Figure Skating GOAT Yuzuru Hanyu Gifts Fans Picture Book Collaboration with CLAMP
Acknowledged as the GOAT, or Greatest of All Time, of figure skating, Yuzuru Hanyu has announced a collaboration with CLAMP for his upcoming ice show “GIFT.”
According to the official Twitter account for “GIFT,” Hanyu reached out to the artists of CLAMP to draw the illustrations for the picture book tie-in with his solo ice show. This collaboration is the stuff of dreams for many of Hanyu’s fans as several have commented on how similar the figure skater’s proportions are to CLAMP’s characters as both possess a slender and long frame. As translated by Anime News Network, Hanyu said “This time, I have created the story of ‘Gift’ by envisioning many different things. In my imagination, there is also a picture book story called ‘Gift,’ and I wanted CLAMP to bring it to life.” CLAMP said they were, at first, surprised when he reached out. “We want to help deliver another ‘Gift’ conceived by Mr. Hanyu to everyone through this picture book, which is different from the unprecedented ‘Gift’ performance.”
Hanyu is widely regarded to be the greatest figure skater in history for his accomplishments and how he pushed the technical and artistic elements of the sport. His skating career began at the age of four after watching his sister skate. He trained in Japan with Nanami Abe where he won gold at the 2010 World Junior Championships and earned a bronze medal at his first senior World Championship in 2012. After changing coaches to Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson and moving to Canada, Hanyu won his first national title in 2012. Two years later, he broke the world record for the short program at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and won gold despite falling twice in his free program. He became a two-time Olympic Champion in 2018 at Pyeongchang, skating “Ballade No. 1,” which broke an Olympic record, and “Seimei.”
While Hanyu has broken the world record 19 times in his career, his accomplishments include being the first figure skater to successfully land a quadruple loop, the first men’s singles skater from Asia to win multiple World Championships (2014 and 2017) and the first to attempt a quadruple axel on Olympic ice, during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics — a never-before-landed jump that requires a forward take-off with 4.5 rotations. The figure skater has been lauded for his transitions into and out of jumps, technical prowess and emotionally mature artistry.
After competing at his third Olympics, Hanyu announced he would step away from competitive skating and turn professional. He produced his first ice show “Prologue” in November 2022 and announced a second solo ice show “Gift,” to be held at Tokyo Dome, a venue with a maximum total capacity of 57,000. Sales for general tickets are currently sold out.
“Gift” will take place at Tokyo Dome on Feb. 26, 2023. Live viewings of the ice show are available on Disney+ Japan, Hulu Japan and in various cinemas.
Source: Twitter, Anime News Network
