Casual fans of Yuzuru Hanyu know what to expect when the figure skating star steps onto the ice.
There will be grace, technique, no shortage of gravity-defying jumps and — of course, under normal circumstances — hundreds of Winnie the Pooh toys and bouquets thrown out to be collected and eventually donated to local hospitals and charities.
But what the average TV viewer may not be aware of is the vast global fandom that has developed around the Miyagi Prefecture native, with supporters cheering on their hero and muse with thousands of social media posts consisting of everything from strings of heart emojis to exquisitely detailed fan art.
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