What a great education!!
I'm finally figuring out the learning value of seeing all of the skaters, with no commercial interuptions, and what very little blather there is - it's all in Chinese so I don't get "biased" by Dick, Peggy, or whomever.
I go organized for the CCTV-5 watch this time. I will be interested to see if my amateur observations match up (or don't!) with the more experienced, and/or the ring side (internet is still much LESS than TV, much less live)
I'm reporting the notes I made BEFORE I looked at any scores or placements.
I enjoyed Liu's program. Nothing really outstanding, but a very nicely done program to kick things off.
Fumie - LOVE her costume and music. Her 3's (on the combo and solo) looked possibly 2-footed. Of course I couldn't pause and rewind.

Might be part of low TES. She is among many other ladies who SHOULD NOT do a Biellmann. Boy that looked slow at the end. I like the music, and her look, and the potiential for the program but made a note that I'm guessing her non-jump element levels may be very middle of the road.
Lueng - just very unpolished. A few brief moments of great flexibility, but otherwise seemed generally sloppy to me.
Alissa - I noted something like "thank goodness she held onto those jumps" but I'm not 100% sure if I got that feeling from her performance, or my own head as I was rooting for her to do well.

Light years better on spins and spirals than the others, IMO, and I'm guessing her score sheets will reflect that in her TES, and help explain her lead. Now we will see if she is ready to handle the pressure of going into the LP in first. <biting nails and hoping for the best>
Oops - more later - Pairs LP is starting.
False alarm - re-run of Pairs SP.
Carter - seemed like there was nothing really special there except an Ina Bauer which looked to me to go STRAIGHT into a jump - her 2A I believe. I'm guessing that was a "save" on her first jump combo where it looked like a SEQ.
Nakano - LOVE that costume. If it were a little racier, and a little longer (i.e. taller) Cher would ask to borrow it.

I really think that leg wrap on all of her jumps is quite unattractive. I liked her spins better than any of her other non-jump elements. I was really liking the increasing intensity of the music just prior to her FW, and then I said OH NO! when they did what I thought was a horrid music cut. Should have just let the original theme keep building IMO.
Meier - Average program IMO. The music fit her style along with the costume - but pretty - well - average.
Rochette. Her costume totally made me think of Angela. I was disappointed in the music which to my ears, was instrumental Madonna. ?????? I'm looking forward to her LP as I liked the program itself LOTS better from Campbells. I got a very solid feeling from all of her jumps, but I thought her NJ elements were probably less than Alissa (nothing special) which it seems that turned out to be. I really like Joannie and hope the LP is much more exciting in addition to that "solid" feeling she gives me.
Hawker - did Janet Lynn ever skate to "Smile?" If not, she should have. If she ever did, can anyone please tell me when / where so I can request the video for download.

Those were basically my only comments.
Kostner - OUCH on the missed combo. That was costly. I was surprised that the jumps overall didn't give me that "solid" feeling I was expecting. I made a note that I didn't think her NJ TES side would be up to Alissa's level. Will be very interested in the score sheets - hard to tell given the missed Combo.
The LP will be very exciting!!
DG