I think it's mostly Akiko that's setting herself up for the win. Not many ladies manage to land a 3-3 for the 1st time at the age of 26, especially after not competing for a few seasons due to illness. And there are few skaters who can skate with such joy and freedom.
That's true. But a year or two ago, even when she skated like this (and she did a few times, at CoC, at the GPF where Kim and Miki vaulted pass her with crap programs), the judges would still give her second tier PCS and keep her down. This year, she's getting her due. That's what I meant.