Wild Yuzu.
Sometimes you get ethereal, cherry blossom Yuzu.
Sometimes you get UA, professional athlete Yuzu.
Sometimes you get shiny leather, blinding Yuzu.
And then sometimes, when you least expect it, you get pure, raw, WILD YUZU.
And that’s when you know it’s Day 3 of Prologue Hachinohe.
Yuzu said himself in an interview following the performance that he had been “fired up.” And we should’ve known from the first moment he appeared. Yuzu’s “pre-SEIMEI” attitude was electric. For real. We got somewhere around four “SHU-PAH”s in a row and Stunt Pooh-san got an extra palm to the face. As Yuzu took his place to start the program, he had the raw energy of a thoroughbred being put in the gate before the Kentucky Derby. Someone, open the gate and let him OUT, because he is ready to throw down the SEIMEI of all SEIMEIs! During the show, I had jotted down notes of the key Yuzu moments I wanted to comment on (of course while never taking my eyes from the screen). The next day (much like open kitchen cabinets and dishes in unusual places following Apocalypse on Ice: Makuhari), I was amused to look back at what I had scribbled in the dark as I sat in front of my TV experiencing Hanyupathy (NOUN: the act of feeling every emotion upon the sight of Yuzuru Hanyu). I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw scrolled across the page in giant, sloppy letters,
“THE FOOT STOMPS”
It was underlined…three times. Yeah. That moment might’ve done something for me.
Years from now, Fanyus still won’t be over those pre-SEIMEI stomps. They will be right up there with the first backlit silhouette of Blinding Lights, the first ice kiss hydroblade of 春よ、来い [Haru yo koi], and the first “Did he fall? Nooo…he’s supposed to be rolling around on the ice doing…that” in レゾン [Raison].
I have seen SEIMEI performance upon SEIMEI performance – though not in person (that’s what the unused Worlds 2020 Montreal ticket never fails to remind me), but it only took one time for me to proclaim the Prologue Hachinohe SEIMEI as the greatest SEIMEI performance I have ever witnessed. Of course, they have been record-setting (I’m looking at you, Barcelona). Of course, they have been legendary in history and pure exuberance (I’m looking at you PyeongChang). Of course, they have been magical (I’m looking at you…all of them). But there was just something about the musicality of this particular SEIMEI which left me enraptured, enchanted and en-love. Yuzu wasn’t listening to the music. The music was listening to Yuzu…and thinking, ‘THIS guy is my favorite song!’ I almost believed that if Yuzu didn’t physically accentuate the note in the music, it wouldn’t have happened.
Yuzu, you say you want to improve at dance. That performance was one of the most incredible dances I have ever seen. (And when I say “one of,” it is because I have to include all the other programs you have been “dancing” for years.)
When someone spontaneously applauds because of your musicality…you’re a dancer.
Wild Yuzu stayed with us through “Change,” and I even started to wonder if he was going to offer us *gasp* “Blinding Lights” as a bangle color option. I can just imagine what that would’ve looked like. “Se…no…HAI.” and the entire arena would’ve been one giant Blinding Light. News reports would’ve proclaimed,
“From space, you can now see the Great Wall of China AND the Fanyus love for Yuzu’s Blinding Lights.”
Of course, after the program you wouldn’t have seen any of the lights, because everyone would’ve been passed out on the floor with their lights hidden under their crumpled banners.
Even though Yuzu didn’t give us “Blinding Lights” (I sort of love that he kind of pretends that never happened – another once in a lifetime Yuzu eclipse), he did, once again, give us so many other wonderfully unexpected but incredibly satisfying new Yuzu moments.
Scatting Yuzu: I loved witnessing Yuzu describing the starting point in his programs to the show technicians. We got the “Let’s Go Crazy” scat in Yokohama. Hachinohe gave us the “Sing Sing Sing” rendition. I wish we could hear Yuzu “perform” all his programs like this. Put it this way: A character in a Hallmark Christmas movie once said, “A truly perfect present is the one you didn’t know you wanted, but upon receiving, you realize you couldn’t live without.” Thank you for that truly perfect present, Yuzu.
White Hoodie Yuzu: He’s just putting on a sweatshirt and then taking it back off later. Millions of people do that a million times a day. But when Yuzu does it, I want to make sure someone has it captured in 4K for posterity. He also did this while skating and holding a microphone, so that increases the GOE. But, I forget, we don’t care about GOE anymore. *ahem
Transparent Yuzu: By the time we reached the end of the show, I’m not sure even Yuzu knew what emotion he wanted to feel. In fact, he may have been experiencing his very own version of Hanyupathy. And he took us on the entire ride with him. “I’m nervous now. I’m shocked now. I’m tired now. I’m laughing now. I’m crying no-I’m laughing no-I’m crying.”
I think it’s because he knew what he was getting ready to do. (Which Yuzu always does.) He knew he was going to blow our minds with two words: 東京ドーム [Tokyo Dome]. Every eye glimmer, every arm presented out to the side, every fake exit. He knew he had something special up his white Prologue T shortsleeve. I am so proud that our one, lone, sheepish (GOATish?) Yuzu is going to sell out the entire Tokyo Dome. In fact, I saw an article in the Mainichi Shimbun announcing Yuzu’s show. The photo was of an innocent, grinning, SharePractice Yuzu clutching Stunt Pooh-san. The juxtaposition (I’ll learn how to say that in Japanese on Pimsleur Disc 27) between the epicness of the headline and the sweetness of the photo reminded me of a fake newspaper your parents would’ve had made for you as a kid. “Little Jimmy Hits Grand Slam in World Series 2040!” – “Little Susie Becomes First Astronaut to Land on Mars!” – and now…
“Little Yuzu Sells Out the Tokyo Dome…by Figure Skating.”
So it’s no wonder why Wild Yuzu hasn’t stopped since he made his final Prologue (real) exit – albeit with a swagger. (It was there, Yuzu. We saw it.)
I think Yuzu is hopped up on freedom.
Almost every day, there is something new. Sometimes I worry that Yuzu thinks he needs to do everything, for everyone…while publishing another book. And while I also worry he isn’t taking enough time for himself (we WILL wait for you, Yuzu, if you want to take a week, a day, an HOUR off) I think he’s just a kid in a candy store who wants to try ALL the flavors. Because he finally CAN. Best of all, he wants to share them all with us.
When I said I can’t keep up with Yuzu – he said, “Well, you better try.”
Don’t worry, Yuzu, we’ll keep up – especially now that we’re all on this sugar high. And when you appear at the Tokyo Dome, it will be all of us who will go WILD with you.
This blog post is featured in Season 2: Episode 3 of The FanyuFanme Podcast – WILD YUZU. Listen now on Spotify or find it on your favorite podcast platform.