I'm going to say something a little racist-sounding here, although I don't mean anything bad by it.
IMO, Mirai is hindered by the fact that there are many, many other skaters who are very similar. At 4CC, there was one "Asian girl, no-bangs, bun, skating to slow "beautiful" elevator music" after another. Had Mirai been there, there would've been one more. There are a lot of that type of skater in the US Nationals, too. Christina Gao and a couple of the youngsters would be in that category as well.
The young Mirai stood out with her cute choreography. No, it wasn't sophisticated, but it wasn't that same old-same old. She will have to either do the hardest jumps or combos--which she doesn't seem able to do, just that same old lutz double toe loop that everyone does (and does she even do it properly?)--or she will have to get a different look, choreography, type of music, something! Right now, there's nothing particularly special or noticeable about her skating.
I say to her: do what you want. At this point, it's more important for her to regain her love of skating than worry that a judge will dock her because she didn't do classical music or wear a tasteful enough outfit. If she wants to be a cute Carmen and not a sultry Carmen again, let her. If she wants to skate to punk rock wearing chainmail, let her. It's like they are trying to force her into a Yu-Na mold, and she doesn't seem comfortable.
I would also give the same advice to Agnes, who mysteriously went from a brassy blond showgirl with big hair and a sparkly top to a subdued, bunned brunette. There must be a lot of pressure to conform to whatever "type" is considered in at the time.
IMO, Mirai is hindered by the fact that there are many, many other skaters who are very similar. At 4CC, there was one "Asian girl, no-bangs, bun, skating to slow "beautiful" elevator music" after another. Had Mirai been there, there would've been one more. There are a lot of that type of skater in the US Nationals, too. Christina Gao and a couple of the youngsters would be in that category as well.
The young Mirai stood out with her cute choreography. No, it wasn't sophisticated, but it wasn't that same old-same old. She will have to either do the hardest jumps or combos--which she doesn't seem able to do, just that same old lutz double toe loop that everyone does (and does she even do it properly?)--or she will have to get a different look, choreography, type of music, something! Right now, there's nothing particularly special or noticeable about her skating.
I say to her: do what you want. At this point, it's more important for her to regain her love of skating than worry that a judge will dock her because she didn't do classical music or wear a tasteful enough outfit. If she wants to be a cute Carmen and not a sultry Carmen again, let her. If she wants to skate to punk rock wearing chainmail, let her. It's like they are trying to force her into a Yu-Na mold, and she doesn't seem comfortable.
I would also give the same advice to Agnes, who mysteriously went from a brassy blond showgirl with big hair and a sparkly top to a subdued, bunned brunette. There must be a lot of pressure to conform to whatever "type" is considered in at the time.