Mao Asada

[Franklin99]

I agree! The program is beautiful, and she is so refreshing. Her maturity comes through so well. Go Mao!!!

I'm prepared to have many sleepless nights this season. Considering both of her GP events will be in Asia, Starbucks and I will be best buds this year.

 

[inskate]

Thanks for the report, yhmafan!

The one thing I still can’t accept is that her EX costume. Not only for the design but also it looks so heavy. I hope there is any idea for a new one :hopelessness:

Maybe something like this: http://imgur.com/3nk2YK9

 

[minze]

Thanks for the report, yhmafan!



Maybe something like this: http://imgur.com/3nk2YK9

Yes yes yes!!!

 

[gotoschool]

Thanks for the report, yhmafan!



Maybe something like this: http://imgur.com/3nk2YK9

That is just perfect! I wish there were some way to persuade Mao to wear this outfit instead. Let the campaign to get Mao to change to this one begin. Do you know if there are any videos of her performing in this outfit?I have never seen it before. It just looks too real to be photo-shopped because it fits Mao like a glove.

Thanks a lot for the report on Mao's performances, yhma fan. I am glad you got to go.

 

[Franklin99]

Thanks for the report, yhmafan!



Maybe something like this: http://imgur.com/3nk2YK9

Ohh that is the perfect replacement for her EX costume. Is that really Mao wearing that outfit or is it a photoshop picture? Because I've never seen this picture or any video of her performing with that outfit.

 

[Alba]

Thanks for the report, yhmafan!



Maybe something like this: http://imgur.com/3nk2YK9

I love that idea. Great job.

 

[yhmafan]

Thanks. I have to say that every single skater was so much welcomed and I am so glad to be able to watch them live, even a lot of their cute moments in Kiss & Cry and so on :

Thanks for the report, yhmafan!



Maybe something like this: http://imgur.com/3nk2YK9

This! Looks just perfect I guess it's photoshoped or some kind of fanart.

 

[gotoschool]

Thanks for the report, yhmafan!



Maybe something like this: http://imgur.com/3nk2YK9

I feel a foolish now because at first I thought that Mao's Puttin on the Ritz costume was real. The power of a master photoshop editor and wishful thinking hoodwinked me. Besides, I missed the smiley face. Great job inskate!

 

[inskate]

This! Looks just perfect I guess it's photoshoped or some kind of fanart.

Thanks! Yes, it's photoshopped (or Krita-shopped, actually, I use Krita on Linux, awesome program and completely free). I was just trying to imagine a costume that would look like a tuxedo, but wouldn't bee too heavy or too hard to see in the gala lights (thus the gittery details on the lapels/belt/hat and the stripes on the shorts).. White boots would look better, but I got too sleepy to paint them

 

[hurrah]

That would be really neat if Mao turned up in inskate's costume. I hope someone from Team Mao takes notice!
Mao's skating career isn't going to last forever, and I would like to see her wearing the most beautiful and suitable costumes possible while we still have the pleasure of watching her.

 

[Li'Kitsu]

Thanks! Yes, it's photoshopped (or Krita-shopped, actually, I use Krita on Linux, awesome program and completely free). I was just trying to imagine a costume that would look like a tuxedo, but wouldn't bee too heavy or too hard to see in the gala lights (thus the gittery details on the lapels/belt/hat and the stripes on the shorts).. White boots would look better, but I got too sleepy to paint them

And you really did a great job, it looks lovely
It's also something I could really see Mao wearing and liking herself!

 

[gotoschool]

Here are the 3 best copies of Mao's Madame Butterfly I could find. Thanks to mao 88 for the first link. It gets better and better the more I watch. Timeless beauty, consummate athleticism and artistry and great depth of emotion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj4EyYCKvJQ

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38j9bk_mao-asada-2015-japan-open-fs_sport

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1qIheN8FU8&feature=youtu.be

 

[minze]

Here are the 3 best copies of Mao's Madame Butterfly I could find. Thanks to mao 88 for the first link. It gets better and better the more I watch. Timeless beauty, consummate athleticism and artistry and great depth of emotion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj4EyYCKvJQ

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38j9bk_mao-asada-2015-japan-open-fs_sport

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1qIheN8FU8&feature=youtu.be

Thank you. I keep watching over and over

 

[usethis2]

It's like I have forgotten what skating is about but Ms. Asada came back to save me from the horrors. The standard of skating without her was so low with rampant kiss-blowing and hip-thrusting. At one point I thought that Ms. Asada might have to stoop to the same standard to be competitive. Boy, I am so glad that I was wrong! Her command of ice and grace is cut above the rest of the field. Breathtaking.

 

[Krunchii]

It's like I have forgotten what skating is about but Ms. Asada came back to save me from the horrors. The standard of skating without her was so low with rampant kiss-blowing and hip-thrusting. At one point I thought that Ms. Asada might have to stoop to the same standard to be competitive. Boy, I am so glad that I was wrong! Her command of ice and grace is cut above the rest of the field. Breathtaking.

Oh we've gotten some "hip thrusts" from Mao before, but does it go with the music? What's the intention of it? That's the big difference between seasoned skaters and the current young'uns in my opinion these days. Mao has meaning with every movement while some other skaters just perform the choreography because it's given to them.

 

[usethis2]

Her 3Lz looks good enough to me. There is always room for improvement in skating, but I think with her already challenging layout I do not want her to be hung up on it at the risk of the rest of a program.

I know the JO is not as important a competition as Grand Prix events, but I still think the PCS gaps between her and the rest were just wrong. Considering Ms. Asada's effortless gliding, near-clean execution, her beautiful lines and musicality, I think she should have gotten a Chan-like advantage over the rest of the skaters in this competition. There was not a single moment she slowed down and struggled to maintain speed while performing an intricate program. I would give a point advantage to her ice coverage alone - it is such a stark contrast to many youngsters (who are not really youngsters any more) whose skating is limited around the center of the rink like squirrels running on wheels.

Unlike some others, I like this program more than the Rach 2, choreography-wise. This program really highlights Ms. Asada's strengths from the beginning to the end. There was not a segment that felt "forced" or "muscled out," and it was a treat to watch her executing difficult elements with a seeming ease. That aspect of her skating must have been so dramatically transpired to the audience and viewers alike in this competition, especially when you watch her skating before/after other skater(s) whose every move appears laborious and tortured. I also like that she looks relaxed before/during/after the program. I know the Rach 2 will remain some fans' sentimental favorite among Ms. Asada's programs, I think Madame Butterfly has a potential to become even greater.

 

[Franklin99]

Her 3Lz looks good enough to me. There is always room for improvement in skating, but I think with her already challenging layout I do not want her to be hung up on it at the risk of the rest of a program.

I know the JO is not as important a competition as Grand Prix events, but I still think the PCS gaps between her and the rest were just wrong. Considering Ms. Asada's effortless gliding, near-clean execution, her beautiful lines and musicality, I think she should have gotten a Chan-like advantage over the rest of the skaters in this competition. There was not a single moment she slowed down and struggled to maintain speed while performing an intricate program. I would give a point advantage to her ice coverage alone - it is such a stark contrast to many youngsters (who are not really youngsters any more) whose skating is limited around the center of the rink like squirrels running on wheels.

Unlike some others, I like this program more than the Rach 2, choreography-wise. This program really highlights Ms. Asada's strengths from the beginning to the end. There was not a segment that felt "forced" or "muscled out," and it was a treat to watch her executing difficult elements with a seeming ease. That aspect of her skating must have been so dramatically transpired to the audience and viewers alike in this competition, especially when you watch her skating before/after other skater(s) whose every move appears laborious and tortured. I also like that she looks relaxed before/during/after the program. I know the Rach 2 will remain some fans' sentimental favorite among Ms. Asada's programs, I think Madame Butterfly has a potential to become even greater.

:thumbsup:

 

[gotoschool]

Her 3Lz looks good enough to me. There is always room for improvement in skating, but I think with her already challenging layout I do not want her to be hung up on it at the risk of the rest of a program.

I know the JO is not as important a competition as Grand Prix events, but I still think the PCS gaps between her and the rest were just wrong. Considering Ms. Asada's effortless gliding, near-clean execution, her beautiful lines and musicality, I think she should have gotten a Chan-like advantage over the rest of the skaters in this competition. There was not a single moment she slowed down and struggled to maintain speed while performing an intricate program. I would give a point advantage to her ice coverage alone - it is such a stark contrast to many youngsters (who are not really youngsters any more) whose skating is limited around the center of the rink like squirrels running on wheels.

Unlike some others, I like this program more than the Rach 2, choreography-wise. This program really highlights Ms. Asada's strengths from the beginning to the end. There was not a segment that felt "forced" or "muscled out," and it was a treat to watch her executing difficult elements with a seeming ease. That aspect of her skating must have been so dramatically transpired to the audience and viewers alike in this competition, especially when you watch her skating before/after other skater(s) whose every move appears laborious and tortured. I also like that she looks relaxed before/during/after the program. I know the Rach 2 will remain some fans' sentimental favorite among Ms. Asada's programs, I think Madame Butterfly has a potential to become even greater.

Really eloquent post as is the one before usethis2. Though more critical of the other skaters than I would like to be, I completely agree that Mao was by far the best, more so than her score indicates, especially in PCS. I did think Satoko gave a nice performance.

I have already shed some tears watching Mao's Madame Butterfly and like grapes aging to make fine wine I savor the vintage elegance and refinement of her program more and more as the days go by. Mao's emotional complexity and depth of sophistication slowly builds in the speed of her spins and skating to a climax that soothes the senses through a rising stream of fluid lyricism. Every movement is based on the blades of her skates with her weight constantly shifting smoothly from one edge and leg to the next with very little flat two footed skating, no hunching or shoulder slouching or pumping to build power and erect posture throughout.

It is obvious how integral Coach Sato has been in building Mao's skating skills and how much skating figures has paid off because compared to the rest of the field her expertise feels like a savory relic from the past: a lovely anachronism that defies criticism. Mao deserves peak PCS (the highest score possible) and anything less is an offence. Some people's light shines so bright you can't hide it even if you try. Not you singular but in general.

I do think that Madame Butterfly could equal Mao's Sochi LP, and that it is already close, but not surpass it because each masterpiece has its own time and place that I don't want to debase through a ranking system, but rather treasure each in my memory, and Mao's performance at the Japan Open is already a beautiful jewel.

Minze2001 Thank you. I keep watching over and over.

Your welcome Minze2001. I know what you mean. But, Mao's videos do keep getting deleted.

 

[Ultra]

It's like I have forgotten what skating is about but Ms. Asada came back to save me from the horrors. The standard of skating without her was so low with rampant kiss-blowing and hip-thrusting. At one point I thought that Ms. Asada might have to stoop to the same standard to be competitive. Boy, I am so glad that I was wrong! Her command of ice and grace is cut above the rest of the field. Breathtaking.

Blame the ISU, not the players. The problem is not lack of talent in skating, but lack of taste in standards.
Did you know that the ISU's "ideal program", is one which the skater comes to a complete stop, wags her hip and flirts with the audience - and does things like this throughout the program, it is the whole "theme".

Had Mao received her rightful world record in Sochi, we would have young skaters imitating her innocent and intellectual style, instead of appealing to baser things. As long as the dubious "world record" is what it is, we will have cringworthy attempts at flirtation.

 

[inskate]

When Mao's music selections were announced, I tried to make a couple of montages with various versions of Bei Mir Bistu Shein and Madama Butterfly, but my PC suffered from a HDD failure and I thought I lost all of my files.
Thankfully, yesterday I managed to recover some of the files from my messed up HDD (TestDisk is a God-send)! While the project files are gone (and even if they weren't, I switched to Linux and I use different programs now ^^), I recovered the test renders. They look a bit wonky, as the montages weren't finished yet (I only made the renders to make sure there's no synch issues) but I like those particular music edits, so I thought I'll share them with you.

Nina Hagen - Bei Mir Bist Du Shön: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoApqrm8IgE
Sorry for the giant wonky frame ^^' I tried to make a frame-less render, but forgot to disable one of the layers. :hopelessness:
(In case you can't watch it, use the Hola Unblocker and set your country to Poland. )

Howard Shore - M. Butterfly Orchestral Suite: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzuccNkf518
This is a very skate-able music and I wonder why no skater used it yet... The original edit is quite long, and it's easy to cut it into a SP or a LP. I like the part during the spiral and during the sit spins