It was super close and really could've gone either way between Anna and Mana for me. Watching their skates again though, I think I would've given it to Anna.
In the SP, Mana had loads of speed, but didn't seem to have the refinement on her jump landings as a result. Similar to Kaori's earlier days when she had so much speed and power, but had a harder time controlling it. Along with Anna's backloaded combo and higher Step Sequence level, Mana gave up too many points in BV and GOE. Her final spin was slow and labored, which probably left a bad impression to the judges and was reflected in the PCS too.
In the FS, I was surprised to see Anna get so close to Mana, despite not having her own 3A and falling twice. After a closer look though, again I noticed Mana had sloppy jump landings (which reflected in her score as UR's). Along with a fall of her own, she didn't have enough refinement to come out on top, despite having a higher BV here.
However, I think Mana will be a force to be reckoned with next season! She already has the charm, speed, and a 3A. I'm sure Mie Hamada has a longer-term plan for her, and she will follow a similar trajectory to that of Rika's.
In the SP, Mana had loads of speed, but didn't seem to have the refinement on her jump landings as a result. Similar to Kaori's earlier days when she had so much speed and power, but had a harder time controlling it. Along with Anna's backloaded combo and higher Step Sequence level, Mana gave up too many points in BV and GOE. Her final spin was slow and labored, which probably left a bad impression to the judges and was reflected in the PCS too.
In the FS, I was surprised to see Anna get so close to Mana, despite not having her own 3A and falling twice. After a closer look though, again I noticed Mana had sloppy jump landings (which reflected in her score as UR's). Along with a fall of her own, she didn't have enough refinement to come out on top, despite having a higher BV here.
However, I think Mana will be a force to be reckoned with next season! She already has the charm, speed, and a 3A. I'm sure Mie Hamada has a longer-term plan for her, and she will follow a similar trajectory to that of Rika's.