Medalist

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
--- a quote often attributed to George Eliot

Whoever first said this, the words hold something quietly profound, and the anime Medalist brings them to life in that it is never too late to follow your dreams. This is the story of Yuitsuka Inori, a girl deeply drawn to figure skating, but whose mother had forbidden her to pursue it. Her mother was once a professional figure skater herself and Inori's older sister had been set to follow the same path until an unfortunate injury shatters her sister's dreams. With that door firmly shut, Inori's dreams seemed elusive or even impossible until she met her mentor, Akeuraji Tsukasa, who has opened the door to figure skating once more.

Let's start with ENGI, the studio behind this adaptation. They don't have a stellar reputation. In fact, with their disastrous handling of Unnamed Memory, which crammed 24 episodes' worth of content in a single cour (the same is true for their season 2 adaptation), ENGI deserves so much criticism.

Imagine people's surprise when Medalist turned out not only decent but great. (If only they had shown the same or even better handling than Unnamed Memory! Sigh.) The story is well-paced. Sure, some manga readers (I'm anime only) have noted that content has been cut, and I reckon it's for the best and ultimately benefits the adaptation.

The anime has reportedly de-emphasized the bullying experienced by Inori, even if it's still present. Inori's mother opposes Inori's aspirations, and it seems that she is even more outspoken in the manga.

In place of that, the anime is able to focus more on the challenges faced by Inori during the badge tests as well as beginner's competitions.

(Spoiler about Tsukasa’s character) We also get to see Tsukasa's backstory, which reinforces one's impression of him as a great character. One understands why he is so eager to mentor Inori as

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he himself was in a similar, but far worse, situation.

The mentor-mentee dynamic between Tsukasa and Inori is a joyful thing to behold.

Some criticks without watching the anime or reading the manga have misinterpreted Inori and Tsukasa's relationship, thinking it's inappropriate and that Inori is a 'loli.' Such criticisms are unfounded and contrary to fact.

Whilst they may happen in real life and it's a serious issue, the anime/manga is attempting to present an ideal, an aspiration for following your dreams despite starting late. The anime has succeeded in both telling and showing us this uplifting message.

This is in contrast to how the anime Stars Align presents the ugly reality of abuse and how the protagonists are able to function despite such disadvantages. Both Medalist and Stars Align are valuable to watch, but one must appreciate the differences in tone: the latter presents ugly realities, and the former is idealistic and aspirational.

If the characters of Inori and Tsukasa are not enough, the rival, Kamisaki Hikaru, is surprisingly lovable. (Spoiler about Kamisaki Hikaru’s character) She has a high level of skill in figure skating, even if her level is a novice. Inori aspires to defeat her. What's refreshing is that she is

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friendly and encouraging to Inori, supporting Inori to further hone her skills. Unlike what one might expect in a typical sports anime, she is not antagonistic and hurtful with her words. This is why she is so glad when she hears that Inori might be able to compete with her.

Regarding the visuals, the anime incorporates CGI in skating scenes rather seamlessly. One can argue that another studio could have done better, but it's great as it is.

Although I'm not including the OP and the ED in my consideration, plenty of people think that it's the best or at least one of the best OP in winter 2025, and I agree. The ED is rather cute.

The animation and the imagery make one in disbelief that it is an anime made by ENGI. It is so good, albeit I have some reservations. That moment where Tsukasa and Inori are facing each other in profile in a wide shot surrounded by clouds reminds you of 'Your Name' — not exactly the same but way similar to how Taki and Mitsuha look at each other whilst surrounded by clouds in Your Name's key visual — which some people might deem as homage, while others feel it's derivative. If that doesn't bother you, the OP features great animation.

In closing, Medalist is one of the best anime in the winter 2025 season. I'm scoring it a 9 out of 10. The source material is undeniably great and it shows, but I have a nagging feeling that another studio might have done a much better job. Don't get me wrong. ENGI's adaptation is great, but what if, in theory, there's room for it to be even greater?