The Mao cheer thread #3 - "For the love of skating"

^^^ Thanks, @cohkaix - I was waiting for the next cast update before starting THE ICE 2017 thread in GSD: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/in...9-31-in-osaka-aug-4-6-in-nagoya-japan.101301/

Mirai Nagasu pays tribute to Mao and her show in her latest interview (link is posted in her cheer thread):
MN: I think with Mao’s retirement a skating icon will be missed, but I think her career has been so illustrious. Overall, she has just been a huge role model for me so to have the opportunity to skate with her consistently in THE ICE is something I’m very grateful for.
FSO: When was the first time you skated with Mao Asada in THE ICE?
MN: I think I was 14 years old.
FSO: Any plans for the summer, other than skating? Any trips?
MN: Going to Japan for two weeks (for Mao Asada’s THE ICE in late July to early August) and I love Japan so much. I love the food there, I love the culture, I love the people. I love that I can kind of communicate with everyone so I’m really excited about that.
Click to expand...
 
cohkaix said:
The Ice 2017 -updates: casts added
http://fs-theice.com/cast/

From domestic: Daisuke Takahashi, Kozuka Takahiko, Shoma Uno, Kanako Murakami (only Osaka, too bad Kanako has been booked by PIW show and won't make it to the Nagoya shows)
From out-of-country: Adelina Sotnikova

More skaters and guests to be added!

NB: a belated 'thank you!' to @rosewood. Since I'm going for The Ice during the summer, I'll try to share some updates whenever I catch the news!
Click to expand...

Dai, Taka and Shoma!! :biggrinbo:respec:
 
cohkaix said:
The Ice 2017 -updates: casts added
http://fs-theice.com/cast/
Click to expand...

This is un-confirmed news: but Mao attended an event (by Nepia) yesterday, from ppl who attended the event on twitter, Mao says she will have two programs for 'The Ice' and one of them is with music by Rachmaninoff (From twitter it won't be re-skating of old programs but new ones which will be 'adult-like', according to Mao's own words.) So apparently she's done with the choreography and is back in Japan now.
 
cohkaix said:
This is un-confirmed news: but Mao attended an event (by Nepia) yesterday, from ppl who attended the event on twitter, Mao says she will have two programs for 'The Ice' and one of them is with music by Rachmaninoff (From twitter it won't be re-skating of old programs but new ones which will be 'adult-like', according to Mao's own words.) So apparently she's done with the choreography and is back in Japan now.
Click to expand...

Ok. Her programs the last years are very mature and adult, so if she says adult-like, can we to expect a sexy program? :p
 
chapis said:
Ok. Her programs the last years are very mature and adult, so if she says adult-like, can we to expect a sexy program? :p
Click to expand...

I guess the direct translation doesn't work too well here, but I can never imagine her doing a sexy program either...;)
 
Thanks for the information cohkaix and sylvia much earlier. I think Mao is the most beautiful in performance, emotions, appearance and just the overall aura she projects. I'm really glad that Mao is skating to Rachmaninoff again. It brings back so many wonderful memories of her skating to Bells of Moscow and Rachmaninov's Second Concerto. And I think in spirit Mao shares a lot with Rachmaninov because they are both really powerful at moving my emotions deeply and inspiring a passionate and transcendent sense of beauty.

Thanks to daphenaxa for posting this: here are the new programs Mao will perform at the ICE: https://twitter.com/michaeljardins/s...71880784678912
Rachmaninov Elegie and Lara Fabian song "wind beneath my wings".

Mao on set for a commercial https://twitter.com/palebluefruits/s...66274099073024 SO CUTE WITH THE GLASSES
love.gif


small clip with Lori https://twitter.com/uzutoracat/statu...75787027980288

http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?38067-Mao-Asada/page275

This is my comment:

It's great to see Mao back on The Ice even if it's only a brief clip.

Here is a really good piano roll reproduction of Rachmaninov playing this beautiful composition, Elegie, in 1929.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrOp4TeG100



I missed your birthday by too much, rosewood. But, thank you again for all the information and translations and for helping me. I really appreciate it.
 
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Here are some beautiful high quality photos of Mao recently posted:

http://f11.pmo.ee/HIDhdXtfvbhMsHa0n...pscale()/nginx/o/2010/02/28/323809t1he201.jpg

http://www.trbimg.com/img-526464f4/turbine/chi-asada-puts-good-spin-on-skate-america-win-20131020

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/05/12/90/051290951c458bf55f403ee92e8f77b5.jpg

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sg_POHRw...hACLcB/s1600/Mao_Asada_2016_Collage_Fotor.jpg

http://i1.wp.com/extradmt.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-MAO-ASADA-facebook.jpg

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rdom-CNE...rWxNbxACLcB/s1600/Mao_Asada_Fotor_Collage.jpg

http://chaspikserial.ru/uploads/posts/1files/828099-mao-asada-wallpaper.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/8c/af/15/8caf1576b3a0fce5d16f33267ce36308.jpg

https://i2.wp.com/www.ifsmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Asada_23365-1.jpg?fit=2500,2132&ssl=1

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/26/92/74/26927499b49b1862c6ae3b7210d5145d.jpg

http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/6f/3f/9addb00ec1b68fed0a5039b70683c98b.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/50ju9gwmSEs/maxresdefault.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/33/be/0b/33be0bc9ea9e1f0f1045dd46340dbfa0.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f7/95/b4/f795b4e7099eb8b306d013bb2ed17b16.jpg
 
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Wonderful, indeed just to see a glimpse. Now she can just rule! Enjoy her abilities! She and Lori can achieve glorious things not bound by rules. It will be amazing.It also will hopefully be the beginning of a great professional career.

Any word on what Mao want's to do outside of skating?
 
arakwafan2006 said:
Wonderful, indeed just to see a glimpse. Now she can just rule! Enjoy her abilities! She and Lori can achieve glorious things not bound by rules. It will be amazing.It also will hopefully be the beginning of a great professional career.

Any word on what Mao want's to do outside of skating?
Click to expand...

She would like to have a restaurant
 
Here is an interview on a video entitled Mao's future. Her face is all aglow and she looks so happy. And to me that is the most important thing especially since she can now express herself freely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Io3Ig5FXo

Here are some high quality videos of Mao's past performances (1440 and 1080 resolution) that have been posted recently or that I just found and can't remember if I posted them or not:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih97Q5yoYmc Worlds 2014 Exhibition SP 1440 (very beautiful closeup of Mao smiling and laughing in the kiss and cry from 4:30-4:40)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcoHuGKJ-Ik Masquerade Waltz and Bells of Moscow at Vancouver 2010 (SP and LP) 1440

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Oi_WpmxCKE 2013 Smile 1080 60 fps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pAVL8uZAVs Olympics exhibitions 2010 1440 fps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5y_UE8SoNU 2008 Grand Prix Final SP 1080

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcpde_N8g58 2009 TEB 1440

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz3XRDhuJUY 2008 4CC exhibition 1440

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW3ZcmyJD8I 2006 Grand Prix Final SP 1080

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r-3OsGocMU 2009 WTF Claire de Lune SP 1080

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKFAHMX1wJM Trophy of France 2016 SP 2016 1440

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA_-q3qyfoc 4CC 2011 Liebestraum 1440

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLagVGDDey8 Cup of Russia 2011 Scheherazade 1440

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjfkqUiBPag 2016 The Ice Cello Suite
 
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Here is a great photo of Mao skating as a youngster: https://scontent-amt2-1.cdninstagra...558_468317803517289_2535897520765140992_n.jpg

A highly stylish and passionate one from her most recent LP step sequence: https://scontent-amt2-1.cdninstagra...96_1834313936887394_4794892787650658304_n.jpg

Another two more lovely ones from Ritual Dance LP: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxQM0p7XAAAd9Sg.jpg

https://scontent-amt2-1.cdninstagra...98_1901280710161289_2980671363137667072_n.jpg

A passionate split photo from Bells of Moscow and Madame Butterfly: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DB9aQqHVwAAbl3M.jpg

Some really nice facebook photos (click on photos to get full size): https://www.facebook.com/sumitomolife/photos/a.108551139232753.22825.102083393212861/903965533024639/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/sumitomoli...2083393212861/903128913108301/?type=3&theater

And a nice triple shot from Scheherazade: https://scontent-amt2-1.cdninstagra...044_819280248249882_5877279891191234560_n.jpg

On the podium at Finlandia Trophy: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DCJ2OpCUQAERe-p.jpg

Rach II Step sequence: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/04/93/97/049397c8ba8349625f7746e3ed3fbd1f.jpg

Wonderful state of bliss in Waltz Masquerade from 2008/ 2009 LP : https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkrIFKkrNhA/WO5934Z4jrI/AAAAAAABhGY/EFOWp7MCxXcmF-a0L6d57RQLABHsDLqXwCLcB/s1600/Mao%2BAsada%2BISU%2BWorld%2BTeam%2BTrophy%2B2009%2BDay%2B3%2BkhXqtzuUK44x.jpg

https://scontent-amt2-1.cdninstagra...807_126187724616157_7424558674372198400_n.jpg

Bells of Moscow: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5daNcpV7iUo/maxresdefault.jpg

This site has a lot of nice photos: https://topsy.one/hashtag.php?q=thankyoumao

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c8/b5/6b/c8b56b98e3353bd08c4b4c5afaf23d44.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/81/eb/69/81eb69034ff14f9ad8215ff05cf6bb5e.jpg
 
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Here are some more high quality photos of Mao:

http://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws....gs/images/000/071/231/original.jpg?1496817760

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b6/d9/b4/b6d9b46bcda70456c5979675cfb7dabd.jpg

http://www.moriyasu-shop.jp/img/image12.jpg

http://tk.ismcdn.jp/mwimgs/a/4/-/img_a473aa3bc6057179469519f29cb2595c441409.jpg

http://photos.skatetoday.com/albums/juniors2005/ASADA7.JPG

http://blog-imgs-93.fc2.com/b/a/r/barcarollefantasie/3539.jpg

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/R...26_GM1E8BO1M8801_RTRMADP_3_FIGURE-SKATING.JPG

http://up.gc-img.net/post_img/2016/10/wmyfuY2xhs8qrRA_I7N1B_1074.jpeg

https://i1.wp.com/trend-geino.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/5d9a082e30d314f4fec6cc9499beb12d.jpg

http://tk.ismcdn.jp/mwimgs/a/4/-/img_a473aa3bc6057179469519f29cb2595c441409.jpg

http://blog-imgs-83.fc2.com/b/a/r/barcarollefantasie/2321.jpg

https://blog-001.west.edge.storage-yahoo.jp/res/blog-aa-ae/kjnqp234/folder/986161/58/32286158/img_1

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VaDjyaDK33Q/maxresdefault.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FABvvxq.jpg

http://blog-imgs-102.fc2.com/b/a/r/barcarollefantasie/4142.jpg

http://blog-imgs-45-origin.fc2.com/m/o/m/momolunafever/1600xcos2012.jpg

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/g...d-prix-figure-skating-20121104-013214-807.jpg

http://oookayama-blog.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/f969c53adcc3c80668d6f68f638ace7a1.jpg

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/g...d-prix-figure-skating-20121104-013214-723.jpg

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/g...d-prix-figure-skating-20121104-013019-158.jpg
http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/g...d-prix-figure-skating-20121104-013214-723.jpg
http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/g...d-prix-figure-skating-20121104-013214-850.jpg

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/g...d-prix-figure-skating-20121104-013215-061.jpg
http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/g...d-prix-figure-skating-20121104-013214-807.jpg

https://lpt.c.yimg.jp/amd/20170402-00000023-dal-000-view.jpg

https://prtimes.jp/i/2631/14/origin/d2631-14-642030-0.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9Ds879UAAAcVw_.jpg:large

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWQ_ODXXAAAi88N.jpg:orig

http://blog-imgs-84.fc2.com/b/a/r/barcarollefantasie/2769.jpg

http://aya1.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_ad11e1482bf7ce1b214f5c9772bde609846361.jpg

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws...906103e67eea5b5623965d753196fccb4d1ee888f.jpg

https://blog-001.west.edge.storage-...34/folder/986161/79/31194079/img_6?1393235034

https://lpt.c.yimg.jp/amd/20170412-00000013-dal-000-view.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/26731040871_da75d67f57_o.jpg
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7627/26525142870_690ac26ba5_o.jpg

https://lpt.c.yimg.jp/amd/20170410-00000131-dal-000-view.jpg

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/tpl/system/osusume_multi/_img/20161013_RvIAcs.JPG

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws...b8d37791f1540c454da42feb363304bd0a9b6f1a7.jpg

http://s1.dmcdn.net/iff59.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b0/e8/99/b0e899ce337def147c8a2c8c25a61796.jpg
 
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Mao has just made a new commercial for airweave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5a3-BkPkEQ

Behind the scenes making of the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM0aLf9Wl0s

Mao looks lovely with her long hair and beautiful white dress.

Short interview with Mao: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ixZM2PXZFw

It appears this was part of the 10th anniversary of Mao promoting airweave and Mao appeared in a beautiful kimono in a ceremony to commemorate it. A new CM for airweave is supposed to be broadcast nationwide from June 20th. Of course my lack of knowledge of Japanese makes it hard to understand all this exactly.

Mao in a beautiful kimono: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFd_FyUOhb8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ecfZS4jf8

news article: http://www.excite.co.jp/News/entertainment_g/20170619/Mdpr_news1694776.html


Mao also has a new and charming commercial for Kirala which appears to be a smart way to serve filtered or sparkling water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C62400OVrMY

Making of the commercial with lovely footage of Mao: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNKycD91NXw
 
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gotoschool said:
Here is the most recent photo of Mao from April 24th from a recent CM appearance in Nagoya. The article also says that Mao was awarded a Aichi Prefecture People's Honor Award.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/1812705.html

https://postimg.org/image/krpfq4hjn/
Click to expand...

Some updates about the Aichi Prefecture award (and in relation to The ICE):
http://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/hisho/kenmineyohyosho.html

The formal announcement states that the award ceremony will be held on Aug 4, at around 13:50 in Nagoya. More precisely, it will be held during the Intermission of 'The ICE' performance at Nagoya on that day. Mao will be awarded with certificate and souvenirs.

(:cheer2: I didn't realise this but it happens that I got the ticket to the show on Aug 4 (!) Such an honor that I'll be able to watch Mao receiving the award on ice)

There hadn't been much updates about The Ice otherwise. It seems Mao hasn't been devoting much effort promoting The ICE during the early summer, at least she wasn't on any TV show nor in any radio talk to do any PR for it. Now the official ticket selling dates (for both Osaka and Nagoya shows) have passed, and finally there are some activities on Mao's side. But still these recent activities are not directly related to The ICE.

So the only news I caught are:
- for once 'Chukyo'-san on twitter made a tweet about 'The ICE' (well, actually the original person in charge of the account got 'retired' and someone else is in charge of the account right now. But the new person hardly tweet anything about the show so far this summer. So the original tweeter once borrowed the account): it says that the song selections for 'The ICE' programmes have been done, and the songs selected are wonderful and for sure it's going to be a special show and memorable one this summer!
- (this is actually a side news, not confirmed!) some reporter was interviewing Kozuka in a ice rink at Nagoya, for an entry in a magazine. The reporter says they were doing some photo shooting of Kozuka's practice on ice. But later on for the practice, Mao showed up in the same rink. The reporter says she saw Mao and Koz practice together 'in sync' and it seemed like they were practicing some new program. So the rumour on twitter is that they may be preparing a program to skate together.
 
Counting the days until we see Mao skate again.

That Kirala water commercial is absolutely adorable, @gotoschool! No wonder her sponsors are not abandoning her. Even when she's not moving she's adorable.

Also, thank you posting for the Madame Butterfly pic below. I love this photo of Mao's expressive, flexible back. I wanted to post it myself a while ago but couldnt find it. I should have asked you!
https://etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/148383587053.
 
I can't believe these videos were posted because I have never seen these performances in full HD or even 720 before, but it just goes to show that far more HD and 4K videos of Mao's performances are available upon her retirement than ever before. My view is that Mao's skating transcends the scoring system and often renders evaluation base and meaningless, like trying to quantify and assign an empirical value to something that inspires the soul and emotions so deeply and suspends the worries and hardships of life for a moment with a great well spring of aesthetic beauty that floods the senses to overflowing. But for me there is always the other part that makes it so bittersweet. My firm belief based on what I have seen and read that she was targeted for underscoring with a federation (along with the IOC and ISU) that harmed her much more than they ever helped. The following are just a couple of examples: the removal of Mao's most watched Sochi LP video by the IOC, though all 3 of her most watched videos have now been removed. In my view, it was done to make the deflated scores fall in line with fabricated and "deflated" view counts when more favored others videos are left untouched, or the terrible behavior of the former Japanese prime minister who publicly humiliated Mao despite doing nothing to prevent her from having to train in terrible conditions in a bone chilling cold and sandy rink at high elevation with little oxygen in Armenia before the Sochi individual event with her team's urget requests to train in Japan or Russia denied. Or the jerk who yelled at the top of his lungs for Mao to fall in the Worlds 2009 LP, so loudly it could clearly be heard over the music, just seconds before her second triple axel with no recourse to justice. I feel I need to mention these and other injustices which I do much more so on youtube so they are not thrown down the memory hole and forgotten, so that injustice isn't allowed to fossilize through time, especially when Mao has given me so many beautiful memories in skating that with the extra pressure and disadvantages she had to endure transformed many of her performances into priceless diamonds. These are just just a couple of examples in addition to chronic underscoring and devaulation of Mao's many great qualities. These are just feelings that arise spontaeously when seeing such treasured performances for the first time in HD.

Nationals 2006 Czardas 1080: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgtKC7zY8UU with no commentary simulating even more the feeling of being there to see it live

Nationals 2005 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8839BW5awA8

Nationals SP 2004 Over the Rainbow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zkiOMFu6JY

Nationals 2007 SP Fantasia for Violin and Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNZC2tZjx1o

Nationals 2006 Czardas 1080: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgtKC7zY8UU with no commentary simulating even more the feeling of being there to see it live

Nationals 2005 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8839BW5awA8

Nationals SP 2004 Over the Rainbow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zkiOMFu6JY

Nationals 2007 SP Fantasia for Violin and Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNZC2tZjx1o
 
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Here is an outstanding copy of Mao's Madame Butterfly at Worlds 2016 with great sound as well that was just posted. To my mind, this transcendent performance is a great example of making the actual scoring evaluation irrelevant and contradictory to the legendary excellence that is delivered on the ice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jTc9UtblBU

Here is a dramatic and captivating photo of Mao in her Ritual Fire Dance LP:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/6d/00/776d00d41517a73ac003aa47c37a6172.jpg

And a beautiful magazine cover from Ritual Fire Dance LP: https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20170703/21/white-mimi/f2/e4/j/o1438204813974543018.jpg?caw=800
 
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