Original title
メダリスト
Released
1/5/2025
Origin country
JP
Genre
Animation, Drama
Production companies
KADOKAWA, TV Asahi, Kodansha, ENGI
Status
Returning series
Number of seasons
2
Number of episodes
22
Tsukasa Akeuraji, a frustrated skater, meets Inori Yuitsuka, a girl who yearns to be a figure skater. Motivated by Inori's obsession on the rink, Tsukasa begins coaching Inori. Inori's talent blossoms, and Tsukasa becomes a brilliant mentor. Together they aim to make her a glorious medalist!
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 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. 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.
When former figure skater Tsukasa Akeuraji meets a self-taught skater, Inori Yuitsuka, he tries to persuade her to join a formal ice skating club. Unfortunately, Inori's mother wants her clumsy daughter to give up skating altogether.
Tsukasa and Hitomi encourage Inori to take the Badge Test, a certification exam for figure skating which will allow Inori to qualify for competitions. On the day of the test, Inori meets a beautiful girl who looks like a princess.
Tsukasa decides to enter Inori into the Meikoh Cup to build up her record of success. When Inori feels shy dancing in front of others, Tsukasa gets her to dance in his shadow to conquer her nerves. During skating practice, Inori also meets a girl named Miké at the rink.
Inori's first competition, the Meikoh cup, begins. Inori's future is at stake, and while she gets off to a rocky start, her mother and sister are there to support her from the sidelines.
Inori came in top in the first round of the Prelims, whereas Miké was the last one to secure a spot. Determined to turn things around, Miké decides to try and pull off a double rotation combination that no one at the Prelims has done before.
Hikaru is one of the best performers of Inori's generation, and Inori is eager to catch up. However, she worries about how far behind she is in terms of her skill level compared to others her age. Tsukasa suggests Inori compete in a competition immediately after passing the level one badge test.
Inori faces the level one badge test, setting her next step of competing in a championship. A successful double jump will be essential for a high score.
On the way to a competition, Inori leaves her skates on a train by accident. Tsukasa goes on a mad hunt for the skates ten stations away.
After a smooth start, Inori decides to take each jump carefully, one by one. She controls her center of gravity and maintains a high speed, and Tsukasa cannot hide his excitement as she continues with her flawless performance.
Inori competes in her second Meikoh cup, but she will need to perfect the extremely difficult double Axel if she is to progress to the next level. Meanwhile, Tsukasa is asked by Olympic silver medalist Shinichiro Sonidori to mentor his son, Rioh.
The Lux Higashiyama FSC summer training camp begins, and Inori plans to perfect her double Axel. Meanwhile, Tsukasa offers to help Rioh, but Rioh turns him down.
Tsukasa learns of the anguish Rioh has been carrying, and dances Rioh's program on the rink. Rioh is surprised to see that Tsukasa's skating is much more skillful than he expected.
The day of the Level Six Badge Test has finally arrived. The venue is the memorable place where Inori first met Hikaru. When Hikaru suddenly appears, she promises to meet Inori again at the All-Japans.
Ever since the novice coach Tsukasa Akeuraji took Inori Yuitsuka under his mentorship, she has improved her figure skating at a fast pace. After passing a qualifying badge test, she earns a spot to compete in the upcoming Chubu Block Tournament, where only five of the 15 competitors can move forward to the next stage—the prestigious All-Japan Novice Tournament. However, earning a slot will not be easy for Inori: most of her rivals have already experienced trying their luck in the competition. The stakes are high as the competition begins, and one by one, each of the competitors strive to perform their very best in front of the big crowd. Moreover, the current figure skating generation's prodigy, Hikaru Kamisaki, is not competing in this block, which raises everyone's determination to qualify. That includes Inori, who must beat the odds if she wants to keep her promise to reach Hikaru and represent Japan in the Olympics with Tsukasa.
The second group, including Inori, take their turn at the championship. With only three skaters to go, Yuna Yagi steps onto the ice. Despite promising her coach she will stick to their planned program, she finds herself hesitating mid-performance.
Tsukasa Akeuraji has vowed to make Inori a gold medalist, and with that promise echoing in her heart, she takes the ice. While her program may appear straightforward at first glance, there is more to it than meets the eye. Tsukasa has crafted a strategy that plays to Inori's strengths, with a trump card for the final stretch. After the performance, Inori and Tsukasa sit together in the kiss and cry, waiting to see if their efforts have paid off.
Tsukasa finds himself in an unexpected situation skating alongside legends Jun Yodaka and Shinichiro Sonidori. As he watches Jun move across the ice with breathtaking skill, something stirs within him.
Inori joins an intensive training session with the Chubu Block competitors heading to the All-Japans. Reuniting with Hikaru and the other skaters, she quickly realises there is a gap in her abilities that she had not anticipated.
A training session with jump specialist Kakeru Uobuchi brings remarkable results, and Tsukasa is so impressed he decides to invest in his own harness equipment. He brings it to the ice rink intending to help Inori master jumps.
Inori and Tsukasa arrive at Niigata skating rink in the early morning, seeking Coach Uobuchi's guidance. After observing Inori's skating, Uobuchi presents them with an unexpected proposition.
At the Niigata rink, Inori and Tsukasa cross paths with Miku Ahiru, a formidable competitor, along with her coach Kohei Kamogawa and choreographer Juna Shiratori, both former clubmates of Tsukasa's. When Inori speaks with Miku, she discovers something unexpected about her rival's future in skating. Meanwhile, Tsukasa finds himself confronting uncomfortable truths about his abilities as a coach. With the competition approaching, both Inori and Tsukasa face questions that could reshape their path forward.
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