Medalist 14

メダリスト [Medalist] #14

by Tsurumaikada

Inori, who vowed to win at the All Japan Junior Championships, was instead shaken by the injury of Iruka early on. Her goal was to catch up with her lifelong rival Hikaru, but after crashing out of her short program, she fails to even qualify for the free skate session. She attempts to put on a brave face, but breaks down crying once Hikaru confronts her about it. Seeing Inori's spirit nearly crushed, Hikaru goes on to give the performance of her life. Recalling why she entered skating in the first place, Inori attempts to regain her original passion, but her disappointment in herself makes every practice-and every day of life-seem packed with pressure. A frank discussion with Tsukasa gives her new insight, though, and soon they're setting their sights on gold once more. Their next stop: China, and the final event of the Junior Grand Prix, open only to the top six performers in her class!

Genres: Manga

Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2026

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the sport it depicts, Medalist is often split into a technical portion where it buries itself up to its neck in detail and an artistic component that puts the emotions and personalities of these skaters on full display.

I appreciate that trying to convey just how the hell figure skating is judged is not easy, I’m still not precisely sure about it, but it definitely drags this volume way down with the exposition.

It’s really a rock and a hard place situation - trying to invest the reader fully in the stakes of what Inori is doing and going up against - but that explanation is laborious, even when it is spread across three very good skating performances.

Nothing about that aspect is bad; I genuinely commend the amount of work that has gone in to making all these characters feel a little different and unique in more than just look.

When the skating itself is allowed to breathe, it’s really something. Inori’s routine in particular has at least one moment where she looks back at herself that’s just a pure showstopper and one of the best images in the series to date.

Plus, being invested in Inori is part and parcel of the series and it’s amazing to see her truly having her moment. She’s worked so hard to get here and watching that pay off is a real moment for the reader.

I mean, I also know that coming up with that entire fake movie couldn’t have been easy, but it gets the job done. I don’t find it completely compelling - something created in-universe like this is a bit easier to bend to the narrative - but it’s a minor point.

This volume is basically a whole lot of competition and not much else. Which this series does very well, although this is a somewhat awkward variant with all the extra details.

But it offers a ton of interesting new ideas and really shows how Tsukasa and Inori are growing. There’s even a suggestion that whatever moment of triumph we get here might not be long for this world (the skating one).

Oh, there’s also another chapter of that “bonus” boring fantasy story at the back, which somehow manages to cram a beach scene into a series I would have sworn would never go there.

4 stars - absolutely more of what I love about the story, but it is definitely buried under a layer of educational content that feels like eating your veggies before the good stuff.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

Narcissus is like her reflection.
Through the teachings of his ghostly coach, Narcissus learned Kung Fu—and he also changed, becoming strong instead of timid. She, too, is the same. She was once a timid, weak girl who felt worthless. But after meeting her coach, she found the courage to tell her family about her love for figure skating and her determination. And then, she stepped onto the international stage.

Using Narcissus’s story as inspiration, she adapted it into the music and choreography for her Short Program. In truth, she didn’t just skate through Narcissus’s life—she skated through her own experience.