What makes Medalist unique is its gritty realism. Unlike hyper-kinetic sports manga that rely on superhuman abilities, Medalist focuses on technical precision, the agony of jumps like the Axel or Lutz, and the financial ruin that competitive skating often brings. Readers desperate for the next chapter often turn to searches because the official English translations, while excellent, often lag behind the Japanese serialization by several months.
Inori is not a prodigy in the traditional sense; she is starting late in a sport that demands early childhood development. Tsukasa, conversely, is a genius choreographer haunted by his past. The raw manga captures the desperation of two "failures" clinging to each other to reach the summit of the figure skating world.
If you want to read the Medalist raw manga, it is highly recommended to support the creator through official Japanese digital platforms. Many of these services offer free preview chapters or use a point system to unlock the latest updates. medalist raw manga
The story of the manga, written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada, is a powerful sports drama that follows two underdogs striving for figure skating glory. The narrative centers on Inori Yuitsuka , an 11-year-old girl who has been told she started skating too late to ever succeed. She meets Tsukasa Akeuraji , a former national-level ice dancer whose own dreams were cut short by the limitations of the sport and a late start. Bound by their shared passion and tenacity, the duo forms a coach-student bond with the ultimate goal of reaching the world stage and winning an Olympic gold medal. You can find reviews of their early journey from Lemon8 . Recent Developments (Raw/Latest Chapters)
Before jumping into the original Japanese text, it helps to know the core terms TSURUMAIKADA frequently uses. Figure skating terms are often written in (phonetic script used for foreign words), making them relatively easy for English speakers to decipher. What makes Medalist unique is its gritty realism
While primarily aimed at English speakers, K MANGA often provides access to the latest authorized, high-quality chapters.
Here is why this figure skating masterpiece is capturing hearts and why the raw chapters are worth your attention. The Story: A Second Chance on Ice Inori is not a prodigy in the traditional
Medalist is serialized in Kodansha's prestigious seinen manga magazine, Monthly Afternoon , with the series premiering on May 25, 2020. The individual chapters are compiled into tankōbon volumes, with the first volume released in Japan on September 23, 2020. As of January 2025, there are twelve volumes released in Japan, with English print editions distributed by Kodansha USA.
For those considering reading the Japanese raws:
For international fans, reading the raw version is the ultimate way to appreciate the original art without any translation layers. The search term is typically used to find the original Japanese-language chapters (often referred to as raws ). These versions allow readers to see the author's original sound effects, name placements, and artistic nuances.
The story of Medalist centers on , an 11-year-old fifth-grader who harbors a secret, burning dream: to become a world-class figure skater. However, she faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles. In the competitive world of figure skating, starting at 11 is considered "too old" to begin serious training. Her older sister, Mika, previously had her own skating dreams end in failure, leading her mother to be fiercely opposed to Inori following the same path. Despite this, Inori secretly practices at her local ice rink.