2025 Japanese Nationals - Sr. Free Dance

[sissy7]

IkuKo! That was beautiful Tothink this is what they can do with less than a year together

 

[CoyoteChris]

That was lovely from Kushida/Shimada. Well done!

Elegant...

 

[rabidline]

That slow mo look from Koshiro to Ikura at the beginning the Evan Bates school of "omg a beautiful girl!" Look.

 

[rabidline]

Damn these slow mos... the audience will eat them up, they're gorgeous.

 

[tsuyoboogie]

I don't know why but I love UtaMasa so much...watching them gives me chills

 

[sissy7]

Is it just me,or are they slower than usually???

 

[readernick]

These two are really already ice dancers not just in the process of learning like the others but there were a few messy moments. Not their best performance but the best here without a doubt imho. They are also very likeable, aren't they?

 

[CoyoteChris]

I don't know why but I love them so much...watching them gives me chills

Elegant. Fred Astair Ginger Rogers

 

[YuBluByMe]

There’s a huge quality difference that I wouldn’t even have noticed had I not been following ice dance for the last four years. Easily the best lifts in the competition.

 

[readernick]

There’s a huge quality difference that I wouldn’t even have noticed had I not been following ice dance for the last four years. Easily the best lifts in the competition.

Quality of turns, closeness of skating, lifts, performance, partnering, it's just a different level. Not an insult to the others, but the years of effort show.

 

[YuBluByMe]

Kushida’s literally competing in the ladies’ event in a few hours!

 

[CoyoteChris]

Everyone got a seasons best?

 

[tsuyoboogie]

Ice Dance Final Results
FD Results
FD Protocols

Pl.				RD	RD	Final
1	吉田 唄菜 森田 真沙也	Utana Yoshida Masaya Morita	Kinoshita Academy	68.78	103.51	172.29
2	櫛田 育良 島田 高志郎	Ikura Kushida Koshiro Shimada	Kinoshita Academy Kinoshita Group	64.99	100.76	165.75
3	佐々木 彩乃 池田 喜充	Ayano Sasaki Yoshimitsu Ikeda	Seibu Higashifushimi FSC	54.09	92.13	146.22
4	紀平 梨花 西山 真瑚	Rika Kihira Shingo Nishiyama Oriental Bio	Toyota Motor Corporation	57.44	86.97	144.41
5	浦松 千聖 田村 篤彦	Chisato Uramatsu Atsuhiko Tamura	Chukyo University Seibu Higashifushimi FSC	50.93	80.62	131.55

 

[rabidline]

Quality of turns, closeness of skating, lifts, performance, partnering, it's just a different level. Not an insult to the others, but the years of effort show.

As it should.

 

[tsuyoboogie]

Elegant. Fred Astair Ginger Rogers

UtaMasa, not IkuKo

 

[tsuyoboogie]

Realized I wasn't recording...no wonder the stream was so smooth and glitch-less

 

[rabidline]

Really beautiful~

Koshiro wasted so many years struggling with injury and inconsistency in Singles when he could've been doing Ice Dance the entire time

But I guess the timing was right to be paired with Ikura

Yeah I also agree about the timing, I think Koshiro needed to mature as a person and leave singles with no regrets to make the decision to be an ice dance man. It is a big responsibility.

It's SO serendipitous that he matched with Ikura though. Physically and aesthetically they're so breathtaking to look at, and having this particular theme for the FD and pulling it off as performers sets a very distinct identity as a team compared to the more established and powerful Utana and Masaya, which I thought Shingo and his previous partners had trouble in doing.

 

[CoyoteChris]

UtaMasa, not IkuKo

I was lagging....LOL!
Rika, us GSers still love you.....hope you enjoyed our bear.

 

[lileychristie]

Senior dance medal ceremony happening now~

Sad that RikaShin missed the podium, but also thrilled that AyaMitsu got the bronze. Love both their programs this season and they deserve way more recognition

 

[synesthesia]

Senior dance medal ceremony happening now~

Sad that RikaShin missed the podium, but also thrilled that AyaMitsu got the bronze. Love both their programs this season and they deserve way more recognition

This, absolutely! Looking at media outlets and fan spaces I feel that over the understandable excitement over the new teams, they are overlooked. They might not be a top team, but they are seasoned ice dancers with solid skills and expressive performers (I especially love Ayano's fun personality shining through in their RD ). After their placement on the podium here I really hope that the federation considers sending them out to an international B event or two next season - they deserve those opportunities (as does the whole field).