General Yuzuru Chat

[Xiupia]

Reading the latest couple of pages here, I have some thoughts… it might get too long, so I apologize. 
 

Piecing together what Yuzu has been saying the last couple of weeks about how he has been considering retirement since at least 2018, I’m not sure he would telegraph his ultimate decision until the last days. 
He clearly has been taking one season at a time, one competition at a time, till Beijing - which was not a competition he planned for in the long term. 

 

With all honesty I was sure he was going to announce retirement right at that presscon back then (in Beijing) even if I didn’t want it - he seemed so dispirited and burdened. But he didn’t. And now in hindsight I guess he wanted to take his time to process everything properly and calmly, probably talk it out with his loved ones, and then later make a more appropriate decision. 
Some here said he made the decision last minute because his FaOI and post-Beijing interviews / crumbs talks showed his resolve and wanting to continue working on his skating. So there might have been something that pushed him last minute. 
But I don’t know. At the end it was probably a mounting of things, a new perspective being brought up while FaOI was happening, the rediscovering of his love for skating back then in the gala practice, a heart to heart with his family, watching Worlds, everything, or nothing. 
 

 

I also hope this does not come across wrongly, but if there is a lesson for fans in all this episode is to refrain from “reading too much”. Is inevitable that we want to make more out of his performances because he packs it with details and tells a story with them, but he clearly wants us to take them as they are presented right now. In the present. I’ve seen quite a few commentaries already about how we “missed signs”, or we should see it coming somehow, and I don’t think that’s fair to either you and Yuzu. He clearly has been taking steps settled in the present, carefully, and more importantly - keeping them to himself. Of course we would not know, he didn’t want anyone to! I commend him for keeping this between him and his very close and loved ones, with a very clear boundary he set himself between him and the public. We are privy to as much as he wants to reveal, and while we enjoy the stories he wants to tell through his art, he sets the tone and how much he wants to reveal. We can all speculate about things past, and he is very genuine, open and honest, but he very clearly set a tone where he reveals just as much as he wants and decides things for himself.
 

Which brings me to. To offer a different perspective to the lamentations, I’m so proud of him. Honestly and truly, the more I mull over his words and everything that happened this past years, the prouder I feel.
To chose to better oneself while aware of an apparent unrewarding system, to push forward despite it and cling to your dream, to mentally survive the pressure of Beijing and then catch yourself and make the best out of it. To be able to see beyond your immediate results, to consider a future while at your lowest, to still be grateful. And to make this big of a decision while your body is still sound and your love for what you do is intact? To walk away while on top because you know it will keep your heart safe and seek opportunities out of this? 
I’m so, so, so proud. 
Yuzu is leaving competition healthy, in his best condition and loving skating still. He will not break himself fighting against a system that will not reward his efforts and chasing victories that he doesn’t need. 
Legacy secured. 
My heart full. 

Welp, this was very long, sorry for that! 
 

All in all, we now know that NDP was a homage to David Wilson, we know some of the symbolism behind Raison, and we know he has been thinking about this for a while. 
 

Also, please let us not forget he said in his last day at FaOI he was truly happy. Tears of happiness as well. 
A weigh lifted, probably. 

[isabelfm]

MIyakawa was waiting for their interactions to be broadcasted!! I love them aaaahhhh 

[Madita]

Don‘t know if this was shared already 

 

 

[Hanmgse]

41 minutes ago, isabelfm said:

MIyakawa was waiting for their interactions to be broadcasted!! I love them aaaahhhh 

their interactions are adorable 

[Elly]

New Yuzu pictures

 

 

 

 

More in the thread of the second one.

[Perelandra]

Every movement so elegant 

[caramelicht]

33 minutes ago, Elly said:

New Yuzu pictures

 

 

 

 

More in the thread of the second one.

that smile and two thumbs up. adorable

[Perelandra]

 

Something to consider:

Following this years' ISU congress, a rule change to Junior competition has seen the step sequence requirement removed from the Free Skate. Yuzu displays a well rounded performance during his Junior career, incorporating skating skills as well as jumps and other special movements in order to deliver a programme comprising all of the technical and artistic elements. Yuzu as we know, continues to evolve in all aspects of his skating to become the master of all the skills and delivers aesthetically beautiful and thrilling athletic, sophisticated and entrancing programmes.

 

A few Junior skaters may still perform a step sequence if the choreography already included it for the Free programme this season, many may opt to drop the step sequence as will not be rewarded in the Free skate. Junior Short programme will continue to require step sequence but the Free Programme will require Choreo seq and few special movements for PCS. Everyone will have a different opinion about where this will take FS in the longer term

[Goatedforever]

 

20 minutes ago, Perelandra said:

 

Something to consider:

Following this years' ISU congress, a rule change to Junior competition has seen the step sequence requirement removed from the Free Skate. Yuzu displays a well rounded performance during his Junior career, incorporating skating skills as well as jumps and other special movements in order to deliver a programme comprising all of the technical and artistic elements. Yuzu as we know, continues to evolve in all aspects of his skating to become the master of all the skills and delivers aesthetically beautiful and thrilling athletic, sophisticated and entrancing programmes.

 

A few Junior skaters may still perform a step sequence if the choreography already included it for the Free programme this season, many may opt to drop the step sequence as will not be rewarded in the Free skate. Junior Short programme will continue to require step sequence but the Free Programme will require Choreo seq and few special movements for PCS. Everyone will have a different opinion about where this will take FS in the longer term

It’s actually sad. I know Yuzu is inimitable but the ISU just killed chances of seeing potential legends rise in this sport and has offended and disasppointed a lot of older FS fans with their corruption, politics and the final nail in the coffin was the recent changes in scoring. 

[Perelandra]

6 minutes ago, Goatedforever said:

 

It’s actually sad. I know Yuzu is inimitable but the ISU just killed chances of seeing potential legends rise in this sport and has offended and disasppointed a lot of older FS fans with their corruption, politics and the final nail in the coffin was the recent changes in scoring. 

The implications of the rule change will be have an end point - jump focussed programmes with long run ups in order to have optimal preparation for jumps. Skating skills will be neglected in favour of jumping. This is only the opinion of one, but I also consider this decision to be rather poor for the future of FS overall

[Goatedforever]

@PerelandraBefore Yuzu, I first got into figure skating because of Yuna and Mao. Mao’s one foot skating? Superb. Now all those things that made me love this sport are no longer valuable. I guess we’ll see how that plays out this season though I have lost interest in it and might just watch my fave ladies. 

 

Idk if the changes in PCS played into Yuzu’s decision but I was initially worried the most about him when that was announced. I knew he would never compromise his ideals and he was unhappy about putting in 5 quads in his layout before but the judges have even more reason to underscore him with the new rule and this time we could no longer complain about it. I didn’t want to see his face fall again at the K&C, he really did the right thing stepping away from that circus. 

[Pammi]

1 hour ago, Goatedforever said:

He really did the right thing stepping away from that circus. 

I agree! In my earlier post when I asked how we missed signs of how he was thinking it was a rhetorical question, I didn’t expect answers but it’s interesting to read people’s views. However I do think Yuzuru could maybe have wanted to prepare us, even a little, for this possibility. I agree it’s easy to “see” things in hindsight, but actually Raison’s lyrics (wonderfully translated on here by @SuzyQ EDIT my memory might be playing its tricks again, maybe it was Real Face SuzyQ translated??) and Yuzuru’s own explanation of the programme was enough to plant that seed of wondering about future plans. I was one of those who thought it very telling that he never explicitly said he was going to continue competitive skating, but the lack of announcement before GP series assignments were due to come out mid July had most of us more convinced than not that he would compete. It was the tragedy of Shinzo Abe’s assassination that delayed such an announcement and of course in hindsight it is absolutely in character for Yuzuru not to make such an important announcement whilst his people came to terms with such a shocking event. Yuzuru also put so much thought into helping us all manage his announcement, by the power of his positive thinking and framing of his decision, I am so grateful to him for that, it has helped me think differently about his change in status than I otherwise would have done. The main thing, (as many of us have said already) is that despite the tears of farewell to his old life, he radiates happiness at deciding this new path.

[Perelandra]

Sublime skating

[Perelandra]

39 minutes ago, Goatedforever said:

@PerelandraBefore Yuzu, I first got into figure skating because of Yuna and Mao. Mao’s one foot skating? Superb. Now all those things that made me love this sport are no longer valuable. I guess we’ll see how that plays out this season though I have lost interest in it and might just watch my fave ladies. 

 

Idk if the changes in PCS played into Yuzu’s decision but I was initially worried the most about him when that was announced. I knew he would never compromise his ideals and he was unhappy about putting in 5 quads in his layout before but the judges have even more reason to underscore him with the new rule and this time we could no longer complain about it. I didn’t want to see his face fall again at the K&C, he really did the right thing stepping away from that circus. 

What is also sad, those younger skaters who were inspired by Yuzu could have been his legacy - a generation of skaters wanting to gain gorgeous skating skills. Those skills are being undervalued in favour of jumps, so anyone cultivating artistry in skating will need to put that aside in order to concentrate on jumping. Skating skills may end up as the lost art, aside from Ice Dance. 

Skaters start out learning all of the skills to become athletes with a good repertoire and experience allows them to develop interpretation and perfect the skills. As years go by FS risks becoming 2 dimensional, those wanting to jump and those seen as wishing to dance on ice, except perhaps for a very dedicated handful of skaters. This may well lead to a huge decline in interest with implications with regards to funding. Such a shame. 

Yuzu's popularity was something that the sport should have celebrated and in turn may well have encouraged casual audience to become avid FS followers. This is the very definition of wasted opportunity

 

[Goatedforever]

I agreee with you @Perelandra. It could have encouraged newer Fanyus to check out the sport even when Yuzu has left the competitive field but ISU effed it up. You know it’s bad when even non Fanyus turn their backs against the sport because of ISU. 
 

@Pammi

 

I just remembered I had this saved in my bookmarks but this one is comparing lyrics of RF and Masquerade. It’s really nice to look at in hindsight now.