Fuji TV's interview with Tomono-kun at Team Japan Senior Camp (in July, but the video was released in August)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdwkFyBcVZs
(Be warned that this is a raw interview with speech errors and repetitions, he was thinking while answering to these questions. I did remove many of the redundant parts but I left some of them as they are. Be sure to ask if anything is unclear.)
Q: How's your condition now?
At this time of the year, I just put in every effort on day-to-day practice and focus on my work at hand for the coming competitions.
Q: How about your training during off-season?
Particularly worked on spins and my free leg when skating, and the things that stood out (in a negative way) last season that I could work on to fix right away, even for a bit. Also, for the choreo...how should I put it, to be more committed to the details of every single movement, and the programs, I've been working carefully with the smallest details of every single movement from the tip of my finger to my head, my whole body, so those stuff. Especially my free leg and spins are getting better little by little, I hope. And 4T is getting better and it's gradually reaching the level that I can have it (safely) in my programs for competitions.
Q: Your Challenge for new jumps?
I'll go with 2 quads, 4T and 4S. I've been doing 4S for a while now and I did it last season too, and in addition to it, I'm planning to add 4T this season.
Q: How are you going to compete internationally?
What I've learned by taking part in those competitions is that you need jumps or you can't win. So, to be frank, no matter how you attract audience with your performance, it is a sport to compete, and you either win or lose. Doing (big) jumps is a requirement to win. That's how it is now. So, I'd like to specially focus on jumps, as much as possible... Well, I hope I can compete with just 2 kinds of quads, and there are also those who are competing well without that many quads. For the time being, I want to utilize what I can do to the max.
Q: What is figure skating to you?
There aren't many sports that has both athletic and artistic sides to compete like figure skating does. For example, an ice show, you don't have to have competitive achievements to perform in it. There are talented skaters with artistic qualities who can take part in it. So this sport can offer you different possibilities and open your path, I believe. But, I'm an athlete, and as I skate to compete, it's a sport and it's not about what I want it to be like. As far as I'm concerned, because figure skating is a kind of a sport that I can express the artistic side as well, I want to value both artistry and skating skills to perform on ice. But it's a sport, and it's about win or lose, and I guess it just happens that jumps get more focused and can't be helped. It's just one of the many ways to win in this sport. Of course, I do hope the rules become more balanced for both artistic and technical sides, but to be really honest, to think of it as a (competitive) sport, it can't be helped. That said, to think of it as figure skating, I myself want to value the artistic side. I see it separately (not to mix up) and right now I'm a competitive skater, so that's my priority to consider.
Q: You have to win as a competitive athlete?
Of course. As an athlete, I have to face the sport as an athlete. That's what every athlete has to value the most, I believe. That's MY opinion.
Q: Your goal for the new season, based on your last season's results?
Last season, especially with 4CC, and Universiade as well, I had a streak of struggling results. So, first of all, I want to achieve what I couldn't last year. Even when I had good and extensive practices, I'm afraid I couldn't push far enough at the very last moment, mentally. This season, I want to keep strong mind and face every single competition firm and solid, to do what I should do. Of course I do want to bring on results too. In order to grab them, I think I have to give my full attention to the goal of mine for real.
to tsuyoboogie, I finally got to watch his new programs. His SP is just 
If it's this good (minus spins) at this stage it's going to knock everybody's socks off when the season is in full swing. He'll just need to have enough energy to perform that wonderful and exhausting choreo, like seriously every single beat is used :roll9:
but the program is a good vessel for it. Overall it shows Kazuki is growing just as he said he wanted to, he deserves the beef 
:luv17:
I do think his interpretation was better at DOI but it's understandable since he was under the stress of competition and also dead from the day before 
