The Japanese are in good shape in men, ladies and have a decent team in pairs though it is admittedly looks better ie cusp of top ten but the top 9 teams or so are quite a bit ahead. If Shibsibs, Weapo retire and B/S out for a season that will help their chances for top ten but the ladies look super strong and right now stronger than the Russians But ice is so slippery. All it takes is for Evgenia and or Alina and or Pogo or Rad to get it together and the Russians could be back on top not to mention you just never know about Gabby or Kaetlyn plus Bradie looks to be the American challenger.
2018-19 Japanese Ladies' figure skating
- Thread starter yume
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Is that confirmed information?
I think she is very talented, has lots of charisma. I hope she keeps working on those jumps.Moa's SP this season was a masterpiece. It was hard to believe that she was just 13yo. I hope that she will fix her URs. She can compete in PCS with Russians if she lands her jumps well.
And it's hard to not call her Mao
Thank you for this list! I'm really impressed with Tomoe Kawabata, who is her coach? She has great jumps, especially the toe jumps with little or no pre-rotation. Her jumps reminds me a lot of Nana Araki's. Her axel is not the best, and the edge on the lutz can be better. However she's quite expressive, if she gets better programs and more consistency she can be quite competitive. Looking forward to see her next season
I also hope Moa Iwano can fix her UR issues, she's such a great performer and a joy to watch
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- Mar 9, 2013
Tomoe trains under the same coach as Yuna Aoki, so coach Shoichiro Tsuzuki and coach Nakako Tsuzuki (Father-daughter, the former used to coach Hanyu when he was young; the later was a former ice dancer of Team Japan).
Just as yume stated, there is no reason for Mako to stay on the junior ranks.
She is a medalist of JW, which pretty much guarantees one spot of senior GPS for a single skaters (but not for pairs). Also she is in SB top24, which guarantees one spot for her and also all the skaters on that list got the second spot in the past. So there is no way that she is not going to get two spots. In addition to that, she is a consistent jumper with mature skating skills, that means she is ready to compete on the senior ranks. It would be a huge surprise if she does not move up.
She is a medalist of JW, which pretty much guarantees one spot of senior GPS for a single skaters (but not for pairs). Also she is in SB top24, which guarantees one spot for her and also all the skaters on that list got the second spot in the past. So there is no way that she is not going to get two spots. In addition to that, she is a consistent jumper with mature skating skills, that means she is ready to compete on the senior ranks. It would be a huge surprise if she does not move up.
Thank you for this list! I'm really impressed with Tomoe Kawabata, who is her coach? She has great jumps, especially the toe jumps with little or no pre-rotation. Her jumps reminds me a lot of Nana Araki's. Her axel is not the best, and the edge on the lutz can be better. However she's quite expressive, if she gets better programs and more consistency she can be quite competitive. Looking forward to see her next season
I also hope Moa Iwano can fix her UR issues, she's such a great performer and a joy to watch
Adding to what cohkaix wrote, Shoichiro Tsuzuki is the Japanese coaching legend who also coached Minoru Sano, who was the first ever Japanese medalist at the Worlds, Hanae Yokoya (two time the Worlds top 10 finisher), Rena Inoue (you know who she is, right?), Chisato Shiina (Japanese Junior Champ) to name few. Also Nagakubo and Mura (dad of Takahito), both are famous coaches, were his pupils. Though in recent years, he did not have any top skaters, now he got Yuna Aoki and Tomoe.
Tomoe is called "Potential Monster (the one with monstrous talent)" by fans, and I do think so too. She got everything to be a great skater with a very well proportioned body, and she is in good hands too. All she need is to be more consistent. I am really looking forward to seeing her to compete at the next JGP.
As for Moa, fixing UR is just not easy unfortunately, so many ladies have been suffering from that. Especially not having much height in her jumps, it is obviously not easy for her and her coaches to find the solution. Judging with how she has done this season, I seriously doubt her chance to be sent to JGP this year. However, Satoko's jumps has been improved and at least they are on the borderline now, which is whole lotta better than obvious UR. So I hope Moa keeps working on that as well, and shows moa moa of her.
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- Mar 9, 2013
The only hope I have for both Tomoe and Yuna is that, both can (and will) get better choreographer(s) for their programs. I know usually they'll have Coach Nakako working on the choreography (BTW, Coach Nakako's former ice dancing partner is the famous K. Miyamoto). That's good to have your coach knowing well about choreography...but they really can take the opportunity to work with some more famous choreographers to help elevate their performances as well.
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- May 2, 2014
1st of all thanks for your hard for compiling this videos!! there are so many talented girls but not enough spots :sad21:
i really enjoyed Tomoe, and as Mikansei said her toe jumps are very impressive!! and love her expression too, very close to complete package , her spins can be better, very excited!
loved Mona too! as you said needs better tech but her flow, body movement and expression is so good :luv17:
i agree with you on some points regarding Riko, her Firebird program is what made me fall in love with her but her SP this season is one of my favourites too!! i dont find her that juniorish though, they way she feels her music is great, and love her body movement too! if i am not wrong her started skating at 10!! years old and her progress is amazing, really exciteed for her, if Rika will turn senior she probably will be my favourite junior lady next season:luv17:
and i agree with you on Moa, its hard to believe she is only 13 years old, her performance ability is beyond her age, even more than some senior skaters, really hope she will overcome her UR issues
i really enjoyed Tomoe, and as Mikansei said her toe jumps are very impressive!! and love her expression too, very close to complete package , her spins can be better, very excited!
loved Mona too! as you said needs better tech but her flow, body movement and expression is so good :luv17:
i agree with you on some points regarding Riko, her Firebird program is what made me fall in love with her but her SP this season is one of my favourites too!! i dont find her that juniorish though, they way she feels her music is great, and love her body movement too! if i am not wrong her started skating at 10!! years old and her progress is amazing, really exciteed for her, if Rika will turn senior she probably will be my favourite junior lady next season:luv17:
and i agree with you on Moa, its hard to believe she is only 13 years old, her performance ability is beyond her age, even more than some senior skaters, really hope she will overcome her UR issues
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- Sep 23, 2017
Hm, I think she definitely needs change, that's for sure. Idk if Raf would be my choice though
Yes it's impressive. Other girls of same age started skating at 4-5 yo.
Having not seen many pieces choreographed by Nakako, I assume both of Tomoe's programs were done by her, and also Yuna's both SP and FS in 2015-2016 (her debut season). Though it is hard to judge with only four, at least Yuna's SP was pleasant and elegnat enough, if not great, and well suited her skating style. Her FS was just okay or mediocre. Tomoe's SP was generic, not particularly inspiring, yet just like Yuna's, pleasant enough to me. On the other hand, her FS needs some help. It simply does not bring out enough character out of her, which is necessary for this type of music.
As the matter of fact, Yuna's this season's (and the last season's) FS to "Les Miserable" was done by Stéphane Lambiel, which was not a masterpiece, but a decent one. So maybe they get Tomoe some A-class choreographer for the next season. We will see.
You mean Mana, Mana Kawabe, right? I guess she is working on 3Lz+3T right now, and if she can master it, probably it is not too hard to get a ticket for her. She is a beautiful skater.
I re-watched her SP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU6RfpCR9Lw
And it did not change my mind. So I have to disagree.
To me, this looks like a very young girl wearing her mother's evening gown & jewels, and posing in front of the bedroom mirror. First of all, the music is too heavy and serious for her, and she does not have enough maturity, finesse and refined expressiveness in her movements for this. Sometimes coaches give young skaters difficult or different type or more mature programs to push them to grow, but I think this one is a little too much for her though I definitely see her trying. This is just my point of view and I understand everybody feels different ways, but also I do believe the programs to be given to young skaters are supposed to be challenging but able to show their strength as well.
And this SP seems to be even a bit better than her FS, which she has been using since the last season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm36A85nhVU
"Les Mis" was done by countless skaters, but probably this one has to be the most generic and bland of all, and amazingly choreographed by Jeff. He gave a masterpiece SP to Rika Kihira around the same time, and this mmmm to Riko. I wonder how much they paid to him. I do understand sometimes the chemistry does not work between a choreographer and a skater with particular music, and obvious hits & misses there. However, people like Lori and Shae-Lynn keep some sort of standards even for their least inspiring creations.
I wish they had ditched this one instead of Fire bird SP.
I really hope at least one of her programs for the next season will be more helping for her.
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- Feb 24, 2012
The Japanese ladies might be the strongest ladies team. They survive puberty and generally are lovely pc skaters. Yes, there are some jump, power, rotation issues but they seem more stable than the Russians who come and go like a revolving door. They have their rock Satoko whose pcs will hold her up and consistency . Wakababy and Kaori are also solid medal contenders and that doesn't even consider Rika, Marin et al. They are probably the strongest. It looks good as they are fairly young as well.
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- Mar 9, 2013
Yuna's Les Mis was originally choreographed by Coach Nakako also. During 16-17 season early on her team had Lambiel helped to brush-up the program (during the summer time when he was in Japan for Jr summer training camp). So they add Lambiel's name as one of the choreographers. As I said, I think both Yuna and Tomoe can really make use of working with top choreographers. Jr. skaters from Team Hamada can get choreography from J. Buttle, and I remember Mai and Kaori in their later years of Jr are working with choreographers such as Scali and Zueva. Sometimes in general I think skaters from Eastern areas are of disadvantages re. this part (which seems to be always the case but I don't know why...)
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- Aug 16, 2017
If her training attitude still stagnants, Raf will not be easy at all. Raf can be very difficult. Of course he wants to be paid well but remember he was the one who fired Mao.
He fired Mao due to a very sad misunderstanding. But yes Raf will be tough on Marin which I think she needs
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