⛸️ Medalist (2025): An Uplifting Ice Skating Anime About Dreams, Redemption & the Will to Win – Plot, Cast, Trailer, Release Info & Where to Stream

Boxofficehype
Jul 29
3 min read

⛸️ Medalist (2025): A Shattered Dream, A Spark Ignited, and the Ice That Heals

"You’re too late to start."That phrase haunts both Inori Yuitsuka, an 11-year-old girl who dares to dream of Olympic glory, and Tsukasa Akeuraji, a former skater who abandoned his ambitions long ago. But what if the clock could turn—not backwards, but forward—with new fire?

Welcome to Medalist, the 2025 anime series that glides gracefully across the genres of sports, drama, and emotional connection. Adapted from the award-winning manga by Tsurumaikada, this 23-minute-per-episode drama has captured hearts with its emotional depth, choreography-driven animation, and the shared tenacity of its central duo.

🌟 From Lost Dreams to Olympic Visions

The story introduces Tsukasa Akeuraji, a skater whose own ambitions melted away—not due to injury, but simply because he started too late. His solo dream shattered, he channeled his remaining passion into quiet regret.

Enter Inori Yuitsuka, a shy fifth-grader with a hidden desire—to skate. Though dismissed by others as "too late" or "too inexperienced," she glides with an unexpected spark. Seeing his former self in her, Tsukasa decides:

“She hasn't missed her time. She’s starting now. And now is exactly the right time.”

And with that, he makes a choice that changes both their lives: he will make her a medalist.

💔 Two Shattered Paths, One Shared Determination

Medalist isn't about flashy competition—it’s about mutual healing and the mentoring bond that arises between two people learning to trust again. Inori’s quiet hunger and Tsukasa’s buried regret converge on the ice, forging something powerful: a shared resolve rooted in redemption.

🧊 Grace Meets Grit in Every Frame

Under the direction of Yasutaka Yamamoto, Studio ENGI delivers animation that feels like skating:

Breath catching before a leap,
The pop of skates against ice,
The wobble between confidence and fear.

Legendary skaters like Akiko Suzuki, Yuhana Yokoi, and Hinano Isobe choreographed routines to infuse authenticity. The opening theme, "Bow and Arrow", by Kenshi Yonezu captures the tension and release of leaping toward dreams. Even Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu appears in the music video, a testament to the series’ deep reverence for the sport.

🏆 A Legacy of Awards & Global Acclaim

Before animation brought it to life, the Medalist manga earned top honors:

Next Manga Award (2022)
Shogakukan Manga Award (2023)
Kodansha Manga Award (2024)

The anime adaptation premiered in January 2025 to international praise. A second season, featuring the same staff and cast, is scheduled for release in January 2026.

🎙️ Voice Cast That Brings Emotion to Life

Madeline Dorroh as Inori, capturing vulnerability, resolve, and personal growth.
Jonathon Ha as Tsukasa, portraying a man haunted by his past yet determined to rebuild.
Supporting voices, including Alejandra Reynoso, bring depth to every mentor, rival, friend, and skeptic in their journey.

📍 Where to Watch and Stream

You can immerse yourself in Medalist on the following streaming platforms:

Disney+ — Available globally (outside the U.S.) under the NUMAnimation programming block
Hulu — Streaming U.S.-dubbed episodes, with subtitles also available

Both platforms currently host Season One, with Season Two confirmed to premiere in January 2026.

🗓️ Why Medalist Matters Now

In a world obsessed with quick gains and instant results, Medalist reminds us: progress is the sum of small steps taken despite doubt, fear, and setbacks. It proves that greatness doesn't depend on when you begin—but that you begin at all.

⛸️ “One leap. One fall. One rise. That’s how a medalist is made.”

So tie your laces. Step onto the rink. And remember, as Inori and Tsukasa would say: