2021-22 Japanese Women's Figure Skating

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Wakaba hasn’t looked this good since her Skyfall days. Love the vibe/choreography/styling of this Lion King program and I really hope she can make the Olympic team with it because it really is an Olympic worthy program. That 3A was amazing - reminded me of Mirai’s at the Olympics.

Kaori has huge jumps and speed but this program just felt so rushed and she still needs more finesse.

 

[YuBluByMe]

The first half of Sakamoto’s embarrassing program is actually worse than the second half. And that’s saying a lot considering that the second half has the odious voice-overs. It’s like she was skating two different SPs that were combined into a single free skate.

I’m pleasantly surprised by Kawabe. She can be a hot mess and that’s definitely the best skating I’ve seen from her so far. I’m glad she finally landed a clean 3A and hope she does well in Canada.

That was a fantastic 3A from Higuchi. She also has a great costume. If she can be consistent with it and skate cleanly , then there’s no reason she won’t challenge for an Olympic spot. But I’m going to have to be the voice of dissent on her free. I don’t like her free; or rather, I don’t like her skating to it. She doesn’t do the music any sort of justice and pretty much ignored the music, especially in the first half. As typical for a Higuchi program, she doesn’t come alive until the step sequence, which is near the end. It’s a good thing Higuchi happens to be a great stepper.

I like Matsuike’s free the best and that was my original opinion from a few months ago. She’s using the wrong version of the music, but it’s becoming very easy to ignore since she’s skating very well to it. Her 3A attempt, though, was only slightly better than Miyahara’s. She’ll get it though. Just probably not this season.

 

[gotoschool]

I particularly enjoyed Mana's, Rino's and Wakaba's Lp's at the Japan Open and congratulations to all for landing a triple axel, but Mana was my favorite and the superlowballing of her PCS especially with the highest tech score is scandalous and looks like they are playing the PCS placeholder card in an attempt to keep her lower in the team hierarchy.

 

[Skatesocs]

I don’t like her free; or rather, I don’t like her skating to it. She doesn’t do the music any sort of justice and pretty much ignored the music, especially in the first half. As typical for a Higuchi program, she doesn’t come alive until the step sequence, which is near the end. It’s a good thing Higuchi happens to be a great stepper.

No, I agree, it's not a good LP from her. I don't think we have much hope left for a particularly great Ladies' LP anymore. Karen maybe will modify that LP of hers and make it great by US Nationals, that's pretty much it (maaaaybe Hongyi Chen of China since she has the motivation this season or the Korean ladies like Haein or Eunsoo who haven't revealed their LPs yet; and I guess Josefin's Joker LP is still present, even if I don't think it needed a repeat). It's really sad for an Olympic season.

 

[Zora]

I particularly enjoyed Mana's, Rino's and Wakaba's Lp's at the Japan Open and congratulations to all for landing a triple axel, but Mana was my favorite and the superlowballing of her PCS especially with the highest tech score is scandalous and looks like they are playing the PCS placeholder card in an attempt to keep her lower in the team hierarchy.

I feel bad for her, that's how you can kill a young skater's confidence. Hopefully the judges at Skate Canada aren't that harsh...

 

[Lzbee]

That was an amazing 3A from Wakaba. So powerful. I really hope she can improve her stamina and make it this season, I was so sad that we didn't get to see her Skyfall at the Olympics last quad.

 

[katymay]

I particularly enjoyed Mana's, Rino's and Wakaba's Lp's at the Japan Open and congratulations to all for landing a triple axel, but Mana was my favorite and the superlowballing of her PCS especially with the highest tech score is scandalous and looks like they are playing the PCS placeholder card in an attempt to keep her lower in the team hierarchy.

For Me Mana, Rino and Wakaba were equal PCS-all three had huge speed and power, I didn't really see a difference. Of course I was watching a grainy video, but still. Choreography, transitions, I dunno, I was enjoying each program so much I didn't notice. All three were exciting as could be.

 

[Joekaz]

For Me Mana, Rino and Wakaba were equal PCS-all three had huge speed and power, I didn't really see a difference. Of course I was watching a grainy video, but still. Choreography, transitions, I dunno, I was enjoying each program so much I didn't notice. All three were exciting as could be.

Rino is a beautiful skater, but does not have alot of power.

 

[lurkerghost1]

She doesn’t do the music any sort of justice and pretty much ignored the music, especially in the first half. As typical for a Higuchi program, she doesn’t come alive until the step sequence, which is near the end. It’s a good thing Higuchi happens to be a great stepper.

Even if this was true (I advise you to look at the expression in the choreo sequence in the 1st half) what does it matter when Higuchi is selling the program during the step sequence better than anyone since the days of Yuna and Mao?

For 2 seasons now Scherbakova scores 70+ PCS every time she toe-pushes her way through two minutes of a slow, sad, vaguely classical piano 1st half and then "comes alive" for no reason in the 2nd half, closing things off with another music change for the step sequence which has a fraction of the quality of Higuchi. Her formula for the free skate this year is no different although at least the choreo is better, but I can promise you Anna will be getting 75+ PCS by the time the Olympics come. Why shouldn't Wakaba get such high PCS as Anna when her performance and expression are equal and her skating skills and program composition are far better?

 

[Skatesocs]

For 2 seasons now Scherbakova scores 70+ PCS every time she toe-pushes her way through two minutes of a slow, sad, vaguely classical piano 1st half and then "comes alive" for no reason in the 2nd half, closing things off with another music change for the step sequence which has a fraction of the quality of Higuchi. Her formula for the free skate this year is no different although at least the choreo is better, but I can promise you Anna will be getting 75+ PCS by the time the Olympics come. Why shouldn't Wakaba get such high PCS as Anna when her performance and expression are equal and her skating skills and program composition are far better?

I don't think they were saying anything about the scores. Just that they didn't like the program.

 

[Leocadia]

So happy for my little adopted skater son Shun. Did anyone find a link to his performance? I found all the women's and Shoma's performances on YouTube but not Shun's.

Here is Shun’s FS on Weibo, I couldn’t find it on Youtube either: https://video.h5.weibo.cn/1034:4687916337922183/4687920882256611

 

[Skatesocs]

Honestly, the worst part of Kaori's LP is that Richaud tried so blatantly to game the system, that it just makes me laugh when he tried to go for such a DEEP™ concept.

 

[Skatesocs]

Also found Satoko's on Weibo. Satoko JO LP

 

[Dawn825]

Also found Satoko's on Weibo. Satoko JO LP

I don't see it I don't read Japanese, but I don't see that any of the clips have her in the thumbnail?

 

[Skatesocs]

I don't see it I don't read Japanese, but I don't see that any of the clips have her in the thumbnail?

https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:4687952014671914? Not opening for you?

 

[Dawn825]

https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:4687952014671914? Not opening for you?

It's opening, but it's a home page with lots of clips on it, and I don't see that any of them are of Satoko.

 

[Skatesocs]

It's opening, but it's a home page with lots of clips on it, and I don't see that any of them are of Satoko.

Oh, I guess you are being redirected to the weibo login page... This is the post https://m.weibo.cn/detail/4687955614765669 I hope it works You don't need to login to weibo to access them, but sometimes it redirects you to the login page.

 

[Dawn825]

Oh, I guess you are being redirected to the weibo login page... This is the post https://m.weibo.cn/detail/4687955614765669 I hope it works You don't need to login to weibo to access them, but sometimes it redirects you to the login page.

That one worked, thank you <3 I do love me some SaTosca.

 

[Dawn825]

Now forgive me this short rant.
This is not a drag on TSL, I watch their videos because I enjoy them. But Dave on TSL was saying that Rino or possibly Mana will or should be on the Olympic team instead of Rika. I don't know if he's the only person who thinks this, but there's a similar conversation going on in the US ladies thread about Lindsay Thorngren making the team instead of Bradie/Karen/Mariah. If Rika or the senior US ladies can't fully recover from their injuries in time, have really poor seasons, or get seriously outskated by these younger girls, then they might fair and square not make the team. But I don't get why this is something to hope for. Why can't we look at these promising 15/16 yr olds and be excited about their future careers, watching them improve and win medals and perform at World championships? Why should their literal first major competition be the Olympics? Why the rush to replace the "lazy old has-beens" aka accomplished or even champion skaters who have been competing and medaling for their countries this whole quad? Especially Rika and Bradie, if healthy, have well earned their spots at the games. If last year's repeating National champions are too "broken" or "boring" to make the Olympic team this year, I don't think that reflects well on the health and priorities of the ladies discipline in our sport.

 

[Samoyed]

Why can't we look at these promising 15/16 yr olds and be excited about their future careers, watching them improve and win medals and perform at World championships?

The problem is that nowadays 15/16 yr olds are not the future. Sadly, current trend in ladies is to peak around this age.