Japanese Ice Shows: 2024 Collection | Page 10 | Golden Skate

Japanese Ice Shows: 2024 Collection

Can I chime in? (PLease excuse typos I have a miseryguts of a summer cold)
Yes, please, chime in! It will be fun :bsplit:

From the clip offered abov and a couple of others suggested by youtube, it does seem that that was the case. The set was very static and minimal, low budget, and the lighting did nothing to enhanceit or the performers, who were doing their best, ended up looking rather small and isolated on the over-bright-lighted ice.
Of course, these are fancam clips, but still... It makes in impression of some very local gala event. That's appalling.
 
I know I'm biased, but I think Kazuki Tomono is threading a pretty interesting path between competitive and show skating. For example, last year after he was kicked out of the national team, I really thought he would disappeared for a while, as usually only the most successful athletes get invitations for shows right?

But instead, he got invited to all sorts of shows (including ones just reserved for members of the Worlds team, such as SOI), used them to enhance his popularity, then monetised it through fan events and all sorts of merch during the summer (including the launch of TOMONO curry), and ultimately landed himself an affiliation contract.

It's a lot of work and some might say not everyone can do this, but he is basically embodying the concept of 'half competitor, half pro' that Shoma spoke about before his retirement, and his performance/reputation in shows are a huge part of why he can make 💰 without having won big medals.
Biases aside, I think that this makes him a great role model for the younger generation of skaters, especially given how many great skaters are there in Japan and how hard it is for them to keep themselves motivated.
Interestingly, I saw the big international Sanji accounts on Twitter talking about Koshiro Shimada as *the* personification of Sanji, and better than the guy they chose for the Netflix live action.
To be honest, even Shoma as Luffy D. Monkey was a much better personification than the guy who was cast for the Netfix series. That cast did not give me a One Piece vibe at all, not a single one of them.
Completely agree about kabuki's influence in Oda's work, and I can see where the production tried to emulate these influences with the stationary scenery, dramatic monologues and battles based on stylised movements. Problem is, the skaters are not kabuki actors, they are trained in the 'romanticized idea of beautiful' as you said, so the result was not here, nor there...
I can easily imagine the conversation between Oda and the OPOI producers :laugh::
Oda: Can you make it look like kabuki?
Producers: Easy! (reduce the show to stationary scenery, dramatic monologues, and battles based on stylized movements)
Oda: No, wait! This is not fun. I meant kabuki like Hyoen 2017: Basara!
Producers: How could we know? You said "kabuki" but Basara was a genre fusion...
Oda: All right, just fix it!
Producers: We can't. The schedules of our star skaters are tight. The preparation period is too short for the production you want. Why to worry anyway? Look at the buzz we created! Fans feel entertained. The shows are sold out. Everybody's happy. What more to want?
Oda: OK, fine. (leaves the room)

I have also an alternative ending for this imaginary dialogue but I'll post it in the Hyoen thread ;)
 
The remaining question is: can we expect OPOI-2 happening in a foreseeable future? (This is if we talk seriously; what I wrote in the other thread was wishful thinking :biggrin:)

According to @synesthesia , the official website states that the show was organised by the "ONE PIECE ON ICE 2024 Production Committee" and but it is not stated who is behind it and/or part of it.
Mostly, executive committees are created to execute somebody else's order. If so, then behind it could be Eiichiro Oda himself (I somehow doubt it; I haven't heard about him being a great big skating fan) or, most likely, it could be a company that has previously worked with One Piece adaptations (i.e. there has been at least one theatrical adaptation). But I am only guessing.

Since we don't know who are the people involved, it's hard to tell what conclusions they could come to and what to expect from them in future. There can be different reasons why the ice production had the flaws it had. These could be beginner mistakes caused by lack of experience but as well it could be the routine of very experienced organizers of second-tier event galas and high school drama club similar shows. Please, anyone, if you have information, share it! :pray:

As a participant (a lazy and infrequent participant, but still) of the international fandom of One Piece, I can tell you straight away what this project needs if it wants international fans to come across to Japan to watch ice shows and spend their funds to support the local economy:

1) A loud and heard blessing from Oda himself. Without that, nobody will pay attention.
2) An original story written by Oda himself or approved by Oda himself. Nobody will travel wide and far to watch a watered-down version of a story they already know.
3) The production on level with Hyoen 2019: Like the Moon Light or Toruk - the First Flight by Cirque du Soleil. After the Netflix adaptation which, despite of its shortcomings, reportedly has exciting battle editing, anything less than that will be considered not worth the money.
 
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The remaining question is: can we expect OPOI-2 happening in a foreseeable future? (This is if we talk seriously; what I wrote in the other thread was wishful thinking :biggrin:)

The first one was made as part of OP 25th anniversary celebration. Perhaps you can expect them to make another to celebrate the 30th birthday?
 
The first one was made as part of OP 25th anniversary celebration. Perhaps you can expect them to make another to celebrate the 30th birthday?
I'm afraid that Oda wants to finish it before it turns thirty.
Although... Who knows? :biggrin:
 
The charity event in Noto is a success. The news report said more than 10,000 streaming tickets were sold before the show begin and the 5,000 t-shirts has also sold out.

There are two parts of the event:

First part is children skating class with Yuzu and Satton.
Second part is the ice show part.

The run down for the ice show is as follows:

Group program to taiko music: Yuzu, Mura, Akiko, Satton (choreographed by Akiko)
Taiko performance
Calligraphy performance
Skaters individual program
  • Mura to San San
  • Akiko to Hymn a l'amour
  • Satton to Stabat Mater
  • Yuzu to Haru Yo Koi
Closing group program with Que Sera Sera by Mrs. Green Apple (Choreographed by Akiko and Yuzu)

Jfanyus have shared some TV news for this event and there are bits of the programs in it:


Yuzu said he choose to keep the cost for the show as small as possible so there will be more funds to donate. He is doing the charity event free of charge (he confirmed it in his membership video), and choose to not using show lighting or invite guests for the purpose.

Some other TV coverage by NTV News Every

Docomo (one of the sponsors) have video & 2-day event report covering the Noto charity performance, Yuzu & Satton’s skating lesson, behind-the-scenes livestream tour, and discussion with Yuzu & Satoko will be released soon.


There will also a panel exhibition at “Rurubu Kitchen” in Shinjuku, Tokyo (20-30 Sept), which is currently holding the Ishikawa Noto Support Fair. Photo panels from the charity event will be displayed in the restaurant.

Noto Challenge Charity show of September 15 got a new life! Photos from the show will be used to create another support project for Noto in which 7 types of life-size panels and 19 types of large posters of Yuzuru Hanyu will be presented in different locations throughout Ishikawa Prefecture which Noto Peninsula is a part of. They will all be equipped with a QR code which when copied will allow for watching a 2-minute long special videos of Yuzuru's introduction to the region (there are 10 different videos available from different locations). This is to help to bring tourists to this region which was heavily hit by the earthquake of January 1, 2024, and the September flood, and therefore lend some Hanyuconomy boost to the striving communities.
The project starts today, on February 1, 2025 and will be running for 13 months, till 31 March 2026, in time for all those coming to Japan for Chiba performance of Echoes of Life and the subsequent shows of Notte Stellata in March, as well as to other shows, to add Noto to their travel itineraries to provide support. Many fans have already declared they would go on the poster hunt, and three big travel agencies announced supporting the project through organized trips covering visiting all the locations and also other local attractions, finding local transport, accommodations etc.
Kanazawa Tourist Information Centre displaying huge autographs of all 4 skaters taking part in the charity show is one of the locations.
The full list of locations in the link below :)
All the entities supporting the project ask fans to be careful not to post or share the QR code enabling running the videos so please comply if you choose to join :)




 
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And here's one of the follow-up project's posters in action showing Yuzu on the ice in the opening program while wearing the charity show's T-shirt with 4 participating skaters' silhouettes which was the skaters' team common outfit and the prime merch for the original Challenge show. Their images work again to support Noto, that's awesome! Thank you once more!
Apparently each participating Ishikawa municipality has their own poster with an exclusive image which can be seen only in their area.



And here's some more pics from the show and some more turned to posters used for the new charity project.

 
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TV Kanazawa, a local TV from Noto Peninsula, has posted their news story on the Noto charity show follow-up project on their official YouTube channel with English subtitles! Actually many fans travelling to Japan these days for Echoes of Life shows post from Noto, and it seems the project is quite a success :)
Hopefully, not only Yuzuru fans but also other skating fans travelling to Japan this year will include Noto and its tourist attractions in their travel plans to support the local economy and the communities striving to recover from disastrous consequences of last year's earthquake and flood!

 
Two new cities have been added to the project, including Wajima City which Yuzuru Hanyu had visited last June, and which morning market is restablished, but on the same street there was a Go Nagai museum (a mangaka native of Wajima and perhaps the first mangaka whose anime were well known abroad) which totally burnt in the fire the day after the earthquake, and I suppose that it won't be reopened, so, they need some touristic impulse:
https://x.com/yukko3yukko3/status/1885847887705514161
 
... and it seems you can get a printout copy of the local campaign poster in tourist agencies throughout the Ishikawa Province.
One per person!!! Like Newsweek Japan at the time when it carried this famous Yuzuru's interview taken right after the charity show for Noto :love2:
And, just like then, local people keep praising both Yuzuru and his fandom! Yuzu can be proud of his fans again!
Here's some examples of messages from Noto you can find on social media today!



 
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TV Kanazawa has just posted a news story on the Challenge charity show for Noto with English subtitles on their official YouTube channel!
And Nippon TV did the same on their channel, yet without subtitles there!


 
I know most of the attention for the Noto show is on Yuzuru - he is the biggest drawcard - but it is lovely to see the others, Akiko, Takahito and Satoko, celebrated for their parts. They are all to appear at Notte Stellata as well :love:

Satoko was, in my opinion, one of those who should have been scored higher and rewarded more in her competitive career so it is lovely to see her appearing in more and more shows, both these and others.
 
I know most of the attention for the Noto show is on Yuzuru - he is the biggest drawcard - but it is lovely to see the others, Akiko, Takahito and Satoko, celebrated for their parts. They are all to appear at Notte Stellata as well :love:

Satoko was, in my opinion, one of those who should have been scored higher and rewarded more in her competitive career so it is lovely to see her appearing in more and more shows, both these and others.
This is so very true! Satoko from Pyeonchang is still one of my most cherished women's FS performances ever. I remember her so vividly from there!
But as for Noto, both teen teams were also amazing, I'm always so happy to see them in vids from the Challenge show, like in this one!
This must have been such a buzz for them to take part, and be watched all around Japan, and alongside those skating stars, and with Yuzu of all people! I always wondered if they actually came from the same school Yuzu visited as a part of his earlier TV report from Noto's Wajima City, and how it happened that the teens were invited to join the show.
But, c'mon, especially for the drum group, see Yuzuru Hanyu skating to your piece - as they all did in the opening programme - and having all Japan seeing that - this must have been really something for them! Especially when you think who was accompanying him in the not-so-distant past, the Tokyo Dome and all that! Such a confidence boost and a moment to remember it must have been for the youngsters!
Here's the original subtitled report on Yuzu visiting Wajima, a reminder on how it all started - both for the Noto charity show, and the current follow-up campaign!

 
I know most of the attention for the Noto show is on Yuzuru - he is the biggest drawcard - but it is lovely to see the others, Akiko, Takahito and Satoko, celebrated for their parts. They are all to appear at Notte Stellata as well :love:

Satoko was, in my opinion, one of those who should have been scored higher and rewarded more in her competitive career so it is lovely to see her appearing in more and more shows, both these and others.
While I do agree, I think the same about Akiko Suzuki, I was so happy to know that she was chosen for Notte Stellata, back in 2023!
 
Yesterday was the media day for Echoes of Life, so here's the TV report with footage from yesterday's show. I'm so happy they show the smiley MasDes.



Echoes of Life Tour wraps up in Chiba with final performance in front of 8,400 audience. While I'd love to see NOVA again, I'll wait eagerly for another Yuzu creation.
 
Meet the Eleven Play, a Japanese dancing group who took part alongside Yuzuru first in GIFT in the Tokyo Dome, and then in the Echoes of Life tour lately, accompanying his skating with their wonderful modern dance off-the-ice. One of them even choreographed a program for Yuzuru. And of course, their founder and leader is Mikiko who has served as an artistic director of all Yuzu's solo shows so far and who can be regarded as a rising giant in the Japanese ice show business through her long-term collaboration with Yuzuru who has been an ice show giant for years, and now is even more so than ever .. :)




 
Meet the Eleven Play, a Japanese dancing group who took part alongside Yuzuru first in GIFT in the Tokyo Dome, and then in the Echoes of Life tour lately, accompanying his skating with their wonderful modern dance off-the-ice. One of them even choreographed a program for Yuzuru. And of course, their founder and leader is Mikiko who has served as an artistic director of all Yuzu's solo shows so far and who can be regarded as a rising giant in the Japanese ice show business through her long-term collaboration with Yuzuru who has been an ice show giant for years, and now is even more so than ever .. :)






This gives 'cardboard Yuzu' vibes. :laugh4:
 
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