#beijing rondo

[yuzupoohn]

Yuzuru Hanyu decided to casually write his own anime and not tell us.

Gift was LITERALLY the ABSOLUTE BEST thing I have ever seen. So many emotions. So many memories. Such a kind message. You're never alone. It'll be okay.

This show's set list had such a flow. Yuzuru was born to perform. Such a natural storyteller. But then BAM he hits us with fucking Beijing Rondo. Ppl on tumblr and reddit were so right about it being group therapy. I STARTED BAWLING WHEN HE LANDED THAT FUCKING SALCHOW AND HIS FUCKING VICTORY FACE MADE ME CRY EVEN MORE.

The scariest thing about this show is that NOTTE STELLATA is coming up as well and if we know Yuzu, he's going to want to top this fucking masterpiece of a show. I CANNOT WAIT!

Thank you for all that you've done for the figure skating community, and the world Yuzuru Hanyu. You've made history and will continue to do so!

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**PS IM STILL NOT RECOVERED FROM HIM SLAPPING HIS ASS DURING LMEY AND HAVING A FUCKING GREAT TIME DANCING. SO REFRESHING TO SEE HIM LOOK PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY FREE FROM COMPS!

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Photos are from the lovely reddit

[yuzu-all-the-way]

I need Yuzu's thigh and waist circumference/measurement for comparison research purposes

[tenchisupremacist]

This is all I have to say

[moon-soo-ah]

[101010mayumi]

The day blue flames descended on Beijing

[yuzurujenn]

[2023.11.11] AERA Special Edition - Yuzuru Hanyu x Shinya Kiyozuka

Pianist: Shinya Kiyozuka The inescapable "lonely fate" is fleeting and beautiful

Accompanying Creator Vol.2Pianist and composer/arranger Shinya Kiyozuka has regarded Yuzuru Hanyu, who has now become an outstanding performer, as an artist since his competitive days. Through arrangements like 'Haru yo, koi,' he has witnessed Hanyu's deep philosophy toward music and has been supporting him in realising that vision.

-Kiyozuka's collaboration with Hanyu began with the performance of 'Haru yo, koi' at Fantasy on Ice in 2018. How did you view the athlete 'Yuzuru Hanyu' at that time?

A 'perfect person,' perhaps. Defining what makes someone perfect is difficult, but there is a system to expression. In music, it relates to whether there are any mistakes or if the performance aligns with one's ideals. Figure skating, too, requires expressing a predetermined set of elements while considering physical balance and executing it as planned. I thought of Hanyu as someone who exhibits ‘systematic perfection’ in his expressive abilities rarely seen in human history.

Like musicians too, such people have a tendency to like perfection in all things. They can be a little sensitive or somewhat unapproachable. Initially, I thought Hanyu might be like that, but he didn’t give off that feeling at all. He is bright, gentle, and always mindful of not making others uncomfortable. I’m sure he understands better than anyone how others perceive him based on his experience. Even if Hanyu doesn’t intend it, he truly is an incredible person. When creating a program together, I thought that this sense of distance might have a negative impact. But, looking back now, I think that even that aspect was perfect (laughs).

-His expressions are intricate, and he is a skater with an exceptional sense of balance.

Expressing sensitivity in words is extremely difficult, but throughout the creation process, I caught glimpses of his keen sense of balance many times. Even in his choice of words, it feels like reading poetry. Sometimes literary, sometimes descriptive, and at times very specific. He might say things like, 'It’s like there’s vibrato on the violin,' or make fantastical remarks like, 'If you turn around, you’ll see a whole new world.' He is someone who writes beautifully.

-What you created together includes the short program 'Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso' performed at the Beijing Olympics and the exhibition piece 'Haru yo, koi.'

There was no need for him to say it, but after the Olympics, Hanyu sent me a message saying, 'I’m sorry.' In 'Haru yo, koi,' I could feel the various meanings he wanted to convey, and it became clear that he lives in a harsh world where he expresses himself through his performances, which deeply moved me.

However, to be honest, I had already stopped viewing Hanyu’s expression as merely 'competition.' I was seeing him more as an artist, away from the concept of scores. After he announced his transition to professional status, he also told me, 'I will definitely complete this.' I believe he had the desire to present what we created together in a beautiful form.

-In the past, you mentioned that in piano competitions, 'Executing the techniques is valued more than entertaining people with beautiful tones.' Hanyu also reflected on his competitive days, saying, 'If I didn’t win, it wouldn’t be remembered.'

Recently, we have been talking a lot about this kind of thing. We’d have video calls late at night and sometimes end up talking for about two hours without realising it. What started as work-related discussions often turns into deeper conversations. I think Hanyu’s worldview, which he’s trying to express, is very philosophical. Just like musical instruments, there are no words for skating. While you can inspire something, you can’t fully articulate it. Art can convey a stronger message than words. Hanyu has a deep and multifaceted philosophy behind his programs, and he works hard to express it.

-He is both an athlete and an artist, in that sense.

I felt that from the moment we met, and that’s what I respect the most.

When I talk with my friend who’s a baseball player, I realise how different the mindsets of artists and athletes are, which I find fascinating. They often use the term 'competition,' while artists rarely do. Artists are simply engaged in the process of bringing their inner selves to the surface, and there’s no win or loss involved. There are numerical indicators like CD sales, but not the concept of scoring.

Hanyu can navigate between both worlds. While I believe he has a certain attachment to scores, rather than placing value solely on the scores, I think it might be more accurate to say that there is a form of expression that can only be conveyed by winning. I’d like to ask Yuzu-chan about this.

-Has your relationship with Hanyu changed since he turned professional?

Although there aren’t people around me who call me that, before I knew it, he started calling me 'Kiyo-chan.' I wonder if it’s because he feels we have become people who can create from the same perspective now that he is a professional?

-How did you view the Tokyo Dome performance 'GIFT'?

The 'Rondo Capriccioso' might feel like an effort to reclaim Beijing, especially with the six-minute practice included in the performance. However, I see it a bit differently. I think he wanted to express an 'even more complete Rondo Capriccioso' by adding elements that he couldn’t showcase in competitions. Pushing yourself in that way also means you cannot escape a lonely fate. To reach a place where no one has seen, you have to work hard in solitude.

-Where does that strength come from?

I think that is the true essence of loneliness, and because he has lived that way, it’s all he can do. That fateful aspect is both fleeting and beautiful, connecting to Hanyu's solitary nature. His performances always carry a sense of mystery that reflects his way of life.

I think he’s the kind of person who can’t say he’s struggling, even when times are tough. It's during those moments that he has the brightest smile. As a friend, there have been times when I’ve asked him, 'Are you okay?' out of concern that he might burn out. But he always laughs ‘Hehehe’ with a super cute smile, as if to say “I know.”

Seeing that makes me realise I can’t approach this with half-hearted feelings. He pours so much of himself into it that I want to fight alongside him at that level. I’m ready to help manifest the world that Yuzu-chan wants to express.

Source: AERA Special Edition 2023.11.11 - Yuzuru Hanyu: The Solitary Driving Force, pg 86-87 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4023323500/

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Article by Olympics on Yuzu's GIFT

Author: Shintaro Kano

This article lists the number of viewers to 35000 in the stadium and 30000 in cinemas world wide.

Some quotes from Yuzu:

“Of course I do feel like I could have done some things better or differently. But I’m proud of this performance known as Gift. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I like to think I made the most of it. I hope people will remember this, even if its by bits and pieces.”

Hanyu said performing Rondo Capriccioso was a demon he had to exorcise at some point as the 28-year-old continues down a path no figure skater has traveled.

“It’s a program I didn’t complete at the Beijing Olympics,” Hanyu said. “I sort of recreated the Beijing experience tonight because I couldn’t quite realise the dream I had there and I wanted to send the message that you can make your dreams come true though not necessarily as you initially imagined it."

(Reminder: Take those quotes with a grain of salt as this website is not always true to every word of Yuzu and also has used fan translations without asking before. It doesn't mean it's the case with this article, but just generally speaking.)

[figureskatingbirds]

I legit thought I was over Beijing olys and the second I heard rondo on GIFT I went from nearly vomiting to bawling what the actual fuck

[mauxanhduong]

i wish i had more fanyu friends because i need to just have a watch party of yuzu programs like i need someone to experience the epic highs (ballade no 1 4cc 2020) and tragedies (beijing olympics rondo) of figure skating with

[enby-axels]

you know what’s actually immortal? rondo step sequence

[universehanyu]

Pink rondo capriccioso 🌸

[yuzupoohn]

Ok I know the olympics were a year ago, but I have a question that I want to discuss.

Let's say that IF Yuzu landed the 4S and IF he somehow landed the 4A, do y'all think he would have continued to compete?

[yuzu-all-the-way]

I used to wonder, after Beijing 2022, whether I'd see Rondo again

I shouldn't have worried

2022 24HTV, GIFT 2023, RE_PRAY Saitama (Days 1&2)

[moon-soo-ah]

[flippity-floppity-aarghh]

How can anyone love figure skating in the state that it is right now. This is my first Olympics and I already feel like I won’t be able to endure this sport for another quad with the direction it is going. I loved figure skating as a sport for the joy it brought me but I can’t even muster an inkling of positivity for it right now. Figure skating is dead.

[urara-ashikawa]

sooo i saw the new olympic video about yuzuru and i've only now realized that the stuff he said in the post-fs interview were a lot more... retirement-sounding... than i thought... 😒