Mao Asada
- Thread starter tulosai
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
Thanks for your beautiful tribute.
I'm glad you liked the description Kelly and chapis, and thank you for your compliments, but Mao deserves most of the credit. Chapis, I will try to figure out how to send it to Mao in a Japanese translation. But, I am not going to get my hopes up that she will ever read it.
I would also like to post my tribute to Mao's Bells of Moscow at Worlds 2010, which is my second favorite freeskate after her Sochi LP. I have also posted most of this on other threads in separate posts, but I have added to it.
In this peerless performance, the innocent princess transforms into a dark, nimble angel firing wildly rotating lightning bolts from gyrating limbs during her dire step sequence (1). She is beguiling in her cat-like agility, as she springs into the air with a twin attack of triple axels, and an exquisite flurry of spinning rotations that are synonymous with feline finesse. She strikes bizarre behind-the back, peek-a-boo and mask-like poses through black gloves with her arms and hands like figures out of Picasso’s modernist paintings: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Three Women. Her sultry spiral sequence begins with the prima ballerina performing a beautifully limber cross grab one-handed Biellman, followed by a nimble transition into a picturesque arabesque: with her legs stretched almost fully perpendicular to the ice, just as they are when she leans far back into a statuesque fan spiral. In this sequence, her black gloved hands reach desperately to the sky, as if to ask the Almighty why someone so young and vital must fight so hard to stay alive.
As for spins, she drops into a crouching position, crosses one leg on her knee, fully extends her arms upward and locks her hands far above her head, before rising upright and extending her legs up 90 degrees to the ice in a rapidly revolving leg extension. During this spin, she places her black gloved hand just above her head, which is prostrate to the sky, like an ill-omened halo pronouncing her dark fate in life. Then, she wraps her head and leg sideways around her back in a doughnut, drops into a sit spin with her legs extended lower than parallel to the sitting position, before fully extending her head and right leg all the way up behind her back in a one-handed Bielmann. During this spin, she pulls her black gloved hand in flush against her chest, cups her finger tips upward and opens her mouth to the sky, as if entreating the Almighty for a drink from the River of Life. For me, these are the most dramatic, elegant and flexible spins and spirals I have ever seen. The poses she strikes are like great modernist art works.
In my opinion, the heavy, plodding, desperate and dirge-like drone of Bells of Moscow (Prelude in C Sharp Minor) has a profoundly somber and masculine tone that contrasts sharply with Mao's highly feminine, ethereal and tender nature, thus offending the sensibilities of those accustomed to her Fantasie Impromptu, Czardas or Clare de Lune performances. It is such a sharp break that many of her fans can’t take it; it undermines her effervescent image, almost as if they are witnessing the Fall of Mankind (or in this case Eve not Adam) in the Garden of Eden.
In addition, her heavy make-up, the black gloves and her blood red and black costume further enhances this sense of lost innocence, with her prodigal passion and dark abandon fully on display in her alluring poses and contortionism in the spins and step sequences. She stalks the rink stealthily like a wild cat on the prowl that hungers for life. Furthermore, the fact that her performance and skating seethes slowly like burning coal with no ultimate climax and release as in Sochi further frustrates the viewer’s expectations. The tension that builds is never really released; it seems to just grow heavier and heavier like Atlas bearing the whole weight of the world on his shoulders; until abruptly at the end the entire weight is dropped like a lead ball with the deep gong of the bell. Throughout the performance, a sense of apprehension mounts into smoldering anxiety that ends in interminable desperation, impeccably matching the sense of entrapment in the music. She powerfully portrays Rachmaninoff's inspiration for the composition- his nightmare of being buried alive at such a young age, as he gazes in horror into the depths of a coffin at a funeral and imagines himself the deceased desperately fighting for life as he pounds on the lid for release. Seen in this sense, the choker she wears around her neck displays entrapment.
To me, her stunning costume and performance of the choreography is pure genius: a revolutionary artistic and dramatic “prelude,” no pun intended, to the tragic grandeur we see in Sochi. In other words, to experience the rich beauty of tragedy and redemption, there first needs to be a fall, and Bells for me is Mao’s first descent into tasting the fruits of the darker side of artistic expression. Besides, she is so very beautiful here: the quintessential Dark Angel.
Her skating in Bells is a consummate Modern Art performance: her beautifully bizarre poses and movements combined with her desperate expressions are a moving representation of the Cubism found in Picasso's paintings.
This performance is also one of the greatest examples I have seen of synchronicity, or a series of meaningful coincidences. Mao skated to Bells of Moscow on March 27, 2010: the eve of the anniversary for Rachmaninoff's death which was on March 28, 1943 and the composition is about a young person desperately seeking to escape death. Furthermore, Mao skated to Rachmaninoff's 2nd concerto on March 29, after breaking the record in the SP on March 27, 2014. These are also Mao's most resounding victories in the World Championships, and in my opinion her two greatest overall performances (SP and LP).
1. Sincere thanks to the posting by evw34287 who gave me the idea for this imagery. They wrote, " image of angry angel throwing lightning here and there." at this website.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
This is pretty much my final version of my description, impression and salute to Mao's LP at Sochi.
Mao Asada's Olympic performance was magnanimous and packed with epic grandeur like a Shakespearean tragedy with a silver lining-
only the medium of expression was not words, but a multitude of lithe, exquisite positions mixed with sublime spins
and accented with wave-like runs to a string of quick whipsaw jumps that drilled into the deepest depths of my soul.
This vigorous warrior princess set the athletic standard in the ladies' group
by tackling the triple axel together with the combination triple flip and loop.
Mao began her entrance to the axel by offering her open arms and palms to the audience,
lifting them dramatically like curtains slowly rising on a grand stage
to reveal the first act in a role she alone had the capacity to play.
Her unfurled arms veered left using the diagonal width of the rink as a runway.
Then, as she launched into take off, her arms piovted quickly and swung into motion.
She leaned hard into her forward edge: her back straight as a knife blade to cut the tension.
As she sprung into action, she locked her arms elegantly across her chest to spin quickly,
my heart racing in tandem with the rapid revolutions of the tight symmetrical spirals.
Then, she spread her arms out wide,
as her right blade hit clean on the ice.
Meanwhile, the announcer, Tatiana Tarasova, who lovingly called Mao "her little dove,"
made a sudden guttural utterance in relief once the jump was wonderfully done.
Then, Mao extended her right arm poignantly towards the crowd
while the axel turned on the switch for her soul to speak outloud.
Between the combo triple flip and loop, her skates just touched the icy surface.
Her winged feet lit for an instant before flitting back into a symmetrical twirling motion.
.
Mao exited her jumps with an undulating flow of her hands, arms, head and back to where the jump had been,
as if waving a final farewell to a forgotten friend or a loved one she would never encounter again.
She lovingly cupped her hands and brushed them gently under her neck,
with an angelic smile lifted to the sky between her broken leg, pancake and flying camel spins.
Her balletic grace was like a mermaid swaying back in forth on one skate
with her limbs displaying the fluidity of seaweed drifting gently on the waves.
Only Mao had the infinite subtlety, complexity and grace
of the Japanese tea ceremony at her fingertips to taste.
As the program progressed, her speed between jumps increased perfectly in sync
with the surge in the music, as it mounted to an ultimate climax and release.
Through the triple lutz, the triple toe / double axel combo and the triple salchow,
she was more than game to run a gauntlet of triples no woman had ever tamed.
I waited with baited breath for an inevitable mistake that never came,
As my mouth grew wider, my eyes started filling with water,
so I crossed my fingers, hoping she'd finish before making an error.
On her entrance to the triple flip / double loop combo, she lifted her arms softly like wings gently soaring before bounding into the air in swift rhythmic flight.
Then, her wave-like flow in every motion that moves the emotions like the moon does the ocean transformed into an abrupt
downward thrust of her arms, as if she struck piano keys on entry to her eighth triple jump.
When the triple loop was done, she flung her right arm back suddenly ridding herself of the melancholy ghosts that haunted the hollowness in her soul. Then, as the blare from the horns swelled, the pounding of the piano crescendoed, and the whine of the violins began to cry, Mao hung suspended in the revolutions of her illusion, sit extension and Biellmann spins.
After this, she plunged into her step sequence, where tears begin to rush as a flooded river. The battling ballerina pranced in frantic freedom, whirling her arms along every trajectory to balance her body, twisting quickly to accelerate the vortex in her pirouettes, then rocking back and forth rapidly in semi-circular turns.
The passion in her face portrayed the beautiful fierceness
of a lovely lioness to the roar of the audience,
as they clapped in time to her nimble quickness.
Next, she leapt into the air with arms and legs outstretched, then tread into a transcendent dimension that exorcised all her Olympic heart aches, grievous mistakes and humiliations to embrace a peak performance that surmounted Everest. She kicked her limber legs over her head, as she turned upside down and wound round like a windmill. Then, she spun upright making broad, sweeping gestures with her arms and hands, while flashing a wild samurai smile to inspire the crowd. Finally, she dashed through her fan spiral and glided in a wide arc through her arabesque, as she descended back to earth redeemed in the completion of her 4 year mission.
It was the performance she proudly staked her reputation on
when so many thought all hope for her was gone in Sochi.
In her final act, she tried to stand frozen in her last pose looking up nobly
with her right arm folded over her chest to hold in the overwhelming emotion.
At that moment, I pictured her facing heavenward
to dedicate her amazing triumph to the dear spirit of her mother
while whispering, "I did this all, including the triple axel, just for you. Mom, How did I do?"
During this dedication I conceived, she started sobbing uncontrollably, and her head and arms began to shake, then dropped down as she faced away. A platinum worthy performance tinged with the question of "What could be?" but for the SP tragedy brought bittersweet tears to her and a host of those from all over the globe. With a nod of the head, she braced herself to face the fond applause from the audience. Her arms opened wide and her tears metamorphosized into a bright, beaming smile as Mao, the Ballerina Phoenix, arose to show joyous relief in her glorious achievement.
Thank you Mao Asada for digging deep to reveal the full beauty, purity and resiliency of your brave athletic spirit.
It is the most complete performance I have ever seen. It moved my emotions like the moon does the sea because you did it so naturally.
Mao Asada's Olympic performance was magnanimous and packed with epic grandeur like a Shakespearean tragedy with a silver lining-
only the medium of expression was not words, but a multitude of lithe, exquisite positions mixed with sublime spins
and accented with wave-like runs to a string of quick whipsaw jumps that drilled into the deepest depths of my soul.
This vigorous warrior princess set the athletic standard in the ladies' group
by tackling the triple axel together with the combination triple flip and loop.
Mao began her entrance to the axel by offering her open arms and palms to the audience,
lifting them dramatically like curtains slowly rising on a grand stage
to reveal the first act in a role she alone had the capacity to play.
Her unfurled arms veered left using the diagonal width of the rink as a runway.
Then, as she launched into take off, her arms piovted quickly and swung into motion.
She leaned hard into her forward edge: her back straight as a knife blade to cut the tension.
As she sprung into action, she locked her arms elegantly across her chest to spin quickly,
my heart racing in tandem with the rapid revolutions of the tight symmetrical spirals.
Then, she spread her arms out wide,
as her right blade hit clean on the ice.
Meanwhile, the announcer, Tatiana Tarasova, who lovingly called Mao "her little dove,"
made a sudden guttural utterance in relief once the jump was wonderfully done.
Then, Mao extended her right arm poignantly towards the crowd
while the axel turned on the switch for her soul to speak outloud.
Between the combo triple flip and loop, her skates just touched the icy surface.
Her winged feet lit for an instant before flitting back into a symmetrical twirling motion.
.
Mao exited her jumps with an undulating flow of her hands, arms, head and back to where the jump had been,
as if waving a final farewell to a forgotten friend or a loved one she would never encounter again.
She lovingly cupped her hands and brushed them gently under her neck,
with an angelic smile lifted to the sky between her broken leg, pancake and flying camel spins.
Her balletic grace was like a mermaid swaying back in forth on one skate
with her limbs displaying the fluidity of seaweed drifting gently on the waves.
Only Mao had the infinite subtlety, complexity and grace
of the Japanese tea ceremony at her fingertips to taste.
As the program progressed, her speed between jumps increased perfectly in sync
with the surge in the music, as it mounted to an ultimate climax and release.
Through the triple lutz, the triple toe / double axel combo and the triple salchow,
she was more than game to run a gauntlet of triples no woman had ever tamed.
I waited with baited breath for an inevitable mistake that never came,
As my mouth grew wider, my eyes started filling with water,
so I crossed my fingers, hoping she'd finish before making an error.
On her entrance to the triple flip / double loop combo, she lifted her arms softly like wings gently soaring before bounding into the air in swift rhythmic flight.
Then, her wave-like flow in every motion that moves the emotions like the moon does the ocean transformed into an abrupt
downward thrust of her arms, as if she struck piano keys on entry to her eighth triple jump.
When the triple loop was done, she flung her right arm back suddenly ridding herself of the melancholy ghosts that haunted the hollowness in her soul. Then, as the blare from the horns swelled, the pounding of the piano crescendoed, and the whine of the violins began to cry, Mao hung suspended in the revolutions of her illusion, sit extension and Biellmann spins.
After this, she plunged into her step sequence, where tears begin to rush as a flooded river. The battling ballerina pranced in frantic freedom, whirling her arms along every trajectory to balance her body, twisting quickly to accelerate the vortex in her pirouettes, then rocking back and forth rapidly in semi-circular turns.
The passion in her face portrayed the beautiful fierceness
of a lovely lioness to the roar of the audience,
as they clapped in time to her nimble quickness.
Next, she leapt into the air with arms and legs outstretched, then tread into a transcendent dimension that exorcised all her Olympic heart aches, grievous mistakes and humiliations to embrace a peak performance that surmounted Everest. She kicked her limber legs over her head, as she turned upside down and wound round like a windmill. Then, she spun upright making broad, sweeping gestures with her arms and hands, while flashing a wild samurai smile to inspire the crowd. Finally, she dashed through her fan spiral and glided in a wide arc through her arabesque, as she descended back to earth redeemed in the completion of her 4 year mission.
It was the performance she proudly staked her reputation on
when so many thought all hope for her was gone in Sochi.
In her final act, she tried to stand frozen in her last pose looking up nobly
with her right arm folded over her chest to hold in the overwhelming emotion.
At that moment, I pictured her facing heavenward
to dedicate her amazing triumph to the dear spirit of her mother
while whispering, "I did this all, including the triple axel, just for you. Mom, How did I do?"
During this dedication I conceived, she started sobbing uncontrollably, and her head and arms began to shake, then dropped down as she faced away. A platinum worthy performance tinged with the question of "What could be?" but for the SP tragedy brought bittersweet tears to her and a host of those from all over the globe. With a nod of the head, she braced herself to face the fond applause from the audience. Her arms opened wide and her tears metamorphosized into a bright, beaming smile as Mao, the Ballerina Phoenix, arose to show joyous relief in her glorious achievement.
Thank you Mao Asada for digging deep to reveal the full beauty, purity and resiliency of your brave athletic spirit.
It is the most complete performance I have ever seen. It moved my emotions like the moon does the sea because you did it so naturally.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
to gotoschool
Thank you very much. I hope that what I wrote helps people remember Mao's performances of Bells of Moscow and Rachmaninoff 2, and that Mao helps people remember Rachmaninoff. I think it's really historic that Mao's best career performance was Rach 2 in Russia at the Olympics with Tarasova announcing.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
Since it feels like Mao's memory is beginning to disappear with so few posts, 
I thought I would give some links where there is a little more discussion.
There have been some signs of life at the following site.
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/index.php?threads/maos-lp-at-the-olympics.92547/
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...ure-skating-championship-winning.92929/page-4 last two pages
Maybe all of you already know about this site, but I was amazed at how many pictures and comments about Mao are here. It keeps updating based on new results:
http://www.tumblr.com/search/mao asada#
You need to copy and past the entire link to get it to work: asada# is missing
Here is a long list of tweets from Mao's Sochi LP Performance from people all over the world:
tweets http://seen.co/event/the-sochi-2014-winter-olympics---feb.-20-sochi-russia-2014-5567/highlight/3174
I thought I would give some links where there is a little more discussion. There have been some signs of life at the following site.
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/index.php?threads/maos-lp-at-the-olympics.92547/
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...ure-skating-championship-winning.92929/page-4 last two pages
Maybe all of you already know about this site, but I was amazed at how many pictures and comments about Mao are here. It keeps updating based on new results:
http://www.tumblr.com/search/mao asada#
You need to copy and past the entire link to get it to work: asada# is missing
Here is a long list of tweets from Mao's Sochi LP Performance from people all over the world:
tweets http://seen.co/event/the-sochi-2014-winter-olympics---feb.-20-sochi-russia-2014-5567/highlight/3174
Kinda baby Mao guesting on a variety show V6 vs Mao-chan
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2014
Wow, she's only 14 there? She hardly looks any older today
She's sooo cute in this wow :
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2014
Seeing Mao's thread bumped up reminded me that she did the ALS ice bucket challenge too.
I don't see any ice in the bucket though
http://instagram.com/p/r4s0bTJ2lk/?modal=true
I don't see any ice in the bucket though
http://instagram.com/p/r4s0bTJ2lk/?modal=true
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2014
Seeing Mao's thread bumped up reminded me that she did the ALS ice bucket challenge too.
I don't see any ice in the bucket though
http://instagram.com/p/r4s0bTJ2lk/?modal=true
Featuring Mao's cute english!
Thanks for sharing! Love how they splashed each other.Seeing Mao's thread bumped up reminded me that she did the ALS ice bucket challenge too.
I don't see any ice in the bucket though
http://instagram.com/p/r4s0bTJ2lk/?modal=true
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
Yes, it looks like Mao is making a big splash in Los Angeles. Maybe she'll get a star on the Holywood Walk of Fame. It's ironic that she goes to where all the stars are to have a vacation from her own fame in Japan,
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
Seeing Mao's thread bumped up reminded me that she did the ALS ice bucket challenge too.
I don't see any ice in the bucket though
http://instagram.com/p/r4s0bTJ2lk/?modal=true
lovely!
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2014
Seeing Mao's thread bumped up reminded me that she did the ALS ice bucket challenge too.
I don't see any ice in the bucket though
http://instagram.com/p/r4s0bTJ2lk/?modal=true
Who is Ayaka Morimoto? She has so many fun photos with Mao
. Mao's fan thread will be inevitably quiet, but I'm so happy to see that she's having a blast.
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2014
Mao attended a launch event for Arsoa in Tokyo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upTCRb0t0A8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upTCRb0t0A8
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2014
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
Thank you for the video link. She is so beautiful in that dress. What is she helping to promote? What is the white thing she is holding in her right hand?
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2014
Arsoa is a cosmetics line. She's endorsing a face soap bar. Here is the product page on their english website. It says one piece of soap (which comes in a fancy case?) is 50 USD
! I don't want to sound negative, but looking at the ingredients has me thinking you could get something very similar on etsy (a site where a lot of homemade things are listed, a lot of organic soaps with honey, sucrose aka sugar, glycerin, charcoal, etc. on there) for a lot less money 
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
Arsoa is a cosmetics line. She's endorsing a face soap bar. Here is the product page on their english website. It says one piece of soap (which comes in a fancy case?) is 50 USD
Thanks for the information. I see your point and I understand you are joking a bit, but she might as well take the offers while they are pouring in. Besides, she says she really likes the soap and has been using it for a long time.
This isn't directed at you satine94 , but it's just my general feeling. After all the money she has given to the JSF and all the points that were taken away in Sochi and in Worlds LP's, which were evidently given to others, I think it's about time she started receiving. (As a long time fan, I would throw in Worlds 2007 (placement and scores) and her scores at 2010 worlds as well.) Not to mention the criticism she gets for ur's and downgrades when at least some of them are illegitimate in her own country, which has gone a long way to undermining perception of her last wonderful freeskate at Worlds. One of my favorite quotes about Mao is below her Sochi LP video on youtube, which is a quote from Albert Einstein posted by cupoftea4you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kGe6Sulrak
The value of a man (or a woman) should be seen in what he or she gives and not in what he or she is able to receive."
But, now I say it's payback time.
CONK from Mao Asada Forum provided some rough translations and a longer clip below:
I like the part when she got asked about practices after her summer shows. Mao answered without hesitation: "Right now I'm taking rest." Then later on in the clip she was asked about GP season to start soon, she says that she'll watch (the competitions, most likely the broadcastings), only if she has time.
Here's a longer video clip of the interview section:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDfsha_2tyk
I'll try to provide some rough translation below:
- The interviewer starts by paying compliment to Mao's white "marshmallow"-like dress, and asks Mao to turn around.
(Mao jokes about not doing any jump but complies to the request)
- Mao explains that she's been using the facial soap by Arsoa for a long time
(The interviewer pays compliment to Mao's skin condition. Mao answers: it's in good condition![IMG] )
-The interviewer asks when she started using the soap? Mao answers she was abroad for a competition, but forgot to bring the facial washer. She borrowed the soap from others and has simple started using the soap since then.
- They ask Mao about the new visual AD poster and play the old video when Mao visited countryside
- The reporter asks about the summer. Mao answers that she was in LA, and visited places including Disney Land, Hollywood and seasides with her friends. She also tried circus trapeze...she said it was kind of scary.
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