Medalist

KANLen09★ 10

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

MidniteAndBeyond★ 10

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