The staff behind the television anime adaptation of Tsurumaikada’s Olympic ice-skating manga, Medalist, revealed on Sunday that the series will be receiving a second season.
The anime originally premiered in Japan as part of the “NUMAnimation” programming block on TV Asahi and its 23 affiliated channels on January 4 at 25:30 (effectively January 5 at 1:30 a.m.). It also aired on BS Asahi on January 6. Disney+ streamed the series.
To commemorate the anime’s launch, the Kadokawa Anime channel on YouTube hosted a live special on January 4 at 8:00 p.m. (6:00 a.m. EST), ahead of the anime’s broadcast. Additionally, the anime inspired a net radio program on YouTube.
Former Olympic figure skater Akiko Suzuki choreographed the skating sequences in the first season, working in collaboration with retired figure skater Yuhana Yokoi and active competitive figure skater Hinano Isobe.
Medalist Season 2
Kodansha USA Publishing licensed the manga and provides the following description of the story:
Tsukasa, whose dreams were crushed. Inori, left to fend for herself. These two share a dream…and their tenacity may be the only thing that sees them through. Their destination? The ice…on the world’s stage!
Tsurumaikada began serializing the manga in Kodansha’s Afternoon magazine in May 2020. Kodansha released the 12th compiled volume on January 22.
The manga has received multiple accolades, including winning the Best General Manga category in last year’s Shogakukan Manga Awards. It also won Best General Manga at Kodansha’s 48th annual Manga Awards in May.
