CLAMP Picture Book Collaboration Unveils a Majestic Yuzuru Hanyu
Figure skating GOAT Yuzuru Hanyu comes to life as a CLAMP character in picture book collaboration.
In celebration of Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu’s successful Tokyo Dome solo show, CLAMP has shared a sneak peek of their picture book collaboration.
CLAMP, the creative brains behind beloved works like Cardcaptor Sakura and xxxHolic, revealed two visuals for their upcoming picture book collaboration with figure skating GOAT Yuzuru Hanyu. The first takes inspiration from Hanyu’s beginning costume when he emerged with a phoenix costume, complete with fiery wings. Glassy, transparent wings sprout out from his back, set upon a pocket watch. Floating above him is an adorable sprite-like creature with pink hair. In a separate Tweet, CLAMP revealed another image of the sprite, this time with ice-blue hair. With the mushroom haircut and a pout glued on his face, it’s highly reminiscent of Hanyu when he was a child.
Double Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion Yuzuru Hanyu announced he would step away from competitive skating and turn to professional skating on July 2022 after competing in his third Olympic Winter Games in 2022. He held his first professional skating show, entitled “Prologue,” from November to December 2022. At the end of his final show, he announced his next show at Tokyo Dome, called “GIFT” on Feb. 26, 2023, which would be live-streamed for his international fans.
On Feb. 26, Hanyu opened up with a phoenix performance before skating shortened versions of his 2017 free skate program “Hope & Legacy,” 2022 short program “Ballade No. 1” and 2018 short program “Otoñal.” After his skate got stuck in a hole at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, resulting in an aborted attempt at his quadruple salchow, Hanyu was finally able to skate the short program “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso,” to its fullest potential. He continued skating, performing his 2016 short program “Let’s Go Crazy,” 2020’s short “Let Me Entertain You,” 2014’s free program “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Ashura-chan,” “Itsuka owaru yume,” 2016’s gala program “Notte Stellata” and 2018’s gala program “Haru yo, koi” and 2022’s free program “Seimei.” He also surprised fans by skating to Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away‘s “One Summer’s Day.”
The picture book releases in Japan on September 1.
Source: Twitter
