World Champion figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu became the first person to ever attempt a quad axel in competition at this year's Winter Olympics. While the Japanese athlete did not successfully land the challenging jump, his ambition and determination received a wealth of praise from fans, including Tokyo Ghoul's mangaka, Sui Ishida.
Ishida posted a drawing of Hanyu on Twitter after the conclusion of the Men's Free Skate competition with the caption, "That was so cool." The image sees the skater staring off into the distance and wearing a blueish-green outfit that resembles his Free Skate costume. This is not the first time Ishida has created fan art of Hanyu, having previously illustrated the skater after he secured gold at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Moreover, Hanyu has often expressed his love for Tokyo Ghoul, posting pictures of himself recreating panels from the manga.
かっこよかった～ pic.twitter.com/UsJtCs99XM
— 石田スイ (@sotonami) February 11, 2022
The quadruple axel is, so far, the hardest jump in the world of figure skating and the only quad jump that has yet to be ratified in competition. An axel is an edge jump that involves a forward takeoff, making it one of the easier jumps to identify in the sport, and to successfully perform a quad axel, a skater must complete four and a half revolutions in the air and land cleanly on one foot.
Hanyu did receive the base value for a quad axel as part of his final score; however, he also received major point deductions due to falling and touching the ice with his hands. Ultimately, he finished fourth overall, placing behind fellow Japanese skaters Shoma Uno (bronze) and Yuma Kagiyama (silver) and American skater Nathan Chen (gold).
The Tokyo Ghoul manga was featured in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump from September 2011 to September 2014. The story follows Ken Kaneki, a student who manages to survive a deadly encounter with a ghoul named Rize Kamishiro but finds himself transformed into a half-ghoul when some of her organs are transplanted into his body during life-saving surgery. The manga was adapted into an anime by Studio Pierrot (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations), which premiered in 2014. It stars Natsuki Hanae (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) as Ken and Kana Hanazawa (Blue Period) as Rize.
Ishida's newest manga series, Choujin X, debuted in Shueisha's Tonari no Young Jump in May 2021 before moving to Weekly Young Jump in October 2021. It tells the story of friends Azuma Higashi and Tokio Kurohara, who are transformed into Choujins, humans with supernatural powers.
Tokyo Ghoul is available to stream on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.
Source: Twitter, via Crunchyroll
