“In the Loop” is a column by Valerie Fang dedicated to the sport of figure skating.
Massimiliano Ambesi, an Olympic analyst and a commentator for Eurosport, was absolutely right when he tweeted that Hanyu Yuzuru’s GIFT ice show held at Tokyo Dome on Sunday was “by far the biggest and most important event in the very long history of figure skating.”
Those three hours were the monumental moment the world had been waiting for. As always, Hanyu has shattered any prior expectations we had of the show with 12 programs, plus the two encore pieces. The audience walked away with a renewed interpretation of both Hanyu and the sport of figure skating.
Like a movie, GIFT was a combination of various forms of arts. Unlike any of his previous ice shows, this time Hanyu dedicated a significant portion to narration, which was accompanied by visually stunning videos that helped convey his emotions and messages. Using various symbols and imagery, Hanyu poetically painted the journey of his life so far.
A different side of the almighty two-time Olympic champion is somewhat surprisingly marked by vulnerability and many insecurities. Listening to Hanyu’s monologues, which served as connections between programs, felt like flipping through an incredibly personal journal. And we could clearly feel how his understanding of dream, efforts, pain and – above all – the meaning of life has shifted through all these years of his trials and struggles.
I can never praise Hanyu enough for having the courage to face his heart and always live from within. Two of the most touching moments were his monologues before and after “A Fleeting Dream.” The videos portrayed a transformative experience of Hanyu realizing what he truly cherished: the support of and the connections with people around him. He seemed to have finally made peace with not landing the quadruple axel, embraced the fact that not every goal of his can be achieved and that at times he has to simply let go of those unattainable dreams.
“I want me and everyone else to want me and see who I really am,” Hanyu said during one of his monologues.
For a long time (especially the period between PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022), conquering the quadruple axel was one of the few, if not the only, motivations that kept Hanyu in the sport as he has won all the titles a figure skater could win. In fact, landing this jump with 4.5 rotations was his dream ever since childhood. But as we know, the under-rotated opening jump of his free skate at Beijing 2022 was his closest attempt.
In his pursuit of the back-to-back Olympic gold, Hanyu was always advocating for holding onto one’s dream as tightly as possible and not giving up until it comes true. So it was especially touching to hear his renewed perspective on the transience of dream and how letting it go meant breaking free from his own chains. Does it mean that we will not see any more 4A attempts from him? Maybe. But it doesn’t matter anymore. If what he truly wanted all along was to be with the ones he cares about, then he is living this dream right now.
Knowing this change in his attitude towards dreams, I couldn’t help but perceive his first encore piece, “Haru yo, Koi” (May Spring Come), differently. The costume for this program was decorated with cascading sakura, a flower which can display breathtaking full bloom for just two weeks out of the year. The flower symbolizes the fleeting nature of beauty in Japanese culture.
For all his previous performances of “Haru yo, Koi,” especially the one at Beijing 2022 after he missed the podium, this poignant piece meant a powerful combination of melancholy and hope to me. Yes, our life is ephemeral and fragile. But while we are still here, we should still fight to become the better version of ourselves every day because the resilience of life can shine through only when we are battling adversity.
However, this time, Hanyu showed a more joyful interpretation of this program. Just look at his smile before entering the gorgeous layback Ina Bauer. It was the kind of bliss so pure and contagious that it poured out of the screen and consumed you. It was the kind of happiness that signaled he has made peace with himself, found a new direction in life to head toward and filled himself with gratitude for people around him.
The GIFT ice show was entirely cinematic in scope. Besides merging various forms of arts as mentioned earlier, the Hanyu Yuzuru as we perceive became more fleshed out throughout the show as if he was the hero of a movie. And it’s all thanks to his bravery of being vulnerable with the world and honest with himself. I’ve always struggled to find the right words to describe Hanyu because at times he seemed to be a poem, an abstract artwork and even an enigma. The complexity of his personality, the depth of his thoughts and the incredible ability to blend art and storytelling into athleticism always fascinates me and many more figure skating fans.
But now, the godsent GIFT to his supporters is finally unwrapped. We can’t help but marvel at yet another evolution of Hanyu’s creation. This is the dawn of the next illustrious chapter of his life. This is perhaps also the beginning of a new era in figure skating. And in that, we are all blessed.
“In the Loop” runs every other Tuesday.