Daisuke Takahashi and Natsumi Haruse talk about the reality of figure skating: ‘Some people have talent but cannot continue’
Special dialogue about ‘Kassouya, Part 2.
By Akiko Tanaka
The main character of the figure skating anime ‘Medalist’, which is currently being broadcast to rave reviews, is played by voice actress Natsumi Haruse, who says she loves figure skating in real life as well. Haruse-san has been appointed as the leader of the support group for Daisuke Takahashi's fully-produced ice show, ‘Kassouya’, which will be performed again at Hiroshima's Hiroshin Big Wave in March.
Medalist is a very popular manga serialised in Afternoon by Tsuruma Ikada. It is currently published in 12 volumes and won the Kodansha Manga Award in 2024. Tsukasa is a 26-year-old figure skater who has failed to make it as a competitive skater and is now a freelancer after failing to audition for ice shows. The story is about Tsukasa, who meets Inori Yuitsuka, who wanted to learn how to skate but was unable to, and together they aim to become ‘medallists’. The anime started airing in January and has attracted a lot of attention, along with the opening theme song by Kenshi Yonezu, who was a fan of the work.
Writer Akiko Tanaka writes about the dialogue between Takahashi-san and Haruse-san. In the first part, Takahashi-san, who felt a lot of sympathy for the work, which depicts a lot of coverage of the world of figure skating, and Haruse-san both talked a lot about their love for Medalist, what they had in common and their favourite scenes.
In the second part, we will hear about Mr. Takahashi's childhood memories, which are linked to ``Medalist,'' and the reality of figure skating, which is also depicted in ``Medalist,'' and what Mr. Takahashi sets out to do with ``Kassouya.''
Continuing to skate is something I can't control
Takahashi: The rink in Okayama where I started skating at the age of seven didn't have a professional coach at the beginning, so sometimes people from the federation taught me, but basically I learned with my friends and practised on public sessions, so I think it was relatively inexpensive. However, the rink cost money, so my mother, who was a barber, worked at night in a lunchbox shop and did double work for me. As the results went up, it was tough to pay for training camps, expeditions and coaches' fees. As you get stronger, you start getting reinforcement fees and prize money for competitions, so it's hard until you get stronger. But nowadays, if it's a general session and group lessons, it doesn't seem to cost as much as it used to.
Haruse: I was surprised to hear that the students pay for the coaches' expenditures, and I thought it was a lot of work. Daisuke, after you started working with Coach Nagamitsu, you travelled from Okayama to Osaka for coaching, didn't you?
Takahashi: From junior high school to high school, I went to Osaka before the weekend, stayed at Coach Nagamitsu's house, went home after the weekend practice, and practised on my own at the local rink during the weekdays. It was a bit of a long journey from Okayama to Himeji on the local train and then to Osaka on the Shinkansen, but it was fun. Since I practised on my own during the weekdays, I thought about what I had been taught on the weekend and tried out various things on my own. I think this helped me develop the ability to think about things and make choices on my own.
Many athletes study in the car on the way to and during breaks from practice
Haruse: I know it must be tough for figure skaters to have to practice early in the morning or late at night from a young age, but where did you do your homework, Daisuke-san?
Takahashi: I don't know where I did it (laughs). I wasn't good at studying at home, so I concentrated a lot in class and finished most of my studies at school. I got pretty good grades.
Haruse: That's amazing! If it were me, I would have been practising early in the morning or late at night, and I would have been boating during class.
Takahashi: However, in the third year I had a lot of competitions and couldn't go to school very often, so I sometimes got surprisingly low marks in exams (laughs). Come to think of it, we all studied in the car on the way to school and during breaks from practice.
Haruse: I think I would get dizzy in the car! I thought so, but since skaters spin so much, I wonder if they were OK there (laughs). It must be really hard for the parents to take their children to and from practice early in the morning or at night.
Takahashi: No, I think it's really difficult. Also, even if you want to continue skating, there are so many elements that are out of your control.
It's also a miracle that I can continue with figure skating.
--As depicted in the film ‘Medalist’, skating is subject to changes in body shape due to growth, injuries, financial circumstances, rink closures, and other factors that are beyond one's control. For example, when the Rinkai Sports Centre in Osaka was threatened with closure due to age, Takahashi, who had trained there and was already a world champion, met directly with the governor and was offered a deal to continue if he could raise half of the renovation costs. It was a huge amount of money, but miraculously the Rinkai Sports Centre survived thanks to the fundraising efforts of Takahashi and other skaters and the cooperation of donors. However, that is a very rare example, and many rinks have been closed in recent years.
Haruse: It really is a tragedy for skaters when rinks close. It must have been great for the students practising that the rink was spared from closure because of the work of Takahashi and his team.
Takahashi: Skaters can't practise without a rink. I think it is a miracle that I can continue figure skating for so long, because there are so many things that I really can't do by myself. Even if you continue like that for a long time, this is true for any sport, but there are only a handful of athletes who can compete in the world. There are also very few people who can make a living from skating in the future. Even so, there are many athletes who practice hard every day from a young age, compete in national competitions and work hard aiming for All-Japan, and among them are children who are very good.
Haruse: In ‘Medalist’ exactly the same way, there are many athletes who are worried about various things and train aiming for All-Japan. The main character, Tsukasa-sensei himself, has a frustrating past because he had talent but didn't have the opportunity to continue. In the ice show ‘Kassouya’, which Daisuke-san started last year, you have selected these young people as ensemble skaters, haven't you?
Takahashi: Yes. One of the reasons why I started ‘Kassouya’ is to create opportunities for skaters who have good things to offer.
We want to create ‘opportunities’ for young skaters.
--“Kassouya” is an unprecedented ‘new sense of entertainment on ice’, fully produced by Daisuke Takahashi. It is an ice show that is full of the true appeal of skating, with new productions that cut through from a unique perspective, overwhelming speed, beautiful and powerful group dances, etc. Internationally competing skaters and young skaters, like gemstones discovered by Mr Takahashi himself, work together to perform.
Takahashi: There was a scene where Tsukasa-sensei couldn't pass the audition for the ice show, but the reality is that ice shows are usually hard to get invited to unless you have a good international track record. When I was young, I participated in shows, and I felt that my awareness changed a lot when the audience saw me perform, and I realised the importance of ‘attracting’ the audience, and I really grew. So, when young skaters participate in ‘Kassouya’, they become more motivated, work harder and grow. I hope it will help them to have new goals and to continue skating for a long time. On the other hand, their young, rough but powerful skating enhances the energy of the show, which is also a major attraction of ‘Kassouya.
Scouting with his own eyes by visiting local competitions in Japan
Haruse: It is indeed a goal and motivation for young skaters who are working hard to be selected as ensemble skaters for ‘Kassouya’. Did Daisuke himself scout the ensemble skaters?
Takahashi: I went to see them at local competitions in Japan and called on young skaters who had good speed and strength, without being bound by their competitive record. However, the choreography for the show turned out to be very danceable, and everyone seemed to have a hard time (laughs).
Haruse: There are so many group dances in “Kassouya”, so there are a lot of opportunities for skaters selected for the ensemble.
Takahashi: Yes, there are. There are seven main skaters at the moment and 19 ensemble skaters. In conventional shows, there is an introduction of the main skaters and then the famous skaters skate their own program, which is followed by applause, and there are few group numbers, but in Kassouya, there is no call for introductions, and the main skaters' solos and group dances are connected, so that the whole show flows in a single worldview. During the group dance, the main skaters and the ensemble skaters, without any distinction between them, join together in complex formations, each of which is unique and tells a story. There are about 16 songs, so it's tough to learn the choreography.
Haruse: It sounds like a lot of work, both to learn and to skate.
Takahashi: The group dance choreography by Yuma Suzuki, a floor dancer, shows the true charm of skating, and the skaters get into complicated formations all at once on the ice, so in addition to expressing the choreography, the skaters also need to have a good grasp of space. In a normal show, we only practise together for a few days before the show, but in Kassouya there are many group dances, so we practise well in advance and even organise a training camp before the show.
Young athletes felt the ‘Kassouya effect’.
--In fact, many of the young skaters who appeared in last year's Kassouya have improved their results significantly this season, and they have spoken eloquently in interviews about the impact of training in Kassouya and the sense of fulfilment they felt after completing the performance, and how important the time was to them.
Haruse: That's a great ‘Kassouya’ effect.
Takahashi: It is the athletes themselves who work hard, and they have good things [to bring to the show] to begin with. I hope that ‘Kassouya’ will be a catalyst for them.
Nowadays in figure skating, if you are not good at jumping, it is difficult to compete on the world stage, and if you don't compete in international competitions, you don't get invited to ice shows and don't have opportunities to perform. I want people to realise that even if you are not good at jumping, if you have the ability to attract people, that is a great thing. I also want young, talented skaters to experience an ice show in “Kassouya” dance programs they have never done before and gain different insights. Even if they don't compete at the top of the world in the future, they may be motivated to continue skating for a long time by taking part in ice shows. I would be happy if we could create such ‘opportunities’.
Haruse: That's wonderful. I also hear that there are a lot of innovations in ‘Kassouya’ to encourage people who have never seen skating before to come.
Takahashi: For example, a conventional show is about two and a half hours with an intermission. This may be good for those who like skating, but it may be too long for beginners. We want people to feel free to come to our shows, so we have three shows a day instead of the usual two, with no break for 75 minutes, more time options, a permanent rink and a reduced budget for ice. The cast is also Japanese only, for example, and ticket prices are set much lower than before.
Haruse: I appreciate that, and it's an intense 75 minutes.
I've never seen such speed!’
--On the day of the interview, the ‘Kassouya’ team had a practice session before the interview. Haruse-san visited the skating rink early and watched enthusiastically.
Takahashi: By the way, you watched today's practice at the rink, and what did you think of it as a cheer leader?
Haruse: Even though there were young skaters who were selected for the first time, they learnt the choreography very quickly and the speed of the skaters was very impressive. The skaters were moving forward in formation at a very high speed, and I thought, ‘I've never seen such speed! I couldn't take my eyes off them.
Takahashi: Starting today (a certain day in the first half of February), people who live in the Kanto region and are participating can join the rehearsals. I think there were four skaters today who were participating for the first time. Those who experienced it last year know what it's like to practice and the days ahead, but the kids who are participating for the first time experienced it today and I think they thought, ‘Oh no’ (laughs).
Is it difficult for single skaters to do group dances?
Haruse: The question is: most of the participating skaters are single skaters. They usually skate alone, but in Kassouya they have to create a piece together, both in practice and in the performance. Don't they feel perplexed?
Takahashi: It was the same for me, I used to skate alone, but it's surprisingly fun to skate with everyone. It's an individual sport, so group life is fun. Everyone seems to find it rewarding.
The skaters perform while keeping complex patterns on the ice with many people, so as mentioned above, it's dangerous if you don't have a good grasp of space. Those who are good at it are good at it, but those who are not good at it cannot anticipate and move, so the only way is for them to learn it by doing it over and over again.
Haruse: Is it possible to get a sense of this through practice?
Takahashi: They become able to do it by practising repeatedly. But we have to do a lot of things in a limited amount of time, so last time, when I wasn't on stage or during free time, we all checked each other's movements and taught each other choreographies on the land. In practice, I played the role of the “hated one”, giving rather strict and strong instructions, which were followed up by Kazuki Tomono, Kana Muramoto and the other main skaters, who then instructed the children in the ensemble and helped them to progress.
Haruse: It's a tightening role, the role of the chairperson.
Takahashi: Without a tightening role, the first-time skaters might get too excited, which could be dangerous, so we are very serious about that.
Haruse: I also thought it was great that in the documentary on “Kassouya” that was distributed last year, you were looking for a couple's lift that single skaters could also do. It really is a valuable experience that you can't normally have.
I also switched to ice dance...
Takahashi: Tsukasa from ‘Medalist’ switched from singles to ice dance, and I also switched to ice dance and learnt lifts a few years ago, so I thought I could pass on some tips. When I was a singles skater, it was difficult to dance in pairs in ice shows abroad, so I thought it would be good to experience it. I think it is good to experience it early on, and it is also good to get people interested in couples' competitions. Lifting can be dangerous if you touch softly, so you have to support so firmly that you have to pin your partner down. There are a lot of things you don't realise until you try it.
Haruse: It's very interesting for me to hear that the show is really a very valuable experience for the skaters who take part, as well as for the spectators. If they see ensemble skaters who work that hard at the show, I'm sure they'll feel like cheering them on at the competitions afterwards.
Takahashi: I hope they will support the younger skaters as well.
Haruse: After hearing all the things you said, I thought that the more skating fans and even those who have never seen skating before, the more I would like them to see ‘Kassouya”. It is dramatic, and the powerful group dances that develop one after another draw you in as if you are watching a story. It's a great gateway to skating and ice shows, so I hope many people will come to see it.
Takahashi: You are a great cheer leader! You explain things better than I do. I'm going to ask the cheer leader to help us raise the spirits of the skaters until the show.
Haruse: Just from watching today's practice, I have a feeling that it will be amazing, so I'm looking forward to seeing the finished show. I will do my best to help as a cheer leader, and I will also do my best to support the show, including the performance in Hiroshima in March.
The show will be held at the "Big Wave" in Hiroshima (click on the picture to start the promo video):
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The only one missing from last time is Sota. 
Last time they announced the members of the main cast one by one within a few days. This time they announced them more or less in two batches - first the retired skaters (well, Dai and Kana didn't really need to be announced) and now the amateur ones. I would assume that the invitations were issued at the latest after Nationals and the announcement of competition assignments. Maybe Sota received an offer and turned it down or is still undecided? Maybe Dai invited someone else if Sota declined and that invitee hasn't gotten back to USM yet and they didn't want to delay the announcement any longer?
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got hooked on the fascination of figure skating because of #FriendsOnIce.
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