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.
