Random thoughts about Yuzuru Hanyu

Better known as ‘How do I get Yuzu out of my head?’

[seimeiorigin]

Fanyus: i have an idea that might make Yuzu happy but no idea how to make it happen.

Maybe each of us could watch and record our voices during an agreed performance that Yuzu has given during the "do not scream" times e.g. LMEY, BL, TTCT, MASQUERADE, LGC.

At the end of that performance we could send our voice reactions to a volunteer who would lay them electronically or digitally on top of each other to make one file of us "the audience" cheering the sounds that Yuzu should have heard at the end of that performance.

Thoughts?

[agnes-saya]

Oh no.

[seimeiorigin]

Haha LOL. This WAS ME! Last night! (Actually it is me every second of the day today) but particularly last night. It was 2am before I finally got to sleep, only to dream the slow-mo over and over again. I am so tired today. This man has so much to answer for!

[seimeiorigin]

Yuzu specifically wants to connect with the audience, because his ego wants us to think he is the best.

DISCLAIMER: This entry is all my own views and ideas. I have not come by this information directly from Yuzu, his team nor anybody who knows him.

Years ago during an interview Yuzuru said "...There were even people in the audience who were sat so far that we couldn't see their faces and yet, were waving banners for us.

For these people, even if just a little, I’d like to be able to communicate my feelings and my desire “to connect”––something that has come to be very important to me since last year. To send my emotions and the feelings that guide me to every nook and corner of the arena––I hope to embark on this run of Fantasy on Ice with this sentiment in mind." - Yuzuru Hanyu(translated from https://wherespacepooh.tumblr.com/post/161728695124/yuzuru-hanyu-interview-fantasy-on-ice-in-kobe

This is one of the things I truly appreciate from this man. You can see in every Ice show performance that he puts in 110% effort. And not just every performance....it has been every single year that he has done ice shows. Without fail.

Snap the arm to express the moment, kick the leg high as it will go, turn the head 90 degrees distinctly, rotate the shoulders all the way in a circle. Swing the hips and do it faster than the others.

All these little things are translated to the audience to make an enjoyable performance. I think Yuzu might do this because he feels a responsibility to ensure that as a performer he gives great value for money (and he just enjoys dancing :) )

I think that there is also an attitude that goes with this - i think Yuzu loves it when we say his performance is better than others. If he snaps that arm and rotates that hip more or better than everyone else in that group number then we are going to notice. We are going to see the quality. We are going to believe Yuzu puts in the better performance. This makes Yuzu's ego happy. It's a performer thing... You do it so your audience knows you are good. It's what gives you pride. It is the reward for the extra sweat rather than just coasting through the performance.

As a former performer I can relate...You want to be the best of the best - it's what your sense of identity is built on at some stage of your career. Being the best and being competitive about it is what keeps you driving toward that performance goal... waiting for the feedback from the audience, that response that says you are the best that confirms and makes you feel good about yourself.

So yes, Yuzu wants the crowd to see him. He wants the crowd to enjoy his performance. And he needs 17,000 people to yell and scream because then his heart swells with the pride of knowing he is the best of the best.

And I do not begrudge Yuzu this ego boost one little bit.

[seimeiorigin]

Yuzuru Hanyu Musings No.1: Ice Shows 2008 - 2014

I’ve only known of Yuzu for 3 months. In that time, I have tried to watch as much as I can. Just like every Fanyu I am going through that initial period of immersion where the feelings are overwhelming. This is my space to write it all down or else I am going to explode!

I’ve been watching videos of Yuzu’s Ice Show appearances since 2008. I gather he was included in these shows because he was the Japan Junior champion so perhaps a bit of an honour for Yuzu at that stage. And what a great way to be exposed to the champions of the day and the ability to learn so much from them… from skating through to being a nice person.  

I’m only up to the 2014/2015 videos at this stage but I’ve noticed the transition. He has gone from the 13 yo junior at the back with little or no camera time in 2008 through to the middle of the pack in 2013. More camera appearance, situated around the middle of the group numbers and sometimes at the front. However, after the 2014 Olympics things in the ice shows have gotten real. Miki, Mao and Daisuke now seem to be in supporting positions and it is obvious that Yuzu is now in front of them all. That’s where I am up to now so it will be interesting to see how things go from here when I resume watching.

I am wondering how those Senpai must have felt seeing Yuzu advancing forward and slowly usurping their positions both in competitions and ice shows. They had supported him for so long – for 6 years he was their little protégé and all of a sudden, he has surpassed them all. Could they have foreseen back then that Yuzu would have taken over?

Oh, and how cool to see a tiny Shoma in a 2010 ice show at the age of 13? Yuzu was the ripe old age of 16 by then and with his 3 years of experience he looked an old hand. Quite the senpai to Shoma during those ice shows.

My favourite of all the show programs up to 2014 was definitely “Change”. And the performance with Monkey Majik live? Oh, I can watch that over and over. Yuzu had so much fun and you could tell he loves the song so much. I have that song on my phone now and listen to it on repeat. Yuzu’s dancing is exquisite - full of energy and i imagine probably a bit what he dances like when no one is watching. And what a thrill for him getting to meet the band and work together with them in real life! I was so thrilled for him (even though that was many years ago LOL)

I think Yuzu had grown up in ice shows – they seem to have taken up quite a large part of his life from 13 to now. I imagine they are the events where Yuzu would get his social interactions and I can see by watching the various backstage videos that he seems to have so much fun at them. The Covid period would have taken much of that social interaction away from Yuzu so I can see that he would have felt quite lonely last year.

I also noticed that up until 2011 Yuzu’s jumps were not always stable. One can see the difference that the 60 disaster fundraising ice shows had when he came back. After that the jumps were much more dependable and his quality of skating was visibly improved. It was at that time I think that the writing was on the wall…. Yuzu had beaten all the gym leaders and was on his journey to face the Champions League, so-to-speak.

As to SOI 2021? There is a major difference between 16-year-old Yuzu trying to act sexy in Vertigo to a 26-year-old Yuzu actually being Sexy-As-Nothing-I-Have-Ever-Seen-Before in Blinding Lights.

[seimeiorigin]

The Point: The skater’s face is the part of the performance that sucks you in and makes you feel – the part that grabs you and invests you in how well they do in their performance. 

Dear Figure Skating TV Camera Operators

The work you do goes un-noticed. Stated. Fact. Acknowledged. I know this because up until this weekend I have never really paid attention to what you do. You do your thing and we can see our figure skaters. That’s all there is to it really. So, this message goes out to you for two reasons.

First, on behalf of all of us fans, thank you for choosing video and image for your career. Thanks for the technical skills and abilities that enable you to know where to focus your camera, when and why. Thanks for all the knowledge you have accumulated over many years that contributes to knowing how to cover the ice. Thanks for being so familiar with the sport that you can anticipate where skaters will be during certain parts of the program. Thanks for trying to marry the speed of the skaters with capturing a moment in time. Thanks for the drive you have to be the best, show the best and produce the best content you can. I know it’s not just a job to you – it’s a skill, an ability and pride in a product produced to the best of your ability.  We would be nothing without you – you are one of the most essential groups of people in the figure skating world. You are important.

As a long-distance fan of figure skating (I live in the southern hemisphere), I have come to realise how important you are to my viewing experience. Might I please suggest a couple of things from a fan perspective that you might consider to increase our enjoyment?

1.       When Yuzuru Hanyu skates to Hana Wa Saku (or any other gala program), the most important part of the whole four minutes is Yuzuru’s face. Yuzuru’s emotions are spread all over his face for the world to see and it is THIS that makes the audience invested in his performance.  If Yuzu’s face could be more often seen during the performance it would really make a fan’s experience so much better. 

2.       World Team Trophy – The whole thing about the team experience is focusing on the team experience. Undoubtedly because of Covid we did not get the full experience this year but in future I hope we can see more of the interaction between team mates and other teams, perhaps off and on the ice so those at home feel like there is a comraderie and competition between the people performing.

 3.       Signature moves. When a skater does their signature move the camera often seems to be behind them. Very understandable because they move so fast. I wonder if there is a way that the camera people could perhaps anticipate this and figure out a way to see the best aspect of the move? (for example, Yuzuru’s face instead of his bottom when he is hydroblading). Perhaps by watching some previous performances and storyboarding the best camera angles?

This collection of thoughts and suggestions focuses on the off-rink Cameras and camera people.It would be re-miss of me not to mention Jordan from On Ice Perspectives.

Jordan and his team have given us a delightful, interesting, and new way of seeing skating that is very enjoyable. My first on ice perspective was Yuzuru’s Parisienne Walkways and it blew my mind. After watching it many times (and the WC Gala) I can now say that there are some discerning things as a fan that I think would add to the on-ice experience:  I want to see Yuzu’s face! I want to see his sexy smile during the pistol pose and a full-on face shot when he combs his fingers through his hair. I feel like the camera is constantly moving away from these moments and we only get a slight glimpse of what is on his face. More often than not we see his side or back - perfectly understandable because of the technicalities of obtaining the image. Don’t get me wrong, both are very nice sides of Yuzu and I am definitely not complaining 😉

Again, whether the camera is on the ice or off of it, the focus comes back to the skater’s face because it is the part of the performance that sucks you in and makes you feel – the part that grabs you and invests you in what they are doing.

So, please forgive me if it feels like I am telling you how to do your job, but please, would you consider a greater focus in future on showing us how the skater’s expressions and emotions?

Thanks 😊

EDIT: Point in case : SOI Blinding Lights. There is no way that 18 mins of slow mo video would be a thing if we did not see Yuzu's face. Yuzu knew it so he arranged multiple cameras for us to see his face.

[seimeiorigin]

Masquerade really hits me in the guts.

Out of any figure skating performance that i have ever seen by any man or woman, this one gives me the most primal feels and brings me to literal tears.

To me, this performance encapsulates the constant struggle over the past 10 years between:

The Honne of Yuzu the individual person who has sacrificed himself to be the absolute everything for others and

and

the Tateme of Hanyu-san, the GOAT, The athlete, the star, the national representative of the 3.11 disaster.

One of them will win this struggle in the end but I don't know who it will be. I hope it is the one that gives this man the peace he deserves.

12/07/2021: About the scream at DOI

I do not know why Yuzu let out his gutteral and visceral scream. But I felt it... Right here ❤😭

[seimeiorigin]

Is there a pecking order to Ice Shows?

This is NOT a rhetorical question. I don’t know anything about these events and would appreciate someone who knows filling me in on the details so I can learn about figure skating ice shows and galas. Please leave me a comment with your wisdom :) Thank you in advance.

Since I discovered Yuzuru Hanyu I have become aware of an event called Ice shows. Looking at them abstractly I wonder if there is some kind of hierarchy around who skates when, in which order and whether there are any “best positions” to skate in.

I ask because these things lead me to believe there is a pecking order and that Yuzuru appears to be the king of the Ice Shows:

1.       Yuzuru almost always is the last one to come out during the introduction or the finale

2.       Yuzuru almost always is the skater spinning in the middle with everyone else making circles around him.

3.       Yuzuru almost always is the head of the phalanx formation

4.       Yuzuru almost always initiates the line of skaters to do the bows to the crowd and the musicians

5.       Many times Yuzuru appears to wait until all the skaters leave the ice so that he is the last one to leave (and will often yell thank you to the crowd)

6.       Yuzuru seems to be the one that skates the least amount of time in the show

7.       It does not matter if Evgeny Pluschenko is in the group – Yuzuru still comes after the all-time legend of figure skating. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Why is this so?

My understanding from what I have seen so far is that last place in the competition skaters are first to skate in the galas and the first place skaters are last. Why?

If my guess is correct then In the Stockholm gala Yuzuru should have skated earlier in the event based on his placing. It appears the organisers may have re-arranged the order of skaters ….why? To give Yuzu a better position? If so, why?

Random thoughts occur when I watch the shows such as:

Wouldn’t the other skaters get jealous because Yuzu is always “featured” or in the spot light? You would think the other skaters would think they should have a turn at being the last one to skate or being the one featured in the middle.

 After the finale is over the skaters seem to hang around doing random “show-off” kind of things like jumps, hydro blades, shoma uno-like back bends, spins etc. If this is just random, why does it seem to happen at most events? Is this showing off thing part of the official program or just the skaters letting of steam?

If you are able to shed any light on this kind of thing for me feel free to comment. I would love to know.

Thanks

SeimeiOrigin

[seimeiorigin]

What exactly does a Crowd or fans mean to the sport of figure skating? What would the sport be like without the cheering?

I have no answers for you... only questions. Just some musings that randomly cross my mind at various times of day because Yuzuru Hanyu lives in my mind and I cannot get him out!

How much of Yuzu’s sense of worth (or any skater’s sense of worth) is directly tied to the feedback from the crowd? I am sure this topic must have been explored psychologically by the skater’s themselves over the last twelve months during some introspective moments.

We have heard skaters say they hear the cheers and that the crowd lifts them to greater heights. We hear Yuzu say he knows there are people around the world that he cannot see who are behind him and he feels a responsibility to those fans even though they are not there with him. What if the crowd were never live with him in future and Pooh-San was continually virtually rained as per Senem’s efforts this season? (pooh-rain to Stockholm...keep throwing Fanyus...the kids need us)

At Stockholm there was still a crowd...albeit tiny compared to usual. Did that small crowd have an impact in any way on the performances of the athletes? Did the crowd reflect the choices that thousands would have made on the day regarding the quality of performances? Did that little crowd cheering for Nathan lift his performance or was Nathan always going to have a great run even if the venue was silent?

If it were a permanent future situation where the crowd was there in person but limited in number and silent (like at JNATS) and provided only genteel clapping to any skater no matter their caliber, would that make a difference to the lives of the skaters? What would that mean to the competition experience? Would that have an effect on how badly the athlete would differentiate between gold or silver? Would that mean cookie cutter performances? How much influence does the in-person crowd have? Does the crowd influence the judges in some way by differentiating between skaters by the loudness of their cheering?

Would Yuzu not be as popular if the crowd were not as vocal? Would Yuzu still have put in as much effort if he did not feel as pressured by the fans? Would the media treat Yuzuru differently if the crowd were more silent whilst still maintaining a healthy respect for his GOAT-ness?

If we did another two years without crowd participation at events what effect would that have on the popularity, bank ability and media-ability of the star power of an athlete? How would that affect Nathan? SHOMA? Jason? Keegan? Nam? Roman? Yuma? Kevin? Would the lack of crowd lessen the fan base and level the playing field in some way with regard to the world of figure skating? How much influence do the crowds have? How much influence do the fans have? Is social media the most powerful way there is to support our athletes of choice?... even more powerful than the ticket cost of a person sitting in a seat in the venue?

What if there was no crowd ever again? Would figure skating then become a battle of social media? Would skaters still even skate?

[seimeiorigin]

It’s time to forget Yuzuru Hanyu

(written on 27th Feb)

I think my obsession with Yuzu is not healthy. I need to do something to stop obsessing over Yuzu and get back to my normal life. I thought I should write down what I am feeling to see if it helps me let go of him. And where better to leave these thoughts than in the care of people who feel the same way?(If you are a translator, feel free to sub this for non-English speaking Yuzu fans  )

I am a 50 year old Australian woman and as a long time fan of the art of figure skating I was usually only interested in watching the women. The last time I watched was during the era of  Tonya Harding,  Tara Lipinsky and Sureya Bonnely. I was a fan of Kurt Browning back then as my only favourite male skater.   

15 days ago I saw a random you tube video of Parisienne Walkway and was immediately struck by the power, grace, beauty and effort of Yuzuru. I had never seen anyone like him and I thought  that his performance was the best skate I had ever seen. Little did I know....In the last 15 days I have felt the need to see more of what he does and so have spent every free hour of my life watching Yuzu's performances, sometimes over and over as in the case of Seimei, P walkways and Masquerade.

I am obsessed with Yuzu and I deeply regret that I was not along for the ride of the last 10 years. I google for the latest Yuzu news everyday and when I find something written in the last week it is like finding a gold nugget! I have read many of the blogs about Yuzu (thank you blog writers), read the news articles, watched interviews and never have I felt the lack of a second language more keenly. A massive thanks to everybody who English subs Yuzu content. 

I think about him when i should be working. I stay up late watching videos and am so tired in the morning. I am trying to find places I can buy Yuzu merchandise but alas, there are no places here to do so. I look at my phone lock screen (Seimei) a hundred times a day just to remember that this man exists. Yuzu has taken over my life. 

What is it about Yuzu's skating that makes me want to watch again and again and again?The crosswalk in Seimei. Oh mi god. Such attitude. I have never seen attitude like this on the rink before. A challenge to all watching: "Do not mess with me!"I have watched the videos about the making of Seimei and am enamoured of how much work went into this program, right down to Yuzu recording his own breath to help with the timing of his opening movement. The full program is breathtaking. I love every single moment of every single aspect. After having watched the making of Seimei video i understand so much more about what I see on the ice - the spells he is casting as the character and how that translates into artistry. The speed. The effort. The more videos I watch about Yuzu the more times I watch Seimei.  For example, Yuzu says in one interview that  at Pyeongchang he was supposed to stay in character but was so happy at the last part of the program that he could not help smiling and feeling so happy and we saw that. Such an uplifting moment that makes me laugh every time. I think i have watched all available performances of Seimei that the music runs through my mind in my sleep. I have downloaded it on my phone and listen to it on the bus. 

Yuzu's costumes: oh. mi. god. They are beautiful works of art. Such beauty of colour, decoration, design and form. I feel things when I see the costumes. I covet the heaven and earth jacket. I want one of my own to wear. The way they fit Yuzu perfectly, showing off the his perfect form in all its beauty and strength. The way they create the mood for the performance makes many other skater's costumes pale in comparison. The detail that the costume designer includes and the fact that Yuzu himself participates and tells her what he wants makes it all the more special. I watch the performances time and again just to look at the costume details. 

Yuzu's sexuality on the ice is something I am in two minds about. My own son is 22 so not that much younger than Yuzu so I feel uncomfortable thinking of Yuzu that way. But I cannot help it when I watch PW or Let's go crazy or Let me entertain you. There is something so attractive about the way Yuzu's movements invite the audience to partake in a little bit of sauciness. This is in direct opposition to the fun and innocence of everyday Yuzu that I see backstage or during downtimes. It feels like a total contrast and perhaps it is for that exact reason why those movements are attractive. 

Yuzuvier: I have friends but none of my friendships are like that. I wish I could experience the relationship between the two of them. I am so glad they had each other and it makes me feel happy when I see the videos of them together...and sad to see where Javi told Yuzu that it was their last time competing together. I really hope they stay in touch and catch up when they can. 

Yuzu's University study: Wow, what a legacy to leave to the sport. Using his own skills and experience to explore ways to become more proficient and keep climbing those hills. I truly hope that his study has led him to a way to perfect the 4A and I am holding hope in my heart that he is the first one to do it. I also hope that the thesis will allow the sporting world to progress. 

Sportsmanship: Wow Yuzu. Just WOW. A beautiful person who shares joy, encourages others, provides support and is never a complainer. This is what all sporting people should aspire to be. The depth of integrity that this man has shines out of every pore of his being. 

Yuzu's work philosophy and dedication is just exhilarating. Always wanting to be better, climb that hill, be number one, try and try and try. Learn from mistakes, learn and learn and learn. I find myself going about my day now and asking myself "WWYHD" in this situation? (What Would Yuzuru Hanyu Do). I am thinking that if i can take one thing from Yuzu everyday it would make interactions with my fellow humans more enjoyable and pleasant. I truly admire Yuzu so much that I hope I can continue learning from Yuzu even when he is not skating anymore.

 Yuzu's philosophy of supporting all people including his own is admirable. Truly a remarkable attitude and philosophy to have in one so young. When I see this it makes me want to do something to help my fellow man. Yuzu is a shining example for all of us on what life is really all about. The Japanese culture permeates everything this man does. Yuzu is so respectful as many Japanese people are and I admire this culture immensely for the grace, dignity and respect that abounds there. Such a contrast to what I see everyday and it makes me feel like I want to live there myself. 

I have never seen this man in real life. I really cannot say I know anything about him. I have not spoken to Yuzu or anyone who has met him so anything I know is second, third and fourth hand. But even though I feel like I know everything there is to know about him now, I know that what I have seen over the last 15 days does not mean I know him at all. But I wish I did. He seems like a pretty good bloke. 

I wish...no, I hope that I get the chance to see Yuzu perform live. He has just made it onto no. 1 spot on my bucket list. If I can see him live after Covid I will be yelling, cheering, screaming at the top of my lungs. And I will be crying because I have seen perfection. The Greatest Of All Time.

[seimeiorigin]

Yuzu is right. We do need lots of earphones.

This story starts out in one place but heads in a totally different direction. Stick with me. It will be worth it, I promise.

I had seen / heard Yuzu online discussing the value of different headphone design and technical specifications. I don’t understand a lot about levels, frequencies and decibels but I can decipher the difference between good and crap.

I thought I might try some of these headphones that Yuzu had in his tiny little collection of 50+ for competition days. Obviously I can not afford thousands of dollars so I tried to go with the most expensive I could afford and that would double as exercising earphones.

First, I bought Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones. Cost around $250AUD. They were pretty bad - uncomfortable fit when worn with the sunnies and a cap whilst walking and not good at blocking out traffic noise. Waste of money – just sitting in a side drawer, unused. 

Then I bought Jaybird Tarah Pro (more expensive - $300, more fit options et.). Could not find a good fit. Too many equaliser options. Could not find the right sound. Just nah. Too hard basket. Sent them back. 

 After trying these two I kinda gave up trying the stuff that Yuzu uses. Got too hard, spent too much money. 

Today, I just ran into Big W at lunch time (kind of like a cheap department store) to pick up a set of cheap earphones so I could go walking. Nothing spesh, just really cheap, plug it into the phone, chuck it in the ear holes and walk out the door type earphones. They are ($34) Sony MDR-EX15AP combined with my old Samsung Galaxy S9 straight out of the box – no mucking around, no changing settings – just plug them into the phone and straight into the ear holes. Got them home and thought I would give them a go whilst watching Skate Canada Origin.

 OH MI GOD 

These cheap ass headphones have just blown my bloody mind!!!!! 

I have so many thoughts running around in my head right now I just have to write them down. 

 I have bass! Which means I can now hear that the Origin music has drums!

THE SOUNDS!!!! I CAN HEAR THEM ALL! 

The sound of the first jump landing in time to the music! 

And the sound of the crowd going crazy! 

AND ALL THE OTHER SOUNDS DURING THIS PERFORMANCE – there are so many sounds and instruments in the music!!!!! 

 They go all the way through the performance – it’s like a shower in sound. 

 The drums, the flute, the violin, the shuu…pahh of the landings, the cutting of the ice with his skates, the silence of expectation, the sound of my heart beating with every single tiny note of this music. 

 I have the volume up as loud as it will go and I am IMMERSED in the sound of Origin. No, not just the sound – the experience of Origin. Is this even a tiny part of what it is like to be in the physical vicinity of Yuzuru Hanyu? 

How in any world can Yuzu even concentrate when the audience is that loud! The sound of the crowd fills my heart with joy and makes me feel like I am right there in the stadium, cheering Yuzu on at every jump. 

The sounds make me feel as If I am walking through every single step of this performance, like we the audience are trying to lift Yuzu’s axels on the wings of a wall of sound – like we are giving him that extra turn or centimetre just so he does not have to put that effort in. 

 I have listened / watched once already just for the sound quality of these earphones. Then again to listen to the Origin music itself as it was composed. Then again to catch all the individual instruments and how they fit together. Then again to enjoy Yuzu’s performance whilst skating to the Origin music. Each time my heart is filled to overflowing with so many emotions. 

 Like:     

JOY at an art so expressive ·       

Unexpected DESIRE at how beautiful this man is – I had not seen it before but boy, oh boy, do I see it now! I cannot take my eyes off his beautiful form.

A Guttural and visceral reaction at the FIERCENESS  of this program. 

So many more emotions that I just cannot put into words right now. 

An observation – I don’t know if what I am hearing is coming directly through the video channel or if it is the sound from within the auditorium. But I think that if Yuzu wanted a job after retiring he could go around to all the venues and keep their sound system in tip top shape. 

 Anyway back to the orgasmic experience that is hearing all the sounds: The sound of the violin at the start of the step sequence! I cannot believe I used to live in a world where I could not hear all the sounds in a performance. 

I have never been to an ice show or figure skating event. Since I discovered Yuzu just a couple of months ago I have been wondering what it would be like to be there in person. I wonder if it is worth paying so much money just to go watch this man on the ice for a total of 6 or 7 minutes. I wonder if I might just get exactly the same experience just watching it on TV. It would be cheaper and I can do it in my jarmies whilst drinking Sunkist and eating chocolate. 

But, thanks to these Sony earphones I have changed my mind – I HAVE TO GO TO WHERE YUZU AND THE CROWD ARE. I have just heard what it must sound like inside the stadium. The crowd is deafening. Overwhelmingly deafening. It makes me wonder how Yuzu can even concentrate on what he is doing when the crowd is that loud!.

Right, that’s it – now going to go listen to Seimei! 

And Yuzu, if you ever read this – I understand now why you have so many earphones. This is truly a life changing experience! I never knew there were so many sounds in the world. :)     

[seimeiorigin]

Yuzu is right. We do need lots of earphones.

This story starts out in one place but heads in a totally different direction. Stick with me. It will be worth it, I promise.

I had seen / heard Yuzu online discussing the value of different headphone design and technical specifications. I don’t understand a lot about levels, frequencies and decibels but I can decipher the difference between good and crap.

I thought I might try some of these headphones that Yuzu had in his tiny little collection of 50+ for competition days. Obviously I can not afford thousands of dollars so I tried to go with the most expensive I could afford and that would double as exercising earphones.

First, I bought Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones. Cost around $250AUD. They were pretty bad - uncomfortable fit when worn with the sunnies and a cap whilst walking and not good at blocking out traffic noise. Waste of money – just sitting in a side drawer, unused.

Then I bought Jaybird Tarah Pro (more expensive - $300, more fit options et.). Could not find a good fit. Too many equaliser options. Could not find the right sound. Just nah. Too hard basket. Sent them back.

After trying these two I kinda gave up trying the stuff that Yuzu uses. Got too hard, spent too much money.

Today, I just ran into Big W at lunch time (kind of like a cheap department store) to pick up a set of cheap earphones so I could go walking. Nothing spesh, just really cheap, plug it into the phone, chuck it in the ear holes and walk out the door type earphones. They are ($34) Sony MDR-EX15AP combined with my old Samsung Galaxy S9 straight out of the box – no mucking around, no changing settings – just plug them into the phone and straight into the ear holes. Got them home and thought I would give them a go whilst watching Skate Canada Origin.

OH MI GOD

These cheap ass headphones have just blown my bloody mind!!!!!

I have so many thoughts running around in my head right now I just have to write them down.

I have bass! Which means I can now hear that the Origin music has drums!

THE SOUNDS!!!! I CAN HEAR THEM ALL!

The sound of the first jump landing in time to the music!

And the sound of the crowd going crazy!

AND ALL THE OTHER SOUNDS DURING THIS PERFORMANCE – there are so many sounds and instruments in the music!!!!!

They go all the way through the performance – it’s like a shower in sound.

The drums, the flute, the violin, the shuu…pahh of the landings, the cutting of the ice with his skates, the silence of expectation, the sound of my heart beating with every single tiny note of this music.

I have the volume up as loud as it will go and I am IMMERSED in the sound of Origin. No, not just the sound – the experience of Origin. Is this even a tiny part of what it is like to be in the physical vicinity of Yuzuru Hanyu?

How in any world can Yuzu even concentrate when the audience is that loud! The sound of the crowd fills my heart with joy and makes me feel like I am right there in the stadium, cheering Yuzu on at every jump.

The sounds make me feel as If I am walking through every single step of this performance, like we the audience are trying to lift Yuzu’s axels on the wings of a wall of sound – like we are giving him that extra turn or centimetre just so he does not have to put that effort in.

I have listened / watched once already just for the sound quality of these earphones. Then again to listen to the Origin music itself as it was composed. Then again to catch all the individual instruments and how they fit together. Then again to enjoy Yuzu’s performance whilst skating to the Origin music. Each time my heart is filled to overflowing with so many emotions.

Like:    

JOY at an art so expressive ·      

Unexpected DESIRE at how beautiful this man is – I had not seen it before but boy, oh boy, do I see it now! I cannot take my eyes off his beautiful form.

A Guttural and visceral reaction at the FIERCENESS  of this program.

So many more emotions that I just cannot put into words right now.

An observation – I don’t know if what I am hearing is coming directly through the video channel or if it is the sound from within the auditorium. But I think that if Yuzu wanted a job after retiring he could go around to all the venues and keep their sound system in tip top shape.

Anyway back to the orgasmic experience that is hearing all the sounds: The sound of the violin at the start of the step sequence! I cannot believe I used to live in a world where I could not hear all the sounds in a performance.

I have never been to an ice show or figure skating event. Since I discovered Yuzu just a couple of months ago I have been wondering what it would be like to be there in person. I wonder if it is worth paying so much money just to go watch this man on the ice for a total of 6 or 7 minutes. I wonder if I might just get exactly the same experience just watching it on TV. It would be cheaper and I can do it in my jarmies whilst drinking Sunkist and eating chocolate.

But, thanks to these Sony earphones I have changed my mind – I HAVE TO GO TO WHERE YUZU AND THE CROWD ARE. I have just heard what it must sound like inside the stadium. The crowd is deafening. Overwhelmingly deafening. It makes me wonder how Yuzu can even concentrate on what he is doing when the crowd is that loud!.

Right, that’s it – now going to go listen to Seimei!

And Yuzu, if you ever read this – I understand now why you have so many earphones. This is truly a life changing experience! I never knew there were so many sounds in the world. :)    

[seimeiorigin]

Yuzu is right. We do need lots of earphones.

This story starts out in one place but heads in a totally different direction. Stick with me. It will be worth it, I promise.

I had seen / heard Yuzu online discussing the value of different headphone design and technical specifications. I don’t understand a lot about levels, frequencies and decibels but I can decipher the difference between good and crap.

I thought I might try some of these headphones that Yuzu had in his tiny little collection of 50+ for competition days. Obviously I can not afford thousands of dollars so I tried to go with the most expensive I could afford and that would double as exercising earphones.

First, I bought Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones. Cost around $250AUD. They were pretty bad - uncomfortable fit when worn with the sunnies and a cap whilst walking and not good at blocking out traffic noise. Waste of money – just sitting in a side drawer, unused. 

Then I bought Jaybird Tarah Pro (more expensive - $300, more fit options et.). Could not find a good fit. Too many equaliser options. Could not find the right sound. Just nah. Too hard basket. Sent them back. 

 After trying these two I kinda gave up trying the stuff that Yuzu uses. Got too hard, spent too much money. 

Today, I just ran into Big W at lunch time (kind of like a cheap department store) to pick up a set of cheap earphones so I could go walking. Nothing spesh, just really cheap, plug it into the phone, chuck it in the ear holes and walk out the door type earphones. They are ($34) Sony MDR-EX15AP combined with my old Samsung Galaxy S9 straight out of the box – no mucking around, no changing settings – just plug them into the phone and straight into the ear holes. Got them home and thought I would give them a go whilst watching Skate Canada Origin.

 OH MI GOD 

These cheap ass headphones have just blown my bloody mind!!!!! 

I have so many thoughts running around in my head right now I just have to write them down. 

 I have bass! Which means I can now hear that the Origin music has drums!

THE SOUNDS!!!! I CAN HEAR THEM ALL! 

The sound of the first jump landing in time to the music! 

And the sound of the crowd going crazy! 

AND ALL THE OTHER SOUNDS DURING THIS PERFORMANCE – there are so many sounds and instruments in the music!!!!! 

 They go all the way through the performance – it’s like a shower in sound. 

 The drums, the flute, the violin, the shuu…pahh of the landings, the cutting of the ice with his skates, the silence of expectation, the sound of my heart beating with every single tiny note of this music. 

 I have the volume up as loud as it will go and I am IMMERSED in the sound of Origin. No, not just the sound – the experience of Origin. Is this even a tiny part of what it is like to be in the physical vicinity of Yuzuru Hanyu? 

How in any world can Yuzu even concentrate when the audience is that loud! The sound of the crowd fills my heart with joy and makes me feel like I am right there in the stadium, cheering Yuzu on at every jump. 

The sounds make me feel as If I am walking through every single step of this performance, like we the audience are trying to lift Yuzu’s axels on the wings of a wall of sound – like we are giving him that extra turn or centimetre just so he does not have to put that effort in. 

 I have listened / watched once already just for the sound quality of these earphones. Then again to listen to the Origin music itself as it was composed. Then again to catch all the individual instruments and how they fit together. Then again to enjoy Yuzu’s performance whilst skating to the Origin music. Each time my heart is filled to overflowing with so many emotions. 

 Like:     

JOY at an art so expressive ·       

Unexpected DESIRE at how beautiful this man is – I had not seen it before but boy, oh boy, do I see it now! I cannot take my eyes off his beautiful form.

A Guttural and visceral reaction at the FIERCENESS  of this program. 

So many more emotions that I just cannot put into words right now. 

An observation – I don’t know if what I am hearing is coming directly through the video channel or if it is the sound from within the auditorium. But I think that if Yuzu wanted a job after retiring he could go around to all the venues and keep their sound system in tip top shape. 

 Anyway back to the orgasmic experience that is hearing all the sounds: The sound of the violin at the start of the step sequence! I cannot believe I used to live in a world where I could not hear all the sounds in a performance. 

I have never been to an ice show or figure skating event. Since I discovered Yuzu just a couple of months ago I have been wondering what it would be like to be there in person. I wonder if it is worth paying so much money just to go watch this man on the ice for a total of 6 or 7 minutes. I wonder if I might just get exactly the same experience just watching it on TV. It would be cheaper and I can do it in my jarmies whilst drinking Sunkist and eating chocolate. 

But, thanks to these Sony earphones I have changed my mind – I HAVE TO GO TO WHERE YUZU AND THE CROWD ARE. I have just heard what it must sound like inside the stadium. The crowd is deafening. Overwhelmingly deafening. It makes me wonder how Yuzu can even concentrate on what he is doing when the crowd is that loud!.

Right, that’s it – now going to go listen to Seimei! 

And Yuzu, if you ever read this – I understand now why you have so many earphones. This is truly a life changing experience! I never knew there were so many sounds in the world. :)     

[seimeiorigin]

i have just watched the videos of the 2019 Worlds where Yuzu placed 2nd and was very Kuuyashi. On the podium Yuzu looked like he was etching a resolution in stone that the next WC would be his. As that next competition was cancelled I wonder if that total ambition on that day has led him to this week or, if Yuzu may have other priorities for this WC competition? i.e. with the way the world is right now perhaps he is only competing for his team to earn spots rather than his own ambition?

Also I am wondering:

Do you think that once Yuzu retires he will go back and look at everything that has been written about him over the years?

Will he see all the fanyus' posts about how much they admire his programs?

If he does I wonder if that will change how he feels about himself when it is over?

[seimeiorigin]

The 14th of Feb was when I discovered Yuzuru Hanyu. Happy Valentine's Day to me :)

Since then i have been consuming Yuzu media as if it were my dying breath. I am still trying to figure out why.

I should not be trying to compare my life to Yuzu's as we are worlds apart literally and figuratively but isn't that the point of Yuzu's art? To make us think about ourselves and our lives and try to take something away from what he gives us?

Some stray thoughts on the topic:

1. Yuzu has made something of his life and achieved excellence in his field. I wish I had done something as worthy with my life. Yes I have done things that are worthy to some including 17 years of community service. I gave back to the community but I still don't feel such a sense of ...completeness? encompassing satisfaction...? worthiness? It was more like a duty or an expectation or responsibility that i gave of myself rather than something I wanted to do for others. On refection I think maybe that is how Yuzu started too so maybe I am not so different.

2. I wish I could create beautiful things like Yuzu does. He seems to understand himself very well and knows what makes for an act or action that will touch people. Yuzu has developed this over many years and practiced his craft and the art of interaction in many ways. I wish i had had (or seen) an opportunity to develop like this in the same way for my life.

3. Sacrifice is something i think i can relate to where Yuzu is concerned. To be a champion it goes without saying that sacrifice is required. Yuzu has obviously given up many life experiences. Love. Family. Travel for pleasure. Friends. Childhood. Private time. It makes my heart break that he has not had that. But all athletes know and accept that as the price for success and Yuzu is no different so I should not feel bad for him. But I do feel for him, wishing he could have the best of both worlds.

4. Yuzu's life is not his own. Would he have kept going had he known how popular he would become? How limited his life would be because everyone feels they have a stake in him and his life? Including me now. There are many athletes at the top of their game who do not go through half of what Yuzu has to deal with. I am so thankful that Yuzu keeps as much of his life private as possible. As much as i hunger for news and the latest goings on of Yuzu I do not want to get this information at the expense of his privacy. I do not begrudge him his ability or desire to keep some things for himself. Why am I even saying that? Like, as if I have any opinion or right to even comment on this which I don't.

Why do I keep watching Yuzu? Physically he is pleasing on the eye but not really my cup of tea. So that's not it.

I've seen his programs many times now, enough that i would be bored if i were watching another form of art that many times.

I did have a stray thought just then... when i first started watching i knew very little about Yuzu except for how good his quads were. But every video i watched after added a bit more of his story. Whilst i can never have the full picture, many other skaters just seems to pale in comparison in most ways. Having said that it is not fair to say that because I have not watched the other skaters as much as Yuzu. I do know that Roman is hilariously funny. Nam is sweet as. Shoma is just so cute. Javi is (there are no words). Nathan is a tough one though because to me he feels wooden and reserved...kinda like he might be hiding the real person from the world which i do not blame him for if he was.

Maybe we would not feel as we do about Yuzu if he were not plastered over every inch of media space. I think Shoma had it right when he said he can have a rest when Yuzu is around.

I wonder if Yuzu is the Lady Diana of Japan (and the world to a lesser extent). I don't want to be one who contributes to this media conflaguration of Yuzu but I have no will power or control to stop myself.

All i can do until this obsession abates is to take a leaf out of Yuzu's book and be fair to all, work hard and love my fellow man.

[seimeiorigin]

I heard a commentator call Yuzu "the Crown Prince" of skating