Medalist (Japanese: メダリスト, Hepburn: Medarisuto) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since May 2020, with its chapters collected in eleven tankōbon volumes as of August 2024. In North America, the manga is licensed for English release by Kodansha USA. An anime television series adaptation produced by ENGI is set to premiere in January 2025.

Medalist
First tankōbon volume cover
メダリスト
(Medarisuto)
Genre
Manga
Written byTsurumaikada
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintAfternoon KC
MagazineMonthly Afternoon
DemographicSeinen
Original runMay 25, 2020 – present
Volumes11
Anime television series
Directed byYasutaka Yamamoto
Written byJukki Hanada
Music byYuki Hayashi
StudioENGI
Licensed byDisney Platform Distribution
Original networkANN (TV Asahi)
Original run January 5, 2025 scheduled
icon Anime and manga portal

Medalist won the Next Manga Award in the print category in 2022, the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2023, and the 48th Kodansha Manga Award in the same category in 2024.

Plot

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Inori Yuitsuka, an 11-year-old girl in the fifth grade, dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater. While she practices in secret at her local ice rink, competitors her age are considered "too old" to begin seriously training; in addition, as her older sister's skating career ended in failure, her mother is resistant toward putting her through the same experience. A fateful meeting one day introduces her to Tsukasa Akeuraji, a former ice dancer on the edge of giving up competitive skating himself, and he agrees to become her coach and help her realize her dreams. Those around Inori soon learn she has immense natural talent for the sport and, together, the two strive toward Inori's ultimate goal of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Characters

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Inori Yuitsuka (結束 いのり, Yuitsuka Inori)
Voiced by: Natsumi Haruse [ja][2]
Tsukasa Akeuraji (明浦路 司, Akeuraji Tsukasa)
Voiced by: Takeo Ōtsuka[2]
Hikaru Kamisaki (狼嵜 光, Kamisaki Hikaru)
Voiced by: Kana Ichinose[3]
Jun Yodaka (夜鷹 純, Yodaka Jun)
Voiced by: Yuma Uchida[3]
Riō Sonidori (鴗鳥 理凰, Sonidori Riō)
Voiced by: Makoto Koichi[4]
Ryōka Miketa (三毛田 涼佳, Miketa Ryōka)
Voiced by: Hina Kino[4]
Mario Nachi (那智 鞠緒, Nachi Mario)
Voiced by: Megumi Toda[4]
Ema Yamato (大和 絵馬, Yamato Ema)
Voiced by: Kotori Koiwai[4]
Yūdai Jakuzure (蛇崩 遊大, Jakuzure Yūdai)
Voiced by: Takahiro Miyake [ja][4]

Production

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The story takes place in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. Its author, Tsurumaikada, is also from Aichi. While the manga is about figure skating, Tsurumaikada lacked experience and knowledge of the sport, and enrolled in a month-long figure skating class held in Nagoya Sports Center in Ōsu before beginning to illustrate the manga. Medalist is Tsurumaikada's first commercial work.[5]

As a self-professed fan of Natsumi Haruse [ja], a voice actress known for her role as Kaoru Ryūzaki in The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls U149, Tsurumaikada tweeted in 2018: "I would also like to draw a figure skating manga that would someday be made into an anime, and have Natsumi Haruse play the main role!"[6] Haruse narrated the commercial for the release of the first volume of the manga series in 2020.[7]

Media

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Manga

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Written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada, Medalist started in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon on May 25, 2020.[8][9] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on September 23, 2020.[10] As of August 22, 2024, eleven volumes have been released.[11]

In March 2021, Kodansha USA announced the digital English release of the manga in North America, starting on May 18, 2021.[12] At Anime Expo 2023, Kodansha USA announced that the series would be published in print.[13] The first volume was released on March 5, 2024.[14]

Volumes

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No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 September 23, 2020[10]978-4-06-520783-3May 18, 2021 (digital)[14]
March 5, 2024 (print)
978-1-63-699098-9 (digital)
979-8-88-877185-3 (print)
2 February 22, 2021[15]978-4-06-522253-9June 15, 2021 (digital)[16]
May 7, 2024 (print)
978-1-63-699157-3 (digital)
979-8-88-877195-2 (print)
3 June 23, 2021[17]978-4-06-523607-9November 16, 2021 (digital)[18]
July 2, 2024 (print)
978-1-63-699469-7 (digital)
979-8-88-877196-9 (print)
4 October 21, 2021[19]978-4-06-525162-1April 19, 2022 (digital)[20]
September 3, 2024 (print)
978-1-68-491132-5 (digital)
979-8-88-877197-6 (print)
5 March 23, 2022[21]978-4-06-527132-2October 18, 2022 (digital)[22]
November 5, 2024 (print)
978-1-68-491491-3 (digital)
979-8-88-877198-3 (print)
6 July 22, 2022[23]978-4-06-528515-2February 21, 2023 (digital)[24]978-1-68-491710-5
7 December 22, 2022[25]978-4-06-529918-0July 18, 2023 (digital)[26]979-8-88-933039-4
8 May 23, 2023[27]978-4-06-531682-5September 19, 2023 (digital)[28]979-8-88-933148-3
9 October 23, 2023[29]978-4-06-533261-0March 19, 2024 (digital)[30]979-8-88-933416-3
10 March 22, 2024[31]978-4-06-535154-3August 20, 2024 (digital)[32]979-8-88-933695-2
11 August 22, 2024[11]978-4-06-536472-7

Anime

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An anime television series adaptation was announced on May 18, 2023. It will be produced by ENGI and directed by Yasutaka Yamamoto, with the script written by Jukki Hanada, character design by Chinatsu Kameyama,[33][34] and music composed by Yuki Hayashi. Retired figure skaters Akiko Suzuki and Yuhana Yokoi are choreographing the skating routines in the anime adaptation, alongside active figure skater Hinano Isobe [ja].[35] It is set to premiere on January 5, 2025, on TV Asahi's NUMAnimation [ja] programming block.[36][35] The ending song is "Atashi no Dress" (アタシのドレス, "My Dress"), performed by Neguse [ja].[35] The series will be streaming on Disney+.[37]

Reception

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The series ranked fifteenth on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2021" by the Honya Club website,[38][39] and ranked twelfth on the 2022 edition.[40] The series ranked sixteenth out of 50 nominees in the 2021 Next Manga Awards in the print category;[41] it won the award in 2022.[42][43] The series placed ninth in the 2021 Tsutaya Comic Award,[44] and placed third in the 2022 edition.[45] The series ranked 30th on the 2021 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine;[46] it ranked 23rd on the 2022 list;[47] and 27th on the 2023 list.[48]

The series won the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2023.[49] It was nominated for the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2023;[50] it won in the same category for the 48th edition in 2024.[51][52]

References

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  1. ^ a b Medalist. Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Cayanan, Joanna (October 19, 2023). "Medalist Anime Unveils Main Cast, New Visual". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Crystalyn, Hodgkins (March 21, 2024). "Medalist Anime Reveals More Cast, January 2025 Debut in 1st Promo Video". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e Hodgkins, Crystalyn (August 16, 2024). "Medalist Anime Reveals 2nd Promo Video, New Visual, More Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  5. ^ 漫画「メダリスト」作者、つるまいかださん 一問一答 (in Japanese). Chunichi Shimbun. November 22, 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  6. ^ @2lm_ykd (November 28, 2018). 言えば叶うなら私もいつかアニメ化するようなフィギュアスケート漫画を描いて春瀬なつみさんに主役をやってもらいたい!!!!!!!!ーーー! (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ @medalist_AFT (September 23, 2020). フィギュアスケート漫画『メダリスト』①巻の発売を記念したスペシャルCMを公開🏅ナレーションは声優の春瀬なつみさんです! (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ 夢破れた青年とスケートに憧れる少女を描くフィギュアスケートマンガ、アフタで始動. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 25, 2020. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  9. ^ アフタヌーン 2020年7月号. Monthly Afternoon (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  10. ^ a b メダリスト(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  11. ^ a b メダリスト(11) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  12. ^ Mateo, Alex (March 29, 2021). "Kodansha Comics Licenses With the Sheikh in His Harem, Medalist, More Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  13. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (July 1, 2023). "Kodansha USA Reveals 21 New Print Licenses, 3 Omnibus Releases, 2 Digital Licenses". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Medalist, Volume 1". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  15. ^ メダリスト(2) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  16. ^ "Medalist, Volume 2". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  17. ^ メダリスト(3) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  18. ^ "Medalist, Volume 3". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  19. ^ メダリスト(4) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  20. ^ "Medalist, Volume 4". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  21. ^ メダリスト(5) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  22. ^ "Medalist, Volume 5". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  23. ^ メダリスト(6) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  24. ^ "Medalist, Volume 6". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  25. ^ メダリスト(7) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  26. ^ "Medalist, Volume 7". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  27. ^ メダリスト(8) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  28. ^ "Medalist, Volume 8". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  29. ^ メダリスト(9) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  30. ^ "Medalist, Volume 9". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  31. ^ メダリスト(10) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  32. ^ "Medalist, Volume 10". Kodansha USA. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  33. ^ Mateo, Alex (May 17, 2023). "Medalist Olympic Ice-Skating Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  34. ^ つるまいかだ「メダリスト」TVアニメ化!フィギュアスケートで世界を目指す物語. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 18, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  35. ^ a b c Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 8, 2024). "Medalist Anime's Video Reveals Choreographers, Ending Song, January 4 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  36. ^ アニメ「メダリスト」放送は来年1月、PV第1弾に市ノ瀬加那・内田雄馬演じるキャラ登場. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 22, 2024. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  37. ^ Mateo, Alex (November 21, 2024). "Disney+ to Stream Wandance, Medalist, Go! Go! Loser Ranger Season 2 Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  38. ^ 全国書店員が選んだおすすめコミック2021. Honya Club (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  39. ^ 全国書店員が選んだおすすめマンガ、今年の1位は「わたしの幸せな結婚」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  40. ^ 書店員が選んだおすすめコミック2022、第1位は龍幸伸「ダンダダン」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 27, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  41. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (August 24, 2021). "Kaiju No. 8, Oshi no Ko Win Next Manga Awards Web, Print Categories". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  42. ^ Morrissy, Kim (June 23, 2022). "Voting Opens for Next Manga Awards 2022". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  43. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (August 31, 2022). "Medalist, WITCH WATCH, Akane-banashi Win Next Manga Awards 2022 Results". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  44. ^ みんなが選ぶ第6回TSUTAYAコミック大賞 2021. Tsutaya (in Japanese). Culture Convenience Club. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  45. ^ みんなが選ぶ第6回TSUTAYAコミック大賞 2022. Tsutaya (in Japanese). Culture Convenience Club. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  46. ^ Mateo, Alex (December 6, 2021). "Demon Slayer Tops Da Vinci Manga Ranking for 2nd Consecutive Year". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  47. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 6, 2022). "Spy×Family Tops Da Vinci Manga Ranking". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  48. ^ Tai, Anita (December 5, 2023). "Tomoko Yamashita's Ikoku Nikki Tops Da Vinci Manga Ranking". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  49. ^ Mateo, Alex (January 18, 2023). "Call of the Night, Blue Orchestra, Medalist, Ui×Kon Manga Win 68th Shogakukan Manga Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  50. ^ 第47回講談社漫画賞、最終候補作15作品を発表. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 10, 2023. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  51. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (April 8, 2024). "48th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Nominees Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  52. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (May 14, 2024). "48th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Winners Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
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