General Yuzuru Chat

[eren]

7 hours ago, Yuzurella said:

I was talking to my mom about Yuzu's incredible popularity in China. She said that one of the reasons why Yuzu is so popular is probably because he is the perfect ideal of a Chinese gentleman in the classic sense. I googled this a bit and found this in an article in Britannica. 

 

A junzi (gentleman) is "a person whose humane conduct (ren) makes him a moral exemplar."

"...the junzi is cultured (wen) and knows how to act and speak appropriately in any situation; he is thus an exemplar whose virtuous influence promotes a flourishing human community."

 

On the other hand, a xiaoren (literally little/small person, but that term has nothing to do with physical size) is someone who is petty and "who cannot transcend personal concerns and prejudices and acts only for his own gain".

 

Also, after I sent my mom a link of Li Yugang's song, she wrote a small poem in Chinese. I translated it with my limited Chinese and the help of Google Translate.

 

Hanyu Yuzuru

Beauty from the east

Transcendental and refined with every gesture

He came into the world like an immortal god

Leaving all the beauty in the mortal realm

Thank you for sharing this! It’s very helpful! My grandparents speak Chinese and I see why they’re comparing Yuzu to jade, the epitome of a refined gentleman in traditional Chinese culture. It’s said that his name (Japanese: 羽生結弦) looks almost the same in Chinese “羽生结弦”. “羽”=feathers, associated with lightness, elegance, and ethereal beauty, which is exactly what he delivers on ice. “弦”=bowstring, connoting the strong will and integrity of a soldier, which is perfectly embodied by Yuzu’s performance in Beijing (especially his attempt to land 4A). Yuzu’s look, talent, personality, and manners have indeed made him the Junzi in Chinese people’s heart. 

[gapil27]

1 hour ago, KendallKlaire said:

Sorry for the long post

 

I think I understand what Hashimoto  and the JSF is trying to say HOWEVER they make it so much worse in that they are totally obscuring and demeaning the achievements of Yuzuru. 

 

I understand that a country cannot rely on one athlete to make a sport SOLIDLY popular, I get it.  It takes a dynasty and I do think now that Japan has a strong pairs team they are now more of a all-round threat. BUT they haven't ever acknowledged that Yuzu’s achievements have really made Japan stand out in skating on a global scale.  He was the first one to break the 100, 200, and 300 point marks and bring in fans to competitions and shows from around the world. These are things countries would live to brag about! 

 

I don't believe the JSF knows what they have with Yuzu. They think that once they have another great competitor (very likely Yuma) the popularity of skating they've enjoyed with Yuzu will remain which I really doubt. Yuma is likely going to be the next world champion after Nathan and Yuzu retire, but he lacks the charisma and charm of Yuzu. Who knows, maybe once Yuma matures he will be more of a star, but again, I doubt it.  Yuzu has so much passion for what he does I don't think it's comparable to any other skater now. 

 

The fact that Yuzu seperates himself from others and has a mind of his own infuriates the JSF. Like others have said, he was never one of them and after this Olympics has made it clear he skates for himself and for the enjoyment of others. 

 

Yuzu has always been charismatic and charming ever since his early days, that's what made him so different. And as per JSF's own word: a mega star. I too understand JSF's motives but their actions doesn't match their words. Support all your athletes fairly, instead of discarding them after you think they've achieved your objectives. I always find it's hyperbole when I read a federation is actually jealous of their own athletes, however the receipts proved otherwise. This is the perfect example of a xiaoren as per @Yuzurella said.

 

29 minutes ago, liv said:

A petty part of me wishes that it would be possible for him to hurt JSF where it hurts them  ( the wallet) by declining to skate in competitions in Japan so that TV ratings and ticket sales would decline. He could do shows so the public still sees him.  But, I know that's unrealistic.  He would hate that because he's so devoted to his fans, and loves his country, and with injuries that's already been the case over the years (and skating is so popular that even without him they have good attendance.... in Japan). I wish they could somehow care about what he means to the public, instead of resenting his fame and popularity. His success is their success if they only had the brains to embrace him rather than resent him and wish to push him out. .

 

You don't have to throw one under the bus to embrace the future. Years ago Canada had Brian O, then Kurt, then Elvis, overlapping each other in quick succession,  and I don't think those skaters suffered at the expense of the other because of Fed games. From what I remember, each one was embraced by SC, they were adored by fans and there wasn't obvious favoritism on the world stage. No one was pushed out. At least, to the best of my recollection. Oh, JSF. You won't see one like him again. 

 

True. Is it that hard to be supportive of all your athletes JSF? Yuzu is truly once in a lifetime occurrence, it's a shame they chose to act this way.

[gapil27]

Off topic a bit, I watched Rupaul's Drag Race and I always think of Yuzu when I hear they talk about Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve & Talent. He basically is all that and more!

[barbara]

8 hours ago, Yuzurella said:

I was talking to my mom about Yuzu's incredible popularity in China. She said that one of the reasons why Yuzu is so popular is probably because he is the perfect ideal of a Chinese gentleman in the classic sense. I googled this a bit and found this in an article in Britannica. 

 

A junzi (gentleman) is "a person whose humane conduct (ren) makes him a moral exemplar."

"...the junzi is cultured (wen) and knows how to act and speak appropriately in any situation; he is thus an exemplar whose virtuous influence promotes a flourishing human community."

 

On the other hand, a xiaoren (literally little/small person, but that term has nothing to do with physical size) is someone who is petty and "who cannot transcend personal concerns and prejudices and acts only for his own gain".

 

Also, after I sent my mom a link of Li Yugang's song, she wrote a small poem in Chinese. I translated it with my limited Chinese and the help of Google Translate.

 

Hanyu Yuzuru

Beauty from the east

Transcendental and refined with every gesture

He came into the world like an immortal god

Leaving all the beauty in the mortal realm

That poem is lovely.

And the JSF and that article make me wonder, aside from the the north, the whole "he's from Sendai" thing, and that he seemed to have usurped Daisuke against the JSF wishes, what is the Japanese ideal and how is it not Yuzu?  He is not short, he is lean and handsome and selfless and kind.  He's the best ever at what he does and brought an enormous amount of attention to Japan.  And then there's the Yuzu-economy.

It all makes me want to shake the JSF, as if it was an animate object I could shake, and knock some sense into it before they lose the best thing that has ever happened to Japanese figure skating.

[CiONTUw4A]

 

 

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

[Muffinator]

I cannot and will not have Yuma shoved down my throat in their attempt to replace Yuzu. [Admin edit: Please keep your criticism constructive.]  His skating does not come close to Yuzu’s. For me, not only is there no excitement surrounding Yuma, there is no appeal at all. I like Shoma much more than Yuma, but even he cannot hold a candle to Yuzu.

Once Yuzu retires, I am done with ice skating competitions and the Olympics. They are political, biased, and sometimes corrupt. I am here only because Yuzu is here. As the last straws, if the Russian abuse of young girls wasn’t enough, that awful thing with Javi pretty much sealed my negative opinion of figure skating. What a nasty business! My dream is that somehow Yuzu could use his thesis and his amazing ethics and influence to fix figure skating, so we could enjoy it the way it should be. 

[Kat]

On 2/22/2022 at 4:07 AM, Muffinator said:

I cannot and will not have Yuma shoved down my throat in their attempt to replace Yuzu. [Admin edit: Please keep your criticism constructive.] His skating does not come close to Yuzu’s. For me, not only is there no excitement surrounding Yuma, there is no appeal at all. I like Shoma much more than Yuma, but even he cannot hold a candle to Yuzu.
 

Once Yuzu retires, I am done with ice skating competitions and the Olympics. They are political, biased, and sometimes corrupt. I am here only because Yuzu is here. As the last straws, if the Russian abuse of young girls wasn’t enough, that awful thing with Javi pretty much sealed my negative opinion of figure skating. What a nasty business! My dream is that somehow Yuzu could use his thesis and his amazing ethics and influence to fix figure skating, so we could enjoy it the way it should be. 

Yuma is the new "it" boy as Shoma once was...until it was clear Shoma couldnt overtake Yuzuru. If they judged fairly, neither could Yuma. The difference is daddy with connections to inflate the score. Since they cant beat Yuzuru fairly, they'll do it openly and unfairly. 

 

Yuma"s personality is nothing impressive. Before his senior he talks well, away from Yuzuru you can see his more real feelings come to light. Ugh! I will never get over how much he celebrated and bounced around when he beat Yuzuru at Nationals. So gross.

[YuDai]

On 2/22/2022 at 4:07 AM, Muffinator said:

I cannot and will not have Yuma shoved down my throat in their attempt to replace Yuzu. [Admin edit: Please keep your criticism constructive.]  His skating does not come close to Yuzu’s. For me, not only is there no excitement surrounding Yuma, there is no appeal at all. I like Shoma much more than Yuma, but even he cannot hold a candle to Yuzu.

Once Yuzu retires, I am done with ice skating competitions and the Olympics. They are political, biased, and sometimes corrupt. I am here only because Yuzu is here. As the last straws, if the Russian abuse of young girls wasn’t enough, that awful thing with Javi pretty much sealed my negative opinion of figure skating. What a nasty business! My dream is that somehow Yuzu could use his thesis and his amazing ethics and influence to fix figure skating, so we could enjoy it the way it should be. 

I obviously prefer Yuzuru's skating over Yuma's and Shouma's as well (hence I'm posting here(: ), but to me it seems a little unkind to comment (negatively) on an athlete's appearance, although of course people have their own preferences.

[CiONTUw4A]

 

 

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

[eren]

Yuzu is an outlier. He transcends this sport. Even if he doesn’t skate, he shines elsewhere. People love him for a reason. How hard is it for JSF to know if they can take a minute to hear what people say? Oh they’re just too aloof to do that — very very narrow-minded. They’ll never learn to think big like the cosmic Yuzu. Yuzu is trying to save this pathetic sport while they’re ruining it to the core. BTW, even if Yuma won 3 consecutive Olympic golds, he wouldn’t receive 1/1000 the popularity that Yuzu enjoys in China. Sad but true. 

[Kat]

1 minute ago, eren said:

Yuzu is an outlier. He transcends this sport. Even if he doesn’t skate, he shines elsewhere. People love him for a reason. How hard is it for JSF to know if they can take a minute to hear what people say? Oh they’re just too aloof to do that — very very narrow-minded. They’ll never learn to think big like the cosmic Yuzu. Yuzu is trying to save this pathetic sport while they’re ruining it to the core. BTW, even if Yuma won 3 consecutive Olympic golds, he wouldn’t receive 1/1000 the popularity that Yuzu enjoys in China. Sad but true. 

I think they're too proud. They missed the boat early with him and rather than admit to being wrong, they'd rather see their source of discomfort go away, rather than face up to not only missing a good thing, but doubting Yuzuru's abilities and strengths every step of the way.

[Melodie]

6 hours ago, barbara said:

That poem is lovely.

And the JSF and that article make me wonder, aside from the the north, the whole "he's from Sendai" thing, and that he seemed to have usurped Daisuke against the JSF wishes, what is the Japanese ideal and how is it not Yuzu?  He is not short, he is lean and handsome and selfless and kind.  He's the best ever at what he does and brought an enormous amount of attention to Japan.  And then there's the Yuzu-economy.

It all makes me want to shake the JSF, as if it was an animate object I could shake, and knock some sense into it before they lose the best thing that has ever happened to Japanese figure skating.

Ironically, when FS came to Japan, it first came to Sendai. On top of that, both of Japan's Olys gold medalists in FS come from Sendai. 

 

As for Yuzu, there are many reasons but I don't suppose we will ever know them all. The consensus (that I have seen so far) seem to be that

- Yuzu is way too independent and can't be controlled;

- he is not from the right region and under the right coaches;

- he has been affirming his position/rising up the rank way too quickly;

- he is way too strong and so beloved by his fans to the point he overshadows pretty much all other JPN skaters; etc.

 

Also, his honesty might just be too much for some (remember that one time he pretty much shut Hashitmoto up during an athlete camp?).

 

It is what it is tho. The mystery of why a young man from Sendai is so hated by his federation (and other federations) is a puzzle for the century.

[Xiupia]

1 hour ago, barbara said:

That poem is lovely.

And the JSF and that article make me wonder, aside from the the north, the whole "he's from Sendai" thing, and that he seemed to have usurped Daisuke against the JSF wishes, what is the Japanese ideal and how is it not Yuzu?  He is not short, he is lean and handsome and selfless and kind.  He's the best ever at what he does and brought an enormous amount of attention to Japan.  And then there's the Yuzu-economy.

It all makes me want to shake the JSF, as if it was an animate object I could shake, and knock some sense into it before they lose the best thing that has ever happened to Japanese figure skating.

 

Apart from politics, I really think is a philosophy thing. Yuzu is too "individualistic", you can see it in his answers to the media / press, he is always reinforcing how important it is for skaters to "find their uniqueness", "express their individuality". He is independent, and although we praise how diplomatic and articulate he is, he is also very honest. He owns absolutely nothing to them, they have no leverage, so they cannot share in his success in a way. I will never forget Ando implying he is kind of a narcissist (more like self centred person), because he does his own thing in his own pace. 

 

And I will be blunt, they are also kinda stupid. Other federations would have capitalised HARD on his success and use it to propel their skating programs, probably to the athlete's detriment, but JSF is way too proud for it. And they have made no efforts to correct this path they chose to take right in the beginning so the relationship just grows sour; these days you will not even see Yuzu initiating good will interactions with other skaters anymore, which is just a shame. 

 

JSF is such a mess that they lowball their own ladies, is weird. 

 

The man is a lighting in a bottle phenomenon and they are missing out on it, we all agree. We could've been watching the seeds of a spiritual sucessor by now, but nope, they had to push him out. It makes me sad for Yuzu because I feel like he would love to help nurture younger skaters that could continue Japan's standing in the sport. 

[Skrimblo_iced]

52 minutes ago, CiONTUw4A said:

 

 

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

they really chose the worst photo for nathan lmaooooooooo the fact that its not even a recent photo of him is sending me

[Melodie]

5 hours ago, Xiupia said:

I will never forget Ando implying he is kind of a narcissist (more like self centred person), because he does his own thing in his own pace. 

 

I don't like Ando but that was more of a joke, similar to how Yuzu and Nobu call themselves S&M.