Such a fun event! The crowd loved Shoma!
During all of his interviews, the crowd kept laughing at his self-effacing ways or his blunt humor. He was smiling when he responded, and would laugh when the audience did so. The crowd adored him like a brother or son they were proud of and whom they loved for his funny personality. The question "what do you want to do 40 years from now?" asked in the interview before the gala, where he answered "Whatever!" Or "Nothing!" got a load of laughs (Sota had said before that that he wanted to still be involved with skating- translated for me by gacchan). Such an adorable boy. Even the podium was funny, because people laughed when he stepped directly on it, laughed again when they announced that he would be given the Hiroshima wreath, sounded disappointed when he put down the NHK Trophy so he doesn't have to juggle everything, then laughed again when he picked it up. This crowd knew him very well and loved him for it.
Loved Great Spirits too, but I didn't even realize the nipple sighting until I saw the pictures afterwards! He was so funny when he flopped down on the cantilever at the finale.
Congratulations to the NHK Trophy Gold medalist Shoma Uno!