January 2026 promises to be a huge month for anime fans, with many new series debuting alongside returning favorites. While popular shows like Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, and Hell’s Paradise are expected to be major highlights, The Medalist is emerging as a potential standout. Following a successful initial release, The Medalist is returning with a brand new trailer.
Premiering earlier this year, The Medalist is an anime series brought to life by Studio ENGI, based on Tsurumaikada’s popular sports story. Like other sports anime such as Haikyu!! and Hajime no Ippo, it takes a real-world sport – ice skating – and adds exciting anime elements. The story centers on Inori Yuitsuka, an eleven-year-old with big dreams of becoming a top figure skater. Despite being told she’s started training too late, she finds a mentor who believes in her, and together they aim to conquer the world of competitive ice skating. The second season of The Medalist will arrive on January 24th of next year, and previews suggest the next major arc will focus on the “Chubu Block Tournament.”
The Medalist Cast Speaks
To ensure the figure skating in the anime looked realistic, Studio ENGI hired a retired figure skater. Rika Hongo, a former competitive skater, consulted on the animation to guarantee its accuracy, calling the experience completely new for her. Here’s what Hongo shared about joining the production of The Medalist.
It was my first time doing motion capture, and it was amazing to see the anime character instantly mimic my skating and jumps. I never imagined I’d be part of an anime’s creation like this, and it’s a really exciting new way to enjoy the show – now I get to wonder which moves are actually mine! I’m so thankful for this experience. As the anime develops, I expect the choreography will get even more challenging, maybe even like what you see on TV, which I’m really looking forward to. I can’t wait to watch it, and I’ll definitely keep practicing so I can keep up with Inori and the other characters!
With anime becoming increasingly popular, Hulu and Disney are expanding their offerings in this area. Several popular series, including One-Punch Man, Undead Unluck, Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, and Tokyo Revengers, are now exclusively available for streaming on these platforms. It will be interesting to see what other anime titles Disney acquires as competition among streaming services increases.
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2025-12-09 22:10