Japan Open 2013

I went to both JO and CoI today. When Dai showed up for teams introduction, he did look a little pale and tired. That was clear that he was still recovering and didn't feel well enough. I almost felt guilty. I mean Dai, unlike many others, doesn't have "sick days". He must always skate, especially in Japan, for fans, for television, etc.
He was in a jacket, everybody could see his black pants and naturally assumed that his costume will be black as well. Guess what reaction the audience produced, myself including, when he took off his jacket at a warm-up and we saw his simple creamy/skin color shirt. Dai and in a simple shirt, with no sparkles, just a shirt. Cool! In a warm up he did usual jumps like 3S, 3F, 3Lo, 3Z, light and easy. He tried 3A, twice doubled it but then he did a really good one. He tried a quad as well, first- did 3T, but then jumped a very nice 4T. I think his quad is higher now, with more beautiful position in the air.
He was the last to skate. Such a wonderful flow and relaxation, smooth and happy. I actually understand why Dai said he liked his new FS- it's so much him in it. Lori did her work and gets the credit for it. He is gliding across the rink, entering and exiting jumps/elements like on the butter ice. He made mistakes as you know and ended up with low TES. But I was partly pissed with his PCS. Fosse, I don't find it high at all. It's just a couple of points higher than of "walking" Javi and it's lower than that persona's with his multiple falls. So, I wouldn't be in a hurry to celebrate. Will see.

At CoI he skated Sonatina. Wow! The costume was new, in a similar tone than the previous one- black with golden details, but less parading, no black velvet. What a performance. Kenji works for audience, Dai and judges. Full set. On a big ice the prog looked less depressing, in a sense that Dai didn't have to "pack" all moves like he had to on a tiny rink. Here he could afford  to "stretch" them flowing. He did 3F, then 3A (second toe a little), combo with 3Z. In the encore he skated Eye just like at FrOI: the very beginning and then the final steps. Oh, you should hear that! The audience was literary screaming with each his move. He is officially canonized here. He tried a quad in a finale with Nobu and Taka but fell.

Go, Dai! And get better (Odaiji ni!)

Oh, thank you, let`s talk. It's so good to hear the story of someone who saw the perfomance live.

Thank you let's talk for your detailed report, much appreciated!

COI Sonatina;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptmXtYXjZdQ&feature=youtu.be

I don't know about his new costume. But once the performance started, I totally forgot about that. His performance was so stunning and huge. Even the full size rink looked too small for him. And "Eye"...  
Nobody can beat "Daisuke X Kenji".

masy

Thanks masy.
Sonatina become more deeper than FOI and eye became totally differenet than Vancouver.

I read tv tokyo made a few extra seats for JO/COI so the rink wasn't full size.

Thank you so much masy for the link. Gee! My jaw dropped down to the floor and did not come back to me:affraid: this is totally beyond figure skating. We need to come up with the different name. like " solo art dancing" or something. No wonder that as many as 9 judges gave him standing ovation. I do not know what I would have been doing if I had been thete. Maybe fainting? I really do not know. It feels like seeing something realky unkown.   I knew that dai will continue to make progress, but this???? This is alredy a skate of unkown level. And how much better he will be in the futur?? I got even scared. no wonder he is not getting Pcs high enough, isn' it really posibble to give scores to real art? It is something like giving scores to "nessen dorma" beautifully sang by Pavarotti or to poweful painting by Van Gough. Just impossible and at the same time meaningless. Now I got to watch this again and again. My kife of complete " rip -hijin" has just came back. 

let's talk, thank you for your recap, as enjoyable as usual  

masy thank you so much for Sonatina+Eye. Breathless from starting to end. As Genki says, this is art that stands so much higher than skating and usual scoring does not do justice to Dai's amazing performances.

New costume     (as ever)

Thanks let`s talk for the report!
And masy for Sonatina!  

That was one crazy weekend for me! I was busy, but I've tried to keep up with all the figure skating stuff that went on this weekend. But every time I had watched somebody I immediately needed to see Dai!
So it was like this: Javi-Dai-V&M-Dai-Yuzu-Dai-Akiko-Dai...

 
The more I watch The Medley, the more wonderful it gets for me!
And shorter! Every time I'm surprise, already the final steps?!
So many details to see!

I think he did it again. He is on the different planet.
Just like in 2011/2012.

Thanks everyone for everything!!!

I have the same feeling as you guys have, that Dai belongs to another universe, and there is almost no point in judging him and comparing him to other skaters. Unfortunately he has to compete with the others in the same "category". But he is in a league of his own, meaningless to constrict in a box with figures and numbers...

Right now, he's representing the antithesis to this sterile "all-quads" kind of skating. I wish his beauty and artistry could make a difference, in the end, and make history!

Gambare Dai-chan! We are forever with you!!!

ostile17 wrote:

Right now, he's representing the antithesis to this sterile "all-quads" kind of skating. I wish his beauty and artistry could make a difference, in the end, and make history!

Gambare Dai-chan! We are forever with you!!!

Ostile your words are so true!

For Dai I wish a good result in Sochi! It has been a privilege for me to follow Dai from Word Junior Champ to
the twilight of his competitive career. He will be remembered with the Great skaters from the past as a true
artist on the ice. GO Dai!

Genki wrote:

Thank you so much masy for the link. Gee! My jaw dropped down to the floor and did not come back to me:affraid: this is totally beyond figure skating. We need to come up with the different name. like " solo art dancing" or something. No wonder that as many as 9 judges gave him standing ovation.  I do not know what I would have been doing if I had been thete. Maybe fainting? I really do not know. It feels like seeing something realky unkown.   I knew that dai will continue to make progress, but this????  This is alredy a skate of unkown level. And how much better he will be in the futur?? I got even scared. no wonder he is not getting Pcs high enough, isn' it really posibble to give scores to real art? It is something like giving scores to  "nessen dorma" beautifully sang by Pavarotti or to poweful painting by Van Gough.  Just impossible and at the same time meaningless. Now I got to watch  this again and again. My kife of complete " rip -hijin" has just came back. 

Aww i really love, what you said! its really true, Daisukes skating is a real piece of art!

Thanks, sabse. I am now a bit feeling strange, because I am not seeing some out of this world compliment on this piece. U know those people from tsl or even fsu snd golden skate people? Are we only the ones who feel art? I even thought that skate at coi was as epoc making as t /d 's bolero.  whoom, strange. Do peple really want to see 3 quads among ugly skate? Is that what figure skating is all about? I really hate to think that 

ostile & Genki, your words about Daisuke and his skating as a way of art are so true!!

Up to now I have read many disappointed comments about falls and not counted spin, while too few   tried to look beyond simple execution and to percieve what Dai is actually saying - with his body and with the help of music - about the sport he loves so much that he devoted his life to it.

Pattina don't listen to the naysayers. Every season some skating fans complain about Dai's programs.

I remember when he debuted "Blues" the reception was not good. The naysayers did not like the music, they said it was just one beat and monotonous, Dai is capable of so much more with better music, blah, blah, blah. Now those same naysayers are calling "Blues" a classic.

The "Beatles Medley" is a choice that Dai made and it makes him happy.

Of course fans are entitled to their own opinion on what they like or don't like.

Shyla wrote:

Pattina don't listen to the naysayers. Every season some skating fans complain about Dai's programs.

I remember when he debuted "Blues" the reception was not good. The naysayers did not like the music, they said it was just one beat and monotonous, Dai is capable of so much more with better music, blah, blah, blah. Now those same naysayers are calling "Blues" a classic.

The "Beatles Medley" is a choice that Dai made and it makes him happy.

Of course fans are entitled to their own opinion on what they like or don't like.

Shyla, thanks for your comment; be sure that I do not listen to blah, blah, blah    it's only wind in my ears   

What's important to me is what I have seen up to now: two mesmerizing programs and a Daiwonderful Daisuke floating on ice with all his power, creating Dai-magic once again. That's enough for me: the pure joy of seeing him skating    

^ ^

Shyla wrote:

I remember when he debuted "Blues" the reception was not good. The naysayers did not like the music, they said it was just one beat and monotonous

Probably the same people are saying now, that the "Beatles Medley" has too many music cuts  

PATTINA wrote:

What's important to me is what I have seen up to now: two mesmerizing programs and a Daiwonderful Daisuke floating on ice with all his power, creating Dai-magic once again. That's enough for me: the pure joy of seeing him skating    

Yeah!


Japan Open ending - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H779_A5vixg

Team Japan is, as always, so cute!

Thank you, everyone, for all the info, link and especially for your thoughts!!  

I'm so behind the time writhing about his FS. Bear with me or simply ignore.

I had a busy week, and now I have a bit more time to repeat his performances, especially his Beatles Medley. Now I am an addict in a happy heaven of mad-repeating of his FS.   COI has to wait, or I would simply explode.  


What a warm, genuine cheerfulness. What a sense of freedom!!

He sometimes says that the beauty of this sport is that you have an undivided attention solely on you from all the audience of the arena, unlike any other sports. True. And in order to handle such attention, a heavy load of pressure from your countries or fans, going through such tensed moments on ice to come out alive, you would wear a heavy suit of armor to defend yourself.

Daisuke wasn’t wearing one there. He was bearing nothing on his shoulders, holding nothing in his hands, having nothing to guard against, just like his costume top that is so light, soft and simple. He just brought his heart to that ice.

The first time I watched I was scared. Not really because of jumps for I already knew the score. It was that he looked so bare. What happened to his usual gorgeous look of tensed up concentration before the start?? But my fear melted away as “Yesterday” goes on. The first thing he handed me was the peacefulness. He was being so natural self.

Then, oh, what a skating! How can he be so soft with that speed? Also each time the camera got him from the back I was so amazed with how his entire body, from the top of the head, through his spine and up to his skating edges, was beautifully positioned and fluently moved all through the program. And OMG the feelings. With his open heart, he showed such feelings of joy, love and thankfulness, not forcefully but ever so gently. It feels that because, like always, he left some space untold and empty for us to fill. While his landscape of skating, the area of picture he got within his frame, is so broad and huge to begin with, he is the only competing skater I know who does that so well. His color pallet is right too. With a creamy-white shirt he enhanced this warm and white world of this program.

I loved how his feelings looked truthful, not “performed”. I know Lori told him he got to force his smile even he felt it tough. I respect the tactics. In this performance, however, I think he is showing his true feeling of happiness. Or he wouldn't have those clear eyes after the performance of jumps and spins so totally messed up. He wouldn't be able to make me this happy each time I replay it.

This can be all hallucination from a Dai-junky. And I don’t know if he could skate with his mind as free as this next time, or the season going further on. But I’m sure one thing. This skater and this program is an incredible match. I trust that he can prove it and convince more and more people for the next four months.

Go, Daisuke!!

Genki wrote:

U know those people from tsl or even fsu snd golden skate people?

A good deal of those people are NA-based, the place where CoP rose up, FS got labeled as "gay sport", the audience doesn't bother to attend anymore, etc. They are failures because they failed to support/promote this sport. Two major places on FS map now are Japan and Russia. Japan has the largest fandom. Second- in Russia, where judging by babies Pitkeev/Petrov/Kolyada, FS is not going to be labeled as "gay sport" anytime soon. If folks there cared what tsl/fsu/gs writes, they would have already bought those sites.
"Sonatina" hasn't been presented to public in competitive format yet. If skated clean, it would be impossible to beat. "Beatles Medley" is another matter. Some fans might find it Lori-like boring with no character, and not without the reason. You don't have to be Dai to skate Lori. She created Chan-style prog for Dai because that is all she knows how to do. But by this she neutralized Dai's advatage over Chan- dynamic, dramatic and powerful performance, the one that we saw a lot in Daisquale and Kenji progs (like Sonatina). Between JO and COI we with fans went to izakaya to grab something. There fans told me that Sissy (tech lady at JO, the one who critisized Dai's Pagliacci after WC in WFS) came up to Dai at backstage and praised him that made Dai smile happily. I have no idea how reliable this info is. You know how it happens: someone saw something, tweeted to a buddy, and so on. So I can't know if this story is true or not since I didn't see/hear anything myself. But if it's true and if this Mephistopheles deal (with Lori) works well for Dai, I am all for it. But it doesn't mean that I'll be watching BM more than Blues.

Thanks for the translation Miyu, I hope Dai is healthy and having a nice training this week so he can be ready for SKAM.
Wow, Dai landing a 4Lz or 4F?!?! If he does either of them in competition he will make history as the first skater to land them right?  

let's talk, thank you for your comment to Genki's words. Quite agree.

Twind, how I love your words

Quote :

The first thing he handed me was the peacefulness. He was being so natural self.

So true and so moving, as the whole post. Thank you so much  for sharing your deep feelings.

Sonatina: what a powerful movement (thanks to Ice Princess for gift  ) How Dai throws his arm and eyes towards light and hope   

Thank you for your thoughts let's talk.

I disagree about Lori neutralizing Dai's advantage over Chan. Dai has had many dynamic, dramatic, powerful and
brilliant performances when I thought he should have been scored ahead of Chan and he wasn't.
 I never blamed his choreographers for that.

I do understand why some fans are disappointed with his FP. It is something completely different.

We will see how Dai's program is scored at SA. If it is not good I am sure Morozov will suggest
some changes.

Thanks Pattina for sharing the screen caps of Dai!

Twind, thank you so much for your beautiful post!   
You have expressed also my impressions so eloquently and beautifully!  

let`s talk wrote:

Some fans might find it Lori-like boring with no character, and not without the reason.

Hopefully some of them will eventually find and enjoy what, for example me and Twind, see in this program!  

let`s talk wrote:

You don't have to be Dai to skate Lori. She created Chan-style prog for Dai because that is all she knows how to do. But by this she neutralized Dai's advatage over Chan- dynamic, dramatic and powerful performance

On the other hand, this program shows that Dai can skate Chan-style program with as much speed and flow, but much more softly and beautifully, and this could neutralize Chan's advantage over Dai. And all can see, what the difference, skating with the heart and soul, makes to Lori's choreography.    
  
I love this "Honwaka" Dai-chan! This program already has its place among my favorites Blues, Eye, La Strada, Sonatina, In The Gardens... What a range of styles!  

Hazelq, I think Brendon Mroz has landed 4Lz in competition, but 4F is still there to grab.

Thank you Pattina for the gif!

ilica wrote:

Hazelq, I think Brendon Mroz has landed 4Lz in competition, but 4F is still there to grab.

Ohh that's true!! I completely forgot about that

thank you let's talk and Twind for your comments, I'm sure as the season goes on Dai's FS will get better and better I can't wait to see this program live in a week!!

Hi guys!
 
Sadly I haven't had time to read all your lovely comments so far… Anyway thank you for sharing the report and thought with us.  
 
I looooove the program, of course, Beatles Medley!!!   Pure and innocent, yet very sophisticated. To my eyes, it looked like he was shining from the inside of his body in the last Chsq. He surely conveyed the feeling of love and joy to us through the performance even though it was still the early in the season! You don’t need to worry, jumps will come, spins will come later. I'm just soooo happy, knowing he has gotten two super brilliant choreographies in the olympics season. Thank you very very very much, Kenji and Lori!
 
Ganbare Dai-chan!!  
 
And the rascals who are going to Skate America, がんばって大ちゃんを応援してね！！