IT'S NOT TOO LATE! An emotionally charged and uplifting show, packed with valuable lessons to take away.

ENG Review

Name: IT'S NOT TOO LATE! An emotionally charged and uplifting show, packed with valuable lessons to take away.
Item: Medalist
Rating: 93
Author: Zeldslova19

"Spokon". A term that has become a mantra for me lately. It's one of those genres (or target, as you prefer) that I'm totally obsessed with, since every new sport I delve into is making me want to have new skills and abilities.
I never thought that a manga/anime about ice skating could make me fall in love with this sport, which I know practically nothing about.

...And yet, *Medalist* by Ikada Tsuruma was love at first sight! <3▶ Video

SYNOPSIS

Japan, one of the great powers of figure skating. Only a handful of athletes can compete at the national championships and then compete at the world level.

Tsukasa is a former professional skater who, however, due to his late debut in this world, cannot find a job related to his greatest passion. Despite the sacrifices and struggles faced in the past, Tsukasa has no choice but to do odd jobs and dedicate himself as much as he can to skating.
However, when hope seems to have faded, Inori, a fifth-grade girl, appears, the victim of pranks and insults from her classmates, who all owe her ineptitude. Everyone except Tsukasa, who meets and clashes with this very small and battered girl, and who soon understands her immense talent.
Their unexpected meeting on the ice will bond them as coach and athlete and will then lead both of them, albeit on two different levels, to live a new dream, linked to ice skating, as they will aim harder than anyone else for the world stage. ▶ Video ▶ Video

PERSONAL THOUGHTS/IMPRESSIONS

While watching this anime, I was overwhelmed by different emotions several times: if on the one hand the story excited me and overexcited me, on the other it devastated my heart and saddened me a lot. From an emotional point of view, *Medalist* is one of those works with immense power that never leaves you indifferent, regardless of whether you are interested in the underlying sports theme or not. In fact, even before the sport, the dreams and emotions of the protagonists shine through in this story.
However, this certainly does not mean that ice skating is treated carelessly: on the contrary, when necessary it manages to express itself in a technical and precise way, especially when it comes to having to explain and represent the fundamentals.

###One of Inori's performances: manga vs. anime comparison

Truly a noteworthy point is the characterization of the two protagonists, as well as the development of rest of the additional cast.

▶ Video

Even if at first Inori dominates the scene and attracts attention with a greater percentage, the characterization of Tsukasa's character is also really well structured. Both have a solid background, which most of the time justifies their actions and especially their dream: a background that is only hinted at, just enough for the spectator to empathize with both, albeit in two different ways.
Both, however, manage to touch the heartstrings of ours because they are victims of the distrust of the people around them and who have done nothing but repeat that there could never be hope for them. Sometimes, in fact, this sense of defeat and defeat is also told in a harsh and ruthless way, especially when it comes to Inori, who despite presenting herself as a real victim, still manages to get up and shine precisely by virtue of that dream that never fades, even when everyone is against her.

### Tsukasa's and Inori's Paths, Two Sides of the Same Medal

Alongside this way of telling the growth and evolution of a character (in this case of two characters who move hand in hand on two different but parallel tracks) the theme of sport (and in this case that of ice skating) certainly cannot be easy, especially when addressing an audience that knows very little about that particular sport. Yet Medalist succeeds in its intent, thanks to a clear and precise storytelling, which at the same time is attentive to the fundamentals, without ever delving into long and boring explanations that would inevitably end up slowing down and stopping the narration. The explanations are there, but they are short and concise, elementary, so as to really allow everyone to understand something.

In short, to conclude my speech: considering the history of the studio, this adaptation was a MIRACLE.
An incredible work with stratospheric characters with wonderful music, both the Op/Ed and the OST. Even the CGI sequences when they skate are very well done in terms of animation (and the fact that it is noticeable at times is really a lesser and necessary evil).

###Cover for the Medalist Fan BookWe are only at the end of the first season, and my hype is already quite high.
I am curious to see how the characters and the story will evolve, with the hope however that the series does not end up becoming long and endless (because in my opinion, even speaking of the manga, it has the right potential to continue and then conclude in the space of a not excessive number of volumes).
Surely, the problem with this series is the cost. In fact, I read that the parts, as you may know, in which the various characters skate were made using motion capture.
So, I think it will take a while before we see the second season.

###Medalist's special illustration by the manga’s author, to celebrate the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of Medalist TV anime and on the imminent occasion of S2 announcement

But anyway, what else to say... Really congratulations, one of the most beautiful and above all exciting spokon of recent years (and my personal anime of the previous season) that seriously needs more recognition!

For those who have doubts about the theme: give it a chance, you will not regret it. ^>^

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P.S. As a reward, here's a wagon of comical moments that cracked me up the most (XD)