[2025.03.27] Yuzuru Hanyu performs "Danny Boy" in tribute to "Ogensan"

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2025.03.27

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20250327-OHT1T51296.html?page=1

Archived:https://web.archive.org/web/20250327153710/https://hochi.news/articles/20250327-OHT1T51296.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu surprises with an improved version of "Danny Boy" incorporating triple axel and quadruple jump in tribute to "Ogensan"

 

The final episode of singer-songwriter Gen Hoshino's music program "Ogensan to Issho" (NHK General TV) was broadcast on the 27th, and professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu made a surprise appearance on video. He skated to "Danny Boy," a song that is memorable to the two of them, and presented it to Hoshino.

 

Spoiler

Hanyu said, "My older sister (Hoshino Gen) taught me this song on Subsukdo, and I started skating to it. This program has become truly special to me. Please watch it!" Dressed in an elegant white costume, he then began his performance.

 

　The routine opened with a deep-edge eagle turn into a breathtaking triple Axel, followed by an Ina Bauer into a quadruple toe loop, incorporating advanced techniques while picking up the sound of the piano. In previous ice shows, the opening jumps had been a triple toe loop and a triple loop, but for Hoshino, Hanyu crafted an evolved version of the performance.

 

　Immediately after the announcement that the program was ending, Hanyu contacted Hoshino, saying, "I'm sad." This performance was made possible by a counter offer from Hanyu. Hoshino didn't know until he saw the video. It was a fresh video of the skater skating on the 25th. After watching it, Ogen expressed his gratitude in an excited state, saying, "Thank you, Yuzu. It's amazing."

 

　Hanyu appeared as a guest on "Ogen-san's Subsukudo" broadcast in August 2023, playing the role of "Ogensan’s little brother" and discussing music with Hoshino. During that appearance, Hoshino introduced him to Keith Jarrett’s Danny Boy, which inspired Hanyu to create a skating program around it. He first performed the piece in March 2024 at Yuzuru Hanyu Notte Stellata 2024.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2025.03.27

 

Source: https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202503270001541.html

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250327154557/https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202503270001541.html

 

Yuzuru Hanyu makes a surprise appearance on the "Ogensan Final" video, dedicating a magnificent skate to Gen Hoshino

 

NHK General’s music special Ogensan to Issho Final aired live on the 27th at 10:00 PM, marking the show's final episode. Midway through the broadcast, two-time Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu (30) made a surprise appearance via a pre-recorded video message.

 

Spoiler

At the beginning of the program, singer-songwriter Gen Hoshino (44), aka “Ogensan,” appeared dressed as an older woman and kicked off the show with an impassioned rendition of “SUN.”

 

In the middle of the program, Hanyu made a surprise appearance on video as "Ogensan's younger brother, Yuzu." Facing Hoshino in the studio, he began speaking, waving his hand and saying, "Big sis, it's been a while. I'm your younger brother, Yuzu."

 

Hanyu previously appeared on "Ogensan's Subsukudo" in 2023. In his message, Hanyu said, "Big Sis introduced me to my beloved, beloved Danny Boy at Subsukudo, and today, I want to give it to you as a gift!" He continued, "You were the one who introduced me to this song, and it became a program I now skate to. This performance is truly special to me. Please watch!" He then performed a graceful and emotional routine on the ice to Keith Jarrett’s rendition of Danny Boy.

 

The show, which first aired in 2017, reached its conclusion after eight years, with this episode marking the seventh installment—two years and seven months after it first aired. Hoshino Gen plays the main character, Ogen-san, and the cast includes Takahata Mitsuki (father), Fujii Takashi (eldest daughter Takako), Miyano Mamoru (Ogen-san's mouse), Miura Daichi (second son), Iio Kazuki (older brother), and Matsushige Yutaka (Yutaka-san).

 

The band members are Ryosuke Nagaoka on guitar, Tomoyasu Kawamura "Kasuke" on drums, Jungo Miura on bass, Yasuhiro Sakurada and Eiko Ishibashi on keyboard harmonica, and Satoshi Takeshima on flute.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2025.03.29

 

Source: https://worldfigureskating-web.jp/news/12191/ 

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250329133342/https://worldfigureskating-web.jp/news/12191/

 

Surprise video! Skating to Gen Hoshino's favourite song
Yuzuru Hanyu's amazing performance, Special edition of "Danny Boy" dedicated to Ogensan

 

On March 27, Yuzuru Hanyu made a surprise VTR appearance on the final episode of Ogen-san to Issho, a music program hosted by Gen Hoshino, which aired live on NHK General TV. He delivered an extraordinary performance to Danny Boy, which is one of Gen Hoshino's favorite songs.

 

Spoiler

A Supreme Program Dedicated to Ogen-san
Ogensan to Issho is a unique and popular music program where the Ogen-san family—full of unexpected character settings—delivers high-quality musical performances. The official NHK program description reads, “Eight years after the program began broadcasting in 2017, what will happen in the final episode of this legendary program?"

 

As the final episode entered its latter half, Yuzuru Hanyu appeared via VTR. Waving at Hoshino, he greeted, “Big sis! It’s been a while. It’s your little brother, Yuzu!” He then spoke warmly: “I’d like to dedicate a gift to you—‘Danny Boy,’ the song you introduced to me at Sabusukudo.” "You introduced me to this song, and because of you, I started skating to it. This program is truly, truly important to me. Please watch!"

In August 2023, Hanyu appeared on Ogensan no Sabusukudo, a spin-off show born from a segment of Ogensan to Issho, where he was introduced as Ogensan’s “little brother, Yuzu.” At that time, Hoshino named it as "a song of a lifetime" and told Hanyu, "I would love for you to skate to it." The piece was the piano version of Danny Boy, performed by Keith Jarrett.

 

In March 2024, Hanyu performed Danny Boy for the first time ever at his ice show notte stellata, held in Miyagi, a region affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. With a heartfelt desire to 'bring hope to the world', he debuted this deeply meaningful program on the ice.

 

Since then, he has often performed this program at ice shows and has been highly praised, but on this day, the program aired a never-before-seen version of "Danny Boy."

 

Brimming with Serene Elegance

As the poignant melody of Keith Jarrett’s piano began to flow, Hanyu, dressed in an ethereal white costume, slowly opened his hands—previously clasped in front of his chest as if in prayer—and glided forward with quiet grace. Then, in a breathtaking departure from his usual opening jump, instead of a triple toe loop, he turned around from an eagle, jumped high, and performed a brilliant triple axel. It was an incredibly beautiful jump.

 

And the surprise continued. Rising slowly from a layback Ina Bauer, he executed a three-turn to face backward and, once again, soared effortlessly into a quadruple toe loop without any visible preparation.

 

To execute high-difficulty jumps, a skater must convert their approach speed into height and rotational motion. However, Hanyu’s jumps—so sharp, seamless, and free of hesitation—create the illusion that a triple Axel or even a quadruple jump can be performed without any preparation at all. This was the evolved version of Danny Boy.

 

Hanyu’s performances always exceed imagination as he relentlessly pursues perfection, but this serene performance was in a league of its own. His seamless skating, stripped of all excess, danced with the melody, capturing every note and rest, transforming his entire body into an instrument playing the music. A breathtaking 2 minutes and 40 seconds of pure divinity.

 

Shortly after it was announced that Ogen-san to Issho would be coming to an end, Hanyu reached out to Gen Hoshino, simply saying, “I'm sad.” The performance video was filmed just two days before the broadcast. Hanyu took full control of the entire process, from planning and filming to editing the footage himself. Hoshino, who had not been informed of the surprise, was deeply moved after watching the performance and expressed his gratitude with emotion-filled words: “Thank you, Yuzu. That was incredible.”

 

Figure skating goes hand in hand with music. As someone who deeply loves music, Hanyu used his art of figure skating to create and perform an evolved version of Danny Boy. This performance was a heartfelt surprise gift to Ogensan, the Ogensan family, and the staff. At the same time, it left a profound impact on everyone who watched. Through this performance, Hanyu once again reminded the world of the endless beauty of figure skating.

 

Image credit: ©YUZURU HANYU