Daisuke Takahashi

mikaboo · Jun 24, 2014

ioanap said:
Miku Okubo herself wrote a letter to Dai apologizing for the scandal even though she had nothing to do with it, and encouraged him to do his best at the Olympics.

I saw a a documentary about Samuragochi and Miku and read about how disappointed she was after finding out about the fraud. I didn't know she apologized to Daisuke though. Totally unnecessary

In a strange way, it was good that Daisuke wasn't distracted by the scandal because he had too many other things to be concerned about.

ioanna · Jun 24, 2014

Meoima said:
I don't get why they revealed that scandal right before Olympics. Seriously, why couldn't they wait for just a month?
The violinist herself has no fault over that incident. She is such a great soul. I blame the ones who made faults. Poor Dai.

Apparently the ghost writer thought it would cause a much bigger scandal if he revealed it after the Olympics, and he suddenly felt guilty because Dai was skating on a fraud. Seriously though, it's not like Dai hadn't already used the song in previous competitions all season, he could have told the truth earlier. :disapp:

The whole story sounded like attention seeking to me, rather than redemption.

BusyMom · Jun 24, 2014

ioanap said:
The whole story sounded like attention seeking to me, rather than redemption.

That's exactly how I felt. He did chose the best time to make the story big for his own benefit. It wasn't redemption at all. If you look deep into details he is a very bitter person and not really care about the effect of his own actions. Daisuke on the other hand got the best publicity in the process since he had nothing to do with the fraud. Some non-skating fan watched his performance because of the scandal. More new fans...no big deal.

ioanna · Jun 24, 2014

He did get quite a bit of publicity. There were many articles about this issue and no doubt it brought some attention to his SP.

Still, it must have been a little difficult for a skater like him, who is known for expressing music with his body, to skate on a song that caused so much scandal, especially at the Olympics. I hope the positive feelings he got from the song did not get lost in the process.

mikaboo · Jun 24, 2014

I'm sorry I seemed to have brought back bad memories for everyone :eek:

:
I haven't been following that particular news closely, so I just looked him up and you might be disappointed to hear this but I don't think that he is criticized that much in Japan. In fact, a lot of people seem to feel sorry for him and his students even conducted a petition to keep him at the school which did no go through.
I agree that the timing was awful though.

ioanna · Jun 24, 2014

mikaboo said:
I'm sorry I seemed to have brought back bad memories for everyone :
I haven't been following that particular news closely, so I just looked him up and you might be disappointed to hear this but I don't think that he is criticized that much in Japan. In fact, a lot of people seem to feel sorry for him and his students even conducted a petition to keep him at the school which did no go through.
I agree that the timing was awful though.

Oh no, it's not a problem at all! I think the whole Sochi experience was mostly worrying for Dai fans because we didn't know what to worry about first: the fake song, his knee, the discouraging reports from practice (I remember articles that were saying he was so bad in practice, he was likely headed for a disaster in competition). Not to mention finishing 4th after the SP with strong chances of getting another bronze.

Being a Daisuke fan is certainly an emotional roller coaster :laugh:

People in Japan must have been very easily moved by Samuragochi's fake sad life story...

mikaboo · Jun 24, 2014

ioanap said:
People in Japan must have been very easily moved by Samuragochi's fake sad life story...

No, they hate Samuragochi, but they feel sorry for the ghost composer, Takashi Niigaki.

ioanna · Jun 24, 2014

mikaboo said:
No, they hate Samuragochi, but they feel sorry for the ghost composer, Takashi Niigaki.

Oh, I understand now. They must have been very disappointed to know about Samuragochi though, after all that time telling fake stories.

As for Niigaki, he is most likely seen as a victim rather than an accomplice. Which is a shame, because the timing he chose to reveal the story was extremely suspicious.

Meoima · Jun 24, 2014

ioanap said:
Oh, I understand now. They must have been very disappointed to know about Samuragochi though, after all that time telling fake stories.
As for Niigaki, he is most likely seen as a victim rather than an accomplice. Which is a shame, because the timing he chose to reveal the story was extremely suspicious.

I am just curious why he chose that sensitive time to reveal the truth, though. :eek:

hwell:

ioanna · Jun 26, 2014

This video was recently uploaded on YouTube. It's from the beginning of the 2009-2010 season and they made Dai watch his own program. He says he's terrible most of the time but in spite of the low confidence display, his reactions are funny. :laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im18SlNr7mk

ioanna · Jun 26, 2014

Men's Economic Club Talk Session, Tokyo, June 25th

Original report here.

This is a rough translation of reports from the event for the Kansai University alumni on June 25, 2014.

I tried to summarize many tweets from several different people. Therefore, please be forewarned that Daisuke's answers are not exactly word to word.

The talk itself was approx. 15 minutes. He had other interviews(?) before the event, and had to leave immediately afterward to go back to Osaka.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Kansai University Alumni event
June 25, 2014 in Tokyo

Before Daisuke’s appearance:

A flute player and a pianist play a medley of Daisuke’s program music: Beatles medley, Phantom of the Opera, Swan Lake, La Strada, Blues for Klook, Il Pagliacci along with a few other music selection.

Daisuke’s achievements are displayed on 3 giant screens. Then his performance of Beatles medley at the Sochi Olympics is played.

Daisuke enters from the back entrance, walking on a red carpet. He wears a suit with a dark blue tie. He looks even more tanned than at AminoVital events. He has beard, too.

The stool on stage is high, and Daisuke has a hard time keeping himself from slipping.

The emcee is a former Miss International who is the same age as Daisuke.

She asks about his hair style.

D: I got a haircut but it grew, so I got another cut and had it colored and that’s why it looks like this. Maybe it’s not proper for a 28-year-old. People often tell me I don’t look like a figure skater.

Asked about his childhood:

D: I don’t remember when I tried my first jump. I tried to copy what those skaters were doing on TV. I didn’t have much fear back then.

Now I’m thinking more, and I know about my own body too well to try new things. I don’t have the kind of “unreasonable” confidence like when I was a teenager.

About the Kansai University skating rink:

D: When the skating rink was built at the University, my training environment improved significantly. Many skaters came to our rink to train, and it has become a place where we can motivate each other. I hope The Kansai University will become a symbol of Japanese figure skating.

MC: It already is, thanks to you!

Asked about his private life:

D: I don’t have any hobbies. I guess changing my hair style once a month is my hobby. Or I go out shopping or eat out with my friends in Osaka. I don’t like just staying and relaxing at home, but I don’t want to travel far, either. My friends are getting married and have kids, so now it’s harder to ask them to go out with me…

I like listening to music, too. When I hang out in stores or restaurants and hear some music I like, I use an app (probably Shazam) or ask a store person what they are playing and buy it myself. It’s like a habit as a skater. I have used some of those tunes for my exhibition programs, but not for the competition programs.

Asked about his expression during performances:

D: I take dance lessons to improve my positions and movements. Otherwise, I don’t really think much about expressing anything. Sometimes the audience’s cheer motivates me and my performance grows bigger. One thing I can think of is that I’ve always been a very emotional person. Maybe that’s helping my performance.

A question from a professor: How did you study English?

D: When I went to train in Canada for the first time, I couldn’t understand what they were saying at all. So I watched TV a lot and listened. Some easy stuff like Disney or Cartoon Channels. Then I tried to shadow their lines. Now I understand it but cannot speak myself.

MC: But you talk with other skaters a lot, don’t you?

D: That’s because I don’t have to worry about grammar or mistakes. I can’t speak English at press conferences because I don’t want to be misunderstood if I use wrong expressions.

Asked about getting himself motivated:

D: I still don’t know how. Especially the last two years toward Sochi I struggled to synchronize my mind with my body, or my thoughts with my feelings. Sometimes I realize what went wrong only after I fail. Getting myself motivated is probably my lifetime goal.

Asked for a message for all Kansai Univ. alumni and faculty:

D: I am not sure if it takes one year, two years or more, but I'd like to think about my future for myself, not for someone else. I hope I can be proud of what I have done so far. If I decide to continue as a competitive skater, I hope again the Kansai University will support me. Even if I decide to seek another path, it will give me great confidence knowing you will always be staying behind me.

cdngirl · Jun 27, 2014

Thanks for the link to the old interview and for the latest interview, Ioanap. It's so interesting that he doesn't have to work on his expressions and emotions during his performances. He just has this natural gift. I've often thought he should have been a dancer because even 'though the training is tough on a dancer's body I think it's worse for a skater. Perhaps he wouldn't have had such problems with his knee, had he been a dancer, but then I realized that if he had been a dancer he might not have had the international attention if he had just danced in Japan. With his skating he has so many fans in different countries so I guess that's what he was meant to do.

ioanna · Jun 27, 2014

I admit I really would like to see him dance off ice some time! I bet he would be incredible.

cdngirl · Jun 27, 2014

ioanap said:
I admit I really would like to see him dance off ice some time! I bet he would be incredible.

Wouldn't that be awesome? If he can move the way he does on ice can you image what he could do on a stage that isn't slippery and without skating boots that are heavy and restrictive. I think "incredible" and "awesome" would be an understatement!

ioanna · Jun 27, 2014

Yes! I've only seen bits and pieces of him rehearsing his choreography before off ice and he looked like a professional! Dai participating at a Japanese Dancing With The Stars show would have been a feast. And he would have easily won the competition :biggrin:

Meoima · Jun 27, 2014

ioanap said:
Yes! I've only seen bits and pieces of him rehearsing his choreography before off ice and he looked like a professional! Dai participating at a Japanese Dancing With The Stars show would have been a feast. And he would have easily won the competition

Is there anyone in Japan can confirm if Japan TV has any kind of Dancing with the stars? If yes we need to make a petition for Dai to be invited! :yay:

cdngirl · Jun 27, 2014

Meoima said:
Is there anyone in Japan can confirm if Japan TV has any kind of Dancing with the stars? If yes we need to make a petition for Dai to be invited! :yay:

I remember thinking he'd be great on the U.S. version of Dancing with the Stars and this was before Charlie and Meryl had been announced this past season. I'm sure he'd be more comfortable if there was a Japanese version of the show and I would happily sign the petition!

cdngirl · Jun 27, 2014

ioanap said:
Yes! I've only seen bits and pieces of him rehearsing his choreography before off ice and he looked like a professional! Dai participating at a Japanese Dancing With The Stars show would have been a feast. And he would have easily won the competition

I agree! Not only would he be a joy to watch (can you imagine the ratings for the show) but he would definitely win that Mirror Ball Trophy. Where is DeeDee when we need her? We definitely have to find out if there's a Dancing with the Stars in Japan or something similar.

ioanna · Jun 27, 2014

Nothing's coming up just by searching the internet so I assumed they don't have a show like that. But somebody from Japan will probably know better.

I've always wanted to be a fly on the wall when Dai was learning / practicing his hip hop dance for his Swan Lake SP. :biggrin:

His Mambo SP also made me imagine how would that look on a dance floor. Explosive, to say at least :laugh:

ioanna · Jun 27, 2014

Speaking of choreography, this is an extract of the Home Sweet Home documentary from Fuji TV. According to Dai, this was the first time he skated on his Beatles Medley since Sochi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeBNSbSMQQQ

Daisuke Takahashi

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