Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

[jinabee]

From a photographer's perspective I can maybe understand a preference for Shoma, his LP in particular has strong and sharp arm positions and upper-body movements that make for dynamic and striking photographs while Yuzu's H&L is more gentle, graceful and flowy which might make for a higher number of images that look kinda awkward or less striking. But coming down to technique...I love Shoma but his jump landings generally make me cringe and as for difficulty...H&L is probably the most complex program out on the men's feild in terms of steps and transitions and jump entry and exits...

Shoma is a great performer and I look forward to seeing how he grows as he becomes more refined, and he is developing very quickly which I'm super happy about, but Yuzuru is another level. His technical ability and his refinement, as a skater and a performer, is why he's at the top and why he will go down in history as the best, or at least of of the best, skaters of all time.

I really believe he can win OG again and hope he does, but I also hope he stays in competition after next season for one or two more seasons after to really take his career achievements to being a level of totally unreachable and his GOAT status as really, really difficult to argue against (not to mention I'm greedy for more programs from Yuzu and with the way he is always pushing himself to deliever a complete package and perfect skate I think he still has a lot of potential to perform something that will be used as an example for years to come as the pinnacle of great figure skating. I want a combonation of amazing and unbeatable carreer records [which he pretty much has already, being a 2x world champ 4x gpf champ, 4x nationals champ with 7 golds and 6 silver medals in his senior career plus 11 world records... but why not go hard and win 4cc, get more gpf/nationals wins and maybe another world title or two in there for good measure] and a portfolio of iconic performances no one can argue with [I mean; RJ1, PW, POTO are all pretty iconic and Chopin, Seimei and I guess H&L now can be used as examples of skating at its best but I really think Yuzu has more mind-blowing performances in him since his artistry just seems to be growing and he's better at paying attention to his body now. Who else right now has 6 iconic performances? That's not even counting exhibition skates...)
Idk for some reason this has been in my head all day.

I find it so odd that people pick this season to say that Yuzu is cold and doesn't emote well with the crowd when both LGC and H&L were seemingly designed to connect with fans and audiences? H&L is pretty subtle and nuanced so maybe they just don't get it but I took the whle routine as an expression of the past experiences, present achievements and future hopes and how Yuzuru wants to share it all with the audience. That's kinda why the world's performance was so touching and had fans (and commentators) in tears by the end of it, plus the context of the season as a whole being a huge struggle...
Preferences are preferences and thats fine but sometimes I wonder if we are watching the same thing

And as for not being masculine enough...Yuzu is pleanty masculine but he is never going to be masculine in the same way that Javi is. Why try to force him into a role that doesn't fit him? Different people express things differently. Skating and life in general would be so boring if everyone expressed themselves in the same way.

 

[ralucutzagy]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8U5iH7XoAECSmi.jpg

Sorry but I still get through this thing called gold medal... It is REALLY shiny :luv17:

It's a good looking medal ... I still can't get through that plastic thing they call medal from GPF :shocked:

 

[cherryncy]

A change in topic here since I just noticed that some skaters have already announced their music for next season.

Although we're likely to fall in love with any programmes that Yuzuru performs [emoji23], what type of SP/LP you particularly want to see in the Olympics season?

I really enjoy the fierce and expressive R&J back in 2012 (not the music but the performance itself). It is definitely one of my favourites, despite being flawed, the emotions are so raw and I love it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[teeannroo]

I did ballet for 10 years and it was torturous. I just couldn't get it- they kept saying I was too loose so I tightened up but then they said I was too stiff

Eventually I quit and to be honest I'm no better of a dancer than my friends who never did ballet

For me I think ballet is too restricted. It's always only one method is right and I think that for figure skating balletic style can be nice, just as a more contemporary style can also be nice, but it's not compulsory for a good performance.

 

[ralucutzagy]

yeah yeah all the macho macho men
(seriously, this always automatically plays in my head when I see comments like that)

OMG! but ... each with his own ...

 

[xeyra]

A change in topic here since I just noticed that some skaters have already announced their music for next season.

Although we're likely to fall in love with any programmes that Yuzuru performs [emoji23], what type of SP/LP you particularly want to see in the Olympics season?

I really enjoy the fierce and expressive R&J back in 2012 (not the music but the performance itself). It is definitely one of my favourites, despite being flawed, the emotions are so raw and I love it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Considering that Yuzu is very aware of H&L not having been as much of a hit with judges and commentators as Seimei was (he is aware it is less liked) I do believe he'll go for a more powerful or bombastic FS for Olympic season, especially now he's skated H&L to perfection and has no unresolved feelings towards it. As for his SP, it'll depend on whether he keeps LGC if he doesn't WR it at WTT (I do think LGC might be a great hit at the Olympics but I do want more programs from him), but if he goes for something new, I think classic violin or maybe that Jazzy thing he has mentioned as wanting to do at some point.

 

[surimi]

I had to go and search in a facebook conversation as deep as this fanfest lol but i found it! This is when he was looking for Pooh

Thanks a bunch! However, it goes black for me and says 'Media could not be played', is it just my browser or is it blocked? Does anyone else have this problem?

I think that my mom was literally the same , I forced her to watch the last group sitting next to me because I was so stressed that I needed someone with me (lol)
When Yuzuru finished his skate she said "he's born to do this , he is really touched by grace that's he seems unreal , the way he is skating to this music is simply beautiful , it's looks like he's timeless , seeing him you can't even talk and just watch"
I can tell you that to hear that from my mom I was really moved . And after watching the others she said "yep I was right , the others are really great , but I was not as moved as Yuzuru's performance, it's him and then the others here"

Haha, I know what you're speaking about. Mine was silent during Hanyu's gala, and when it was over I looked at her and she said with emotion in her voice that she didn't want it to end; and I knew she was hooked. We watched the Jounetsu Tairiku (sp?) program together yesterday, and my respect for him, well, for all skaters actually, grew like 50% when I saw instead of heard/read the hard work and pain that's behind it all.

 

[ralucutzagy]

Considering that Yuzu is very aware of H&L not having been as much of a hit with judges and commentators as Seimei was (he is aware it is less liked) I do believe he'll go for a more powerful or bombastic FS for Olympic season, especially now he's skated H&L to perfection and has no unresolved feelings towards it. As for his SP, it'll depend on whether he keeps LGC if he doesn't WR it at WTT (I do think LGC might be a great hit at the Olympics but I do want more programs from him), but if he goes for something new, I think classic violin or maybe that Jazzy thing he has mentioned as wanting to do at some point.

Jazzy thing!!! Please, let it be the jazzy thing!

 

[jinabee]

A change in topic here since I just noticed that some skaters have already announced their music for next season.

Although we're likely to fall in love with any programmes that Yuzuru performs [emoji23], what type of SP/LP you particularly want to see in the Olympics season?

I really enjoy the fierce and expressive R&J back in 2012 (not the music but the performance itself). It is definitely one of my favourites, despite being flawed, the emotions are so raw and I love it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

some kind of music that has a similar impact and oomph as Seimei (and yuzu's other more dramatic programs but I'd rather he avoids a warhorse lol) so he can skate with that warrior/fighter vibe that works really well for him, but with the intricacy and complexity of h&l (I am maybe asking for too much but I get the feeling the whole point of this season was to master the complex program and then bring that complexity to a punchier program)

as for short...dunno. Something fun and crowd pleasing for the olympics but people would likely complain its too much like PW and LGC... I have a feeling he might go for programs similar to the Chopin/Seimei format because those programs were so well recieved and successful, but elevated and distinct enough to not be samey. But I could be totally wrong and he could go for something really unexpected. *shrug*

ETA: I wouldn't mind if he kept LGC because I think it would be such a hit with the olympic crowd but I duno if that was particularly liked by the juges either...
A jazzy short would be cool but it depends on what jazzy means. If it means he joins the sea of micheal buble songs NO THANKS

 

[knifeshoes]

Considering that Yuzu is very aware of H&L not having been as much of a hit with judges and commentators as Seimei was (he is aware it is less liked) I do believe he'll go for a more powerful or bombastic FS for Olympic season, especially now he's skated H&L to perfection and has no unresolved feelings towards it. As for his SP, it'll depend on whether he keeps LGC if he doesn't WR it at WTT (I do think LGC might be a great hit at the Olympics but I do want more programs from him), but if he goes for something new, I think classic violin or maybe that Jazzy thing he has mentioned as wanting to do at some point.

oh I didn't know hope and legacy was less liked it's one of my fave and it's a beautiful music
he's just so graceful skating to it
I'm excited for his next program
jazzy yes pls

 

[Meoima]

I find it so odd that people pick this season to say that Yuzu is cold and doesn't emote well with the crowd when both LGC and H&L were seemingly designed to connect with fans and audiences? H&L is pretty subtle and nuanced so maybe they just don't get it but I took the whle routine as an expression of the past experiences, present achievements and future hopes and how Yuzuru wants to share it all with the audience. That's kinda why the world's performance was so touching and had fans (and commentators) in tears by the end of it, plus the context of the season as a whole being a huge struggle...
Preferences are preferences and thats fine but sometimes I wonder if we are watching the same thing

My friend Max was at WC just as many of you were there at WC. We all see those 12,500 audience (or more? how many people at the WC arena that day?) were deeply connected to Yuzuru's LP performance. Of course, there will be always some people call Yuzuru as cold, but the thunderous standing ovation in both SP and LP say "NO, not cold at all ok?"

Max technically said this: "Yuzu got the most cheer of course. He even got a standing ovation for his SP. He got headlines in Finnish newspapers. The feeling with Yuzu was different. It was energetic, emotional... It was like everyone wanted him to win. He just had to win. People were crying after his free skate, not just Japanese people. And he by far had the most people standing up. Even before he finished. And at the small medals a woman next to me told her friend that she knew Yuzu was big but not "this" big."

 

[HoneyGoldLev]

I remember I read somewhere here that Brian Orser confirmed they won't be using LGC or H&L for Oly.
But that was before World (before 4CC even I think).

Completely agree with something Seimei like for FS!!!
For SP, either something classical or Jazzy :luv17:

 

[xeyra]

ETA: I wouldn't mind if he kept LGC because I think it would be such a hit with the olympic crowd but I duno if that was particularly liked by the juges either...
A jazzy short would be cool but it depends on what jazzy means. If it means he joins the sea of micheal buble songs NO THANKS

Oh, the judges love LGC. He got max GOE in his step sequence 3 times this season. If that's not liking it, I don't know what is.

 

[hamaguri]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7s7WtHl1AxHIemo2N8

Japanese commentary
N: Nishioka-san.
H: Honda-san
T: Takahashi-san


Before performance
(N) Hanyu, he is 5th after short, stated clearly that he would love to take Gold. For catching the world champion, the performance beyond his limit is necessary.
He has been aiming for the perfection of this FS. Can it become the program of hope?

Performance
(H) 4loop, he made it cleanly!
(N) He started with the great jump!

(H) 4 sal.

(H) Flying combination spin

(H)3 flip

(N) The way towards the reversal victory is showing up!

(H) 4s3t, he got it cleanly!
(N) He made it!!!

(H)4t

(H)3A2T

(H)3A1lo3salT
(N) he did it also!

(H)3ltz

After performance
(N) 4 and a half minutes of legend! Did you see it, (the people of ) the world? This is the power of yuzuru hanyu.(the nuance is a kind of response to the series of criticism by foreign media recently)
(N) He’s got over another limit. Hanyu yuzuru doesn’t have the word, limit.

(N) We watched the impressive moment which shall remain in the history of world championship. Honda-san?
(H) I have no words other than perfect. Every jump can get GOE. The jumps were really stable and he poured his heart into the program. His strong thought that he shall become a champion reached us.
(N) Takahashi-san, as my impression, the facial expression right before the start looked tender compared with that at SP.
(T) I think so. But once he started, his face showed his energy, and the energy lasted till the end. All I can say is perfect..
(N) Then, please explain with quads.
(H)4S3T
(N) he got it, which was the demon’s gate of this season.
( H) This 4T. He could land with the room, opening his body after rotation and the flow after landing was also splendid.
(N) he was the 1st order from the 5th of SP. We are expecting the score. Hanyu told that H&P is the program which could expand his boundary. Like his words, any high score will be shown? His height score is 219.28, and no one has exceed 220 until now. If he can get such a score, the way for the reversal victory can be seen.
(N) Here comes the score! 223.20. Of course this is world record. Again, Hanyu come to reach the point of transcending the limit. Total 321.59, topping 320.
He denies his tears, but his face shows his huge sense of fulfillment.

\\\\\\\\\
I don’t think there’s something interesting compared with overseas commentary! But Nishioka-san who was the announcer at Nice apparently was so moved!

 

[jinabee]

My friend Max was at WC just as many of you were, we all know that those 12,500 audience (or more? how many people at the WC arena that day?) were deeply connected to Yuzuru's LP performance. Of course, there will be always some people call Yuzuru as cold, but the thunderous standing ovation in both SP and LP say "NO, not cold at all ok?"

Max technically said this: "Yuzu got the most cheer of course. He even got a standing ovation for his SP. He got headlines in Finnish newspapers. The feeling with Yuzu was different. It was energetic, emotional... It was like everyone wanted him to win. He just had to win. People were crying after his free skate, not just Japanese people. And he by far had the most people standing up. Even before he finished. And at the small medals a woman next to me told her friend that she knew Yuzu was big but not "this" big."

He really draws you in and even if you don't know how hard he's worked or all the struggles hes had through his career you just can;t help but to find yourself rooting for him XD when I first wached him during Sochi pretty much as soon as he stepped on the ice I was rooting for him
My parents watched the men's free so they could feel closer to me (I have not been home for like 2 years) and they totally understood why I root for Yuzu so much. even if H&L isn't the most in-your-face of programs my parents said it was exciting to watch and obviously leagues above everyone else (they know nothing about fs, my dad just likes how they move on the ice so i should probably get him into ice dance lol). He doesn;t have so many fans for no reason. He has on ice and off ice appeal that is just...unique.

 

[jinabee]

Oh, the judges loved LGC. He got max GOE in his step sequence 3 times this season. If that's not liking it, I don't know what is.

then i am 200% fine with him keeping it XD
I love LGC. He might be tempted to alter it a bit and i'd be interested to see how he does if he does but....I'm greedy for new programs too so it's okay if he lets it go. It's so much fun though and that 3A gets me every time it's just so freaking perfect with the music....

 

[cherryncy]

some kind of music that has a similar impact and oomph as Seimei (and yuzu's other more dramatic programs but I'd rather he avoids a warhorse lol) so he can skate with that warrior/fighter vibe that works really well for him, but with the intricacy and complexity of h&l (I am maybe asking for too much but I get the feeling the whole point of this season was to master the complex program and then bring that complexity to a punchier program)

as for short...dunno. Something fun and crowd pleasing for the olympics but people would likely complain its too much like PW and LGC... I have a feeling he might go for programs similar to the Chopin/Seimei format because those programs were so well recieved and successful, but elevated and distinct enough to not be samey. But I could be totally wrong and he could go for something really unexpected. *shrug*

ETA: I wouldn't mind if he kept LGC because I think it would be such a hit with the olympic crowd but I duno if that was particularly liked by the juges either...
A jazzy short would be cool but it depends on what jazzy means. If it means he joins the sea of micheal buble songs NO THANKS

I'm a sucker for jazz and dramatic stuff. I'd be over the moon if this happens

 

[xeyra]

I'm not sure if this would be a good FS music but I'm obsessed with this theme lately.

 

[TerpsichoreFS]

I don't wanna be doom-and-gloomy but it's pretty clear to me that the European judges will favor Shoma next season (although the jury is still out on Russia). His style suits them more I think.

And I want a movie-score for his FS! His skating is big enough to handle it
I love Piano music, so I want piano music for the SP

 

[Li'Kitsu]

One more stupid myth that people who have no idea about dance and performing art use to attack Yuzuru. The truth is NONE of the top men is anything near "balletic". Even Patrick and he has the most adequate posture among them already. By the way, going to ballet lesson does not make you balletic, mind you.

Yes, very much. There is no reason at all why any figure skater would have to be balletic... and if it's about being a good dancer in general, I still only see halfway of a connection to being a good skater. Also, I've never done ballet (outside from, like, one month when I was a kid ) and I'm far from being professional, but I've done different dance styles for a few years each (ballroom, jazz and mostly oriental dance) and I'm always completely irritated by what a lot of people deem 'good dancing movements' and what not. As you said before, so many people seem to think being stiff is something good, but it's not. Literally all of my dance instructors said something like "It's better to be too relaxed and loose than too tense - you want your movements to flow, and you can't do that while being too stiff". So I can only give a big, fat, wholehearted to that whole discussion.

Regarding Yuzu, I actually think he's a really good dancer. He's the only one of the top group who doesn't tend to be too tense, and he has very natural lines in how he moves from his shoulders down to his hands. My personal biggest pet peeve is when skaters look 'broken', as if different body parts are doing different things (typically having fluid legs/knees but stiff upper body or very fluid upper body but stiff knees/clunky feet). That never happens with Yuzu. He's not balletic, but there is zero reason why he should be (I mean people are free not to like his style because they prefer balletic, but it's no reason to think he should not get rewarded in PCS).
As for Shoma, he is a pretty good natural dancer too. I personally don't think they are using it right though... for me, the best performance of his LP was on the GP circuit. Since then, he started 'over-performing' it and it turned a bit more into the cliche of what a tango is than an actual tango (which is sadly what most FS tangos are, IMO, the one from his GP days was actually a really good one for FS standards ). Shoma tends to also have a relatively tense upper body (though better than most) and sometimes I think he forces his arm movements a bit... it's like he's trying very hard to put emphasize on his moves, but it ends up a bit too much (but that might be my preference). Anyway, I have no grips with Shoma getting really high scores in PE or IN, it's the GOE on his jumps I heavily disagree with and how his great performance quality seems to make judges overlook some of his weaknesses in PCS (mostly the many crossovers).

Neither Javi, Boyang or Nathan (yes, sacrilege! ) look like good dancers in any format to me. Patrick has good carriage and would be the best of the group in term of being 'balletic', but even he tends to be a bit stiff around his upper body - nothing I would deduct him for in PCS either though.