in beautiful figure skating in both men and women. Yuzu is what the figure skating beauty is in human form   

I'm a Donovan fan for the same reason and I'm not a Nathan fan for the same reason. I'm a fan of skaters who can take me into their performance, whatever the discipline, though I can admire some others if they're technically great, but like admiring a sculpture from outside and not connecting to it.

Nathan words were still a big surprise to me. I believe he's too much into control while he's performing, which prevents him from getting fully immersed into the music and into the character he's portraying.

 

 

[Kadova]

1 hour ago, Neenah said:

NC expressed in that interview the same things he had been expressing with his skating and attitude toward performances for years. He also did it as ungracefully as he usually skates.

He is the one who said to watch ice dance for artistry and he is the one who always drops the performance for the quads and "athleticism" (there is also the non costumes). I have never heard NC say anything about the importance of artistry or his approach to the performance aspects of the sport other than the canned answers of I did my best and I like this music. He doesn't even choose his own music. There is nothing authentic about his skating. Honestly, when I heard what he said I wasn't surprised at all. It fits very much with the way I perceived him from his actions and skating.

He is a good athlete, I will give him that. I am sure he works hard and is very dedicated. but I don't think he likes the sport very much. He is doing it because he is good at it and it will look good on his resume.

I agree with everything minus these 2 sentences :

"There is nothing authentic about his skating." On the contrary I believe his skating is an authentic expression of who he is.

I don't get how it would "look good on his resume.", but maybe that's just me.

[Kat]

3 hours ago, Kadova said:

I agree with everything minus these 2 sentences :

"There is nothing authentic about his skating." On the contrary I believe his skating is an authentic expression of who he is.

I don't get how it would "look good on his resume.", but maybe that's just me.

Not just you.

 

Even if that were the case, any Olympian or elites of their sport could boast the same, and if they do, why not? They accomplished something most of us wont. If someone wants to be cynical and see it under one lense, you cant stop them, but then I would hope they take that same cynical logic for anyone in sports or the arts. I am seeing a lot of cynicism lately, as expected, but even still, there are a lot of people you could apply that bleak outlook onto.

[rockstaryuzu]

7 hours ago, IceWings said:

And don't forget, when they say increasing viewership, they mean US viewership to increase NBC profits, and half the population in this country are Trumpsters, and the "Make FS straight Again" is right up their alley.

That's actually an interesting point, because to my knowledge this debate just doesn't arise in countries where figure skating is a bigger draw.

[rockstaryuzu]

7 hours ago, IceWings said:

And here's what Donovan said when asked a similar question:

He's the same age as N*, so I don't buy the "cut him some slack cuz he's young".

 

Donovan is definitely more mature than NC, in wisdom if not years. Also, clearly much less insecure.

[barbara]

1 hour ago, rockstaryuzu said:

That's actually an interesting point, because to my knowledge this debate just doesn't arise in countries where figure skating is a bigger draw.

I could be wrong about this, but I really don't see a lot of Trumpsters being into FS one way or the other, so if NBC thinks toxic masculinity in Men's FS is going to draw a bigger viewing audience, they're probably wrong.  No matter what NC say between now and the Olympics, people who love FS will watch, but not because of him.  

[IceWings]

1 hour ago, rockstaryuzu said:

That's actually an interesting point, because to my knowledge this debate just doesn't arise in countries where figure skating is a bigger draw.

I was surprised when I found out how closely tied together NBC is with the IOC, and that probably extends to the ISU as well. I remember someone saying the reason why they don't have more cameras for judges to view replays and stuff is because NBC won't allow it. I was like .  Why would NBC care, and why would they have that much influence? Well now I know.

 

I read an article about how FS in the US used to draw in BIG ratings, but then the sport has drastically declined in popularity. They look at Yuzu's popularity and they're dying to replicate it and bring back the glory days.

 

 

1 hour ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Donovan is definitely more mature than NC, in wisdom if not years. Also, clearly much less insecure.

And I think the "macho culture" is even stronger in Mexico than it is in the US.

 

 

1 hour ago, barbara said:

I could be wrong about this, but I really don't see a lot of Trumpsters being into FS one way or the other, so if NBC thinks toxic masculinity in Men's FS is going to draw a bigger viewing audience, they're probably wrong.  No matter what NC say between now and the Olympics, people who love FS will watch, but not because of him.  

For Trumpsters, it's all about America First. I know someone who is a Trumper and she was outraged that N* didn't win gold at Pyeongchang since he won the FP. When I pointed out that he bombed his SP, she grudgingly conceded, but then insisted that he should have at least medaled and that no way Javi deserved his bronze.

Also, the Trumpers are mainly in bible-belt middle America, so most are conservative and narrow-minded and they're not going to want to see graceful, sparkly men.

I don't think they're really trying to draw in the hockey crowd because seriously, even if the guys jump 10 quints, the hockey crowd is not going to watch FS. I think the audience they're aiming for is the conservative women.

[Melodie]

There seems to be new crumbs, AKA 7 minutes of unseen footage of Yuzu at DOI

- "I want to reach higher after landing the 4A succesfully"

- Possible tidbits for the new SP!

Credit: @orangesrgd on Twitter

 

Link: https://www.paravi.jp/watch/74961

 

Does anyone here have access to paravi? 👀

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