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Gift (ice show)

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This article is about the Japanese ice show Gift. For other uses, see Gift (disambiguation).
Gift
Official logo of Gift
Ice show typeSolo show
FormatOn-screen narration with live figure skating performances
ThemeYuzuru Hanyu's life and future on ice
Duration120 min
DateFebruary 26, 2023
CountryJapan
VenueTokyo Dome
Attendance35,000
Cinema live viewing
  • Japan
  • Hong Kong
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
StreamingDisney+, Globe Coding
BroadcastCS TV Asahi
ProducerYuzuru Hanyu (performer)
DirectorMikiko
Organizer
Sponsor
Websitegift-official.jp
Yuzuru Hanyu article series
Skating career
Other works
Solo ice shows
Ensemble ice shows

Gift (full title stylized as 'GIFT – Ice Story 2023') was a solo ice show by Japanese figure skater and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, organized by TV Asahi, CIC Co., Ltd., and Team Sirius. It was the first ice skating event at Tokyo Dome,[note 1] one of Japan's largest and most prestigious entertainment venues, held on February 26, 2023.

Preluded by Prologue in 2022, Gift was the first main chapter of the Yuzuru Hanyu Ice Story, a series of solo ice shows written, produced, and directed by Hanyu himself in collaboration with Japanese choreographer Mikiko. Gift tells the story of Hanyu's life and future on ice, combining elaborate on-screen narration with live skating performances by Hanyu. The show had a duration of 150 minutes and featured 12 programs performed at the athletic level of skating competitions, including a six-minute warm-up session followed by Hanyu's short program Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso from the 2022 Winter Olympics. His performances were accompanied by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the dance group Elevenplay, and a live band led by Satoshi Takebe.

The show was sold out with 35,000 spectators, a new audience record for ice shows. It was screened live at cinemas in Japan and overseas with 30,000 visitors in total, and streamed live on Disney+ in Japan and Globe Coding overseas. On July 14, 2023, a remastered version of the event was distributed on Disney+ worldwide. In addition to the ice show production, a picture book titled Gift with story by Hanyu and illustrations by the mangaka group Clamp was released in December 2023. On the first anniversary of the show, Gift was broadcast on the Japanese subscription channel CS TV Asahi. A DVD and Blu-ray of the show was released on August 20, 2024. The event was specially supported by Kosé's skin care brand Sekkisei and supported by Phiten, Tōwa Pharmaceutical, and Mitsui Fudosan.

Background

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Gift was Hanyu's second solo ice show, performed on February 26, 2023, at Tokyo Dome in Bunkyo, Tokyo.[1][2] The one-off event was again produced and directed by Hanyu in collaboration with choreographer Mikiko.[3] The duration was extended from 90 to 150 minutes with an additional 40-minute intermission, using more advanced technology than at the previous show Prologue.[4][5] According to Hanyu, Gift was designed with a narrative character, portraying his "life and future on ice".[6][7] The show was constructed as a "journey through the worlds of his personality" with focus on dreams and the motif of lonesomeness.[8] Hanyu expressed his hope that Gift could provide a "place to return to whenever people find themselves alone."[2] He further explained: "The story is the main subject, and my programs exist within the story with various meanings. The programs are like a picture book, where you can watch the skating as if you were coming to appreciate a story."[9][10]: 1  In addition to the show production, a picture book titled Gift was released on December 20, 2023, written by Hanyu with illustrations by the Japanese mangaka group Clamp who are internationally known for Card Captor Sakura among other works.[6][11]

Venue

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Refer to caption
Outdoor view of Tokyo Dome on the day of the show, with a preview of Gift shown on screen

Gift marked the first time that a figure skater performed and an ice rink was set up at Tokyo Dome, one of Japan's largest multipurpose venues with a maximum capacity of 55,000 seats.[9][10][12] It was constructed as a baseball stadium, home to the Yomiuri Giants, but it also serves as a concert venue, with Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, U2, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars among past guest artists. Hanyu expressed his hope to "change how people perceive figure skating [with his show] at Tokyo Dome."[1] The Olympics' official news site called Hanyu's programs at Gift "performances for the ages", noting that it was "more a concert for a blockbuster artist than an ice show."[5] At the venue, a mobile ice rink was set up with dimensions of 60 m × 30 m, the standard rink size at international figure skating competitions.[13][14]

Global concept and structure

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For the narration and performances, a special screen was installed behind the rink, larger in size than the one used during baseball matches.[5] In charge of the direction, projection mapping, and special effects was Mikiko in collaboration with the company Rhizomatiks. Among the guest artists were the Japanese dance group Elevenplay as well as the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and a Gift special band led by music producer Satoshi Takebe.[7][14]: 1–2 

Refer to caption
Hanyu skating to Seimei at the 2018 Winter Olympics

In the show, Hanyu performed a total of twelve skating programs, among them shortened versions of his world record programs Hope and Legacy, Ballade No. 1, and Seimei.[15] He also presented two new programs to Joe Hisaishi's music piece "One Summer's Day" from the movie Spirited Away and to the song "Ashura-chan" by Japanese pop singer Ado.[16]: 3  In both performances Hanyu was accompanied by Elevenplay.[14]: 2  He concluded the first half with a six-minute warm-up followed by his short program Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso from the 2022 Winter Olympics.[16]: 3  At the Olympics, after getting caught in a hole in the ice, Hanyu had turned his opening quad Salchow jump into a single, which was a factor in missing out on a medal in his final Winter Games.[14]: 2  At Gift, he gave a solid performance with the same technical difficulty as in 2022, landing both planned quads and a triple Axel. Overall, he landed six successful quadruple jumps in the first half of the show as well as multiple triple Axels in the second half, surpassing the technical merit of his previous show Prologue.[13] In the finale, Satoshi Takebe presented a new music piece titled "Gift" for piano and orchestra, which he had composed exclusively for the show.[14]: 3 

Critical reception

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Russian world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva expressed her respect for Hanyu's physical capacity and pointed out his popularity in Japan, which in her opinion was a key to the production of Gift:[17]: 1 [18]

I think, [a show like this] could only take place in Japan and only with Yuzuru Hanyu because he is like a deity there. He is admired by millions of people and a very popular figure skater. I cannot imagine how he survived this. It is insanely difficult! Even three programs in a show are physically very challenging to skate already, but performing for three hours on end ... It is really cool, however, I am not that kind of bird, and I don't think I could do that myself. Could such a show format take root in Russia? I am not sure. We have many great skaters, but I can't single out anyone who would be able to do the same thing.

Prior to the event, critics such as the Japanese evening newspaper Nikkan Gendai had voiced concerns regarding the size of the venue among other issues.[19] However, despite the large capacity and prices ranging from 23,100 to 27,500 yen ($177–210 as of 2023), tickets were distributed by lottery sale, and the number of applications exceeded the available ticket quota in the first lottery round, with multiple fans missing out on a chance to attend the show.[20] On December 20, 2022, the hashtag #東京ドーム全滅 (lit. 'Tokyo Dome Annihilation') made it to the top trends on the social media platform Twitter.[21]

Attendance and accessibility

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By February 12, 2023, the venue was sold out with seats for 35,000 spectators,[15][22] a new record for an ice show audience,[23][16] and sales exceeded an estimated total of 1 billion yen.[24][note 2] According to the Olympics, the global accessibility and live streaming of Gift was on an "unprecedented scale for a figure skating event" as well.[26] The show was screened live at 84 movie theaters in Japan and also at cinemas overseas in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, with 30,000 visitors in total.[13][27] In addition, the event was aired live on the subscription streaming platforms Disney+ in Japan and Globe Coding by Live Viewing Japan Inc. worldwide.[28][29] In total, Gift attracted 100,000 viewers.[30] To accommodate demand, the show was rescreened on the following day at movie theaters in Japan.[31]

On July 14, 2023, a remastered version of the show was distributed on Disney+ worldwide.[32] On February 26, 2024, the first anniversary of the show, Gift was broadcast on the Japanese subscription channel CS TV Asahi.[33] A DVD and Blu-ray of the full recording of the show with multi-angle perspectives and behind-the-scenes footage was released on August 20, 2024. A special limited edition with a key chain that contains water from the original ice rink in a small glass bottle, was announced to be distributed by lottery sale.[34] It sold more than 17,000 copies in the first week ranking third on Oricon's Blu-ray and DVD weekly charts.[35] The event was organized by Hanyu's management company Team Sirius in partnership with TV Asahi and CIC Co., Ltd.[25][36] It received special sponsorship from Kosé's skin care brand Sekkisei.[37] Other sponsors included Phiten, Tōwa Pharmaceutical, and Mitsui Fudosan.[25]

Set list

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For the program details, see List of figure skating programs of Yuzuru Hanyu.

First half [15]

  1. The Firebird
  2. Hope and Legacy
    ("View of Silence" and "Asian Dream Song" by Joe Hisaishi)
  3. "One Summer's Day"
    (from Spirited Away by Joe Hisaishi)
  4. Ballade No. 1 in G minor
  5. Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
    (by Camille Saint-Saëns, piano version by Shinya Kiyozuka [ja])

Second half [15]

  2. "Let Me Entertain You"
  3. "Ashura-chan"
    (by Ado)
  4. The Phantom of the Opera
  5. "A Fleeting Dream"
  6. "Notte Stellata (The Swan)"
    (by Il Volo)

Ending credits [38]

"Boku no koto"

Encore [15]

  2. "Haru yo, koi [ja]"
    (by Yumi Matsutoya, piano version by Shinya Kiyozuka)
  3. Seimei

Notes and references

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  1. ^ The term ice skating covers all sports performed with blades on an ice surface, including ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating.
  2. ^ The numbers include additional seats at the rink sides that were sold for 16,500 yen on February 25 and 26.[25]

Official guide and documentary books

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  • Gift official (February 26, 2023). Yuzuru Hanyu Ice Story 2023 "GIFT" at Tokyo Dome ('Gift' special newspaper) (in Japanese). Shibuya, Tokyo: Amuse Inc. ID 90035213.
  • Gift official (May 2023). Yuzuru Hanyu Ice Story 2023 "GIFT" at Tokyo Dome (Post-show booklet) (in Japanese). Shibuya, Tokyo: Amuse Inc. ID 90035204. 104 p.

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Kano, Shintaro (December 7, 2022). "Hanyu Yuzuru to rock Tokyo Dome in February". International Olympic Committee. Lausanne. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Mitsuoka, Maria-Laura (February 28, 2023). "Yuzuru Hanyu: 'Gift' to the figure skating world". Golden Skate. Cary, North Carolina. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023.
  3. ^ "Figure skating: Yuzuru Hanyu to perform at Tokyo Dome next Feb". Kyodo News. Minato, Tokyo. December 5, 2022. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022.
  4. ^ 羽生結弦さん、語る プロローグ千秋楽(2)東京D公演「GIFT」へ抱負「物語は恩返しから」 [Yuzuru Hanyu talking about Prologue conclusion (2) Aspirations for ice show "Gift" at Tokyo Dome: "The story starts with returning the favor"]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo. December 5, 2022. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Kano, Shintaro (February 26, 2023). "Hanyu Yuzuru "Gift"-wraps sold-out Tokyo Dome with performances for the ages". International Olympic Committee. Lausanne. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Yuzuru Hanyu, 'Cardcaptor Sakura' creator CLAMP collaborate for picture book". GMA Network. Quezon City. February 15, 2023. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  7. ^ a b 羽生結弦さん 史上初東京D単独公演で3万5000人酔わせた「GIFT」「突き進む」表現者の道 [Yuzuru Hanyu's "GIFT" that captivated 35,000 people at the first Tokyo D solo performance in history: The path of an artist who "pushes forward"]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo. February 27, 2023. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023.
  8. ^ Iwasa, Yu (March 2, 2023). 羽生結弦さんが描いた「もう一人の僕」GIFT翌日に明かした思い [Yuzuru Hanyu's "Another Me" at GIFT – Thoughts revealed the day after]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Kita-ku, Osaka. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Tanaka, Yukifumi (December 6, 2022). 羽生結弦さん、アイスショー「プロローグ」終幕...新章「GIFT」はスケーター史上初の東京ドーム単独公演 [Yuzuru Hanyu's ice show "Prologue" comes to an end ... New chapter "GIFT" is the first solo performance at Tokyo Dome in the skater's history]. International Olympic Committee (in Japanese). Lausanne. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Takagi, Megumi (December 6, 2022). 羽生結弦さん「贈り物を受け取りに来てください」2・26アイスショー「GIFT」東京D開催サプライズ発表 [Yuzuru Hanyu "Come and Receive a Gift" Surprise announcement of ice show "GIFT" at Tokyo Dome on 2.26]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022.
  11. ^ Dempsey, Liam (February 13, 2023). "Figure Skater Yuzuru Hanyu Partners with Cardcaptor Sakura Creator CLAMP for Picture Book". Crunchyroll. San Francisco. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023.
  12. ^ Matsubara, Takaomi (January 12, 2023). "Going Pro: Hanyū Yuzuru Reinvents What It Means to Be a Figure Skater". Nippon Communications Foundation. Minato, Tokyo. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023.
  13. ^ a b c Kurasawa, Hitoshi (February 27, 2023). "Japanese skating star Yuzuru Hanyu dazzles 35,000 fans at Tokyo Dome with solo show". Mainichi Shimbun. Chiyoda, Tokyo. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d e Oriyama, Toshimi (February 28, 2023). 羽生結弦「ひとりになった時に帰れる場所を提供できたらいいなと思って」東京ドーム単独公演で大観衆に贈った「ギフト」 [Yuzuru Hanyu: "I thought it would be great if I could provide a place to return to when you are alone." A 'Gift' given to a large audience with solo performance at Tokyo Dome]. Sportiva (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo: Shueisha. pp. 1–5. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d e 羽生結弦さん 東京ドーム公演「GIFT」で計12曲完走「本当にありがとうございました!」 [Yuzuru Hanyu completes a total of 12 programs in his show 'GIFT' at Tokyo Dome, "Thank you so much!"]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo. February 26, 2023. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c Matsubara, Takaomi (February 28, 2023). 「日本代表、羽生結弦――」東京ドーム公演中に行った緊迫の"6分間練習"...3万5000人の前でつかんだ"夢"「まだまだつかみきれていない夢も...」 ["Japan representative, Yuzuru Hanyu" tense "6-minute practice" held during Tokyo Dome performance ... "Dreams" grasped in front of 35,000 people: "There are still many dreams that I have not grasped ..."]. Number (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo: Bungeishunjū. pp. 1–4. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023.
  17. ^ Levkina, Yana (March 14, 2023). Туктамышева: как Ханю выдержал трёхчасовое шоу, не представляю. Это безумно сложно! [Tuktamysheva: How Hanyu endured the three-hour show, I have no idea. It's insanely difficult!]. Championat (in Russian). Moscow. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023.
  18. ^ トゥクタミシェワが羽生結弦の３時間連続ショーに驚嘆「どうやり遂げたのか想像もつかない」 [Tuktamysheva marvels at Yuzuru Hanyu's three-hour show: "I can't imagine how he did it"]. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. March 14, 2023. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023.
  19. ^ 羽生結弦、東京ドーム公演に関する一部夕刊紙報道に欠けた「視点」とは [Yuzuru Hanyu, what is the "perspective" missing in some evening newspaper reports on the Tokyo Dome performance]. cocokara-next.com (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo: Athlete Marketing Inc. December 19, 2022. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022.
  20. ^ Sato, Yuma (December 21, 2022). 羽生結弦、驚異の動員力で東京ドーム公演が「落選祭り」に...チケット売上10億円超か [Yuzuru Hanyu, Tokyo Dome show with its astonishing mobilization power becomes "criticism festival" ... Ticket sales exceed one billion yen?]. Business Journal (in Japanese). Shibuya, Tokyo: Cyzo Inc. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022.
  21. ^ 「＃東京ドーム全滅」トレンド入り 羽生結弦さんのアイスショー抽選結果発表、ツイッターに嘆きの声 ["#Tokyo Dome annihilated" trending – Yuzuru Hanyu's ice show lottery result announced, lamenting on Twitter]. Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Nagoya. December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022.
  22. ^ 羽生結弦「GIFT」チケットが完売「改めてすごい」「さすがです」 [Yuzuru Hanyu "GIFT" tickets sold out "Amazing again" "As expected"]. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. February 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023.
  23. ^ "Figure skating hero Hanyu Yuzuru to start gaming-inspired 'RE_PRAY' solo ice tour in Saitama". International Olympic Committee. Lausanne. September 4, 2023. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023.
  24. ^ 羽生結弦 史上初のドーム単独公演チケットが完売！世界選手権はまだ売れ残り、大きすぎる"王者の穴" [Yuzuru Hanyu: Tickets for the first ever solo show at Tokyo Dome sold out! World Championships still unsold, 'champion's hole' too large]. Flash (in Japanese). Bunkyo, Tokyo: Kobunsha. February 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023.
  25. ^ a b c "Gift – Ice Story 2023 at Tokyo Dome". 'Gift' production committee. Tokyo. 2023. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023.
  26. ^ Kano, Shintaro (February 24, 2023). "With "Gift", Hanyu Yuzuru going where no figure skater has gone before". International Olympic Committee. Lausanne. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023.
  27. ^ "Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2023 "GIFT" at Tokyo Dome supported by Sekkisei Live Viewing". Live Viewing Japan inc. (in Japanese). Shibuya, Tokyo. February 24, 2023. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023.
  28. ^ 羽生結弦さん東京ドーム公演「GIFT」ディズニープラスで生配信 日本、香港、台湾、韓国の映画館で生中継 [Yuzuru Hanyu's solo show GIFT will be streamed on Disney Plus and viewed live in movie theaters in Japan Hongkong, Taiwan, and South Korea]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023.
  29. ^ "Hanyu Yuzuru's solo Tokyo Dome show "GIFT" to be live streamed". International Olympic Committee. Lausanne. February 17, 2023. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023.
  30. ^ 音楽P武部聡志が語る、羽生結弦"東京ドーム公演"の裏側「なんとか彼が滑りやすいように...」 [Music producer Satoshi Takebe talks about the beehind-the-scene story of Yuzuru Hanyu's Tokyo Dome Performance "somehow I managed to make it easier for him to skate..."]. TV Asahi (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. November 27, 2023. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023.
  31. ^ "Yuzuru Hanyu Ice Story 2023 "GIFT" at Tokyo Dome supported by Sekissei". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Kita-ku, Osaka. February 4, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023.
  32. ^ Grover, Ashima (July 17, 2023). "Who is Yuzuru Hanyu? How Has His Art Changed the World's Perception of Figure Skating?". Leisurebyte. India. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023.
  33. ^ 羽生結弦さん東京ドーム公演「GIFT」テレビ初放送 2月26日CSテレ朝チャンネル2 [Yuzuru Hanyu's Tokyo Dome performance "GIFT" TV premiere on February 26, CS Tele Asahi Channel 2]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. February 7, 2024. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024.
  34. ^ 羽生結弦さん「GIFT」と「プロローグ」がDVDとBlu-rayに [Hanyu's "Gift" and "Prologue" on DVD and Blu-ray]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024.
  35. ^ Cumulative sales for Gift DVD and Blue-ray:
  36. ^ Hamada, Rio (January 21, 2023). 「羽生結弦さん公式」なりすましアカウントに認証バッジ – 羽生さん事務所「公式ではない」 [Authentication badge on "Yuzuru Hanyu Official" impersonation account – Hanyu's office: "It's not official"]. HuffPost (in Japanese). Shibuya, Tokyo: BuzzFeed Japan. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024.
  37. ^ 羽生結弦さん、来年2・26「GIFT」開催「半生とこれからを氷上で表現」スケーター初の東京D単独公演 [Yuzuru Hanyu to hold "GIFT" next year on February 26 "Expressing half life and future on ice" skater's first solo performance in Tokyo Dome]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo. December 5, 2022. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022.
  38. ^ 羽生結弦、GIFTを終え「滑り切ることができました」と謝意　大震災から12年のショーに備える [Yuzuru Hanyu thanks for completing GIFT, saying "I was able to skate through" – Preparing for ice show 12 years after the earthquake]. Spread Sports (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. March 1, 2023. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023.

Further reading

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