Medalist anime confirms Winter 2025 release and more in first PV

Modified Mar 21, 2024 23:48 GMT

Medalist anime confirms Winter 2025 release and more in first PV (Image via ENGI)

Thursday, March 21, 2024, saw Kadokawa reveal the first promotional video for their upcoming television Medalist anime series, as well as revealing the series’ January 2025 release window. In addition to this, the series also revealed two more cast members, as well as additional staff and broadcasting information for the series’ premiere.

While the Japanese broadcast information for the Medalist anime was revealed, international streaming information for the series has yet to be confirmed as of the time of this article’s writing. However, this is likely not something to worry over considering the series is still nearly a year from making its official premiere. Thus, streaming information is likely to be confirmed closer to the series’ release window.

The Medalist anime serves as the television anime adaptation of author and illustrator Tsurumaikada’s original Olympic ice-skating manga series of the same name. The series first began serialization in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine in May 2020, where it is still ongoing and regularly serialized today.

Medalist anime enlists Kana Ichinose and Yuma Uchida as cast members

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As mentioned above, the Medalist anime’s first promotional video confirmed its January 2025 release window, as well as its intent to debut on TV Asahi’s NUMAnimation programming block. A narrower release date and time, as well as international streaming information, will likely be revealed as the Winter 2025 anime season draws close.

In addition, the series also announced two new cast members in the form of Kana Ichinose as Hiakru Kamisaki and Yuma Uchida as Jun Yodaka. Ichinose is likely best known for her role as Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’s Suletta Mercury, and Uchida for his role as Jujutsu Kaisen’s Megumi Fushiguro.

The two will join previously announced starring cast members Natsumi Haruse as Inori Yuitsuka, and Takeo Otsuka as Tsukasa Akeuraji.

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Yasutaka Yamamoto is directing the anime at ENGI studios, with Jukki Hanada in charge of series composition and the anime’s screenplay. Chinatsu Kameyama is designing the characters, while Yuki Hayashi is composing the music. Additional staff includes:

Chief Animation Directors: Chinatsu Kameyama, Yōsuke Itō
Figure Skating Director, 3DCG Director: Kouji
3DCG Visual Director: Takayuki Toda
3DCG Animation Supervisor: Shōtarō Hori
3DCG Producer: Tetsu Iijima
Color Design: Aiko Yamagami
Art Director: Yoko Nakao
Background Art: Takashi Hiruma, Rie Onodera
Director of Photography: Shin'ichi Komeya
Editing: Tomoki Nagasaka
Sound Director: Yuichi Imaizumi
Sound Effects: Kenji Koyama

Kodansha USA Publishing licenses the manga for release in English, most recently releasing the 9th compilation volume of 10 total on March 19, 2024. It describes the story as follows:

“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!”