Is Akiko Suzuki the most musical ladies skater since Michelle Kwan? | Golden Skate

Is Akiko Suzuki the most musical ladies skater since Michelle Kwan?

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Many of my friends have been raving about the artistry and musicality of Akiko Suzuki. Many of them have said she is the most engaging and charismatic skater on the ice since Michelle Kwan.
 

mariposa

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
She connects with the music beautifully....but I'm not feeling the connection to the audience. Just my opinion..I don't feel anything when she performs..she's one of my favourites, but not quite MK material yet. Just sayin'.:thumbsup:
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Akiko was great in Westside story, but no one has the great musicality expressions like Yuna Kim does ... non one... for me at least :)

My favourite singles skaters tends to be very musically expressive. Guys Daisuke, Hanyu, Abbott, Lambiel, Weir, Browning are all great musical skaters. Ladies, certainly Michelle is one of the best of all time. Akiko is the strongest among the Japanese Ladies, I actually sense Kanako has good musicality but she is very brisk and clumsy in her expressions, she just need to refine and learn subtlety with finesse, pay more attention to key changes in the music and her performance will leaps and bound.

I think among the Russian babies, Liza T is easily the strongest but she need far better program to display it more obviously. Some Chinese babies like Zi Jun and Junior Korean babies have good basic musicality but they don't have the technical consistency to convey them properly in a winning program. Ashley has the goods among the US ladies. Florent Amodio is very musical as well, but unfortunately his style and program are never my cup of tea. I suspect with the speed Patrick is improving his musical expressions all the time, I may add it to my list in maybe 2 years more or less? Certainly musicality can be developed, but it is always easy to tell who's the naturally born vs the practiced by how they performed from the beginning of the season to the WC and in their exhibitions, especially in group performances.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I agree with a lot of what you say, especially the part about favorite skaters being the musically expressive ones. (My list almost exactly parallels yours.) I'd add Mao Asada to the list of musical skaters, though. It's why I continue to be devoted to her. I agree that Akiko is on this list, and I hope she continues to skate so we can enjoy her for a long time to come. Choosing between her and Mao is tougher. I can't decide which of them is the more musical, but fortunately, we have them both to admire and enjoy, so I don't have to choose.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Is-Akiko-Suzuki-the-most-musical skater since Michelle Kwan?

Or is she the most musical skater since Yukina Ota. ;)
 

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Or is she the most musical skater since Yukina Ota. ;)

Yeah, I love Yukina Ota as well.

Akiko has the magic but she does not have that superstar -euphoric rapport that MK has. If she was a bigger star in the sport, she would be able to achieve this. Hopefully she would be rewarded with this. She is magical nonetheless.
 

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Mao Asada is musical as well- the small nuances she does to perfectly blend with the music etc. She is truly one of the best. There are some performances though, when she does not become one with the music.

Yu-Na is also one of the most musical skaters, she was the total package. I think her artistry and musicality has not yet peaked, she was on the process of attaining that musicality but has not been able to fully develop it.

Yukina Ota is just glorious! She was really something else.

Shizuka Arakawa is also incredibly musical in my opinion, though not always. She really connects though with "Turandot".

Carolina is very musical as well-my fave from her was last years "Prelude to An Afternoon Faun" at worlds. Her best program to date!

Miki Ando is musical. I love her passion as well and dedication for the sport.
 

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Daisuke Takahashi is the MK for the men for me! He is magic on the ice!

Akiko is quite similar to Dai but I wouldn't call her the female Dai.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I think Akiko is one of the most musical skaters in memory and esp. since CoP. Mao is musical and ethereal, and an athlete. I don't think we see many people like Caro (last 2 years Caro) or Mao, or Akiko. They are in a class of their own. I think Ashley is getting there, and was very musical in this year's programs. I personally think Akiko is more musical than MK. MK had a slower style, deeper edges, powerful when she unleashed her footwork later in her career. I think Akiko is faster, better footwork, light on her feet. She doesn't have the MK jump consistency that put MK on every podium for a decade, but Akiko's ability to interpret and dance to the music is a strong suit, given she is a single skater. I think she'd be a delightful ice dancer, if she chose. Delightfully musical is what comes to mind when I watch Akiko. She is charming.
 
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cjuarez

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 28, 2005
Yes she is, but Mao is pretty musical as well, Carolin has improved a lot also, of the baby russians I think Adelina and Polina K are the more musical ones
 

cosmos

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
I agree with a lot of what you say, especially the part about favorite skaters being the musically expressive ones. (My list almost exactly parallels yours.) I'd add Mao Asada to the list of musical skaters, though. It's why I continue to be devoted to her. I agree that Akiko is on this list, and I hope she continues to skate so we can enjoy her for a long time to come. Choosing between her and Mao is tougher. I can't decide which of them is the more musical, but fortunately, we have them both to admire and enjoy, so I don't have to choose.

I think Akiko is more musical. Actually, I don't think Mao is a particulalry musical skater. Her pretty position adds something to the music, but I think she doesn't really listen to the music performing.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I know you are a huge Yuna fan, Cosmos, but seriously, Mao Asada does not listen to the music? We are talking about the same Mao, yes? Perhaps your love for Yuna blinds you to Mao's abilities. She is a once in a generation skater-she floats over the ice and does triple axels. I hate seeing people say something such a put down to Mao because of her past rivalries. Mao skates on.
 

cosmos

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
I know you are a huge Yuna fan, Cosmos, but seriously, Mao Asada does not listen to the music? We are talking about the same Mao, yes? Perhaps your love for Yuna blinds you to Mao's abilities. She is a once in a generation skater-she floats over the ice and does triple axels. I hate seeing people say something such a put down to Mao because of her past rivalries. Mao skates on.

Hey, I don't want to make this thread the old YuNa-Mao battle. But, I have my own opinion and observation which are not necessarily same as yours. I hate people who say put-down to others who have different opinions. You think you area reasonable person with absolutely objective opinion and I am completely wrong because I am a YuNa fan? Do you realize you insulted me?

Some people think Akiko is the most musical while others don't.

Some people think Caro is more artistic than YuNa while others don't.

Some people think Mao is very musical while others don't.

That is the diversity of people. I don't know why you are overreacting to me.
 
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skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I apologize-but do you ever see anything special about Mao? The world loves her skating. We can't all be crazy.

Yuna does not compete anymore, but we still have the amazing Mao Asada. She has had a tough year. She could easily have competed her triple-triple but seeks the most difficult jump a lady can do. Perhaps it just doesn't seem at all accurate to say Mao just doesn't listen to her music? She is a very sensitive, musical skater. She always has been. At least be fair even if you love Yuna above all others.. Have you watched her at all since Yuna is gone?
 
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cosmos

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
I apologize-but do you ever see anything special about Mao? The world loves her skating. We can't all be crazy.

Yuna does not compete anymore, but we still have the amazing Mao Asada. She has had a tough year. She could easily have competed her triple-triple but seeks the most difficult jump a lady can do. Perhaps it just doesn't seem at all accurate to say Mao just doesn't listen to her music? She is a very sensitive, musical skater. She always has been. At least be fair even if you love Yuna above all others.. Have you watched her at all since Yuna is gone?

I try to be fair, but I think you know this is all very subjective. I appreciate mao's beautiful position and line and I think some of her spins are very beautiful (except sit spin). But, I don't think she is particularly musical.

Again, I don't want to make this this thread YuNa-Mao discussion.
 

brightphoton

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
meh.

"She is such a musical skater" is codespeak for "she is pretty and one of her competitive programs included soft, gentle music."
 

Serious Business

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
For me musicality has two parts in terms of skating:

The skater must realize the tempo, the phrasing, the dynamics and the punctuation of the music through movement. While both Akiko and Michelle Kwan were very good at this, I wouldn't say they are mind-blowingly awesome in this area. Singles and pairs skating simply has too many other considerations, such as jumps, at the elite level to delve fully into every nuance of the music. Ice dance is much better in this regard.

The other part is that the skater must communicate the mood and feel of the music to the audience. Now this is where Akiko and Michelle are exceptional. Michelle is a master of mood. She always understands the feel of the music, and exuded it with utter honesty. Like Michelle, Akiko is capable of radiating mature, comprehensive and open joy to the audience. It's an exceptional and rare ability. The first time I saw Akiko skate, it did occur to me, after the euphoria wore off a bit, that it was reminiscent of Michelle.

That's not to say there haven't been single ladies skaters since Michelle who are great at weaving a mood. Yuna Kim absolutely did that repeatedly, culminating, of course, in her masterful Olympics FS that was full of weightless bliss (and a dash of flirtatiousness). And Mao Asada always commits full heart and soul into her performances, although I am particularly affected by her exhibition skates, especially her gala number this season, I Vow to Thee, My Country. Mao always, always leaves her heart out there on the gala ice. Alena Leonova is a committed and enthusiastic ham, injecting unabashed comedy into skating in a way that Michelle never did.

In my opinion, Michelle is the epitome of the actor on ice. She has something like the versatility of Meryl Streep and the fervent honesty of Hilary Swank combined. Kwan has portrayed a variety of complex roles in her programs and made them powerfully straightforward. I don't think any other skater surpasses her in this.
 
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