Shoma Uno | Page 71 | Golden Skate

Shoma Uno

A little part of Shoma's talk show held on 28 April:


What Shoma thinks about his strengths as a skater and performer:

"When I set out to create a show, the first thing I considered was: What sets me apart from Dai-chan (Daisuke Takahashi), Mao-chan (Mao Asada), and Yuzu-kun (Yuzuru Hanyu)? As I went through the process of selecting the show's setlist, the powerful performances remained, and that made me realize that those are the types of performances I have confidence in."

Why Shoma thinks his strength lies more in power, despite being known of his ability to skate expressively to gentle, emotional music:

"During my competitive career, whenever I was asked, 'What is your strength?' I would answer, 'I don't have any weaknesses.' I never really explained my image in terms of expression. In reality, I didn’t think about it much—I was simply continuing what I had developed through daily repetitive training. But recently, I've started to reflect on why my dancing conveys certain emotions the way it does, and I’ve begun channeling the energy I once devoted to jumps into my artistry instead. As a result, it's become easier to articulate my approach to others. At the same time, I’ve been able to differentiate between what I lack and what my true strengths are."

On working with a cast / team for the show:

"Everything is a new experience for me, and since communication isn’t my strong suit, I’ve struggled a bit. But I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. I’ve begun to understand the role of an ice show producer—what needs to be done and how far I should go. Teaching the cast has also made me discover aspects of my own dancing that I had been doing unconsciously. This process has helped me think about how I can apply those insights to future choreography, which makes it really enjoyable."

(asked whether he scolds the cast skaters if they haven't memorized the choreography)

"Not at all. I don’t think I could do that, but I do believe that some level of strictness is necessary to create something great. In my case, I call on Kussy (Kazuki Kushida), who is the easiest for me to talk to, and say, 'Hey, if you could do this part, the others skating with you—and even I—would feel like we have to step up as well. Would you mind doing it?' Since I can’t say it directly."

"I want to keep pushing it higher and higher. With this show, first and foremost, I want it to be a meaningful experience for us. Beyond that, I hope to share it with a wider audience, and I want those who come to feel like they've witnessed something truly special."

On whether to expect jumps in the show:

"There aren't many solo performances, but there are a few. For programs that hold special memories, I want to make sure the signature jumps are included. That said, I’ll definitely skip the quadruple flip—it led to injuries even during my competitive years."

On his worry about Stephane Lambiel, his former coach who is the oldest in the cast:

"Right now, that’s my biggest concern. Stéphane has quite a few appearances, and if he were to get injured, it would be a problem. Figuring out how to adjust things is a challenge. There’s a strong anticipation of seeing what his performance in this number would look like, so we can’t remove it from the setlist. Part of it is that I personally want to see it, and part of it is thinking, ‘Wow, we really made him do this tough program!’ (laughs). But I’ve told Stéphane that it’s up to him, so I don’t know what he’ll come up with. I’m looking forward to it."
 
It's the first anniversary of Shoma's competitive retirement. After one year has passed, how do you feel about it? I do miss him... but especially recently, I'm happy to see that he's been able to do things he couldn't do back when he was still active. But I'm also grateful that he's still connected to figure skating, both the skating itself and also the ongoing season and competitions. I really enjoyed watching this year's Worlds while knowing Shoma's there in Boston working, and enjoying the same competition I am watching.



A very nice summary from a fan of what Shoma's been doing in the last year after retirement.

 
Introspective words from Shoma about his skating journey, one year after retirement........... or are they really 🤣



"There are many moments when I feel glad that I chose to skate, but when I think about how I’ve spent 5,000 hours playing Smash Bros. and still can't compete with the world, I feel incredibly grateful that I chose to skate."
 
New photos by Kota Yoshida for Mainichi Shinbun, they will release (paid) interview with Shoma in 3 parts. He looks very very cute here with Kazuki Kushida (they got along well so fast??!?!? I don't think they have ever really hung out before the BISF25 show in Fukuoka). And the first photo... well, he really is in his element in the ice rink.



The interview with Kurozawa Hitoshi is paid, but the excerpts you can read are pretty good:



"As the opening of the performance I am producing approaches, I find myself reflecting on the journey.

When the show was first planned, I struggled with how to approach the other cast members, and how to define my role as both a performer and a producer. At first, I wasn’t entirely confident in calling myself a producer—I had doubts about how much I could truly embrace that role.

However, as time passed, I realized I needed to speak and act with confidence. Creating a show is no easy task, and through this past year, working behind the scenes as well, I’ve come to deeply understand just how challenging it is. From lighting and costumes to visuals—every element requires immense effort, and I appreciate that more than ever."

Does time feel like it’s passing quickly?

"Rather than feeling fast, there have been nights lately when I just can’t sleep. I’ve been busy… (laughs). Late-night rehearsals, early mornings, promotional work in between—it’s a constant cycle. I’ve never been someone who falls asleep easily, and when I can’t secure enough rest, my health sometimes suffers.

This is a new experience for me, but I know that the people around me have an even tougher time, handling intense schedules and responsibilities. Seeing how much effort they put in makes me realize once again how incredible they all are."

Do you feel like you’ve entered “society” after retiring from competition?

"Yes, absolutely. Sleep, food—it’s important to make choices for myself, freely and deliberately (laughs). These things seem basic, but distinguishing between what I need to do and what I don’t, to stay healthy and avoid injury, is key. I have to decide what matters most for myself. As a producer, I naturally face these considerations daily, and it keeps me thinking about many things."

It’s already been a year since your retirement.

"In the past, I was focused on refining my skating skills, but now, as a working professional, as a person in society, I feel reassured that I’m getting to experience the things that everyone else does.

Since retiring from competition, I’ve realized that I was quite childlike back then. Of course…"
 
Shoma's musings this morning as a manga reader:



"When a manga I’ve loved and read for ages becomes a big hit and gets turned into an anime, and then a friend asks, 'Hey, have you seen this?', it makes me feel like I raised it myself — it's such a ridiculous feeling."

Also, Shoma at Kagaribi 13 (the offline game tournament he went during Golden Week):

 
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I kinda had a feeling yesterday that Shoma's tweet will go viral (again), and it did (again). He really is a manga otaku (relatable, I'm also more of a manga reader rather than an anime watcher). I wonder if he just drops these tweets before/after practice 🤣

World Figure Skating has a recap summary of the Colantotte event, including a transcript of the skaters' comments after the event.



Also Kendama practice backstage! LOL, apparently the skaters have to write their "special skills" (I guess to be put to the test at the fanmeet), and Shoma wrote down triple lutz 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 why is he always like this.

 
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More behind-the-scenes photos of Shoma at Kagaribi 13, these ones are when he took photos with MKLeo and Tee 🥰

From the official gallery: https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/0a6b6bbc367d4730a295c95f9fc8442a



Also, Shoma got the Twitter algorithm figured out for animanga/games otakus like him 😂 His tweet said: "I once thought that having characters start talking in my head while reading manga was my own special ability."



Fun trivia: Shoma got 40,000 new Twitter followers under a month... just by tweeting otaku tweets 😅
 
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More behind-the-scenes photos of Shoma at Kagaribi 13, these ones are when he took photos with MKLeo and Tee 🥰

From the official gallery: https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/0a6b6bbc367d4730a295c95f9fc8442a



Also, Shoma got the Twitter algorithm figured out for animanga/games otakus like him 😂 His tweet said: "I once thought that having characters start talking in my head while reading manga was my own special ability."



Fun trivia: Shoma got 40,000 new Twitter followers under a month... just by tweeting otaku tweets 😅

I immediately like the comments of familiar Shoma fans under Shoma's tweets in order to not lose him to his other new followers. We knew him first. 😂 So it is like his thoughts about manga turning into anime and becoming popular, even though he was already a fan since the beginning and felt like he raised it himself.
 
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