All Time Favorite Figure Skaters

[Mister Obvious]

Of course, if Yuzuru didn't exist, Evgeni Plushenko WOULD be the greatest figure skater of the modern era...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeni_Plushenko



Like I said, he was SUPER popular back in the day when my man Joubert was trying to be the best in the world so, lol... I was biased against him.

Now I can appreciate him a bit more, but I still largely feel the same way I felt about him 20 years ago.



He looks super intimidating, but he's also gorgeous.

[Mister Obvious]

Come on. He's so hot. Of course he was gonna be my favorite.



Bro could work up a crowd.

2:00 I'm surprised chicks weren't throwing their panties on the ice, the energy is pure sex.

[Mister Obvious]

1:41 he really is like Prince on ice, the figure skating equivalent of the Purple One!!!

How delightful. They are absolutely comparable in their drive, focus, showmanship.

I bet Prince would have been a killer figure skater, AND THE OUTFITS!!!

He always wore blousy outfits with all the ruffles and he wore glitter and sequins.



0:47 lookit, he even does the spins. WOW. I never made this connection before!!!



He would have had epic footwork on the ice.

Comment from Reddit...

Yuzuru truly embodies the phrase "be like water".

You want him to be rough? Got it. Soft and vulnerable? Yup. Masculine? He's right there. Feminine? He's got that too.

Absolutely amazing, one of a kind artist and athlete. I'm so glad I found out about figure skating and Yuzuru Hanyu as well.

Why the fuck does it look like something I wrote? Lol.

[Mister Obvious]

8:00 seems like Yuzuru be thinkin' all deep 'n shit. After a lifetime of thinking too hard, I must say, I am not sure I recommend it.

21:55 this guy is definitely not looking in the mirror every day and basking in being the greatest figure skater who ever lived. I can see that now. Even though he should be, if you ask me. He's clearly way too driven and too much of a people-pleaser to let himself enjoy the victory.

I saw a more recent interview with him that I can't find on YouTube, he seemed happier and more peaceful about everything. But he still said some super philosophical and low key concerning shit that makes me think he's always basically gonna feel the same way deep down inside.

I guess his satisfaction with life ebbs and flows the same way everybody else's does.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025...-interview

"The world feels so unstable right now, and I feel like we should all be asking ourselves life's big question: Why am I here?"

"That said, I haven't figured out life yet. I've had days when I wanted to die, and days I've wanted nothing more than to live and skate in front of a crowd. Sometimes I think my purpose in life is to be useful, by skating and making other people happy. How I view and approach life keeps changing. But that's what makes me flexible and open-minded."

https://www.tumblr.com/yuzurujenn/770858...l-pamphlet

Echoes of Life Official Pamphlet Interview - December 7, 2024

Q: How did the theme and concept of "Echoes of Life" come about?
A: At first, I roughly thought of using philosophy as the theme. Later, when thinking about what kind of story to tell, I came up with around seven potential ideas in my mind. After filtering them, I ultimately settled on philosophy.

Q: What books did you read?
A: The books that influenced me the most this time were "The Trouble with Being Born" (by Emil Cioran) and "Underwater Philosophers" (by Rei Nagai). I combined the philosophy of life I learned in university with questions I’ve been pondering since young, like "What is life?" and "What am I?" Through this process, I realized that I needed to study more to fully grasp it, so I revisited philosophy more deeply and based the story on that knowledge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubl...orn_(book)

This is basically a nihilism book, published in the '70s. It was THE BOOK that sparked the whole anti-natalist convo that we see today.

"Life is literally a bunch of excrement."
https://www.sectual.com/thread-2565.html

I know I had more threads on antinatalism besides that one, but some asshole jerkoff who used to post here and engaged in those threads a lot ended up wanting his shit deleted cuz people at work found his online profiles and apparently he was some kind of whacked out pervert and decided he wanted to disappear from the internet...



Long story short, a lot of those discussions ended up getting deleted. That was in the early days of this forum, before I realized that every last word needed to be saved whether anybody fucking liked it or not.

Anyway my point is, I've been on this topic for years and I usually don't agree with those who hold anti-natalist views because they overstep the bounds and try to say that animals would be better off not existing as well. It's ironic because it exemplifies the ENTIRE problem with humanity, being so egotistical as to think they have any right to control the destiny of other animals.

I agree with some nihilistic viewpoints, but I don't agree with the cult of anti-natalism as it stands today.

Regardless, every nihilist has heard of "The Trouble with Being Born" and many people cite it as their introduction. I think it's interesting that Hanyu has been influenced by this book, considering Japan's declining birth rates. Japan ranks somewhere in the top 5 for the highest IQs by country. It makes me wonder if they haven't been exposed to some type of anti-natalist propaganda for several decades.

[Mister Obvious]

I like to study the most famous people of the modern era... well, the ones who stick out to me.

It can be hard to find insight into their philosophy and views on life because a lot of them don't share that kind of stuff, which is a shame.

I am intrigued by the fact that no amount of money or notoriety seems to able to bring people true happiness in the longterm.

All we are told do is work toward worldly success, make a bunch of money or we're failures. But what is the point of doing those things if basically everyone who has ever achieved "greatness" appears to be struggling with the exact same inner conflicts as everyone else at the end of the day??

We are brainwashed to chase the wrong things in life. I'm preaching to the choir, but it never ceases to amaze me.

The only point in pursuing ANYTHING has to be because it GENUINELY fulfills us. Whether it's totally self-serving, or it's done under the guise of "making other people happy" doesn't matter, I guess. As long as the result is the same... to achieve SOME level of fulfillment that we wouldn't otherwise have.

[Mister Obvious]

I like to study the most famous people of the modern era... well, the ones who stick out to me.

It can be hard to find insight into their philosophy and views on life because a lot of them don't share that kind of stuff, which is a shame.

It's especially hard with someone like Hanyu because he doesn't really speak English. Hopefully he'll expand his reach and start getting things translated right off the bat when he releases them.

Right now you have to depend on his international fan base to translate everything he shares.

I think this is the first non-English speaking subject that I have studied.

[Mister Obvious]

Humans... I generally hate them, but damn they can be so fascinating.

[Mister Obvious]

I'm addicted to analyzing these motherfuckers. I wish I could say I'm sorry for sinking so much time into what I've been told is pointless over and over again by people who hate me, not because they truly dislike me, but because I was never willing to sink that same amount of time/energy into them.

[Mister Obvious]

Am I just a fool to think I don't love humanity? Maybe so. Perhaps I just can't admit it to myself because it would make me feel weak and vulnerable.

[Mister Obvious]

Nah, pretty sure I hate 'em.

[Mister Obvious]

"The Trouble with Being Born"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubl...orn_(book)

This is basically a nihilism book, published in the '70s. It was THE BOOK that sparked the whole anti-natalist convo that we see today.

For context...



If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure Japanese culture is pretty open about death, right??

They're the ones who came up with Ikigai...

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being" or "a reason to get out of bed in the morning". It encompasses the idea of finding joy and purpose in life, often through activities that combine passion, talent, and contribution to the world. Essentially, it's about discovering what makes your life worth living.

"Japanese tend to accept that death is inevitable and don't spend hundreds of thousands of dollars prolonging a long and painful final chapter."
...
"In Shinto, dead people become gods and protect their descendants. In Buddhism, depending on the sect, they are reborn again with their karma. Or they become hotoke (a being more precious than a living person)."
...
" Generally speaking, I would take care with common beliefs and perceptions about Japan (and not only). I would also extend this caution to scholarship on Japan. Both are known for being colored by Orientalism and exoticism - which has also been homegrown (e.g. by the Japanese government and by Japanese intellectuals). Many scholars who look into Japan tend not to practice much skepticism, and to take certain ideas about 'Japaneseness' as granted."

So how much of what we've heard about "Japanese culture" is just straight up fucking bunk and total propaganda??

Probably a lot of it.

This is why I'm not too sure about blaming Hanyu's perspectives on him being Japanese. Lol.

I just dunno...

You'd think because he's so famous, he wouldn't say too much that goes against his own culture, what is widely accepted, what is civil, etc.

This is why I'm assuming his viewpoints here are likely something that Japan in general approves of.

Maybe I'm wrong though. No way to know, mostly due to the language barrier.

[Mister Obvious]

Q. "What kind of photo would you like to see displayed in this empty frame in the future?"

https://i.imgur.com/8X3ViCu.png

A. "Well I'm just going to say what popped into my head. I guess I'd like it to be a photo of me smiling beautifully when I die. I just feel like... when I pass away, if I wasn't smiling when I die, it would be kind of sad.

'I gave everything I had. I truly lived my life as Yuzuru Hanyu to the fullest.'

It'd be nice to have a photo that reflects that.

*laughs*

That's heavy."

From 13:54...

https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/c...e_olympics

The full video is only available on a Japanese streaming service. His fans translated it to English and posted it on Reddit, so who knows if it'll stay up.

Anyway, I dunno man, sounds like the dude is really into existentialism and themes of mortality. In another recent interview, they were saying that apparently he's taken to writing philosophy.

Bottom line, I'd love to read it but who knows when/if he'll make it available in English from the jump. Just gonna have to depend on the Cult of Yuzuru to post that shit and share it wide.

[Mister Obvious]

Without knowing what the Japanese are generally like, I can't assess whether or not this is normal.

If it really isn't all that common among the Japanese people to think and dwell on this kind of stuff, then I'm stoked to see what the hell this guy is gonna say in the future.

This is an exciting prospect for me, ESPECIALLY as it pertains to my interest in hearing the philosophical viewpoints of absurdly famous people. Like how they feel about life, death, existence... the journey they've taken here on this planet, their interactions with others through the lens of the fame that will never be an entity separate from them again.

How does it change them? Does it ruin their lives? How do they feel about human interaction and interpersonal relationships? Do they regret ever being so renown? Do they wish they'd have done something else? Have they EVER been TRULY fucking happy? Do they even remember life before everyone knew their name? How did it feel then vs. now? Do they miss it?

And Hanyu is WAY young. Usually this kind of reflection can only be done when someone is 60+, or at least toward the end of their life, how ever long that turned out to be.

But with him, we get the opportunity to see him come to conclusions throughout the years... if he doesn't hari kari himself. I'm not trying to be an insensitive dick or something, but it's hard not to consider the possibility after hearing some of the things he's said.

Maybe it's just a phase. But he doesn't act like it's a phase.

"Since childhood, I’ve wondered, What is life?" he shares. "By the time we're self-aware, we're already named, already living. My earliest memory is realizing I could blink voluntarily. Life feels intangible—we can't even prove our own existence. Precisely because it's so fleeting, I hope my performances spark moments to ponder life."

https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/c...tes_goethe

And just BTW, I fucking hate the fact that I have to post so many Reddit links when discussing this. It makes me cringe on a soul deep level, but fuck it. I mean, it's one of the ONLY places where people have provided translations... it's actually invaluable.

I didn't expect to be taking a deep dive into the philosophy of a figure skater this week, but here we are.

"I'm unusually excited about tomorrow. If I don't act responsibly today, tomorrow will hurt. Today's condition is yesterday's doing. In skating, you never know if you'll train tomorrow. I can't predict the future, but I'll cherish each day like these 30 years. I want future me to look back and say, I gave my all."

And does he actually even feel this way? Like, is it so popular in Japan to talk about this kind of subject matter that he's just following a current trend or something? I know that's an insidious assumption, but I have to consider that it's a possibility.

Realistically, he needs to keep making money, since he's done competing and his bread and butter is now "ice dancing shows", unless he can successfully kick off a career as what? A model? A philosopher?? Like... it's worth considering that he's pandering to an audience with this line of talk.

I mean, if this is what the Japanese are like, I need to move to Japan. I fucking LOVE talking about death!!!

[Mister Obvious]

I hate that I've just discovered this rabbit hole right now, I honestly don't have time for it.

But it's all I wanna do.

I'm straight up addicted to the overanalysis of people.

[Mister Obvious]

Yuzuru fucking Hanyu.

[Mister Obvious]

Yuma is gearing up for the Olympics man. Oh my God this was one glorious skate.

[Mister Obvious]

He's so freaking amazing and gorgeous. I mean look at him.

Sigh.

[Mister Obvious]

Looks like for men's it's gonna be between Ilia Malinin and Yuma Kagiyama at the 2026 Olympics.

Ilia is so flashy and over the top, he'll probably win if he doesn't have a disastrous fuckup. I like Yuma better though, just cuz of his personality and he's so cute.

It pisses me off that Ilia will probably win just because of sheer bias, "Quad God" blah blah. Whatever. Stupid over performative crap.

Yuma captures the true spirit of classic figure skating. He's the one who should win.

[Mister Obvious]

Yuma is like Prince height, he's a short bodacious lil snack of a man. I bet he could impregnate an entire village with just a hard stare...

https://i.imgur.com/aK1vMcX.jpeg

I'm not sure whether I wanna bang him or be him.

A lot of these skaters do be looking young as hell though, like Alexandra Trusova and Makar Ignatov are married and just had a baby...

https://i.imgur.com/kaIwXxB.png

They're both in their 20s, but they look 15. Wonder what's up with that. ALL the figure skaters look young. Cuz I mean, most of them are, but they almost always look younger than their age.

Too bad they be having babies so early and totally ruining their careers, but whatevs.

I mean, ESPECIALLY when you're an athlete like this, you're so much better off waiting til you're 30 to spit out some kids.

Cuz by then your career would be over anyways basically, you can take your injured ass and become a breeder without lamenting over ruining your body cuz it's already fucked up from too many quad axles anyways.

[Mister Obvious]

People getting married in their early 20s is insane.

Completely insane. ESPECIALLY if they have a decent amount of money anyways.

Like why the fuck would you EVER get married if you had money, first of all...

And especially why the fuck would you get married if you were a famous athlete (male or female) and could have your pick of literally anyone in the world you wanted, any day of the week, also male or female.

I just don't get it.