[MatthewNorton]

Though they don't seem to go together, anime and figure skating can both be discussed in the Grand Prix series. This includes all four disciplines (ladies, men, pair and ice dancing).

I am over the moon that my all-time favorite skater, Yu-na Kim, is crushing her programs in both Skate America and Cup of China. She won Gold for 2007 and 2008 Grand Prix--and I sincerely hope she takes home the win again in 2009. I was distraught when the judges penalized her for wrong edge and underrotation at CoC, but if 8 out of 9 think so...it must be true: (. Although she ultimately came in first place, hopefully she won't make the same mistake when up against tough competition like Asada Mao (who we can still consider a friend despite being rivals).

Recently, I saw a clip of Mao's short program at the TEB=. Swan Lake was her selection. I really enjoy watching Mao skate because she incorporates so much gracefulness in her skating - it looks like something out of a fairy tale. Her jump combination and spiral were both beautiful to watch.

However, her jumps did not go as planned unfortunately. Even though she made some mistakes with her jumps, she still received the highest points for program components from the judges scoring system. This just goes to show how warnings potential enemies should be when facing off against her next performance once those jump blunders are fixed, that is!

If you're a fan of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, then this might be of interest to you.