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Ethan: This is going to be a very educational experience in many ways. Most of the comments are focusing on the negative, because it is rather obvious that the Hi is poor. So, knowing that, focus your eyes on the rest of this fish. What do you think of the body? How about the quality of the sumi? Is there a gloss to it? How is the Shiroji? If the red pigment is all fading away, you have a Shiro Utsuri in development... It is a different development process than we typically examine, but it is a process that may lead to improvement. Even Omosako gets Shiro Utsuri that begin their lives with the red of Showa. I had a Torazo Showa that took first place in her size as tosai, but lost almost all of her Hi. What was left was a puke orange. She was named "Ugly". She grew fast and large... and was embarassingly ugly when I found her a new home. A month ago it was reported that she lost the puke orange... at last. As a 4 year-old she is a Shiro Utsuri, and a huge one at that. Her Sumi has a long way to go, I'm told, but is still developing. Who knows, Ugly may turn out to be a fair looking koi. I kind of wish I'd kept her another year to see the progression. Or, maybe yours will not lose all the Hi. Maybe the Hi on the head will stay and you will have a quasi-Tancho. Who knows?
Enjoy the journey. Care for her well and she will reward you.
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