Medalist メダリスト

2025 winter | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.4 (22391)

Updated every Sundays at 01:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:TV Asahi | Kodansha | Glovision | Kadokawa

Streaming: Disney+ | Hulu

Synopsis

Tsukasa Akeuraji always dreamed of becoming a competitive solo figure skater, but starting too late in life meant his ambitions never got off the ground. Now barely scraping by, he takes on an assistant coach job, resigned to a future far from the one he once imagined. Before his first day, Tsukasa meets Inori Yuitsuka, a shy fifth grader sneaking into the rink to practice. Captivated by figure skating, but held back by her mother's overprotectiveness and her own self-doubt, Inori has never been encouraged to pursue her passion until she encounters Tsukasa. Beneath her personality lies great potential, waiting to be unlocked with the right guidance. Moved by Inori's determination to change and reminded of his own struggles, Tsukasa offers to coach and help her chase the dream she has been too afraid to voice. While the road ahead is long and filled with unfamiliar challenges and rival skaters, Inori dedicates herself to the art and strives to one day reach the Olympics and become a medalist. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Ootsuka, Takeo

Haruse, Natsumi

News

Reviews

portia77
04/22/2025, 06:58 PM
Medalist's MAL rating is a well-earned 8.3/10. I gave it a 9 mostly because it surpassed my expectations and ended with a strong finish. It's a great show with a lot of heart. I'd encourage you not to listen to a review from someone who couldn't be bothered to watch more than three episodes... 🙄 It definitely IS about skating, though you don't get to see Inori compete in the first few episodes (a ridiculous and meaningless benchmark for judging an anime, if you ask me). Medalist does a great job of representing girlhood and female friendship in Inori and her peers. She's endearing andloveable, alongside her charming and endlessly upbeat coach, Tsukasa. I would probably pick YoI's ice skating animation style over this, but the CGI didn't really bother me. I appreciated it for what it was. Medalist isn't likely to make the top ten anime for many people, but it's a great watch! Can't wait for season two.
Haustlaufivindi
04/12/2025, 04:47 AM
I am, to put it mildly, indifferent to figure skating, and I certainly don't find stories with little girls as the main characters fascinating. It is all the more surprising that I watched "Medalist" - a story about a little girl who is engaged in figure skating - with pleasure. For the main character, Inori, it all apparently began when her older sister took up figure skating. But formally, Inori was amazed by the performance of the young star of Japanese figure skating Hikaru, which she saw on TV. Inori, like any child, learns by imitation. So she wanted to learn figure skating, which her sisterwas fond of and which is so popular that its stars are shown on television. To learn and surpass! After all, in other respects the girl considered herself untalented and clumsy. The matter was complicated by the fact that the girl's mother, after the injury of her older daughter, which forced her to leave figure skating, was afraid that the same would happen to the younger one. That's why she didn't give the girl money to take up her expensive hobby. Her mother's neurotic overprotection nearly cost Inori her athletic career and self-confidence. However, Inori showed a special talent - persistence and even impudence, which allowed her to "bribe" the rink guard with worms for fishing and to train there herself for free. The second main character of the anime, Tsukasa, caught her illegally using the rink. The guy had a difficult life in figure skating. He started doing it very late - already as a young man, having accidentally found himself benevolent sponsors, he was not confident in himself and did not achieve any particular heights in his sport. Therefore, after the death of the sponsor, he increasingly got by with odd jobs as a laborer. Fortunately, his former ice dancing partner, Hitomi, offered him a temporary position as an assistant coach at the very rink where he found Inori on his first day. He was hooked by the determination of the girl, who also came to figure skating quite late, and he decided to help her. The plot of the story is quite intriguing and masterful - the viewer seems to come "to the rink" at the same time as these two underdogs, the girl and her coach. The viewer begins to grow "from scratch" with the two main characters, gradually getting drawn into the world of figure skating with its problems, rivalries and achievements. Both main characters demonstrate both professional and personal development in the course of the narrative. The dramaturgy of the story, although not without melodramatic exaggerations, is excellently constructed, involving the viewer and leading to the catharsis of "overcoming and achieving". The psychology of the jealous mothers who bring their children to figure scating is subtly noted, as well as the children themselves, both those who are involved only because their mother tells them to, and those who follow family traditions or are passionately interested in sports, like the main character. The work of a coach is interestingly revealed, often involving attention to detail, the need to overcome the desire to "clone and fulfill oneself" through young athletes and, instead, find a suitable, individual "key" to a trainee, depending on his character and motivation. Tsukasa's thoughts on giving Inori agency in making key decisions about the direction of her training in order to develop responsibility, independence, and individuality are also important as a life lesson. Therefore, the mangaka can only be given a big plus for the story and characters, as well as the animators who transferred everything to the screen. The quality of the narration is excellent. The animation of individual performances, especially Hikaru's performance, is simply outstanding. Without any exaggeration, I can say that "Medalist" is an excellent spokon. One of the best in recent times.
Chuy_diazz
04/01/2025, 07:31 PM
Medalist is something I didn't know I needed, but I'm grateful it was given to me. Initially, I thought this would have a very heavy dramatic weight and I would have to suffer and cry with the characters. I did end up crying, but not because of the exaggerated drama, but because of the conviction and determination shown by each and every one of the characters in Medalist. The story focuses on children; they are the main focus of this story. When working with children, everything becomes more complicated because you have to make childhood problems seem truly worrisome. To do this, it focuses on issueswe've all experienced: personal insecurity and the desire for change. These are two things that, as adults, we can resolve or continue to struggle with, but at the age of the children in this play, these are feelings that constantly haunt us. By presenting something we've all experienced, it's impossible not to empathize with, even if it's just one of the skaters. On the other hand, these aren't just children's problems; we also have adults with their own situations. From a coach who was denied the opportunity to fulfill his dream and now tries to motivate a girl with the same dream as him, but without resorting to trying to live vicariously through her. An overprotective mother who wants the best for her daughter but doesn't know how to achieve it. Everywhere you look in this story, you'll find a conversation, a scene, a gesture, a movement that you'll empathize with whether you want to or not. In the sports section, even if you know nothing about ice skating, everything you see will seem beautiful. I had no confidence in how ENGI had used CGI in previous works, but here they decided to take it seriously. Every choreography, every jump, every spin feels extremely fluid and delicate. This is something you don't appreciate until you see it a second time, because the first time you saw it, you were most likely enthralled by the routines. One very positive thing is that Medalist doesn't resort to the image of the arrogant, overbearing, or rude rival. It manages to generate and create rivalries between the children on the rink, but a genuine friendship off it. The anime tries to explain everything very well before starting a routine, and I can tell you, it's not necessary to have understood anything, because you'll still enjoy every move performed to the rhythm of the music. Figure skating never disappoints, and Medalist only reinforces that belief of mine.
darth_kaiser_x
03/31/2025, 04:56 PM
It's not my type of anime but I gave it a chance because people spoke highly of it, and it was worth giving it a chance, a story of effort and overcoming even in totally unfavorable conditions, charismatic characters and a protagonist who when we see her suffer hits that pang in the heart because she just wants to follow her dream even if deep down she thinks and others also think "my time has passed, it's too late for me", something that touches anyone who has been through this, Tsukasa is a total character, the great comic relief, if the anime reaches their adolescence,Riou will definitely be Inori's romantic partner if there is one, Jun is the antagonist and easily the most "detestable" in the work but he is the challenge that Tsukasa has to overcome, the animation is sensational and very well worked in every aspect, the 3D is barely felt during the animation but it is there in the key moments, I hope the second season is as good or better than the first, it is very worth watching
DragonKestrel
03/31/2025, 02:25 PM
Medalist is a manga published in 2020, written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada. It recently received an anime adaptation, which garnered significant attention due to its compelling characters, visually stunning performances, and powerful themes regarding the love of figure skating. The story follows aspiring figure skaters striving to become world figure skaters, capturing each character's insecurities, struggles, and motivations for skating. But more importantly, it focuses on Inori and Tsukasa's personal growth and how they challenge and inspire one another to push themselves to more fantastic and nearly impossible heights through their shared connection and love for the sport. While competition and public recognition or self-worth are prevalentin figure skating, Medalist emphasizes that there's more to the sport than just earning medals. It highlights the importance of the relationships and journeys that skaters experience. Overall, Medalist is an inspiring experience that leaves a long-lasting impression on its audience. With the recent announcement of season two, I look forward to seeing everyone back on the ice!
Supersonic_Pain
03/30/2025, 08:55 PM
Fantastic show with just a couple bumps I think the cast is very well-done. Tsukasa aside, the coaches are kinda whatever. I liked Ema's coach, Yudai Jakuzure, but tbqh none of the other coaches left much of an impact on me. There's one that has a more "traditional" antagonist role but he just kind of stands there ~menacingly~ for most of the show so *shrug*. Cast-wise, who I really want to talk about are the kids. I think Inori's really cute and a nice protagonist. She can be a bit of a pessimist when it comes to her own performances and capabilities but I never found it annoying,especially since Tsukasa is there. She and Tsukasa have a really good, nice coach-student dynamic going on, especially since you can see where Tsukasa is coming from. Doing shows with little kids in them is hard because you have to make them sound like little kids and not like some adult's writing the words they're saying. I personally never really felt that with Inori, she seemed like she was acting her age. I think Inori's attitude leads to the first thing that you could hold against Medalist: there's a lot of drama. I personally didn't mind, I found it a really moving anime, but especially the beginning when Inori has to convince her mom to let her skate can be gutwrenching and potentially even uncomfortable. I would say I teared up during at least half the episodes, it can be a very emotional anime when it wants to be. As for Tsukasa, I've heard complaints that in the Japanese dub, he's very screamy. I can see why, it could be annoying if you're particularly sensitive to that. I wasn't annoyed but I can see why someone would be. I think the side cast has some good characters too. Rioh comes into his own as a nice, strong character that can stand alongside Inori and Tsukasa. They kind of quickly build him up from "side character C", which is impressive in its own right. Hikaru is a nice, friendly rival and goal for Inori to reach, I like her a lot and think she has one of the best skating scenes in the show. My personal favorite, however, is Mittens (Ryoka Miketa). Her friendship with Inori is cute and I really liked her conflict. It made me really want to root for Mittens, not to mention for her to make stronger bonds with her friends and coach. Speaking of the skating, I'm kind of between two schools of thought about it. On one hand, it does look pretty good. I wouldn't say it's the best 3D animation I've ever seen but it looked pretty good and I was always excited to see another skating scene, even if it wasn't necessarily tied to a plot beat I was attached to. On the other hand, the rest of the show is in 2D. It always kind of threw me off/distracted me to see them suddenly go 3D for the skating when before and after, they'd be in 2D. It kind of announces out loud to the world that they either couldn't or didn't want to adapt the ice skating scenes into 2D. In a certain sort of way, even though I think the 2D animation is perfectly fine, I almost kind of wish the whole show was in 3D so at least the skating wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. My other big issue is there's a small timeskip which I guess it makes sense story-wise but even a montage covering that middle period would have been better than what they did. It feels like a lot of Inori's development was skipped over so they could hit a nice, clean ending for E13. I mean, she was already a decent skater right before the timeskip but I don't know, I was a little disappointed to see it existed. I do have my gripes with Medalist and I think there are a few more if you're less charitable to the show but I think it's a cute yet moving show. This was a show I picked out of the depths of the seasonals because it sounded at least a little interesting and it ended up being my AOTS. The kids are adorable and well-written, the skating is fun to see, I thought the drama was well-done (at least I was personally touched by it). If you're reading this review, I assume you're probably at least a little interested in Medalist. In that case, I say go for it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
iSakuraSnow
03/30/2025, 03:41 PM
Wow, I picked this show up because it's rated pretty well (8.4 as of now) so I wanted to see what the hype is about, but I fully expected to drop it because I don't know anything about ice skating. I did NOT expect to be teary from this series, but I did. Story: 8/10 Good story. Teaches a good life lesson. Was paced really well, keeping the series interesting and not boring. Characters: 9/10 Great character development!! The director did a good job at introducing all the characters, even the side characters. Although the focus was definitely on the MCs/duo, they still gave backstories on some ofthe side characters e.g. Rioh, which made me really get to know them and want to root for them during the competitions. There are still a few mystery characters yet to be developed though, so hopefully they do that in season 2. Art: 8/10 Interesting switching between 2D and 3D, which took a bit of getting used to. The 2D is great - the studio does such a great job at putting emotions into the characters faces and eyes! The 3D is good - they use this to animate the ice skating, and it seems to be pretty accurate / true to life. Acting: 9/10 The director casted the roles very well. They definitely presented the characters well. Overall, I recommend this show - give it a try, even if you don't know anything about ice skating because I didn't either, but I still enjoyed it!
Cynthesia
03/30/2025, 03:08 PM
Wasted potential. Medalist is a show that holds so much potential but ends up fumbling the execution of pivotal moments resulting in an experience that leaves me conflicted. All of the pieces are there. Great characters, an engaging plot, interesting subject matter and drama , if only it were handled with slightly more care it could have been one of the greats. Medalist features the best rags to riches story that you can imagine. Inori starts from below zero. Her entire life has been defined by belittlement, rejection, and failure. She's outcast from not only society but her own family and completely rejects any meaningin her life. That is, until she meets Tsukasa, who is so enamored with her skating ability that he vows to bring her to the top despite what she's been told her entire life. Tsukasa and Inori's relationship is the crux of this anime's appeal. They have such incredible chemistry and love for each other that you can't help but smile whenever they put each other on the highest of pedestals. The value of a positive role model cannot be overstated, Tsukasa is a man who brings out 200% in anyone he sets his sights on. Not through overwork or strict training regimens, but rather through unrelenting torrents of praise and suggestion. And just as he brings out the best in Inori, she brings out the best in him. Through watching her progress, Tsukasa realizes that he isn't the failure that he's deemed himself to be. Their relationship is truly something special and a joy to watch unfold on the screen. They aren't the only characters in the show of course. For the most part they do fine. Rioh is the strongest, being introduced in the back half of the show and receiving the most development of any of them. Just like Tsukasa and Inori he's deemed a failure because of his inability to shape up to the best of the best. Of course this is entirely self proclaimed and watching Tsukasa work his magic on him, although to a lesser degree than Inori, is very charming and hammers in the importance of positive role models. Hikaru is the virtuoso endgame rival character. She's nice, doesn't really contribute overall but serves well as an end goal for Inori. Mittens is a decent early rival character, she gets better with time. Other characters definitely do exist but ultimately are sidelined to focus on Inori and Tsukasa's relationship which is a good choice as it's easily the strongest aspect. They mostly behave as you would expect children to do, with all of their issues essentially stemming from typical melodrama that you would expect from an immature mind. They serve their purposes well as rivals but don't go much beyond that after their performances. Speaking about the performances, this is probably the most polarizing aspect of Medalist. I fall slightly in the middle camp although I lean more towards the "it doesn't look great" side, and this is where the majority of my disappointment with the show comes from. On one hand, it's understandable that they would choose to use CG for the figure skating portions. Not only is figure skating incredibly complicated but CG can allow for a much more fluid full body feel as it's generally much more naturally smoothed out. There's certainly good looking CG so it's not an inherently bad decision to use it. Unfortunately, Studio Engi didn't nail it. The models look pretty gross, especially when using their performance outfits. They really stick out on the ice and it creates this very mannequin-esque feel to their movements. Similarly the performances are not all that smooth. This is most apparent whenever they have to perform any kind of spin, which only becomes more prevalent as Inori's skill level increases. Rather than incorporate an entire 360 degree rotation they simply chopped together 4 90 degree rotations and loop it which makes for a very choppy looking experience. The general movement ends up looking fine but whenever they have to perform anything with any technicality it ends up falling short. This severely limits the potential impact of the performances which are the key highlight of the show. Climactic moments are equally hindered as they either rush into them or don't provide them enough time to build tension which also ruins their impact. This is easily the worst part of the show, and it happens to be the most important one. Similarly, some dramatic moments outside of the rink are handled somewhat poorly. This is more of an issue in the first half of the show rather than the second. Inori and Tsukasa's backstory feels a little glossed over and their relationship develops at lightning speed as they try to get onto the rink as fast as possible. As Inori is someone with massive trust issues and negative self confidence this doesn't really make sense and I would have appreciated it if they went a little more in depth. This can be somewhat excused as they only have 13 episodes to work with and clearly don't want to sacrifice more than they already, clearly, have from Inori's development on the rink. With regards to Tsukasa's backstory it ends up being mostly reduced to a bullet point form and doesn't receive any major focus in the show. This ends up detracting a little from Tsukasa's overall character as it's not entirely convincing why he believes he's a failure but this isn't so much of a major disappointment as it is a source of mild dissatisfaction. The pieces are there for Medalist, and maybe I'm being a bit too harsh. But when you present something with so much potential and then end up consistently missing the mark when it matters most it creates such a strong feeling of disappointment than if the difference of potential and execution were smaller. Medalist is certainly a fantastic drama, featuring a strong cast who all go through massive growth and a clear love for the sport that it's depicting. If only it were able to nail those pivotal moments.
MightyJou
03/30/2025, 09:46 AM
A man who gave up his dream and a girl afraid to chase hers. He is by nature serious, loud and energetic. She is shy, quiet and deeply insecure. One could see this mix to only end in a disaster, but what if they are meant to bring out the best from each other? This is essentially important in a relationship of a coach and an athlete who both aim to the top, who aim for the medal. Child athletes and their struggles are a subject that barely get any coverage, mainly ´cause it might be a bit hard to handle. "Medalist" however deserves full-marks incharacter presentation, story-telling and sports performances as it takes a look at a figure skating and what goes around it. Handful of child characters, their thoughts and hard work are presented beautifully in the performances they give in the icy ring leaving us viewers hold our breaths during every hop, leap and spin they make while we are hoping to see all of them succeed. We are given via different trials a very real picture of what is happening inside the head of a 11 year old child who wants to aim to the top. Even better is that we get to see it from viewpoints of many different kinds of characters. We have geniuses, hardest workers in the room and late bloomers looking for that one chance. These are groups of people even experienced artist might have problems of keeping at least somewhat interesting not to mention unique, yet after only 13 episodes it is safe to say that Tsurumaikada-sensei succeeded to bring out what was needed on the paper and from that Studio ENGI brought it to TV-screens to enjoy. This is essentially a show about kids so keeping the focus on them and not treating them as extras was always the right move and thus gives respect to those young athletes who aim to the top while giving us a gentle reminder that even tho they are kids they are humans too. If you are looking for a sports anime, appreciate a bit over the top reactions especially in the humor department and don´t mind characters that might remind youself in your youth, give this one a go. Even if those qualities are unnecessary this is regardless a very well made show with a lot of re-watch value.
BerryBlitz
03/30/2025, 12:24 AM
Medalist delivers an emotionally powerful and beautifully crafted story about passion, determination, and the bond between a coach and his young student. Centered around the world of figure skating, the series follows Tsukasa, a former skater with shattered dreams, and Inori, a young girl with limitless potential but no support. Together, they take on the harsh and competitive world of professional skating, forming a partnership that is as heartwarming as it is inspiring. The narrative is both emotionally charged and incredibly motivating. It perfectly captures the struggles of pursuing a dream, with realistic depictions of the challenges and sacrifices involved in competitive sports. Therelationship between Tsukasa and Inori is the heart of the story, showcasing themes of mentorship, trust, and resilience. The pacing is excellent, balancing intense competition scenes with quieter, heartfelt moments that give the characters room to breathe and develop. Inori is an exceptionally lovable and inspiring protagonist. Her determination and unwavering spirit, despite constant setbacks, make her journey deeply moving. Tsukasa is equally compelling, with his own personal struggles and redemption arc adding emotional weight. The dynamic between them is genuine and touching, creating one of the most memorable mentor-student relationships in recent anime. The supporting cast, including rival skaters and coaches, adds depth and realism to the competitive world, making the stakes feel genuine. The animation is absolutely stunning, with fluid and graceful skating sequences that capture the beauty and precision of the sport. The character designs are expressive, and the attention to detail in the choreography and ice effects is mesmerizing. The use of lighting and camera angles during the performances makes the scenes feel dynamic and immersive. The soundtrack perfectly complements the emotional highs and lows of the series. The opening and ending themes are both memorable, capturing the hopeful and bittersweet tone of the story. The background music during the skating performances enhances the emotional impact, making the routines feel breathtaking and powerful. Medalist is a beautifully crafted sports anime that goes beyond the genre, offering a touching story about perseverance, mentorship, and the pursuit of dreams. With its compelling characters, stunning animation, and emotional storytelling, it stands out as the best anime of the season.
5iv3_
03/29/2025, 08:16 PM
I'll be honest, I was a little iffy with this show before it came out as ENGI is known for not having the best track record, HOWEVER I believe they've sorta redeemed themselves with this show because it was really great. I thought I'd have an issue with the CGI but it actually looked pretty good and worked really well here. I feel my worries weren't completely unwarranted but I'm glad this turned out much better that I anticipated. I love figure skating as a sport so seeing more and more anime crop up about the topic always makes me happy, and I really thoughtthis show did a good job explaining a bunch of technical terms within the sport while also balancing the essential plot for the show. Having our mains connect over a similar problem and learn to compensate through each other was such a beautiful experience. I really feel for these characters. The emotional moments in this series were really well done too cause I caught myself choking up a bit seeing them struggle. Kinda hurts ❤️‍🩹. Overall, It was a really wonderful show. I definitely feel that Medalist was a definite stand out for the Winter Season. I'm eagerly awaiting Season 2 to see where it goes from here! :)
MidniteAndBeyond
03/29/2025, 05:26 PM
This is currently my anime of the year. This is currently one of my favorite shows of all time. This was so unbelievably perfect in every single way. It had me hooked from episode 1 and in tears all the way to the very end. It's a beautiful story about never giving up on your dreams, but also finding the people who believe in you and want to support you and ensure you never feel hopeless or alone in the world. It's astonishing how one's life path can be completely determined by the support system they have in their childhood. Some dreams are never achievedbecause of lost time that can never be reclaimed. While someone on the brink of despair can be saved and have their whole life turned around all because of ONE person who saw something in them that they weren't able to see in themselves, anymore. But regardless of what was lost and what past life you were were dealt in the past, there's always a path forward. It may not be the one you set out for, but the ability to see your dreams through and smile after loss and hardship will always be attainable. This show spoke to me on such a deep, personal level. That will always be the defining factor in what makes a show an all time favorite for me. It wasn't just because the characters were fantastic or because the music was amazing or because the animation was spectacular. It was because I saw both past and present versions of myself on screen and was able to learn lessons alongside the characters that can lead to a path forward, towards a brighter future in my real life. There's simply no feeling more powerful than seeing yourself in a creative work. If you're feeling lost, burnt out, or alone in your passions, please watch this show. It was such a healing experience for me and I'm thrilled to know that there's still more to come in the future. I don't know if this show will be surpassed by the end of the year, but the impact it had on me is one that will last a lifetime. 10/10
8bitEcho
03/29/2025, 03:50 PM
Please do not skip out on this. Especially if your decision is based on the numerous reviews and comments left by manga readers. What many of the vocal ones of them seem to not understand is that its never going to be as magical to experience a story told as beautifully as medalist a second time. from the score, to the acting to, to the choreography to the gags, every piece of this story and its production ooze passion. Both for the sport of figure skating and the narrative of striving to persevere even when you don't believe you can achieve even the basics ofwhat may be your dream. Characters both adult and child alike are written masterfully, the problems they face are realistic and approached not with unbearable naivete from the younger than average cast nor are they bogged down by stupid unrealistic leaps in logic by the adults. every one reacts to things in a way that you'd imagine yourself reacting to at those ages, as real problems with solutions that while not always obvious can be achieved with careful planning and communication. Repeatedly the children will surprise their coaches in how they're developing and when they fail the show treats these challenges as stumbles that its the adults role to help them move past but it doesn't brush them aside as unimportant because when a child feels like they put their all into something and they fail it can be soul destroying for them. in medalist they will use these feelings to show that perhaps the coach empathizes with them too having watch them try so hard and not reach their goal and then explain that that's how they feel to the child because children DO understand that. They have the same problems as adults, but they just process them differently and the story shows how that affects them well. What I can say is, if you have even the slightest interest in the story based on whats been seen or said about it, but are avoiding doing so because you've been lead under the false pretense that its a "bad adaptation" you should give it a real honest shot. If you ave no context I can assure you that it is a wonderful watch with rich characters and believable drama. AND if you still cant bring yourself to watch it after hearing that, then go read it! Medalist is a story that deserves to be experienced. It deserves to be talked about more and it deserves every flower it earns.
HidamariSeashore
03/29/2025, 02:54 PM
It's kind of funny how this story about striving to make a wholesome dream come true came from someone with a wholesome dream of their own. Tsurumaikada, a doujinshi artist and fan of voice actress Natsumi Haruse, once declared on Twitter that they wanted to one day draw a figure skating manga that would get an anime adaptation starring Natsumi Haruse. If that were me, I would have left it at that, saying that that would be nice, but Tsurumaikada actually took steps to make their dream come true, even taking ice skating classes for research. This all resulted in the serialization of "Medalist", amanga that quickly gained the adoration of readers and even won some awards, including the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2023. This year, Tsurumaikada's dream finally came true with the release of the Medalist anime, but was pursuing this dream really worth it in the end? Let's find out. Medalist begins when Tsukasa Akeuraji, a former ice dancer whose dreams of being a solo figure skater never truly got off the ground due to him starting late in life, starts working as an assistant skating coach at an ice skating rink. There, he meets Inori Yuitsuka, a fifth-grader with figure skating dreams of her own. However, due to her mother not letting her pursue figure skating and people her age being considered "too old" to start, anyway, Inori doesn't have the self-confidence to go beyond secretly practicing at the ice rink. Tsukasa sees great potential in Inori, however, and not wanting to see her give up like he did, he agrees to become her coach. Together, they overcome various challenges and work toward Inori's ultimate goal: to become an Olympic gold medalist. The story told in Medalist is a very inspiring one with a strong message of "It's never too late to go for your dreams". Not the most original message, I know, but a good one, nonetheless. I've never had any interest in figure skating - I struggle with roller skating, so forget figure skating - yet seeing Inori and other characters skate almost makes me want to try; that's how inspirational it is. I do have one major gripe with the story, and it's a time skip that happens partway through the series. It made me feel like I skipped some episodes with some really important plot developments, although I guess adding the events that were skipped might have created a repetitive storyline. I said that Medalist is an inspiring anime, but I don't think I would have said that if the characters were unlikable. I absolutely loved Inori as a character; the way she was so hard on herself in the beginning was very heartbreaking (and sadly relatable), which made it all the more satisfying to see her gain some confidence and really come into her own. Plus, her interactions with other characters, especially her fellow figure skaters, are pretty fun. As for her coach, Tsukasa, I also really liked him and the coach-and-student bond he formed with Inori, and the parts of his backstory that we get are pretty sad. There are also a plethora of supporting characters who are varying degrees of likable. Even Inori's mother becomes more likable as she becomes more supportive of her daughter, and she actually has an understandable reason for her initial reluctance to let Inori pursue figure skating. When I found out that Medalist was being animated by ENGI, I'll admit that I was a little bit concerned. As some in the anime community know, ENGI isn't exactly known for producing high-quality anime; even their arguably best-known work, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out, is okay at best animation-wise. (Same goes for other aspects of that series, but that's not the point.) Luckily, the animation quality here is very good. Most of the series is 2-D animated, and it looks very colorful and well-animated. However, during figure skating routines, CG animation is used for whichever character is doing the routine, which may scare some people off; I would like to bring those people back by saying the CG animation is very fluid. It is jarring when the series switches from one animation style to the other - which it does quite a bit to show other characters' reactions to a skating routine - but it's not too bad once you get used to it. So, uh.... I may have mentioned Inori's Japanese voice actress at the beginning of this review, but since I could only find the English dub when I searched for Medalist on Disney+, I had to watch that version; thus, I can't really comment on Natsume Haruse's voice performance or that of the rest of the Japanese cast. Maybe I should have just watched it on Hulu.... Anyway, it turned out to be a mostly solid dub, with Madeline Dorroh being a suitable enough fit for Inori. However, I would like to advise Grace Lu, the English voice actress for Hikaru Kamisaki, to be more careful about where she records her lines, as there was a scene in episode 2 where her voice sounded echo-y in a way that felt unintentional. Her other voiced lines sounded fine to me, but that particular scene seemed like it was supposed to be more impactful than it was for me due to the echoes in Hikaru's voice distracting me. Given how figure skaters perform with music playing, it's reasonable to expect the music in Medalist to be good, and luckily, it delivers. The opening theme, "Bow and Arrow" by Kenshi Yonezu, is a beautiful song that has an icy and mystical vibe to it; meanwhile, "Atashi no Dress" by Neguse, the ending theme, is as cute as the visuals that are shown while it's playing. (That is to say, very cute.) The background music and the insert songs were also very good. My favorite is probably "Go For The Gold"; the scene where it was first played was probably the most captivating scene in the entire series, and the song played a large role in that with how absolutely gorgeous it was. With how good Medalist is already, that's an incredible feat. Although it doesn't feel right for me to rate it higher than I am, I can't deny that Medalist is a very good anime, and it's a worthy result of all of Tsurumaikada's hard work to make their dream come true. If you want a good coming of age story or just want to (at least partially) fill the void that the Yuri On Ice movie left with its cancellation, I highly recommend it. Let's just hope that the upcoming second season can keep Tsurumaikada's dream going strong!
MarlsMarsBars
03/29/2025, 02:43 PM
If Orb wasn't airing this season, this anime would've taken its place as the best, in my opinion. Medalist is a figure skating anime, and I honestly did not expect to like this show as much as I did. This series is very character-driven narratively, and I really like how “depressing” this show can be at times. Sometimes, sports anime like this can either be one of two things: overly intense and hype, or very cutesy. While Medalist can fall in the latter at times, I really like when the characters who are entering some level of training and competition are broken. I like that themain characters, Inori Yuitsuka and Tsukasa Akeuraji, are two characters who had some very troubled upbringings leading up to the events of this season. I like that their brokenness brings them closer emotionally and that they use that to fuel them throughout their development as figure skater and coach, respectively. I also like that Tsukasa isn't a seasoned coach like what most storylines of this nature consist of. While Tsukasa is an adult, he's still relatively young, given the age of the other adult characters in this series. Having Akeuraji be an inexperienced coach taking up a newcomer skater who started late is a really interesting student/mentor dynamic. we typically don’t see storytelling nowadays. For the most part, the mentor figure is an old but wise character who imparts the endless wisdom of their own life experiences to their pupils, but creating a dynamic where both the student and the teacher are learning as they go makes this narrative more interesting and unique. Speaking of, Inori herself is a really interesting character. Her struggles of wanting to skate while being faced with the circumstances that she is facing throughout the show are quite nuanced, especially the plotlines of her proving her doubters wrong. This show does employ a time skip, and while that might raise some concerns for the pacing, this narrative decision is done to naturally progress Inori’s progression as a figure skater without it feeling tedious and slow. The post-time skip episode leads us to a point in her character development that makes sense leading up to the time skip. This anime is great at naturally building characterization to the point where we can piece two and two together seamlessly without any or only minimal questions left. Another aspect that I want to point out about this show has to be just how well animated it is. Now, for most of the show, we get the standard and acceptable level of quality in animation. There's nothing wrong with this so far. However, once a character performs their program in a figure skating practice or competition, we get some very well animated 3D animation that fits so well with the nature of the show, elevating the figure skating aspect of this series to new heights. The tricky thing about utilizing 3D CGI elements in a primarily 2D environment is that it can look and feel jarring to anyone watching; 3D objects typically don’t blend well with a 2D setting. However, Medalist brings these two animation styles together so seamlessly by letting the CG scenes flourish in the figure skating scenes, which also help characterize the level of concentration and passion that both the characters put into their performances and the animators into their work. From my understanding, the production team for this show also did some motion capture from actual professional figure skaters, so blending that with some very well executed 3D animation makes this show that much more enjoyable to watch. I know most people are on the Solo Leveling hype train that has dominated Winter 2025, but both Medalist and Orb really need more of that spotlight from SL. This anime is so criminally underrated on quite a few of its most important aspects: characterization, narratives, and animation. Most people this season won't even give this show a second thought because it revolves around kids learning to figure skate, but pair some really compelling and unique character writing with some of the best 3D animation we've seen in a medium that otherwise shuns and looks down on that style of visualization, and you get a show that is very fun to watch. I can't wait to see more from Medalist moving forward.
whiteflame55
03/29/2025, 12:38 PM
I don’t really care about figure skating. The vast majority of my knowledge of the sport starts and ends with a ridiculous song about Brian Boitano from the South Park movie. I didn’t watch Yuri on Ice (I know, travesty), and the only times I’d watch figure skating would be when my wife was streaming that part of the Olympics (she’s a fan). So when I heard that Medalist, a manga about figure skating, was winning all the awards and was set to get an anime adaptation, I thought it might be interesting, but didn’t think much of it. Might be an opportunity to seesome solid sakuga with a decently strong “get better despite all the odds” narrative. …so how is this series so good? Why was it persistently in my top 5 for the season along with all the heavy hitters? It’s easy to just point to the excellent animation of its skating. CGI animation has come a long way over the years and the different skating styles of its many performers is on full display. Even as someone who just isn’t interested in it as a sport, it was dazzling to watch. I could also just chalk this up to being a good underdog story. The whole idea of having a character who is “past their prime” when it comes to starting figure skating (difficult to accept for an 11-year-old, though starting early is a must to join the upper echelons of many sports) demonstrate a combination of innate talent and a willingness to work hard and work smart to rise in the ranks is always going to draw audiences in. But let’s face it: the series would not work without the excellent cast. The characters truly make this experience. It is a breath of fresh air that they let the kids feel like actual kids, but it’s not just down to that. Obviously, the leads are it’s most elements. Inori doesn’t just feel like a kid, though: she’s got a lot of uncertainties and hang-ups juxtaposed with a real desire to succeed and prove herself. Searching for worms is a sort of comfort for her, a means to succeed at something that she knows she can do and get a tactile sensation that brings her calm, even if most people wouldn’t describe wriggling worms as calming. It also serves as a means to an end, necessary for the limited training she has before the series starts. She has to overcome a sense of dread, both from her and her mother, as they’ve had to experience her older sister’s successes in figure skating only for her hopes to be dashed by a sudden injury. And this doesn’t get glossed over or easily solved, as her mother not only wants to protect Inori from injury, but from the pain of going through so many trials and tribulations only to have them dashed in an instant. It’s great that she and not Tsukasa ends up being the one to convince both herself and her mother that she can do this, accepting both success and failure and coming out stronger for it, and her mother ends up strongly backing her despite continued reservations. Her drive to succeed pushes her to new heights and it’s great to see her believe so strongly in her coach and bounce back from missteps, something many of her fellow skaters struggle with. If I had to pick, though, Tsukasa is the character that stands tall as my favorite throughout. We don’t immediately learn of his background in pairs skating, the difficulties he had to overcome as someone much later to the sport, or his own feelings of inadequacy drilled into him over the years (the one I can most relate to), but we see hints of all that play out slowly over the course of the season. It’s exceedingly rare for a series to not just give us insight into the athletes, but their coaches and their struggles as well, and there’s a lot to appreciate in how it’s portrayed here. Even better is that, when confronted with someone who actively disparages his credentials in Riou, he wins him over not by wanting to prove himself, but in how well he understands his new pupil and his concerns. Tsukasa’s story could have been the focus of an anime all on its own, and it makes me want to learn more about what specifically happened towards the end of his short skating career. Though, of course, that isn’t here in this season. We’re not at the point where the real competition is at hand, even though we spent all season working toward it. If anything, though, I think it got there a little fast. I’d have preferred to see more of Inori’s incremental growth rather than skip past several levels in the middle. I think the promise of competition is more interesting than the reality of it, with Hikaru in the background serving as a supportive rival and showcasing the best skating in the show. In the interim, Inori had plenty of competition that served partly as a showcase for her growth and skills, and partially as lower bars for her to aspire towards. The nice part is that they’re all characters with personalities as well, and though we only get to know a few of them (shout out to Riou, Ryouka and Ema in particular), they’re faces I want to see again and again, as are their coaches (particularly love Yuudai, Mario and Shinichirou - man is deadpan even when he’s extremely emotional and it’s amazing). Really, only Jun Yodaka stands as a consistently antagonistic (if occasionally hilarious) foil to both our leads, and likely one of the highest bars they’ll have to reach in the future. So yes, this series slaps and I love it. Particular shout-out to that scene where Inori pours hot soup on both Jun and Tsukasa’s heads believing they died falling down the stairs. Pure comedy gold.
KANLen09
03/29/2025, 10:26 AM
Medalist — Simply…Truly, Madly, Deeply: Magnifique. As a performing arts major, I lament the landscape of the AniManga industry that produces a lot of garbage content and do not go the road less travelled because there is a handful of unique things to cover, especially when it comes to sports and the like. Sure, you have the likes of Haikyuu! and Slam Dunk! when it comes to basketball, or hell, even the Indian sport of kabaddi, which was covered by mangaka Hajime Musashino's Shakunetsu Kabaddi a.k.a Burning Kabaddi. Above all, when it comes to figure skating, we all already know MAPPA's Yuri!!! on Ice as themassive and popular series representing the sport, but did you know that there's another new contender in this aspect? If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then yes, it's the sports drama that is mangaka Tsurumaikada's Medalist, which since its serialization in May 2020, has gone on to be nominated for many awards and even won prestigious ones like the Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2023, as well as Kodansha's Manga Award for 2 years in a row in 2023 and 2024. That should tell you how great of a masterpiece the source material is, at least for Tsurumaikada's first ever work. And when it comes to ENGI's adaptation of the source material this Winter season, I have to say that it's an absolute cinema unlike anything you've ever seen (or since Yuri!!! on Ice). "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France A girl whose age is defined as "too old" to participate in a sport that should be cultivated since young and a man whose ambitions of trying his hardest to achieve victory turn short too many times that he's all but given up at this point. This is the remarkable underdog story of 11-year-old Inori Yuitsuka and Tsukasa Akeuraji, whose fate hangs in the balance against the known negatives in their way, where the two words "Give Up" resonate much of their current predicament, just as in Coldplay's song Fix You: "When you try your best, but you don't succeed." But as fate would have it, for the girl who dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater, and whose older sister failed in this once, leaving their mother in distress over plunging her funds into yet another child of theirs with much uncertainty, meets the man so keen on his competitive skating that winning is a bittersweet victory that's hard to come by, forms a partnership where it's a win-win solution for Inori, who is allowed to pursue her dreams before she hits middle school age, and Tsukasa, who against all odds, refuses to back down from fights of negativity and turns them into opportunities for the former to grow extensively. It's your typical underdog story, but it's done with so much heart and soul that you can feel it in your bones, every sense of it. "A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." - Colin Powell In fact, for such an esteemed work like this, you would think that the author him/herself must have the experience for all that's to be attributed to figure skating, right? You would be wrong. Born in Aichi Prefecture, the story takes place in Nagoya, where Tsurumaikada is from, and with no experience in the sport itself, he/she took on a month-long figure skating class held at Nagoya Sporta Centre in Osu in the Naka ward just to understand how the sport works before beginning to pen out Medalist in the way he/she likes it. This is truly motivational for someone going out of his/her way to write a work on something that not most people can or are willing to go to an extent to try out figure skating and, in more ways than one, sums up Tsurumaikada's own underdog story starting from scratch to then becoming the well-known author he/she is today. "A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." - Yoko Ono If anything, Medalist's strongest suit is in its characters, mainly due to the insanity of the strong and perfect chemistry of Inori and Tsukasa. Inori may be "too old" at 11 years of age, but her heart of wanting to be a world-class figure skater is a childhood dream that she's been longing for the longest time, and it instills in the kid within her that nothing is impossible in this world, so long as she can reach out with her hand to reach and fight for it with passion and sheer determination. Inori is like the daughter that most parents would want to have, simply because she's a kid at heart and someone that would chase for her dreams despite the world telling her otherwise. It's that "never give up" spirit that pushes her to the limit to conquer even the most difficult programs and routines that we find ourselves genuinely cheering on her for. Towards Tsukasa's end, it's in the same way as he sees his young self in Inori, being the young skater who's always on fire for wanting to be better, despite not making it to the podium and finding himself in training after training not just to get by but to prove the point that he still can make it. And this catalyst of Tsukasa is brought down to Inori with an obtuse, cheerful enthusiasm that "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me." The power of positivity that Tsukasa brings to the table is second to none, and the toxic phrase of "boys will be boys" exudes the now Inori's coach to greater heights, always challenging the perception against people that think that they have peaked and cannot go any further. Trust me, Inori and Tsukasa are like a father-daughter figure duo who always challenge the notion of "what's normal will never change," as they meet other skaters with reputations far greater than theirs and coaches who want nothing but the best for them, for better or for worse. It's a poignant message that stands the test of time to see the same message but from differing points of view from someone just starting out in the sport and the other having gone through the sport and overcoming his fears from the past to bring fruit to the present with the one who's just getting started. It's one hell of a poignant story with very relatable characters that you can't opt not to take your eyes away from them, not even a glimpse. In other words, any anime with scripts written by Jukki Hanada is a guaranteed masterpiece. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt The beauty of a wonderful adaptation is always sublime, that its presentation will stick with you for a very long time. And courtesy of director Yasutaka Yamamoto and the staff team at ENGI, I have to say that this is BY FAR one of the most beautiful depictions of the blend between 2D and 3DCG that the source material has ever gotten such an upgrade translating onto the small screen. More than realizing that Yasutaka Yamamoto had once directed yet another sports series, Fall 2018's Hinomaruzumou a.k.a Hinomaru Sumo (directed at professional sumo wrestling), it's clear that he understood the assignment going into Medalist, and the results speak for themselves. We used to chide Kadokawa's subsidiary studio ENGI for their depiction of messy and inconsistent 2D and 3DCG ever since the studio was founded in April 2018, but take one look at Medalist, and it shows a rather stark contrast of a passion project through and through, with no restrictions whatsoever. Even more so is the involvement of actual figure skaters choreographing the skating routines, with the help of retirees Akiko Suzuki (2013 Japanese national champion) and Yuhana Yokoi (2-time Japanese Junior national medalist) alongside active skater Hinano Isobe (2011 Triglav Cup winner). This shows how much blood, sweat, and tears went into the production of the anime, and it's such a rewarding payoff for fans of the manga going into the show, only to come out witnessing that the anime is the superior version of the source material. The OST composed by Yuki Hayashi is very well done and filled with emotions wrecking the very heart of the soul to oblivion. I'll admit that Kenshi Yonezu's OP song is rather fine, even if it fits the thematics of the show very well. Neguse's ED song, however, changes that rhythm into a childlike song with Inori and her love for earthworms (which is very sweet to see), and the song is really good. "Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream." - Khalil Gibran To say that Tsurumaikada's Medalist is one of the best Winter 2025 anime by miles and leaps, is just greatly underselling how much this show has done so much for its audience, just by a simple story, very compelling and relatable characters, and a message that while simple, is all the more influential and motivational for anyone being pissed off at life and its mundane records of living. You are what you breathe, and life isn't so limited that options for growth are limitless. I'll leave you with this quote that sums up Medalist in its tip-top shape: "Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be."- Joy Page
Marinate1016
03/29/2025, 10:20 AM
Since it first aired, it’s been Medalist and then a big gap between the rest of the competition this season. Not only is it anime of the season, but it’s one of the best sports anime of all time with one of the most inspirational protagonists I’ve ever seen and one of the most heartwarming teacher/student dynamics of all time. At its core, Medalist is a story about the positive impact that a great role model can have on a kid. Sometimes you can change someone’s life and give them an ideal to strive towards without even knowing. Inori and Tsukasa’s development and bond madeevery episode so fun to watch, but even more importantly this story speaks to the importance of never giving up on your dreams. It’s never too late to pursue your dreams and do the things you want to in life, no matter who may try to detract you, don’t give up. Inori you’re an inspiration to us all and I’m so glad I discovered this series! The inspirational nature of Medalist is really what endears it to so many. Inori getting into skating at 12, which is considered “old” in the world of figure skating, and quickly making her way up the ranks is such a good underdog story. Everyone likes seeing people beat the odds and become success stories afterall, but Inori isn’t just given anything. While she has raw talent, she lacks the polish that many of her peers have due to her late start. This means there’s quite literally a ton of growing pains in this series. Inori stumbles and falls, but what warms my heart is how she always gets back up. Even when she’s discouraged and doubts herself, that’s where our second protagonist, Tsukasa is right there to pick her back up. Medalist is as much Tsukasa’s story as it is Inori’s. They both have chips on their shoulders, started skating late and have been counted out because they don’t come from prestigious skating backgrounds. My favourite part of this dynamic is that while Tsukasa has been through failure and his career effectively ended by factors beyond his control, he doesn’t try to life vicariously through Inori. He never once forces anything on her or makes her uncomfortable. Everything he does is to support her and respect her agency. I absolutely loved this because it is the ideal adult teacher/child student relationship. Don’t tell kids what to think, but teach them how to think and encourage them to make their own choices that are best for them. This sort of coaching style only strengthens he and Inori’s relationship and emboldens her on the ice. When you have someone who you know will be there for you win, lose or draw, what do you have to fear? You can truly go out there and be yourself. I am also a huge fan of how Tsukasa gives Inori the courage to start standing up for herself whether it was to her mom or other kids her age, you see Inori gradually developing the same sort of fire that her coach has. I really could yap about this forever, but it’s easily the best part of medalist for me. No creepy fanservice or sexual innuendos, just a genuinely great older male figure who finds a girl at the perfect point and time in life and helps her become the best version of herself. I really knew next to nothing about ice skating coming into this show. I obviously knew the athletes were incredibly talented, but I had no idea the sheer amount of work, dedication, physical AND mental fortitude that went into this. Medalist has a cool way of showing how every skater’s style reflects their personality. Hikaru’s for example, is extremely refined and elegant, Inori’s showcases her raw talent and potential, but she’s also error prone because of her shorter training period. Other characters like Miké have more aggressive styles, it’s so cool and a reminder that figure skating is poetry in motion. Our body movements reflect our mental state. One of medalist’s greatest achievements is getting me interested in figure skating. I came for the yuri hype from manga readers and stayed for the sport. Speaking of yuri, this is my yuri on ice. Nothing overt yet, but there’s subtle hints that I’m hoping will go further in future chapters/seasons. For right now, Hikaru represents a goal, the summit of youth figure skating that Inori strives to each. But Inori’s optimism, freedom and raw talent is something that Hikaru who’s grown up in a rigid regiment aspires to have. I need more of them, even though they only had a few scenes together, they were great. Inori, like most sports anime MCs, just has a way of making everyone fall in love with her. We can’t talk about a sports anime without talking about how the actual sport performances look. Medalist easily has some of, if not the best 3DCGI I’ve ever seen. The skating performances are phenomenally choreographed and animated with a nice mix of 2D and 3D, extremely professional looking 3D I might add. It’s hard to believe the same studio that made Unnamed Memory made this show because it’s a night and day difference with the productions. Medalist is made with so much love and care and it shows in every twist, twirl and jump. I can’t sing enough praise for Medalist. I knew I’d like it just from the premise, but I didn’t expect to like it THIS much. Tsukasa and Inori’s relationship, the underdog story, the great performances, the yuri bait, Inori being a general derp and having some of the funniest faces imaginable all made me fall in love with this show. It’s inspiring, funny and a damn good anime in every sense. Even if you don’t know about ice skating or don’t even think it’s something you’d be interested in, I highly recommend giving this a spin because it’s got something for everyone. Medalist get an extremely easy 10 out of 10.

Medalist メダリスト

2025 winter | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.4 (22391)

Updated every Sundays at 01:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:TV Asahi | Kodansha | Glovision | Kadokawa

Streaming: Disney+ | Hulu

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Ootsuka, Takeo

Haruse, Natsumi

News

Reviews

portia77
04/22/2025, 06:58 PM
Medalist's MAL rating is a well-earned 8.3/10. I gave it a 9 mostly because it surpassed my expectations and ended with a strong finish. It's a great show with a lot of heart. I'd encourage you not to listen to a review from someone who couldn't be bothered to watch more than three episodes... 🙄 It definitely IS about skating, though you don't get to see Inori compete in the first few episodes (a ridiculous and meaningless benchmark for judging an anime, if you ask me). Medalist does a great job of representing girlhood and female friendship in Inori and her peers. She's endearing andloveable, alongside her charming and endlessly upbeat coach, Tsukasa. I would probably pick YoI's ice skating animation style over this, but the CGI didn't really bother me. I appreciated it for what it was. Medalist isn't likely to make the top ten anime for many people, but it's a great watch! Can't wait for season two.
Haustlaufivindi
04/12/2025, 04:47 AM
I am, to put it mildly, indifferent to figure skating, and I certainly don't find stories with little girls as the main characters fascinating. It is all the more surprising that I watched "Medalist" - a story about a little girl who is engaged in figure skating - with pleasure. For the main character, Inori, it all apparently began when her older sister took up figure skating. But formally, Inori was amazed by the performance of the young star of Japanese figure skating Hikaru, which she saw on TV. Inori, like any child, learns by imitation. So she wanted to learn figure skating, which her sisterwas fond of and which is so popular that its stars are shown on television. To learn and surpass! After all, in other respects the girl considered herself untalented and clumsy. The matter was complicated by the fact that the girl's mother, after the injury of her older daughter, which forced her to leave figure skating, was afraid that the same would happen to the younger one. That's why she didn't give the girl money to take up her expensive hobby. Her mother's neurotic overprotection nearly cost Inori her athletic career and self-confidence. However, Inori showed a special talent - persistence and even impudence, which allowed her to "bribe" the rink guard with worms for fishing and to train there herself for free. The second main character of the anime, Tsukasa, caught her illegally using the rink. The guy had a difficult life in figure skating. He started doing it very late - already as a young man, having accidentally found himself benevolent sponsors, he was not confident in himself and did not achieve any particular heights in his sport. Therefore, after the death of the sponsor, he increasingly got by with odd jobs as a laborer. Fortunately, his former ice dancing partner, Hitomi, offered him a temporary position as an assistant coach at the very rink where he found Inori on his first day. He was hooked by the determination of the girl, who also came to figure skating quite late, and he decided to help her. The plot of the story is quite intriguing and masterful - the viewer seems to come "to the rink" at the same time as these two underdogs, the girl and her coach. The viewer begins to grow "from scratch" with the two main characters, gradually getting drawn into the world of figure skating with its problems, rivalries and achievements. Both main characters demonstrate both professional and personal development in the course of the narrative. The dramaturgy of the story, although not without melodramatic exaggerations, is excellently constructed, involving the viewer and leading to the catharsis of "overcoming and achieving". The psychology of the jealous mothers who bring their children to figure scating is subtly noted, as well as the children themselves, both those who are involved only because their mother tells them to, and those who follow family traditions or are passionately interested in sports, like the main character. The work of a coach is interestingly revealed, often involving attention to detail, the need to overcome the desire to "clone and fulfill oneself" through young athletes and, instead, find a suitable, individual "key" to a trainee, depending on his character and motivation. Tsukasa's thoughts on giving Inori agency in making key decisions about the direction of her training in order to develop responsibility, independence, and individuality are also important as a life lesson. Therefore, the mangaka can only be given a big plus for the story and characters, as well as the animators who transferred everything to the screen. The quality of the narration is excellent. The animation of individual performances, especially Hikaru's performance, is simply outstanding. Without any exaggeration, I can say that "Medalist" is an excellent spokon. One of the best in recent times.
Chuy_diazz
04/01/2025, 07:31 PM
Medalist is something I didn't know I needed, but I'm grateful it was given to me. Initially, I thought this would have a very heavy dramatic weight and I would have to suffer and cry with the characters. I did end up crying, but not because of the exaggerated drama, but because of the conviction and determination shown by each and every one of the characters in Medalist. The story focuses on children; they are the main focus of this story. When working with children, everything becomes more complicated because you have to make childhood problems seem truly worrisome. To do this, it focuses on issueswe've all experienced: personal insecurity and the desire for change. These are two things that, as adults, we can resolve or continue to struggle with, but at the age of the children in this play, these are feelings that constantly haunt us. By presenting something we've all experienced, it's impossible not to empathize with, even if it's just one of the skaters. On the other hand, these aren't just children's problems; we also have adults with their own situations. From a coach who was denied the opportunity to fulfill his dream and now tries to motivate a girl with the same dream as him, but without resorting to trying to live vicariously through her. An overprotective mother who wants the best for her daughter but doesn't know how to achieve it. Everywhere you look in this story, you'll find a conversation, a scene, a gesture, a movement that you'll empathize with whether you want to or not. In the sports section, even if you know nothing about ice skating, everything you see will seem beautiful. I had no confidence in how ENGI had used CGI in previous works, but here they decided to take it seriously. Every choreography, every jump, every spin feels extremely fluid and delicate. This is something you don't appreciate until you see it a second time, because the first time you saw it, you were most likely enthralled by the routines. One very positive thing is that Medalist doesn't resort to the image of the arrogant, overbearing, or rude rival. It manages to generate and create rivalries between the children on the rink, but a genuine friendship off it. The anime tries to explain everything very well before starting a routine, and I can tell you, it's not necessary to have understood anything, because you'll still enjoy every move performed to the rhythm of the music. Figure skating never disappoints, and Medalist only reinforces that belief of mine.
darth_kaiser_x
03/31/2025, 04:56 PM
It's not my type of anime but I gave it a chance because people spoke highly of it, and it was worth giving it a chance, a story of effort and overcoming even in totally unfavorable conditions, charismatic characters and a protagonist who when we see her suffer hits that pang in the heart because she just wants to follow her dream even if deep down she thinks and others also think "my time has passed, it's too late for me", something that touches anyone who has been through this, Tsukasa is a total character, the great comic relief, if the anime reaches their adolescence,Riou will definitely be Inori's romantic partner if there is one, Jun is the antagonist and easily the most "detestable" in the work but he is the challenge that Tsukasa has to overcome, the animation is sensational and very well worked in every aspect, the 3D is barely felt during the animation but it is there in the key moments, I hope the second season is as good or better than the first, it is very worth watching
DragonKestrel
03/31/2025, 02:25 PM
Medalist is a manga published in 2020, written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada. It recently received an anime adaptation, which garnered significant attention due to its compelling characters, visually stunning performances, and powerful themes regarding the love of figure skating. The story follows aspiring figure skaters striving to become world figure skaters, capturing each character's insecurities, struggles, and motivations for skating. But more importantly, it focuses on Inori and Tsukasa's personal growth and how they challenge and inspire one another to push themselves to more fantastic and nearly impossible heights through their shared connection and love for the sport. While competition and public recognition or self-worth are prevalentin figure skating, Medalist emphasizes that there's more to the sport than just earning medals. It highlights the importance of the relationships and journeys that skaters experience. Overall, Medalist is an inspiring experience that leaves a long-lasting impression on its audience. With the recent announcement of season two, I look forward to seeing everyone back on the ice!
Supersonic_Pain
03/30/2025, 08:55 PM
Fantastic show with just a couple bumps I think the cast is very well-done. Tsukasa aside, the coaches are kinda whatever. I liked Ema's coach, Yudai Jakuzure, but tbqh none of the other coaches left much of an impact on me. There's one that has a more "traditional" antagonist role but he just kind of stands there ~menacingly~ for most of the show so *shrug*. Cast-wise, who I really want to talk about are the kids. I think Inori's really cute and a nice protagonist. She can be a bit of a pessimist when it comes to her own performances and capabilities but I never found it annoying,especially since Tsukasa is there. She and Tsukasa have a really good, nice coach-student dynamic going on, especially since you can see where Tsukasa is coming from. Doing shows with little kids in them is hard because you have to make them sound like little kids and not like some adult's writing the words they're saying. I personally never really felt that with Inori, she seemed like she was acting her age. I think Inori's attitude leads to the first thing that you could hold against Medalist: there's a lot of drama. I personally didn't mind, I found it a really moving anime, but especially the beginning when Inori has to convince her mom to let her skate can be gutwrenching and potentially even uncomfortable. I would say I teared up during at least half the episodes, it can be a very emotional anime when it wants to be. As for Tsukasa, I've heard complaints that in the Japanese dub, he's very screamy. I can see why, it could be annoying if you're particularly sensitive to that. I wasn't annoyed but I can see why someone would be. I think the side cast has some good characters too. Rioh comes into his own as a nice, strong character that can stand alongside Inori and Tsukasa. They kind of quickly build him up from "side character C", which is impressive in its own right. Hikaru is a nice, friendly rival and goal for Inori to reach, I like her a lot and think she has one of the best skating scenes in the show. My personal favorite, however, is Mittens (Ryoka Miketa). Her friendship with Inori is cute and I really liked her conflict. It made me really want to root for Mittens, not to mention for her to make stronger bonds with her friends and coach. Speaking of the skating, I'm kind of between two schools of thought about it. On one hand, it does look pretty good. I wouldn't say it's the best 3D animation I've ever seen but it looked pretty good and I was always excited to see another skating scene, even if it wasn't necessarily tied to a plot beat I was attached to. On the other hand, the rest of the show is in 2D. It always kind of threw me off/distracted me to see them suddenly go 3D for the skating when before and after, they'd be in 2D. It kind of announces out loud to the world that they either couldn't or didn't want to adapt the ice skating scenes into 2D. In a certain sort of way, even though I think the 2D animation is perfectly fine, I almost kind of wish the whole show was in 3D so at least the skating wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. My other big issue is there's a small timeskip which I guess it makes sense story-wise but even a montage covering that middle period would have been better than what they did. It feels like a lot of Inori's development was skipped over so they could hit a nice, clean ending for E13. I mean, she was already a decent skater right before the timeskip but I don't know, I was a little disappointed to see it existed. I do have my gripes with Medalist and I think there are a few more if you're less charitable to the show but I think it's a cute yet moving show. This was a show I picked out of the depths of the seasonals because it sounded at least a little interesting and it ended up being my AOTS. The kids are adorable and well-written, the skating is fun to see, I thought the drama was well-done (at least I was personally touched by it). If you're reading this review, I assume you're probably at least a little interested in Medalist. In that case, I say go for it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
iSakuraSnow
03/30/2025, 03:41 PM
Wow, I picked this show up because it's rated pretty well (8.4 as of now) so I wanted to see what the hype is about, but I fully expected to drop it because I don't know anything about ice skating. I did NOT expect to be teary from this series, but I did. Story: 8/10 Good story. Teaches a good life lesson. Was paced really well, keeping the series interesting and not boring. Characters: 9/10 Great character development!! The director did a good job at introducing all the characters, even the side characters. Although the focus was definitely on the MCs/duo, they still gave backstories on some ofthe side characters e.g. Rioh, which made me really get to know them and want to root for them during the competitions. There are still a few mystery characters yet to be developed though, so hopefully they do that in season 2. Art: 8/10 Interesting switching between 2D and 3D, which took a bit of getting used to. The 2D is great - the studio does such a great job at putting emotions into the characters faces and eyes! The 3D is good - they use this to animate the ice skating, and it seems to be pretty accurate / true to life. Acting: 9/10 The director casted the roles very well. They definitely presented the characters well. Overall, I recommend this show - give it a try, even if you don't know anything about ice skating because I didn't either, but I still enjoyed it!
Cynthesia
03/30/2025, 03:08 PM
Wasted potential. Medalist is a show that holds so much potential but ends up fumbling the execution of pivotal moments resulting in an experience that leaves me conflicted. All of the pieces are there. Great characters, an engaging plot, interesting subject matter and drama , if only it were handled with slightly more care it could have been one of the greats. Medalist features the best rags to riches story that you can imagine. Inori starts from below zero. Her entire life has been defined by belittlement, rejection, and failure. She's outcast from not only society but her own family and completely rejects any meaningin her life. That is, until she meets Tsukasa, who is so enamored with her skating ability that he vows to bring her to the top despite what she's been told her entire life. Tsukasa and Inori's relationship is the crux of this anime's appeal. They have such incredible chemistry and love for each other that you can't help but smile whenever they put each other on the highest of pedestals. The value of a positive role model cannot be overstated, Tsukasa is a man who brings out 200% in anyone he sets his sights on. Not through overwork or strict training regimens, but rather through unrelenting torrents of praise and suggestion. And just as he brings out the best in Inori, she brings out the best in him. Through watching her progress, Tsukasa realizes that he isn't the failure that he's deemed himself to be. Their relationship is truly something special and a joy to watch unfold on the screen. They aren't the only characters in the show of course. For the most part they do fine. Rioh is the strongest, being introduced in the back half of the show and receiving the most development of any of them. Just like Tsukasa and Inori he's deemed a failure because of his inability to shape up to the best of the best. Of course this is entirely self proclaimed and watching Tsukasa work his magic on him, although to a lesser degree than Inori, is very charming and hammers in the importance of positive role models. Hikaru is the virtuoso endgame rival character. She's nice, doesn't really contribute overall but serves well as an end goal for Inori. Mittens is a decent early rival character, she gets better with time. Other characters definitely do exist but ultimately are sidelined to focus on Inori and Tsukasa's relationship which is a good choice as it's easily the strongest aspect. They mostly behave as you would expect children to do, with all of their issues essentially stemming from typical melodrama that you would expect from an immature mind. They serve their purposes well as rivals but don't go much beyond that after their performances. Speaking about the performances, this is probably the most polarizing aspect of Medalist. I fall slightly in the middle camp although I lean more towards the "it doesn't look great" side, and this is where the majority of my disappointment with the show comes from. On one hand, it's understandable that they would choose to use CG for the figure skating portions. Not only is figure skating incredibly complicated but CG can allow for a much more fluid full body feel as it's generally much more naturally smoothed out. There's certainly good looking CG so it's not an inherently bad decision to use it. Unfortunately, Studio Engi didn't nail it. The models look pretty gross, especially when using their performance outfits. They really stick out on the ice and it creates this very mannequin-esque feel to their movements. Similarly the performances are not all that smooth. This is most apparent whenever they have to perform any kind of spin, which only becomes more prevalent as Inori's skill level increases. Rather than incorporate an entire 360 degree rotation they simply chopped together 4 90 degree rotations and loop it which makes for a very choppy looking experience. The general movement ends up looking fine but whenever they have to perform anything with any technicality it ends up falling short. This severely limits the potential impact of the performances which are the key highlight of the show. Climactic moments are equally hindered as they either rush into them or don't provide them enough time to build tension which also ruins their impact. This is easily the worst part of the show, and it happens to be the most important one. Similarly, some dramatic moments outside of the rink are handled somewhat poorly. This is more of an issue in the first half of the show rather than the second. Inori and Tsukasa's backstory feels a little glossed over and their relationship develops at lightning speed as they try to get onto the rink as fast as possible. As Inori is someone with massive trust issues and negative self confidence this doesn't really make sense and I would have appreciated it if they went a little more in depth. This can be somewhat excused as they only have 13 episodes to work with and clearly don't want to sacrifice more than they already, clearly, have from Inori's development on the rink. With regards to Tsukasa's backstory it ends up being mostly reduced to a bullet point form and doesn't receive any major focus in the show. This ends up detracting a little from Tsukasa's overall character as it's not entirely convincing why he believes he's a failure but this isn't so much of a major disappointment as it is a source of mild dissatisfaction. The pieces are there for Medalist, and maybe I'm being a bit too harsh. But when you present something with so much potential and then end up consistently missing the mark when it matters most it creates such a strong feeling of disappointment than if the difference of potential and execution were smaller. Medalist is certainly a fantastic drama, featuring a strong cast who all go through massive growth and a clear love for the sport that it's depicting. If only it were able to nail those pivotal moments.
MightyJou
03/30/2025, 09:46 AM
A man who gave up his dream and a girl afraid to chase hers. He is by nature serious, loud and energetic. She is shy, quiet and deeply insecure. One could see this mix to only end in a disaster, but what if they are meant to bring out the best from each other? This is essentially important in a relationship of a coach and an athlete who both aim to the top, who aim for the medal. Child athletes and their struggles are a subject that barely get any coverage, mainly ´cause it might be a bit hard to handle. "Medalist" however deserves full-marks incharacter presentation, story-telling and sports performances as it takes a look at a figure skating and what goes around it. Handful of child characters, their thoughts and hard work are presented beautifully in the performances they give in the icy ring leaving us viewers hold our breaths during every hop, leap and spin they make while we are hoping to see all of them succeed. We are given via different trials a very real picture of what is happening inside the head of a 11 year old child who wants to aim to the top. Even better is that we get to see it from viewpoints of many different kinds of characters. We have geniuses, hardest workers in the room and late bloomers looking for that one chance. These are groups of people even experienced artist might have problems of keeping at least somewhat interesting not to mention unique, yet after only 13 episodes it is safe to say that Tsurumaikada-sensei succeeded to bring out what was needed on the paper and from that Studio ENGI brought it to TV-screens to enjoy. This is essentially a show about kids so keeping the focus on them and not treating them as extras was always the right move and thus gives respect to those young athletes who aim to the top while giving us a gentle reminder that even tho they are kids they are humans too. If you are looking for a sports anime, appreciate a bit over the top reactions especially in the humor department and don´t mind characters that might remind youself in your youth, give this one a go. Even if those qualities are unnecessary this is regardless a very well made show with a lot of re-watch value.
BerryBlitz
03/30/2025, 12:24 AM
Medalist delivers an emotionally powerful and beautifully crafted story about passion, determination, and the bond between a coach and his young student. Centered around the world of figure skating, the series follows Tsukasa, a former skater with shattered dreams, and Inori, a young girl with limitless potential but no support. Together, they take on the harsh and competitive world of professional skating, forming a partnership that is as heartwarming as it is inspiring. The narrative is both emotionally charged and incredibly motivating. It perfectly captures the struggles of pursuing a dream, with realistic depictions of the challenges and sacrifices involved in competitive sports. Therelationship between Tsukasa and Inori is the heart of the story, showcasing themes of mentorship, trust, and resilience. The pacing is excellent, balancing intense competition scenes with quieter, heartfelt moments that give the characters room to breathe and develop. Inori is an exceptionally lovable and inspiring protagonist. Her determination and unwavering spirit, despite constant setbacks, make her journey deeply moving. Tsukasa is equally compelling, with his own personal struggles and redemption arc adding emotional weight. The dynamic between them is genuine and touching, creating one of the most memorable mentor-student relationships in recent anime. The supporting cast, including rival skaters and coaches, adds depth and realism to the competitive world, making the stakes feel genuine. The animation is absolutely stunning, with fluid and graceful skating sequences that capture the beauty and precision of the sport. The character designs are expressive, and the attention to detail in the choreography and ice effects is mesmerizing. The use of lighting and camera angles during the performances makes the scenes feel dynamic and immersive. The soundtrack perfectly complements the emotional highs and lows of the series. The opening and ending themes are both memorable, capturing the hopeful and bittersweet tone of the story. The background music during the skating performances enhances the emotional impact, making the routines feel breathtaking and powerful. Medalist is a beautifully crafted sports anime that goes beyond the genre, offering a touching story about perseverance, mentorship, and the pursuit of dreams. With its compelling characters, stunning animation, and emotional storytelling, it stands out as the best anime of the season.
5iv3_
03/29/2025, 08:16 PM
I'll be honest, I was a little iffy with this show before it came out as ENGI is known for not having the best track record, HOWEVER I believe they've sorta redeemed themselves with this show because it was really great. I thought I'd have an issue with the CGI but it actually looked pretty good and worked really well here. I feel my worries weren't completely unwarranted but I'm glad this turned out much better that I anticipated. I love figure skating as a sport so seeing more and more anime crop up about the topic always makes me happy, and I really thoughtthis show did a good job explaining a bunch of technical terms within the sport while also balancing the essential plot for the show. Having our mains connect over a similar problem and learn to compensate through each other was such a beautiful experience. I really feel for these characters. The emotional moments in this series were really well done too cause I caught myself choking up a bit seeing them struggle. Kinda hurts ❤️‍🩹. Overall, It was a really wonderful show. I definitely feel that Medalist was a definite stand out for the Winter Season. I'm eagerly awaiting Season 2 to see where it goes from here! :)
MidniteAndBeyond
03/29/2025, 05:26 PM
This is currently my anime of the year. This is currently one of my favorite shows of all time. This was so unbelievably perfect in every single way. It had me hooked from episode 1 and in tears all the way to the very end. It's a beautiful story about never giving up on your dreams, but also finding the people who believe in you and want to support you and ensure you never feel hopeless or alone in the world. It's astonishing how one's life path can be completely determined by the support system they have in their childhood. Some dreams are never achievedbecause of lost time that can never be reclaimed. While someone on the brink of despair can be saved and have their whole life turned around all because of ONE person who saw something in them that they weren't able to see in themselves, anymore. But regardless of what was lost and what past life you were were dealt in the past, there's always a path forward. It may not be the one you set out for, but the ability to see your dreams through and smile after loss and hardship will always be attainable. This show spoke to me on such a deep, personal level. That will always be the defining factor in what makes a show an all time favorite for me. It wasn't just because the characters were fantastic or because the music was amazing or because the animation was spectacular. It was because I saw both past and present versions of myself on screen and was able to learn lessons alongside the characters that can lead to a path forward, towards a brighter future in my real life. There's simply no feeling more powerful than seeing yourself in a creative work. If you're feeling lost, burnt out, or alone in your passions, please watch this show. It was such a healing experience for me and I'm thrilled to know that there's still more to come in the future. I don't know if this show will be surpassed by the end of the year, but the impact it had on me is one that will last a lifetime. 10/10
8bitEcho
03/29/2025, 03:50 PM
Please do not skip out on this. Especially if your decision is based on the numerous reviews and comments left by manga readers. What many of the vocal ones of them seem to not understand is that its never going to be as magical to experience a story told as beautifully as medalist a second time. from the score, to the acting to, to the choreography to the gags, every piece of this story and its production ooze passion. Both for the sport of figure skating and the narrative of striving to persevere even when you don't believe you can achieve even the basics ofwhat may be your dream. Characters both adult and child alike are written masterfully, the problems they face are realistic and approached not with unbearable naivete from the younger than average cast nor are they bogged down by stupid unrealistic leaps in logic by the adults. every one reacts to things in a way that you'd imagine yourself reacting to at those ages, as real problems with solutions that while not always obvious can be achieved with careful planning and communication. Repeatedly the children will surprise their coaches in how they're developing and when they fail the show treats these challenges as stumbles that its the adults role to help them move past but it doesn't brush them aside as unimportant because when a child feels like they put their all into something and they fail it can be soul destroying for them. in medalist they will use these feelings to show that perhaps the coach empathizes with them too having watch them try so hard and not reach their goal and then explain that that's how they feel to the child because children DO understand that. They have the same problems as adults, but they just process them differently and the story shows how that affects them well. What I can say is, if you have even the slightest interest in the story based on whats been seen or said about it, but are avoiding doing so because you've been lead under the false pretense that its a "bad adaptation" you should give it a real honest shot. If you ave no context I can assure you that it is a wonderful watch with rich characters and believable drama. AND if you still cant bring yourself to watch it after hearing that, then go read it! Medalist is a story that deserves to be experienced. It deserves to be talked about more and it deserves every flower it earns.
HidamariSeashore
03/29/2025, 02:54 PM
It's kind of funny how this story about striving to make a wholesome dream come true came from someone with a wholesome dream of their own. Tsurumaikada, a doujinshi artist and fan of voice actress Natsumi Haruse, once declared on Twitter that they wanted to one day draw a figure skating manga that would get an anime adaptation starring Natsumi Haruse. If that were me, I would have left it at that, saying that that would be nice, but Tsurumaikada actually took steps to make their dream come true, even taking ice skating classes for research. This all resulted in the serialization of "Medalist", amanga that quickly gained the adoration of readers and even won some awards, including the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2023. This year, Tsurumaikada's dream finally came true with the release of the Medalist anime, but was pursuing this dream really worth it in the end? Let's find out. Medalist begins when Tsukasa Akeuraji, a former ice dancer whose dreams of being a solo figure skater never truly got off the ground due to him starting late in life, starts working as an assistant skating coach at an ice skating rink. There, he meets Inori Yuitsuka, a fifth-grader with figure skating dreams of her own. However, due to her mother not letting her pursue figure skating and people her age being considered "too old" to start, anyway, Inori doesn't have the self-confidence to go beyond secretly practicing at the ice rink. Tsukasa sees great potential in Inori, however, and not wanting to see her give up like he did, he agrees to become her coach. Together, they overcome various challenges and work toward Inori's ultimate goal: to become an Olympic gold medalist. The story told in Medalist is a very inspiring one with a strong message of "It's never too late to go for your dreams". Not the most original message, I know, but a good one, nonetheless. I've never had any interest in figure skating - I struggle with roller skating, so forget figure skating - yet seeing Inori and other characters skate almost makes me want to try; that's how inspirational it is. I do have one major gripe with the story, and it's a time skip that happens partway through the series. It made me feel like I skipped some episodes with some really important plot developments, although I guess adding the events that were skipped might have created a repetitive storyline. I said that Medalist is an inspiring anime, but I don't think I would have said that if the characters were unlikable. I absolutely loved Inori as a character; the way she was so hard on herself in the beginning was very heartbreaking (and sadly relatable), which made it all the more satisfying to see her gain some confidence and really come into her own. Plus, her interactions with other characters, especially her fellow figure skaters, are pretty fun. As for her coach, Tsukasa, I also really liked him and the coach-and-student bond he formed with Inori, and the parts of his backstory that we get are pretty sad. There are also a plethora of supporting characters who are varying degrees of likable. Even Inori's mother becomes more likable as she becomes more supportive of her daughter, and she actually has an understandable reason for her initial reluctance to let Inori pursue figure skating. When I found out that Medalist was being animated by ENGI, I'll admit that I was a little bit concerned. As some in the anime community know, ENGI isn't exactly known for producing high-quality anime; even their arguably best-known work, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out, is okay at best animation-wise. (Same goes for other aspects of that series, but that's not the point.) Luckily, the animation quality here is very good. Most of the series is 2-D animated, and it looks very colorful and well-animated. However, during figure skating routines, CG animation is used for whichever character is doing the routine, which may scare some people off; I would like to bring those people back by saying the CG animation is very fluid. It is jarring when the series switches from one animation style to the other - which it does quite a bit to show other characters' reactions to a skating routine - but it's not too bad once you get used to it. So, uh.... I may have mentioned Inori's Japanese voice actress at the beginning of this review, but since I could only find the English dub when I searched for Medalist on Disney+, I had to watch that version; thus, I can't really comment on Natsume Haruse's voice performance or that of the rest of the Japanese cast. Maybe I should have just watched it on Hulu.... Anyway, it turned out to be a mostly solid dub, with Madeline Dorroh being a suitable enough fit for Inori. However, I would like to advise Grace Lu, the English voice actress for Hikaru Kamisaki, to be more careful about where she records her lines, as there was a scene in episode 2 where her voice sounded echo-y in a way that felt unintentional. Her other voiced lines sounded fine to me, but that particular scene seemed like it was supposed to be more impactful than it was for me due to the echoes in Hikaru's voice distracting me. Given how figure skaters perform with music playing, it's reasonable to expect the music in Medalist to be good, and luckily, it delivers. The opening theme, "Bow and Arrow" by Kenshi Yonezu, is a beautiful song that has an icy and mystical vibe to it; meanwhile, "Atashi no Dress" by Neguse, the ending theme, is as cute as the visuals that are shown while it's playing. (That is to say, very cute.) The background music and the insert songs were also very good. My favorite is probably "Go For The Gold"; the scene where it was first played was probably the most captivating scene in the entire series, and the song played a large role in that with how absolutely gorgeous it was. With how good Medalist is already, that's an incredible feat. Although it doesn't feel right for me to rate it higher than I am, I can't deny that Medalist is a very good anime, and it's a worthy result of all of Tsurumaikada's hard work to make their dream come true. If you want a good coming of age story or just want to (at least partially) fill the void that the Yuri On Ice movie left with its cancellation, I highly recommend it. Let's just hope that the upcoming second season can keep Tsurumaikada's dream going strong!
MarlsMarsBars
03/29/2025, 02:43 PM
If Orb wasn't airing this season, this anime would've taken its place as the best, in my opinion. Medalist is a figure skating anime, and I honestly did not expect to like this show as much as I did. This series is very character-driven narratively, and I really like how “depressing” this show can be at times. Sometimes, sports anime like this can either be one of two things: overly intense and hype, or very cutesy. While Medalist can fall in the latter at times, I really like when the characters who are entering some level of training and competition are broken. I like that themain characters, Inori Yuitsuka and Tsukasa Akeuraji, are two characters who had some very troubled upbringings leading up to the events of this season. I like that their brokenness brings them closer emotionally and that they use that to fuel them throughout their development as figure skater and coach, respectively. I also like that Tsukasa isn't a seasoned coach like what most storylines of this nature consist of. While Tsukasa is an adult, he's still relatively young, given the age of the other adult characters in this series. Having Akeuraji be an inexperienced coach taking up a newcomer skater who started late is a really interesting student/mentor dynamic. we typically don’t see storytelling nowadays. For the most part, the mentor figure is an old but wise character who imparts the endless wisdom of their own life experiences to their pupils, but creating a dynamic where both the student and the teacher are learning as they go makes this narrative more interesting and unique. Speaking of, Inori herself is a really interesting character. Her struggles of wanting to skate while being faced with the circumstances that she is facing throughout the show are quite nuanced, especially the plotlines of her proving her doubters wrong. This show does employ a time skip, and while that might raise some concerns for the pacing, this narrative decision is done to naturally progress Inori’s progression as a figure skater without it feeling tedious and slow. The post-time skip episode leads us to a point in her character development that makes sense leading up to the time skip. This anime is great at naturally building characterization to the point where we can piece two and two together seamlessly without any or only minimal questions left. Another aspect that I want to point out about this show has to be just how well animated it is. Now, for most of the show, we get the standard and acceptable level of quality in animation. There's nothing wrong with this so far. However, once a character performs their program in a figure skating practice or competition, we get some very well animated 3D animation that fits so well with the nature of the show, elevating the figure skating aspect of this series to new heights. The tricky thing about utilizing 3D CGI elements in a primarily 2D environment is that it can look and feel jarring to anyone watching; 3D objects typically don’t blend well with a 2D setting. However, Medalist brings these two animation styles together so seamlessly by letting the CG scenes flourish in the figure skating scenes, which also help characterize the level of concentration and passion that both the characters put into their performances and the animators into their work. From my understanding, the production team for this show also did some motion capture from actual professional figure skaters, so blending that with some very well executed 3D animation makes this show that much more enjoyable to watch. I know most people are on the Solo Leveling hype train that has dominated Winter 2025, but both Medalist and Orb really need more of that spotlight from SL. This anime is so criminally underrated on quite a few of its most important aspects: characterization, narratives, and animation. Most people this season won't even give this show a second thought because it revolves around kids learning to figure skate, but pair some really compelling and unique character writing with some of the best 3D animation we've seen in a medium that otherwise shuns and looks down on that style of visualization, and you get a show that is very fun to watch. I can't wait to see more from Medalist moving forward.
whiteflame55
03/29/2025, 12:38 PM
I don’t really care about figure skating. The vast majority of my knowledge of the sport starts and ends with a ridiculous song about Brian Boitano from the South Park movie. I didn’t watch Yuri on Ice (I know, travesty), and the only times I’d watch figure skating would be when my wife was streaming that part of the Olympics (she’s a fan). So when I heard that Medalist, a manga about figure skating, was winning all the awards and was set to get an anime adaptation, I thought it might be interesting, but didn’t think much of it. Might be an opportunity to seesome solid sakuga with a decently strong “get better despite all the odds” narrative. …so how is this series so good? Why was it persistently in my top 5 for the season along with all the heavy hitters? It’s easy to just point to the excellent animation of its skating. CGI animation has come a long way over the years and the different skating styles of its many performers is on full display. Even as someone who just isn’t interested in it as a sport, it was dazzling to watch. I could also just chalk this up to being a good underdog story. The whole idea of having a character who is “past their prime” when it comes to starting figure skating (difficult to accept for an 11-year-old, though starting early is a must to join the upper echelons of many sports) demonstrate a combination of innate talent and a willingness to work hard and work smart to rise in the ranks is always going to draw audiences in. But let’s face it: the series would not work without the excellent cast. The characters truly make this experience. It is a breath of fresh air that they let the kids feel like actual kids, but it’s not just down to that. Obviously, the leads are it’s most elements. Inori doesn’t just feel like a kid, though: she’s got a lot of uncertainties and hang-ups juxtaposed with a real desire to succeed and prove herself. Searching for worms is a sort of comfort for her, a means to succeed at something that she knows she can do and get a tactile sensation that brings her calm, even if most people wouldn’t describe wriggling worms as calming. It also serves as a means to an end, necessary for the limited training she has before the series starts. She has to overcome a sense of dread, both from her and her mother, as they’ve had to experience her older sister’s successes in figure skating only for her hopes to be dashed by a sudden injury. And this doesn’t get glossed over or easily solved, as her mother not only wants to protect Inori from injury, but from the pain of going through so many trials and tribulations only to have them dashed in an instant. It’s great that she and not Tsukasa ends up being the one to convince both herself and her mother that she can do this, accepting both success and failure and coming out stronger for it, and her mother ends up strongly backing her despite continued reservations. Her drive to succeed pushes her to new heights and it’s great to see her believe so strongly in her coach and bounce back from missteps, something many of her fellow skaters struggle with. If I had to pick, though, Tsukasa is the character that stands tall as my favorite throughout. We don’t immediately learn of his background in pairs skating, the difficulties he had to overcome as someone much later to the sport, or his own feelings of inadequacy drilled into him over the years (the one I can most relate to), but we see hints of all that play out slowly over the course of the season. It’s exceedingly rare for a series to not just give us insight into the athletes, but their coaches and their struggles as well, and there’s a lot to appreciate in how it’s portrayed here. Even better is that, when confronted with someone who actively disparages his credentials in Riou, he wins him over not by wanting to prove himself, but in how well he understands his new pupil and his concerns. Tsukasa’s story could have been the focus of an anime all on its own, and it makes me want to learn more about what specifically happened towards the end of his short skating career. Though, of course, that isn’t here in this season. We’re not at the point where the real competition is at hand, even though we spent all season working toward it. If anything, though, I think it got there a little fast. I’d have preferred to see more of Inori’s incremental growth rather than skip past several levels in the middle. I think the promise of competition is more interesting than the reality of it, with Hikaru in the background serving as a supportive rival and showcasing the best skating in the show. In the interim, Inori had plenty of competition that served partly as a showcase for her growth and skills, and partially as lower bars for her to aspire towards. The nice part is that they’re all characters with personalities as well, and though we only get to know a few of them (shout out to Riou, Ryouka and Ema in particular), they’re faces I want to see again and again, as are their coaches (particularly love Yuudai, Mario and Shinichirou - man is deadpan even when he’s extremely emotional and it’s amazing). Really, only Jun Yodaka stands as a consistently antagonistic (if occasionally hilarious) foil to both our leads, and likely one of the highest bars they’ll have to reach in the future. So yes, this series slaps and I love it. Particular shout-out to that scene where Inori pours hot soup on both Jun and Tsukasa’s heads believing they died falling down the stairs. Pure comedy gold.
KANLen09
03/29/2025, 10:26 AM
Medalist — Simply…Truly, Madly, Deeply: Magnifique. As a performing arts major, I lament the landscape of the AniManga industry that produces a lot of garbage content and do not go the road less travelled because there is a handful of unique things to cover, especially when it comes to sports and the like. Sure, you have the likes of Haikyuu! and Slam Dunk! when it comes to basketball, or hell, even the Indian sport of kabaddi, which was covered by mangaka Hajime Musashino's Shakunetsu Kabaddi a.k.a Burning Kabaddi. Above all, when it comes to figure skating, we all already know MAPPA's Yuri!!! on Ice as themassive and popular series representing the sport, but did you know that there's another new contender in this aspect? If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then yes, it's the sports drama that is mangaka Tsurumaikada's Medalist, which since its serialization in May 2020, has gone on to be nominated for many awards and even won prestigious ones like the Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2023, as well as Kodansha's Manga Award for 2 years in a row in 2023 and 2024. That should tell you how great of a masterpiece the source material is, at least for Tsurumaikada's first ever work. And when it comes to ENGI's adaptation of the source material this Winter season, I have to say that it's an absolute cinema unlike anything you've ever seen (or since Yuri!!! on Ice). "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France A girl whose age is defined as "too old" to participate in a sport that should be cultivated since young and a man whose ambitions of trying his hardest to achieve victory turn short too many times that he's all but given up at this point. This is the remarkable underdog story of 11-year-old Inori Yuitsuka and Tsukasa Akeuraji, whose fate hangs in the balance against the known negatives in their way, where the two words "Give Up" resonate much of their current predicament, just as in Coldplay's song Fix You: "When you try your best, but you don't succeed." But as fate would have it, for the girl who dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater, and whose older sister failed in this once, leaving their mother in distress over plunging her funds into yet another child of theirs with much uncertainty, meets the man so keen on his competitive skating that winning is a bittersweet victory that's hard to come by, forms a partnership where it's a win-win solution for Inori, who is allowed to pursue her dreams before she hits middle school age, and Tsukasa, who against all odds, refuses to back down from fights of negativity and turns them into opportunities for the former to grow extensively. It's your typical underdog story, but it's done with so much heart and soul that you can feel it in your bones, every sense of it. "A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." - Colin Powell In fact, for such an esteemed work like this, you would think that the author him/herself must have the experience for all that's to be attributed to figure skating, right? You would be wrong. Born in Aichi Prefecture, the story takes place in Nagoya, where Tsurumaikada is from, and with no experience in the sport itself, he/she took on a month-long figure skating class held at Nagoya Sporta Centre in Osu in the Naka ward just to understand how the sport works before beginning to pen out Medalist in the way he/she likes it. This is truly motivational for someone going out of his/her way to write a work on something that not most people can or are willing to go to an extent to try out figure skating and, in more ways than one, sums up Tsurumaikada's own underdog story starting from scratch to then becoming the well-known author he/she is today. "A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." - Yoko Ono If anything, Medalist's strongest suit is in its characters, mainly due to the insanity of the strong and perfect chemistry of Inori and Tsukasa. Inori may be "too old" at 11 years of age, but her heart of wanting to be a world-class figure skater is a childhood dream that she's been longing for the longest time, and it instills in the kid within her that nothing is impossible in this world, so long as she can reach out with her hand to reach and fight for it with passion and sheer determination. Inori is like the daughter that most parents would want to have, simply because she's a kid at heart and someone that would chase for her dreams despite the world telling her otherwise. It's that "never give up" spirit that pushes her to the limit to conquer even the most difficult programs and routines that we find ourselves genuinely cheering on her for. Towards Tsukasa's end, it's in the same way as he sees his young self in Inori, being the young skater who's always on fire for wanting to be better, despite not making it to the podium and finding himself in training after training not just to get by but to prove the point that he still can make it. And this catalyst of Tsukasa is brought down to Inori with an obtuse, cheerful enthusiasm that "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me." The power of positivity that Tsukasa brings to the table is second to none, and the toxic phrase of "boys will be boys" exudes the now Inori's coach to greater heights, always challenging the perception against people that think that they have peaked and cannot go any further. Trust me, Inori and Tsukasa are like a father-daughter figure duo who always challenge the notion of "what's normal will never change," as they meet other skaters with reputations far greater than theirs and coaches who want nothing but the best for them, for better or for worse. It's a poignant message that stands the test of time to see the same message but from differing points of view from someone just starting out in the sport and the other having gone through the sport and overcoming his fears from the past to bring fruit to the present with the one who's just getting started. It's one hell of a poignant story with very relatable characters that you can't opt not to take your eyes away from them, not even a glimpse. In other words, any anime with scripts written by Jukki Hanada is a guaranteed masterpiece. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt The beauty of a wonderful adaptation is always sublime, that its presentation will stick with you for a very long time. And courtesy of director Yasutaka Yamamoto and the staff team at ENGI, I have to say that this is BY FAR one of the most beautiful depictions of the blend between 2D and 3DCG that the source material has ever gotten such an upgrade translating onto the small screen. More than realizing that Yasutaka Yamamoto had once directed yet another sports series, Fall 2018's Hinomaruzumou a.k.a Hinomaru Sumo (directed at professional sumo wrestling), it's clear that he understood the assignment going into Medalist, and the results speak for themselves. We used to chide Kadokawa's subsidiary studio ENGI for their depiction of messy and inconsistent 2D and 3DCG ever since the studio was founded in April 2018, but take one look at Medalist, and it shows a rather stark contrast of a passion project through and through, with no restrictions whatsoever. Even more so is the involvement of actual figure skaters choreographing the skating routines, with the help of retirees Akiko Suzuki (2013 Japanese national champion) and Yuhana Yokoi (2-time Japanese Junior national medalist) alongside active skater Hinano Isobe (2011 Triglav Cup winner). This shows how much blood, sweat, and tears went into the production of the anime, and it's such a rewarding payoff for fans of the manga going into the show, only to come out witnessing that the anime is the superior version of the source material. The OST composed by Yuki Hayashi is very well done and filled with emotions wrecking the very heart of the soul to oblivion. I'll admit that Kenshi Yonezu's OP song is rather fine, even if it fits the thematics of the show very well. Neguse's ED song, however, changes that rhythm into a childlike song with Inori and her love for earthworms (which is very sweet to see), and the song is really good. "Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream." - Khalil Gibran To say that Tsurumaikada's Medalist is one of the best Winter 2025 anime by miles and leaps, is just greatly underselling how much this show has done so much for its audience, just by a simple story, very compelling and relatable characters, and a message that while simple, is all the more influential and motivational for anyone being pissed off at life and its mundane records of living. You are what you breathe, and life isn't so limited that options for growth are limitless. I'll leave you with this quote that sums up Medalist in its tip-top shape: "Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be."- Joy Page
Marinate1016
03/29/2025, 10:20 AM
Since it first aired, it’s been Medalist and then a big gap between the rest of the competition this season. Not only is it anime of the season, but it’s one of the best sports anime of all time with one of the most inspirational protagonists I’ve ever seen and one of the most heartwarming teacher/student dynamics of all time. At its core, Medalist is a story about the positive impact that a great role model can have on a kid. Sometimes you can change someone’s life and give them an ideal to strive towards without even knowing. Inori and Tsukasa’s development and bond madeevery episode so fun to watch, but even more importantly this story speaks to the importance of never giving up on your dreams. It’s never too late to pursue your dreams and do the things you want to in life, no matter who may try to detract you, don’t give up. Inori you’re an inspiration to us all and I’m so glad I discovered this series! The inspirational nature of Medalist is really what endears it to so many. Inori getting into skating at 12, which is considered “old” in the world of figure skating, and quickly making her way up the ranks is such a good underdog story. Everyone likes seeing people beat the odds and become success stories afterall, but Inori isn’t just given anything. While she has raw talent, she lacks the polish that many of her peers have due to her late start. This means there’s quite literally a ton of growing pains in this series. Inori stumbles and falls, but what warms my heart is how she always gets back up. Even when she’s discouraged and doubts herself, that’s where our second protagonist, Tsukasa is right there to pick her back up. Medalist is as much Tsukasa’s story as it is Inori’s. They both have chips on their shoulders, started skating late and have been counted out because they don’t come from prestigious skating backgrounds. My favourite part of this dynamic is that while Tsukasa has been through failure and his career effectively ended by factors beyond his control, he doesn’t try to life vicariously through Inori. He never once forces anything on her or makes her uncomfortable. Everything he does is to support her and respect her agency. I absolutely loved this because it is the ideal adult teacher/child student relationship. Don’t tell kids what to think, but teach them how to think and encourage them to make their own choices that are best for them. This sort of coaching style only strengthens he and Inori’s relationship and emboldens her on the ice. When you have someone who you know will be there for you win, lose or draw, what do you have to fear? You can truly go out there and be yourself. I am also a huge fan of how Tsukasa gives Inori the courage to start standing up for herself whether it was to her mom or other kids her age, you see Inori gradually developing the same sort of fire that her coach has. I really could yap about this forever, but it’s easily the best part of medalist for me. No creepy fanservice or sexual innuendos, just a genuinely great older male figure who finds a girl at the perfect point and time in life and helps her become the best version of herself. I really knew next to nothing about ice skating coming into this show. I obviously knew the athletes were incredibly talented, but I had no idea the sheer amount of work, dedication, physical AND mental fortitude that went into this. Medalist has a cool way of showing how every skater’s style reflects their personality. Hikaru’s for example, is extremely refined and elegant, Inori’s showcases her raw talent and potential, but she’s also error prone because of her shorter training period. Other characters like Miké have more aggressive styles, it’s so cool and a reminder that figure skating is poetry in motion. Our body movements reflect our mental state. One of medalist’s greatest achievements is getting me interested in figure skating. I came for the yuri hype from manga readers and stayed for the sport. Speaking of yuri, this is my yuri on ice. Nothing overt yet, but there’s subtle hints that I’m hoping will go further in future chapters/seasons. For right now, Hikaru represents a goal, the summit of youth figure skating that Inori strives to each. But Inori’s optimism, freedom and raw talent is something that Hikaru who’s grown up in a rigid regiment aspires to have. I need more of them, even though they only had a few scenes together, they were great. Inori, like most sports anime MCs, just has a way of making everyone fall in love with her. We can’t talk about a sports anime without talking about how the actual sport performances look. Medalist easily has some of, if not the best 3DCGI I’ve ever seen. The skating performances are phenomenally choreographed and animated with a nice mix of 2D and 3D, extremely professional looking 3D I might add. It’s hard to believe the same studio that made Unnamed Memory made this show because it’s a night and day difference with the productions. Medalist is made with so much love and care and it shows in every twist, twirl and jump. I can’t sing enough praise for Medalist. I knew I’d like it just from the premise, but I didn’t expect to like it THIS much. Tsukasa and Inori’s relationship, the underdog story, the great performances, the yuri bait, Inori being a general derp and having some of the funniest faces imaginable all made me fall in love with this show. It’s inspiring, funny and a damn good anime in every sense. Even if you don’t know about ice skating or don’t even think it’s something you’d be interested in, I highly recommend giving this a spin because it’s got something for everyone. Medalist get an extremely easy 10 out of 10.

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Medalist メダリスト

'Medalist' TV Anime Receives Second Season

Winter 2025 Simulcast List [Update 2/23]

Winter 2025 Preview

Supporting Cast of 'Medalist' TV Anime Announced

'Medalist' Reveals Additional Cast, Second Promo

'Medalist' Unveils Additional Cast, Staff, First Promo for Winter 2025

'Medalist' Announces Main Cast Pair

Manga 'Medalist' Gets TV Anime