Hi! I translate in order to study Japanese, so please be aware there might be mistakes and these are mostly rough translations, even though I spend a lot of time to make sure they're as accurate as I can manage! Thank you!
There's a level 4 step sequence and then there's a Shoma Uno Level 4 step sequence. Speed, complex steps, beautiful body position, and unimpeachable musicality. This is so difficult to do and he makes it look effortless.
06.10.2023 || Carnival On Ice interview with Shoma Uno
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Q. Everyone's looking forward to your free program. What kind of impression do you want to give everyone with this program?
A. For the past several years, I always worked hard by having jumps as my main focus in competitions, for my free programs. However this year, aside from jumps, I'm adding a lot of my feelings into it, and using a lot of physical strength to express it. That's why, although there are still many parts of it that I can't do well, with the enthusiasm to create something good and show in competitions and in front of everyone, I practice with a higher motivation every day. Although it doesn't feel complete yet, I want to show it the way it is to everyone, and I hope to show that 'it'll get even better from now on'.
Q. We're looking forward to it! What's your goal this season?
A. If everyone has expectations, of course I want to get the results that are expected of me. But my goal first and foremost is to turn this free program into a shape I want to do -- one that's not just of jumps but give my 100% into expressing it, with all my might, to make it a performance which will move me emotionally.
Shoma Uno - I love you, Clair de la lune, I love you kung fu (Everything everywhere all at once OST), choreography by Stéphane Lambiel
[the Ice 2023 Nikko day 1]
T/N: It's pretty long, so you can find it below. Please be aware that there are quite possibly a lot of mistakes as I had trouble hearing them for the most part, and some parts I was not able to hear at all. I apologize for any mistakes / confusion. I have striked out the parts where I'm not 100% certain what was being said.
T/N 2: Marin and Miyu tend to talk about themselves in 3rd person, it's something you can do in Japanese so I kept the same style but it might be confusing if you're not familiar with it.
T/N 3: As it was nearing 4 am by the time I was done, I skipped the final after Miyu's OPOI plug. But I think at that time it's obvious what they're doing. :D
Miyu: So then, Marin-san, today…
Marin: Yes.
Miyu: After our brother, we have a guest after a long time.
Marin: That's right!
Miyu: Yes, welcome!
Marin: Shoma!
Miyu: Wow! Amazing! Miyu wants to be in the frame too!
Marin: Miyu, you can sit here!
Shoma: That's right.
Miyu: Marin you sit there.
Marin: Okay.
Shoma: Hello.
Marin: Introduce yourself!
Miyu: No no…Do you need to??
Shoma: Which way?
Miyu: Which way???
Marin: What do you mean?
Shoma: Skating?
Miyu: Oh like your Uno-Tube?
Shoma: Like as a skater or as Marin's…
Miyu: MARIN'S????
Shoma: Skating then.
Shoma: Hello. I'm Uno Shoma who does skating a little.
Marin: Just a little, right? […?…]
Shoma: Just a little.
Shoma: You know, my character… It's completely different in front of the camera usually.
Marin: What kind of character are you behind the camera?
Shoma: I can't speak in front of the cameras. Not at all.
Marin: Ah right.
Miyu: Huh…Then will you get upset if Miyu is behind the camera?
Marin, to Miyu: You should probably stop doing that.
Shoma: I get nervous!
Miyu: I collected some questions so I want to ask them the questions.
Miyu: "Miyu-chan, do you approve of Shoma-kun?"
Miyu: If I didn't approve of him, I wouldn't be filming videos like this, would I, seriously! Huh?
Marin: Huh?
Shoma: Huh?
Miyu: Huh?
Marin: Shomakun often says 'Miyuchan is dark'.
Miyu: Ehh
Marin: He says things like 'I wonder if she'll dislike it if I speak to her.'
Miyu: No no, can I say something? I was happy when though Marin, Shomakun said that he wants to be closer friends with Miyu. When I thought of that, Shomakun kept greeting me every time we meet. Lately, lately I didn't hear from Marin that he talked about Miyu. So I thought maybe he doesn't like me.
Marin: So I have to say everything he tells me about Miyu!
Miyu: Yeah I want you to report everything to me.
Marin: Got it.
Miyu: When I see Shomakun, I get like this, even though in the beginning, in the past, I'd just nod and bow. But lately we're like, "Oh! It's been a while!"
Shoma: I can't cut into your conversation, if the two of you are together.
Marin: Oh that's right. Also if I go to change costume, she'd definitely come after me.
Miyu: But lately--! In the past, I'd just leave without saying anything. But now if Marin leaves, I say "I'll go and help her".
Shoma: Yeah.
Marin: I've only changed into this sweatshirt from a t-shirt.
Miyu: It's like… […?…] But I don't know how casual I can talk to him.
Miyu: If it's Shoma-san, it's the athlete Uno Shoma, and he's greatly my senior. So I'd have to use polite form of speech. But he's my older brother.
Marin: What's that
Miyu: It's like that, so, I should be like, Shoooma!
Marin: You want to call him that?
Miyu: It's like, those kind of nice sibling relationship.
Miyu: Like, for an example, when we're all going somewhere, I'm like Shomakuuun, but once we meet at the rink, it's like (bows)…I think that's cool.
Marin: That's true. Although normally we're like this, I also think he's an amazing person.
Shoma, to Marin: But I don't want you to think of me as an amazing person.
Shoma: I also don't like the polite speech between senpai and kohai.
Marin: Ah I see. This part of him is the secret to going to the top, isn't it?
Miyu: It's the secret.
Marin: Marin's humility is on the ground. It's ground level.
Shoma: Your own?
Marin: My own evaluation.
Shoma: It's because I always end up assuming the worst, so before the competition I'd be like, 'what if this happens', 'what will I do if this happens'. But lately, unlike before, this past year I lost that awful desperation so…I haven't very… No, I don't wanna talk about skating much.
Marin: Why? Just let me talk one thing about skating. I watch Shomakun at competitions a lot but… I don't want it to happen and I'm not looking for it but, when you get injured, or when you get sick, or when something hurts, like when you're not in a good shape--- Your performances during those times when you are completely focused are seriously incredible.
Shoma: I get it but… I also think result wise, It's true that it's like that but, for an example, I end up worrying what to do 'if I get injured and just can't do it naturally in the next competition'. I constantly think about that and end up being like this.
Marin: He became like this (points high off the ground).
Shoma: No, no, like this. (points lower)
Marin: He was like this (low), and now became like this (high).
Shoma: Normally (points lower)
Miyu: So then for an example, if you're giving a present to Marin on her birthday, like 'I prepared this', though I don't know, are you also like 'what should I do! If Marin oversleeps today, what should I do tonight?' Do you think negatively like that?
Shoma: Ah.. But, if you're surprising someone, it becomes a situation where you have to make the other person happy. And I worry that it'll pressure her.
Miyu: Wait, huh???? (You're worried about) the other person?
Shoma: So I think about doing something that's harmless.
Miyu: Wow that's amazing.
Marin: Miyu is happy with anything so he-
Miyu: Yeah yeah I'm happy with just receiving things!
Marin: And with Sara, it's always like 'Do you have this already?'
Miyu: That's right, that's right!
Shoma: I think she's just saying it because she's considerate but she's like, 'Thanks!'
Marin: That's also a nice thing about Sara.
Shoma: True. That's really nice of her.
Miyu: Please answer this without thinking of it as weird. What do you like about each other? You can answer with anything.
Marin: Start with Marin.
Miyu: Start with Miyu.
Marin: Miyu?? We're including Miyu too?
Shoma: You want me to start? Are you sure?
Miyu: No I was just, it's just how you go 'No me! No me! Me! Me!'
Marin: No one's doing that.
Shoma: We're not doing that.
Miyu: Well then, what do you like about Marin?
Shoma: There's nothing I can say like 'This is what I like about her'. Because I like everything. Because it's everything about her. It's not about something specific, it isn't one specific thing. For an example, this will be the exact same conversation as before but, for an example if I say "I like Marin's legs." Like how you say you like legs. If I did that, for the other person, there'll be some kind of pressure where they'd have to have those legs. That's what I think.
Miyu: Oh oh so if it's like 'I like Marin who wears this outfit' and she'd have to keep wearing that.
Shoma: Yeah! It's like outfits or personality, too. Like for me, when I think about it, when I was a kid I was told things like 'This is the good thing about you', I ended up thinking that I'd have to be that way. I don't want to pressure her in that way and also I like everything about her so the answer becomes 'everything' too.
Miyu: I think the YouTube title this time around should be 'Textbook Boyfriend'. It's amazing. So that's how it is. I see.
Marin: Me? Do I have to say 'everything' now??
Shoma: That's why I asked if you wanted me to go first.
Marin: Everything? It's not everything!
Miyu: I want to hear the reason!
Marin: His farts stink!
Shoma: I get told a lot.
Marin: Can I say that?
Shoma: It's totally fine.
Marin: Please don't tease him about that ok, everyone?
Miyu: If it smelled naturally like roses you'd be like I want to smell it. But I can't say that to Shoma-san.
Marin: You wanted to tell him 'I want to smell it' if it smelled like roses?
Miyu: Let's move on. This is a question for Shoma-san. Can you win against the love Marin's siblings have for her?
Marin: Oh! Can I say what I like about him?
Miyu: Of course!
Marin: That reminded me. With Miyu and Sara, he cherishes everyone as much as me.
Marin: Well, not that much but it's true.
Shoma: But if I made a comment about it here… For me, that's something that's normal, that it's a given. If I say that, I wonder if it'll come off as if Mabo is making me do it.
Marin: In the worst case scenario?
Shoma: In the worst case scenario.
Marin: 'Will she get flamed for it?'
Shoma: Right, right! In the worst case scenario.
Marin: Worst case scenario.
Miyu: You know how he calls Marin, Mabo? And Sara is Sabo..
Marin: Sarabo
Miyu: Sarabo! Why is it Miyuchan for Miyuchan? Although I'm happy that it's special.
Marin: Mibo
Miyu: I don't wanna be called Mibo
Shoma: I'm still shy. After like two months, together with Marin…After One Piece is over…
Miyu: No no, you can't be like 'two months later', everything is over before even a month ends.
Miyu: My dream is to- […?…] I want to expose the cute sides of Marin, and talk to Shomakun about 'something like this happened'.
Marin: You're so heavy!
Marin: These two are amazing. They'll definitely talk like this, they'll avoid looking at each other.
Shoma: I'm being careful! I'm trying to look at her!
Miyu: Our eyes meet at the screen of the camera.
Marin: Your personalities are really the same.
Miyu: What's a place you two go to often - you don't have to say the place.
Shoma&Marin: Ready, set, go--- STARBUCKS
Marin: Right?
Shoma: Right
Miyu: 'Do they know that the fans call the two of them Shomarin'?
Miyu: I called the two of you Shomarin for a really long time.
Marin: You did!
Miyu: So fans also call you Shomarin.
Shoma: I don't really know how we're called or anything.
Marin: I do know but,
Shoma: Oh, so you do know.
Marin: But Miyu was calling us that since a really long time ago.
Miyu: Do you have anything else that you want to be called?
Marin: Is there? A pair name?
Shoma: A pair name?
Marin: (Nudges his shoulder to encourage him to answer)
Shoma: (Reluctant) I'm not funny or anything.
[ I don't understand this part at all but Shoma says something about being the same as Miyuchan.]
Marin: You two are really alike. How to put it, like your personalities, it's really similar.
Miyu: We also both like Marin.
Marin, to Miyu: I wonder about that. Is that so?
Miyu: I'm happy.
Miyu: What's something you both have in common the most?
Shoma: By common point do you mean what we see in ourselves or what others tell about us---See this is how I'll get.
Miyu: That's the image we usually have of Shomakun.
Marin: […?…]
Shoma: Right!
Miyu: Can we look forward to a scene with Vivichan and Luffy?
Shoma: At first we're really in different […?…] but in the past […?…]
Marin: Right, it's because we're doing something we never did before. Rather than skating as if it's a performance, it was embarrassing to do it at first, right?
Shoma: Yeah because none of us did that before.
Marin: Saying lines and getting yelled at and such. But Miyu has been doing it a lot.
Shoma: It's because my personality is the most different from this character called Luffy. I think everyone worried most about me. Right now I'm not embarrassed at all.
Miyu: As Vivi and Luffy, the two of you were amazing unrelated to who Shomakun and Marin are. I thought that.
Marin: Thank you.
Shoma: I feel really sad that these One Piece rehearsals are coming to an end.
Miyu: I'm sad.
Shoma: Of all my skating past, this has been a top level fun for me. So…
Marin: It's ending within a month, right? Let's do our best.
Compilation of translation snippets I did about interviews published on kiss&cry magazine vol.49, all about Shoma and One Piece on Ice (also posted on twt and here as backup)
Keiji and Koshiro on Shoma:
Keiji: Shoma isn't really Luffy's type, but you can tell that he's trying his best to become Luffy, and that he's enjoying it. He is absorbing more and more and trying to overcome the "wall" of doing moves that he has never done before, moves that are unlike him. When I see that, it makes me want to work even harder.
Koshiro: at the beginning I couldn't imagine Shoma doing Luffy's "full of energy!” movements, so I was like "Do your best (laugh)”, but during rehearsals there were many scenes where I thought, "Oh, it's Luffy! (laugh). I am sure that everyone will be satisfied with Luffy. There are music, dialogue, and people other than himself, so timing is important, but he writes down the flow in his notebook and reviews it. He is taking Luffy really seriously.”
Do you feel any change in Uno since the rehearsals for "One Piece on Ice" started?
Keiji: "Yes, I feel it, he seems to be enjoying it. I think things are going to get harder from now on, but one of the things I'm looking forward to is seeing how Shoma changes as a result of that. I want to be by his side to support him, because he is under the heaviest pressure as the leader.
Shoma’s interview:
How did you feel when you were offered the role?
I have performed to music before, but I’ve never played a story or a character, so at first I thought, "Am I really the right person for this? I was puzzled, but I was happy that they chose me out of so many people. Now that I've been given the job, I will continue to search for what I can do to make it as great as possible, and I will give it my all.
How long did it take you from the time you were offered to the time you decided to appear in the show?
I didn't need think about it for very long. I'm relatively good at figure skating as a sport, as an athlete, and I think I'm doing a good job at it, but I think I'm far from the ideal figure skater that everyone has in their mind. Of course, figure skating is fascinating as a sport in itself, but I think one of its charms is that you focus on one skater and watch their performance and growth, which in a sense is like treating them like idols. I am not good at that part, so I don't know what kind of figure skater I will be when I leave competition someday. I hope that the experience I will gain from One Piece on Ice will give me a clue about that.
Did you get that idea from winning the World Championships for the second time?
There are many reasons, but I think that is one of them. I used to compete with my eyes fixed on the ‘top’, but now that I've achieved results, I asked myself, "What do I want to do next?”, and I thought that I wanted to embody more strongly the charm of figure skating. I have been able to do things my own way in both competitions and ice shows, and that will never change, but I've also started to think that I want to show the audience what they want to see. One Piece on Ice is a show in which I play a character that I’ve never played before, and that’s a new challenge for me. I would like to develop my ability of expression, where I feel I am lacking the most.
Do you feel more "excited" or "pressured" in anticipation of this new challenge?
I would say it's 6:4 in favor of anxiety (bitter smile). Of course I am very much looking forward to it, but I am not sure how much of my accumulated experience I will be able to put to use. I think that because fans love "ONE PIECE" so much, they will look at it more harshly than non-fans when it is adapted into something other than a manga or anime. I am a fan myself, so I understand how they feel. I know I can't satisfy all of them, but I still hope that I can show them something as good as possible.
In "ONE PIECE ON ICE", the " Alabasta Arc" will be depicted. Do you have a favorite scene?
I have read the Alabasta Arc many times. I think my favorite scene is the story of Crocodile and Bibi, and my favorite part of the story is when Bibi faces various conflicts and stands up to protect what he wants to protect with a strong heart. It makes me think about a lot of things."
Your rinkmate from Champéry, Switzerland, Koshiro Shimada, plays the role of Sanji. Have you talked to him about being cast in the show?
I was really happy he was cast. I think Koshiro likes "One Piece" the most out of all the skaters, and back when the rest of the cast had not yet been decided, I had hoped that he would be cast, so I was happy when he was chosen to play the role. He has very long legs just like Sanji. Koshiro also said, "For the first time, I appreciated the length of my legs" (Laughs). I believe that Koshiro-kun is good at playing characters, so I am not worried about anything.
What do you think you and Luffy have in common?
I am not the kind of person who can make people smile like Luffy, so our personalities are far apart. The only thing we have in common is that we both like meat (laughs).
I thought that Luffy's proactive attitude toward difficulties seems to overlap with yours.
I think that a life without difficulties would be boring. In order to get something that you think is unattainable you have to practice a lot, and then you finally get it, and that's when you feel happy and satisfied, I think. So, I am forcing myself to say this, but I would be happy if I could compare myself with Luffy in that way.
You mentioned that in your figure skating programs, you express the melody or sound itself, not the story behind the music. This time, you will be playing a character in a story with a plot, how do you approach it?
I've never really done this before... Fortunately, it's a work that I know well and love, but I'm not sure how I'll be able to express myself in it... I don't know. I think my job will be to take the intentions of the director, Ms. Kahori Kanaya, and the choreographer, Mr. Kenji Miyamoto, and see how faithfully I can reproduce them. I can't see the whole picture yet, but I will just give it my all and do my best.
Knowing there will be many people who don't usually watch figure skating, what do you want to convey to them?
"I think it is important to reproduce the ideal of Mr. Kahori and Mr. Kenji, in terms of the distinctive appeal of figure skating. I hope to be able to show no less than what they envisioned, but it's really unknown.... First of all, I would like to concentrate on the daily training in front of me.
Thank you very much. Finally, do you have a message for the fans who are going to see "One Piece on Ice"?
I don't know how I will be feeling right before the show, but I may be more nervous than at the Olympics or the World Championships (laugh). Because this is something I don't usually do, I am sure I will feel things like anxiety and impatience, but I hope that I will be able to feel a sense of accomplishment as I take on this challenge with all my might. And on top of that, I would like to polish my expressiveness. think this will be a new challenge for all the performers. I hope we can all work together to create a good show, so please come and see it."
from Kenji Miyamoto’s interview:
How do you work on the choreography?
I listen to the scene Kanaya-san [t/n: the director] wants to create, think about how to incorporate it into the skating on the spot, and improvise the choreography. If there is a difference from Kanaya's image, she will politely explain to me that she wants me to reduce the speed more, or that her image of the emotion is different, so she is very helpful.
Shoma Uno plays the main character, Luffy. What do you see as the similarities between the two of them?
"Maybe that he walks in a straight line towards the goal. He doesn't give up, doesn't compromise, keeps his eyes on one point and pushes forward. This is my impression of Shoma's usual practice, and I think the same can be said for Luffy.
How is Shoma Uno doing?
He is trying his best. From the choreography on the ground (off-ice?), he is moving his body as hard as he can, almost to the point of falling down, as if he were trying to reach his limit. I also feel that his facial expressions are becoming more expressive, so I am looking forward to seeing his growth in the future.
I watched the rehearsal of the "rebel dance scene". What did you pay attention to?
“It's a choreography full of speed that conveys the sense of dynamism that is unique to skating. Also, the rebels led by Koza share the same anger, so I was particular about expressing that they seem to be moving separately, but on the other hand, they are somehow in sync with each other. We also expressed the battle scene and the emotions of the characters in the center of gravity shift and edge work of the skating.
Shoma has the same handle on Threads as his Instagram:
https://www.threads.net/@shoma_un0
His first post, translated by @shomagravity on Twitter: “My main line of business is (playing) Smash Brothers and Clash Royale. Thank you for your continued support.”
will you still post interviews here? I can't use twitter anymore because I don't want to make an account. I understand if you don't want to
I will when the season starts! Right now I recently moved to a new house and I still don't have internet so I can only use my phone and updating / translating is super difficult but I think I should have internet before the season starts (fingers crossed) and I will cross post them here for sure!
Shoma Uno: "I thought I kind of don't want to watch it again." || Quotes only translation, 26.03.2023
Source
"I had the impression that I can't quite make good memories but I could get a good result for the first time this year, and create a good image, so I'm really happy. Honestly, I am relieved."
"My whole body was hurting so I slept while thinking I don't want to move from the bed at all."
"(Currently) I'm skating while aiming for good results."
"Before the World Championship, I watched the video of Grand Prix Final to watch my jumps. When I watched the GP final, I honestly kind of thought it was a performance which made me think, "Huh? I kind of don't want to watch it again."
"I looked up to Takahashi Daisuke when I was younger, and wanted to be an athlete like him. Before I knew it, I became someone who wants to fight at the top with good results and do my best with jumps. It's a really good thing but because I accomplished the one thing I wanted to do, as an artist who wants to accomplish one more thing, I want to be a skater who can confidently say something about what my charm is."
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