Does Mao remind you of Michelle when she was younger?

[shirleyprice1]

To me, little mao Asada with her sweet little face and smile, and her ponytail, looks so much like Michelle when she first started out, even skates the way she did, reacted to the crowd the way she did. She is a doll !:clap

[feelingbegins03]

Same here. The light pink dress also reminded me of early Michelle.

[berthesghost]

To me, little mao Asada with her sweet little face and smile, and her ponytail, looks so much like Michelle when she first started out, even skates the way she did, reacted to the crowd the way she did. She is a doll !:clap
Yuck. :D
I know a lot of people say this, but I was just watchign Mao yesterday, and thinking about how much more mature and sensuous Michelle was at 15. Her Salome was so adult, and at he same age Mao is still acting like she's 12 or something. Her choreo does her no good IMO, with the girlish pigtail flip in the short and the silly "shhhh" finger in front of mouth in Nutcracker Lp. Yuck. Send this little girl back to juniors if that's what she has to offer.

[feelingbegins03]

Yuck. :D
I know a lot of people say this, but I was just watchign Mao yesterday, and thinking about how much more mature and sensuous Michelle was at 15. Her Salome was so adult, and at he same age Mao is still acting like she's 12 or something. Her choreo does her no good IMO, with the girlish pigtail flip in the short and the silly "shhhh" finger in front of mouth in Nutcracker Lp. Yuck. Send this little girl back to juniors if that's what she has to offer.
I think that's being a bit harsh. Michelle had been competing at senior Nationals for 3 years and had gone to two senior Worlds by the time whe was 15. Skaters mature at different ages. Mao has won everything on the junior level. She's doing triple axels and triple/triples. There is no reason for her to compete in juniors.

[lillyfly]

It think Mao is more like Micehlle at 14 rather than 15. :)

[feelingbegins03]

It think Mao is more like Micehlle at 14 rather than 15. :)
That's probably the best comparison. Like Michelle, Mao has amazing jumps but hasn't quite grown up yet. She's going to be in exciting skater to watch in the future!

[Aslan's Girl]

I agree, she's a doll! She does remind me of MK at 14, esp the cut of her pink dress is very similar to MK's Rondo dresses. Mao reminds me of a young Oksana, NNN, and Kristi, too.

[kwancierto de aranjuez]

I agree, she's a doll! She does remind me of MK at 14, esp the cut of her pink dress is very similar to MK's Rondo dresses. Mao reminds me of a young Oksana, NNN, and Kristi, too.

I don't see the comparison... You could easily say she was like a Nicole Bobek in 1993... Pony Tail and girly girl...

I don't see Michelle in her at all.

I think Michelle is one of a kind! There will never be another Michelle!

[lavender]

It think Mao is more like Micehlle at 14 rather than 15. :)

I agree. She's more of Michelle at 14 than 15. I wonder if she will blossom next season.

[KaykoBakura]

the ponytail and her cool attitude definatly remind me of michelle

[kwanluv]

Does Mao remind you of Michelle when she was younger?

The way Mao looks and skates, she does indeed remind me of the 14 year old jumping and ponytail Michelle from 1995 worlds.

That said, when Michelle was 15, she was much more mature in both style and look than Mao is now at 15.

[Krista]

I second what kwanluv said.

[dec5]

Wow!!!! She really is Michelle like!!!! She must have studied MK
the early years...!!!! Incredible!!!!

http://www.boomspeed.com/dec55/asada.jpg

[melkajts13]

she does remind me a little bit of mk when she was younger, but i think their skating is pretty different.

[Krista]

I love Mao's dress in that picture, dec5. Very classy looking.

[aaronts]

i have to agree w the possibly "harsh" statement of BG. Mao is cute as a button but nothing like Michelle at 15. Michelle at 13 & 14 yes. in fact, when i 1st heard of her this season(not that i just heard of her, but her new programs, etc.) i was expecting the Michelle of the '95 - '96 season. instead, at best - it's '94 - '95 - which is phenominal & right where she should be for all of that work, talent & presence. her jumps are solid & she's way ahead of the curve for her age in terms of presentation - that's very cool & very Michelle-like :)

[Krista]

Yeah I don't care for the hair flip or the "shh" thing, but the rest of her program is great imo.

[Jarrett]

Yuck. :D
I know a lot of people say this, but I was just watchign Mao yesterday, and thinking about how much more mature and sensuous Michelle was at 15. Her Salome was so adult, and at he same age Mao is still acting like she's 12 or something. Her choreo does her no good IMO, with the girlish pigtail flip in the short and the silly "shhhh" finger in front of mouth in Nutcracker Lp. Yuck. Send this little girl back to juniors if that's what she has to offer.
I would remove the yucks but that is exactly how I feel. Mao doesn't remind me of Michelle at all. IMO Michelle always looked focused when she was skating, even at 13. Mao has this clueless quality about her expressions. This is not an insult, just the way she presents herself. For example, whenever she stops skating into a pose during a program her eyes kind of dart around.

[Lisa Seye]

For that matter Carolina had a finger shhhhhh in her program. I distinctly remember it at Worlds.

[lavender]

I would remove the yucks but that is exactly how I feel. Mao doesn't remind me of Michelle at all. IMO Michelle always looked focused when she was skating, even at 13. Mao has this clueless quality about her expressions. This is not an insult, just the way she presents herself. For example, whenever she stops skating into a pose during a program her eyes kind of dart around.



I know what ya mean. Mao reminds me of Michelle because of her size and ponytail but that’s where it stops. Michelle had that infectious smile, eyes and expression at 13/14 that Mao doesn’t seem to have to me. I really like Mao but I’m not taken with her. Maybe that's what it is.

[rubyred]

Agree. Mao seems to be much more reserved emotionally--very Japanese.

What particularly amazes me about Michelle even when she was eight years old is her beautiful pacing in her skating. She puts a great feeling into each move, exactly the part she moves from one move to another (that many skaters rush/don't put much attention). Michelle, to me, excells in moving her entire body to express herself--not just her arms & hands.

I don't think that Mao has this--yet.

[Fumbilicious]

Nope she doesn't remind me at all of Michelle. But in parts of that one program she reminds me of Kristi Y. in her cute Bjork program.

[Katie]

yeah, I don't really see Michelle in Mao. I think Mao has a lot of skill, and she does command attention when she's on the ice. It's just not in the way Michelle did at that age. Michelle was just so pollished! I'm glad to see Mao skate, though, and it will be a lot of fun to watch her over the next few years. Especially with a rivalry against some of the young American ladies. What a treat it will be!
:wink

[Puce]

I love Mao's dress in that picture, dec5. Very classy looking.


i agree! i love that dress!!!

[KwanBoy23]

Well she reminds me of a younger Michelle, younger than the age Mao is now. She's a jumping bean but still have very good (not great) presentation. She enjoys what she is doing (you can tell that by her reactions in the kiss and cry) and appears to be having a lot of fun. Sweet, cute and poney-tailed, it's very easy to see the similarities between the two.

Like I said, she reminds me of the poney-tailed Michelle. But there are things similar between them. And a whole lot of things different. But I think it's possible to see something similar between the two. Of course not eveyrone will share my opinion on the matter though. ;) And that's quite ok. :D

[lemonade16]

Mao is adorable and a fierce talent, but she only reminds me of Michelle (at 13/14) in terms of certain appearance characteristics.

Michelle, to me, has always been deep, even as a youngster ... her skating, her expression, there is so much depth there for me. So much soul.

Mao does not project that depth, IMHO. And there's absolutely nothing at all wrong with that. (It may be a blessing in disguise for Mao that she is not deemed the next Michelle Kwan ... )

But that is essentially why I do not see the similarity.

[bardtoob]

I don't see Michelle in Mao. They are both talented asians, but that is about it. It is kind of like comparing Tiffany Chin, Midori Ito, Kristi, Michelle, Shizuka, Fumie, Chen Lu etc. Just because they are asian does not make them automatically alike.

If you want to compare non-make-up Michelle from 1995 Worlds to Mao at TEB in terms of maturity, Michelle was so far ahead in terms of artistry . . . of course that was only because Michelle had that maturity leap which starting in the SP after the spiral sequence that continued throught the long program.

Roz said about Michelle during the 1995 Worlds that "The only thing the judges can fault her for is being 14; she does not have the maturity of the other ladies or the speed and power," which I always translate as "Michelle is to young to be thought of as sexy although she is emotionally complex, and does not have enough body weight behind her stroking to make her move fast."

Conversely, Mao is very fast but not sexy or emotionally complicated.

In terms of choregraphy, Michelle's program was much more interesting, dance like, thoroughly skated through, and, I think, of similar technical difficulty to Mao at TEB if you consider the complexity of Michelle's inbetweens, impressive skating skills, and the 7 triples, double axel, and double axel combo. If anyone wants to argue that Mao is a superior spinner because of the beillman, my response is that the ability to pull ones foot over ones head is a measurement of flexibily at the hips and not a measurement of ones ability to move over the ice.

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If you want to see the obvious difference in quality then watch the programs side by side (I just did, Michelle on Realplayer and Mao on Windows Media Player).

[Scoobert Dieu]

I definitely was reminded of young Michelle watching Mao. I'm not surprised to see this thread, because I had been thinking of the same thing. I've watched Mao's last performance a few times, and I kept thinking of MK, around 14 years old. Both beautiful and movements kinda the same. I can't wait to see Mao as she matures. I hope she finds lots of success.

[shellyfan]

So difficult to watch the 1994-95 Michelle without seeing where she was going and what she has become. Both Mao & Michelle are a great joy to watch and their love of skating and competing really shine through.It is a different era. Mao's programs are busier because of COP and increased technical demands. Both look very very young out there on the ice.
Mao is still all promise. Michelle, regardless of what happens next, really is promises kept and promise fulfilled.

[iceman]

I just hope that when she has her makeover to being a lady, it will be as stunning as Michelle's. I had lost interest in skating, was flipping channels and saw Michelle after her makeover and it took my breath away--the skating and the new look. And I've been hooked ever since.

[KeithB]

Yes indeed. My instant thought when she took the ice in Paris was that of Michelle at '94 and '95 Worlds. The resemblance was striking.

I agree that her complete package is not where Michelle was at age 15, but it still is marvelous for a kid that age. Her federation heads should hang their heads in shame if they try to rush her into the Olympics by seeking an age rule exception. Her time will come. (Are they really considering such a stunt, or is it just gossip?)

Thank goodness for Cloud Nine Downloads, and a pox on the morons who keep delaying telecasts on U.S. television.

[Fozzie Bear]

I think of all the skaters who are deemed the annual "next Michelle Kwan" the only one who's really reminded me of Michelle was Naomi Nari Nam. (And before some asks the obligatory "what ever happened to her?": http://www.mkforum.net/showthread.php?t=7186:silly )

But I like Mao too, aside from the flirty-baby-Carmen moments. :)

[loociex3]

I don't really see the resemblance. I mean, they're both amazing figure skaters by the age of 15, but Michelle's skating at 15 was so much more expressive, clean, and heartfelt. There are a lot of moments during Mao's skating where I feel uncomfortable, whether it be her hand/arm gestures or positions. I cringe right before she goes up into her jumps because her legs and arms are so awkward. Also, she loses her smile a lot during the program and looks sort of.. blank (probably because of her concentration). I think she'll develop into a much more mature skater in the future but she cannot compare with Michelle's excellence at 15.

btw, Happy Thanksgiving to you all :)

[Eldredgefan2001]

I don't see any resemblance to Michelle. I DO see a resemblance to Kristi in the way she presents herself on the ice. :clap

[nymkfan51]

I don't see any resemblance to Michelle either. While Mao may be doing more difficult jump combos, Michelle was light years ahead of her in maturity and presentation. But I'm sure with some time and experience, Mao can get to that level too.

[Eeyora]

I can see a resemblence. They both have qualities I like.

[claire moloko]

she is like a little girl version of michelle... when michelle was 15 she looked and skated like a lady.. mao looks and skates like a little kid, but i see the simularitys.. i doubt we will see many more 15 yr old skaters in the class that michelle was at that age..

[missmarysgarden]

I ditto what aaron said. Actually, jumping aside (Mao's jumps are wonderful), she reminds me more of Michelle at 13 than at 14. Her presentation does still seem a bit mechanical, and as someone else said, somewhat reserved. There is something sort of "practiced" about it - where by 14, Michelle had already lbecome genuinely engaging, connecting with the audience. I agree that she is more like Kristi than like Michelle. There is something very gangly about her legs - when I watch Mao, all I can see is KNEES! She doesn't really extend her legs. That being said, even though we haven't seen how puberty will change her, nor whether her body will hold up to her jumping regimen, I do think she is the lady of the future - along with Ya Na (who I prefer in some ways). I hope they both skate clean today so we get a chance to see how their scores compare.

[missmarysgarden]

Sorry, my error...I must have dreamed that Yu Na was skating in the Grand Prix today. Wishful thinking probably!

[neneth]

I disagree , I watched Mao skate last nigth on Canadian channel I believe is a Lalique event with sasha and Arakawa in it. Mao remind me of young Midori Ito.Who is a jumpimg bean . Her speed and technical element are exactly like Midori. I just hope with so much hype with Mao will not end like Midori . The kid is still growing , when she increase in heigth , thing will change . Remind me of Onda . By the way, where is Siguri ? How come she's not competing?