Around a decade ago, MAPPA released Yuri on Ice!, the ice figure skating anime that gripped the world. This year, another figure skating anime debuted in January, from which fans had somewhat similar expectations, but Medalist defied them all.
Like Yuri on Ice!, Medalist also features the journey of a student and coach, but the development thereafter is quite different. While focusing on the competitive spirit of the sport, it also shows the emotionally vulnerable sides of its protagonists.
And while it’s hard to believe, Medalist has engaged people from all age groups. From teens to people in their 30s and 40s, anime has made almost everyone cry.
Medalist has brought out the emotional sides of men in their 30s and 40s
When the Medalist was announced, no one could have anticipated the anime to take such a grim turn. Yes, it is a motivational sports anime with plenty of sub-genres involved, but it is also bringing out the emotions in fans of all ages. Even men in their 30s and 40s have begun bawling their eyes out while watching it.
What is it that makes Medalist so emotional? I’m only at ep 4 and I feel like this is the most emotionally moving thing I’ve seen in ages.
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But why does a simple figure skating anime have such a huge impact on its viewers? For starters, it does not lose itself only in the competitive spirit but also takes the pain to explore the mental state of the characters. Both Inori and Tsukasa have their own problems to deal with, the portrayal of which is excellent.
Tsukasa wanted to pursue figure skating at the age of 14, but his late start invited constant discouragement. This resulted in him foregoing his dreams to settle for ice dancing. Inori mirrors his story. She is passionate about figure skating but is fast approaching 11 years of age, which is the cutoff age for going pro. Both characters face discouragement and various problems in their personal lives due to it.
Why Medalist is making everyone cry their hearts out
Tsukasa had to settle for ice dancing and lived as a shadow of his former ambitions. Even years down the line, he keeps struggling to find any job that is skate-related. But he finds his hopes and dreams again when he encounters Inori, who seems to be in a similar situation to himself.
What adds more gravity to Inori’s situation is that her elder sister was also a figure skater. But her career-ending injury had the worst impact on both her and her family. Inori’s mom is not firmly against letting her go through the same pain. Inori’s dreams and passion start to clash against the wishes of her mom, making her journey even more taxing.
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Older fans have been able to relate to this, having had to go through something similar at some point in their lives. The emotional burden on both Tsukasa and Inori has served to make the anime even more relatable. Medalist isn’t just about Inori’s performance but also about Tsukasa’s own development after seeing someone similar to him struggling at such a small age.
Medalist anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
