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iguana012 · 6 years

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2017 Japanese Nationals: Post competition analysis

Hello and happy new year to everyone! We have all survived yet another intense bloodbath, we have safely arrived to 2018 and we can talk about it now and forever after to our children and grandchildren. Yes, it’s the Japanese Nationals, also known as The Nightmare Before Christmas. As you know, once you get invested in figure skating, specifically Japanese figure skating, you can never enjoy Christmas as you once did when you were blissfully unaware of the existence of this event they call Japanese Nats. This season’s Nats has been feared for a good while as it was shaping up to be the event where people’s hearts would inevitably be broken. The event where the 2018 Olympic team was decided was possibly the fiercest competition in the ladies’ event in Nats history as no less than 7 ladies were battling for only 2 spots at the Olympics and Worlds. Japan ending up with 2 slots for their ladies was one of the biggest sins of 2017 if you ask me. Until the very last moment you couldn’t really guess who’d go and who’d stay home. But make no mistake, the girls who unfortunately had to stay home are much better than some of the other ladies in the world who will go to the Olympics. It’s not hating, it’s just the reality. Meanwhile the men’s event was gonna be a much less exciting and intense event from the moment Yuzuru Hanyu had to withdraw due to the injury he sustained in practice back at the NHK Trophy. However, even if the depth was nowhere near the spectacular last group of 6 from the 2013 Nationals, it still turned out to be a good competition. That said, here’s my personal analysis of the 2017 Japanese Nationals!

THE LADIES

At the beginning of this season, I bet nobody would have thought the Olympic team would be Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto. In fact most people, including myself, thought Mai Mihara would be a lock and Wakaba Higuchi would eventually join her. Satoko was recovering from a serious hip stress fracture and couldn’t jump at all as of October, while Kaori had just turned senior and didn’t skate very well in the beginning (4th at US Classic where Marin Honda won, 5th at Rostelecom where Wakaba Higuchi was 3rd). But by Skate America, both ladies were able to put two clean back to back programs and they were 1st and 2nd in the event. Meanwhile Wakaba Higuchi, who started the season with a bang (217 total score at the Lombardia Trophy, two medals in the Grand Prix) started piling up small mistakes towards Nationals and Mai Mihara’s programs weren’t appreciated by the judges as she consistently got some of the lowest PCS among Japanese ladies. Marin Honda wasn’t much of a factor from the very beginning as she wasn’t quite ready for the intense fight for spots. A member of the World team in 2015, 2016 and 2017, Rika Hongo didn’t have much of a chance in front of the new seniors. But in the midst of the Olympic chase, junior Rika Kihira landed three triple axels at Nationals, the first lady to do so since Mao Asada. If she repeats the feat at Junior Worlds, she will officially repeat Mao’s record.

7. Marin HONDA (SP, FS)

Marin was originally going to do a tango in her SP but changed her mind when she heard a song in the car and thought it was the perfect music for her. So she ended up skating to The Giving by Michael W. Smith and many people loved it. It’s really obvious when a skater loves the music they’re skating to. The emotional connection, as well as projection to the audience is deeper and more natural.

The program was very sweet and warm but her performance at Nationals was a bit subdued as she kind of skated through the motions and didn’t really connect to the music. All I could think of after the program was, well, that was cute and sweet but it’s not something I’d look at and say wow that’s a complex, multi layered program that would be a hit at the Olympics. She actually maintained focus and got her spin levels this time (something she always struggles with) but a bad landing on the 3Lo (which I think is one of her best jumps) and a step-out / touch-down was costly in a deep field.

Her FS this season is Turandot, a choice inspired by Olympic Champion Shizuka Arakawa. Marin made no secret out of her wish to compete at the 2018 Olympics and the media fell in love with her, she got a lot more sponsors than the other ladies (Japan Airlines, Ghana and KOSE to name a few); big companies that you usually see attached to names such as Mao Asada and Yuzuru Hanyu. People were more than ready to send her to the Olympics. But that dream couldn’t come true when she skated her long program at Japanese Nationals and popped a couple of jumps. Every time I saw this program I was a bit puzzled at her expression in the opening pose. I’m struggling to find any reason for her to flash a playful, idol like smile to the judges when her music is Turandot. She actually smiles a lot during the program and I found that distracting. Turandot is supposed to be a beautiful but cold princess and any prince who wishes to marry her should answer three riddles or else he dies. The red dress she wore for this program was absolutely gorgeous and as many people noticed, very similar to Yuna Kim’s Turandot dress.

PROS: Marin has a lot of natural talent. Her skating skills are sublime and she looks like she’s skating on clouds. She has a beautiful face and a beautiful smile that everyone loves and a playful personality that can easily attract cameras. She loves and feeds off the attention she gets. A very charismatic performer with solid basics that could become a real star if she put a little more effort.

CONS: Marin’s main problem is perhaps the lack of focus. Most of the time, she has trouble concentrating on the things that count and has lost important points just for not hitting her spin levels. She doesn’t have the greatest jumps and her toe picking technique is weird at best, but she gets decent height and beautiful flow. While she is a very skilled performer, she doesn’t have a wide interpretative range and is basically skating with a playful smile even when the music doesn’t require her to do so. She is still very young, is obviously enjoying a lot of love and adoration and will hopefully become more focused as she gets older.

6. Rika HONGO (SP, FS)

Rika skated the best SP in a while here and got awarded with a 70 score and 3rd place after the short. Her SP is O Fortuna and it’s the same program as last season but I think her performance at Nationals was the best she ever did. She was wearing a beautiful red dress and skated with passion, power and conviction. She opened with a huge, fully rotated 3F-3T combination and you just knew she was in for a fight as she has a habit of underrotating the backend 3T when she’s injured or nervous. Spins aren’t her forte; she doesn’t hit the most aesthetically pleasing positions and doesn’t get a lot of speed. But she was 100% connected to her music (you could even see her lip sync when they showed close-ups) and she communicated very well with the audience. I loved the landing of the 2A right in time with the musical note. The step sequence was amazing; not the best posture and the movements seemed unfinished at times, but it was very expressive and could easily draw you in. She had people cheering and clapping for her from the moment she performed her last spin. Well deserved standing ovation and it was so good to see her so happy.

Her FS set to the soundtrack of Frida is another gem of this season. Rika hasn’t enjoyed a good long program since Riverdance a couple of seasons ago and while this isn’t as popular as Riverdance, it still fits her like a glove. The 3F-3T was perhaps not as confident here as it was in the SP but she went on to land a beautiful tano 3S. The axis of the 3Lz was completely off and she fell; since falls were so rare in the competition, this one unfortunately stood out. I thought the step sequence was lovely though not as free and convincing as the short. Another fall on the 3Lo and it was clear that she would end up being left behind in the rankings. I also thought her interpretation was absent in the second half of the program as mistakes started piling up.

PROS: Most Japanese ladies are known for having beautiful movements, soft skating skills and gracefulness but Rika Hongo usually puts out different, dynamic performances that can be equally enjoyed by the audience. In fact she is widely appreciated for bringing a quirky side to skating. Her jumps are big but she doesn’t have a good lutz edge and can sometimes underrotate. Even if she’s not going to the Olympics, she was a constant presence on the podiums and in competitions in the post Sochi era.

CONS: It’s become increasingly difficult for her to keep up with all the young skaters coming from juniors. She’s not very consistent and has struggled with injuries in the past. Her posture issues are well known and she hasn’t fixed much about her hunched shoulders. She also doesn’t have the best skating skills in the field.

5. Mai MIHARA (SP, FS)

Can you believe someone many people bet on being on the Olympic team finished 5th at Nationals? It was mostly because of her SP, Libertango, which turned out to be a not-so-good choice for her this season. While the intentions for her to expand her performing range are appreciated, perhaps this wasn’t the right season to experiment. I thought she started the program fairly well here and although her movements were not nearly sharp enough for this type of music, her interpretation was in the right mood. I don’t know if it’s just me or if her jumps have become smaller lately. The 3Lz-3T was smooth as always. She was obviously happy to land the combination but skaters tend to break the mood when the relief of landing the jump shows on their face. Not the fastest spins. That thing she does rolling her hips isn’t the most natural movement for her. The fall on the 2A was really, really unfortunate. That was not the first time she had a problem in the SP (3Lz-3T-boards at the French GP comes to mind) and she instantly got disconnected from the music and skated with a blank face for the rest of the program. The 3F is a great jump for her, lovely transition out. By the time she finished the program, it became clear that she wanted it to end as quickly as possible.

Her FS, Gabriel’s Oboe, is more in her comfort zone but it still didn’t leave the best impression on the judges. It’s a lovely program and a fan favorite but one has to wonder where things go wrong for the judges to not want to reward it in PCS. Of course it’s the obvious problem of the Japanese ladies getting underscored as a tradition but in Mai’s case that can’t be the only reason. It’s cute, it’s uplifting and heart warming but perhaps it’s a bit too one note? There aren’t any ups and downs, just safe skating from the beginning to the end. She landed all of her jumps but it still didn’t have the wow factor of a cleanly skated long program. It’s not rich in transitions and her upper body movements need work. Aside from the relief of landing her jumps, she doesn’t show much in her expression either. The girl has been through a lot, she deals with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and this disease has kept her out of the second half of her last junior season. She enjoyed some success last season in the absence of Satoko Miyahara and has gained plenty of fans who appreciate the pure style of her skating.

PROS: Her jump technique is usually very solid and she is known for her effortless take-offs and landings. She also maintains very good flow. She can usually get very high TES and she had an extra jump in the second half of the FS this season. Also known for her consistency. She can only become better and better from here on.

CONS: She needs something to stand out. Every element of her skating has room for improvement and perhaps she is still searching for her personal style.

4. Wakaba HIGUCHI (SP, FS)

Wakaba almost went to the Olympics. Almost. She worked very hard to be taken into consideration for the team and if Japan had 3 spots, Wakaba would have been on the team. This is a skater who enjoyed a boost in popularity this season, mostly due to the fan favorite long program Skyfall. No doubt Wakaba has improved in all aspects of her skating from the last time we saw her skate Scheherazade at the World Team Trophy. I would even say she’s the closest to “the complete package” with her powerful jumps and performing skills. She was at her best at Cup Of China where she arguably should have won over a less cleaner Alina Zagitova. But she was not up to her usual standards at the Grand Prix Final and the trend unfortunately continued at Japanese Nationals.

While I’m not a big fan of her Gypsy Dance SP, she is able to take the choreography and make it her own. She’s very good at projecting to the audience. The shoulder shimmies were surely a hit among skating fans. The program is playful, fun and extroverted just like she is. She gets effortless speed and she is very powerful. The placement of the 2A is a great match for the musical structure but unfortunately she singled the jump here and it ended up becoming an invalid element. She was able to focus for the rest of the program and she landed a gorgeous 3Lz-3T combination - the best among Japanese ladies. She doesn’t get as much distance as she gets height but her jumps are no doubt a wow moment in the program. I still wonder why she insists risking a 3F seeing as she very often tends to take off from the outside edge, but she did it at Nationals and I love the transition out. The step sequence is amazing and not a single movement is left purposeless. That’s a very well choreographed sequence and I can’t help but love the beautiful and natural blend of music and movements.

The FS was a bit more “nervous” than the SP. The thing with Wakaba is that when she’s completely focused on her program and doesn’t let the jitters reach to her, she is a very skilled performer. But when the nerves kick in, her interpretation looks anxious and she disconnects from the music. That’s especially bad in the free because she has showed that she can bring the audience on its feet when she gives a good performance, but when she loses focus and starts worrying about her elements, the program inevitably suffers and becomes a shadow of its true potential. Wakaba skated a careful program at Nationals but when she’s on, she’s electrifying. She gets so intense that if I were judging her and she pointed a finger gun at me, I’d fear for my life. She can also become playful and confident, skating like she knows all your secrets and can always use them against you. The choreo sequence is so great. The split jump into the besti squat is so badass. The part where she walks on the tips of her blades and throws a knowing side eye at the judges; love it. The doubled salchow - not so much. At this point everyone let out a loud sigh as they knew what that meant. The 3Lz-3T in the second half of the program is always so risky; the 3T tends to get much less distance than the 3Lz and is in danger of being underrotated. The spiral after the step sequence is a bit eek - not the prettiest lines there. Love the haircutter at the end, she gets great speed and her free arm hits some nice positions on the notes.

PROS: Great all-around skater. Dynamic jumps, nice skating skills, decent spin positions though not always the most aesthetically pleasing lines. Great performer; I think she’s been underrated for a while but I’m glad a program like Skyfall gave her the opportunity to shine. She has a distinct skating style, powerful and intense, which makes her stand out from the rest.

CONS: Nerves. Not saying she totally bombs her programs, but it’s the small mistakes that take away points and performance quality. I think she wanted to go to the Olympics a bit too much and the impatience worked against her. Hopefully it’s a lesson learned and will overcome the small problems in the future.

3. Rika KIHIRA (SP, FS)

Three triple axels in a single competition. One in the SP, two in the FS. That says it all about this young girl who had a monstrous TES in the free and is turning out to be a force to be reckoned with. As if this event wasn’t intense and high quality enough, Rika came in and threw some of the most effortless triple axels I’ve seen. She’s also improved from a presentation standpoint and is no longer the awkward junior from last season. She missed Junior Worlds last season but this season she will hopefully not only compete but also skate two clean programs and step on that podium.

Kung Fu Piano is an interesting choice for her SP. So is the color of the dress (costume designer Satomi Ito is the real MVP). She’s still slightly rough around the edges compared to other Hamada students but I have no doubt everything she lacks now will come in time. Love the fact that she opens with a layback spin; a bit of a break from the layout monotony. And then the triple axel; it’s like you don’t even know what hit you. She goes into the jump without the slightest hesitation and she lands equally confident, with a lovely running edge out. 13.46 points for that jump alone! And then it’s a 3F-3T combination way in the second half of the program, talk about technical brilliance! A shame about the doubled lutz, otherwise this would have been unreal. It just blows your mind.

She’s skating to La Strada in her long program, a piece most Japanese fans associate with Daisuke Takahashi’s Olympic bronze medal / World gold medal winning long program. She seems so relaxed, it’s like she’s not about to jump two triple axels in the next few seconds. And then she lands the jumps like it’s second nature and never once breaks the mood of the program. The spins could be a bit faster; she’s not the best spinner around. The axis of that 3Lo was actually a bit scary; I’m glad she was able to stay on her feet. The fact that she doesn’t show any anxiety at all is refreshing. Final TES 79.53. That will be hard to beat once she improves her components and the PCS catches up.

PROS: Sound technique, triple axels and possibly quads in the future. No doubt a technical prodigy. Already gaining popularity as a junior, can only imagine the hype when she turns senior.

CONS: Not the best spins, skating skills and lines but I do believe she’ll get there. She’s still only 15.

2. Kaori SAKAMOTO (SP, FS)

Surprise, surprise! It’s the girl almost nobody considered for the Olympic team. Kaori is fresh off juniors and she’s been slightly inconsistent in the past. However she truly rode the wave towards the Olympics and was the only one to become better and better when it actually counted. It was only last season when she finished 7th in the same competition but went on to get a Junior Worlds bronze behind country mate Marin Honda, who got silver. While everyone else was busy stressing out over placements and scores, Kaori waltzed through this Nationals with the best #YOLO attitude and was even bewildered in the kiss & cry when she realized she didn’t win the competition. Skating last in the free skate was truly the most important test for her and she passed without any problems. Her selection over Wakaba Higuchi was received with little to no protests.

The SP set to Moonlight Sonata is a good example of a good backloaded program. The jumps kick in as the music gets more intense. And she has the best jumps of all Japanese ladies, so why not show them off using the best method? She gets amplitude as well as distance and you’re left amazed every time she jumps one of those 3F-3T combinations. The best part about her combinations is the fact that the 3T gets virtually the same height and distance as the 3F, making the combo look truly spectacular. She is a decent spinner, but her skating skills are not among the best. She’s not the most graceful skater, and her lines could use some work. Very rough around the edges but she just came out of juniors after all.

The FS is the kind of program you’ll either love or hate. Skating to the soundtrack of Amelie, Kaori changed the color of her dress to a much visually pleasing red. The program fits Kaori’s quirkiness overall but there are a lot of stops and breaks, two footed skating and not as many transitions. The pantomime is also not the most convincing. The 3F-3T was not the most confident here as the 3T seemed a little bit off axis - a problem she used to struggle with in the past. I wonder if it’s a wee bit awkward having to wave at someone in the audience in the middle of the program. There’s a huge break after the step sequence with a lot of miming and not as much actual skating. The part where she bends over is maybe a bit too much; I didn’t like it when I first saw it and I still don’t like it now. But she gets plenty of time to charge her batteries for what’s coming next. The flutz is often very obvious though she works very hard on her take-off edge. Great response from the audience, they were clapping for her even before she started preparing for her final spin.

PROS: The best jumps in the business hands down. Great resistance to pressure and a bright attitude that helps her focus on the important things.

CONS: Not the best skating skills and transitions, not the best lines and a still juniorish performance style. Aside from her jumps, everything else has plenty of room for improvement.

1. Satoko MIYAHARA (SP, FS)

In a miraculous comeback from one of the most serious (and probably rarest) injuries a figure skater can suffer, a stress fracture of the hip joint, Satoko won her 4th National title and an automatic qualification to the Olympic Games. During her long comeback to competition, she also suffered 2 additional injuries, one in her ankle after she skated at Mao Asada’s ice show in July and another one in September, once again in her already affected hip. She was banned from jumping, especially toe jumps, up until October and for a while it seemed like it was impossible for her to recover so quickly. Mie Hamada suggested they start preparing for the next Olympics in 2022. But the unthinkable happened and she showed up at Skate America in a much improved state compared to NHK Trophy just two weeks prior. And while the technical panel there gave her the benefit of doubt on a few jumps, the general idea was that maybe she was ready to challenge for an Olympic spot after all.

Many skating enthusiasts enjoyed Satoko’s long program last season, set to The Planets suite and a little bit of Princess Leia, and were hoping to see it again this season considering that her appearances last year were cut in the middle as a consequence of her hip injury. But she showed up with two brand new programs this year, both Japanese themed but in general different from one another. Her SP Memoirs Of A Geisha choreographed by Lori Nichol has quickly become one of the fan favorites this season. While the performance at Nationals lacked that extra spark she displayed at the Grand Prix Final, it is worth noticing how she never lets her jump issues affect the rest of the program and you’re sure to get one heck of a performance even if, knock on wood, she doubles or singles all of her jumps. And this is what happened here; this is the most nervous I’ve seen Satoko like, ever, and all of her jumps had tight landings (including the 2A!), the underrotation was there, it was called, but she more than made up for it in PCS. She knew she let the nerves affect the overall quality of the program and she was not pleased at all. Which is partly why we got the most amazing FS two days later.

The FS Madama Butterfly is Tom Dickson’s work, and he has wanted Satoko to skate to this piece since forever. But they wisely waited for the right time for Satoko to perform it to its full potential and it happened right in this competition. I’m known to be a Satoko fan so I’ll spare the superlatives for this program - I’ll just say she has never displayed as much freedom, emotional depth and audience projection as she showed at Nationals. It was the most inspirational skate of her career. I feel like this program is less about the actual story of Madama Butterfly and more about her own story overcoming a potentially career ending injury. The scene of Cio-Cio-san’s suicide is included towards the end of the program, culminating with the arabesque spiral in the choreo sequence; but instead of the program ending there like the opera, there’s an abrupt change once she lands her final 2A and it’s almost like she wakes up from a dream or like she is able to change her destiny as “Un Bel Di Vedremo” - an aria that shows Cio-Cio-san imagining the return of Pinkerton - plays once again all the way to the end of the program. So she went through the toughest and most challenging times, but in the end, quoting the actual lyrics of the aria: “One fine day we'll see / A thread of smoke arising / On the far horizon of the sea, / And then the ship appears”.

PROS: Some of the finest skating skills in Japanese skating, some of the most intricate steps, the best spins (fast, centered, hit the most aesthetically pleasing positions, the layback is to die for), the most refined lines, most purposeful use of arms and body movements in general, the ability to adapt to the changes in music and choreography and last but not least, consistency.

CONS: The jumps. They’re small, they’re prerotated, sometimes underrotated, they have enough flaws for many people to cancel out everything I’ve listed in the “pros” paragraph. I’d say she needs to work on the technique but the truth is that it’s what she’s always been doing for the past years and there are some serious physical limitations that prevent her from “flying high”; I’ve talked about them in this post so it’s a bit pointless to mention them again here.

THE MEN

In Yuzuru Hanyu’s absence, the National title was 99,99 % sure to go to Shoma Uno and the only other question was who was going to step up and claim the 3rd Olympic spot - although even here, Keiji Tanaka came in having done some steady progress while Takahito Mura was losing some of his athletic ability. So Keiji claiming the only spot left actually came to no surprise for me. The competition was overall better than I expected it to be but obviously less exciting and less intense compared to the ladies’ event, which is why I won’t go into much detail with the men.

Yuzuru and Shoma haven’t competed against each other since Worlds - or to a less official extent WTT - and will only face each other at the Olympics. This is as exciting as it is terrifying IMO. Shoma has never officially beaten Yuzuru in competition, but his chances of an Olympic gold medal are still very high. Although there’s not much of a national depth at the moment, it’s actually the first time two Japanese men have this many chances of taking two of the Olympic medals. Perhaps Tatsuki Machida had more than 50% chances of making the podium in Sochi but it’s way more than that for both Yuzuru and Shoma this time.

That said, it’s about time Shoma Uno gets his stuff together and sticks to the jump layout he’s most comfortable with because he’s made numerous mistakes this season. I read that’s exactly what he’s planning on doing and I say good for you son. It was long overdue. I can’t say I’m emotionally invested in his programs this season (his long program Turandot is recycled from the 2015-2016 season - with some changes that I’m not necessarily fond of) but they do showcase his strengths: beautiful flow, deep edges, speed, intense looks, some nice gif material worthy slow motion replays and all that. His lack of transitions and richness in crossovers has been talked to exhaustion all over the internet but I’m one of those who think they don’t mean weak skating skills. His skating skills are still strong but as it is the case with many men nowadays, he has to spend a lot of time preparing for the big point getters - the quads. His jump technique isn’t the best; he has more prerotation than the other men, and if he doesn’t do the crossovers and whatever else he needs, he won’t land them / will pop them / will underrotate them / you name it. At the end of the day, all skaters have to adjust to the requirements of the current judging system and if that means sacrificing things for the benefit of other things that are sure to be rewarded, then that’s what they have to do.

I do have to say though, what the hell was that 2A-4T attempt. Why. Delete it from existence.

Keiji Tanaka is hot and cold, but he was close to hot at Nationals. He came and did his job, he dealt fairy well with the pressure and landed his quads - that 4T in the FS though damn he just came and threw that DOWN. His biggest issue, as with many other skaters, is consistency. But if he calms down at the Olympics, he can surprise everyone with a good placement.

Kana Muramoto is such a star; ever since she took the place of Cathy Reed, the new Muramoto/Reed team has been overflowing with charisma. I will be hardcore rooting for them at the Olympics.

Can’t say much about Miu Suzaki / Ryuichi Kihara except oh crap a Yuri On Ice program at the Olympics (you know they’re gonna get those views) and poor Narumi Takahashi.

All in all the ladies’ event could have been a separate competition in its own right; those girls are really top level and I expect all of them to expand their medal collection in the next 4 years. Oh yeah and to bring 3 spots back.

#personal #figure skating #Satoko Miyahara #Kaori Sakamoto #Shoma Uno #Keiji Tanaka #Japanese National Championships 2017

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pigfarts23 · 7 years

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Probably sound like a madman, but hear me out

Each character’s song represents them, through and through. (I’m just doing the 6 from the GPF because know most about them (except maybe Otabek but like ... we don’t know much about him #littlescreentime)

How? Well (TIME FOR SOME PROOOOOF)

This got hella long. TL;DR: the YOI creators knew where they were going with their characterizations and managed to convey this through each of the program’s music

Details under the cut.

Viktor’s First skate: Stammi Vicino

We first are introduced to this character with a self assured “Commemorative photo?” after he comments on Yuri’s program at the GPF. But his first skate we see actually gives us a deeper insight into who he was at the beginning of the series.

I mean, this doesn’t scream “I’M SO PUMPED BECAUSE I KNOW I’M GONNA WIN” this is like “wow i’m all alone this kinda sucks”.

At this point, we have concluded he was lonely, what with all the meta on how empty and cold his apartment looks; there’s no personal effects, and it was noted that he was able to pack up everything in about a week.

Yuuri’s SP: On Love: Eros

Now I know all of you are like: wtf?

But hear me out. After the events of ep 10, we know that Yuuri has this locked up personality that he lets loose for people he’s close to, when he’s on the ice, or when he’s incredibly drunk (Kids don’t drink 16 glasses of champagne. The outcome is bad; if you don’t have alcohol tolerance you’ll barf your guts out before passing out or if you do you’ll end up pole dancing and not remember the night at all THIS HAS BEEN A PSA).

(side note: DAYYYUM SON)

Celestino, as a coach, has picked songs he feels like Yuuri would skate to, which means they were probably very much like Yuuri himself; reserved, quiet, witty, determined, etc. All of this eros is held back by an incredibly vulnerable Yuuri who wants to get through life while rocking the boat as little as possible. So the fact that Viktor comes along and says “Ah yes you’re skating to this.” he was like wtf. But this is truly him and everything he wishes he could be - confident, sexy, someone who is equal to Viktor in every way.

(That’s my theory on why he was insistent he make Yuri on Ice equal difficulty to Viktor’s program)

Yuri’s FP - Yuri On Ice

So.

As said by the commentators, this song was used by Yuuri to express the different types of loves he feels. As you watch, he mentions all the feelings etc. etc.

But - Love.

Yuuri has finally gotten love. It’s why the FP was record breaking. He’s gone and he’s fallen in all sorts of love with everyone. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying he’s just discovered love. He’s loved his family and friends and we get to see that in all the interactions he has with them, which is wonderful. But he finally realises that they love him as much as he loves them. Which makes him fill with more love and determination.

Not only that, but this piece is kinda.... a walk down memory lane. He’s gotten someone to capture his career, and if you listen to the music, it tells you exactly where he was dragged down and how he was able to rebuild himself and become even stronger. This song is Yuuri summed up in 3 minutes. You listen to that, and you know exactly who he is.

Yuri’s SP - On Love: Agape

Yuri is innocent and pure and for some reason, his Russian team (and the Hero of Kazakhstan along with Japan’s top figure skater) all love him.

Ahem.

There’s no other way to put this. Yea ok he’s angry and yells and likes to threaten people (I mean.. same), but he’s very much like a kitten - he can really do no harm.

(He’s got nicer hair than I do (also look at how innocent he looks)).

But Yuri is very innocent. He’s only 15 years old, and sure, he’s travelled the world. But he hasn’t seen much of the real world. His entire life is figure skating. He eats, breathes, and sleeps it. So he lives in what essentially can be considered a bubble.

To the real world - he’s an innocent bean (it’s probably why they call him the Russian Fairy). And I think that he knows this, which is why he postures so much; all that anger and aggression keeps people away, like it kept Yuuri away at first, so that no one knows how young he really is (even though they say his age at every skating event).

Yuri’s FS - Allegro Appassionato in B Minor (RIP pianist)

To start, I’m going to translate this name (I don’t speak Italian, but I have studied music for the last 16 years AND I did ballet for 10 years, so I do know what these terms mean).

Allegro - the musical definition is bright, quickly, lively. However! In ballet, the term is the same, but it is applied to airborne movements (side note I just rewatched his ep 12 skate trying to get a good photo and he actually adds in a quad! So he’s airborne! ish!)

Appassionato - passionately; play with passion.

(if this doesn’t scream PASSION i don’t know what does)

But Yuri is passionate. He’ll fight for what he believes in, as commented on by Otabek’s monologue (”Yuri Plisetsky had the eyes of a soldier”) and, I’ll bet someone dinner at a place of my choosing, he’ll fight for anyone he accepts into his family. This boy just has so much passion for figure skating (and cats. Definitely loves cats.) that it’s absolutely incredible - it’s something that can’t be contained and yes, he has to work for it, but with that passion, drive and determination he has, this song is essentially all him.

Phichit’s SP - Shall We Skate?

This pure bean.

Honestly, just listening to the music, you get a sense of who Phichit as a person really is. He’s upbeat, enthusiastic, (JUST LIKE THE MUSIC!!) and overall he just seems like the type of person who can just make you smile purely by existing.

He’s encouraging and supportive and I think he was skating as the Skater, because the lyrics tell us the King was trying to learn to skate. The skater, much like Phichit, is showing the King how to skate, and basically being the best cheerleader in the world as the King skates.

Yuuri and him were roommates in Detroit; Phichit would have been incredibly supportive and encouraging because he’s the Purest Cinnamon Roll Ever.

He’s just so fucking supportive idk what else to say ok.

Phichit’s FS - Terra Incognita

So this piece is also upbeat and features a relatively happy overall mood. It’s somewhat inspired by South East Asian music (I’m not sure what part of South East Asia, but I feel that Indian vibe to it) which I really enjoyed.

But again, this just summarises the picture we’re given of Phichit. Granted this is all painted from Yuuri’s POV, who is literally the most unreliable narrator. But that one bit we got from Viktor regarding Phichit shows that Viktor actually is in agreement with Yuuri’s ideas.

So from that, we can conclude that Phichit is incredibly supportive and loving, not just to his friends, but to people who his friends love as well.

Chris’ SP- Intoxicated

So the first opening bit reminded me of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. But once I got over that, this song is sexy, and sauve, just as we all know (and love) Chris to be.

This piece kinda .. flows, for lack of a better word. To be honest, listening to this song when I’m not looking at this dork’s face (or butt) makes me think of those scenes where the dude emerges from the water, and we get a slow close up of a drop of sweat falling down his chest or smth.

This song, at the very essence, is exactly who Chris is. He’s confident, mature, and just oozing sexual pleasure. It’s a nice contrast to Yuuri’s Eros, which wasn’t as sophisticated as this one is. This is essentially pleasure after pleasure, all done so well and controlled, all to ensure that the partner (in this case, the audience) is getting as much pleasure out of it as possible.

And not only that - we know Chris actually wears glasses, but it doesn’t appear he wears them in public, which means there’s a vulnerable part of him that he doesn’t want the world to know, so he shows his sexual appealing side and keeps his vulnerable side for his super close friends and fam.

Chris’ FS - Rapsodie Espagnole

So as anyone can tell you, Spanish songs are full of passion. This one is no different.

As is this man. God the passion this man has... incredible.

Chris is a man extremely comfortable with his sexuality, and he’s very comfortable and confident with who he is.

That’s all I can add on for him because we don’t get much of Yuuri’s thoughts re: Chris to be able to see another side of him apart from the super comfortable with his sexuality version.

AND FINALLY: (I’m not doing Otabek I can’t do him justice if someone else wants to analyse his music (he was the only one who didn’t get original music (BEETHOVEN ASSHOLES) for both his free skates))

JJ’s SP - Theme of King JJ (his song is hella freaking catchy)

Right of the bat, in both the song and the anime, we’re introduced to JJ as a man who’s exceptionally arrogant. He sees himself as someone who essentially rules figure skating.

And it’s interesting that we get a bit of that feeling as well from Yuuri.

This song and JJ are both incredibly arrogant - his song (presumably sung and written by him) talks about how amazing he is, and how no one can catch them. He taunts people, saying “Catch me if you can” and that’s exactly what he does to Yuri at the Skate Canada medal ceremony. “I look forward to climbing the podium again with you in Russia.”

He’s loud, brash, and an incredible show off, which is exactly what this song shows.

(I didn’t have to look up any of these quotes o hm ygod why am I JJ trash it must be Canada Pride)

JJ’s FS - Partizan Hope

So this piece is completely different from the last one. It starts off differently slowly and with just a piano.

The feel is completely different. To be honest, I get the shot of a person triumphantly crossing the finish line of a race in slow mo while this plays in the background.

The feeling of how he skates is completely different as well. It’s more triumphant, less arrogant.

Confident. JJ is a confident person, something the music reflects earnestly. And he knows he’s going to win, so he just skates for the fun of it. He’s not taken no for an answer, and because of that, he’s built up quite the character of fighting for he wants just by being loud, brash and opinionated (something that will get you strange looks on a Canadian bus, fun fact).

This confidence is hidden behind his outgoing self, which you can hear very clearly in this piece (probably why they put it second, because the ISU regulations RE: times would make sense for them to reverse this order of pieces).

“Ok, so I read all that. You’re right. What’s your point?”

Wow thanks for asking that!

This is my point.

Viktor’s second skate: Duet - Stay Close to Me

This is an absolutely incredible transformation - we know the songs of the characters represent who they really are. As a result, not really seeing Viktor skate competitions and then suddenly see him skate this, a song filled with so much hope and love (I was actually crying when this aired because the emotions were too much in this piece); the loneliness of the violins has been replaced with happiness, hopefulness and love.

All because of our dear Yuuri.

And I think that this is one of my favourite character growths in a tv series - Viktor, growing and changing not for love.

Instead, he changes because of it.

And I think that’s beautiful.

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