Medalist Volume 4 Review
“Talking to you is so irritating,” Rioh to Tsukasa. “I’ll attend practice but seriously, please leave me alone.”
Diminutive skater Inori is making up for lost time as fast as she can and is aiming to qualify for the Novice division of the Japan Figure Skating Championships. Her coach Tsukasa has agreed to take another eleven-year-old student: Rioh Sonidori, the son of Olympic silver medal-winning Shinichi Sonidori. Rioh has developed something of a bad attitude (maybe due to the pressure to perform as the son of a successful father) and he and Inori argue all the time, which is exhausting for poor Tsukasa.
The next hurdle: the summer training camp which younger skater Mittens is also attending with her long-suffering trainer Mario Nachi. Inori has stated in no uncertain terms that she wants to take the Level-6 examination this summer as that will mean she has to learn a triple-double combo. And so Tsukasa takes both Inori and Rioh to take part in the camp as Rioh has still to master the triple-double too.
Rioh’s sullen attitude continues to get in the way of his making any progress – but he’s underestimated Tsukasa’s unquenchable optimism. He’s not going to give up on he boy so easily, in spite of all Rioh’s little digs. A difficult conversation eventually takes place in which Tsukasa asks Rioh why he’s so down on himself and asks if he’s trying to emulate Olympic gold medalist, Jun Yodaka. This touches a raw nerve – and Rioh finally admits that, “The thing I hate most in the world is roaches and Jun Yodaka.” He was once been rejected by the Olympic medalist.
But it’s not until Tsukasa (who’s a very quick study) takes to the ice to perform Rioh’s program himself that the young skaters watch in amazement… especially Rioh, whose disinterested mask drops away. Nevertheless, he spots the influence of Jun Yodaka in Tsukasa’s style and comportment on the ice. Is there still a way for Tsukasa to help Rioh to achieve Level-6 and pull off the triple-double combo?
Medalist is one of those sports manga which does exactly what it says on the tin – but thanks to mangaka Tsurumaikada’s art and compelling storytelling, it does so in a very readable way. The work brims with energy – of the most positive kind. There’s a dynamic quality to Tsurumaikada’s drawings that captures the movement of the skaters, especially in the panels in Chapter/Score 13 Dance the Night where Tsukasa takes to the ice in front of the young students and delivers a dazzling performance of Rioh’s program. It’s also a genuinely moving moment as Tsukasa (who’s retired from competitive skating) shows he still has what it takes as a skater and ice dancer. The comments from the watching students ring true! But it’s not just the way the art skilfully portrays the skaters on the ice, it’s the way the mangaka is showing us that Tsukasa is becoming such a wise and helpful coach to Inori and Inori is flourishing, thanks to his influence. The arrival of Rioh upsets the harmony – but it’s fascinating to watch how everyone has to learn to get along together. Tsurumaikada pulls this off with a light but incisive touch so as a reader you don’t feel you’re being preached at; it’s neat observation of how children learn to get along (and adults too).
Another engaging chapter is Shirone’s Lesson in which the tutors bring in an award-winning ballet dancer, Tohaku Shirone, to coach the young skaters. They’re not particularly impressed at first, especially when he turns up in his grandad’s old truck; Rioh even accuses him of being ‘a prowler type’ and Mittens says, “I thought you were from the bad side of town.” But as soon as Shirone gets the children at the barre, learning the five positions, they lose their scepticism and when he demonstrates a jump, they’re deeply impressed. Three twists – on land?!
The anime (January 2025) looks promising from its trailer but Volume 5 is due out in physical format from Kodansha in November before then; if you’re keen, you can read ahead in digital format up to Volume 10. The Kodansha print edition again gives us four attractive colour pages, including another double-spread and there are lots of fun extras at the end of the volume including six 4-koma strips. There’s a short character guide and an invaluable ‘The Story So Far’ at the front (how I wish other manga would adopt this practice as it happens far too rarely in long series).
The translation is again by Keven Gifford with lettering by Darren Smith and both contribute greatly to the enjoyment of reading the text and bringing the characters to life in another dynamic volume about pursuing a dream, and the tears and sheer hard work that goes into making figure skating look so effortless on the ice.
Our review copy from Kodansha was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.
