2016 Japan Open

[randomfan]

Here are my thoughts:
1. Evgenia Medvedeva
Dress: The top is gorgeous and the pink is just meh but oddly enough I actually kinda like the contrast in the two colours!
Elements Today: Another clean performance from her. I think we might as well see the first Russian lady to maintain her #1 status in a long time.
Program: While there are some small choreographic moments that are nice (ex: I that pause after the 3Lo), the program is still pretty much no different from her previous ones. Overall, it's disappointing.

2. Satoko Miyahara
Dress: I'm not as crazy about it as other people are, but it's still a nice look.
Elements Today: Big bravo to her! The tiny jumps may be distracting, but she has great performance skills and the clean performance made everything great to watch.
Program: This program is growing on me each time I watch it. I thought it was so-so in the summer and good at US Classic, but I really liked it here. That step sequence is awesome. My only problem though is the spiral in the choreo sequence appearing out of nowhere while the music is still building...

3. Ashley Wagner
Dress: Very lovely. The colour goes along well with the sparkles.
Elements Today: A few URs took her score down, but none of them were extremely big ones.
Program: I have to admit, I had really REALLY been looking forward to this program. And I'm very satisfied. Ashley performs it so well and it's nice to see a bit of a different side from her. Like KwanIsALegend said though, more choreographic moments would be nice.

4. Anna Pogorilaya
Dress: The colours are beautiful, but I personally don't like the design that much.
Elements Today: It was a solid performance. She had a couple of mistakes but still looked good.
Program: I like it! Maybe not as much as the SP, but it's still a good program. She really turned into an elegant skater. I'm curious to see how this program will develop over time.

5. Wakaba Higuchi
Dress: At Lombardia my first impression of this dress was not good, and the same goes here too. It's sad to see that many skaters skating to Scheherazade don't have particularly great costumes...
Elements Today: Up and down skate, but what she did do was done very beautifully. Her jumps look really good when they're landed!
Program: The whole first half before the footwork just seems like the same melody repeating over and over again which is a bit irritating. But other than that the program is solid. It's nice to see Wakaba improving in her presentation and the choreography helps her show her improvement.

6. Gracie Gold
Dress: The dress is beautiful! I love it. The colours are pretty and the front design is very well done.
Elements Today: Gracie's performance at last year's Japan Open was not good, so I though she'd do better here, but she did even worse this time. It's sad to see this. I always want Gracie to do well so she could silence her many haters, but it's just not happening.
Program: It's a pretty program, but I'm not sure if it's the correct long program direction for her right now. I'd prefer her skating to this for her SP and then maybe something fiery for her FS (but not Assassin's Tango - her current program to that is not good).

 

[[email protected]]

Wow, so much critique of Medvedeva who was in the league of her own yet another time. Yes, the program's layout is similar to the last year's so what? Some other prominent skaters show virtually the same routine to different music year after year. And Zhenya's layout while similar is not exactly the same: she has switched 3Lo and 3F. At the same time SS is different, transitions are different - they are not the same programs with the same choreo.

I watched this program live, watched on the stream. And now I am even more sure that the issue about sirens and screams was blown out of any reasonable proportion. The only truly unpleasant sound is the telephone ring.

I hope she keeps winning all competitions she enters this season as well.

 

[MK's Winter]

Wow, so much critique of Medvedeva who was in the league of her own yet another time. Yes, the program's layout is similar to the last year's so what? Some other prominent skaters show virtually the same routine to different music year after year. And Zhenya's layout while similar is not exactly the same: she has switched 3Lo and 3F. At the same time SS is different, transitions are different - they are not the same programs with the same choreo. I watched this program live, watched on the stream. And now I am even more sure that the issue about sirens and screams was blown out of any reasonable proportion. The only truly unpleasant sound is the telephone ring. I hope she keeps winning all competitions she enters this season as well.

I disagree concerning the sirens and the screams. I do want to say I like Medvedeva and respect her talent. In regards to her program I think it would be best if she removed the 9/11 audio of screams and sirens. I have no issue with her doing a tribute program, however I think the audio is too much.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I would love to see a side by side video of all three programs, because you're right, I'm pretty sure they're exactly the same.

Love me some Evgenia, but come on now, give this girl some new choreographic material!

I'm curious on a scale of 1-10 who has more similar programs....Gracie or Zhenia. Sadly I think the jump rope and hop scotch silliness may give Zhenia the win

I agree though...Zhenia deserves better Choreo but then so too does Gracie IMO. :hopelessness:

 

[[email protected]]

I disagree concerning the sirens and the screams. I do want to say I like Medvedeva and respect her talent. In regards to her program I think it would be best if she removed the 9/11 audio of screams and sirens. I have no issue with her doing a tribute program, however I think the audio is too much.

I also thought it would be better to modify the score to handle the controversy. But now that it is clear that the Med's team will not do it I think it's better to stop pressing the issue because as I said these sounds are not that loud and intrusive to keep pushing the story.

 

[Jammers]

At this point i've given up on Gracie ever putting it together as she keeps getting beat by skaters that she should be beating. She's just not a competitor.

 

[bramweld]

Shoma needs to sit Gracie down and have a little talk. Will she go through her entire career competing so poorly?

Shoma, just fine, really fine skate. He has a champions character. His coach was just so proud and overjoyed. Happy for them

 

[MK's Winter]

I also thought it would be better to modify the score to handle the controversy. But now that it is clear that the Med's team will not do it I think it's better to stop pressing the issue because as I said these sounds are not that loud and intrusive to keep pushing the story.

Deleted because there will be no getting through.

 

[Arriba627]

Shoma needs to sit Gracie down and have a little talk. Will she go through her entire career competing so poorly?

Shoma, just fine, really fine skate. He has a champions character. His coach was just so proud and overjoyed. Happy for them

I had hoped that maybe Jason's good influence would help Gracie, but I just don't know what can help her at this point. Even a talk (in Japanese) from Shoma probably couldn't help!

 

[koatcue]

I agree that Zhenia is on the league of her own, and even relatively close score with Satoko in Japan doesn't say much. I said that Zhenia looks the same - it doesn't mean that other skaters don't do that (Wagner, Gold etc.), I just don't care much too much about their repetitiveness. Zhenia is a leader, the world champ, she should be better than this. But actually I think (hope) that Averbuch knows better and next year there will be CONTRAST that everybody notices

 

[Sophie-Anna]

Anybody knows what was Jeremy's FP music?

 

[hugo]

Bc she still has the body of a child. But she won't stay like this forever :confused2:

Really ? So, what about Miyahara and Tursynbayeva ?

 

[crazy3d]

I hate Evgenia's team for providing us with a 100% mediocre program. It's the old program with worst music, worst disjointed pantomime, and even the dress is a mediocre version of her last. She is fun to watch in every EX and is the best in the world, how can they get away with being such mediocre team of "professionals"? They are not doing their job. Evgenia's talent is still there, which is the most important thing but she is not shining because a bunch of mediocre 'professionals' are sitting on their russian thumbs.

 

[mary01]

so Mao did not compete at Japan Open this year?

 

[Khoai]

Mr Fernandez has come up with a new version of Chaplin, as expected.

 

[demarinis5]

Congrats to Team Japan!

Not sure if this posted elsewhere, this channel has Carnival on Ice videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngBwf3yHJYVEJZZ9aypTmQ

 

[LRK]

so Mao did not compete at Japan Open this year?

She's competing at Finlandia this weekend, I think? Maybe she thought it was too close, and chose Finlandia to get both her programs out there, and earn some ranking points.

 

[centerpt1]

Anybody knows what was Jeremy's FP music?

I think it is "Old Pine"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ccDb6n5Wg

 

[euroskate]

Just watching vids. Wagner amazing though i think oft the dancers all the time. Medvedeva technicalli string and also performance but the concept oft this long just nooooooooo

 

[Sophie-Anna]

I think it is "Old Pine"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ccDb6n5Wg

Thanks