His movements look even smoother and more intentional than before, the choreo is more intricate and musical, his spins have improved...! He's really matured as a skater! I'm very happy to see him again and hope he can stay healthy for a long time!
Looking good on his first International competition after injury time-off. Yuma has an incredible buttery smooth skating skill; effortless change of edges and direction, super glide. Looking forward to his performances. Thank you for the upload.
He did two outstanding performances at the 2023 NHK Trophy last week; beat Shoma Uno, and scored his Season's Best. And the knowledgeable audience gave him a huge ovation. I also hopes he stays injury-free.😊
I saw him do this program last year at Japan Nationals. It feels very much like something Nathan Chen would do (think Nemesis with its edgy music, driving beat, and sharp, fast, angular moves), especially the choreographic sequence near the end. That's probably because Shae-Lynne Bourne did the choreography. I love her work. She's such a fantastic choreographer for men. I know he's coming back from injury, but if Kagiyama can infuse more attitude into this, it will be a strong program.
Agreed, I feel like it's just missing a few beats of choreo to become a really thrilling program. Musically, the starts of the choruses are so strong that I really want there to be some sort of big movement to go along with them (like an Ina Bauer or that cool kickflip move Nathan does). I'm really interested to see how this program grows over the course of the season
@@harryfranklin1263 The kickflip would be awesome. This has the potential to be the strongest men's SP of the season. I think Ilia is doing a modern version of Malaguena for his SP. He's competing at the Autumn Classic next weekend. I'll have to see how it matches up.
I'm pleasantly surprised at how much improved his skating is! The jerky waterbug-like movements are gone, and he's overcome his initial awkwardness. I can't wait to see more!
