Medalist starts as your typical underdog story in a sport that is extremely cruel with those who dont start early someone with a surprising natural talent that didnt have the opportunity to start earlier. 440https://files.catbox.moe/amupue.png Inori finds Tsukasa a coach that doesnt believe in himself who becomes passionate about helping Inori achieve her dream of becoming a gold medalist being completely captivated by her. 880https://files.catbox.moe/lyi5yy.png Both Tsukasa and Inori lack confidence in their abilities since they both started late but its because of this that Tsukasa with his new found passion for coaching wants to make sure Inori will definitely achieve her dreams and prove to her what took him too long to realize due to not having anyone to help him with this its not too late to start pursuing your dreams and doing what you want to do what you love. It doesnt matter what people say you should just go for it. 880https://files.catbox.moe/py4j3z.png Both of our characters start off with inner selfhatred for the people they were in the past but theyre able to push eachother to greater highs as mentor and mentee and finding a new happiness that wasnt there before but happiness doesnt last forever 440https://files.catbox.moe/cy18mv.png Its not all sunshine and rainbows Inori struggles deeply with disappointing others and with people thinking shes not putting her all into this shes nothing outside of the ice rink and Tsukasa really struggles whenever he fails in making Inori succeed feeling inadequate. 880https://files.catbox.moe/h6z39k.png Inori as her own name prayer indicates is a girl whose strength comes from carrying the prayers and hopes of others only making it more crushing whenever she fails specially considering her young age aswell as all of her insecurities that come from having hated herself. 440https://files.catbox.moe/6hcsup.png Never being good academically or having anything she excelled at finally able to find her passion in skating being good at something and finding the strength to keep on going when things go south thanks to Tsukasa as well as her rival Hikaru her shining light of hope. 880https://files.catbox.moe/aresdh.png Hikaru is a fairly complex character a girl that looks down on skating who only started ice skating because the adults around her wanted her to do so a girl who is constantly playing the role people want to see not who she really is following in the steps of Jun Yodaka. 440https://files.catbox.moe/pq7q8e.png A girl who sees Inori as her salvation in this world the two sharing mutual admiration who eventually breaks through from this role shes playing and starts being her own person breaking out from her miniature garden and becoming the light Hikaru of hope that Inori needed. 880https://files.catbox.moe/e7kdvu.png Tsukasa couldnt succeed at any of his dreams replacing one with another when things went south but hes now found a new dreambecoming the coach of his ideal someone he wishes had been there for him when he needed it. He wants nothing more than to help Inori succeed. 440https://files.catbox.moe/mi3yfn.png Tsukasas and Inoris dynamic is one of the best youll ever see the side cast is also phenomenal special mention to Iruka in particular a girl who has lost all sense of normalcy due to her pain but refuses to get hurt any longer and wishes to become the coolest skater ever. 880https://files.catbox.moe/ukwc2k.png Its not just the writing that is phenomenal in Medalist the art is absolutely gorgeous too having a perfect choreography in which you can really feel the movement at any time as you can see by looking at the past pictures Tsurumaikada has nailed everything in this series. 880https://files.catbox.moe/fl3c94.png Theres a lot I could say about this series and I didnt do it enough justice here but Ill make a longer review when it finishes if you want a realistic story about hardworking people pursuing their dreams pushing eachother and dealing with failure please read Medalist 880https://files.catbox.moe/cy41q5.png