#we don’t stan higuchi

[irevanity]

TEAM KIRA AS A K-IDOL GROUP

Based off of my shit reasoning and simply because I had this idea randomly while eating ice cream anyways LESSGO!!

By the way I know they’re Japanese but I don’t give a fuck so here’s some kpop shit because I don’t know what Jpop does

Okay so uh group name

It would obviously be KIRA or some weird variation of that word but with like numbers and shit

They’re a 4 member co-ed group (fuck Higuchi) that debuted on January 28, 2013.

Members consist of Light, Misa, Kiyomi, and Mikami.

GROUP POSITIONS

LIGHT’S the leader (OF COURSE) and he also trained the longest in the company. (I haven’t come up with the company name but just assume it has something to do with the series.) He willingly auditioned and passed quite easily bc y’know he’s fucking HOT and talented

He’s also the main rapper (he was literally spitting bars at the last episode. holy shit), main dancer, face of the group, and sub vocal. Tbh he’s probably be one of the most popular members among the fan base and is pretty well rounded. (thanks to Jeremy Jordan for playing as him in the musical. What a sexy singing voice)

He writes and produces some of their songs too. Like in some songs you can see his name in the credits and stuff.

When performing, he knows exactly how to captivate the audience with those EYES. WOW. (But he probably got into a resting bitch face scandal LMAO. Or some other attitude problem scandal bc you just KNOW he’s a bit of a bitch to other lesser known groups)

MISA’S the lead rapper, visual (to be honest, they’re ALL visuals.), and lead dancer. She’s really popular and is THE it girl. Y’know??? She’s literally on every magazine cover and some companies even want her to take part in their dramas

She also has a lot of iconic airport fashion photos taken by her many fansites bc her sense in fashion is fucking ICONIC. LIKE WOW.

(But she def has the most stalkers too 😕)

She’s the kind of member you see a lot on commercials/variety shows with her bubbly attitude. Misa probably got scouted by the company as a model first but then switched to being an idol once she saw Light pursuing that path.

When performing, her winks and small smiles make the audience go in awe at her beauty uwu (one time she pulled a bae Irene and everyone started screaming the moment she was on screen)

If she were to get into a scandal, it’ll probably be something along the lines of netizens hating on her for being too bubbly.

KIYOMI’S the main dancer, center, and lead vocalist. She isn’t as popular as Misa, but her elegance and grace makes her stand out. I headcanon that her first burst of popularity came from a picture taken by a fan site of a different group, but Kiyomi was unknowingly photobombing (but in a sexy way) it lmao. Fans literally SWARMED to find out who she was

She’s mostly the center of every dance break, and is nicknamed the ‘one of the best dancers’ in their generation. I think she goes on vlive for a bit and busts some moves for her fans lmao

Kiyomi’s the member you see as the MC for big award shows like MAMA and some other shit. Before she got scouted, she was a ballerina for quite a bit but then some random company person invited her to an audition and she made it. She also trained for the shortest amount of time due to her experience in dance.

When performing, she just has this aura to her that makes everyone’s eyes lock onto her. Ofc she loves the attention

Her scandal would probably be like “lazy dancing” and shit but its from when she had an injury 💀💀💀poor girl

MIKAMI’S the main vocal (ONLY BECAUSE HE LITERALLY HIT A WHISTLE NOTE IN THE LAST EPISODE LMAOOOO) sub rapper, and lead dancer. He’s not as popular as Light, but he made a name for himself with his vocals. People came to know him by “that one long haired guy” lmao

He’d probably be like a co-leader to the other members, like keeping their schedules in check and being like a personal gym trainer to them. Maybe he’d also sorta be like a vocal coach? Something like that

He also worked very hard to get where he was. Being an idol wasn’t exactly on his dream list, but if someone chose him to do the job, then by all means he would not slack. (I headcanon that Mikami was on the verge of quitting, but after a few persuasive conversations by the other members he decided to stay)

He got scouted (more like chased) by some scouts for a few weeks before finally giving in…I mean, they did give him a nice pen so why not accept?

He trained the 2nd longest alongside Light. Before auditioning, he literally had NO experience whatsoever. But once he’s dedicated, you just know there’s no turning back.

When performing, his unique voice tone and high notes make other groups go WOWOW.

If he were to get into a scandal, it’ll probably be like Lights. Like he’d get bashed for not clapping when another group received an award 😭

MISCELLANEOUS HC’S

they didn’t start getting close until like their 3rd comeback

Their concept is like,,.fucking dark, like,, horror/murder type of shit. There’s a whole story line tied to every MV

When they just debuted, tensions were SKY HIGH between the members. Now, they’re really chill with eachother

Mikami fucking hated Misa during their trainee years 💀

They go on vlive every once and a while, but it’s usually just a single member. A group Vlive is really rare and THATS when all the fans flock

There’s definitely meme videos of them like “Misa being dumb for 20 minutes straight” “Kiyomi being a queen” “Light being savage” “Mikami being blind as fuck” y’know???

When they’re in a variety show and there’s a competition, YOU KNOW SHIT GOES DOWN.

They would probably fist fight over a 20 dollar coupon to Chick-fil-A

We all KNOW Kiyomi would fucking dominate the hosts.

They would rather die than do aegyo. Especially Mikami

TALKING ABOUT MIKAMI. He went on king of the masked singer bruh

I feel like their debut song would be MAMA by exo-k. But idk tho

Overall a very popular group that won a fuck ton of awards

PSEAKING OF AWARDS. When they won AOTY you just know they started crying especially Misa

Talking about crying. Kiyomi would go viral for her ‘diamond tears’ like Mina from twice

There would be a ton of rumors circulating the internet of them not being close at all

Mikami/Light would be like 😐 whenever they get told the same lame ass pickup line during an online fan meet. Kiyomi would just laugh politely while Misa would be “OMG TYSM”

But other than that they really treat their fans well uwu

Headcanon that a fan once told mikami about her experience with bullies and how much their music had helped her. After that fanmeet he personally visited her

I have a feeling that the entire group would literally defend Misa with their LIFE from her ugly ass MF sasaengs. Like it happened enough times that there was a video compilation of it lmao

All in all 10/10 group. Would definitely stan if it existed

[ariapmdeol]

bungo stray dogs for the pick a fandom thing where you answer questions about it I think?

The first character I first fell in love with: Dazai!! He's so fun and just <3 i care for one bastard man trying to do better

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: tachihara and higuchi!! Tachiiiii look at my boy!! also MUSHITARO. i love him sm, his ability is SO FUN, i support him sm!!

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: mmmm im not sure who would belong here? I guess jouno from the hunting dogs? he's fun but not a fave

The character I love that everyone else hates: no clue on the state of fandom discourse but i've become a bram stoker stan. he just wants to sleep and yknow what i think we should give it to him! let him take his nap!!

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: n/a! I like p much everyone!

The character I would totally smooch: sigma and chuuya! I am a stan for one casino manager and one mafia executive, they both deserve the world!!

The character I’d want to be like: i WISH i had the level of brains that dazai and fyodor have, they're out here playing 5D chess and trying to plan circles around each other and im here like 'yeah i totally understand whats going on'

The character I’d slap: dazai (affectionately)

A pairing that I love: kunikidazai!! also chuuatsu and chuuaku!! I really like rarepairs for bsd too, theyre fun! also not a rarepair but ranpoe is cute,,, and atsulucy is fun!

A pairing that I despise: again, not despise by any means but i think skk is more entertaining if we look at it through the lens of exes who had a bad breakup. it makes all their interactions SO much funnier

[translightyagami]

9, 10, 13 for the salty asks <<33 hope you're having a good day james!

Most disliked character(s)? Why?

Oh dang, well. I really don’t like Mello within the canon, altho its honestly more that I find him a little superfluous. In a different series, his and Near’s rivalry would be given its rightful space but Death Note is not! That! Series! Other characters I dislike/will skip their parts: Higuchi (duh); all of the black suit FBI men whose names I don’t rmbr bc I cannot tell them apart; fanon Matsuda because he is SO BORING and canon Matsuda is a vastly more interesting, flawed character.

Most disliked arc? Why?

Catch me having a snooze during that arc that’s just Near and Light calling each other; look, I know its important and I won’t argue that its bad because it isn’t. It’s just a much more vast amount of honk-honk Death Note clown logic being delivered in a less dynamic fashion than in the first part where L and Light would be delivering monologues while playing tennis or mid-fight. The fact that the Worst Phone Calls of Both Light and Near’s Lives are going on while more besuited same-face guys in the background just sort of waffle doing style-less espionage (ESP after we had the highs of Wedy running around in a cat suit to disable security systems like c’mon!) doesn’t do these scenes any favors.

Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

To be honest I think every opinion I just expressed up top are unpopular lol I await the angry Higuchi stans and snore-core second arc suits heads drafting screeds in my ask box with baited breath. Altho like, I’ve had the Mello opinion since forever so I think the Mello fans have just learned to ignore me, which is the correct choice.

Oh also I think L is bi with a preference for men because there’s no women bar Wedy who he makes sense with. Light is vastly more insecure than most fanfic authors write him, and oh, idk. I think Matsuda probably has really regressive gender politics. Are these unpopular? Idk, I have no finger on the DN fandom pulse lol. I’m in my own corner doing whatever I like.

[ao3feed-skk]

by Salted_Ushanka

A college au where the PM run the library on campus and the ADA run a smaller coffee shop in the library.

The guild is a charity that comes at Christmas.

Most of this is written at like, 3 am  

Fuck the hat.

Words: 681, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Characters: Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edgar Allan Poe (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edogawa Ranpo (Bungou Stray Dogs), Yosano Akiko (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Lucy Maud Montgomery (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin, Higuchi Ichiyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Mori Ougai (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Hirotsu Ryuurou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tachihara Michizou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Sakaguchi Ango (Bungou Stray Dogs), Oda Sakunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Miyazawa Kenji (Bungou Stray Dogs), Elise (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tanizaki Junichirou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tanizaki Naomi, Izumi Kyouka (Bungou Stray Dogs), Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (Bungou Stray Dogs), Margaret Mitchell (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nathaniel Hawthorne (Bungou Stray Dogs), John Steinbeck (Bungou Stray Dogs), Howard Phillips Lovecraft (Bungou Stray Dogs), Mark Twain (Bungou Stray Dogs), Louisa May Alcott (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Relationships: Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Lucy Maud Montgomery, Nakajima Atsushi/Ichiyou Higuchi, Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Mori Ougai/Ozaki Kouyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edogawa Ranpo/Edgar Allan Poe (Bungou Stray Dogs), Howard Phillips Lovecraft/John Steinbeck (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Additional Tags: Dazai-Typical Suicide Mentions (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuzawa is divorced parentTM, Dad!Mori, OOC? Never heard of it, Fukuzawa is cool dadTM, Cool dad Fukuzawa, Ranpo 2020, inverted ships, College AU, Alternate Universe - No Ability Users (Bungou Stray Dogs), Library AU, Beta read by my “lovely” friend, we die like odasaku, Armed Detective agents and company, Port Mafia (Bungou Stray Dogs), More tags to be added, kill me this is my first fic, oda deserved better 2020, they all did tbh, i luv gin 2030, chatfic, Crack, please save me, Nathanial stans don’t read he’s just gonna get bullied, Rat man comes later, My friend has a burning hatred for Nathaniel, Starts as shin soukoku, coffee shop AU

[chouetteffraie]

For the ask, let's go with Higuchi, Gin, Kyouka, and Yosano!

!wwsdfjlkdsjfdlk you sure gave me a lot, dino!

Higuchi

favorite thing about them: slkdfjd I....don’t really know for sure? I just love her? She’s very strong and passionate and capable and I love that but I think my favorite thing is that that’s a sort of “work mode” and her real life mode is just so calm and cute and idk i have a girlcrush on her so maybe it’s just me

least favorite thing about them: a lot of times her enthusiasm rubs me the wrong way the first time and it takes a second watch-through for me to laugh at it and not think it’d distracting from the main story in an agitating way

favorite line: hehe i like when she tells gin to start calling her older sister

brOTP: with gin!

OTP: with me akutagawa!

nOTP: uhhh.....none? at least no popular ships with her are notps of mine

random headcanon: if she ever tried to do graffiti she’d draw it out in pencil first

unpopular opinion: a good character who deserves to be stanned?? like yeah ok I can see why her obsession with akutagawa might rub someone the wrong way but i think throwing her entire character away because of that is DUMB and we should love her regardless bc she’s beautiful and amazing and my wife and gf

song i associate with them: six shooter by coyote kisses!

favorite picture of them: this one!

Gin

favorite thing about them: i love how resilient she is! she had to go all the same things akutagawa did, and even though she may not have had to care for a younger sibling, they both had to take care of each other and they both deserve love for it!

least favorite thing about them: strong and silent types aren’t my fav bc i get a lot of personality from word choice and how characters talk, so while silent characters imply a lot it’s just not my thing.

favorite line: uhh.....i don’t even know if she’s talked in the anime aside from that one time, but (manga spoilers) i like the scene where tachihara goes to visit her and hirotsu! even if it’s angsty to the audience, who knows more details...

brOTP: with higuchi!

OTP: uh.....tachihara, maybe?

nOTP: don’t really have one!

random headcanon: she and higuchi hang out when they have the same days off, and they’ve probably had a few girl’s days between them. There’s a rule where they aren’t allowed to talk about Akutagawa, though Gin only enforces it half the time.

unpopular opinion: uh, I don’t have many original opinions of her? I guess I just wished we got to know her more. Like not told anything about her but had more time with her and got to see her interact with people more?

song i associate with them: uhhh.....i don’t really have one! sorry asdjfdkljf

favorite picture of them: this one!

Kyouka

favorite thing about them: i love that, while certainly traumatized by her past, she doesn’t really let it hold her back too much! (does that make sense?)

least favorite thing about them: i dunno, i think she’s always seemed too....”op” for me? like cute, deadly, everyone loves her, and only 14? idk, it just seems like.....a lot

favorite line: I like how when she introduces herself, she lists off her interests. like that’s not a deep quote it just gives me a chuckle

brOTP: with atsushi! also with dazai!

OTP: hmmm.....i kinda like the idea of kyoulucy.....

nOTP: don’t really have one!

random headcanon: she has to catch herself from cussing sometimes. the first time she did it atsushi was SO offended  even though she reminded him a million times it was just a thing in the mafia. now she keeps tabs on it, but still has to catch herself a few times.

unpopular opinion: I guess the whole “over powered” thing? idk, I don’t have a lot of strong opinions about her!

song i associate with them: demon limbs (acoustic version) by pvris!

favorite picture of them: this one!

Yosano

answered here!

[kosmosinusa]

Jay Reviews the NogiMyu 2018 Cast

... Let’s try this again. Apparently I was too ambitious last time, so we’re gonna make this a little simpler. Anyway, with NogiMyu 2019 just around the corner, I thought I’d review the 2018 cast one last time so that way, when we see the 2019 cast, I can compare my current opinions with the new cast and see how they favor! This review is only for the senshi, since everyone else (Minus Team Moon Luna) is returning! With that said, let’s start!

Sailor Moon - Mizuki Yamashita Before I say anything, I do want to say that I DO like Mizuki! However, after watching her more in Nogizaka46, I don’t see her as Moon anymore. She’s very serious (her serious face showed a LOT in the show. Like she has that “stone-cold” face that you guys KNOW irks me. XD) and sassy. WHICH WORKS FOR HER, like in the 7th birthday live she was giving me LIFE and I was LIVING for it! (I have to make a gifset of her so I can share. xD) but yeah, I’m not very keen on her. Her singing... Let me just put it this way, I love the Blu-Ray for what it does. x’D What I can say is that she did have nice chemistry with Mikako-Tux, but... that’s about it. 

Sailor Mercury - Riria Ito When the cast pictures first came out, I really wasn’t feeling Riria. She looked bored and didn’t seem interested. I was actually very surprised that I liked her performance! She’s like a baby Ami! So adorable and sweet. However, maybe TOO sweet. IDK it’s not that it doesn’t fit the role of Ami, but she isn’t my preferred option. Her singing is really nice, though! Overall she isn’t bad to me, I actually like her a lot! Just wouldn’t exactly pick her of the 2.

Sailor Mars - Kazumi Takayama Uhm... I don’t even need to explain how much I love her. xD Like, I’ve never been a HUGE Mars fan, but after Kazumi, I gained a new love for her! Kazumi’s my second-favorite Mars of all time, and I just adore her to bits! I love her fiery passionate side, and her sweet and wise side! Her singing voice is also REALLY superb and I love listening to it! Her deeper voice also very much matches the character (I prefer Sailor Moon Crystal to the 90′s anime, so I prefer that style) and not to mention SHE LITERALLY JUST LOOKS LIKE MARS LIKE THEY DID SO WELL CASTING HER. <3

Sailor Jupiter - Ami Nojo Like Riria, when the cast photos came out, I was really iffy on Ami. To me, she did not look like Jupiter. But as soon as she came on stage with that Radiant smile, I was shooketh! AND THEN THE QUEEN STARTED SINGING AND I WAS SHOOKETH AGAIN. Like Ami’s SUCH a good singer! It’s a shame Nogi used her as an under member, cause really she’s fucking amazing. xD She isn’t my preferred of the 2, but Ami really felt like Jupiter to me, and I adore her so much. <3

Sailor Venus - Hina Higuchi Oh boy... This is where my opinion really differs from many. Now, when the cast photos came out, I was SO EXCITED for Hina. I thought she would be my favorite! To me, she looked a lot like Shiori Sakata (Venus in NelkeMyu from La Reconquista to Un Nouveau Voyage) and I was like “YAS QUEEN GIVE IT TO ME!!!” But uh... For me, personally? Hina just feels like she’s self-centered. She doesn’t give me that “leader Venus” vibe and more of a “pop star Venus” vibe. Which is fine for normal Minako moments, but not really for season 1 Minako especially. DK Minako is supposed to be very leader-type and serious. And Hina seriously lacked that. Yeah, she’s pretty, but I feel like that’s all she has to her. Her singing is fine, but it’s not like WHOA THERE either. 

Team Moon Review Honestly, you can watch either version of NogiMyu and enjoy it. There’s something good about each version. But what lacks so much in Team Moon for me is chemistry. It felt like most girls were more to themselves and didn’t really work as a team. I think they’re all great separately, but together just didn’t mesh for me. 

Sailor Moon - Sayuri Inoue Okay, it is no secret that I ADORE SAYURI. Like if I was straight I’d marry her. Like I LOVE her. She did SO well as Usagi! And being the older one of the 2 playing her, you’d think it’d be the other way around! I didn’t expect to like Sayuri NEARLY as much as I do! The moment she wakes up in act 1 I literally screamed “OH MY GOD SHE’S SO CUTE”. Sayuri radiates Usagi energy just as much as Satomi and Miyuki. All her cute little faces, her ad-libs. She just exhales Usagi for me and I can’t get enough of it! AND HER SINGING. OH MY GOD IS SHE AMAZING. Just thank you Lord for giving me Sayuri. xD

Sailor Mercury - Miria Watanabe I like Miria, I really do. She’s not a favorite of mine, but I do like her! Her smile is very warm and inviting (unless you’ve seen Zambi... In that case, run. xD) and I really love her warmness in her performance! Her ad-lib when she screams at Usagi is legit one of my favorite things ever. xD That said, however, her singing... YIKES... She seemed VERY strained when singing and like she couldn’t catch her breath. When you’re in a MUSICAL, your singing ability is important. You don’t have to be the BEST singer, but you should at least have decent breath control and pitch control. Maybe with time, Miria could improve, but let’s just say she’s another who benefitted from the Blu-Ray. xD

Sailor Mars - Ranze Terada Ranze is so fucking cute. Like literally, just watch Team Star’s Making of, she’s literally so damn adorable. That being said, adorable isn’t a trait for Rei, and I don’t think Ranze really portrayed Mars correctly. However, you can tell she REALLY tried to give that fire passion. When she sings, she tries to give a lower pitch to simulate a more Mars-feel. Ranze is a high-voiced, very quiet person. She does have some sass to her, though. I loved when she gave sass to Rina during the Senshuuraku speeches. XD I honestly do not think Ranze was fit for Mars, BUT I do enjoy her just as herself. I get SO happy every time I see her in Nogi. xD

Sailor Jupiter - Minami Umezawa I LOVE HER. xD Like as soon as she walked on stage, I FELT IT. Maybe Ami is more accurate to the character, but Minami feels like a mix of Emi Kuriyama and Yu Takahashi and I LOVE IT. Her dynamics between power and softness felt JUST right and I love it. The one area I think she lacks is her singing. She isn’t BAD, and she does have a naturally deeper voice. But, a lot of times when she went too deep, her voice cracked. But the passion of her performance really shone for me. She’s my second-favorite Jupiter and I stand by that!

Sailor Venus - Kana Nakada UNLESS YOU’RE NEW HERE, YOU KNOW I LOVE MY QUEEN KANA. <3 Like some of the others, I judged Kana before I got to see her performance and I feel SO bad for that. When the cast photos came out, I was NOT feeling her at all. But then as soon as she came out I was like “Oh, I was so wrong about you...” I tried so hard to like Hina more, but I can’t do it. Kana just has something about her that I love. Her general personality, her awesome dancing, just everything about her feels genuine and I love it. She definitely has that leader Venus vibe and she’s more serious than Hina, which I appreciate. Kana is my sweet precious baby and I will protect her at all costs! <3

Team Star Review I ADORE Team Star. One thing that’s very important with them is they have CHEMISTRY. Like they really worked together to bring the show alive. From their backstage to the main stage, they really worked hard together to produce a great show, and that they did. I adore Team Star, and I will stan them. 

Well, that’s it for me, I hope you enjoyed reading this. xD

[woodwind-sensei]

Top 10 Figure Skating Programs: 2018-19 season

It’s been about a month and a half since the normal figure skating competition season came to a close, bringing us one step closer towards the next Olympic Games. With the advent of the new IJS, the programs we saw this year was nothing like we have seen before, and some of them rank among the best programs in figure skating history (that’s right, I’m going there, kids). Without further delay, here are my personal Top 10 figure skating programs from this season.

10. Mariah Bell (USA) “To Love You More” short program, choreographed by Adam Rippon

Mariah Bell missed an Olympic berth last season, mostly due to inconsistency and packaging issues. With a majority of the major U.S. ladies out of the picture this season, it was high time for Mariah to step up to the plate. I absolutely loved the upgraded packaging and content. The short program was so positive in spirit, and it was a pleasant surprise to see Adam Rippon’s competitive choreographic debut (to my knowledge) to be a job well done. I hope we see a lot more Celine Dion power ballad programs in the future.

9. Shoma Uno (JPN) “Stairway to Heaven” short program, choreographed by Mihoko Higuchi

Figure skating’s resident smol boi/silver princess Shoma Uno hit it big with this short program. Sexy, daring, and smoldering with intensity, Shoma showed his capability of the dramatic with this program. Though his inconsistency with the jumps made it hard to enjoy sometimes, he just has an x-factor on the ice that draws you in. That spread eagle after the triple axel gets me every time. It’s such a small moment, but it gets me so excited because I’m completely hooked by how statuesque he becomes in such an instant.

8. Peng Cheng/ Jin Yang (CHN) “Ophelia” short program, choreographed by Lori Nichol

Peng and Jin had been the pair that was ever the bridesmaid. When Peng was with veteran pair skater Zhang Hao and Jin with up-and-coming star Yu Xiaoyu, the federation decided to switch these two partnerships up. Yu/Zhang always got the political push, and that somewhat left Peng/Jin in the shadows. That all changed this season, and a lot of it had to do with this short program. They really found a style all their own: simple, uncluttered, yet packed with stunning elements and a cute and charming spirit. We’re going to be seeing them for a while, and I promise you, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

7. Wakaba Higuchi (JPN) “Energia” short program, choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne

Wakaba Higuchi might have had a spotty season this year, but this short program showed us why we fell in love with her in the first place. Shae-Lynn effortlessly displayed her power in this program, emphasizing Wakaba’s capability of flow and control while balancing fun and working the crowd. Japanese Nationals was the peak of this program’s life, and I certainly hope Wakaba uses this as an exhibition piece in the future. Shae-Lynn was also responsible for her legendary James Bond free skate, and will choreograph Wakaba’s short program next year to “Bird Set Free” by Sia.

6. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) “The Piano” free skate, choreographed by Benoit Richaud

So, as all three of my online figure skating fan friends know, I am a Kaori stan. I love and appreciate children of pure sunshine with fantastic skating skills, and Kaori is just that. Though this program isn’t the best program she’s had, what I think works is that the program is built on momentum. It builds continually, reaching a climax with the choreographic sequence moving straight into that stellar triple loop. It also shows how Benoit choreography is supposed to look. Benoit Richaud uses a lot of angular movements but tries to combine it with the natural flow a skater must have over the ice. It works better on Kaori than opposed to his other big ladies’ client Bradie Tennell (USA). Bradie’s movements and angles are so sharp and harsh it seems forced and almost unwatchable, while Kaori’s smoothness over her blades is more pleasing and interesting to digest.

5. Sui Wenjing/ Han Cong (CHN) “Rain, in your Black Eyes” Free Skate, choreographed by Lori Nichol 

Sui and Han made a surprising comeback after withdrawing from the Grand Prix series due to an injury and surgery to Wenjing. This program was iconic. From the very opening poses, it absolutely melted me. I don’t think it’s as good as their Blues for Klook short from a few years ago, but this free skate was overall amazing.

4. Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS) “Orange Colored Sky” short program, choreographed by David Wilson and Sandra Bezic

Evgenia’s move to Brian Orser created so much buzz, and everyone was waiting to see what she would do with choreography not from Ilia Averbukh or Daniil Gleikhengauz. I have to say, they really hit the nail on the head with this one. I thought the rebranding to the ingenue was so great, and the little touches from Sandra really brought the program to life. Those opening poses were my favorite part. It’s unfortunate that this program was eventually shelved, because I definitely liked this program more in comparison to the Tosca program, but I understand how important it is to make sure Evgenia has authority over her own skating career. 

3. Gabriella Papadakis/ Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) Free Dance to Rachel Yamagata songs, choreographed by Marie-France Dubreuil

Papadakis and Cizeron continue to evolve their unique style with this amazing free dance. I was personally very curious to see how they would have topped their timeless Moonlight Sonata FD from the Olympic year, and this program is right up there with the best programs of all time. The way they look at each other throughout just draws me in. Even the softest touch with a finger puts them in total sync. My favorite moment is the twizzle sequence that really comes out of nowhere. It’s so smooth. And then that low, flat curve lift is out of this world. No one can touch this team.

2. Lim Eun-soo (KOR) “Somewhere in Time” short program, choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle

Eun-soo’s rise to the senior ranks was one of the big buzzes of the season. With a recent move to Rafael Artunyan, it looked like she was ready to take her competitive career to the next level. And this short program was BEYOND almost every program that everyone else had. Every element was beautifully woven into the choreography. She just looked stunning on the ice almost every time. The only criticism I have is that the sleeves on her costume were a bit distracting, but that’s such a minute detail on an otherwise ethereal program. 

1. Satoko Miyahara (JPN) “Song for the Little Sparrow” short program, choreographed by Lori Nichol.

This was the clear standout program of the season for me. Out of all the skaters from the previous Olympic cycle, I thought it would be hardest for Satoko to keep up with the pack. But I was proved wrong, with this short program proving that artistry is still what brings the audience into a skater’s performance. Everything is so perfectly placed: every hand had a purpose, every stroke had a meaning, and it all melded together to create a masterpiece. This is what skating should be.

So many of the programs were good this year, but these 10 are the ones I want to watch over and over again. They set the bar for the Olympic cycle so high, and it’ll be interesting to see if these programs will be surpassed. We’ve already had some interesting announcements in terms of next season. I’m particularly intrigued to see Benoit Richaud work with Satoko Miyahara. The premiere of that program at Fantasy on Ice wasn’t stellar, but I’m interested to see how the program will evolve as Benoit and Satoko continue to work together. Figure skating continues to bring it with amazing programs, so next season should be an interesting ride.

[axelsandwich]

This is really hard so I’m sorry for sitting on it for so long, and I can hear the distant screaming of older fans already (and myself for having to leave out so many of my favourite programs). I’ve always been open about the fact that I’m a ‘newer’ fan, so my most vivid lived experience and digging after becoming a fan was mostly in this last quad, and these are the programs that I really feel a personal emotional connection to. I’m not even close to arguing these are the definitive ‘classics’ of figure skating (though some are), nor are they all technically perfect or w/e. I chose them more for the story they represent, or the doors of interest they might unlock for non-FS fans or just because they’re programs I cannot look away from ( :

1. Yuzuru Hanyu - My top five Yuzu programs.  I’d apologise for cheating but I’m sorry not sorry. I didn’t claim to be unbiased : P But they are truly so different and individually iconic that you’d be doing a disservice to only show one (and he’d take up half this list if I included them all). If you really forced me to pick one, I guess I’d go with Seimei but with much reluctance. 

2. Yuna Kim - Concerto in F (Vancouver 2010) The thing that got me interested in figure skating at first. Even though it’s not necessarily my favourite Yuna program (Danse Macabre/Les Mis/Send in the Clowns are my top 3), you can’t deny the iconic nature of what she achieved that night, all circumstances considered. 

3. Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir - Moulin Rouge (Pyeongchang 2018) I have lived proof that this drew the most attention from my non-FS exchange friends. Unbelievable, palpable chemistry, will appeal to all romantics and embodies the beauty of partner disciplines.

4. Mao Asada - Rach 2 (Sochi 2014) Exquisite, iconic, emotional and the story behind it epitomises the tragedy and triumph of figure skating. 

5. Wenjing Sui/Cong Han - Bridge over Troubled Water (Worlds 2017) Pairs skating taster. I’m not that knowledgeable about pairs, but this caught my attention and made me in a stan in the span of one program so. That’s a thing. 

6. Javier Fernandez - Malagueña (Worlds 2017) This program really encapsulates the power of the ‘cultural music’ genre of FS programs where a skater is really skating on behalf of his nation and authentically embodies it (it helps that most people I’ve shown this to have just automatically fallen for Javi’s handsomeness lol).  

7. Tatsuki Machida - East of Eden (Worlds 2014) I always always get goosebumps when I watch this program - the sweep of the music, the emotion. Epitomises the ‘skate of his life’ motto that we see in figure skating and the (relative) underdog story. 

8. Daisuke Takahashi - Cyberswan (4CC 2008) This is like...for people who only know Blades of Glory. This is like. Blades of Glory but cool. And it’s just a bop, alright. 

9. Wakaba Higuchi - Skyfall (Worlds 2018) An astounding program constructed to a familiar piece of music for non-FS fans, modern, memorable and striking. 

10. Alyona Kostornaia - Stella’s Theme (Jnr GPF 2017) You can say ‘yeah she’s 14′ and then open the wonder that is the Russian junior ladies phenoms and junior ladies in general. Proof that you don’t need to be old to skate with sophistication and subtlety.