Medalist Volumes 5 and 6 Review
Inori – small in stature for her age but filled with passion for ice-skating – is entering her first-ever championship: the Chubu Block Tournament in the hope of moving on to nationals. But, as a late starter, she’s at a big disadvantage. Also competing in the Novice class are many girls her age who have been skating much longer than she has, including one called Yuna Yagi. Does she even stand a chance against them? She’s only just mastered the triple Salchow – how can she get a triple lutz-triple loop combo together in the time? At least she has the staunch support of her coach Tsukasa; after all, he’s promised to make her a gold medalist!
However, after all the excitement of Inori competing in her first tournament, the spotlight falls on the coaches in Volume 6 as Shinichiro (Rioh’s father and Yuna’s coach) persuades Tsukasa to join him on the ice to meet none other than Tsukasa’s idol – and rival – moody Jun Yodaka. It turns out that Jun is coaching Hikaru (Inori’s inspiration) in secret with Shinichiro out front to keep the press and other interested parties off their trail. Tsukasa has to borrow skates and – because ice dancers use different skates to figure skaters, he finds it impossible to keep his balance at first, which is humiliating when he falls (and painful too, as he’s tall)! But Jun insists, challenging him to do a backflip. Can Tsukasa do it? And what is this really about? Tsukasa abandoned professional ice-dancing because he wasn’t being offered any roles in shows but does Jun really believe he has the potential to return and abandon coaching Inori? Or does he have another agenda? “I know what it takes to be the best in the world,” he tells Tsukasa. “You on the other hand, don’t. That’s why your dream, and hers, won’t come true.” But has Jun underestimated Tsukasa?
Medalist continues to deliver a fascinating look back-stage at competitive figure skating through Inori’s eyes as she does her best to measure up to the other contestants. It’s been a very steep learning curve for her and it’s small wonder that she has many wobbles along the way while staying determined to skate the best that she possibly can. And in Tsukasa she has a coach who, while empathizing with her situation as another late beginner himself, is still able to give her the necessary strategies to help her do her very best.
Volume 5, though, buckles under the sheer number of fellow contestants that mangaka Tsurumaikada introduces and loses focus by following these new characters as they perform their routines in the contest. It’s the first time in this engaging series that I feel that the mangaka loses sight of the main plot as, even though we glimpse Inori and Tsukasa from time to time as they watch, I can’t help feeling that much of this material is not essential to their story. (On the other hand, I suspect it will prove much more fun when it’s animated.) Eventually a significant new protagonist and potential rival, Yuna Yagi, emerges, with her coach Shinichiro Sonidori (Rioh’s father) which leads to all kinds of complications.
The arrival of Koichi Kago, Tsukasa’s former boss, landlord and long-time supporter with his little daughter Yoh who’ve come to cheer Inori (and Tsukasa) on as well as Mr Sekoma from the ice rink provides some welcome relief and Mr Sekoma’s explanations to Yoh about how the competition works are helpful for us as well. But the most compelling and tense scene for me is the meeting on the ice between Jun and Tsukasa with Shinichiro uneasily mediating. We know that this confrontation is far from over and is only a prelude to drama still to come.
The art by Tsurumaikada is as wonderful as before, varying from Inori’s cartoon-like expression faces (they are extreme!) to panels that capture the grace and beauty of the skaters on the ice, whether they’re talented beginners like Inori or adults at the pinnacle of their gift, like Jun. This mangaka can really pull off humour but she can also wring our hearts when Inori feels she’s losing hold of her dreams.
Kodansha continue to give us striking and delightful colour pages at the start of every volume and the translation is once more by Kevin Gifford with lettering by Scott O’Brien/Darren Smith which means reading is a pleasurable experience, in spite of all the technical skating terms! Do look out for all the fun 4-koma and bonus stories at the end of both volumes; Tsurumaikada is very generous and is obviously having a great time creating these extras.
If you’re enjoying the anime TV series (which is very faithful to the manga thus far) I really recommend reading the manga as well for all the little extras that don’t always get adapted and plenty of background material. Volume 7 is out in March 2025 in the physical edition but the digital edition is all the way up to Volume 11.
Our review copies from Kodansha were supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.
