Berton/Hotarek - I barely paid attention to pairs after Salt Lake City, and found the discipline over the past two quads to have gone from bad to worse. So I missed the beginning of these guys as a pair, but I love them now! Great skating skills, beautiful dance qualities in both of them but especially her, nice tech in most of the pairs elements, and they really look and most importantly skate like a pair. They have delightful amounts of personality, and I'd really like to see them start consistently medalling on the GP circuit and becoming regular GPF attendees.
Kawaguti/Smirnov - I love Moskvina and I've loved most of her teams, but I've just never been able to warm up to these two. I could appreciate how good they were on a technical level when they actually had their stuff together, but there was just something missing.... until this season. I liked their LP last season, but I really love their SP this season. It's my favorite of any team. Maybe it's just the weak state of the discipline overall, but K/S come on ice and I'm like "aaaah, time to watch the professionals!". Somehow, they seem like the class of the field even more than S/S and V/T to me this season.
Carolina Kostner - Her programs this season are great, and her consistency makes some of her flaws much more tolerable. I still think she has a lot of flaws, is often overscored, but it's acceptable given the state of the field, and I don't think she's had any unfair placements because of it, unlike prior seasons. It makes it much easier to just enjoy her performances for what they are: unique and expressive.
Ross Miner - I think his presentation has improved a lot and so have his skating skills. He really underwhelmed me last season, and his programs are still completely unappealing, but I'm looking forward to him developing as a skater.
Brobova/Soloviev - Just because I'm contrary and she gets so much hate for her bad qualities, that I feel compelled to figure out her (and his) good ones and appreciate them.
to me, because she definitely has a different mood to her skating--gentle, refined, and steady--and I know she is trying hard to improve which is always admirable.
I just don't enjoy her skating, sorry. *shrugs*
in 1997 and yeah, there's just no comparison (there was stuff from earlier on and he had Yags' footwork years before Alexei was a top contender... so much for unique, eh? 
Personnally, I don't care of her before and even when she win the bronze medal at skate america, I was not agree with her placement, I though that another skater should have win the bronze. But finaly, I realise her quality of skating and her great presence at TEB and I became a fan of her SP 
She is great!!!
