Is Medalist Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read

Quick facts
Format	Manga (seinen), 14 volumes
Run	2020–present · ongoing
Community score	AniList 8.8 · MAL 8.8 · MangaUpdates 7.9
Where to read	Kodansha — official

Overview

Medalist is a figure-skating sports manga by Tsurumaikada, and it's quietly become one of the best in the genre. It follows Inori, an eleven-year-old who dreams of competing on the ice even though almost everyone around her — her mother, the world, and at times herself — has decided she doesn't have what it takes. She crosses paths with Tsukasa, a skater whose own competitive dreams fell apart and who's on the verge of giving up on the sport entirely. He becomes her coach, and the two of them, both written off in their own ways, chase one shared goal: to climb to the top of competitive figure skating.

It's an underdog story at its core, and it's earnest about it. The series has won major manga awards and picked up an anime, and that attention is earned.

What it does well

The emotional core is what makes Medalist special. Inori is incredibly easy to root for — a kid full of want and short on belief from anyone else — so her progress, even the tiny steps, lands hard. Paired with Tsukasa, a coach trying to give his student the chance he never got, it becomes a story about two people lifting each other up, and it earns its big emotional moments honestly rather than forcing them.

The skating is the other star. Tsurumaikada draws routines with real motion and grace; you feel the speed, the height of a jump, and the split second between landing it and falling. The art turns competitive skating into something genuinely thrilling on the page, which is no small feat for a sport that's so much about precision.

It's also smart about the sport itself. Medalist explains the jumps, the scoring, the politics, and the brutal pressure of competition clearly enough that a total newcomer can follow along, and that knowledge makes every routine more tense. You understand exactly what's at stake when Inori steps onto the ice.

Where it falls short

The honest caveat is that it's a fairly straightforward, sincere underdog story. It hits the beats you'd expect from the genre — setbacks, breakthroughs, rivals, big competitions — and while it does them well, it isn't trying to subvert anything or sit in moral grey. If you want cynicism or surprise, this isn't that.

It's also unabashedly emotional, with big swings and a lot of heart-on-sleeve sincerity, which is the appeal for most readers but can feel like a lot if you prefer a cooler, more understated tone. And because it's ongoing, the largest competitive arcs are still playing out, so you're following an unfinished story rather than settling in for a complete one.

Verdict

Medalist is a wonderful sports manga and one of the easiest recommendations around. If you love an underdog story, a great coach-and-student bond, and art that makes a niche sport come alive, it delivers on all three and will get you genuinely invested. If you want edge, fast action, or a finished binge, temper that going in. Come for Inori's climb and Tsurumaikada's gorgeous skating, bring some tissues, and it's a standout — just be ready to wait for the next volume.