This year, corresponding with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, SK II has launched a new series, the "VS" series, with the aim of declaring NO COMPETITION towards beauty. Six Olympic athletes have joined the fight with SK II to proclaim that everyone is beautiful and that we should not be pressured to achieve the "beauty" in everyone's eyes.
Simone BIles is an artistic gymnast from the USA who had won four Olympic gold medals in Rio de Janeiro. As a world and Olympic champion, people have always been judgmental of her figure and her leotard as well as her overall appearance. She now calls upon everyone not to be depressed by other's comments and not to be guided by other's definitions of beauty.
Liu Xiang is a swimmer from Guangzhou, China and the holder of the world record for 50m backstroke since August 2018. She defines beauty as being the person that you wanted to be, a true beauty that lies deep inside instead of one's superficial appearance.
Mahina Maeda is a surfer from Japan, the second woman who had been able to drop in at Nazare. She questions the reasons that she had to play by the beauty rules and takes pride in living by her own standards of beauty.
Kasumi Ishikawa is a table tennis player from Japan and an Olympic medalist in 2012 and 2016. She believes that doing the best and focusing on our own strength will bring out one's beauty. She also states that never doubting one's self, even in beauty, is crucial in achieving success.
Hinotori Nippon is Japan women's national volleyball team with Kumi Nakada as their head coach. They encourage everyone to reflect and look for limitations in themselves and strive to overcome them rather than listening to the comments of others and focusing on other's beliefs.
Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Mastutomo are Japan's badminton women's doubles players who had created history together by winning Japan's first-ever gold in badminton in the Rio Olympic games. They urge everyone to remain true to themselves and give their best in everything they are doing.
There will be six animated films that will be released on the 6th of April 2020, each telling the story of the six athletes overcoming their competition in beauty and inspiring all not to compete in beauty. Beauty is a wonderful thing only when there is no competition to judge it.
