Mao news - as we head into the 2009-10 season

Thanks to Okami for her translations!! Greatly appreciated! It's great to know that Mao is having greater confidence and stamina than before.

polosatik wrote:

I wasn't sure where to put it, but it seems like in this show Yu-na and korean comedians talked about Mao for a minute (since 5:05)
, can someone translate it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E860F6JZMZ8

Holy cow! Seriously, if this video weren't labeled, I never would've been able to guess from the pics that it was Yu-Na Kim! She looks so different!

Gahh, this is when I wish my Korean were better! I can understand part of what they're saying, and they subtitle most of what she says, so I can look up the words I don't know, but it takes so friggin' long for me to type in Korean...

Ok, so this is what I gathered from the first part of the clip about Mao, before I gave up. (Take this with a grain of salt, because my Korean is pretty basic. )

1) They ask her if she thinks she is well known in Japan, and she says she thinks that everyone who knows Mao Asada knows of her. (Yeah, I'd say that's probably true.)
2) They ask her if she's acquainted with Mao Asada, and she says yes; if they go to the same competitions they say things like "Annyoung~ [Hi!]", and things of that nature, but that's about it.
3) They ask her if she prefers to skate ahead (ie before) Mao Asada - but this sounds like asking if she prefers to be "on top" Mao, which is why they cracked up in the middle. Yu-Na says she prefers to skate before Mao, because even if she's outside and not watching the monitors, she can still hear the crowd's reaction, and that makes her a little nervous.

...and then I gave up. I didn't hear anything negative about Mao in that part!

I have to say that this is quite funny for me though - I've seen these comedians/actors on comedy shows and TV dramas, and it's weird to see them collide with another great interest of mine - figure skating.

That being said, I'm tired of talking about Yu-Na! Back to MAO-CHAN!!!!

Okami wrote:

Mao's eventual goal is to win a gold medal in Vancouver, but there are still other things to accomplish before that.

Actually, what Mao said is, "Winning the gold medal in Vancouver is the goal that is closest in time to now, and I'm training for that, but that's not my final goal, so even after that, there are still many, many things that I think I can do, so I can't see the rest of my goals [ie, there are so many things she can do that she can't determine all her goals just yet]"

When I heard this, I was really excited!!! That's my girl!!! The one who's always, always pushing herself, challenging herself, evolving, getting better and better! Even if she gets a gold next year (which I totally expect), she wants to do more!

I've always believed that Mao's not just chasing gold medals, she's chasing history!! I think she wants to be the best skater ever, and my, do I feel privileged to be able to watch her try!

At the end, the guy says he called Mao, "Mao-chan" by mistake [which is a little too informal for an interview], but it was because she's such a personable person! Aww!

snowdrops24 wrote:

New interviews of Mao are uploaded on YT:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXAt3SVkksc
(Did Mao confirm in this interview that she is going to put a 3A combo in her SP next season?)

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2OcxEDUV0A

Ok, I can't remember what Mao said in the first interview; will go back and check later...

Mao's wearing the same outfit in both interviews!! Poor baby, she probably had to do a whole bunch back-to-back!! Well, I guess she's used to it now... I hope she can get rested up before she goes to Russia!

[Hehe, I'm copying Okami with the arrows! ] In the second clip, at around 1:50, Mao is talking about the triple axel and how she has confidence in it now and think it will be an important part for her programs next year, and then she says, "at the very least, I want to be good friends with the triple axel!" Her phrasing just made me !

Mai says: "Mao practices harder and works harder than anyone else, and it's hard to always be #1, and she's always facing the competitions with such heavy pressure, and I think, 'Amazing!'"

Around 3:20 - the clip shows 15-year old Mao describing how she thinks she'll be in 4 years, and she says, "I think I'll be kind of like an old lady." Then she says, "in four years time, I think I'll be doing no-mistake performances in every competition." When I saw that, I thought, wow, Mao really has grown up so much!

Her words at the end were really good, and when she was talking, I felt like I could see a little bit of that 15-year old Mao shining through:
5:10 - "Without forgetting the old me, without forgetting that feeling of 'I love skating,' I won't think it's fun, but, if I can relax, and not think about the competition too much, it still won't be 'fun,' but it would be good if I can face the competitions with an excited feeling!"
[This is hard to translate because Mao keeps saying something like, "then it will be fun - NOT!", so she's kind of joking around, but it doesn't work in English so well...]

At any rate, I really do hope she remembers that 15-year old self who used to be so excited to be at the competitions. I know I said I thought I glimpsed that girl when Mao was celebrating on the ice after the FS. I hope she rediscovered that feeling, that love of skating, and saw anew that if she just relaxes and lets herself be excited instead of nervous (even if it's not fun), she can do supremely well! Go Mao!

thanks for all those translation guys

Thank you for those translations, Batsuchan!
I am really glad to hear that Mao still has many dreams after Olympic. Olympic is important, but it should not be the whole part of one's life. I hope that Mao could stay even if she wins next year. I think that Mao has many many potentials in expression to be dig out.

tianrushui wrote:

Thank you for those translations, Batsuchan!
I am really glad to hear that Mao still has many dreams after Olympic. Olympic is important, but it should not be the whole part of one's life. I hope that Mao could stay even if she wins next year. I think that Mao has many many potentials in expression to be dig out.

Oh I definitely think Mao is staying after 2010 Olympics, and heck, she might even stay after 2014 Olympics!! I mean, if Midori Ito is still doing triple axels at 40...

Here's to a happy, HEALTHY and LONG career for Mao!! !

Batsuchan wrote:

Her words at the end were really good, and when she was talking, I felt like I could see a little bit of that 15-year old Mao shining through:
5:10 - "Without forgetting the old me, without forgetting that feeling of 'I love skating,' I won't think it's fun, but, if I can relax, and not think about the competition too much, it still won't be 'fun,' but it would be good if I can face the competitions with an excited feeling!"
[This is hard to translate because Mao keeps saying something like, "then it will be fun - NOT!", so she's kind of joking around, but it doesn't work in English so well...]

I totally agree Batsuchan!! Mao's smile at the end of the FS at WTT totally MADE MY DAY!!! Yes, it was a glimpse to the 15-year-old girl who smiled with such joy after her performances in competitions. I often missed that spark in her this season because I felt that she seemed to be shouldering such heavy loads on her shoulders as she skate.

I can't say this enough but I really hope that Mao can skate her heart out next season in competitions. Not necessarily landing all her elements (i'm sure she'll rock it though) but just to feel again the sheer joy of being able to skate and know that she is loved by who she is, not by what she had achieved.

Another interview of Mao (I find this one more entertaining than the ones before ):

Mao Asada x Syo Sakurai Interview (浅田真央 X 桜井翔)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WajlU-KNWSU

Errr... this is the - what - third interview of Mao wearing the same clothes... which means she might have gone to THREE interviews in a row on one day. Tightly packed schedule! Guess, people all want a slice of her before she hops on plane to Russia next month. Since I began following Mao's news, I often find myself watching japanese interview clips without understanding a single word of it .

Mao said that she goes to Karaoke with Mai and TAKAchan!!!!!!

Another new one again...

(something to do with TAT's advice for Mao to fall in love)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxcL1BGr64o

Mao is wearing the same clothes again. Goodness, how MANY interviews did she had in one day?

Enjoy!

snowdrops24 wrote:

Since I began following Mao's news, I often find myself watching japanese interview clips without understanding a single word of it .

LOL! I can relate to that!

getmewild wrote:

snowdrops24 wrote:

Since I began following Mao's news, I often find myself watching japanese interview clips without understanding a single word of it .

LOL! I can relate to that!

samething for me ! And my father often ask me why I listen to something I don't understand..... and I answer him that I like it! I don't think he understands yet why I loose my time doing that hahaha

snowdrops24 wrote:

Another interview of Mao (I find this one more entertaining than the ones before ):

Mao Asada x Syo Sakurai Interview (浅田真央 X 桜井翔)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WajlU-KNWSU

...Since I began following Mao's news, I often find myself watching japanese interview clips without understanding a single word of it .

Mao said that she goes to Karaoke with Mai and TAKAchan!!!!!!

Well, I am amused and pleased to know that you guys find it amusing to watch Mao in interviews even when you can't understand Japanese!

I agree with you snowdrops24, this one was pretty amusing, and you are totally right, Mao said that she goes to karaoke with Mai and Taka-chan!!! At 6:30, she said "We practice at the same rink, so when we have free time, like at night, after practice, we'll be like, "shall we go [karaoke]?"

Sho asks if the karaoke workers are surprised to see the three of them, but Mao says no.

Other interesting things:

Mao said that the thing she most wants to do now is go shopping.

About Worlds, Mao said that afterwards, she realized that she became very hard/stiff in the practices from before Worlds in Japan.

I guess she was feeling really nervous/feeling the pressure, but even she didn't realize it...wow...

3:20: About Yu-Na's score at Worlds, Mao said, "I thought, 'Amazing~!', but there were many elements that I didn't do well, and I found many issues/problems, so my desire to do my best to fix them became strong again."

The most hilarious part was at 7:00:
Sho: "This is completely off-topic, but there are 5 of us in Arashi [J-pop group] - this is just hypothetically speaking, but which member do you like best?"
Mao: Ehh? Um, I'm really in a bind/trouble...well, not in trouble, but ~no~! [that was so cute, she's like, "I don't want to answer" ]
Sho: [interjects] Just imagine I'm not here...
Mao: That is...it's difficult.
Sho: Yeah, I guess that's true. I am in Arashi after all.



About the Olympics, Mao said she wins because she gives her best performance, then she feels very satisfied, so at the Olympics, winning is one of her goals, but she just wants to do everything that she can do.

At the end of the program, Sho said that Mao's smile made a strong impression on him. He also says that he felt the strength of Mao's heart. About Mao, he says, "After the competition, the thing she considers first is not the numbers, not her score, not what her rivals did, but whether or not she did a performance that she can be satisfied with. It *might* be a sign that she has the confidence that if she can do a performance she's satisfied with, then the scores/result will naturally follow."

And shockingly, I think he's got it completely right!!

You could tell from the comment she made in response to the question about Yu-Na - Mao doesn't care what everyone else does!! She doesn't let them bother or worry her; she's only focused on herself - finding the issues she needs to work on, fixing them, and delivering her very best performance.

That's what consistently impresses me about Mao - she doesn't just want to win, she wants to be her best. And I do believe (thanks to the World Team Trophy for restoring my faith) that if Mao Asada does do her best, does deliver a performance she is satisfied with, then she WILL win!!

Random final comment: so last year, Mao was on that food quiz show with Jun Matsumoto, another member of Arashi, and this year she did an interview with Sho Sakurai - next year is she going to get interviewed by another Arashi member?!

snowdrops24 wrote:

Another new one again...

(something to do with TAT's advice for Mao to fall in love)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxcL1BGr64o
Mao is wearing the same clothes again. Goodness, how MANY interviews did she had in one day?

Enjoy!

Seriously! Poor Mao!! Sooo many interviews!! [Ok, well I guess I'm not complaining THAT much...]

Around 1:50 she was talking about wanting to go shopping again, and the interview was like, don't people recognize you and say "It's Mao-chan~!," and Mao said "yes" and laughed, and then he asked if they ask for autographs, and Mao said yes.

The interview then asks her, "On the inside, [i.e. mentally/emotionally] what do you want to experience now that you're a college student?"
Mao: Experience?...on the inside...? Ah, are you talking about love? No, no, no, is it that strange of an answer?

Mao then mentions again that TAT told her to fall in love.
At 2:55, she says, "I was told by Coach Tarasova to fall in love, but I'm not in love" [But the way she said it sound like, "I'm in love--not," which is why she has that funny/joking look on her face.] She says that she doesn't have the opportunity to meet people.

WELLL, I have to say a little disappointed by that admission. I was kinda hoping it would be like previous interviews, where she was like, "Will I fall in love? Hmm, I wonder.."

Then I could at least imagine that she and ~Taka-chan~ are dating. But, at any rate, even if they are just good friends, I still think they are super cute together!

And pardon me for being so silly (and I apologize if I offend anyone ), but *I* do think this could turn out like the manga [Japanese graphic novels] or TV or movies, where the guy and girl are childhood friends, and are still really close when they grow up, and neither of them thinks anything of it...until the girl starts dating someone, and the guy realizes he's been in love with her all along...etc, etc... But that's just my silly thought...

Thank you for the translation, Batsuchan!!

I'm rendered speechless... Here's the nth interview Mao had on the same day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO3YfbuJDoU (aired on 29 May)

I love the interview!!!! This is the interview that I've been waiting for: one that talks about Mao's relationship with TAT!!! V. short but still...

I think there's a part when Mao says TAT's hugs are v. comfortable (?)

Enjoy, all people who speak/not speak Japanese~~I love watching the interviews because Mao's smile is contagious and sometimes, some Japanese words have a similar pronunciation with English words...if I'm fortunate enough, I may understand one or two sentences.

snowdrops24 wrote:

Thank you for the translation, Batsuchan!!

I'm rendered speechless... Here's the nth interview Mao had on the same day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO3YfbuJDoU (aired on 29 May)

I love the interview!!!! This is the interview that I've been waiting for: one that talks about Mao's relationship with TAT!!! V. short but still...

I think there's a part when Mao says TAT's hugs are v. comfortable (?)

OMG! She really just spent the whole day doing interviews, didn't she?!

This one was short, but it was pretty nice because Mao seems to be very comfortable around Honda-san.

She looks so young in those clips from when she was practicing in Russia with TAT last year (1:09 or so) - she really looks super baby-faced!

Here's some translations:

1:20
Honda: What did you learn from Coach Tarasova?
Mao: I saw a lot of things, I practiced all kinds of new things; not only my programs, but also my jumps improved. And in my program, I think she brought out another side of me, so I felt like many things changed.

1:52
Mao: When we meet, she hugs me a lot. [I love how Mao's eyes sparkle as she's talking about this. ]
Honda: First, she hugs you..
Mao: She hugs me *tight* with her large body.
Honda: How does that feel to be hugged with that large body? [This sounds kinda bad in English but it seems perfectly nice in Japanese.. ]
Mao: It really feels good!!! (laughs) [Oh that was so cute! ]
Mao: Yeah, it really feels good! It is - a kind of pleasantness that I've never tasted before. (laughs)
Honda: Really?
Mao: It's very soft! (laughs)

All I can say is and

2:34
(Heading into the Vancouver Olympics)
Mao: Now I have Sensei (Coach Tarasova), so I can really feel calm/relieved, and everyday while I have lessons, I absorb many things from her, and I think I can [continue to] improve.

It seems like the Mao/TAT bond is stronger than ever, and that just warms my heart!

Thanks,snowdrop24 and Batsuchan
This interview is so warm^^
Sometimes, I could guess what they are talking by the subtitles. Some words in Japanese are almost the same with Chinese words. But most times, I just watch without understanding anything. But even so, I always smile while watching mao's interview coz she is so cute^^
And thanks to this forum, the translations and information here help me better understand Mao^^

Batsuchan wrote:

It seems like the Mao/TAT bond is stronger than ever, and that just warms my heart!

Time to recall all the empty blabber about how Mao will leave TAT after TAT didn't come to 4CC.

Also special greetings to a journalist Gallaher with his lack of training time as the reason for Mao's placement at the Worlds and consecutive Morozov advertisement.

Thanks a lot for all your translations, Batsuchan!

Ok, here's yet *another* interview - or rather, I guess it's a different version of the Chukkyo figure interview Mao gave where she talked about TAT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6aaHleeQcI&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fskating.livedoor.biz%2Farchives%2F51215388.html&feature=player_embedded

This one has Mai in it also - and they talk about love!

Here's some translations:

0:30
Honda announcer: It's the off-season now, isn't it?
Mao: Yes.
Honda: Is there anything you'd like to do in the city?
Mao: Yes!
Honda: Oh?!
Mao: Shopping! (laughs) I can't go by myself, so I always have Mai come with me.
Mai: Mao can never decide. So I push her -
Honda: Like, "this matches you" - that kind of thing?
Mai: Probably, she wants me to say, "Isn't that good? It matches you."
Honda: You're the type who likes to be praised/encouraged?
Mao: Yes! That's exactly right!!

1:10
Honda: Recently, do you talk about love?
Mai: Well, we're always, always talking about love. It's a topic we get very excited about.
Mao: It's more like, SHE's always talking about love.
Honda: What about you, Mao? Is there someone you like?
Mao: Me? No one.
Honda: No? Are you saving that for later?
Mao: No, that's not it, but I still haven't had a chance to meet someone.
Honda: Then, you just listen to Mai's stories, and that's it?
Mao: Yes, that's right, that's exactly right. But I give Mai all kinds of advice.
Mai: I get all kinds of advice from her.

Again, I'm sorta crushed! Is there no hope for Taka-chan?! We shall see. I think it's hilarious that Mao gives Mai advice!

[Side comment - Mao almost never talks in third person (uses "Mao" when talking about herself) anymore, but when she's with Mai, both of them do that - like Mao says "Mao wants to go shopping" and Mai says "Mai tells her it looks good." In her other interviews, she doesn't Mao doesn't use "watashi" = I, me, but sometimes she uses "jibun" = myself/sort of like "me." Interesting. Maybe it's because that's a Nagoya-way of speaking, and the interview is for a local TV station? ]

2:23
Honda: The existence of Yu-Na Kim - how do you view that?
Mao: Because Yu-Na Kim is there, she's a really good rival, and there are many places where I can grow, and she's a stimulus to practice, so I think it's good.

See? Here again - it's like Mao is not concerned about Yu-Na at all. She just cares about getting better, and Yu-Na is a good motivation to do that!

3:04
Honda: It really seems that Coach Tarasova loves you. Do you ever think, "Wow, my coach really loves me?"
Mao: Yes, I do! When we meet, she hugs me a lot.
[And from here, it's the same as the other interview.]
Honda: First, she hugs you..
Mao: She hugs me *tight* with her large body.
Honda: How does that feel to be hugged with that large body?
Mao: It really feels good!!! (laughs)
Mao: Yeah, it really feels good! It is - a kind of pleasantness that I've never tasted before. (laughs)
Honda: Really?
Mao: It's very soft! (laughs)

4:09
Honda: Next season, the Olympics are coming...(what are your thoughts about the Olympic year)?
Mao: Next season, I'll make all kinds of programs, new programs; depending on the practice I do in the off-season, and the things that I discover in the competitions next season, from that, I'd like to decide.

4:28
Mao: Next season is the Olympic season, yes, but I will try to give my best performance, so please continue to cheer for me.

At the end, they say that she only has two weeks of off-time. Which means she's going to Russia next week I guess! GOOO Mao!!

Thanks! Its nice to see the Chukkyo Figure! clips return to YT...it feels like it has been a while since it was last uploaded - which is a shame, since it airs almost every week and is a good source of news regarding all Japanese skaters, Mao included.

Batsuchan, your translations of Mao's interviews are great!! I'm in the middle of v. hectic schedule. It's always refreshing to read something new about Mao now and then - which brings me to the daunting thought: this summer is going to be looooooong off-season and I probably won't know what Mao's programs look like until late summer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sxq42BaEvA I'm not sure was it posted or not, because so many interviews in the same clothers This one with english subtitles! It's great that TAT gives her advices about life!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B44G1vOr9Q
Is this a new interview...again!!!??
What does she say about her nails !?!?!

wow so much interviews

and that is new.

MORE MORE MORE INTERVIEWS!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2OcxEDUV0A&feature=related

Somebody translated it, so credits to him/her on the comment page.
Mao talks about future hopes at age 13: Win the gold medal at the olympics and travel around the world.

Mao talks about how she thinks she'll be doing 4 years later at age 15: I'll be much older I guess, and I'll probably be in more competitons, hopefully skating without any mistakes.

2nd question:Comments on this season's program?
Mao:Jumping 3As twice was, I think the biggest challenge, but since I was able to attempt this in many competitons, I believe the experience will be linked to next season. 3As are the biggest highlights in my programs, like a 'tallest tree', so I'd like to go on being in good terms with my 3As.


3rd question to Mai:What do you think about Mao?
Mai:She really practices more than anybody, everyday. She puts in alot of effort. It's definitely hard to win every time, so I think she is under alot of pressure at competitions. I admire her for dealing with all that.

4th question: How have you changed after entering university?
Mao: I've already attended some classes, so I've finally started to feel I'm a university student now. I'm also allowed to wear make-up and nail polish now, so I'm having more fun in my daily life. (In Japan, many high-schools don't allow you to wear make-up or perm your hair etc.)