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csykora · 4 years ago

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[A candid photo of Igor kissing his very grumpy toddler’s forehead goodnight]

The Greens could feel they were getting older, and Coach’s rookies just stayed the same. Two had joined CSKA that year. One of them was another Sergei, who we’ll call Seryozha. He had grown up skating eagerly every day, just outside their training camp in the city of Arkhangel. He thought Igor “was one of the smartest people I've talked to on this earth," and is pretty sure his idol didn’t know he existed. (Having read Igor’s book, I can now confirm). The other was Sasha, and had been born on the other side of the world, in Siberia, before he was taken early for CSKA’s system.

Sasha did not like any of this any better than the Greens had before him. Picking up the tension between the team’s leaders and Coach Tikhonov, Sasha had no problem talking back when Tikhonov turned on him. After his first season, the same trick that had made Igor an officer was used on him, making him a real Russian soldier who could be shot for treason. Igor hadn’t fought it, but the whole team heard Sasha yelling down in Tikhonov’s office.

Quiet settled for a while when Sasha was privately promised a better position to soften the blow--the top right wing, at Igor's side. 30 was creeping up on Sergei. He, Igor, and Vova privately celebrated and mourned the upcoming '88 Olympics as the last time they might play together on the world stage before Sergei's clock ran out. Pretty soon Tikhonov would be ready to retire him, just like Kharlamov.

But there were still signs that replacing Sergei wouldn't be easy, on either side. One day in practice, Sasha was injured and the team doctor told him to just watch from the stands that night. Igor saw him leaving the locker room just as Coach came in. Coach demanded that he get his sweater on immediately. Sasha repeated what the doctor said, and Tikhonov repeated what he had said, but louder.

“‘I thought I had explained it clearly enough,’’” Igor remembers little Sasha saying. “‘I will not play. That is all!’” And he walked away. Igor had to cough and cover laughter as Coach stood speechless.

“Only his wife and his dog like [Tikhonov],” Sasha once said. “And I don’t understand how they do.”

In December of ‘87, Igor thought that with a little help, maybe he could score another point on Tikhonov. He reached out to the author of that article about the hockey program that he had read to the point of memorizing two years before. Their conversation turned into an interview. He admitted he wasn’t ready to share the deepest details, but even scratching the surface of the Soviet image was enough to attract attention. Igor decided he liked to think of himself as a bit of an author. All the papers were calling for more quotes, until Lena got fed up and unplugged their phone.

At practice after it was published, Coach Tikhonov screamed, “‘Comrades, I always thought that I was working with hockey players. But here, do you understand, it has become clear I was not right. Among us are writers! Larionov, for example, is a Boris Pasternak!’

I think we could safely say he was not pleased.”

Two months later, the national team headed to Calgary for the Olympics. Before the Games the senior players had asked as always--if we win, wouldn’t it be possible to train less this summer, to rest, to see our families during the coming year? Coach Tikhonov said they’d talk about it if they got him gold.

Journalists invited Igor to a press conference. They forgot a Russian translator, though, so when they asked the first question and he understood it, he decided not to bother pretending he didn’t speak English. They asked how his new literary career was looking (and whether he’d had any flare-ups of that tonsillitis). He told them what he thought was the truth, colder than it had been when he was 20.

“I do not hope for some kind of large and speedy change for the better….But, I am not losing hope. We shall see what we shall see.”

They still had the rest of the Olympics to play. Between periods in the first round, Coach Tikhonov took Sasha out to the hallway and began to lay into him for mistakes he may or may not have made yet. Sasha told him no again, so Coach Tikhonov punched him in the gut.

Slava was the only one who saw, but he told the others. If thinking the team didn’t need him had snapped some key piece of Igor’s heart, the winter of ‘87 and ‘88 broke Vova’s massive one. They had won gold, again--and Vova had heard Tikhonov say that he wished he could coach the Canadians instead. Vova had swept more scoring titles, been named the best winger in the world, again--and Tikhonov had given a public speech about how Vova was proof that he, Viktor Tikhonov, and his physical training methods could make anyone a star. Igor was furious for his friend, and Vova was realizing nothing they did would ever be enough for Coach Tikhonov to stop hurting them.

They had nothing to do at Arkhangel, after eight years of doing the same nothing. One night in the spring Vova and Igor climbed out their bedroom window and hiked through the woods to a bar in the city. They sat beside a Canadian journalist and gave a short interview, Igor translating for them both.

By the summer of ‘88, Slava was done, too. He wanted permission to play in the NHL during the regular season, and he told everyone so. Officials told him no problem. And then they got out the red tape.

“You would not wish it on an enemy. Especially not on Slava, who is my friend. It was painful to look at him, irritated, disappointed by the word that had been given to him, grown tired from going from office to office, lost.”

When he complained, the Party told him if he wasn’t happy in Arkhangel he could always play in a Siberian labor camp instead.

But Igor was also busy, or trying to be, at home. He and Lena had their first baby, a daughter, Alyonka. Like her father, she was frighteningly small. If officials had thought becoming a husband and father would scare Igor into shutting up, like it had Lyosha, they were super wrong. The boredom, indignity, and constant inconvenience of Soviet life was bitterer now that he had to see it happening to someone else. When his daughter was sick, he couldn’t go home to hold her. When she was hungry, he might spend his whole day off wandering around the city, waiting in different lines to be told that there was nothing worth waiting for left. During parts of the season he could visit their apartment in Moscow in the afternoons, but couldn’t help cook or eat with Lena or stay to clean up and put Alyonka to bed.

Just like Tretiak had, he asked Tikhonov for time off next August--no days off, just nights, to be able to stay for dinner and drive back for training.

No.

“In August it was a life and death necessity for me to spend the night at the base? Well, the World Championship was not far off. Only eight months!”

Igor thought about it. He told the Greens that he was thinking about publishing another article. They were excited to read it, asking what this one would be about. He still wasn’t quite ready to say it, but he wanted them to know the moment was coming, so he just made them promise to read it.

Then he quit. In September he handed Tikhonov a letter explaining that he would play his last season with CSKA. They could let him go to the NHL during the regular season, or home to Khimik, or wherever he was wanted, as long as it wasn’t here. He went to the newspaper that promised him it could print fastest, and published it.

In his resignation letter, addressed to Tikhonov and now to the whole Soviet Union, he told everyone about the schedule (it was shocking, he said, that he and Lena managed to have a baby, when Tikhonov didn’t let him sleep beside his own wife); about how Tikhonov had made that schedule more important than Kharlamov, then Tretiak, and now Igor too; about Tikhonov punching Sasha; about the steroid injections he’d kept secret for Tikhonov for six years.

Those last two pieces were the wedge that any officials looking to shift the system needed. The papers published more pieces arguing one way and the other, which only made sure everyone heard about it. Fans and former players, now officers, stopped to pat Igor’s shoulder. Igor was informed that the legendary Tarasov, in his country retirement, had quite liked it.

Coach Tikhonov didn’t like Igor’s poetic inclinations any better this time. He was getting calls from all kinds of important people, and they weren’t going well. For the first time in years he was quiet, speechless. And then it became clear that was his response: he wouldn’t acknowledge Igor’s existence. He couldn’t take him off the roster now, but he could pretend he wasn’t there. No criticism in practice, no direction, nothing.

That was the difference between them, Igor wrote, both of their fatal flaw: Igor wanted to talk to everyone in the whole world, and Tikhonov had never learned how to talk to people.

The veteran players on CSKA’s second line found quiet moments to come up to Igor, and let him know they were on his side. Slava, still fighting for his own right to leave the team, came to Igor as soon as he’d read it, and took his hand. He told him Igor had done the right thing. Sergei and Vova embraced him and agreed.

Lyosha wasn’t sure it was right to share what had been said in the room, or to undercut Coach, who had kept him when he was at his lowest, and he was afraid of being sent to Siberia.

He told Igor, “You and I are not going the same path.”

And they did.

CSKA went on the road in October. In Sergei’s hometown Chelyabinsk fans hung over the rails and heckled Tikhonov, asking if he’d come to steal more children. His brothers Nikolai and Yuri were an institution in the city, and locals had consoled themselves over losing out on the full set by imagining that Sergei was doing well for himself and making a name for their city. Tikhonov turned away from the ice to try to shout at a fan like he did his players, and was swamped. Igor burst out laughing.

The next game, Tikhonov told the assistant coaches to tell Igor that Tikhonov still wasn’t talking to him but he could take a shift now, or whatever, not that Tikhonov cared. Igor caught the puck and carried it along the boards, expecting Sergei and Vova to chase him. Instead he hit a patch of bad ice, and then two of the other team landed on top of him on the way down. His right foot went the wrong way.

Now Tikhonov had a cast iron-excuse. Igor went home, and held his daughter, and waited and worried to hear what would happen if he didn’t heal in time for the next national team tournament--the Super Series, which would be the last warm-up before the ‘88 Olympics. It was out of his control, and he couldn’t bear that.

Igor has an explanation for what he did next that I’m sure felt sensible at the time. We, now, can gently set that aside. Igor had all the symptoms of a serious eating disorder, so for three weeks, he only drank water and honey.

Because, and I just can’t stress this enough, Igor, your bones heal in their own time anyway, he was back on the ice a month or so after that. Once again able to skate himself sick with CSKA’s reserve team, he started eating fruit and the occasional vegetable again.

The team doctor, who I guess had been hired on the basis of being able to say, “All good, Coach!” over an injured player faster than anybody else, cleared him to play. (Like a stopped clock, Igor maintains that the doctor--who Igor had seen point a concussed Vova in the general direction of the goal, roll players over the boards, and offered Igor mystery drugs--got it right this one time. Again, gently, we can question Igor’s medical fucking expertise here.)

It didn’t matter anyway. Tikhonov stood with arms crossed the whole time watching Igor skate, and said he was out of condition. He sent him home.

Igor was helpless again. His family wouldn’t get the pay from wins with CSKA, and now they were missing tournaments. Those could earn him $300, five months ordinary pay. He could train as much as he wanted alone--it wasn’t the same as playing with the Greens, and anyway now Tikhonov could always have a handy excuse to say he wasn’t back to his old self. All he had were his friends, who seemed sympathetic, but still hadn’t done anything.

Winter was coming on by now. He drove from Moscow to the training camp and walked across the grounds in the first drifting snow. Everything was quiet, cold, and clear, and he might as well have been twenty again, but this time he wouldn’t cross through the barracks door. Sergei, Vova, and Slava saw and came running down to meet him in the snow. They were glad to see him, worried for him, but they knew that Tikhonov was having his way.

I drove home along the Leningrad highway. I felt like shouting. ‘Where are your friends in a time of trouble? WHERE??? Can I expect sympathy from you, and nothing more?’...

Only my wife understood my despair.”

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#green unit #cw disordered eating #igor larionov #slava fetisov #wayne gretzky #sergei makarov #vladimir krutov

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lazuliblade · 8 years ago

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History of YOI fandom

As a YOI fandom grandparent, I felt it was my duty to write out all the fandom explosions for the newer fans who weren’t there to witness the big bang and gradual week-by-week creation of this universe. All the arguments, people blowing things out of proportion, blaming characters, death theories, awesome fans clearing up miscommunications, YOI breaking the internet...

This isn’t a post to call out specific people on their arguments and theories - I’ll stay respectfully away from restarting flames and picking fights, thankyouverymuch. Rather, this is an overview of the topics and conflicting views that swept across hundreds and thousands of people and prompted strong reactions. I’m doing this now, because I know that 6 months later, 1 year later, 3 years later, etc. there will be new fans who will have many of the same exact arguments. We’ve been there and done that. I see fans now who say things without knowing where the spelling/quote comes from, or who don’t realize how much has changed, or don’t know why there are certain perceptions of characters. So here’s a little bit of passing down history.

I also don’t want to forget the crazy ride this was. Laugh with me at the silly theories; smile with me at how deeply YOI has impacted our lives. For those of us old-timers, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Remember when...

---------------- (Large arguments will be italicized or bold. Special thanks to @sachiro for reminding me of a bunch of stuff I missed, and looking over the draft in its various stages of being written and edited.)

Pre-series

Idea that there would be a love triangle (Yuri P.--Yuri K.--Victor)

Some fans started spelling Yuri Katsuki with two “u” in order to tell them apart.

Victuri ship name created for Victor x Yuri K. (in a comment to the PV)

The title

“lol ‘Yuri’ on Ice? Where are all the lesbians?”

“When it said Yuri on Ice, I thought we would get girls. Y’know what I mean?”

“Yuri on Ice? More like Yaoi on Ice! amiright?”

etc.

J.J. misspelling (English spelling “Jean Jack” instead of French Canadian “Jean-Jacques”)

you can see the remnants of this in the audience banners during the episodes, but it was corrected to “Jean-Jacques” on the official website and the in-show text

Phichit x Seung-gil ship created (there was more art for this than for Victor x Yuuri)

Episode 1

Victor vs. Viktor spelling arguments

Although “Victor” is the official spelling and seen in-show, people argued that the creators are wrong and that we fans know better than them about Russian culture - thus the “Viktor” spelling was born.

People argued back that spelling is subjective and you can spell a name multiple ways and still be correct - thus transliterating his Russian name into English as “Victor” would be just as acceptable.

The YOI wiki held fast for a time on using official spellings and information from the official website, but the transition of power led to a new team that started using agreed-upon info rather than solely using official info. “Viktor” replaced “Victor” on the website.

this change from “Victor” to “Viktor” on the wiki happened around episode 2~3, but the arguments were in the page comments since episode 1 -- with moderators explaining their reasoning with sticking to official sources.

Victor is a flirtatious over-the-top character who will seduce Yuuri

Victor is the overwhelming seme and Yuuri is the shy whimpering uke.

People dropping the anime because Yuuri is overweight; people commenting that they don’t want to see an overweight main character

in addition, some people dropping YOI due to feeling that the series was “fat shaming” by using Yuuri’s weight as a point of comedy.

Conversely, some people praising that we have a main character that gains weight and actually has an overweight appearance.

“Japanese Yuri” &“Russian Yuri” or “Yuri K.” &“Yuri P.” were used to differentiate between the two characters since they shared the same official English spelling “Yuri”.

Starting with ep1, “Yuuri” spelled with two “u” became more widespread due to convenience when typing.

Japanese fandom simply used kanji for Yuri Katsuki and katakana for Yuri Plisetsky.

Some fans argue that Yuuri is more correct because in Japanese his name is ゆうり(yu-u-ri). Other fans argue that “Yuri” is still acceptable transliteration because there are multiple spelling systems (Hepburn, etc.) and an alternative correct spelling would be with a macron (Yūri).

Fans point out that Yuri’s name would be spelled “Yuri” in official documents anyway due to lack of macrons on many keyboards.

Spoilers for episodes 1-3 were out because of the two Western fans who witnessed the first three episodes of YOI in a Tokyo preview screening.

fans relied on a certain blogger for info on YOI.

“WHERE DID YOU SEE EPISODES 2&3???” was asked every 5-10 minutes (literally) and became an inside joke with us old-timers.

Yuuri = Yuzuru Hanyu, Victor = Evgeni Plushenko.

Some fans link characters with real-life skaters to encourage anime fans to watch real skating.

Some fans saw these as one-to-one connections without considering that characters are a mix of various real-life skaters, and then went onto YouTube videos and spammed about “real-life Yuuri.”

YOI fans being rude to skaters and sending emails to ship these real-life skaters (emails sent even to skaters who are married with kids)

Amazing researching fans:

find Victor’s apartment and the beach from the ending credits Instagram roll.

Love hotel

Makkachin’s name found in magazine Yuko was holding

speculation starts on what “Makkachin” means and how it should be transliterated (Makkatine, Mocatine, Makkatin, etc.)

Comparisons of Yuuri to the main character from Parasyte due to similar appearances (Tadashi Hiramatsu, the character designer who adapted Kubo-sensei’s initial designs for animating, was the main character designer for Parasyte).

Speculation on the year in-series starts.

Yoyogi for Worlds doesn’t match with Sochi as the GPF location.

Yuuri’s iPhone model is seen as a clue.

“Yuri on Ice” trends for 6 days on Tumblr

Episode 2

Victor is manipulative:

He’s a playboy and flirting all the time

In episode 1 Minako mentions that he is desired by millions.

His wink in episode 1 shows that he casually flirts with fans.

He will break Yuuri’s heart. He came to romance Yuuri, then drop him later.

He’s already pushing into Yuuri’s space with the chin-touching. That MUST mean he’s suave and planning to seduce and drop him.

“Victor calling him ‘piglet’ is so mean!” -- an extension to the fat shaming debate of episode 1.

Yakov’s angry comment to the press = more fodder about Victor being selfish and only there in Hasetsu for his own pleasure.

Victor is horrible because he broke his promise to Yurio x-number of years ago.

All of his happy smiles are a facade and he can’t actually be that nice.

Counterarguments to trust the creators and wait to see more about these characters because it’s only been 2 episodes.

Koibito translation nitpicking (it’s not “girlfriend,” Victor is saying “lover.” It’s a gender-neutral term.)

people calling this queerbaiting

“It can’t get any gayer!” line starts to make its appearance.

Ship name “Victuri” cemented. “Victuri sounds like victory!”

Arguments about spelling it “victuuri,” because of the trend with spelling Yuri K.’s name as Yuuri to differentiate the two Yuri’s.

Counterarguments that “Victurio” would be for Yuri Plisetsky, so therefore “Victuri” would be fine for Yuri Katsuki.

Evgenia Medvedeva starts watching around this time and posts comments on her twitter account.

The livestreaming IRC group is started. There were about 15 people tuning in (this grows to the hundreds by the last episode).

Mira makes her appearance (more of an appearance than the brief flash in ep1). Her name isn’t announced yet so some people nickname her “Natasha” (after the Marvel comics character Natasha Romanova/Black Widow)

Episode 3

Yurio was robbed.

and all the counterarguments against this.

score calculating posts begin to show up.

“Victor is manipulative” evolves into “Victor is evil”

“he didn’t keep his promise to Yurio”

people ignoring that he actually did keep his promise to choreograph a program

Eros story Yuuri tells Nishigori = parallel to how Victor will abandon Yuuri in the end. Victor is the evil playboy, confirmed!

People fighting this with meta about how Yuuri is the seductress keeping the playboy, and this was all Yuuri’s interpretation -- Victor may have had another story in mind and we’ll never know what it was. (<---until episode 10)

He forgot Onsen on Ice was about the competition and was there playing around as Hasetsu ambassador. He doesn’t REALLY care about the two Yuri’s.

“he didn’t notice when Yurio left and was having the time of his life with Yuuri on the podium”

Victor’s super-serious expression when Yuuri hugged him means he doesn’t care.

“Make a man pregnant” - the start of the ABO fic influx

“Katsudon ga daisuki da yo” is how we say “I love you” in YOI.

Boyfriend shirt has taken on a new level: boyfriend costume.

Yuuri and genderfluidity

quite a few fics were spawned from this topic too

YOI is not yaoi - how genre is not the same as tags. Posts clarifying what yaoi actually is and why Yuri on Ice doesn’t fit that genre at all.

Yuuri getting more confident by episode 3 already - initiating hugs and contact with Victor. “How much more gay can we get!? They already said ‘I love you’!”

Fanfic explosion

due to Victor’s character being slightly more fleshed out, and the relationship between characters becoming more established

Top!Yuuri starts to make appearances

Going in blind to the episodes from here-on-out because the fan report from the screening was only through episode 3.

Real life skaters are noticing and posting on social media about YOI.

Evgenia Medvedeva, Denis Ten, Deniss Vasiļjevs & Stéphane Lambiel, Ashley Wagner, Danny O’Shea and many others from here on.

Masterpost soon created to document all these skaters.

Kubo-sensei tweets about episode 4 being her favorite

Episode 4

Victor has cancer/is dying.

He was so dramatic and playful when he joked about balding. That means he’s hiding something. Balding = cancer. Therefore Victor is dying! (Note that cancer doesn’t cause balding, although it’s treatment with chemotherapy does.)

Victor being that out of breath must mean something is wrong.

Victor’s comment about injuries =

he’s hurt but hiding it

we can expect someone to be injured later

Rise of fanfiction featuring Victor with large past injuries he’s kept hidden.

Celestino getting annoyed at Victor = more fodder for Victor being evil.

No coach likes him - that means he must be untrustworthy and there must be something that he’s hiding that we don’t know yet.

The Old Man in the onsen becomes a fandom celebrity for a while (captain of the ship)

Victor’s comment on Yuuri’s stamina = fic fodder

“You meet me where I am” - fans exploding at how meaningful this all is and how far they’ve come in four episodes.

“What do you want me to be to you”

---Victor said “koibito” but subs say “boyfriend”

---Daddy kink: “A father--” “Yes!”

this is when we start to see this kink in fics and fanart/comics

Phichit makes his appearance. Fandom explodes with glee. People pointed out his appearance in episode 1 and more explosions of “no detail left behind”

Aeroflot

Enter Lilia and her teaching Yurio.

Evil Lilia and Yakov

“Yurio should have stayed with Victor”

Kubo-sensei laughs at the rumors of Victor dying.

Everyone and their mother tries to learn to make katsudon - various recipes float around; Crunchyroll releases recipe (Nov 4).

Jokes and critique about YOI dub (Gru!Victor; Russia(Hetalia)!Victor)

Episode 5

Victor obviously knows no Japanese at all vs. Victor obviously knows a little Japanese after living there for 6 months (about whether or not Victor understood Yuuri’s love declaration due to him commenting about the tie and not the confession)

Fan comics/art and fanfiction about burning Yuuri’s necktie

JARAN jacket (that one scene with Yuuri’s jacket misspelled)

Lots of flailing and dozens of gifs of the lip balm scene

awesome fans finding the exact Chanel lip balm

Yuuri’s confident walk = flailing and keyboard smashing moment (gifs with explosions behind him)

Hug meta (back hug; “do the hands on neck mean anything?”)

Minami is a chicken nugget (McDonald’s colors + being small)

First time we hear Victor’s thoughts - people discussing this

Victor’s image shifts away from “evil Victor” towards something a little more positive

Leaks of the Oh! Skatra!!! Tracklisting (Nov 6).

Duetto title makes people freak out

Speculation on who will skate what piece.

Speculation starts on who will appear in which GP series competition.

Pre-episode 6

Jealous/Possessive!Victor due to the ending image in ep5 of him wrapping his arm around a flustered Yuuri.

speculation on where that is and who took the picture

Dengeki, the website that posts teaser pictures and text of various anime’s next episodes, posted a teaser summary on their site that used quite a few innuendos.

Starting from here, YOI episode previews start to be released later and later. This becomes a running gag among fans who stay up to wait for previews.

Episode 6

Chris makes everyone uncomfortable.

wet ice comments

People freaking out about the hand holding (“koibito tsunagi/lover’s hold”) then about the lip licking

Victor’s innuendo and lewd mouth animation

Victor actually is sexually attracted to Yuuri

Paired with Yuuri being comfortable with Victor clinging naked to him at the restaurant, and worrying that people would think he’s not serious about the competition = fans arguing how far they’ve gone

Queerbaiting arguments still continue ( “fujoshi bait” and “fanservice”)

“Ai ha katsu” (Love wins!)

Georgi is an Evil Witch

Leo = awesome representation (non-white character representing the U.S.A.)

Phichit meme ( “scandalized” with hand on mouth)

Phichit is captain of the Victuri ship

Kubo-sensei posts summary of The King and The Skater

Pre episode 7

Dengeki, what in the ever living F is that preview summary (twitter)? Along with the shortened version.

Another preview summary wtheck comment - this time from a YOI animator, Itou Noriko

“Drastic measures”??? Will Victor hug Yuuri? Violence? Harsh words? Kiss on the forehead or MAYBE the cheek?

fanfics, comics, lots of speculation

Episode 7

Kiss vs. Hug

drawings/charts/tracings to prove it was a kiss

queerbaiting comments continue

Western fans ask Kubo-sensei for a direct answer; she’s amused that Japanese fans didn’t need confirmation yet Western fans did

Yuri on Ice trends on Tumblr for two days at #1 (previous episodes had trended in top 3 for about a day).

“Japanese censorship is what made them cover the kiss!” -- and the subsequent posts that stopped this misinformation.

“Victor is evil” continues - he was cruel in the parking garage and the queerbait lip hug was obviously just consolation

Chris, stahp! (more wet ice comments)

Guang-Hong is badass, Leoji ship sails further

Georgi is creepy, some people hate Anya, some feel sympathy for her

Georgi’s outfit = figure-skating Elsa (photoshopped pictures)

Head boop

Aired after the U.S. election - “episode 7 is the only good thing that happened this week”

“YOI singlehandedly saved 2k16”

Watchers dropping the anime because Victuri became canon.

some people liked the anime as long as it was still ambiguous. This kiss/hug scene made it much less ambiguous and left them feeling awkward.

some people liked it as long as the pairing was not mainstream - they liked being a niche shipper.

Conversely, more people started watching once they heard it was canon and not queerbaiting/fan service.

Johnny Weir homage with young Victor’s outfit and rose crown at European Worlds.

Johnny hears of this and adds YOI on his to-watch list.

Kubo-sensei tweets about a certain scene - confirms and does not confirm it as a kiss

pre-Episode 8

Will YOI talk about homophobia and LGBT hatred?

They’re going to Russia next - lots of fanfiction about Victor dealing with past and current homophobia, and how Yuuri and Victor would act during their stay in Russia.

Magazine had the titles for episodes 8 and 9 - “Victor returns to Japan” has people theorize about what could be drastic enough to have him return.

Kubo-sensei strikes again:

tweets about looking forward to Dengeki’s summary this week and ends up trolling the fandom.

being one of us and wanting them to get married already.

Makkachin’s name revealed to have no meaning.

Dengeki posts 5 hours later than normal.

Episode 8

Angry fans yelling “Why didn’t they use this chance to address hatred?”

People arguing about how this is nice because we already have so many other series about hatred and would it kill them to let us have ONE nice thing in life? Let’s just appreciate that we get a happy relationship with no prejudice or hatred from the world for once.

Kubo-sensei defending the hate-free world she created.

Seung-gil feather duster/parrot/swiffer comments and comparisons.

Sala vs Sara

official site and subs romanized her name as “Sala” but a more natural spelling would be “Sara.” (sala means living room in Spanish and Italian)

wihin the week, the spelling was corrected on both the website and subs to “Sara.”

Mila Babicheva was also changed to Mira Babicheva at this time.

Makkachin-related tags and comments

#Don’t die Makka!

#SaveMakka2k16

#Makkachoked

Speculation on what Yuuri will place - and who will make it to the GPF.

J.J. and the cross - many understood it as a religious motion, but it was soon linked by figure skating fans to Yuzuru’s cross motion to check body axis.

Kissing the ice - seen as “J.J. is so narcissistic and kissing himself,” then disputed by other fans as a sign of respect for the ice much like real-life athletes do with the ice, track&field, and court.

Yurio x J.J. shipping starts

Sub!Victor fanfic boom, BDSM, foot fetish, and other related body worship fics

YOI trends over Barack Obama (Nov 24)

Katsudon recipe released by Funimation on Yuuri’s birthday (Nov. 29)

Preview images for ep9 of Sara encroaching on Yuuri - some people worried that this would be in-series drama or that fans would ship it.

Dengeki still posting way later than they used to. This leads to lots of waiting and loss of hope for future episodes until…

Episode 9

Freaking out over the airport scene:

“What did Yuuri’s tears mean???”

relieved/touched Victor cares for him and returns feelings? All the emotions catching up from their separation and the hard skating?

guilt over hiding that he will retire soon? Sadness that this will only last 2 more weeks?

Clarifying why Victor brought up “proposal” (“Why does what Yuuri said sound like a proposal?”)

People “fixing” the subs (mis)translate the word “koto” as if it was the word “mono” and end up making Yuuri’s line to Victor sound super possessive/cheesy as a result.

Yuuri mentioning that he’ll win gold prompts discussions about “Does Yuuri need a gold medal to be happy? Is a gold necessary for his character?”

Fandom exploding over Yurio’s pure smile and friendship with Yuuri

People uneasy over Sara and Michele’s sibling relationship.

Mira x Sara ship gains steam and sets sail.

“Hug zombie” - the term given to Yuuri’s hugging spree

Johnny Weir planned to watch YOI “one episode per day,” but failed and watched two episodes the first day. Then binged the rest within two more days and caught up in time for episode 10 on Wednesday.

Naked Victor on the front page of NBC due to Johnny’s tweets

Crunchyroll releases Katsudon Pirozhki recipe (Dec 7)

pre-Episode 10

“Something round and golden” -- gold medal, wedding rings, cock rings, onion rings, golden snitch

Kubo-sensei fanning the flames

we were losing hope for teasers until... our saviors, Animate, took over for posting them. Dengeki still posted the identical teaser pics on their site, but did so at a later hour.

Preview lines about Yuuri recalling the previous year’s nightmare banquet.

Translation confusion led to people thinking it was a “nightmare bucket” “nightmare baguette” (and other attempts to find the correct foreign word) until someone pointed out that figure skating competitions have banquets.

Theories about what happened at the banquet.

Episode 10

Rings

Yuuri buying one ring (with Victor buying the other) vs. Yuuri buying pair rings as a set

would later be confirmed in a magazine post-series that Yuuri bought both rings

Are they really engaged or not?

Best plot twist ever.

The ending changes everything we ever knew about this series

people analyzing all the interactions since episode 1

“Poor Victor” comments and tags appear

“Victor was pining all along!”

Victor seen as super patient and willing to let Yuuri drive the pace (because he never brings up the banquet in order to respect Yuuri’s shyness).

Victor flying to Japan with his dick out.

Victor had a crush on Yuuri since the beginning.

“Victor is a dork who would do anything for love” mentality sweeps away previous malaise.

fanfic and fanart explosion of dorky, loving Victor

This is when the loving!Victor image squashed any lingering remnants of evil!Victor

Eros parallel re-interpreted as Yuuri being the playboy and Victor being the woman seduced and left behind.

Victor is savage for making a program based on the banquet and thinking to skate it for a season.

Pole dancers comment that the moves in Yuri on Ice reference actual moves (Yuuri is pretty good and has great grip strength; a couple of Chris’ moves are incredibly hard)

Otayuri (Otabek x Yurio) becomes a pairing

Beach scene discussion - was Victor angry or not, and why?

Hype for Kubo-sensei revealing that the GPF would have the most realistic animation of all the episodes.

Animate posted late (only a few hours before airing), but Dengeki even later.

Episode 11

“Scoring system is broken!”

Yurio’s score is literally impossible using the current real-life ISU scoring system (he’s about 5 points too high)

Yuuri scored low despite low number of technical mistakes

J.J. given a higher score than should be allowed because of his huge errors.

Discussion on Victor looking out at the ice during Yurio’s SP (“what was he thinking?”), and discussion about his flashback and burden

Chris’ mystery man ( “Chris’ boyfriend”? “Who IS that guy???”)

Half the fandom dies with Yuuri’s last sentence; half the fandom trusts Kubo-sensei (and comforts the other half)

Evgenia posts a tweet trusting everything will be alright

People’s view of J.J. changes - some sympathy and “??? I never expected to actually care for this guy!”

It seems everyone pitches their predictions about who will be on the podium.

“Phichit’s hamsters predict the podium?” theory

pre-Episode 12

We give up on teasers because they’re so late. Animate releases them a few hours before the episode airs.

Oh!SkaTra!!! Yuri!!! on ICE Soundtrack released about a day before the final episode aired.

“Spoilers” (but not really, because we had the tracklist since episode 5). We confirm the last two songs are the exhibition skates. People avoid Tumblr until the episode airs because of the “spoiler threat.”

Episode 12

Breaking Tumblr, Crunchyroll, and Animate.

Crunchyroll released a statement on Twitter about YOI’s high traffic breaking it.

Tumblr crashed (traffic volume too high) right after the CR simulcast/subs came out around 4PM EST. It wasn’t fully fixed until several hours later.

Animate’s website crashed for the same reason as above.

“It wasn’t gay enough”

People feeling disappointed about the relationship between Yuuri and Victor because there was no second kiss or explicit “I love you.” People wanted something that could not be denied (wanted an “uncensored” kiss).

Others counter-argued that relationships can show deep love without needing an “I love you,” and point out how the relationship was built steadily throughout the series.

People feeling betrayed because Yuuri didn’t win gold.

“Otabek was robbed!” and “J.J. overscored!” complaints circulate

“I won’t kiss it unless it’s gold” prompted a legion of pictures/comics, and fics.

Gushing over the liberate use of ring flares

“History Makers” in the end credits - the extra “s” felt like an Easter egg to some.

Ice dance vs. Pairs - many fans mistake the final Duetto exhibition skate as Pairs when it’s actually based on an Ice Dance routine

How will Victor do both skating and coaching?

Will we get a Season 2? “See You Next Level” means a second season, right?

After the series, we saw Oh!SkaTra!!! and the DVD/BD volumes sell ridiculous amounts - easily placing in either 1st or 2nd place on Oricon’s charts for DVD, BD, CD, and CD digital release. The Blu-ray and DVD volumes continue to hold high sales. Magazines continue to be translated. Some ideas/meta are confirmed and others become defunct.

It was a wild ride from way back when YOI was only a website and PV. Every week brought new ideas, writings, meta, art, and discussions. It was to the point where some weeks you would get in-depth meta and polished art just hours after the episode aired. In fact, there was so much made that you could easily reblog hundreds of posts in a day for the more explosive episodes, and meta would either get hundreds of notes or be lost in the current of new stuff appearing every few minutes. At the rate that it’s still going with new campaigns, events, and merchandise, Yuri!!! on ICE will be active for quite some time.

#yuri!!! on ice #yuri on ice #yoi #informational post #fyeahyoi #laz talks #trip down memory lane

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phichitappreciationblog · 8 years ago

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Why Phichit is my Favorite Character

In honor of reaching 500 followers, I decided it was about time I made a post that shows that this blog is actually what it sounds like. This is going to be a long ride full of incoherent rambling, so hold on tight. Yes I am listening to Shall We Skate and Terra Incognita on repeat while writing this

Lets start from the beginning. The first time we see Phichit, we see him for only a few seconds, where he only says one line of dialogue, ¨Yuuri!¨, which was preceded by a giggle. We don’t see him again for the rest of the episode, or the next. Or the next. There is nothing that you can glean from this character at first glance.

But that was the moment I fell in love with the character that is Phichit Chulanont.

See, It wasn't his first official appearance that made me fall in love with him. The reason I liked this character so much was because I understood he was close to Yuuri and cared about him. Now, for those of you who don’t know, I became invested in Yuri!!! on ICE because of Yuuri and the premise + figure skating. Not victuuri, although that was wonderful because!!! Representation!!! I was just glad there was a main character I, and many others, could deeply relate to. But this post isn't about Yuuri. Its about Phichit. And because I could see he cared for Yuuri, I got interested.

So I watched the scene again to figure out what I could. And here is what I was able to come up with.

He lives in Thailand, but has just arrived home after being somewhere else, or is leaving. More likely the former. He is cheerful, and invested somewhat in social media. He is close friends with Yuuri, or at least acquainted, and is likely a figure skater.

I looked him up after that, and my love only grew.

Also, we had this picture in the ending

God I love him

The next time we see Phichit, we see him in a video call with Yuuri in episode 4. His first appearances are all very Yuuri-centered.

But boy did this scene deliver a BIG LOAD of information.

I had been right about quite a few things from my first guesses about Phichit. He just arrived back in Thailand and likes social media, as seen by the literal touchscreen gloves and multiple IG posts. He is also very close with Yuuri. VERY CLOSE. I damn near cried over how comfortable and happy Yuuri became when he was talking with Phichit. And how comfortable PHICHIT looked when he was talking to Yuuri.

They had clearly been friends for a long time, Yuuri even knew phrases in Phichits native language, and I have no doubts that Phichit knows phrases in Japanese.

This sort of familiarity and calm interaction is something we only really see Yuuri take part in when he is with his family, +the Nishigori’s, at least at the beginning of the series.

When Yuuri starts talking about composer girl, Phichit is able to immediately understand what Yuuri needs without even having to hear Yuuri say it. That is the kind of friendship some can only dream of.

We already know Phichit is a wonderful, reliable friend from less than a minute of interaction. Less than a minute. I counted. I have seen dozens of shows where it takes multiple WHOLE EPISODES to understand the relationship between two characters, but with Yuri on Ice it takes less than a minute. This is a result of good writing and good, rounded characters.

Which leads to my next topic of discussion.

Phichit is such a well-rounded character holy shit

There are no lingering doubts about Phichit’s character. There isn't a scene where you are left wondering, “Why did Phichit do this” or “What is Phichit thinking” because we know, at least in my case. As long as you understand Phichit as a character you can understand the motivations behind his actions.

Episode 6 is a beautiful Phichitfest and I was having a good ol’ time.

Now, for reference, episode 6 is when I really got into Yuri on Ice as a show. Characters I didn't really like were starting to have more appeal, like Viktor, and characters I loved got better, somehow.

Bonus points for fashion goddamn

HE CALLS CELESTINO CIAO CIAO. CIAO CIAO. HE IS SO PRECIOUS

His constant need to document everything on social media is also much appreciated.

also this

Captain of the #victuuri ship honestly same Phichit

So,as I’m watching this episode I’m just waiting and thinking

when do i get to see Phichit skate?? when??

I find out Phichit skates first and Im !!!!

then he skates.

AND BOY DOES HE EVER FUCKING SKATE

Phichit steps out onto that rink in his princely attire and I am gone then and there.

Shall We Skate? is such a masterpiece and I LOVE IT

You can say what you want about Phichit, but if you cant see how much Phichit adores skating through his performance than you clearly haven't watched the series.

I have a record of crying every time I watch Phichit skate when I watched the episodes he was in for the first time. Every time. This one is no exception.

The fact that the audience is shown to get very caught up in Phichit’s performance made me so happy? These people, who are all there to support the more popular skaters, are getting caught up in the dance of a skater who hadn't even been on their radar.

After his skate was done, he was still RIDICULOUSLY PROUD AND SUPPORTIVE OF HIS FELLOW SKATERS EVEN IF THEY SCORED HIGHER THAN HIM

JUST

LOOK AT HIM

HES SO PROUD!!

what a good friend fukc i love him

What I wouldn't give to have a friend like Phichit

Ok.

Terra Incognita.

me too ciao ciao

This performance showed how much you can glean from a person while watching them skate. And yes. I cried.

Just.

His motivation for skating is so fucking clear.

He wants to make his country proud.

And he does.

The audience is rooting for Phichit, he gets the crowd hyped up and he delivers.

He worked his ass off for this performance and it pays off

He nails all of his components and scores higher than he ever has

He is so confident that hes won and he WINS

HE FUCKING WINS

HE BEATS YUURI AND CHRIS AND LEO ALL OF WHOM WERE MAJOR CONTENDERS FOR THE GRAND PRIX

HE WINS HIS FIRST GOLD MEDAL

AND AFTER THE ROSTELECOM CUP BECOMES THE FIRST THAI SKATER TO ADVANCE TO THE GRAND PRIX FINAL

HE??? IS SO GOOD

And that’s why it made me so mad when he lost the Grand Prix Final.

Sixth. Place.

I love the other skaters. I really do. But JJ did not deserve a bronze medal. He was way over scored and should have gotten last place. Phichit scored about as high as the previous years third place winner. JJ.

His Shall We Skate made me hella emotional and sob along with him at the end. He is SUCH A GOOD SKATER.

I never cried as hard during the entirety of YOI as I did during Phichit’s Terra Incognita performance. He was so happy to just be performing. Even after he messed up one jump he continued to smile.

That is what makes a performer.

Phichit entertains the audience. He holds their attention and gets them hyped up and on the edge of their seats.

He has fun while he skates and just genuinely loves his sport.

This gif sums it up pretty well

The scenes he got outside of the competition made me happy at least, and some of the flashbacks provided some nice information and depth

and the iconic #victuuricaptain moment

and I may be really salty about his loss but i am SO PROUD OF HIM

I am going to quote something I said when I first made this blog.

“Just by qualifying for the Grand Prix Finals, Phichit won. He may not have won a medal, but he achieved not only one of his dreams, skating “Shall We Skate” in a major competition, but also made history by becoming the first Thai skater to compete in the Grand Prix Finals. WE should all be extremely proud of him, and hopefully watch him continue to made his dreams reality in the next season!”

I stand by this statement fully and wholeheartedly. Yes, Phichit deserved to be placed higher, and yes, it was completely unfair. But lets be proud of what he did achieve, and appreciate him for the amazing character he is.

tldr; Phichit is a wonderful character and I love him. Thanks for 500 followers!

#phichit chulanont #yuri!!! on ice #yoi #katsuki yuuri #victor nikiforov #victuuri mention #appreciation post #long post///#gifs//#text//#phichit #celestino cialdini #guang hong ji #christophe giacometti #leo de la iglesia

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scenarios-on-ice · 8 years ago

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Roses are red

Violets are blue

This ‘poem’ sucks but

Happy Birthday to you

(Note: there was originally like eight more cynical lines about how birthdays mean you’re that much closer to the end, but I scrapped it because when I try to use dark humor it usually just ends up kinda gruesome.

There’s probably something wrong with me and someday we’ll find out what that is, but today is not that day)

Congratulations! @(^-^)@ You were only sixteen but your mind was older- now you’re seventeen, but I’m sure the latter part of that quote still applies and the blog will blow us all away even more than before! Hope you have a wonderful, satisfying birthday despite how non-stop you are (don’t forget to take a break when you can) and one last time, congratulations!

(also depending on how the timezone difference between Croatia and Korea works, we’re only a day or two apart- my birthday is March 30th, which is tomorrow over here! :D so cool)

“Whatever you say ma'am, Furuta will pay for his behavior! I’ll use tumblr, I’ll write under a pseudonym(Evans)- you’ll see what I can do to him!

But at least since he’s dead, you can finally speak your mind?”

I know, I still like the idea of trans Mutsuki better but other than any hints dropped in canon, I just think it’s very unlikely that TG as a Japanese manga will add a 100%, conmpletely confirmed LGBTQ character. I believe Ishida himself is pretty open towards the LGBTQ community (Nico’s portrayal is a bit questionable but in an omake Yomo is shown thinking that anyone he dates could become Touka’s aunt OR uncle (though of course that could be a translation error), Shuu is a subversion of manga stereotypes regarding gay men and TG in general has a lot of interesting themes regarding sexuality and gender), but idk, the idea of a mainstream seinen manga like TG adding LGBTQ themes that go beyond heavy implication seems unlikely (though who knows, it could happen).

Mutsuki just makes me bitter. FIrst all the arguments about their gender and now I don’t even like them anymore (they used to be an adorable cinnamon roll but after recent chapters, while I still feel for them they’ve become a lot less sympathetic).

(Also this just makes me sound salty but I recently came across a very aggressive blog dedicated to reminding everybody that MUTSKI IS MALE AND YOU ARE ALL WRONG and reading through it just made me kinda mad and irritated all at once. Once a trans person made a post saying that despite being trans themself they didn’t think Mutsuki was, offering several manga moments as decent evidence and being quite polite, and the mod of this blog answered them with what basically boils down to 'lol no it’s possible to be transphobic even if you’re part of the LGBTQ community and you are clearly one of these people’.)

Don’t worry, cinnamon roll Hinami isn’t being forgotten! :) I’m really looking forward to her meeting Akira. I’ve always liked Hina but these recent chapters pushed her up on my ‘favorite characters’ list- she’s just way too sweet.

Reading the manga: wth Ishida you are officially my least favorite person like even Isayama is better than you

Reading Ishida’s translated tweets/the comments he makes in TG extras: why are you so nice

Yeah, I kinda hated Urie at first (I understood his goals and motivations but did he really have to be such a jerk? I honestly thought he was going to get somebody killed in the auction arc) but after the auction arc I started to like him better (I think the official moment I decided ‘I like Urie Kuki as a character’ was when Shirazu died) and I kinda freaked out when I realized what happened to him…

He would make a great Burr though. I think he’s way more willing to act than Burr and is not a ‘talk less, smile more’ kind of person (more like a ‘talk less and don’t smile at all’ type) but they’re still really similar. I could also see Urie singing Wait for It…with Kaneki as Hamilton. Not because Kaneki particularly fits Hamilton but because of how Burr is clearly somewhat jealous about Hamilton’s progress despite not approving of his methods in Wait For It (in an interview about the song I think LMM said something about it describing the feeling of watching your friends and acquaintances getting so far ahead in life and thinking 'Wait for it; someday I’ll get there too’).

Am I the only one who headcanons that despite acting super classy and not knowing much about rap/hip-hop before someone (maybe Hori?) gets him to listen to it, Tsukiyama actually turns out to be a really good rapper?

Speaking of Tsukiyama though, I want to see more of his interactions with Naki

Hmm, since Mado died after he was already an adult couldn’t Akira technically count? We know from omakes that Mado was a doting father and made her childhood as happy as possible, so while her life might not have been 100% perfect it was still really good in TG terms. Takizawa before he entered the academy also counts.

but even those two had so much tragedy happen to them as adults…

(also, have you started reading the manga again? :D)

ok, that sounds creepy. Not going to be watching that.

Thank you so much for the recommendations though! Not sure if I’ll get the time to watch those but I think I saw some Magi volumes in a bookstore here so maybe I’ll check that out when I have the time!

And yeah, if you have any good animes/mangas to recommend, please do! And genre doesn’t matter- though I usually prefer dark, psychological stories I’m willing to make exceptions when the series in question is really good (that’s what I did with YoI after all :) the only genres I’m really reluctant to read are horror and high school romances).

I’m glad you liked them! And nope, don’t mind at all :D fangirling

I am back! Again, happy birthday ^^ I hope the day went well for you :) How old are you now, if you don’t mind me asking? I’m guessing it’s either 14 or 15.

And thank you very much for the poem, it’s very cute! I wouldn’t have minded the extra verses. They might’ve ruined the mood a bit, tho ^^;; The theme sounds like something baroque poems would write about... Don’t mind me, I just had an exam dealing with baroque, so I’m probably prone to making bad references to it.

I will never manage to reach your level of puns... I’ll just say that I’m very satisfied with the amount of them.

“Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean he won’t come back. He died so another villain can take his place.

No matter how much I support trans Mu, I’d be very, very surprised if it actually become canon. I mean, as you’ve said, Japan and lgbt don’t quite go together that well... I guess we’ll just have to see... And nope, I still haven’t started to read the manga again. No time ^^;;

I’ve started to dislike Mu after the chapter in which his past was revealed. I just don’t have the will to stomach stories like that, honestly... Good horror/psychology manga/anime might interest me once in a while, but there’s a border I don’t like crossing. TG is waaay over it (which is probably a part of the reason why I dropped it, after all)

Gaah, it’s people like that that make dislike the lgbts... Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against people in that community and I won’t discriminate (though stuff like fictionkin and made-up pronouns do make me roll my eyes), but it’s these people that give people the wrong image about the whole community. Unfortunately, I’ve had quite a few encounters with those... aggressive people. I could go on and on about the things I saw as a part of this site, mostly concerning those ridiculous people who are probably in it because they think it’s ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’ to be bi or genderfluid. I get waaay too worked up over this theme, don’t I?

Oh, I’m so happy about her not being forgotten! She is a precious cinnamon roll and doesn’t deserve the life she has, she deserves so much better.

Boy, that sounds fun. Well, Ive had experience with the ‘reading manga’ part, but I don’t particularly follow tweets ^^;; I hope things work out in the manga!

Idk, I mean, I disliked him at first, but I got to like him very quickly. I just seem to like silent types like him (I say that, and yet I also like Phichit, Viktor, Haise and so on, who are nothing like him.... WHOOPS).

Signs that I’m slowly forgetting TG: *reading the message* ‘who... are these characters?’ I mean, I know the most important ones, like Haise, Urie, Akira and so on, but the other ones... This makes me very sad ;-;

Yeah, I guess that would make Kaneki a good Hamilton. STILL DON’T WANT BURR (COOKIE) TO KILL HIM, BECAUSE KANEKI IS A CINNAMON ROLL WHO DOESN’T DESERVE TO DIE! The dynamics between Kaneki and Urie don’t make a good Ham-Burr, but their positions in their job, so I guess they really are the best pair for Hamilton. Why did Ham have to die ;-; That makes casting so much harder for me.

Oh yeah, Tsukiyama would be an amazing rappers, I don’t doubt it at all. In fact, I’m sure that he’d be able to do Guns and Ships perfectly.

Fun fact: You made a typo saying ‘Mado died after SHE became an adult’ (I changed it) and you gave me the biggest heart attack. Pls, my phone wasn’t used to the speed with which I typed ‘TOKYO GHOUL WIKI AKIRA MADO’ to check if what you said is true. Yeah, Akira could count, I guess. That makes a total of ONE character... Not much, eh?

I don’t know if I count Takizawa... I think that the way his life is now, it very much makes up the lack of angst in his childhood.

Oh yeah, one last concern about The World Is Still Beautiful!

WHY IS THERE A CHARACTER NAMED LUNA WHO ACTS LIKE AN INSUFFERABLE BRAT DURING HER WHOLE SCREEN TIME, I DEMAND JUSTICE!

I’m done.

One last recommendation:

LOVE LIVE AKA CUTE IDOLS. I invite you to join me in the pits of idol hell :) It(s not a romance, don’t worry. Also, there’s a mobile rhythm tapping game if you’re interested :))

Ooh, I’d be so happy if you’d start reading Magi! During the later volumes, it gets reeally psychological, so I think you might like it! I’d say something, but spoilers!

Well, I’ll go add the text to the post, then ^^

#evans #tokyo ghoul anon #submission

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alwaysaprilia · 8 years ago

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Captain Swan AU Prompt Series No. 10

No.1: Alphabet City

No.2: Of Singing and Streaking

No.3: Lie to Me (I’ll lie to you, too)

No.4: Like Toy Soldiers

No. 5 (A): We’re Going Down Swinging Part 1

No. 5 (B): We’re Going Down Swinging Part 2

No. 6: Bend, and Don’t Break

No. 7 (A): Speak Now Part 1

No. 7 (B): Speak Now Part 2

No. 5 ( C ) We’re Going Down Swinging Part 3

No. 4: Like Toy Soldiers Part 2

No. 8 (A) It’s Always Been You (And You Should Know That)

No. 9: The Art of Remembering

For Your Consideration

Summary: Emma’s first time will be the BEST, if her friends have any say about it.

Notes: High School AU. Little baby bit, Captain Swan by default. Hints of Gremma too but it’s more squint and you’ll miss it

Blazing sunshine and soaring temperatures had finally arrived in their little corner of Maine, and the incoming seniors of Storybrooke High were celebrating in very appropriate fashion: by donning their finest beach wear, and setting up on the shores, for an afternoon of sun, spray- and scandalous conversation.

"Bullshit!"

The emphatic announcement came from Ruby, an incredulous look splashed all over her face, frozen in the act of applying more sunblock to her legs. Emma winced at how loud the dark haired girl had been, and even more at the way the rest of the girls were staring at her like she had suddenly sprouted antlers.

"What? It's true!" Disgruntled, she dropped her sunglasses into place to block out the sight and settled back into her beach chair. "Can we please stop talking about this?"

"Well, no, because we're supposed to be sharing the stories of our first times, and if you haven't had sex yet, it's going to be hard for you to participate," Ruby had a speculative look on her face and then she snapped her fingers. "I know! We can talk about who you could potentially have your first time with. This way you increase the chances of it actually being good, unlike the rest of us,"

"Hey, my first time was incredible, thank you very much!" Mary Margaret was indignant, and the other girls, used to the unreal perfection of Mary Margaret and David's relationship alternately groaned in jealousy or booed in good-natured ribbing, while Mary Margaret smiled serenely at them all.

"Of course it was," Ruby muttered before focusing back on Emma. "So, there you go. We need your first time to see their incredible and raise it up to earth-shattering, Emma, just so we're less likely to keel over with envy at Mary Margaret and David's fairytale,"

Emma made a face, already regretting her presence at this little gathering. She could have been working on the bug, which had recently suffered it's umpteenth breakdown instead of fending off the ridiculous line of questioning, but everyone had begged and cajoled and then sent in the big guns to retrieve her when that had failed.

Ingrid, her foster mother, had only laughed as Killian had given up on arguing and simply thrown Emma bodily over his shoulder, carrying her out of the garage. As the teens had passed her, Emma still complaining, Killian complaining about her complaints, she had yelled that she'd already packed everything Emma would need and that the bag was by the door. Traitors, the lot of them.

"Really? Isn't there something else we can-"

"August is cute," Elsa offered from under the shade of the umbrella she and Mary Margaret were sharing, ignoring Emma and observing their classmate as he jogged across the sand after a volleyball. "And you two have always gotten along,"

"That's true. There's also Walsh," Ariel shot a sly look at Emma as she continued to braid her hair, fingers weaving expertly through the bright red strands. "I've heard he's got a thing for you,"

The other girls giggled and Emma could feel her cheeks heat up, ridiculous, because it wasn't exactly a secret, given the effort he'd gone to to keep it hidden-which was precisely zero. Choosing to ignore Ariel, she shook her head. "I can't believe we're seriously sitting here trying to pick who I should lose my virginity to. I mean, what if I don't even want to do it?"

"Don't you?" Ruby's wink was nothing short of lascivious and Emma shot her a flat look.

"Yes, of course, but not by committee!"

"Oh Emma, it's just a bit of fun," Mary Margaret extended a bottle of water to her. "You haven't dated anyone since Graham," She paused here as this time, the girls gave a collective sigh of appreciation at the memory of Graham Humbert, widely acknowledged as the best looking guy in the outgoing senior class. Emma sighed too, but for different, more irritating reasons. "Which by the way, was such a missed opportunity. And even then, you insisted he wasn't your boyfriend,"

"He wasn't, though." Emma accepted the water and sipped gratefully. "I mean, he asked me out a only few months before he left for college, I might not ever had had a boyfriend, but even I know that falling for someone who's leaving for another country, indefinitely, isn't exactly the best move, never mind sleeping with him right before he left,"

"He would have been great for you though," Elsa mused, shifting her gaze to the beach ahead.

"And if not for boyfriend material, at least definitely for bedroom material. Those shoulders! Those eyes!" Ariel pretended to swoon dramatically and this time even Emma had to laugh, and agree that yes, Graham had definitely been genetically blessed.

"Well he's not an option anymore," All business again, Ruby followed Elsa's lead, to where a group of their male classmates were engaged in a fierce volleyball game. "So let's focus on those who are,"

And despite Emma's protests, they proceeded to do just that.

Regina arrived shortly after, in the middle of heated argument between Ariel and Ruby, while Mary Margaret and Elsa watched on in amusement and Emma tried valiantly to pretend she wasn't listening. The newest arrival raised an eyebrow as she set up her own chair and umbrella, and Emma hurried to greet her, in the hopes of stalling the unspoken question on Regina's tongue.

"Hey."

"Do I even want to know what they're arguing about?"

"No!"

"Who Emma should consider losing her virginity to,"

Speaking at the same time, Elsa's reply was cheerful, while Emma's was dour, and Regina shook her head as she sat down.

"Why is this even an argument? There's obviously only one person who Miss Swan here would even give a second thought to,"

Emma sputtered, because there went her hope that Regina would be above such a discussion, while even Ruby and Ariel quieted down and gave the newcomer their full attention. Ever the drama queen, Regina waited until all eyes were on her before she raised a slim shoulder and then nodded to the boys.

"It's Jones," The '-you idiots' was thankfully left off, although from the number of eyes rolled in unison, it was still clearly communicated. A contemplative silence fell as everyone turned to look at Killian and Emma sputtered even more.

"What? Jones? My Jones? Killian?"

"Her Jones, she says," Regina was smug as she leaned back and dropped her sunglasses in place. "I rest my case."

Her mouth falling open, Emma spared a moment to curse. "He's my best friend!"

"He's also really, unfairly, hot," Ariel slanted her a knowing look, directing her gaze towards the boy in question amidst the assenting murmur that swept through the girls. "I mean, look at him!"

Automatically, everyone did, and Emma followed suit. She was ready to protest, but honestly, it would have been akin to denying that water was wet, refuting the blue of the sky or the heat of the sun, because Ariel was right.

Killian Jones had been her best friend since she had arrived in Storybrooke, and while she had countless memories of his less than aesthetically perfect moments, it could not be argued that he had hit the genetic jackpot too. This summer's work on the boat with his father and brother had given him a tan that made his eyes and smile gleam even brighter by comparison, and broader shoulders and more defined muscles to boot. If Graham had had the market cornered on dark, brooding good looks before he left, well, it was certainly Killian's for the taking now, and everyone, including Emma, to her chagrin, knew it.

"You expect us to believe you've never even thought about it?"

Regina's amused question snapped Emma out of her very public study of Killian and she didn't even have the time to address that before Mary Margaret jumped in with her contribution.

"I mean, we all know you two have kissed already. Remember my 14th birthday party?"

Emma shot the shorter haired girl a slightly betrayed look, because she and Elsa could usually be counted on to be the sensible ones in their motley crew, but even the usually level headed Mary Margaret seemed to be enjoying herself at Emma's expense. It was the heat wave-it had to be.

"It was spin the bottle. Everyone kissed everyone else! You kissed Viktor, remember?"

If Mary Margaret did remember, she chose not to dwell on it, instead giving Ruby her full attention as she spoke once more.

"All we're saying, is that Regina, as much as it pains me to say this, is right,"

Everyone ignored Regina's interjection that she was always right, and it shouldn't even be a surprise at this point, and Ruby went on.

"As far as the candidates for your first time goes, he really is the perfect choice. You know him, you trust him, and further down the line when you two are grown up and married, you really would make the most adorable dark haired, green eyed babies together."

"Oh my God." It was official, her friends had suffered a collective sunstroke and had gone round the bend.

"Or you know, blonde, blue eyed babies. Any combination of you guys hair and eyes. Whichever way, the results will be beautiful,"

"Just think about it Emma! I mean, the last thing you want is to go to college and then fumble through your first time with some equally clueless freshman in some frat house bedroom. Mary Margaret will never shut up then,"

"Hey!"

"Well let's be fair. It's not as if Jones has years of experience under his belt in these matters, either. Lord knows many have tried." Regina's wry comment made Emma wince in reaction and sent her down the thorny rabbit hole of wondering who exactly these 'many' were and if she would ever actually ask Killian and not die of embarrassment, while Ruby nodded sagely.

"Good point. But still, he gets points for the fact that they've known each other practically their whole lives."

"Exactly! For that alone, it will probably be really, really good. You have to do it, Emma. Do it for all woman kind," Ariel's mischievous smile was bright, and she said this in tone that was so reasonable, Emma knew it was time to get the hell out, before she got brainwashed into seriously considering it after all.

"Can we be done with this conversation now? Because drowning myself in the ocean is starting to look like such an attractive prospect,"

"Oh let her alone already," Elsa had finally come to her senses, or finally felt sorry enough for Emma to stage a rescue, and she got to her feet, sufficiently slathered in enough sunblock to brave the rays. "Who's up for showing the boys how volleyball is really done?"

There was a grumble, but her friends were quite a competitive bunch when it came to it, and bathing suits were adjusted, sunblock topped up, before they made for the net and to issue a challenge that would no doubt be accepted. Regina, being the last to arrive, wasn't quite ready to rain destruction on their unsuspecting opponents yet, and Emma lingered behind to wait for her, watching the negotiations between Killian and Ruby with fond exasperation. If her gaze stayed on Killian a fraction too long, it didn't matter, because Regina was too busy to notice. Or so she hoped.

"I'm ready."

"Great. Let's do this."

"You have nothing to worry about you know."

Emma raised an eyebrow in question. "Did I look worried?"

"Perhaps 'uncertain' would have been more accurate." Regina nodded towards Killian. "For what it's worth, even if you haven't thought it about," She paused here, her tone making it clear she didn't believe in that for a second, "-he definitely has."

Emma's mouth dropped open yet again, and Regina sauntered forward, as unconcerned as ever. She was still gaping, stuck in one place, when Killian's cry of-

"Swan! Get over here, we're about to crush you all!"

finally registered.

"Emma! Are you coming, or do I have to make you?" Ever impatient, Killian had moved a little away from the group, towards her, and Emma sighed and started to move.

"I'm coming!"

Without context, it wasn't funny at all, but she was pretty sure she heard Ruby 'whisper' "That's what she said," rather loudly, making the girls break out into peals of laughter and Emma to flame a brilliant red just as she reached Killian, who was glancing over his shoulder at the others with a confused look on his face.

"Something I said?"

"No," Emma growled, glaring at her still snickering group of friends. "Our friends just really suck sometimes."

It was true, damn it all, because now...she was starting to think about it too.

FIN.

#cs ff #cs au #cs au ff #captain swan #my fic

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peachligers · 8 years ago

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Really sloppy Yuri Drugs AU

YOI Yuri spiral AU

Section 1 outline

Otabek and Yuri become the best biffles that have ever friended, and start a crazy life of shenanigans.

Otabek introduces Yuri to his friends, and the partying that comes with those friends. Lines of coke and alcoholism becomes a trend whenever they hang out.

Yuri turns 16, and Otabek and his bros throw him a raging party in some of the seedier parts of Moscow, Yuri’s hometown. A prostitute may, or may not be involved, but either way, Yuri loses his V-card in a blaze of glory, and LSD.

Viktor retires at the end of the official skating season, competing in Russian Nationals and Europeans. He, unsurprisingly, sweeps the competition, but ends up taking a hard fall in World’s, and loses out to Yuri for Gold. He’s quite pleased to make Silver though, and ends his career on a high note; bracketed by both his Yu/uri boys. One is his future, the other is the future of Russia.

Viktor continues to coach Yuuri in Russia, and Yuri spends the off-season barely home enough to train. Most of the spring/summer is spent with Otabek. The boys have all sorts of fun, of various types, and then Otabek gets back to the grind and starts to prep for the new skate season.

Yuri doesn’t ‘get back on the wagon’ as well as his bro does, and now with one less supplier, and other various groupies/friends out of his reach more often than not, he turns to other methods to get that same sort of invincible high.

Viktor takes pretty strong pain meds for the knee injury he took the last season, but he’s weening himself off of them. He doesn’t notice that more than he takes goes missing.

Neither does Yakov notice how often Yuri isn’t in the rink dorms. Mila is much more focused on a new boyfriend, but she still makes time in her life to help Yuri get to places. She doesn’t make enough time, though, to realise that Yuri doesn’t stay in those places.

Section 2 outline?

The new season starts, and Yuri is taller, and not quite as even as he remembers being. He wrecks the GPF. 4th place, not even podium. He’s devastated. Yakov is disappointed. Yuuri tries to be supportive, but Yuri wants none of it.

Mila’s now ex-boyfriend is another hockey player (She has a type), and Yuri is pretty willing to do things most wouldn’t, in order to get something to help him bulk his body up, quickly, and finish his growth.

He’s not fond of sucking dick, but he’ll do it on the regular if he gets a steady supply of steroids out of it.

Yuri kills it in Russian Nationals, and goes on to get Silver in Europeans, losing out to Chris just barely. It’s still not enough.

Yuri starts to be hyper aware of his failure. He punishes himself with strict eating regimens, copious amounts of drugs, and not saying no when various rinkmates/friends/friends-of-friends/and sometimes even strangers, press him for sexual favours for the things he wants.

He doesn’t think he deserves better, anyways.

He finishes out World’s behind Yuuri. Even worse, behind JJ.

Otabek scraped into fourth this season, for World’s. Better than last, and he’s more than excited to celebrate with recently turned 17 Yuri.

Another off-season of bro-fun commences. Otabek doesn’t notice how self-destructive Yuri has become, he just thinks maybe his younger friend is on a bit of a binge with the sex and drugs. Maybe he doesn’t have many people he likes in Russia? Maybe he only feels comfortable being himself around Otabek? Beka doesn’t think too heavily into it.

Section 3 outline

The next year continues in a similar vein. Yuri gets progressively worse. He’s more anti-social than normal, and if anyone brings up his shitty appearance, he rages on them like a tiger, so they drop it.

He fails to cut before a drug test, and gets caught for doping just before World’s.

The media goes wild.

Yuuri is infuriated, but also deeply concerned. Viktor doesn’t know what to do; he was sort of the golden son, and never got to do things like rage all weekend.

Yuuri packs Yuri and Viktor up, and heads home to Japan. Away from all the shitty people that have been abusing the soon to be 18-year old’s lack of self-love.

Otabek gives Yuri a call, asks him how it got so bad. Wonders if he is a shitty friend. Yuri tries to assure him that it’s all his own fault.

Beka feels worse. He also resigns from World’s. Decides he needs some rehab for his own substance use. Checks himself into a facility.

Media has another raging storm over it. Two young skaters, friends from various news stories, both dealing with drug/alcohol problems?? Scandal.

Yuuri and Viktor have to go to World’s as competitor and coach, but Yuuri asks a favour of countryman Minami Kenjirou, and the young skater comes to Yuuri’s family’s home to watch the younger boy.

Yuri spends his 18th birthday with tremors, and vomiting, as he comes off the drugs with serious withdrawals. Kenjirou stays up with him during the nights, strokes his back as he sicks up, and washes and combs his hair when he’s too weak with shakes to even crawl out of bed.

Kenjirou talks about being a second son, and coming from a family that values intelligence over athleticism. That his parents are still hoping the 19-year-old will give up the skating, and go to college to become a doctor. He talks about how much he regrets spending so much of his childhood trying to make his parents proud, when he could have been making himself happy. That he picked up figure skating ‘too late’, and he’s worried he’ll never be as high level a competitor as Yuri and Yuuri are. That even though he’s competed and won in Nationals, and made it to podium even, for 4CCs, that he’ll never make it to Olympics.

Yuri tells him he’s stupid. Everyone knows that Minami Kenjirou is the rapidly rising star of Japan; a sun going supernova as he blasts everyone’s expectations of him. Yuri assures him that he’ll be in the GPF far before Yuuri had gotten in. That if the dyed blond isn’t in this upcoming season, it will be for sure the next one. That the Japanese would be idiots if they don’t key a spot for Kenjirou in the upcoming Olympics.

His voice catches; he’s almost assured to not make it for the Russian team, what with this doping scandal. His dreams are crushed, and he goes into a deep depression.

Kenjirou watches, not sure how to draw the younger skater out of the pit. By the time Yuuri and Viktor come back, 6 days after they left, Kenjirou and Yuri both are quieter boys.

Section 4 for sure starts here

Competing for Olympics does come up. Yuri is not to compete for placement. Russia doesn’t want him the way he is, currently.

Yakov tells him if he can clean up his act, he can get back into skating the next season. It won’t be an Olympic showcase, but he’s young yet. He can wait 4 more years for the next go.

Kenjirou does make it into the Grand Prix series. This is excellent, since it’s an Olympic season. Yuri is both smug, and a little sad, as he watches Kenjirou skate from Japan, on the same floor Kenjirou had watched Yuri skate, two seasons prior.

Yuri wishes he’d have been able to be there, to skate against the Japanese Youth.

Kenjirou sweeps the podium. He makes Gold for his first Grand Prix, and even better, he beats out the front runner, JJ Leroy, by more than 3 points. Yuuri trails behind at Bronze, and he knows that next year, if Yuri comes back, he’s almost guaranteed to not make podium again. Otabek, released from rehab with just barely enough time to spare, nips his heels with less than a point, in fourth place, and Michele behind him with only another point to spare. Even Phichit, pushed to sixth place again for the third year in a row, is so close to over-taking Michele for fifth, that some of his fans are calling a foul on the judges for his deductions.

Yuri spends time with Yuuko and Yuuri’s families. Learns that the people hardest on themselves probably deserve it the least.

The Japanese families adopt the lanky blond as their pseudo baby, and go to the effort to remind him that he doesn’t have to get better right away, that he can take his time, and that nobody expects anything from him.

It’s a hard lesson to swallow for a boy that has always carried the weight of his family on his back. To know that he doesn’t have to, and that he can choose to carry as little or as much of it as he wants.

Moar later? Watching Olympics? Otabek is a total straight edge meow? I dunno’. Flesh out top part, first. Jfc.

Feel free to run away with this idea, if you guys want. I love angsty shit like this.

#AU #YOI #Yuri #Yuuri #Viktor #Kenjirou #Otabek #drugs #doping scandal #angst #WIZARD ANGST

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itsfinancethings · 4 years ago

Link

Poland’s voters will head to the polls on June 28 to vote for their next president, a largely ceremonial position but with crucial power to veto laws. If no candidate draws more than 50% of the vote, a second round will take place on July 12. Conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda, who is allied with the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) had been the clear favorite — but in the past month, liberal Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski of the center-right opposition party Civic Platform, which governed from 2007 to 2015, has shot up in polls.

Poland’s elections are coming down to a choice between the ruling party’s increasing tilt toward autocracy or one that pursues democracy, says Piotr Buras, head of the Warsaw office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. It’s a battle that is playing out across Europe, with the rise of right-wing populist leaders in recent years. “Poland’s future will soon force Europe to confront defining questions about itself,” he says.

How had COVID-19 affected the election?

The election was originally scheduled for May 10 but with four days to go and amid much political wrangling it was postponed due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The Law and Justice Party had insisted that the election go ahead on schedule, and Duda was on a clear path to victory. But the opposition argued that it was impossible to conduct a normal election on public health and logistical grounds. “PiS felt that if they waited longer the chances of Duda winning would get slimmer and slimmer,” says Buras.

In early May, Poland recorded some 300-400 infections a day, reaching a total of some 3,000 cases and 1,400 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Poland has relaxed the lockdown rules since May, allowing people to vote in person. (Postal votes are also available on request).

Who’s leading in the polls?

When the campaign started in February, Trzaskowski, the son of a jazz musician, wasn’t even on the ballot. The election delay allowed his party to replace its struggling candidate Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, whose support had dropped in the single digits following a lacklustre campaign. The pro-European Warsaw mayor launched his campaign on May 15, pledging “to fight for a strong state, to fight for democracy.”

April polls predicted Duda would comfortably win a first-round win with more than 50% of the vote. But a June survey by data company Kantar found his support had dropped to 38%, while Trzaskowski scored 27%, up 9% from May. If the two end up facing each other in a runoff Duda is expected lose to the Warsaw mayor, the poll said.

“It was a very lucky situation for the opposition that they had this opportunity to change candidates. And now the race will be extremely tight – 200-300,000 votes might be decisive,” Buras said.

Why did President Andrzej Duda meet with Donald Trump ahead of the election?

The shift has prompted Duda to do what he can to bolster his re-election prospects, for example, by showing off his close ties with Washington. On June 24, he visited President Donald Trump—first foreign leader to meet the U.S. president since February—for discussions focused on security cooperation.

The two leaders have met one on one at least five times, including three times at the White House. Trump once praised Duda as an “exemplary ally” and Duda even offered in 2018 to create a “Fort Trump” that would house U.S. troops in Poland. (That plan has not come into action.)

In a press conference on June 24 Duda promised “build a stronger alliance” with the U.S. while Trump said he believes Duda will be “successful” in the elections. “The people of Poland think the world of him. I don’t think he needs my help,” the president said.

Duda’s visit aligned with “Law and Justice’s campaign strategy to counter the opposition’s narrative that Poland has become isolated internationally under the ruling party. They want to show that Poland is a player on the world stage and close to the U.S., which is seen as the the country’s key military and security guarantor,” says Aleks Szczerbiak, Professor of Politics and Contemporary European Studies at the University of Sussex. But Buras believes the visit will not get Duda many more votes. “This is just confirmation that their candidate is a good friend of America,” he says.

How have LGBTQ rights factored into the election?

As Duda’s campaign struggles, he has ramped up hard-line rhetoric, branding LGBTQ rights an “ideology” worse than communism. In the staunchly Catholic country, a majority of people (66%) oppose same-sex marriage, according to a poll by a research center CBOS in July 2019.

Duda introduced a “Family Charter” among his election proposals earlier this month, including a vow to not allow gay couples to marry or adopt children and to ban teaching about LGBTQ issues in schools. It also seeks to “ban the propagation of LGBT ideology” in schools and public institutions, reminiscent of Russia’s controversial 2013 “gay propaganda” law.

When Trzaskowski became a candidate “the issue of LGBTQ rights became a priority in the campaign,” says Szczerbiak. “It was about mobilizing supporters in small towns and rural areas by raising the stakes for these voters, as well as presenting Trzaskowski as a radical,” he says. “Duda’s message is: unless you vote for me, you’ll have a cultural armageddon,” says Buras.

Trzaskowski — a prominent supporter of LGBTQ rights — has accused the president of fuelling hate. In February 2019, hee signed a declaration pledging support for the LGBTQ community outlining a series of measures, including opening anti-discrimination classes in all Warsaw schools and launching a shelter system for those in need of support.

That prompted a backlash from PiS. A senior PiS official in May posted a tweet with a rainbow flag alongside the Warsaw mayor’s name, saying that he would be “monitoring” him. The Chairman of PiS’s executive committee presented the elections as a choice between “the white-and-red Poland represented by the current president and a rainbow Poland,” in an interview with Polskie Radio in May. The media has also joined in. The pro government weekly magazine, Sieci, featured Trzaskowski on its cover wearing a rainbow armband, with the caption “the extremist candidate” in early June.

But it seems to have backfired, says Szczerbiak. Over the past week “PiS have put the issue on the back burner because it wasn’t mobilizing, it wasn’t succeeding in marginalizing Trzaskowski,” he says.

What are the biggest issues at stake?

Since winning a parliamentary majority in 2015, the Law and Justice party has been able to freely implement its conservative agenda, with Duda’s backing. Similar to the power grab made by Viktor Orban’s nationalist Fidesz party in Hungary, PiS have taken control of core liberal institutions such as the independent judiciary and free press, while increasingly defining national identities in terms of ethnicity and religion and demonising opponents. The government has also backed campaigns targeting independent groups working on women’s, LGBTQ, and migrants’ rights.

“What’s at stake in this election is whether PiS can continue with its radical state transformation,” says Szczerbiak. As the party lacks the three-fifths legislative majority required to overturn a presidential veto, Duda’s defeat would seriously hamper the ruling party’s ability to govern effectively.

Duda’s re-election could allow him to use veto powers and push through controversial judicial reforms, including a new law that would allow judges critical of the regime to face punishment. The reform would essentially enable PiS “to get rid of judges who disagree with the government and its illiberal course, ”says Buras. The E.U strongly condemns the move, with its Values and Transparency Commissioner calling it “destruction” not reform in February, and even brought legal action against Duda’s government for violations of its in October 2019. PiS, however, maintains it is trying to make the judicial system more efficient and eradicate communist-era mentalities.

Citing the E.U.’s proceedings against Poland, Trazkowski has said that his country “ceased to be a leader” in Europe. His campaign pledges to “mobilize the government to give up the conflict with the E.U, institutions and most Member States around the rule of law and ideological disputes.”

If Duda wins, the ruling party “will get further entrenched in the state structures and apparatus,” says Buras. The Polish elections are the site of two battles; against PiS’s authoritarian ambitions and to save “the future of the European project, where democracy itself at risk,” he says. And what prevails, Buras says, is a “matter for Europe as a whole.”

#IFTTT #Blogger

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ethelbertpaul444-blog · 6 years ago

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Inside Bannon’s Plan to Hijack Europe for the Far-Right

LONDON–Steve Bannon plans to go toe-to-toe with George Soros and precipitate a right-wing change in Europe.

Trump’s onetime White House chief advisor told The Daily Beast that he is setting up a foundation in Europe called The Movement which he hopes will guide a right-wing populist revolt across the continent starting with the European Parliament ballots next spring.

The non-profit will be a primary beginning of polling, advice on messaging, data targeting, and think-tank research for a ragtag strap of right-wingers who are tiding all over Europe, in many cases without professional political arrangements or substantial budgets.

Bannon’s ambition is for his organization ultimately to rival the impact of Soros’s Open Society, which has given away $32 billion to predominantly liberal induces since it was established in 1984.

Over the past year, Bannon has held talks with right-wing radicals across the continent from Nigel Farage and members of Marine Le Pen’s Front National( lately renamed Rassemblement National) in the West, to Hungary’s Viktor Orban and the Polish populists in the East.

He foresees a right-wing “supergroup” within the European parliament elections that could attract as numerous as a third of the lawmakers after next May’s Europe-wide ballots. A joined populist federation of that size would have the ability to seriously disrupt parliamentary proceedings, potentially granting Bannon gigantic ability within the populist movement.

After being forced out of the White House following internal wranglings that would later surface in the book Fire and Fury, Bannon is now reveling in the possibility of being plan his new European territory.” I &# x27 ;d very reign in inferno, than serve in heaven ,” he answered, restating John Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost.

The Movement’s headquarters are expected to be located in Brussels, Belgium, where they will start hiring staff in coming months. It is expected that there will be fewer than 10 full-time personnel ahead of the 2019 elections, with a polling professional, a communications person, country offices manager and a researcher among the positions. The program is to ramp that up to more like 25 people post-2 019 if the project has been a success.

Bannon plans to waste 50 percent of his time in Europe–mostly in the field rather than the Brussels office–once the midterm elections in the U.S. are over in November.

The operation is also supposed to serve as a is connected with Europe’s right-wing movements and the pro-Trump Freedom Caucus in the U.S. This week Paul Gosar( R-AZ) was its envoy to Bannon’s operation in London.

Bannon and Raheem Kassam, a former Farage staffer and Breitbart editor, lay out store in a five-star Mayfair hotel for a few weeks while Donald Trump was visiting Europe. Between TV appearances as Trump substitutes, they hosted a raft of Europe’s heading right-wingers at the hotel.

” It was so successful that we &# x27; re going to start staffing up ,” enunciated Bannon.” Everybody been agreed that next May is hugely important, that this is the real first continent-wide face-off between populism and the party of Davos. This will be an enormously important moment for Europe .”

Having interpreted the stupor right-wing win with the Brexit referendum and Matteo Salvini’s electoral success in Italy, which were achieved on comparatively close-fisted plans, Bannon verifies the opportunity to boost radically disparate nationalist gatherings by distributing a well-financed centralized action are aiming to blow regional resists out of the water.

Up until now insurgent populist groups across Europe have often suffering from similar questions: scarcity of their skills and commerces. Le Pen’s party was restrained afloat by Russian loans back in 2014, when French banks refused to extend lines of ascribe for the Front National. Le Pen was back in Moscow shaking Putin’s hand before last year’s French elections, which the NSA subsequently discovered had been spoofed by the Russians .

The Movement plans to research and write detailed policy proposals that can be used by like-minded defendants; commissioning pan-European or targeted polling; and share expertise in election struggle area approach such as word method, data-led voter targeting and field operations. Depending on electoral law in individual countries, the foundation may be able to take part in some expeditions immediately while bolstering other populist groups indirectly.

” I didn &# x27; t get the idea until Marine Le Pen invited me to speak at Lille at the Front National ,” recollected Bannon.” I announced,’ What do you want me read ?'”

The response came back:” All you have to say is,’ We &# x27; re not alone .'”

Bannon was stupefied has found that the nationalist gestures in Europe were not pooling the competences and sharing impressions with populist parties in neighboring countries–let alone on a global scale.

Bannon said the Front National recognized that he was ” the chap that goes round and understands us as a collective .”

Up on place he told the crowd:” You fight for your country and they call you racist. But the days when those various kinds of revile work is over. The establishment media are the dogs of the system. Every daylight, we become stronger and they become weaker. Give them call you racists, xenophobes or whatever else, wear these like a medal .”

The former Trump campaign manager feels the fuse for the global populist revolt–now contributed from Washington , D.C. by his former boss–was lit 10 years ago during the financial crisis and President Barack Obama’s bailout of the busted financial area. With income inequality growing, Bannon first advocated Sarah Palin and then Donald Trump as vanquishers of the establishment privileged who were capable of growing traditional politics on its head.

His next populist heroes can be found in Europe.

He realises Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, as the perfect foil to help accelerate that dynamic in Europe.

Noting Trump’s contentious decision to call out Merkel over her gas pipeline enter into negotiations with Russia last week, Bannon told:” This is the lie of Angela Merkel. She’s a complete and total sanctimoniou. The elites say Trump is disruptive but she’s sold out regulate to Russia for cheaper intensity prices .”

He describes Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, the French president who crushed Le Pen in a runoff election last year but had now been pennant in the referendums, as susceptible figureheads of organisation Europe. With Britain electing to cease the E.U ., Merkel and Macron’s vision of a united continent will be put to the test at next year’s elections.

Bannon is of the view that the coming years will see a drastic burst from decades of European integration.” Right-wing populist patriotism is what will happen. That’s what will govern ,” he told The Daily Beast.” You &# x27; re going to have individual society territories with their own names, their own frontiers .”

The grassroots movements are already in place waiting for someone to maximize their possible.” It will be instantaneous–as soon as we flip-flop the switching ,” he said.

The sight of Brexit virtually upending the entire European union with awareness-raising campaigns spend ceiling of PS7 million ($ 9 million) was a great inspiration.” When they told me the spending cover was PS7 million, I vanish,’ You imply PS70 million? What the fucking ?!’ PS7 million doesn’t buy anything. It doesn’t buy you Facebook data, it doesn’t buy you ads, it doesn’t do anything .”

” Dude! You merely made the fifth biggest economy in the world out of the EU for PS7 million !”

This week, British officials ruled that the Brexit campaign had not protruded to the legal limit–overspending by more than $600,000. There were also informal expeditions which spent additional millions arguing that Britain should leave the E.U.

Nonetheless, Britain’s GDP is around $ 2.6 trillion and leaked authority people estimate that Brexit could cleaned 10 percentage off that figure, meaning the effects of the democratic decision enormously dwarfs the scale of the investment by the campaign.

” The first thing they teach you at Harvard Business School is controlling leverage ,” pronounced Bannon. With his knowledge, contacts and financial support, he is convinced that he can has only one outsized impact in communities across Europe.

Bannon went to Italy to observe the campaign earlier this year as populist parties surged in the surveys despite their tiny functionings.” Look at Five Star and the Northern League ,” he supposed.” They employed their own charge card. They made self-restraint of the seventh largest economy in the world–on their charge card! It &# x27; s insane .”

The two anti-establishment defendants reached a faction correspondence that formed Matteo Salvini deputy prime minister and introduced him in charge of the ministry of internal affairs 2 months ago. He has since closed Italy’s ports to NGO ships carrying rescued migrants and called for a census of the Roma society that are able to to be translated into mass deportations. Last-place time, he called for a radical crackdown on immigrants.” We require a mass cleansing, street by street, piazza by piazza, vicinity by place ,” he said.

Bannon visualizes Salvini as a example for his future Movement collaborators to follow.” Italy is the thumping stomach of modern politics ,” he answered.” If it labours there it can work everywhere .”

He has recognised that the scale of his right-wing coalition could be limited by the extreme situations of some of The Movement’s potential partners.” Some beings may opt out because they think some of the guys may be too immigrant focused ,” he conceded.

” We &# x27; re not looking to include any ethno-nationalist parties in this although people like the Sweden Democrats or the True Finns are perfect throwing .”

Kent Ekeroth of the Sweden Democrats was one of those who gratified Bannon in Central London in the last week. The defendant, which had its springs in the Neo-Nazi and white supremacist the two movements of the 1980 s, has shot up to nearly 20 percent in recent ballots after endorse a more conventionally populist, anti-immigration message.

Jerome Riviere of Marine Le Pen’s Front National( Rassemblement National since June) also made the pilgrimage to London’s Mayfair, as did Mischael Modrikamen of the People’s Party of Belgium, Nigel Farage of UKIP and Filip Dewinter of Vlaams Belang, a Flemish nationalist party constituted in 2004 where reference is predecessor was found to be in breach of a Belgian ordinance on combating racism and xenophobia .

Bannon did Farage and Le Pen would take the lead in figuring out the logistics of creating a new European parliamentary grouping that could be home to all of these parties and more.

Gosar, the Republican congressman, also stopped by Bannon’s London hotel. He was in Britain to attend a rally for the street protester and alt-right provocateur Tommy Robinson, who was recently to imprisonment for contempt of court for transgressing reporting to limit a tribulation. During his expedition, Gosar accused the British authority of jailing Robinson as part of a covered under of rape perpetrated by” disgusting and depraved individuals “ from Muslim immigrant communities, which he described as a “scourge.”

Bannon’s ambition is no less than to take a stranglehold on Europe in the same way that he feels Soros has been able to dominate proceedings in recent decades.

” Soros is splendid ,” he enunciated.” He &# x27; s evil but he &# x27; s magnificent .”

Bannon wants to fulfil that role on the right and he is not ashamed to assert his objectives.” I &# x27; m about prevailing. I &# x27; m about supremacy ,” he remarked.” I want to win and then I want to effectuate change .”

He is not afraid of being parodied in the way that Soros has been smeared by the liberty. He likened it to the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal.” Look at Chris Wylie[ the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower ]. He is telling’ Bannon obligated psychological artilleries .’ He &# x27; s literally did me the most clever evil genius. I &# x27; m a Bond villain. I kind of dig it .”

Kassam, who worked closely with Bannon at Breitbart and followed him out the door of the populist news website, spoke The Movement was influencing up as a make that they are able to subsume national politics.

” Forgotten your Merkels ,” spoke Kassam.” Soros and Bannon are going to be the two biggest musicians in European politics for years to come .”

Read more: https :// www.thedailybeast.com/ inside-bannons-plan-to-hijack-europe-for-the-far-right

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thrashermaxey · 7 years ago

Text

Injury Ward: Crawford Out For Season?

Will Corey Crawford still return this season?

This week we have a bunch of updates on notable long-term injuries, as well as a few new arrivals to the Dobber Injury Ward. Knowing how much time your players will miss can help you find the best replacements before your opponents. For the latest injury updates, follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza!

The Big Guns (>75% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Corey Crawford �� It has been almost four weeks since Corey Crawford went down with an upper-body injury, and sources are now saying Crawford could miss the rest of the season with vertigo-like symptoms. He was dealing with similar symptoms in the 2015-2016 season, which caused him to miss four weeks of action. Considering he still hasn’t resumed skating, it’s going to take longer for him to feel 100% this time. Crawford is 16-9-2 on the season, with a .929 SV% and 2.27 GAA. That gives Chicago a 6-8-4 record without him, so it’s safe to say he’s an integral part of the roster.

Victor Hedman – Huge loss for the Lightning as Victor Hedman will be out three to six weeks with a lower-body injury. While this might create a bigger role for Mikhail Sergachev, let’s remember that he had been playing pretty sheltered minutes and had cooled off recently with only three points in his last 12 games.

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Sean Monahan – The flu kept Monahan out of Sunday’s contest against the Hurricanes. Considering he will have had five days of rest prior to the team’s next game against Winnipeg, I wouldn’t expect him to miss any more time.

Viktor Arvidsson – The Predators forward was placed on injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury in practice. With 27 points in 42 games this season, Arvidsson has been proving last season’s 61-pont season wasn’t a fluke.

Josh Bailey – Will be skating on Wednesday. Depending on how he feels, Bailey could be an option later in the week against the Bruins (Thursday) or Blackhawks (Saturday).

Matt Murray – The Penguins goaltender is travelling with the team as the embark on their California road trip. Murray had missed time because of family reasons, so consider him day-to-day for now.

Cory Schneider – The Devils’ goaltender missed Tuesday’s game with an illness. These usually don’t cause players too much time, so he could start against the Caps or Flyers (or both) later in the week.

Jaden Schwartz – Skated for the first time on Monday after suffering an ankle injury. We’re about five weeks into the original six-week timetable.

The Second Liners (40%-75% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Ryan Johansen – As I write this, Ryan Johansen has left the game against Vegas after William Carrier made contact with his head. While early indications would suggest a concussion, follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza for the official update.

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Sebastian Aho – After a slow start to the season that saw him go 15 games without a goal, Aho had been pretty hot with 16 goals in his next 29 outings. Unfortunately, he’ll be out indefinitely with a concussion and lower-body injury after this collision with Mark Giordano. Concussions can be very unpredictable, so all we can do is track his progress and make note of when he starts skating again.

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Jeff Carter – Has started skating on his own! The playoff race is getting tighter in the West, and the return of their 30-goal scorer will certainly help the Kings. While Carter has been making good progress, wait for him to practice with the team before activating him from the injured reserve.

Semyon Varlamov – What’s being called a “lower-body muscular injury” will keep Varlamov out for at least another week. While that’s the official label, a lingering groin strain was also mentioned. Colorado is very much a part of the playoff picture, currently on a seven-game winning streak that has seen Jonathan Bernier go 6-0, never allowing more than two goals a game. I guess there’s no need to rush Varlamov back.

Jake Muzzin – Has been skating and making good progress, so expect him back very soon. The Kings are currently on a four-game losing streak and will greatly benefit from the return of a defenseman who plays 20+ minutes a night.

Nino Niederreiter – It’s been a week since the team announced Nino would miss a week with a lower-body injury. While there haven’t been any more official updates, all signs point to him suiting up on Saturday against the Lightning.

The Depth Guys (10%-40% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – While there were early concussion concerns after this hit from Brayden McNabb, the injury was limited to some bruising that should heal before the team’s next game (Saturday against the Canucks). Nugent-Hopkins is on pace for 55 points, which would be a great bounce-back after last season’s 43 point total.

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Artem Anisimov – Skated for about 10 minutes before the team practiced on Saturday, but it’s unlikely he plays in Chicago’s next game (January 20). Considering how hot Nick Schmaltz has been as the new second line center (11 points in last nine games), it’ll be interesting to see where Anisimov plays when he is healthy. Mark Lazerus sees third-line minutes in Anisimov’s future.

Nikita Zaitsev – It’ll be another week or two before Zaitsev has fully recovered from an injured foot.

Daniel Sedin – Back spasms kept one of the twins out of the lineup Sunday against the Wild. The Canucks don’t play again until Saturday, so hopefully he’ll be feeling better by then.

Bo Horvat – Two weeks away from a return after fracturing his ankle early in December.

Johnny Boychuk – Has been making progress, but still hasn’t started skating.

The Mr. Irrelevants (<10% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Kevin Hayes – The leg contusion doesn’t seem to be too serious, but coach Alain Vigneault still doesn’t know if Hayes will practice on Wednesday or face the Sabres on Thursday. Not knowing is better that knowing he won’t be ready, right?

Andrew Ladd – Still hasn’t started skating. This gives Anthony Beauvillier more time on the second line beside Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle.

Justin Abdelkader – The Red Wings’ next game is on Saturday against the Hurricanes, and Abdelkader won’t be in the lineup. While tests showed no structural damage from the lower-body injury, it’s not encouraging that he’s been ruled out four days in advance.

Steve Mason – Wasn’t feeling well last week, which might have been related to taking a puck up high. Winnipeg doesn’t play again until Saturday, so we’ll see if Mason is well enough to back up Connor Hellebuyck then.

Andrew Shaw – Will be re-evaluated in about a week after suffering a lower-body injury.

Phillip Danault – It was a scary moment in Montreal after a Zdeno Chara slapper caught Philip Danault up high. He has been released from hospital, but what seems to be a concussion will keep him out for the foreseeable future. While his health is the most important and we wish him a speedy recovery, the injury creates an even bigger hole down the middle in Montreal. What do the Habs do when losing a center to injury? Move Jonathan Drouin to the wing of course! Jacob De La Rose Is now centering Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk. Paul Byron has moved to center between Max Pacioretty and Charles Hudon.

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from All About Sports http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/injury-ward/injury-ward-crawford-out-for-season/

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seresmarkusz-blog · 7 years ago

Video

youtube

In the studio of Szabadfogás, the hardy guests are ready for a few rough rounds. The man who is trying to keep them in line tonight is István Dévényi.

ID-Good Evening! I’m not much of a comedian but I’m going to tell a joke anyway, just because the genre of political jape seems to finally show some life signs once again. So then, why did the Momentum organized their procession against Putin in Buda? Because they would be lost in Pest. And those who decided to sit with each other to debate are:

Sándor Pörzse, journalist: Good Evening! But... Smite me if you will, but I don’t get the punchline.

Zoltán Herczeg, designer: Good Evening! You and me both!

Zoltán Bakos, photographer: Good Evening to everybody! (SP: Do you get it, Zoli? ZB: Yes.)

András Wahorn, artist: I do not understand, either.

Róbert Puzsér, independent publicist: Good Evening and I don’t get it either.

And Sándor Csintalan: Good Evening Hungarians.

ID-Then I just won’t explain it. Maybe at the end of the broadcast. The viewers understood. But if we managed to mention Putin at the very beginning of the show let us continue with him, because it seems that Vladimir Putin grew fond of our country so much that he visited Budapest two times in one and a half year. The Russian president officially came to see the Judo World Championship, but he was actually too late for the opening ceremony, and the topic of judo hadn’t really come up, maybe a little, but mostly they negotiated the matter of Paks2 and the extension of the nuclear power plant in Paks. Now, I had a feeling- maybe I am wrong and you will correct me if so- that it comes off as like the Russian president came to hasten things up a little bit and say: Guys get yourselves together already and let’s start this Paks nuclear business.

SP-And is a phone call not enough for this?

SCS-To characters with such Byzantine style as Putin or this country for that matter this is an important gesture. The gesture itself plays a fundamental part. For starters let’s note that the Russian officiality, along with the website of the Kremlin claims that Putin came because of the invitation of the Hungarian government, not because of judo. Secondly, he made the prime minister wait for him for a considerable time, our prime minister, who by the way, also have a tendency to not to arrive punctually to a meeting with somebody he is in an asymmetric relation with. He in these cases makes people wait for long minutes, tens of minutes. A proper, influential Fidesz-member never arrives on time, that is a well-known fact. The other thing, that sweet little discourse Orbán mumbled about Putin’s book, who by the way admitted that the target audience of the book is children, just to avoid any kind of misinterpretations. Our prime minister had the nerve to claim that this book is popular and frequently quoted among Hungarians, with special regard to the idea of respecting the enemy, which is funny in itself because- although probably there are a lot of people who speak English and Russian- the book was not even translated to Hungarian and I never ever heard anybody quoting Putin, except Viktor Orb��n, of course. If we are assessing this big pile of gestures to analyze, then I must come to the conclusion that this was a typical case of particularistic byzantine messing around. They did not reach any consensus regarding the matter of Paks or anything else noteworthy, the apparatus still works and that’s all there’s to it. Sorry.

SP- In my opinion, he simply came to visit the Judo World Championship. There is no mystery involved, he is the honorary president of the Judo World Association, so he came here. It would be very awkward and a huge humiliation if he did not meet with any of the host countries’ prime minister, so he did. That is an other question, whether a Russian president is deliberately making his peer wait for him or his program changes in a way that he is late. What Sanyi said that’s quite embarrassing. We are really not in a position yet, that we have to state that our sports journalists are quoting Putin’s book, that’s just stupid. However, whoever is the PM of Hungary, in this region, in this political situation we always have to scratch the ear of the Russian Bear. We HAVE to. Like it or not.

SCS- I’m just saying that the Mongol president was also here.

SP- Yeah, well, I don’t know what the Mongols have, maybe a Mare. Her ear doesn’t have to be scratched.

SCS- They are relatives, Sanyi.

SP- But the Bear’s ear must be. And whoever the PM may be that is a fact, even if we mock it. Maybe the gestures are indeed not appropriate.

ZH-Reacting to your first question, would Orbán be so excited if Putin was only calling him up, that he is arranging his collar multiple times or licking the edges of his mouth like we saw he did? So that really means something that he sits before him and asks: “So what’s going on with that power plan?” If I get the chance to sit in front of Armani or Jean Paul Gaultier I would probably show these symptoms as well.

ZB- I also consider this a usual diplomatic appointment. There was nothing to it. Probably we’ll never know what they were talking about, we could obviously make assumptions like Sanyi does or you could try to project phantasmal gestures...

SCS- I am talking about sentences uttered in front of the public. Even the national television broadcasted it. Excuse me. I’m not making assumptions.

ZB- Yeah, but this is not that meaningful. This won’t result in a war, the Russians won’t overrun Western-Europe, there will be no dictatorship or mass executions as some might speculate when talking about these things. So this was a fairly normal meeting and why not? So we should rejoice, Hungary hosted another high-rank sport event and the leaders of the government were there. that's it. A lot of other prominent people came to see the JWC unofficially, obviously, they were interested. Nothing special.

RP- I believe that it would be most interesting to examine why Orbán is immune to the various accusations that he is cooperating with Putin. They are continuously condemning him, that he is allying himself with Putin. We can see where he wants to lead the country. It is ocular what kind of cord measure Viktor Orbán uses to operate the public power in Hungary. It is visible that for Hungary the outlined way is somewhat similar to Putin’s and Erdogan’s “illiberal state”. And yet Orbán seems to suffer no penalties because of this. His popularity is unwavering. That is because the bigger proportion of Hungary’s population already signed this deal. To belong to Putin, this bitter pill the Hungarians already swallowed. And by now, the pill doesn’t really feel so bitter. But the truth is that the concept of being European and the system of representative democracy got twenty years from the Hungarian people to prove, and quite frankly these past twenty years were full of failures. In 1990 when the change in regime transpired there were three major expectations toward the new system from the part of the Hungarian society. In one hand capitalism and financial well-being. Well, this capitalism was stolen by the Hungarian elite. That was the experience. On the other hand, people wanted to feel that they belong to a moral superiority. They wanted to join that by joining the West. I think that that was a legit claim until the ransacking war against Irak. And this illusion collapsed right there. And the third was the concept of this free, open society about what the Hungarians thought that they need it. And alas they had to be grimly disappointed in that as well. So this is what is being switched, primary in the souls, to the need for Putin’s model. This open society did not bring the sought opportunities, only...only...confusion and the lack of identity. The Hungarian society felt lost in this twenty years, they felt that the old solid points to lean on were gone and they were not given new ones. Now, with the returning to the old way of Putin, or should I say Bresnev, the people feel a warm, cushy certainty with which they can see the future from a more positive perspective. However grim it might be to say this out loud. This country did not need Putin for twenty years. Europe and her representative democracy got twenty years. In Russian, she got only ten. And during this twenty years, Hungarians did not feel these values to be their own and that is a serious responsibility of the Hungarian elite.

ID- The situation does not seem to be so black and white though, as a recent study, incited by Putin’s visit, showed that the vast majority of the asked still believe that we belong to Europe and even among the voters of Fidesz there are only 9% who thinks we should bind the ties closer with Russia instead. So Russia might not be so popular.

SP- The question itself is bad. One has to choose either this or that? Why would you have to choose...

AW- You have to choose because Putin represents something, with which I think no normal person would like to sympathize. Doesn’t want to scratch the ear of this felon.

In the studio of Szabadfogás, the hardy guests are ready for a few rough rounds. The man who is trying to keep them in line tonight is István Dévényi.

Sándor Pörzse, journalist: Good Evening! But... Smite me if you will, but I don’t get the punchline.

Zoltán Herczeg, designer: Good Evening! You and me both!

Zoltán Bakos, photographer: Good Evening to everybody! (SP: Do you get it, Zoli? ZB: Yes.)

András Wahorn, artist: I do not understand, either.

Róbert Puzsér, independent publicist: Good Evening and I don’t get it either.

And Sándor Csintalan: Good Evening Hungarians.

SP-And is a phone call not enough for this?

SCS-To characters with such Byzantine style as Putin or this country for that matter this is an important gesture. The gesture itself plays a fundamental part. For starters let’s note that the Russian officiality, along with the website of the Kremlin claims that Putin came because of the invitation of the Hungarian government, not because of judo. Secondly, he made the prime minister wait for him for a considerable time, our prime minister, who by the way, also have a tendency to not to arrive punctually to a meeting with somebody he is in an asymmetric relation with. He in these cases makes people wait for long minutes, tens of minutes. A proper, influential Fidesz-member never arrives on time, that is a well-known fact. The other thing, that sweet little discourse Orbán mumbled about Putin’s book, who by the way admitted that the target audience of the book is children, just to avoid any kind of misinterpretations. Our prime minister had the nerve to claim that this book is popular and frequently quoted among Hungarians, with special regard to the idea of respecting the enemy, which is funny in itself because- although probably there are a lot of people who speak English and Russian- the book was not even translated to Hungarian and I never ever heard anybody quoting Putin, except Viktor Orbán, of course. If we are assessing this big pile of gestures to analyze, then I must come to the conclusion that this was a typical case of particularistic byzantine messing around. They did not reach any consensus regarding the matter of Paks or anything else noteworthy, the apparatus still works and that’s all there’s to it. Sorry.

SCS- I’m just saying that the Mongol president was also here.

SP- Yeah, well, I don’t know what the Mongols have, maybe a Mare. Her ear doesn’t have to be scratched.

SCS- They are relatives, Sanyi.

SP- But the Bear’s ear must be scratched. And whoever the PM may be that is a fact, even if we mock it. Maybe the gestures are indeed not appropriate.

SCS- I am talking about sentences uttered in front of the public. Even the national television broadcasted it. Excuse me. I’m not making assumptions.

SP- The question itself is wrong. One has to choose either this or that? Why would you have to choose...

AW- You have to choose because Putin represents something, with which I think no normal person would like to sympathize. No normal person want to scratch the ear of this felon. I wish that our leaders were not the traitors to western progress, freedom and to what we so keen on rumor, that we are the bastion of the western world. I wish they were defending the West instead of betraying it by befriending one of the most powerful forces in the world which does everything it can to destroy this Western civilization.

SP-Sweet András...

ZB-That is a huge bullshit...

AW-It is not bullshit...

ZB-Putin enjoys a popularity of 83%, you are talking bullshit.

AW-We are talking about a country, Russia, which produces only one thing, weapons.

SP-András, come on!

AW-Do you wear Russian trousers? Have you ever bought Russian glasses?

ZB-I did!

AW-Where?

ZB-In IKEA. They have Russian companies are major suppliers of IKEA, for example.

AW-In IKEA. But that is not a Russian company, now is it?

ZB-Listen a lot of things were produced in Russia...

AW-Tell me one thing, one thing except weapons!

ZB-A tremendous number of things. Check out the new cars, check out the new developments.

AW-What kind of cars?

ZB-They also have nuclear technology. Russia is a first in that on a world scale. And I would comment that Putin’s 83% popularity is not negligible fact. Look it is clear as day that the various liberal democracies are incapable of keeping order. Take a glance of your beloved Europe and see what’s happening in Bavaria, in Hamburg, in Madrid or in Barcelona and then you’ll understand. People need order, ordinary people need order, maybe you don’t

SP-There were explosions in Moscow too...

SCS-Anyway, that 83% popularity index is still quite low, it is going to reach 98% sooner or later, mark my words.

ZB-Thank God!

SCS-Yeah, do you remember Kim Ir Szen. Kim Jong Un? How popular were they?

ZB-Putin is not of the caliber of Kim Jong Un...

SCS-Of course not. He just shoots journalist in the nape, he just blows up people, you know when they won this match, I can recommend reading Litvinenko, and prominent leaders of the political opposition are executed a few kilometers away from the Kreml. That’s what I call order! The order of cemeteries. The silence of graves. The best kind of order, indeed. This is what that system is about. If somebody longs for that, the path is open to emigrate to the East. But if you noticed there are quite a few people who want to move to Russia.

SP-Come on you could also pick out a little detail or episode from the career of any leader of a western democracy that disgusts you. Macron, Angela Merkel, any of them. Putin has a lot of such moments, moments that are either dreadful or disgusting. It is not so simple. It’s not black and white.

AW-How can you say that it’s not black and white when Russian troops are killing people of Hungarian nationality in Ukraine.

SP-I think...

AW-That is of no interest to you? But the Transylvanian bear is? IS THE BEER MORE IMPORTANT? It doesn't bother you that the Russian military occupies the territory of a sovereign nation?

SP-András, I don’t think you are a populist, I think you are not aware of the situation.

RP-For my part, I don’t think that legitimacy and popularity are everything. So I don’t think that just because 83% of Russian people are actually supporting Putin, he is a good politician or that the way he leads his country is the right one for Russia or for Hungary to follow. Remember how popular Adolf Hitler was? His legitimacy in Germany used to supersede Putin’s current acceptance, Hitler had an outstanding popularity, I don’t know he had like 97% or 98% of the population as his supporter.

SP-And those numbers were not fabricated.

RP-Not at all. So even though it was a totalitarian dictatorship it was overwhelmingly legit, and yet we do not regard it as a commendable example obviously. So I would warn you not to exchange history for likes.

ZB-Look, here's what I see. Putin elevated 30 million Russian from poverty, stabilized the rubel, he renovated Russia's economy, forbade the stealing of national reserves like oil, gas and the rest and that is remarkably popular among the Russian people because they can feel the benefits... AW-They can't feel them since he prohibited the...

ZB-Yeah, right! Because you know what Russians feel!

ID-I...I think none of us really know that, but we might add, while we are scratching the ear of the Russian Bear, although I think that we scratched it a little too hard and long already, that Russia is actually a smaller trade partner of ours than the Netherlands in regard to both the exports and imports.

ZB-That is because of the EU's sanctions.

RP-No that is because Russia's economy is, in reality, is terribly weak and all of that legendary income is coming from the oil.

ZB-There is a growth of 2.6%!

RP-As soon as the cost of oil decreases, the deficit hits.

0 notes

flauntpage · 8 years ago

Text

We Spent a Week in Tokyo's Fight Scene

I'm at a world title fight inside a tennis stadium on the waters of Tokyo Bay, among 10,000 mostly Japanese fans, watching Frenchman Hassan N'dam, the winner by decidedly disgusting split decision, acknowledge those still in their seats on the south side of the ring.

Some have already left the place, shocked and confused and maybe indignant. But those who remain clap—and not passive-aggressively. Sure, politesse is the name of the game here, but plaudits for the guy who sucked the air out of this bubble called Ariake Colosseum by beating the would-be hometown hero, formerly undefeated Olympic gold medalist Ryota Murata, whose face has graced every Tokyo paper all week?

Unfathomable.

Finally, one Japanese man standing behind me renews my hope that the cultural gap can be bridged.

"Ie, ie, ie!" he shouts. No, no, no!

In total Bowe-Golota mode, I think, OK, good. Now let's charge the ring and dispose of these, at best, blind and, at worst, warped officials. But the shouting man goes quiet suddenly and shuffles out, a small prelude to the self-doubt some Japanese fans and writers begin expressing online within 24 hours that Murata wasn't as active as he should have been, he didn't press his advantages, he allowed the fight to be taken from him—the first two of which may be true.

But Murata, a probing man who ponders existence in ordinary fight interviews and often refers to the words of the eminent Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, gave up nothing Saturday night.

Here, instead, is the story of the snatch.

It was supposed to be such an enjoyable, onigiri-filled voyage: Fly into Tokyo to watch 31-year-old Murata—at 160 pounds, the biggest Olympic medalist Japanese boxing has ever produced, by 46 pounds—ply his trade during a historic sports week in Tokyo.

Sure, Murata was no guaranteed winner. Some in his camp had wanted him to wait before challenging for a belt, but the powerful Japanese Boxing Commission grades every fighter who turns pro and compels the best, by virtue of the class of their issued boxing license, to compete at a high level immediately. Which may be fine for smaller dudes, whose divisions are thinner (how many 108-pound men do you know?), but isn't a great path for bigger pugs who should ideally face considerably more opposition before challenging the best. There are a hell of a lot of strong 160-pound men in the world.

But, per inflexible local combat law, Murata's career moved fast. He signed with two promoters, Teiken for his fights inside Japan and Top Rank for those abroad. He also began training in the Teiken Gym and let the firm, run by 69-year-old Akihiko Honda, manage his career. Unlike in the U.S., where it's illegal, in Japan, boxing stables host, promote, and manage fighters, in the tradition of sumo stables, which even prescribe meal times and ingredients.

Nike sponsored Murata—where his trunks once featured the words "Big Dreams," they now boasted a Swoosh. "He gave me a Nike shirt," Steve Martinez, a 27-year-old from the Bronx who was flown in to spar with Murata, told me after returning. "He's big out there."

Bigness was the issue all along.

Heading into May, Japan had produced exactly 80 men's champs. Only three had won in the 154-lb. class, and only one had taken a strap at 160: Shinji Takehara, who won it 21 years ago and then lost it in his first defense a half-year later; that you've never heard of Takehara says it all.

And size matters for reasons the Japanese rarely articulate aloud and almost never among foreigners. Several months ago, someone at Teiken, after I enthused about some of their stars, said, almost bashfully, that while their fighters have a lot of heart, they lack in technique. I heard nearly the same line—it might've been the same, verbatim—from a magazine writer inside Ariake, as we watched an undercard bout from a perch above our press area.

What they both left out or alluded to only indirectly is why Japan has had considerable boxing success at all: In the lower weight classes, you can take a hell of a beating and still win—the incoming punches aren't often one-shot tranquilizers.

From Fighting Harada to Eijiro Murata to the stars of today, they see their boxing luminaries as successful partly because of their weight limitations. Murata, by contrast, announced with his Olympic gold at middleweight that he could be the first Japanese fighter to win in the wider world, a world full of 160-pound antagonists.

For me, the Japanese focus on his size obscured some of his other intriguing traits, which I picked up in bits and pieces from older articles in Japanese. Murata resumed an amateur career he had abandoned year prior after a former boxer at Toyo University, his alma mater and employer (he was a boxing coach/general philosopher-dude), was arrested in 2009 for allegedly trying to smuggle illegal stimulants into the country. Murata has said he returned to the ring in order to restore his school's reputation. "It's a very Japanese way of thinking," one Japanese fight writer told me.

And the philosophizing itself was fascinating, though the language barrier prevents me from assessing whether Murata really knows of what he speaks or just drops names to legitimize whatever he wants to say next. Besides Frankl, he often brings up Nietzsche, the philosopher whom his father read most often, and theologian Reinhold Neibuhr. Did I mention that his degree is actually in business?

Anyway, my trip wasn't focused on this character alone. Murata was scheduled to headline the second of three title-topped shows on consecutive nights in the capital. The 19th was to be all female fighters, while the 21st was to feature 115-pound champ Naoya Inoue, aka "Monster," and Satoshi Shimizu, a featherweight who won a bronze medal in London just before Murata took home gold (that he's far less heralded demonstrates just how differently Murata, his larger Olympic teammate, has been treated).

If you're an otaku (or, more accurately, a lover of ukiyo-e and Japanese film) and certainly a fight fiend, how could you not go?

Issei Nakaya, the 38-year-old proprietor of a boxing gym outside central Tokyo, meets me at Narita Airport, and we navigate a series of sweaty, sardine-can subways westward, over two hours, to his neighborhood of Hachioji. We talk of crazy places fights can take a person, and he says has visited 50 countries.

Eventually, we reach the Hachioji Nakaya Boxing Gym, which is up a flight from the sidewalk. At the doorway, we remove our sneakers and don slippers, even though the floors are concrete and unlikely to be affected by shoes. (Incidentally, most Japanese gyms feature softer flooring, but Issei calls the concrete an American touch.)

I've been awake too many hours to count, but the small gym has a soothing familiarity, with its handful of heavy bags and single ring. Issei and I plop into his father's office for a moment just to regain our senses, post-subway smushing. The sound system plays reggae. Issei offers me a Pocari Sweat—a cloudy beverage akin to Gatorade—and I down it quickly.

A small boxing equipment store in Suidobashi

Issei tells me more about the gym, which is a small family operation compared to Murata's Teiken, which, besides being bigger and better-financed, also has branches across the country, in Osaka, Fukuoka and Hachinohe, that feature a modernist take on traditional Eastern architecture in glass and wood.

Here, the place is wonderfully grungy and everyone pitches in: Issei creates the fight posters (graphic design is his hobby, and he creates posters for the local soccer and basketball teams, too) and handles administrative work, while his father, Hirotaka, who recently turned 63, and one of his brothers, Kosuke, serve as trainers.

His father also sculpts in his free time, Issei explains, pointing to a few of his works—a bust, a funky desk—on view in the gym office.

Hirotaka is in the ring, teaching a kid to load up on the hook. Issei says they focus on power, not speed. Was he ever trained by his pops?

Issei says no. "My father isn't interested in his own kids," he adds. "Just sculpture."

"And other people's kids," I add, and Issei laughs.

There are a handful of pros in the building, including Musashi Yoshino, a super-flyweight fighting on the undercard of the Murata event. Whenever a fighter leaves, the remaining crowd says, "Otskare," short for "otsukaresamadeshita," or "Well done working yourself to the point of tiredness today, lord."

When I chat with Hirotaka, he tells me that training and sculpting are parts of the same art—forming something from nothing. Then he shows me a signed poster of a famous Japanese singer and, on his iPhone, a classical bath tub he fashioned in his own backyard. And then a photo of himself sitting in the tub next to two goats he owns (an image so humorous Issei created an illustrated version for his fight posters).

Issei and I depart for a local tiki bar, where we consume beer, peanuts, and garlicky rice while discussing the HBO-Showtime rivalry and other melodramas. Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" plays. We toast the mutual friend who set us up, a Japanese sports reporter currently based in New York who is still very much beloved in Tokyo: To Daisuke! Kanpai!

The fights begin with the all-women's card in Korakuen Hall, a wooden box on the fifth floor of a building near the Tokyo Dome whose intimacy—it seats 1,800—belies the venue's grand history. It is here that Joe Frazier won his heavyweight gold medal in the 1964 Games. The nearby Dome was the site of the greatest upset in heavyweight history, Buster Douglas' 1990 dethroning of Mike Tyson.

Issei isn't promoting tonight, but he gets me in and later introduces me to a manager wearing a silky shirt and aviators, with a pseudo-Jheri curl. He kinda looks like an underworld figure; Issei says he's very skilled at matching fighters.

The women deliver the goods. Fan favorite Chaozu, who has cultivated a hybrid punkish-cute persona with that handle—her actual name is Akiko, which is in line with the Japanese custom of giving girls names ending in "ko"—and short, bleached hair, emerges to the tune of a Japanese pop song alongside a furry mascot that resembles Syracuse's Otto the Orange.

She wins by second-round TKO, admittedly against a Thai fighter brought in to be the B side (aka, not have a chance of winning), and then, like many of the night's contestants, poses for pictures with attendees.

The main event gives me the sniffles. Kayoko Ebata, 41, has challenged for a world title five times unsuccessfully, including twice inside Korakuen Hall. She faces Erika Hanawa, an undefeated 26-year-old with little wallop but a nice record. Neither truly deserves a belt at 105 pounds (minimumweight), but one is at stake, and that's all that matters in the moment.

The taller Ebata uses her length to touch Hanawa constantly and set the pace. At an age when boxers not named Hopkins or Foreman are already seriously in decline or retired, Ebata shows exceptional stamina. She never seems any more tired than Hanawa over the fight's ten rounds (standard for women; for men, it's been 12 for the past 30 years). Ebata evades a few bombs thrown in desperation, and then the bell rings and scores are announced. She wins: 98-92 on two judges' cards, 97-93 on one.

Ebata falls to her knees and cries. Her audience chants her name: E-ba-ta. E-ba-ta. When the MC hands her the mic, after she has composed herself, she thanks the crowd wholeheartedly and then announces her retirement.

I dab my tearful eyes. Issei smiles. I wanted to show you Korakuen-style, he says, alluding to the inevitable emotional connection fans here make with fighters who are mere feet away. "Auld Lang Syne" plays over the PA system as we leave.

Murata enters the arena through a gauntlet of supporters waving banners featuring his likeness and the logo of Toyo University (consider yourself redeemed in full, Toyo). I sneak between these supporters and follow Murata nearly up into the ring. If only Madison Square Garden ushers were so permissive.

Just before the bell rings, after the seconds have been told to exit, Murata's trainer reminds him to keep his guard up very high. And then I'm clued in—at least at the start, Murata is gonna wear earmuffs, Winky Wright–style, and merely try to deflect punches while walking N'dam down, feeling him out physically and wearing him out mentally.

N'dam can't land a shot. Each one slides off Murata's gloves like melted ice cream at a matsuri (more on that in a moment). Five minutes into the bout, Murata opens up and begins throwing at intervals. He's slow and throws sparingly, but every punch lands hard, and sends N'dam sprawling.

It's a strategy of compensation: Time your shots so they can't be countered, no matter slow your own reflexes. Then N'dam goes down in the fourth round, and the fight seems like a sealed deal.

The morning after Murata's loss, hungover from life and beneath a blazing sun, I hightail it to Asakusa for the third and final day of the Sanja Matsuri, a Shinto festival that is held in the summer and attracts 1.5 million people each year. The event is part tradition (participants wear yukatas and other traditional garb) and part grubby tourist attraction, with an endless row of kitschy vendors leading to the Senso-ji Temple.

At the actual front of this human traffic jam, people buy keys to wooden drawers, in which omikuji (fortunes) are stored. They're read and then either tied to a tree if your luck looks to be bad, or kept.

Oh, and representatives of local neighborhoods jostle, shove, and sing in order to carry one of three mobile shrines called mikushi with which nearby businesses are blessed. I've seen the look on their faces before, those lugging these intricate wooden arks. These are the good soldiers, pushing through pain to make for themselves a better life (although it may just be artificial, residual—faces they saw their parents make and so mimic).

I head from the Shinto mosh-pit to the third and final show, also at Ariake Colosseum, which is headlined by super-flyweight champ "Monster" Inoue, who just turned 24. Until recently the Japanese fancy wanted to match Monster against fellow division-ruler Roman Gonzalez (whom the Japanese press call by the portmanteau Romagon similar to the way they call personal computers pasocon—"Gonzalez" doesn't exactly slide off of the Japanese tongue). But Gonzalez has lost his belts now and may no longer be Inoue's target. Tonight, Monster faces a Mexican without a chance, just to stay busy.

More exciting than the bout is Inoue's padwork before it begins, in his police-guarded dressing room, into which I slide my phone's camera at various points, before finding a monitor displaying the room's footage—then I shoot the monitor and get it all.

As for the actual contests: The difference between Japanese and American title bouts is officiousness—a condescending display that betrays the nature of the game. In a fight, after all, manners are crushed by matter.

For three decades, politicians and promoters both have advocated for the U.S. to install a national commissioner of boxing, if only for safety reasons. Right now, each state has its own commission with its own rules, some of which are so lax they permit seriously debilitated fighters who've been barred from the ring elsewhere to compete with nary a test.

Well, the Japanese have such an all-powerful body, but rather than enforce safety, it mainly exists to reinforce its own authority. I note before each title bout: When belts are stake, the Japanese commission also offers its own trophy—which basically looks like what you took home from little league, but bigger (as if the belt and status weren't reward enough). In fact, until a few years ago, the commission refused even to acknowledge the validity of two belt sanctioning bodies accepted everywhere else, the IBF and the WBO. A Japanese fighter wasn't allowed to fight for such a belt or had to do so overseas.

What rubs me the wrong way most is that before each bout an old man surrounded by other old men reads a proclamation detailing the status of the fight. Sure, that's part and parcel of the culture, to put an official stamp on nearly everything. But title fights possess such a stamp already in the belts on offer, the well-known records of the combatants, and, oh yeah, the Japanese version of Michael Buffer, who also announces who's in each corner and for what they vie.

These older commissioners, then, put their imprimatur on the bouts for themselves—not for the crowd watching, which might already know the cash at stake in what is, after all, a prizefight. On the plus side, Japanese promoters don't engage in the boorish bloviating of their American counterparts. So I suppose either way, people are going to say self-aggrandizing things. The difference is who and when.

Maybe all of the above is just another way of stating Murata's grand task: To escape the Japanese fight world's meaningless local pronouncements and ceremonies; to transcend its minor xenophobia, as exhibited by its general policy not to issue press passes to foreign reporters, unless I was white-lied to by the promoter who explained to me my own rejection before offering me a ringside ticket—basically, to leave home in order to become the hero home needs (#JosephCampbell #StarWars).

Murata would never dare tell Japan that to its face, though he has said his dream is to headline a Vegas show and the best fighter of all time was Harlem's Sugar Ray Robinson.

But a kid 11 years his junior who appeared on an undercard over the weekend already has, in a way. His name is Andy Hiraoka, and he's a 20-year-old, half-Ghanaian, half-Japanese junior-welterweight southpaw who turned pro at 17, won some matches in Japan, and then put his competitive career on hold for two years to hone his game in the Mayweather gym in Vegas.

That he knew he needed to leave to improve is a sign of his maturity, but it also touches on the aforementioned nativist attitudes. Not to cast stones from this awfully glassy American house, but Japan still treats mixed-race Japanese as others, no matter their birthplace. They term said people "hafus"—as in, half and half—and there's a heartbreaking documentary by that name on the phenomenon I recommend.

Which isn't to say I caught any glimpse of it during Hiraoka's fight. Just the opposite, in fact: he is a clear favorite among the fans, including a group of little kids with inflated Thunder sticks who repeatedly shout, "Ganbare, Andy-san!"—ganbare meaning, basically, go get 'em.

Rather, Hiraoka's hafu status is likely what allowed him to slip out of Japan in the first place without creating a stir. In January, I interviewed top-flight Japanese 130-pounder Takashi Miura in California, before his second appearance on HBO Boxing (his first was the previous calendar's fight of the year, and his next is just scheduled to be held in July in LA).

I figured Miura's global rise was being hailed back home, and said as much. His response, without hesitation: No, it doesn't help my reputation to fight abroad. I'd be more popular if I stayed home. I do it because it makes me better.

Four months later, that line of thinking is perhaps why I sense an urgency to Murata's fight never quite addressed in the press and yet perhaps its underlying point: If Murata wins, the Japanese won't feel a protectionist urge to keep him at home. A win means he can take on the world—enter it—and his fans, therefore, can open themselves up to it, too.

A win means: We are all good enough.

Is that total projection? Maybe.

A week before the title fight, Murata told a Japanese reporter the importance of the middleweight class is an American idea—because Americans are physically middleweights by nature, they pay more attention to those guys on-screen. Then he said the Japanese had absorbed the American idea that middleweights are what boxers should look like, so Japan's best talent flowed to baseball and soccer and ignored the fight game.

Of course, that second line means Murata would indeed be breaking a major social psychological barrier with a win.

After the fourth-round knockdown, Murata continues apace. In the fifth, N'dam raises his left glove high momentarily—he is wary now of Murata's right. But when he opens up to punch, he lets his guard down and gives Miura a swell path to the jaw. N'dam breathes through his mouth in the sixth, while trying to stay upright on unsteady legs.

In the seventh round, I scribble in my notes that a ref could call a knockdown each time N'dam is held up by the ropes alone and not his own power "but doesn't. It shouldn't matter."

I have Murata winning the eighth, but he appears fatigued now, waiting for that second wind.

My note on the 11th: Murata takes some shots—but makes sure to return fire each time, as one of his sparring partners told me he did in the gym.

Final note in my pad: Eventually Murata will need to add the 3—a left hook—to his 1-2 combos. But it's impressive as hell that he won tonight and entered the sport's top 10 with his limited artillery. It speaks to his potential. Then the ring MC announces the split decision in favor of N'dam. Only the American judge, Raul Caiz Sr., scores it, widely, for the pride of Nippon.

The other two judges are lucky the match was held in Japan and not anywhere else on the planet. Tennis fans have rioted over far less.

Murata, The Big Humble, refrains afterward from complaining about the decision. "The result is the result," he says. He doesn't demand a rematch, but the WBA orders one anyway (as it should). In the final two rounds, Murata recalls, he was thinking just how lucky he was just to be in a title fight, on this stage. And now he's ready to take some time off, he adds.

It really wouldn't shock me if he never came back at all. A smart, thoughtful guy with a college degree who told the Weekly Asahi in 2014 he was only gonna box for four or five more years anyway. Not a shock at all. Then again, there is a rumor he'll come back straight away this summer or fall to face English beltholder Billy Joe Saunders. It seems like it has always been this way with Murata—all or nothing, retirement or a gold medal. Retirement or a championship bout. A great win or an epically unfair loss.

Almost as if he's too pensive to commit without question to the brutal game, and so is treated as warily by the game itself.

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