Medalist

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

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.

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! :)

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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