Akeuraji Tsukasa decided on figure skating as his passion too late. This forced him to change his perspective, as no serious skating club would accept him at the age of fourteen. He chose to become an ice dancer performing in pairs, achieving some success. However, his love for solo performances never faded. He never could reconcile with the fact that he’d waited so long to decide during his youth. One day, however, he meets a very young, ambitious, and talented girl named Yuitsuka Inori, in whom he sees himself from years ago, standing at a crossroads. As he gets to know her better, he decides to help her achieve the success he always dreamed of by becoming her coach

Medalist (2025) – Audiovisual Design

Video

The first thing you notice while watching Medalist is the combination of traditional 2D animation with 3D elements. As someone naturally skeptical of 3D graphics, I was positively surprised by how well the creators presented the skating performances. It’s particularly noteworthy that the studio collaborated with professional figure skaters, using motion capture to achieve realistic movements. Although I’d still prefer fully traditional animation, it’s important to commend the animators here, as this is one of the few cases where the result simply looked good and didn’t cause visual discomfort.

Aside from the performance scenes, everything else was traditionally animated. Character designs are detailed, shading looks very good, and backgrounds and overall detail are impressive. The colors are vivid, and the contrasts between emotional moments and everyday scenes are clearly defined. The characters’ facial expressions perfectly capture their emotions, enhancing the viewers’ connection to them.

Audio

The voice actors also delivered excellent performances, particularly in conveying the emotions of the younger characters. Haruse Natsumi doesn’t have many anime roles to her name, yet she flawlessly portrayed Inori, the main character. The cast includes popular names as well. Ichinose Kana, Katou Emiri, Hoshino Takanori, Endou Aya, and Waki Azumi delivered their usual high-quality performances.

Medalist also features a great opening and ending theme. However, the problem with the opening song is that the anime version differs from the full single release. For me, the anime version is significantly better. The full version adds several sounds attempting a modern, mainstream appeal, which, in my opinion, ruins the very aspect I loved in the anime’s opening. Unfortunately, the original version used in the anime isn’t available anywhere.

Medalist (2025) – Plot and Characters

Introduction

Medalist is one of those series that can captivate even those completely uninterested in its primary topic. I’ll honestly admit figure skating was never particularly intriguing to me, and I was initially skeptical about watching an anime on the subject. Nevertheless, aware of Japanese creators’ talent for presenting almost any topic intriguingly, I decided to give it a chance. Medalist turned out to be so compelling that I couldn’t stop watching.

A Brief Overview of the Medalist (2025)

Akeuraji Tsukasa chose figure skating too late, forcing him to change perspectives as no club wanted him at fourteen. He turned to ice dancing in pairs, achieving moderate success, but his passion for solo skating never faded.

One day Tsukasa meets Yuitsuka Inori, a talented, ambitious young girl reminiscent of his younger self. Upon getting to know her, he resolves to help her achieve the dreams he once had, becoming her coach.

What is the series about

Medalist tells the story of eleven-year-old Yuitsuka Inori, who dreams of becoming a figure skater. However, in the professional skating world, starting at eleven is considered late, with most skaters beginning training much earlier. Moreover, Inori’s mother opposes her dreams due to fears stemming from past disappointments and injuries experienced by Inori’s older sister.

Everything changes when Inori meets Akeuraji Tsukasa, a 26-year-old former skater who faced similar obstacles due to his late start – specializing in pairs skating but never fully realizing his potential. Seeing immense talent in Inori, Tsukasa decides to coach her. Together, they embark on a challenging journey to fulfill their dreams, overcoming prejudices, fears, and adversity.

Characters

Yuitsuka Inori is a charming protagonist, filled with determination yet realistically struggling with insecurity and doubt. Her unusual hobby – collecting earthworms – initially seems odd but gains deeper significance in the context of her story, providing both relaxation and a means to fund her training. Inori undergoes an impressive transformation from a shy girl to a resilient competitor who always gets back up after setbacks.

Akeuraji Tsukasa is a character deserving his own spin-off. His story as a late-starting skater who never quite shone fully is compelling, especially given his warm, relatable personality. It’s hard not to like him. Importantly, he doesn’t project his unfulfilled dreams onto Inori; instead, he supports and respects her decisions, genuinely wanting her success on her terms. Their mentor-student relationship is exemplary, devoid of any toxicity.

Among supporting characters, Hikaru, an exceptionally talented skater, stands out as both Inori’s role model and future rival, always treating her with kindness and respect. Riou, initially skeptical of Tsukasa’s coaching abilities, eventually realizes the significant benefits of training under him. Inori’s mother, initially portrayed as an obstacle, gains depth as the series progresses, with her opposition clearly stemming from genuine concern and painful experiences with her older daughter.

Medalist (2025) – Evaluation and Summary

Medalist is undoubtedly one of the best anime productions of the winter 2025 season. I nearly overlooked it entirely but was fortunate enough to stumble upon it. From the first episode, I knew it was a hidden gem. If you’re looking for an inspiring, emotional story with well-developed characters and stunning visuals, Medalist deserves your attention – even if figure skating has never interested you.

Finalny werdykt

Final evaluation

Which translation do I recommend to watch Medalist (2025)?

• Unfortunately, no translation is recommendable. All available versions are simply terrible. The official version has dialogues significantly altered for dubbing purposes, while the fan translations use ridiculous nicknames like Mickey Mouse or Mittens and twist other aspects, using absurd logic to justify these decisions. Personally, I watched using Japanese subtitles. Kissusubs provides decent translations, but they’ve only translated a few episodes (starting roughly midway through the series), making it barely an option at the time of writing this review.

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