Created by Tsurumaikada, Medalist is a manga series serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine. The story follows Inori Yuitsuka, a young girl with a burning passion for figure skating, and Tsukasa Akeuraji, a former ice dancer who becomes her unorthodox coach. Unlike many sports manga that focus on innate talent, Medalist emphasizes grit, failure, and the brutal reality of competitive sports.
The title itself is a double entendre: Inori dreams of standing on the podium as a medalist, but the journey is fraught with financial hardship, technical impossibilities, and psychological barriers. By Chapter 49, the series has already pushed its characters through regional novice competitions, intense training camps, and personal tragedies.
The artist’s use of “gutter space” (the dark margins between panels) is exceptional here. In one sequence, as Inori’s coach, Hikaru, watches from the boards, the panels shrink. They become claustrophobic slivers, mimicking the narrowing tunnel vision of a skater losing her nerve. Conversely, the final two pages explode into a double-page spread of absolute silence: Inori mid-air on an attempted Axel, the entire rink reduced to a void around her.
This is where WeloveManga’s high-resolution scan quality matters. The hatching on Inori’s costume—the way the fabric strains against her shoulders—conveys muscle fatigue better than any monologue could.
Platform: WeLoveManga (Raw Scanlation)
Genre: Sports, Drama, Seinen
Art/Story: Tsurumaikada MEDALIST - RAW chap 49 Raw Manga - WeloveManga
Warning: This review discusses the raw (untranslated) chapter. Minor spoilers ahead.
If you are determined to follow the raw release, here is the safest method:
Pro-tip: Chapter 49’s raw includes a 2-page color spread at the beginning—something that black-and-white scanlations often remove. WeloveManga preserves these.
The raw on WeLoveManga is high-resolution, preserving Tsurumaikada’s incredible linework. Key observations: Created by Tsurumaikada, Medalist is a manga series
The Context: This chapter takes place during the West Japan Rookie Skating Championships. The spotlight is split between Rioh Sonidori, who is in the middle of his performance, and Yuna Kamikura, who is watching from the sidelines or preparing for her own skate.
Key Plot Points:
1. Rioh’s "Skate of His Life": The chapter heavily focuses on Rioh’s emotional state. For years, he has been overshadowed by the genius of Hikaru Kamisaki. In this championship, Rioh is not just skating for a medal; he is skating to prove that his years of grueling, unglamorous hard work have value.
2. Tsukasa’s Perspective: Tsukasa (the coach) watches Rioh with intense pride. He understands that Rioh represents the "ideal" athlete he wants to coach—someone who isn't a prodigy but fights with everything they have. Tsukasa’s reactions in the raws often show him nervously clutching his chest or tearing up, realizing that Rioh has finally stepped out of the shadow of "second place." If you are determined to follow the raw
3. The Score and Reaction:
4. Yuna’s Turn: The tension shifts immediately to Yuna. Seeing Rioh skate so passionately lights a fire under her.
5. The Cliffhanger: The chapter typically ends as Yuna takes the ice. The final panels focus on her eyes—the nervousness is gone, replaced by the cold, sharp focus of a competitor. The narrative sets up the direct clash: Rioh has set the bar impossibly high; can Yuna clear it?