#sota layouts

[aquaritos]

the moment when you called my name, it was finally then that i found meaning.

[toranekooo]

# — ✦ HONEYWORKS TOP 3 CHARACTER POLL WINNERS ❊

➷ reblog + credit if using / saving. no kin/me/id or f/o tags.

[shironezuninja]

I wanna keep the desk! Nobody moves my stuff from the spare bedroom until the ugly Solaflex gets sold off from my room!

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

So with all GP events over and knowing who's in and how they did in both their events, what are your expectations for GPF?

I will focus on the men in my answer, if you're interested in other predictions for the GPF you may send an ask again.

So the GPF finalists are Shoma, Ilia Malinin, Sota Yamamoto, Kao Miura, Daniel Grassl and Shun Sato.

I am not listing their scores, you can compare the scores from the GP series on the overview of the GP series on Wikipedia.

I think the battle for Gold is between Shoma and Ilia. Ilia has the most difficult layout of all the participants. Shoma is the one with the second highest planned difficulty. Shoma has an advntage in PCS over Ilia. Shoma scored the highest PCS among the finalists (even if they weren't even close to his personal best PCS) and Ilia had about 7-8 points less in the free and about 2-3 points in the SP. In the end between the two of them it will depend on who makes less mistakes. If Shoma can perform a clean SP that would give him a huge cushion even if Ilia is clean too. 109 is his personal best. Ilia's is around 100. So far they both didn't skate completely clean (Ilia's looked clean at Espoo but was down with the "q" rule attached). I think a clean SP is possible from both, but both also didn't show their best in the SP yet. For the free I think Ilia definitely showed more stability than Shoma so far, but his program is really just jump after jump. There is not much between the elements at all. But a clean Ilia will definitely impress judges. I think Shoma even with lower difficulty can compare in scores to a clean Ilia but he can't afford to make mistakes like he did in the two GP events. He needs his combos. No pops. Ofc if Ilia makes mistakes as well, it's open again. Overall I think Shoma can afford little mistakes, but not big ones or else Ilia may overtake him by his technical superior difficulty. Clean Shoma vs. clean Ilia in both events should make Shoma a clear winner, but well a clean skate from Shoma doesn't happen that often tbh...I think it can go both ways...

So Shoma and Ilia for Gold and Silver. I don't think anyone else really has a chance at beating them, though never say never...

I think the battle for Bronze is between the other 3 Japanese men. If we look at the stability at the GPs I think Kao Miura has the edge over the others. Sota Yamamoto and Shun Sato have around the same chance.

I think Daniel Grassl is the one that needs the Japanese to be bad to medal at the GPF, but it's in Italy and maybe that fires him up to perform in front of the homecrowd.

any predictions for gpf? trying to be realistic but also really wanting that gold for shoma...

I also really want that Gold for Shoma, but just like I wrote above, it depends on who makes less mistakes. I do think it's Shoma's Gold to lose, but ice is slippery, anything can happen.

[kkzuha]

🐈 | souta aoki icons! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و like or rb if you save/use ^_^

[lavaffair]

Begin Again - Rated T

It's been a while since I've written anything, and it just so happens that I'm not writing a one-shot. It's a story with 9 (ish) chapters!!!

It's my first one ever so I hope you guys enjoy it if you decide to join me on this new journey.

_________

There is beauty in starting over when you get to let go of what happened and who you were in the past.

Kagome has moved into a new apartment, and she looks forward to a brighter future where she leaves the baggage of a toxic relationship behind. Rooming with her best cat Buyo, Kagome starts to experience the fun of living alone. Although, she didn't count on her neighbor being a cute half-demon.

She also didn't expect to develop a crush on him either.

you can find it on AO3! (Multi Chaptered)

__________

Chapter One

After unloading the last box into her new and empty apartment, Kagome felt like she could finally take a deep breath and begin analyzing the situation. She still needs to unpack her belongings and place them where they belong, and with her best friend's help, it will be done faster and efficiently. Her apartment complex was decently sized with multiple three-story buildings swarming the land. Rent was a decent price, one that she could definitely afford and live comfortably on her own, and the layout of the unit itself was really nice. Bunking with Sango and Miroku for eight months helped her to save up for the new move, and she was excited for this new phase in her life.

Moving into this place was like a breath of fresh air, so clean and free of the pollutants that once claimed her life. With this, Kagome was ready to leave her ex-boyfriend and all the pain he left her behind. The way the relationship had ended could be compared to a work of fiction, even to the point where she had to move in with her two best friends until she got back on her feet. The first two months had been terrible as she dealt with an aching heart and a broken spirit. Insecurity and doubt etched into her mind, haunting her while she continuously blamed herself for not being enough for him to stay faithful to her.

‘If he cheated on me, it’s clearly because there is something wrong with me.’

Although she had convinced herself that those words held true, with time and patience she began to heal. After days and nights of consistent crying, emotional breakdowns, and girls' night-outs for distraction, Kagome was beginning to glow differently. As weeks dragged on, she faced the trauma and pain head-on and allowed herself to feel it. Processing what had happened gave her a new, outsider point of view of the relationship. Journaling became a new hobby, giving her a canvas to write about any thought that crossed her mind.

Pros and cons lists were made, and Sango would scream with her in large, empty parking lots that were far from civilization with Miroku tagging along as their designated driver. Therapy sessions with her mother and hanging out with her brother Sota helped too. If it hadn’t been for her best friends and family; Kagome would have lost herself months ago. The days were rough, and it felt like the tears she cried would never cease, but they did. Just like that, all the love she carried for this man vanished as fast as he had turned into a stranger.

Kagome had learned her lessons, and now she could see the red flags that she once ignored. While focusing on herself, she landed a position as lead editor for the publishing company she worked for. It was a fantastic opportunity, and it made really good money.

The confidence that was ripped apart had returned, the self-doubt had disappeared, and she realized that what he did was not a reflection of her but a reflection of who he is. Truthfully, she’s not too sure if she’s ready for something new; there is still fear latched to her heart about trusting someone and falling in love all over again.

She shook her head to brush away that thought clouding her mind. Focus on the present!

“Okay, that’s the last of it.” Miroku declared. He locked the door behind him and observed the empty apartment.

“Don’t you think it’s cute?” Kagome asked, her voice filled with nervous excitement.

“Yeah, I really like the naked white walls and hardwood floors. Reminds me of our guest bathroom at home. ” He sarcastically replied.

“Ha-ha,” Kagome replied dryly. “Give me a few weeks to make this place mine and you’ll see.”

“I think it’s got a lot of potential.” Sango chimed in. “Plus, you’re great at decorating. Unlike Miroku when he was in charge of the said guest bathroom.” She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Hey, I never agreed to decorate the bathroom,” He retorted, “You told me to do it.”

“Because it’s next to your man cave.” The girls replied in unison.

He pouted, clearly in defeat. “I like things simple.”

Kagome clapped her hands. “Perfect! So then we can all agree, my apartment is cute, especially when it looks like Miroku's guest bathroom.” Kagome cheered.

“Just like you.” Sango complimented.

Miroku chuckled at the scene before him, admiring the way the girls enjoyed each other's presence. “Alright. While you guys flirt with each other I'm gonna go ahead and order us some pizza.”

Kagome looked around at the unopened boxes and sighed. “While we wait for the pizza, wanna help me unload some of my stuff?”

Sango smiled softly at her best friend. “If I don’t help you, you’ll do it by yourself, and you’re clumsy enough to break something.”

Miroku put his hand over his cell phone's speaker and loudly whispered, “You may even break you!”

Kagome sent Miroku a mock glare, failing to conceal the grin on her face, and swiftly turned on her heel towards the kitchen with a huff. “Fine, then come help Miss Clumsy unload her dishes first!”

Carefully, the girls began unloading the boxes with Kagome’s fragile items one by one. Together they cleaned the cabinets and drawers before adding her dishes, pots, and pans. Miroku joined after placing the pizza orders and helped unload her cooking and eating utensils. Since she will be living alone, she didn’t have a lot of dinnerware, but she fell in love with a glazed set and she is very capable of dropping them all.

Once they completed unloading the kitchen items the pizzas had finally arrived, and they happily plopped down on the dusty floor to eat.

“Your next move is to get some furniture in here.” Miroku managed to say with his mouth full. He thought it was a good idea to add extra cheese to the pies, but now it’s so cheesy that he is having a hard time with it.

Kagome nodded before taking a bite. “I won’t have any for another week. My pick-up orders have been delayed, so I’ll be eating on the floor for the time being.”

Sango shrugged her shoulders and grinned. “Good thing you had your own bed. The floor is comfortable, but use a pillow if your butt starts to go numb.”

“Oh no, not my butt!” Kagome giggled, “My most prized possession!”

The group was quick to eat the large pizza, the quick meal helping them tremendously. It gave them enough fuel to continue unboxing as many of Kagome’s possessions as possible, as long as there was a place to put them. Together they built her bed and put her clothes away in her closet, as well as loaded her bathroom with all of her hygiene products and various soaps. The number of boxes left was manageable for Kagome to unload by herself, and all the heavy-duty items were already in their spots.

Sango dusted off her hands and exhaled, looking around the little empty apartment that will now be her best friend's home. “Guess that’s it.”

“Yeah.” Kagome breathed, joining her in taking in the empty living room.

Miroku shook his head and laughed, “You guys are acting like we don’t live five minutes down the road.”

The girls rolled their eyes and scoffed, “You just don’t get it.” They said in unison.

His eyebrows shot up, his eyes averting their gaze. “Well,” he laughed as he patted their heads. “Call us if you ever need anything. I won’t miss watching you eating my snacks while you binge watch movies on the couch.”

“Your Doritos are now safe once again.” She laughed.

“Nah, my oreos are safe. His Doritos were always your second choice.” Sango chimed in with a smirk. She pulled Kagome into a hug, squeezing her tightly in her arms. “I’ll miss seeing your grumpy face every morning.”

Kagome laughed, squeezing her back with the same vigor. “I’m down the street, you can come to see my grumpy face whenever you want.”

Sango squeezed her harder, “Call me whenever. We’ll run right over if you need us.”

“Babe, you’re gonna pop her like a balloon if you hug her any harder.”

They let each other go, laughter echoing around the empty apartment. They made their way to the front door, giggles still leaving their mouths as the reality set in that this would be the first night that they don’t live under the same roof together. Kagome opened the door and leaned on it, a sad smile now decorating her features.

“I’ll see you guys later.” Her hands fiddled with the doorknob, turning it back and forth within her hand. “Text me when you get home.”

Their car’s lights blinked twice as Miroku unlocked the doors, the finality of the day beginning to set in between them.

“We will.” He held Sango’s hand with his and pulled it to his chest, a common thing he does whenever he knows she needs comfort. They said their final goodbyes, and Kagome silently watched them open their doors and climb inside.

“Don’t talk to strangers!” She heard Sango’s voice yell from the window, her boisterous laugh reverberating in the parking lot.

She waved goodbye as their car pulled out of the spot, happy little giggles leaving her mouth for no one but herself to hear.

_____

Two weeks had already passed since Kagome moved into her new apartment, and in those fourteen days, she had already made it into a home. She surprised herself when she successfully built her new furniture without any extra help, being convinced she would have to call Sango to come over to be her second pair of arms. Her dining table and chairs, couch, and lounge chair had already come assembled; but her coffee table, dresser, and nightstands were easy to puzzle together with her small toolbox and little knowledge of assembly.

She padded herself on the back for her skills in interior decorating, thanks to the internet, she had already bought everything she needed before moving in and added them into their designated spaces once the furniture was added. With her home office now set up, and all the other rooms organized; she could finally lay around comfortably in her own home.

Work has been eating up all of her time, no thanks to the move, and she felt like she had been drowning in paperwork. Playing catch-up would never be easy for Kagome, as she usually sucks at staying level-headed under pressure. Luckily, she’s getting the hang of it thanks to her promotion, the mountainous piles of paperwork and tasks were slowly becoming no match for her quick thinking.

Her stomach grumbled loudly in the silent room, telling her that it was going to shrivel up and die if it isn’t fed soon. Again, she had prioritized her job over her hunger and now her body was complaining. Exhausted, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Guess I need to go eat before my stomach decides to eat itself.

The chair pushed back with resistance against the floor; a piercing squeal followed the movement, and it made her body shiver in reaction. “That can’t be good for the floor, but right now, I’m too hungry to care.”

She sauntered to her little kitchen and pulled out some leftover dinner from the night before, along with an extra helping of rice because she deserved it, and threw it into the microwave.

“Buyo!” She called for her cat, “Come for dinner!” Her foot tapped on the hardwood floor, an old habit she picked up from her mother to summon the cats back home, and filled his little bowl with his favorite food.

While she set it back down to the ground, the microwave beeped, and she excitedly grabbed the plate full of food and set it on the counter. Her stomach flipped as it continued to growl and complain, her hunger was really starting to set in the longer she waited to eat.

Without caring about whether or not she burned her tongue, Kagome scooped the salmon rice into her mouth and hummed happily. She danced where she stood, too happy to take a seat at her dinner table to eat like a normal person, and stuffed her face faster than usual. The hours she had gone without any food, even a snack; had been a terrible idea and as she took her last bite she promised herself to never do that again.

A promise she had been breaking the last two weeks.

“Dinner was good huh, Buyo?” She asked her cat, the fullness in her stomach finally settling in.

Looking down towards the food bowl, she realized it was still filled to the brim, with no chunky Calico cat in sight.

“Buyo?” She called a second time, her voice raised with concern. “Where are ya bud?”

Kagome checked every corner, nook, and cranny in the hope she would find her cat hiding somewhere he couldn’t get out. She looked in his favorite spots, under her bed, and even in the bathtub, but she could not find her cat.

In a last-minute attempt as panic set inside of her, she decided to look for him outside of her unit. Buyo was an inside cat, and if he managed to escape somehow, she was convinced she was never going to see the beloved feline ever again.

His little bell is attached to his collar, I just need to be really quiet and focus on hearing it. With her two bunny slippers and oversized cardigan thrown onto her shoulders, she fought a heart attack and stepped outside.

“Buyo!” She cried out, her voice echoing in the parking lot. “Buyo, baby, come here!”

There was no sound, not even a little jingle or a pitter-patter of tiny paws on the concrete to alert her that he was around. Cars were searched underneath, flowers and shrubs were moved around, and she even crouched on the ground to look in between small areas.

“This your cat?” A male's voice called out to her, gruff and deep, yet welcoming.

In her crouched position she looked over to find that the owner of the voice was her neighbor, although this is the first time she has ever seen him in person, she was finally able to connect his voice to his face.

Kagome had to squint to make sure the giant, round fluffball in his hands was indeed her cat, but as soon as he loudly meowed in his arms it was confirmed from there.

“Oh my god, Buyo!” Legs wobbling from anxiety, she ran right over to the man and hugged him. The impulsive action hit her immediately upon feeling just how big and muscular the man she randomly hugged was.

“I-I’m sorry!” She stuttered, pushing herself off his chest. “I’m just so happy you found my cat.”

“You hug every person you meet?” His voice sounded rough as he asked her, but the flush on his face told a different story. This girl was cute, and he had definitely not expected to get hugged by his pretty neighbor.

“N-no! I’m just really thankful.” She repeated. “He’s my first cat, and I’ve never lost him before.”

The color of her cheeks matched his own, and it wasn’t just because she decided to hug a stranger, it is also because this stranger was the most attractive person she’s ever seen and it had her internally spiraling. With his long, white hair and piercing gold eyes, it was no surprise she was a blushing mess.

“I-It was nothin’.” The man replied, the cat in his arms becoming more interesting than the girl in front of him. He gently scooped him out of his arms and into hers, the furry cat nesting himself comfortably into her chest. “Ya gotta lay him off the cat food.”

“Hey!” She guffawed, “Take that back! Buyo’s shy.”

Her handsome neighbor chuckled, the sight before him was a lot cuter than he’d like to admit. “Shy enough to walk into my apartment while I’m making lunch? That’s even bold for me.”

Kagome couldn’t keep her smile back, the action causing his cheeks to redden deeper. “If Buyo likes your food, I’d take that as a compliment.”

Something about her smile had him reeling, it was inexplicable how this girl he just met could have such a strange effect on him. The same girl who just moved in two weeks prior, who he could hear singing songs to herself while she did her chores and babbled about things to her cat. The new sounds and smells that came out of her apartment were definitely welcomed, especially because he found her entertaining and new.

“What’s your name?” He found himself asking before he could stop himself. He already knew her name, but he wanted to hear her confirm it.

Her finger stopped wiggling around Buyo’s face at the sound of his curious voice, the feline deciding to paw at the finger to make her start moving it again. “My name’s Kagome. And yours?”

Kagome. He thought to himself, her name reverberated in his head. “Inuyasha.”

“Inuyasha.” Kagome smiled again, his name coming off like honey out of her throat. “And you’re a dog demon, right?”

Normally, that question would have turned him off and he would tune out the rest of the conversation because it usually never ends well; his minuscule amount of friends is proof of that. Although, with the way she asks it, he feels the need not to turn a cold shoulder towards her, because the tone in her voice is filled with innocent curiosity instead of malice.

“I’m half. Why do ya ask?”

“No particular reason,” she readjusted the now sleeping cat in her arms. “I just really like your ears.”

Heat flared up in his face again, the innocent compliment catching him totally off guard. The only people who verbally compliment his ears are his mother, the little old ladies he sees at the grocery store, and kids. Besides those experiences, he’s never received something so genuine.

He cleared his throat to play it cool, a smirk painting his face. “Flattery will get you nowhere, but I’ll take it since I saved your cat and all.”

Kagome rolled her eyes, playing along. “Technically, all he did was walk into your apartment to eat your food. He was safe the entire time”

“What if he wasn’t.”

“But he was.”

���I could have kicked him out into the street.”

“But you didn’t.”

“But the option was there.”

“But yet,” she grinned, “You didn’t.” Her gaze stayed glued to his own, the smirk on his face now dimming into an annoyed frown. She knew she won the little game, because instead of sending her cat into danger, he probably let Buyo sleep on his floors instead.

“I’m going back into my apartment. I’ve been out here long enough, and your chunky cat is back where he belongs.” He announced, knowing he wasn’t going to win against the raven haired beauty. He briefly opened the door and stepped inside, and decided to lean on it; knowing he wouldn’t go inside his home until he knew she went into hers first. It’s something he learned from his mom when he was a kid, and he always followed it, especially with girls.

From what Kagome could manage to see from his entryway, his apartment was simply decorated and dark, something she would completely expect from him even though they had only just met.

“Don’t hate on the chunky, Inuyasha!” She giggled at his unamused expression staring back at her. “Chunky cats have more to love.”

“Yeah yeah, go back inside your apartment.” He waved her off, closing the door.

Kagome smiled at his unit number, 200, before turning swiftly on her ankle to enter her house. With Buyo snuggled in her arms, his little body rising and falling with every breath he took, she suddenly felt sleepy as well and decided to turn in for the night.

What Kagome didn’t know was that her unamused, half-demon neighbor had quietly watched and waited for her own door to shut close, followed by the click of the locks to signal that she was safe.

[flippity-floppity-aarghh]

The highlights of NHK for me:

Mana’s 3A (and her smile!!! Love seeing her confident smile every after clean jumps)

Kaori’s 3F3T and stsq. Kaori’s skating is so powerful yet floaty

Kaori in first. Literal sunshine, my beloved, NHK champ

Kao’s chaotic layout all landed

Idk if it’s a tribute but otonal themed costume and it’s Kao so yeah it is a tribute

MIURA/KIHARA !!! SHOULD BE 2ND TBH

LOVE SEEING THEM SO HAPPY

Sota’s stsq !!!

Tomoki’s stsq as well (sad abt the popped toe)

Junhwan Cha clean again!!! And the best SP this season,, so much drama

Shoma’s costume and edges

Kanadai 🔥. The costumes, the makeup, the music, the dance!!! Innovative, impactful, OSM team event!!!

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap NHK 2019 - Men FS

Yuzu smashed the competition and won by a 50 point margin! Congrats Yuzu! 👏👏👏👏👏

And most importantly Yuzu get out of NHK without an injury! What a relief!

Yuzu was amazing. ❤️❤️❤️Of course he wasn't too pleased but c'mon 305 points is still very good! We know Yuzu he will never be pleased if mistakes occur, but he showed smart thinking and still it wasn't a fall in the program.

A YOLO 4T is now a thing in Japanese men skating, first Shoma now Yuzu. Well done and what courage to go for another 4T, granted that Yuzu did his sucessfully. That's compatriotism 😉

Roman Sadovsky was superb! Finally a good program! 👏👏👏

Roman is a skater I always liked, he has brilliant jumps, nice flow and looks very elegant. But unfortunately he rarely is doing a good skate. So I was so happy that he delivered. Being the 3rd one with a Schindler's list program in one comp is something, but I liked his program and his interpretation the best of the 3 today.

Kevin made the GPF! Yeah! 🎉

His SP saved him the 2nd place. Very good for him. I am happy he made the GPF, interesting programs, different type of skater. I like more diversity in the GPF!

Uncle Sergei Voronov was also saved by his clean SP, but that's ok. 4th place is good for him. You could clearly see the long preperation for his jumps, I think this is something he probably will never get rid of. But he is far from done and I wish that the Russian federation would appreciate him more.

I really like Jason Brown. I do. But no quad and two falls and still 4th best FS and 5th place is meh to me. The program didn't have the same energy or "magic" like at SA (and even there I didn't felt the program was his best crafted one). 87 PCS were kind of expected, but still felt a bit gifted and the GOEs too. I would have liked him in the GPF but not with two skates like this. He doesn't deliver the technical content and it's even the easiest layout that men do, so PCS alone can't be it. They really wanted to push him to the GPF. (I bet if he wasn't American he wouldn't have been scored like this)

You could also call it NHK of Schindler's list! 😂😂😂 Like this was the only music that you could chose...😅 (Jason, Roman and Antom Shulepov (with a costume in your face😬))

I just have to mention it, look at the PCS of Makar Ignatov and tell me his score at CoR was justified? It's not a mere one or 2 points less, it's freaking 8 points difference in PCS and much closer to what judges saw at Nebelhorn Trophy. It's not against Makar, because it's not his fault but his basic skating isn't on this level yet. So pls judge him accordingly. It's granted that he was much better at CoR and here he had a freak fall and couple of mistakes, but still judging mishap showed.

Koshiro Shimada and Sota Yamamoto both have a lot of potential, but aren't there yet to take over in Japanese men's skating. Yuzu and Shoma are dearly needed atm. (Shoma pls get back to your former self but even like this he still is unmatched in PCS and BV by the others except Yuzu. End of Shoma excursion 😅)

The victory ceremony was so cute and funny! ❤️ Roman being so much taller than Yuzu and the face Yuzu did 🤣, also Yuzu not knowing how to hold all the things, just a cutie😍... but seems like Yuzu is not to fond of crowns, you're a king wear your crown like one 👑🤣...

This pic iconic 🤣

So the last GP is over, off to the GPF, where we will see: Yuzuru Hanyu, Nathan Chen, Alexander Samarin, Dmitri Aliev, Kevin Aymoz and Boyang Jin.

All in all this GP series had many unexpected turns and medalists. I am not sure if I liked that diversity better or not, but all in all the events in the men weren't all that good. I think Skate Canada was the best among the GPs. What do you think? How did you like the GP series for men?

[morosemariposa]

2019 Finlandia Trophy

Were going back to Espoo, Finland for the Finlandia Trophy. The last Challenger Series competition before the Grand Prix Series starts next week. Finlandia Trophy is a challenger that you have to pay to watch the stream but luckily for me I found a free stream so I was able to watch the entire competition.

MEN’S SP There were rough skates, music not being skated to and lazy costumes. Overall a not great short program for most of the men but there were little highlights.

Shoma Uno - SHOOOMAAA! It was okay not great but passable. It’s not a clean skate and Shoma hasn’t had a clean short program since 2018 Japan Nationals, so I’m hoping for a clean one during the Grand Prix Series. The costume is pretty, definitely much better than the one he wore at Friends On Ice over the summer. I can always count on Shoma to bring the sparkles even if it is minimal it works for the costume and the program. He was catching up to the music during the stsq, so he needs to work on his speed and stamina more then it’ll be a great performing program. Ironically, I was nervous for the planned 4F3T combo when it was the 3A that almost got him on the landing. I believe he’ll be able to land that combo, he’s done it before. I know people have problems with this short program and I do too. I won’t get into the appropriation argument because that’s a discussion for a lot of programs this season. I will however focus on the performance of the program as I have with the other appropriation programs from various skaters.

Sota Yamamoto - It was a great short program for Sota. He really performed the music to “East of Eden” with such ease. He definitely had the best short program performance of the competition. I didn’t get to see his short performance from U.S. International Classic so I’m glad that this is my first time seeing it and I like it. I think it’s great program for him. He’s strikes me as a classical skater and beautiful classical music suits him.

MEN’S FP Wow what an underwhelming free program. It was not good, simple as that. There were skaters who gave up on their performances midway through and some had music that reminded me of other much better programs using the same music. Nobody on the podium had two clean skates, all three of them had falls. Overall, not a good event to watch. Special shout out to Christopher Caluza, he was a such a cutie being excited over his score.

Shoma Uno - This was an okay performance. Most of the jumps weren’t successful but that’s okay for the beginning of the season. I don’t know if I should be worried that this was the same lowered tech content that he performed at JapanOpen and similarly wasn’t successful at both outings. There were reports of boot issues at the JapanOpen and maybe they’re still there. There hasn’t been a clean version of this program yet and I hope he has a clean skate during the Grand Prix Series. I really wished he did the combo on the 4F and I’m wondering if there’s something going on with the 4T’s and 3A’s. Those two jumps have been a struggle so far. I’m not expecting him to be 100% at his first real competition of the season but I hope he’s in a better condition in the upcoming weeks.

Sota Yamamoto - This was hard to watch. I was worried most of the time that he would re-injure himself. Six deductions is a lot and it’s unfortunate that he had a performance like this because he really could’ve won this competition. Another silver medal is great though and I’m looking forward to seeing him at NHK and Japan Nationals. Hopefully he’ll have better performances there, I really want that for him.

LADIES’ SP Much like the men’s short program the ladies’ event was lackluster save for a few great performances. There was music that I wish would retire from skating and music I’m hearing for the first time in skating. There were skaters who were crowd favorites and new upcoming talents. I’m excited for what the season brings.

Alena Kostornaia - What a beautiful performance. Reusing programs is a double-edge sword because of this. It’s good because you know the choreography and the layout of the program but it’s bad because now it becomes your job to elevate the program. I believe she did elevate the program. The music is beautiful and light and her performance of it was just as beautiful. Alena is one of those skates that skates so beautifully that I don‘t need her to do jumps. She can skate around the rink and it would be beautiful.

Yuhana Yokoi - I like this music. The program is fun and energetic. She performed it well and her fist bump at the end was great. My favorite part was the 2A on the music change. It was an effective way to transition the the change of pace in the program.

Gabrielle Daleman - I’m happy to see her back in competition, I hope it’s a good time for her and that she achieves what she hopes to achieve this season. I like the program and it fits her well. The stsq was fun and energetic, it’s a shame about her spin. I like that the mistake didn’t impact the whole program. It wasn’t a perfect skate it wasn’t even a great skate it was just fine but it wasn’t a complete disaster. For Gabrielle I want a season that doesn’t end in injury or tears, I want her to be proud of how far she’s come.

LADIES’ FP The last group performed so well. This was a good segment and I’m even more excited for the Grand Prix Series next week. All the medalists deserved their medals. The three of them had great clean programs across both segments. 

Gabrielle Daleman - I like that she remains positive despite not a great skate. There were no combos and there were at least two jumps were she could’ve place a combo on. I think the music could be good for her and you could tell she really gets into the StSq. There was a little stumble during it but it was good, it’s great that she didn’t let go of the performance. We’ll see how she does at Skate Canada and Cup of China, hopefully a little better than here.

Yuhana Yokoi - From her dress I would've guessed she was doing a POTO program. She’s reusing her program from last season and I think it’s a good vehicle for her. I would rather a new program but I understand how a skaters making their senior debut would want that transition to go smoothly. So reusing an old program that their familiar with would make that first senior season much bearable. It was a good performance and a good competition for her overall.

Alena Kostornaia - I’m not a fan of the music and the various cuts but Alena sells it and that’s all I can ask for. Her skating is beautiful and easy. She never looks nervous and all her elements were done well. It was a commanding and confident performance. What a wonderful senior debut for her.

An overall good weekend for skating. This was the first competition I was able to watch live this season. I forgot how much fun it is watching skating live.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 2/1/20

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 18 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – It took a while for me to get into Anonymous Noise, and I still wouldn’t call it a favorite exactly, but it must be said that this final volume made me verklempt on a few occasions. I particularly liked that Nino and Momo getting back together is not the main focus, because that was so not what I was most invested in with this series. Instead, we get Nino telling Yuzu she wants to sing his songs forever, and him realizing that means even more than winning her heart. There are some awesome concert scenes—that full-page image of Yuzu singing!—and a sense of joyous confidence as they contemplate their musical future together. Too, I appreciated that the final appearance of Yuzu and Nino wordlessly confirmed that, yes, he did eventually grow taller than her. I think I might miss this series now that it’s over. – Michelle Smith

Giant Killing, Vol. 18 | By Masaya Tsunamoto and Tsujitomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The second half of the season has begun! Tatsumi’s strategy going forward is to foster bettter communication and flexibility, so he’s been having the players swap positions, giving chances to non-regulars, etc. The best thing about this series is how Tatsumi has truly earned the players’ trust, and now the team feels more cohesive, each player secure in the knowledge that Tatsumi is looking out for them on an individual level and will help them to improve. Well, mostly everyone. Tsubaki is getting frustrated with his “terrible” playing and is pretty much useless after making a poor decision (while playing an unfamiliar defensive role) that leads to an ETU player’s injury. I really like that, even if they lose, they’re not a high school team trying to reach Nationals, so there’s still hope for the season. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Giant Killing? Verily, I do. – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 36 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – I think I forgot to review the 35th volume of Haikyu!!. No doubt it was very good and also filled with volleyball. As is this 36th volume. It is a credit to the author that he has kept the games interesting, and I can easily distinguish between the major adversaries, which is more than I can say for some manga. There’s a few more flashbacks, some really killer moves… a lot of people jump high in the air… I may have to wait till the game finishes to review another volume, though, as I just can’t keep typing up “this was really cool volleyball” over and over again without stretching things out like I’m a contestant on Just a Minute. At least the series is ending in Japan in a week or two, so we’ll soon catch up. -Sean Gaffney

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 | By Gege Akutami | Viz Media – I forget where I first heard of Jujutsu Kaisen, but the general impression I’ve garnered from others has largely been positive. Now having read the first volume myself, I can honestly say that I enjoyed the manga. However, it’s clear that the series still has some room to grow before it truly distinguishes itself. Jujutsu Kaisen is Akutami’s first long-form work which may partly explain why the series comes across as being so heavily influenced by other manga. But even while its ideas aren’t particularly new and the tropes that are used are well-worn, the specific and sometimes seemingly disparate combination of them in Jujutsu Kaisen has a sort of quirky charm—which is admittedly kind of a strange description for what is essentially a horror manga about demon hunting. There is darkness, seriousness, and drama in Jujutsu Kaisen, but many of the characters tend to be likeable goofballs. – Ash Brown

MabuSasa, Vol. 1 | By Nanase | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – With its cute cover and male lead who looks like a scary delinquent but who is actually kind, I thought MabuSasa was going to be a sweet love story akin to Honey So Sweet. I was very wrong. It’s not advertised as such anywhere that I could find, but this is actually a 4-koma manga. True, there aren’t titles for the strips, but the page layout fits, as does the sensibility. Mabuchi is indeed a sympathetic character, but he’s surrounded by one-note caricatures. Most infuriating is Akira Sasagawa (the Sasa of the title), our fujoshi heroine who absolutely refuses to listen when Mabuchi swears that he’s not in a relationship with his best friend, Sota Ando. She concocts BL scenarios at every opportunity, even when Mabuchi meets and plays with her little brother. All of this is meant to be funny, I’m assuming, but I didn’t smile once. – Michelle Smith

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 13 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Sheesh, the Inter-High still isn’t over in this volume. It literally takes 300 pages to go 3.5 kilometers! In that time, there are a couple of big matchups. The first is Imaizumi versus Midousuji, where the former is bolstered by the power of friendship while the latter pulls off new and even more nightmarish contortions while scoffing at the notion that friends are anything more than useless. Imaizumi emerges victorious but a crack in his bike’s frame means that Sohoku’s hopes now rest with Onoda, who goes head to head with Manami. Probably my favorite parts were the reactions of the Sohoku third years to the announcement that Onoda is still in the running to take the whole thing. 500 meters remain at the end of the volume. Next time for sure, right? – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[ai-da-ice]

BET a-i Edition “ai-contact 5 ~Fight Back~” Video!

ai-contact 5 ~Fight Back~ is (finally) up on my Livejournal

First of all: I am so sorry it took me this long to figure out how to upload this. On the plus side, I learned a lot valuable video decoding skills that will carry over if something like this ever happens again!

Second: You will notice when you watch that I watermarked it heavily. The reason is not me trying to be a big meanie, I promise. This DVD was very rare, even for Japanese fans. When I left Japan in August, it was already selling on used sites for over $100. I want international fans to be able to check out this content since I realize it’s next to impossible for anyone outside of Japan to watch otherwise, but I also understand the importance of the content not spreading all over the place. So PLEASE, in this case more than any other, DO NOT repost this video anywhere. Please do not even gif from it! I know some people like to do video compilations of Da-iCE funny moments on YouTube, but please be cooperative and leave content from this video out. Please, please, please enjoy responsibly! I want international a-i to continue to have nice things!

Third: This event’s layout follows a similar form to the one I wrote about in my fan account, but there are some differences regarding which songs they performed and the elements of the games they played.

The set list for this particular event was: 1) Sunadokei- Hayate 2) hitofuyu- Toru 3) Itsuka made Aerunara- Yudai 4) Hello -5 vocal bossa nova version- 5) Melancholy- Taiki 6) love letter- Sota 7) Did you Know? [chosen through fan vote] 8) TOKYO MERRY GO ROUND 9) FAKESHOW

Some other notes about the event

1) At every a-i contact event, there’s a overarching game that lasts the full event. At the event I attended, the member would get points subtracted from their game total every time they said “yabai.” In this event, the members would lose points for speaking English... which a certain member had a very, very hard time doing ;)

2) In the first game, the members have to collect fans that fit the requirements of different categories. The categories this time were as follows:

-People whose birthday was the day of the event (Taiki)

-People whose fan club membership number is in the 200s (Hayate)

-Someone with the same birthday & same number of kanji in their names as a Da-iCE member (Toru)

-People who brought all 5 versions of a member’s solo CD Jacket (Billion Dreams, Everybody, Watch Out, Paradive, Koigokoro) (Yudai)

3) The next game was the gesture game. The audience members were shown a word or phrase on the big screen and had to mime it for the members to guess. And even if the correct answer was in English, they were still not allowed to give the answer in English, and had to rephrase it in Japanese. The phrases were:

-Osaka LOVER

-Hayate Wada eating Kobe beef

-TOKI

-Taiki Kudo receiving a medical examination

-FAKESHOW (the reason Yudai got it wrong was because he translated it into Japanese as “lie,” while Toru translated it as “a show of lies”)

-Hay fever

-BILLION DREAMS

-Impersonation

-Tango no Sekku (a Japanese festival--the reason why both Yudai and Toru guessed ‘Kodomo no Hi’ or ‘Children’s Day’ is because that’s the new name for Tango no Sekku)

-Yudai Ohno fishing from a boat driven by Toru Iwaoka (the answer everyone laughs hysterically over is Toru saying “Yudai Ohno reeling in Toru” which Yudai follows up with by saying “Toru reeling in me”)

I hope that helps you follow along a little easier!

[aquaritos]

my heart went oops 🗯️

[axelsandwich]

loool I am indeed looking forward to WTT and cheering shenanigans and excited to see who’s gonna be on the teams. and ehh idk if we’ll get too much footage of eteri/alina/zhenya interactions, it’ll prob be mostly backstage stuff (but russian nationals will be DRAMATIQUE AF 👀)

most: ‘two time olympic champion yazunori hanyu’ being his best and most wildin self and giving no fucks @ the ISU 

new programs!! especially since post-Olys season, with coaching changes and whatnot, can apparently be quite experimental (as long as no one commits to a POTO theme). obviously looking forward to wakaba, satoko and boyang’s new programs a lot but also really looking forward to rika’s senior debut, more of alyona in the junior circuit and also how people like kazuki and hopefully (??) sota will do (along w my unknown bbs like sui takeuchi) ;;;; feels like it’s going to be a v different landscape in the GP series with so many people dropping out, a handful of new juniors and the outcome is really going to set the tone for the new quad so I’m super hyped ;;

other things.... a good JNats for the mens MAYHAPS? some INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS mayhaps from the new layout and program requirements? honestly i’m curious to see how the new rules and scoring will work and to see if our worst fears are confirmed (so this is both looking forward to and dreading it)

least: scoring diskhorse, judge fuckery, the usual robberies, unimaginative programs, “hAnYU isN’T CoNsiSTEnT” @ yearly silvers, ptsd from injury news, lack of all the old guard bc i’ll feel SUPER OLD but esp people like the shibs and misha who always kind of provide the ~reliable~ skating content ; __ ; 

[shironezuninja]

4th Episode of the Inuyasha spin-off anime series, and Rumiko Takahashi’s still got her plot line writing talent.

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Shoma is in 2nd place after the SP with 92,28 virtually tied with Sota Yamamoto

Shoma landed all his jumps👍, but only one with positive GOEs, lost on his Spin because it got a V attached to it and lost the BV, also lost levels on his step sequence.

Shoma skates 2nd to last in the FS tomorrow. His layout is announced as the same as Japan Open, but who knows....

Good luck for the FS! 🙏🙏🙏

[stephfm]

Musical Memories

I’ve recently been stuck knee-deep in research articles about musical memories. MEAMs (not to be confused with memes) are Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories. Basically, they are your memories about almost anything— a person, a place, an event, a period of your life— that are triggered when you listen to a song and ‘flashbacks’ start coming back to you. For example, you could hear Usher’s Yeah and you’re suddenly transported back to your highschool prom. Or maybe Westlife’s My Love starts playing and you’re taken back to the time when you were a child jamming out to it in the car with your driving next to you (or is that just me?).

So as I’m reading about all the research surrounding this phenomenon, it obviously got me thinking about my personal MEAMs. I’d thought songs that I listen to most frequently would cue the most memoires, or at least the most vivid ones. That’s just because the research has told me so. But I soon realised I was pretty wrong. The more I thought about it, the more I started to see a theme connecting my most vivid MEAMs. And well, the theme is pieces I’ve performed. It could be pieces I’ve sung years ago, and yet somehow, I remember exactly which period of my life I performed it and I literally have mental imagery attached to them that just comes running back into my mind.

I guess this realisation all started when I listened to a piece that I’m going to be singing this semester— Evening Prayer from Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel. The moment I pressed play on the accompaniment and the notes started ringing from the piano (well, through my speaker of course), I saw myself back in a blue pinafore and in my primary school’s music room. I sang this piece ages ago, when I still sounded almost like a prepubescent choirboy who could effortlessly hit the high notes. But comparing my vocal abilities isn’t the point. The point is that just by hearing that piece again, I could remember the time I first sang it and all the little (somewhat almost irrelevant) details. I remember holding on to my blue ring folder that had doodles all over it, I remember the exact layout of the music room and where I was standing, and I swear I could see my then conductor and pianist in front of me in my head. It’s not the most special memory, it wasn’t even a memory of the actual performance, but yet just another typical rehearsal had been ingrained in my memory all along.

Research also says that MEAMs tend to be quite emotional, in a sense that they have strong emotions attached to them. And boy are they pretty spot on. I could go on and list all the pieces I’ve sung and have memories associated with till the break of dawn, but I’ll spare you this time round. So instead, I’ll just speak about one more.

Dan Forrest’s Entreat Me Not to Leave You. Listening to it brings me back to 2016, SOTA Concert Hall, with the singers of a choir I used to perform with. Although we performed it way more times (and spent numerous hours at rehearsals working on it), whenever I listen to this piece, it is that one memory of us on stage that comes back to me. I mean the piece itself tells it’s own story, and is pretty emotionally charged, and I guess we had attached our very own meanings to it, so maybe that’s why this piece stands out when I look back at all the repertoire I’ve sung through.

It was the last song of the night and as usual, I couldn’t believe time had gone by so quickly and that our time on stage was almost up. Was it the best performance we ever did? I highly doubt it. But something about those 5 or 6 minutes could never be replicated, and would never leave my memory. It’s hard to describe what exactly happened, and all I can say is that something just clicked in everyone on that stage and we moved together. It just felt right. I clearly remember the exact moment when I felt the tears well up in my eyes and I just had this instinct to turn my head to the left, only to meet the eyes of a fellow singer. At that moment, we just knew that this was special. Just to say, I highly discourage you from looking around the stage when you’re performing, but I did it anyway (and it was caught on video, whoops?). I didn’t plan on it, I never would, but that night, it just happened. It was probably one of the very first times I got emotional on stage, with tears literally brimming, and I know I wasn’t the only one. Yes, it took me a while to ‘get over’ that performance, but I hadn’t revisited that memory for a while. Well, that was until I spoke about it a year ago in one of my Music Psychology lectures. Again I felt my heart sinking a little as I recalled the memories and emotions and attached (even my lecturer said she was getting emotional just listening to me talk about it and she became teary-eyed herself!). Even now as I type about, I just feel something.

MEAMs are such an interesting phenomena, and they certainly are powerful. And for me, it’s been 5 years since that concert where I sang Entreat Me Not to Leave You and yet the memory associated with it remains so vivid (and I’m sure it’s a memory I’ll hold close to my heart for many more years to come). Try it out yourself— put on some songs you’ve frequently listened to in the past and see what comes back to you, see where you get transported to. I promise it’s pretty comforting.