Kazuki Tomono | Page 199 | Golden Skate

Kazuki Tomono

I was about to post that clip! It was a great way to show Kazuki in and out of character and he looks amazing. I'm so glad OPOI did individual spotlights on the skaters/characters, it reminds me of HYOEN and hopefully OPOI can continue that standard of production 😍
 
Kazuki's key ONE PIECE on ice visual as Koza!!!!



I don't know if this is the costume they will use for the ice show or just for the key visual photoshoot (so far both him as Koza and Marin as Vivi looks like they're wearing normal clothes to me) but Kazuki looks great and very in-character!

(Also despite the key visual not 100% matching the anime, at least for me I think it's better, since I don't think pure cosplay will work for an ice show)

Yes, the hair is the cherry on top!
 
There's a Mainichi interview this Wednesday 28th?
https://mainichi-event20230628.peatix.com/

I got it from this excellent photographer, Taichi Kaizuka, who seems to want to participate, but I just had an automatic translation and may be wrong:

Yup! Apologies if I haven't posted here, or maybe I did but it was a while ago (the original announcement was in early June). Kazuki definitely keeps himself (and us) busy!

The event is online and for ticket holders/Mainichi subscribers-only. I wish I could attend (even though I don't understand Japanese) but sadly it's right in the middle of my working day 😕

Meanwhile, here's the Quadruple Axel page of his talk with Shun. I posted about this on Twitter, but somehow Shun looks older than him 😆
 
Yup! Apologies if I haven't posted here, or maybe I did but it was a while ago (the original announcement was in early June). Kazuki definitely keeps himself (and us) busy!

The event is online and for ticket holders/Mainichi subscribers-only. I wish I could attend (even though I don't understand Japanese) but sadly it's right in the middle of my working day 😕

Meanwhile, here's the Quadruple Axel page of his talk with Shun. I posted about this on Twitter, but somehow Shun looks older than him 😆

I do remember something of the like, but it doesn't help that I tend to mix Mainichi, Sponichi...
I hope that we will get substantial reports! Thank you for the Quadruple Axel article!
 
Thanks for the info re: GP assignments, I'm happy with Cup of China but not so much with Skate Canada. The main reason being it's a REALLY tough field! I also wish he had more time in between his assignments. On a selfish note, the timezone will be a killer for me to watch and I still have PSTD from Skate Canada 2018 😭

But oh well, I can only wish him the best of luck. At least he'll be with Sota again in both his assignments, that'll be very fun!

Yesterday's Mainichi event was a success, and apparently he told a lot of stories and even shows photos 🥹 But there's not much new info to share apart from the fact that he has a new EX! I'm not 100% sure, but it seems it was choreographed by Cathy Reed. Can't wait to see it!

What I hadn't appreciated was that, despite the event being online, Kazuki went to the studio where he met the two Mainichi journalists and it seems they had a great time together 😄

First, here's Kazuki before the event:

 
Sooo.... Remember a while ago Kazuki had a talk with the baseball 'Pinch Hitter God' for Nikkan Sports! It was a paid article at the time, but it's now available for free for a limited time!
Here's the DeepL translation of the first article:
The exciting new figure skating season will start on July 1st.

As a special "New Year" campaign, Nikkan Sports PREMIUM is releasing the first three episodes of "Kazuki Tomono and ex-Hanshin Hiyama, God of Substitute Hitter" for free for a limited time. The dialogue with Mr. Hiyama, whom Tomono has admired since his childhood, was highly passionate, and the number of words in the dialogue exceeded 20,000. Please take a moment to read this highly popular and divine talk!

Tomono: nice to meet you. I am very happy to meet you!

Hiyama: It's nice to meet you, too. I read the online article "Pitch Hitter God" at the World Championships.

Tomono: I am afraid... I have been a Hanshin fan since I was born. (I was born and raised in Sakai (in Osaka), and at school, if you were not a Hanshin fan, you were looked down upon (laughs). I grew up watching the Hanshin team, and since I was a little boy, I asked my father to let me cheer for the team several times. This year, I was there on June 25th, the day that Chunichi's Neo (Takashi) pitched his first game at Koshien. Hanshin won by a landslide, but now I tend to watch from an athlete's point of view and see the expressions on the Chunichi pitcher's face. He was the opposing player, but it was hard.

Hiyama: For Neo, it was his first time pitching for the first team at Koshien, wasn't it?

Tomono: I'm sure everyone will say this, but I remember most when Mr. Hiyama hit a home run as a substitute in the Climax Series (2013), the last game before his retirement. It made a strong impression on me because I was in the third grade of junior high school, and when I went to see him, I will never forget the cheers he got when he came on as a substitute. I also remember how well he matched the cheering song (laughs).

Hiyama: And the megaphone choreography?

Tomono: I was doing it in the light stand (laughs). I once went to see the victory parade.

Hiyama: In 2003, Hoshino was the manager, and in 2005, when Okada won the championship, it was raining.

Tomono: My grandmother took me there, and I only remember the sight.

Tomono: I remember it was by car, so it must have been 2003.

Hiyama: You were 5 years old then (laughs). You are a man who knows how to win championships. The last championship was in 2005, so today's young children don't know that the Tigers have won a championship (laughs).

Tomono: I played softball, not baseball, until I was in the sixth grade of elementary school. My mother told me that I was too small to play, and I thought that figure skating was more suited for me.

Hiyama: Then, please tell us why you started skating.

Tomono: It was really a trivial thing, but there was a skating rink in my neighborhood, and I went there to play.

Hiyama: So you were able to skate all of a sudden?

Tomono I don't know. But it seems that my mother used to learn how to skate...

Hiyama: Personally, skating is the only sport I cannot do.

Tomono: Really?

Hiyama: I had a skating class once when I was in elementary school. Everyone said, "Hiyama, you are athletic and cool," and I had an image of being an all-around athlete, but when I went for the first time in the fifth grade, I couldn't skate at all (laughs). I don't want to show them that I've slipped," and I remember sitting on the wall by the rink and saying, "I can skate, but I can't skate. That's why I took a break in the 6th grade (laughs).

Tomono (laughs). Many figure skaters are not that athletic. I have an image that by working hard from a young age, their level will improve.

Hiyama: Talking about the "pinch hitter god," which I connected with Tomono this time, I think what I am carrying is different from my experience of one substitute at bat. In my case, even if I fail there, there are 143 games in a season, so I have a chance to make up for it the next time. Tomono-kun is in a position where he has to try to get a slot (in Japan next year) even if he is "batting in place. And he was suddenly designated as a substitute player, so it's wonderful that he was able to get a result there.

Tomono: Mr. Hiyama, I think there were many seasons in which you played regularly, but I have also been selected and not selected for the national team, so the meaning of "substitute" is a little different. For me, it is to replace someone else (to move up from an alternate). I think the best thing for me is to be a member of the national team and participate in tournaments. I think that being the first or second alternate to be called up as a substitute for about 4 or 5 years has been a good opportunity for me to get a chance to play. The most important thing is to break out of that shell and become a representative. That is the difficult part, but I must always be stable and stay in a position where opportunities will come my way. I never gave up, and that is what led to the result.

Hiyama: Even if you participate in the World Championships as a "substitute," if you do not perform well there, you will lose your slot for the next round, right?

Tomono: I was rather lively. Since I was not originally invited to participate, I felt as if I could do whatever I wanted. I was like, "Oh, what am I going to do? It was more like, "Oh, my God, what am I going to do? It's a stage, it's my replacement, and it doesn't matter what I do. It would be cool if I could get a result. I have nothing to be afraid of. I competed in the World Championships twice, once four years ago and again this time as a substitute, but I was more confident this time. The members had competed on the world stage in other tournaments and were always competing.

Hiyama: You probably feel like you can see what's going on around you and know exactly what the other players are capable of.

Tomono: I was scheduled to play my last match of the season in Europe, and I received a phone call at the Frankfurt airport as I was traveling there. As soon as they told me to "go," bam, something came down (laughs). I thought, "If I do well in the Short Program (SP), 101 points is my max. I got that 101 points, and got 3rd place, which I thought I could do if I was lucky. However, in Free Skate, the result of my practice also comes out, and it was pressure of medals and atmosphere of the venue that I had never experienced before. To go to the next stage, you need that much feeling and determination, and it was not good that I guessed "I am not at that stage," before Free skate. From now on, it is a matter of how much I can pry open and break down the wall that has opened up a bit, isn't it?

Hiyama: If you were in that position, you would probably think, "It would be best if I had another two weeks or so.... Even in baseball, there are times when you have to say, "Go fast! There are times when you have to go in at the end of the game. Usually, I imagine that I will come on at the end of the game. But when I have to score early in a game, I am sometimes called upon suddenly. I would say, "Wait a minute, we are preparing for the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. I'm sweating and my body is ready, but I'm not organized yet.

Tomono: When I watch baseball, I think that people get impatient because the situation of the game changes. I was losing so much, but then I would catch up.

Hiyama: When I had established my style as a substitute hitter, I usually adjusted to the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. I would take my time and see how the game was going until about the 3rd inning after entering the game. about the 3rd inning, I would do some gymnastics behind the bench and finish up once every 5 innings. Then, after the 7th inning, I would watch the game and know when it was time to come on. So I settle down and wait for my cue. I would finish up in the 5th inning, but when I was thinking, "It's not my turn yet," I would say, "Let's go, Hiyama! Tomono's substitution might be similar to this pattern. I am prepared for it, but "suddenly?

Tomono: what kind of mindset do you have?

Hiyama: It is important not to be in a hurry. I tell myself, "Keep calm, keep calm..." (laughs). (Laughs.) Sometimes I just open up and say, "If it doesn't work out, there's nothing I can do about it. I do reflect on the results, though. I concentrate on how to perform well. Preparation with time is totally different from preparation without time. It is important to be calm for that, and it would be no good if your feelings are affected.

Tomono: It is just a feeling of putting what you have practiced into competition, isn't it?

Hiyama: Depending on the rink, it may be easier or harder to skate, right? Or the atmosphere of the audience?

Tomono: Yes, there are differences. In the case of baseball, especially in the Hanshin League, it seems to be very different (laughs).

Hiyama: I am also one who goes to see the view of the ballpark that day. I get ready behind the bench, but sometimes I look at the lights to adjust my eye senses and feel the joy and sorrow of the audience, which helps me feel more excited.

Tomono: In figure skating, when the athletes start their performances, they are quiet. In baseball, there are times when they interrupt you (laughs).

Hiyama: But, surprisingly, I don't hear anything when I go into the batter's box.

Tomono So you are right after all! So it's the same...

Hiyama: On the contrary, I think I hear it more when I am not concentrating.

Tomono: I also think, "It's no good when I can hear it.

Hiyama: When you are in a good mood, do you think you hear only music?

Tomono Yes, just the music, and the cheers are "just faint background music.

Hiyama: I guess you are in the "zone" after all.

Tomono: It's strange, but I feel like I am in a zone, looking at myself objectively from above. I don't have a tremendous amount of physical sensation, and I am aware of the atmosphere of the audience, but I am a bit in a daze. When it's over, I think, "Oh, I don't remember much.

Hiyama: Do you know before you jump whether you will succeed or not?

Tomono: No, it's really "automatic." I just think, "I'm just going to tighten my arms," and I don't remember. I don't even remember. I just think, "How do I jump in a competition? I don't even remember. I think everyone says that "the last thing is mental" in any sport, but I think the ratio of mentality is too high in figure skating. It is not how to move your body, but how to believe in yourself at the end, and how calmly you can do it. I think it's more like, "My body moves on its own.

Hiyama: Do you think, "Let's pay attention to this part of the jump! for this jump?

Tomono: Somewhat. I calmly think, "Next time, I'll be careful of this part.

Hiyama: I guess it is important how well you have practiced.

Tomono: That's right. It is a matter of how much you can do in a match based on the assumption that you have done well in practice. It may be like "luck is the key" to the game.

Hiyama: That is different from baseball. We have opponents, so there is a game to be played with each pitch. With figure skaters, on the other hand, once you are ready, there is nothing to stop you, is there not?

Tomono: That's right. The more you prepare, the more likely you are to be able to do it in the competition, and in the end, I place importance on practicing and believing in yourself. You have to practice in a way that will leave a lasting impression, and you have to work hard and work hard and work hard, to the point where you can say, "If I fail in this, I'm done. I don't care if I fail.
 
Kazuki performed his new SP 'Underground' at Dreams on Ice yesterday. A couple of press reports:

Figure skating ice show "Dream on Ice" opened at KOSE Shin-Yokohama Skating Center on March 30. Kazuki Tomono (25), Uenoshiba Skating Club, a representative of the World Championships this March, performed his new SP "Underground.

Tomono appeared in a black costume and enlivened the audience with his new program. "The song express the beauty of life and love. I hope to express those aspects of my skating, as well as to give a different impression of spontaneity and dynamism," he said. I hope I can show you such skating" As for the new season, "All I have to do now is to win medals on the world stage. I want to do my best, one by one, so that I can be on the podium in all competitions" he said enthusiastically.


Tomono, who performed his new short program, said, "I dared to put in my weak points". He said that he incorporated elements that he is not good at in order to grow more and more, and he was enthusiastic about the new season: "I want to win a medal on the world stage."

Pictures:



From what I saw on Twitter, Japanese fans who saw the SP yesterday seem very pleased. They said the programme looks very cool and stylish, and the all-black costume suits it very well (though I suspect it's a temporary costume). They also said that Kazuki had a soft smile while performing 🥹 and that the programme shows how he is an as adult. I can't wait to see it.
 
Kazuki delivers a message to fans at Dreams on Ice:


A bigger press report: https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/sports/fee0117287b64c87b17eb8b13b380e5c

Kazuki Tomono, figure skater: "One of my dreams has come true" with choreography by Mr. Buttle. 25-year-old Kazuki Tomono enjoys sauna and has stomach problems.
NTV had an exclusive interview with Kazuki Tomono, who will be performing at Dream on Ice 2023, where top skaters will gather, and asked him about his thoughts on his new program and his recent troubles.

Tomono has been preparing a new program for the new season. About his short program, "Underground," he said, "I have never skated to this tune before, and I want to skate in a flowing way to the end. There are many fascinating parts of skating, so I can't cheat. I want to show off not only my steps, but also my feet, such as my skating.

The choreography is by Jeffrey Buttle, a bronze medalist at the Torino Olympics. For Tomono, this was a "dream".

Tomono: "When I was a Novice skater, I saw his performance at an ice show and fell in love with him at first sight. Since then, I have wanted to have him choreograph for me someday when I get better, so I guess you could say I have fulfilled one of my dreams.

His impression of the actual choreography was unique, saying, "It was simple but tasteful, like 'luxury furniture. The choreography "makes the most of the athletes' materials, and each movement is sophisticated," he said. As for the degree of perfection of the program, he said, "I am still searching for something, but I hope I will be able to grasp something by performing in front of the audience.

When asked about his diet as he prepares for his new program, he surprisingly replied, "My stomach has been upset lately. There are a lot of young athletes, but if I eat the same grueling meals as them, my stomach gets upset the next morning, so I have to be careful with my evening meals. I eat a lot of the things I like relatively well, but there are some days when I am more concerned about it, or I say, 'Just vegetables today.

While practicing hard, Tomono says he is addicted to sauna in his off time.

Tomono said, "I go to various places for shows, so I go to saunas, hot springs, and public bathhouses. I go with Sota Yamamoto, and we talked about going together this time, too.

As for the effects of sauna, he said, "Sauna doesn't relieve fatigue. I think it is a bit of a burden on the body, so I try not to go when I am tired, and I take a bath and stretch. Sauna is tiring, so I think of it more as a way to refresh my mind than as a way to take care of my body.

Regarding his goals for the new season, he said, "I hope I can express myself in a way that will make people think that Kazuki Tomono can also express himself in this way. I hope that people will like my quieter tunes and tunes that I have never performed before. The only thing left for me to aim for is a medal. Since I'm going to do this, I want to be the best, and I want to do my best in each and every competition.
 
Kazuki performed his new SP 'Underground' at Dreams on Ice yesterday. A couple of press reports:

Figure skating ice show "Dream on Ice" opened at KOSE Shin-Yokohama Skating Center on March 30. Kazuki Tomono (25), Uenoshiba Skating Club, a representative of the World Championships this March, performed his new SP "Underground.

Tomono appeared in a black costume and enlivened the audience with his new program. "The song express the beauty of life and love. I hope to express those aspects of my skating, as well as to give a different impression of spontaneity and dynamism," he said. I hope I can show you such skating" As for the new season, "All I have to do now is to win medals on the world stage. I want to do my best, one by one, so that I can be on the podium in all competitions" he said enthusiastically.


Tomono, who performed his new short program, said, "I dared to put in my weak points". He said that he incorporated elements that he is not good at in order to grow more and more, and he was enthusiastic about the new season: "I want to win a medal on the world stage."

Pictures:



From what I saw on Twitter, Japanese fans who saw the SP yesterday seem very pleased. They said the programme looks very cool and stylish, and the all-black costume suits it very well (though I suspect it's a temporary costume). They also said that Kazuki had a soft smile while performing 🥹 and that the programme shows how he is an as adult. I can't wait to see it.

Hey, if just opened some of the buttons, he could do a twin show with Deniss' Hallelujah :biggrin:
 
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