by The TV anime “Medalist” is based on the manga of the same name by Tsurumai Ikada. It tells the story of a young man, Akeuraji Tsukasa, whose dreams of becoming a figure skater are shattered, who becomes a coach and teams up with Yuizuka Inori, a girl who aspires to become a skater herself, to become a medalist herself.
In this article, we have compiled information about the broadcast date, broadcasting station, voice actors, and animation production company of the anime “Medalist.”
What is the anime “Medalist”?
Michiji Akiura, who has competed in the All Japan Ice Dance Championships, had been aiming to go professional but kept failing auditions for ice shows.
When asked to become a club coach, Tsukasa was unsure, but a girl named Yuzuki Inori, who was interested in figure skating, persuaded him to accept the role. Until then, Inori had primarily been practicing skating independently, but with Tsukasa’s guidance, her talent began to blossom.
The original work is a manga by Tsurumai Ikada that is currently being serialized in Kodansha’s Seinen magazine, “Monthly Afternoon.” Despite being Tsurumai Ikada’s debut work, it was selected as the No. 1 manga in the comics category of the “Next Manga Awards 2022,” won the general category of the 68th “Shogakukan Manga Award” in 2023, and won the overall category of the “Kodansha Manga Award” in 2024.
When will the anime “Medalist” start airing? What channel and time will it be airing on?
The TV anime “Medalist” will start broadcasting in January 2025. As of November 2024, it has been announced that “Medalist” will be broadcast in January 2025, but the broadcast date for the first episode has not been announced.
The station will be broadcast on the “NUMAnimation” slot on TV Asahi’s 24 nationwide terrestrial TV stations. “NUMAnimation is an anime slot about “falling into the swamp” and becoming obsessed with anime. It is broadcast every Saturday from 1:30 a.m. If there are no changes to the time slot, “Medalist” is also expected to be broadcast from 1:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
This is just a guess, but since “NUMAnimation” is broadcast on Saturdays, if the first broadcast of “Medalist” is in the first week of January 2025, it could start airing from January 4th. If it is in the second week, it could begin airing on January 11th.
Is there online streaming, such as a subscription?
As for whether “Medalist” will be available for online streaming, as no information has been released on the official website as of November 2024, it is unclear whether it will be available for video streaming via subscription or other means.
However, in recent years, many anime works have been distributed online or on-demand through video services, so it is possible that “Medalist” will also be available for viewing on video services. For general anime works, distribution availability is usually announced about one month to two weeks before the terrestrial broadcast.
When the decision is made to distribute a program online, it may be distributed exclusively by one video service or by multiple services, such as ABEMA, Netflix, and Prime Video.
How can I watch it for free?
It has not yet been announced whether “Medalist” will be available for online streaming.
Depending on the distribution service, you can watch the latest episodes of new anime for free. Many new titles broadcast on ABEMA can be watched in real-time for free, and the latest episodes can be watched for one week.
It is unclear whether “Medalist” will be streamed online, but if it is decided that it will be streamed on ABEMA, it will likely be possible to watch it for free.
How many episodes does the anime “Medalist” have? How much of the original work does it cover?
As of November 2024, it is unclear how many episodes the anime “Medalist” will have.
“Medalist” will be broadcast on TV Asahi’s “NUMAnimation” slot. Since April 2023, all anime broadcasts in the “NUMAnimation” slot have been one-course. Since there are more anime broadcasts for one course than for two classes, it is possible that “Medalist” will also be produced for one course.
Generally, anime series have 11 to 13 episodes per season and 20 to 24 episodes per season.
How many volumes of the original work does it cover?
In the case of anime works based on manga, the content of about four comic volumes is visualized in one season. As of November 2024, 11 volumes of the original manga for “Medalist” have been released, so given the stock of the original work, it seems possible to adapt it into an anime in two seasons.
The final episode of an anime often ends where the story comes to a close. This is just a guess, but if “Medalist” is a one-hour series, it will probably end with either Volume 3, Chapter 10, where the Western Japan Elementary and Junior High School Tournament ends, or Volume 4, Chapter 15, where Inori takes the badge test. If it’s a two-hour series, it will end with Volume 9, Chapter 36, where the All-Japan Novice Tournament ends.
Who are the voice actors for the main characters?
Voice actress Natsumi Haruse will play Yuzoku Inori in the anime Medalist. She also plays Kaoru Ryuzaki in The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls. Ms. Haruse commented, “I am truly grateful to be able to play the role of the incredibly cool girl Inori-chan, but at the same time, I feel a great sense of responsibility.”
Otsuka Takeo, known for his roles as Aqua in Oshi no Ko and Jinshi in The Apothecary Diaries, is the voice actor for Akiura Michiji. Otsuka wrote about Medalist: “Every time I read the original work, I am moved by the many emotions conveyed by the work. I am very honored to be involved in the role of Akiura Michiji this time.”
