They say it’s never too late to find your passion in life, but what if it is too late? Your hopes and passions die out, and you remain a former shell of yourself until you find the passion you once owned, in someone else. This is how the story of Medalist, the upcoming sports anime of 2025 is.
What is the anime ‘Medalist’?
Medalist is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada. Filled with the aspects of teamwork and drama, along with the passion that burns within someone for something they like, Medalist revolves around the passion the protagonist Tsukasa Akeuraji feels for ice skating.
The anime intertwines the aspect of a sports drama meant to touch the viewer’s heart with aflame passion, leaving a message that it’s never too late to find passion and solace in what you believe is your craft, your best ability. The anime is set to release on January 5th, 2025.
Plot
Becoming an ice dancer was not what Tsukasa Akeuraji had aimed for when he decided to take on the figure skating world. However, it is where he ends up as he “started too late” to follow his true solo-skating dreams, this prospect eventually leads to the shattering of his hopes and dreams, breaking his heart and burning out the hope of ever achieving the goals he aspired to reach for.
Tsukasa had inevitably lost all hope and didn’t think he could go and pursue Ice skating again, falling behind in the sport and being unable to catch up with it had left him with his hopes shattered and heartbroken. However, it didn’t seem like that was the end of an aspiring career promised to him.
The Story Goes on…
An opportunity comes walking his way, holding a passion similar to his yet like no other, a young 11-year-old girl by the name of Inoi Yuritsuka. Like him, she has long prevailing homes of pursuing her passion for ice skating, dreaming of becoming the world’s greatest ice skater of all time. Inoi practices her ice skating in secret, as well as at the local ice rink, but even people her age are considered ‘too old’ to be training. This notion discourages the young girl from being able to pursue her dream, an experience similar to Tsukasa’s own, connecting him with the girl in a way that cannot be comprehended.
After Inoi’s older sister failed to make a career out of ice skating, her mother already felt resistant to letting her other daughter suffer such faith. A faithful meeting occurs, where Tsukasa meets the young girl and the dying hopes of a former ice skater on the verge of giving up align with the newly blossoming hopes of a young girl aspiring to be a figure skater.
Seeing a reflection on his past self in her, Tsukasa feels obligated to help her, and so he decides that he will be her coach, and help her reach her goal of being the top ice skater in the world.
Slowly, with a dawning realization the others who once held doubt also realize that Inoi hones skills that make her greater and better than anyone in ice skating, and together with Tsukasa as her coach, she will become an Olympic Medalist and the greatest ice skater of all time.
“Medalist” will stream on Disney+ beginning in January — no confirmation of complete regions or exclusivity, but SEA Disney+ accounts have begun promoting the series.
TV broadcasting in Japan begins on January 4 [Sat], studio: ENGI pic.twitter.com/su8YLnTIFt
— Anime News by AIR (@AIR_News01) November 21, 2024
✧₊PV第3弾を公開🥇₊✧ TVアニメ『メダリスト』 2025年1月4日毎週土曜深夜1時30分～ “NUMAnimation”枠にて放送開始！ EDテーマ：ねぐせ。「アタシのドレス」 PV内にて楽曲も初解禁✨https://t.co/ug0RuDwyFj#medalist#メダリストpic.twitter.com/MBkSnNRwfw — 『メダリスト』TVアニメ公式⛸🏅 (@medalist_PR) November 8, 2024
