Introduction
Ever since the novice coach Tsukasa Akeuraji took Inori Yuitsuka under his mentorship, she has improved her figure skating at a fast pace. After passing a qualifying badge test, she earns a spot to compete in the upcoming Chubu Block Tournament, where only five of the 15 competitors can move forward to the next stage—the prestigious All-Japan Novice Tournament. However, earning a slot will not be easy for Inori: most of her rivals have already experienced trying their luck in the competition.
The stakes are high as the competition begins, and one by one, each of the competitors strive to perform their very best in front of the big crowd. Moreover, the current figure skating generation's prodigy, Hikaru Kamisaki, is not competing in this block, which raises everyone's determination to qualify. That includes Inori, who must beat the odds if she wants to keep her promise to reach Hikaru and represent Japan in the Olympics with Tsukasa.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience reviews
11 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
AkiraTendo
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!
‘Don’t jump for success. Jump to discover as much as possible.’
Ice Skating isn’t about success. It’s about escape. It’s an escape for Inori, because she can stop feeling like an outcast. It’s an escape for Coach Tsukasa, because he gets to spend time away from his mundane construction job. It’s an escape for the girl with the crumbling rink, because she gets to forget about the future.
And it was an escape for me, until I realized this season only had 9 episodes.
Medalist Season 2 has been hit by the modern movie craze. The second season has been split into 9 episodes and a movie. This decision is questionable at best.
Medalist isn’t an established franchise like Demon Slayer or Haikyuu. These first seasons are supposed to be BABY STEPS, and it’s alread…
Read at the sourceAan1m
A step up and a huge level above the previous season in absolutely every way - seeing the parallels between Inori and tsukasa journey is so damn good and their relationship is genuinely so heartwarming - the performance of a lifetime by Inori and genuinely had me at the edge of the seat and gave me insane amount of goosebumps - we also get a insight on a lot of characters backstories which was great - this season is full with a lot of self doubt and very realistic thoughts that actual sport athletes go through which has me so invested - obviously it doesn’t feel as full of a season as the first as it ends just before the start of a huge arc but I am absolutely so excited for the next movie and part and I can’t wait for that day that Inori topples the queen
Read at the sourceJxbinha
I definitely preferred the first season, but I still enjoyed seeing how much Tsukasa has grown. Watching her become more confident and slowly face bigger challenges is probably the strongest part of this season for me. She is no longer just a talented girl with a dream; now we actually get to see what that dream demands from her.
That said, this season didn't hit me emotionally in the same way as the first one. Maybe the novelty had worn off a little, or maybe I simply wasn't as invested in the new conflicts, but something was missing for me.
Score: 5/10
Read at the sourceHERMIT_PAIMON
Not a big fan of winter sports but I won't mind seeing something regarding it . Watched 1st season without any expectations but the content which it delivered was top quality. Highly recommend to watch a explanation video regarding rules if you aren't aware about sport . Having details regarding rules and technicality makes you to connect with storyline easily, you can feel raw emotions.
Season 2 didn't disappoint, delivered same quality content just like season 1 . The journey of inori from a nobody to a master skatter is inspiring in many ways even his coach is dope. No matter what's your age you can start whenever you want except some rare technical things . The use of cgi is well done , no jerky moments and details during skating is fabulous like splashing of ice particles etc . The s…
Read at the sourcereilove69
I was a little uncertain at the end of the first season if this show was going to hold up in the long run. I’m happy to say that this sequel delivered the goods! There was a remarkable improvement in the already impressive 3D animation, with even more dynamic and visually impressive skating routines, and the story keeps up engaging pacing and intensity. Thanks in part to a short 9 episode run, it's able to deliver its story arcs in a focused manner while also giving space for the characters to breath and grow, especially Inori and Coach Tsukasa. It was fun seeing this anime drop at the same time as the winter Olympics and all the excitement surrounding figure skating. I’m definitely hyped for the movie segment set to release next. 8/10
Read at the sourceSAGEOFTHE6PACK
Despite being a bit of a transitional season, Medalist season 2 still manages to deliver a unique, high quality sports anime experience. Season 2's focus is on fleshing out new and existing characters to prepare for the competition sequel, which leads to this season feeling slower and more grounded compared to other works in the genre. The character development is Medalist's strongest suit, so this focus works to its credit this season.
The use of CG is mostly good, sometimes jarring, but the skating takes more of a back seat this season. Hopefully, only being 9 episodes and having a movie sequel means that the animation budget and quality shine in said sequel-- especially since there will be a greater focus on the skaters' routines-- and if that is the case then that is a fair tradeoff.
Read at the sourceChuy_diazz
Medalist returned to remind me how much the story of an ice skater and her coach can touch my heart.
The biggest concern surrounding this sequel was whether it could maintain the production and animation quality. Fortunately, it did. The quality remained consistent throughout all nine episodes. Therefore, I'm grateful for the decision to cut episodes if it meant delivering a product of this caliber. The sequel has two very clear narrative parts with a noticeable division. The first focuses on a qualifying tournament, and the second focuses on building up to the upcoming movie next year. Let's see what each part offered.
The qualifying tournament: probably the best part of the season. It was Inori's first truly competitive tournament. There were no injuries or lack of experience; all the…
Read at the sourceemberreviews
Medalist 2nd Season is an affirmation of all the thoughts I had about the previous season as an adaptation, for both good and bad. It is a series constantly striving to put out exceptionally beautiful artwork, and occasionally does so, but is also constantly mired in an ever-present feeling of not being put together properly in a visual sense. Crisp character art, lavish color design, and hyper-polished stills to punctuate intense moments live side by side with shoddy compositing, awkward framing, and questionable CG assets. It’s also becoming clear that the CG models that are used the most (Inori, Hikaru, etc.) are used much more effectively than models that the animators aren’t used to working with as often, with the latter often getting significantly weaker face animations. It’s also be…
Read at the sourceBrotherCoa
We are back, and better than ever. This season was really good, despite having only 9 episodes it really captures the essence of the series and push it in new direction. Shame that not many people spoke about it this season as it was packed with many other series. Despite that, it still shines as one of the best sequels this season.
Animation and music - very good. The animation is continuing it's quality from the 1st season and continues to be top quality, especially the 3D when they are doing choreography. The music is also phenomenal, especially during the matches. Some tracks for certain skaters are quite memorable.
Overall: Both music and animation are continuing quality from 1st season. Nothing but praises in that area.
Characters - Inori is still our main character and she is as…
Read at the sourceOmegaTizona
Unlike the first season, that is structured like a show, this one felt like watching a first act for a film. They are setting up the chess board to let the match unfold in the 2027 movie. It doesn't feel like a real, actual season, as in, it doesn't to have an actual finale. Considering how great the animators were in season 1 and this one, I bet they'll throw all of their artistic skills into that, which will try to pay off all of that set up of having the Hikaru girl as the main and mysterious antagonist. Finally, you'll get the confrontation.
Everything is looking out nicely for how they structured the story for the animated format. Looking forward to the movie.
Read at the sourceMarinate1016
The greatest sports animanga of all time has finally graced our screens again and it’s better than ever. While it doesn’t have as much official skating competition as season 1, Medalist season 2 is honestly the most important part of the story thus far. For all the battling on the ice, Inori’s biggest struggle has always been internal. This season sees her confront a lot of insecurities and grow both as a skater and a person, surpassing her limits in both regards to become more confident on and off the ice. Of course that journey doesn’t happen without the best mentor in anime, Tsukasa. This season is as much his as Inori’s and they both grew so much by the end. I’m so proud of my babies. I just hate that it was only 9 episodes long, but I am beyond ready for the film!
Despite only having…
Read at the source
