January 2026 is set to be one of the biggest months in anime history, focusing on quite a few new anime adaptations hitting the scene, along with some returning favorites. While shows like Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, and Hell’s Paradise might get the lion’s share of attention, a dark horse is looking to carve out its own place within the anime mix. The Medalist is set to take to the ice once again following its popular premiere, and has a brand new trailer to prove it.
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The Medalist premiered in January of this year, with Studio ENGI taking the reins of bringing Tsurumaikada’s sports series to the small screen. The series, like Haikyu and Hajime no Ippo, takes a traditional sport, in this case ice skating, and adds an anime flair to the mix. Following protagonist Inori Yuitsuka, the eleven-year-old wants nothing more than to achieve her dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater, but is considered too old to get into training. Luckily, she runs into a man who will become her mentor, with the pair attempting to take over the ice skating world. The Medalist’s second season is set to arrive on January 24th next year and is already hinting at its next big storyline, the “Chubu Block Tournament.”
The Medalist Cast Speaks
To make sure that the figure skating looks as true-to-life as possible, Studio ENGI actually employed the talents of a retired figure skater to bring her moves to the anime world. Competitive ice skater Rika Hongo was brought on to help with the anime’s accuracy, stating that this was a brand new experience for her. Here’s what Hongo had to say about joining The Medalist,
“This was my first time taking part in motion capture. After I skated and jumped, the character in the anime immediately jumped, and the character on the screen immediately performed the same movements as me, which was very interesting. I never thought I would be able to be involved in the production of an anime in this way, so I’m very happy, and in addition to enjoying watching the anime, I now have the joy of wondering which jump is my own! I’m grateful for this wonderful experience. As the story of the anime progresses, I think there will be more difficult moves, and moves like those seen on TV, so I think it will be even more enjoyable. I’m looking forward to watching the anime! I’ll also practice hard so I don’t fall behind Inori and the others!”
Hulu and Disney have been diving further into the world of anime as the medium continues to skyrocket in popularity. Perhaps most notably in recent years, the likes of One-Punch Man, Undead Unluck, Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War, Tokyo Revengers, and many others are only available to stream on the platforms. It will be interesting to see what other exclusives Disney lands as the anime streaming wars continue to heat up.
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