Yuzuru Hanyu: 2015-16 Season

[firal]

HANYŪ Yuzuru (Kana: はにゅ うゆづる; Kanji: 羽生 結弦) is a Men’s Singles skater who represents Japan. He was born on 7[SUP]th[/SUP] December 1994 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Hanyū is the 2014 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), a three-time Four Continents silver medallist (2011, 2013, 2017), the 2010 World Junior champion, the 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a four-time Japanese national champion (2012–2015). He has also medalled at three other World Championships, taking bronze in 2012, and silver in 2015 and 2016.


Biographical Info

ISU Bio:
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00010967.htm

Ice Network Bio:
http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/profile/yuzuru_hanyu

Rink Results Bio:
http://www.rinkresults.com/skater?skater_id=344

Stats On Ice Bio:
https://www.statsonice.com/skater/Yuzuru/Hanyu/

Tracings Bio:
http://tracings.net/hany-yuzu.html

Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzuru_Hanyu


How Yuzuru Hanyu pronounces his name (video by sabinfire)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAJiRJvGRlo

Link to the Yuzuru Hanyu Media Only thread, where an amazing array of links to videos, photos, news stories, interviews, and all thngs Yuzuru may be found:
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?50428-Yuzuru-Hanyu-Links-to-Media-Only


For more info, see the Full Original Post in the current season's thread.


Original Post

This thread is a continuation of the following:

Season 2009-10
Season 2011-12
Season 2012-13
Season 2013-14
Season 2014-15
[This Thread]
Season 2016-17
Season 2017-18

The original thread was divided by seasons in order to better preserve it as a whole as it was too large to stand alone.

Cheers!

 

[firal]

One thing I came across while reading reports about the new EX that I want to share, is that so many people have expressed how different the performances are between the three days! The first performance there was a lot of anger; the second day he was emotional, the third day you can see him smile throughout. I thought that was quite magnificent how much detail/thought he gave this EX.

As many of you may know July 1st is the start of the new season. I found this touching illustration on twitter showing a look-back at last season...it must be old age since I am getting quite teary-eyed looking at this!

 

[matmuh]

One thing I came across while reading reports about the new EX that I want to share, is that so many people have expressed how different the performances are between the three days! The first performance there was a lot of anger; the second day he was emotional, the third day you can see him smile throughout. I thought that was quite magnificent how much detail/thought he gave this EX.

As many of you may know July 1st is the start of the new season. I found this touching illustration on twitter showing a look-back at last season...it must be old age since I am getting quite teary-eyed looking at this!

interesting to see the difference of emotion throughout the days, i would probably want to see 1st show then, as much as i hate to see him like that it would reflect the true feeling of 1st days after the 3.11 and i would have better understanding, just my opinion of course
and about the fan art, why is there a cat and no pooh?

 

[Sorrento]

Re Lambiel's spin, I heard that he used to do extremely good and fast spins but the spins hurt his body. So, he has decided to slow down and his spins are not unmatchable now.

Well, none of these is true. Stephane Lambiel did have a trauma and it caused him being caucious on his jumps, because it was a groin muscle one. As per his spins- he had back pains, a lot of them, even during the top years of his career and lots of other skaters do have the same back pains caused by different reasons. He also had a condition when one part of his body was more developed than the other because of spins and jumps- it was a combination problem, he had used one part of his body more for his routines. That did not cause him to slow down and if you watch his performances carefully- his spins are still one of the top best across the entire figure skating field. Machida and Ten have fantastic spins thanks to their work with Lambiel. And if there is a need for a specialist to make your spins stellar- it's Stephane Lambiel.

 

[Maria Victoria]

http://akoustam5.deviantart.com/gallery/ Is my whole gallery
http://akoustam5.deviantart.com/gallery/53001222/Figure-Skaters Is my figure skating folder. Enjoy.

I did immensely. Thanks. Like Yuzuru, you are so talented.

One thing I came across while reading reports about the new EX that I want to share, is that so many people have expressed how different the performances are between the three days! The first performance there was a lot of anger; the second day he was emotional, the third day you can see him smile throughout. I thought that was quite magnificent how much detail/thought he gave this EX.

So same program but different performances as Yuzuru personalizes each one as seems to be his wont.

As I was reading your rundown ("lot of anger," "emotional," "smiles") I was reminded of the five stages of loss and grief. The author says, "Throughout each stage, a common thread of hope emerges: As long as there is life, there is hope. As long as there is hope, there is life." I hope that is the lesson that ultimately we will take from his exhibition program.

As many of you may know July 1st is the start of the new season. I found this touching illustration on twitter showing a look-back at last season...it must be old age since I am getting quite teary-eyed looking at this!

about the fan art, why is there a cat and no pooh?

Hmm, I find more than a touch of Goth in that fan art.

But yes, the sight of Yuzuru in the POTO 1 costume ("the wounded soldier") being tenderly comforted by the other Yuzurus wearing his other costumes for that tumultous season also made me feel teary.

Re the cat, I think Yuzuru said that it is his favorite animal. To be more precise, the animal he would choose to be. I don't know about the peacocks (?) though.

Machida and Ten have fantastic spins thanks to their work with Lambiel. And if there is a need for a specialist to make your spins stellar- it's Stephane Lambiel.

Much as I love Tatsuki, I am not sure I will describe his spins as fantastic. Stephane's influence on Tatsuki I think is better seen in the latter's artistry and expressiveness on the ice and of course, the hair.

I wholly concur in your assessment that Stephane's spins are still some of the best in the business. :thumbsup: Wondering why he didn't join Jeffrey and Nobunari in their spinfest in the FaOI Makuhari gala.

Thanks everyone for the links and updates.

 

[HanyaYuzura]

Aww....: I get stuck on Deviant Art too! Looking at other artists amazing work. (plus, all my siblings draw, so I've got to see what they are up to. )

http://akoustam5.deviantart.com/gallery/ Is my whole gallery
http://akoustam5.deviantart.com/gallery/53001222/Figure-Skaters Is my figure skating folder. Enjoy.

HAIL TO YOU!!! THANKS!!!

 

[HanyaYuzura]

Aww....: I get stuck on Deviant Art too! Looking at other artists amazing work. (plus, all my siblings draw, so I've got to see what they are up to. )

you SPY on your own siblings?! Like...what's that about?!:shocked:

 

[Eloyse]

Well, none of these is true. Stephane Lambiel did have a trauma and it caused him being caucious on his jumps, because it was a groin muscle one. As per his spins- he had back pains, a lot of them, even during the top years of his career and lots of other skaters do have the same back pains caused by different reasons. He also had a condition when one part of his body was more developed than the other because of spins and jumps- it was a combination problem, he had used one part of his body more for his routines. That did not cause him to slow down and if you watch his performances carefully- his spins are still one of the top best across the entire figure skating field. Machida and Ten have fantastic spins thanks to their work with Lambiel. And if there is a need for a specialist to make your spins stellar- it's Stephane Lambiel.

I heard about the injuries and him spinning faster when he was younger from his fan. Actually I've watched many programs of his, and I think even now his spins are one of the best, but not unmatchable, because Jason Brown's spins are equally well centred and fast. I'm not sure if Machida's and Ten's spins are that 'fantastic'. For instance, Uno has better spins than them, IMO.

 

[matmuh]

Hmm, I find more than a touch of Goth in that fan art.

But yes, the sight of Yuzuru in the POTO 1 costume ("the wounded soldier") being tenderly comforted by the other Yuzurus wearing his other costumes for that tumultous season also made me feel teary.

Re the cat, I think Yuzuru said that it is his favorite animal. To be more precise, the animal he would choose to be. I don't know about the peacocks (?) though.

yeah, i wasnt serious, dont mind my silly comment

 

[ranran]

This is so sweet! Reason why I love Nan Song as well! ^^;

And wow so many wonderful post! Thank you everyone. You guys sure knows how to be lively even when there's no latest update. Now I'll backread ^^;; how many pages since I last check yesterday XD

 

[Winnie_20]

I don't know who made that manip of Yuzu as merman, but I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. If it was one of you, you rock . If you were the one who shared it, you , too. I'm probably forever mentally scarred in some way, but thank you, anyway.

 

[KansaiPJ]

One thing I want to ask you is about the audience. I assume the majority of them are female? What about male audiences? And their age too. Don't you mind telling us? Thank you.

Hi Meoima. Good question. It is interesting. It is just anecdotal, but in my experience in Japan, the amount of men is dependent on a couple of factors things: competition vs show, and Hanyu-attended vs non-Hanyu attended events.

Competitive ISU events seem to have more men than off-season shows. I would guess men made up 25~35% of the crowds during ISU competitions that I've seen in Japan (I've only seen 4 though, so I am not confident with my observations). Of those men, many seem to be accompanied by wives and be in their 50's and beyond.

In off-season exhibitions and shows, there are less men, but how many seems to depend on which skaters are in the show. For non-Hanyu events, there are fewer men. I would guess 5~15% men at these events; whereas for events where Hanyu is participating, the number of males seems to go up a bit... maybe to 10-25% men. The average age of men at off-season shows seems to be younger than at ISU competitions. There are many that come with family or girlfriends, but of course, there are also young men who attend with other young men or groups of men and women.

I have also noticed, that within skating events, different actions seem more or less gendered. Throwing gifts to the skaters seems to be 90~95% women, young and old. Shaking hands with skaters at special events and at Prince Ice World shows appeared to me to me 100% women - though several men were seen nearby taking pictures. I have been to several hotel lobbies where skaters have come in, returning from shows, and these seems to be about 70~85% women, but there are indeed men present.

Sometimes, as a gaijin male, I feel conspicuous at these events. Yet, that may only be in my head. No one seems to think I am out of place, or if they do, they are too polite to show it.

This is all just IMHO.

 

[KansaiPJ]

Hi hamaguri. I just read part 2 of your report from Kanazawa. I am impressed with your observational skills and the level of detail you have in your two reports. Frankly I am a little bit jealous! I wish I could be so specific, but its hard to remember so many details for me. Anyway, I really enjoyed the two part review and concur with so many thing you said, in particular, the difference in Yuzuru's moods between Makuhari and Kanazawa was striking!

 

[ahkeekee]

Hi Meoima. Good question. It is interesting. It is just anecdotal, but in my experience in Japan, the amount of men is dependent on a couple of factors things: competition vs show, and Hanyu-attended vs non-Hanyu attended events.

Competitive ISU events seem to have more men than off-season shows. I would guess men made up 25~35% of the crowds during ISU competitions that I've seen in Japan (I've only seen 4 though, so I am not confident with my observations). Of those men, many seem to be accompanied by wives and be in their 50's and beyond.

In off-season exhibitions and shows, there are less men, but how many seems to depend on which skaters are in the show. For non-Hanyu events, there are fewer men. I would guess 5~15% men at these events; whereas for events where Hanyu is participating, the number of males seems to go up a bit... maybe to 10-25% men. The average age of men at off-season shows seems to be younger than at ISU competitions. There are many that come with family or girlfriends, but of course, there are also young men who attend with other young men or groups of men and women.

I have also noticed, that within skating events, different actions seem more or less gendered. Throwing gifts to the skaters seems to be 90~95% women, young and old. Shaking hands with skaters at special events and at Prince Ice World shows appeared to me to me 100% women - though several men were seen nearby taking pictures. I have been to several hotel lobbies where skaters have come in, returning from shows, and these seems to be about 70~85% women, but there are indeed men present.

Sometimes, as a gaijin male, I feel conspicuous at these events. Yet, that may only be in my head. No one seems to think I am out of place, or if they do, they are too polite to show it.

This is all just IMHO.

woah!!! that's quite unexpected, I was expecting something like for events with hanyu, it'd be more females; while for events without hanyu, then there'll be more man (in comparison to woman) LOLS!!! thanks for your info!!

 

[KansaiPJ]

woah!!! that's quite unexpected, I was expecting something like for events with hanyu, it'd be more females; while for events without hanyu, then there'll be more man (in comparison to woman) LOLS!!! thanks for your info!!

I think part of it is simply the level of Yuzuru's fame. It transcends the sport and therefore, more men (who are not necessarily big skating fans) are willing to come see. At Shizuoka, there was a teenage male who had come with his mother and sister. At then end of the show I heard him say something to the effect that he was surprised how cool and exciting the show was and that he might want to see more. Situations like this might account for some of the increase in males, who might be there simply because Yuzuru's fame and media coverage makes them more willing to see it live, when asked by family or friends? Not sure. But maybe...

 

[Rissa]

Thank you, KansaiPJ for the information. I've always been interested in what kind of people attend various kinds of events, shows and concerts, your raport is very interesting!

woah!!! that's quite unexpected, I was expecting something like for events with hanyu, it'd be more females; while for events without hanyu, then there'll be more man (in comparison to woman) LOLS!!! thanks for your info!!

I'm not sure if this is so unexpected... Hanyu is an Olympic Champion with a slew of other gold medals. If there is anything that would interest a man, I think, it's to see a competitor who is good at winning.

Men who like watching figure skating, especially girls o ice I assume, would go to a show anyway, but an Olympic Champion would attract a few extra.

 

[Sorrento]

Wondering why he didn't join Jeffrey and Nobunari in their spinfest in the FaOI Makuhari gala.

Did he have to? To prove what? That he's an ace? Everybody know that.

 

[Sorrento]

Jason Brown's spins are equally well centred and fast.

Does Jason has same variety of spins? I doubt it. What I see is that we have differnt taste when it comes to spins. That's fine with me.
I think Yuzuru's spins are not that fast at times, especially when he's tired. If I had to choose the best element for him it would be jumps and not spins no matter how beautiful they are.

 

[Hanmgse]

Hi Meoima. Good question. It is interesting. It is just anecdotal, but in my experience in Japan, the amount of men is dependent on a couple of factors things: competition vs show, and Hanyu-attended vs non-Hanyu attended events.

Competitive ISU events seem to have more men than off-season shows. I would guess men made up 25~35% of the crowds during ISU competitions that I've seen in Japan (I've only seen 4 though, so I am not confident with my observations). Of those men, many seem to be accompanied by wives and be in their 50's and beyond.

In off-season exhibitions and shows, there are less men, but how many seems to depend on which skaters are in the show. For non-Hanyu events, there are fewer men. I would guess 5~15% men at these events; whereas for events where Hanyu is participating, the number of males seems to go up a bit... maybe to 10-25% men. The average age of men at off-season shows seems to be younger than at ISU competitions. There are many that come with family or girlfriends, but of course, there are also young men who attend with other young men or groups of men and women.

I have also noticed, that within skating events, different actions seem more or less gendered. Throwing gifts to the skaters seems to be 90~95% women, young and old. Shaking hands with skaters at special events and at Prince Ice World shows appeared to me to me 100% women - though several men were seen nearby taking pictures. I have been to several hotel lobbies where skaters have come in, returning from shows, and these seems to be about 70~85% women, but there are indeed men present.

Sometimes, as a gaijin male, I feel conspicuous at these events. Yet, that may only be in my head. No one seems to think I am out of place, or if they do, they are too polite to show it.

This is all just IMHO.

That was very interesting to read, thank you once again for sharing

 

[Rissa]

Did he have to? To prove what? That he's an ace? Everybody know that.

Does Jason has same variety of spins? I doubt it.

Whoa, Sorrento, nobody is trying to diminish Stephane's skills here, no need to get so defensive. Others can have excellent spins too without their skill taking anything from Stephane's. (Actually, I've always thought that Jason's sideways biellman-like spin, I don't know what it's called exactly, is one of the best spins I've ever seen, he holds the position amazingly and coupled with good speed it looks sometimes more like kickass computer animation that real life because real life is never this perfect. Which doesn't negate the fact that watching Stephane's spins is nothing short of jaw-dropping.)

Spinfests are not contests, nobody is trying to prove anything, it's just showing off for the fun of it and for the viewers' pleasure, so I suppose Maria was wondering why Stephane didn't feel like showing off what he's so well known for. Maybe it was not to steal the thunder from the other guys.