Akiko Suzuki Recreates Inori's Scene from "Medalist" on Ice... Natsumi Haruse: "I Almost Cried," Takeo Ōtsuka: "Deeply Moved"

The second season of the TV anime "Medalist" will begin broadcasting on Saturday, January 24th on TV Asahi's nationwide 24-station network "NUMAnimation" slot and other channels. Prior to this, on January 10th, a pre-broadcast event was held at the outdoor ice skating rink "Yunth MIDTOWN ICE RINK" inside Tokyo Midtown (Roppongi).

The event featured Natsumi Haruse, who voices Inori Yuitsuka, Takeo Ōtsuka, who voices Tsukasa Akeuraji, and Akiko Suzuki, who has been in charge of figure skating choreography since the first season. Additionally, members of the music group "HANA," who perform the second season's opening theme song, also participated as guests.

At the beginning of the event, Akiko Suzuki presented a skating show. She performed a special version of the routine that the protagonist Inori Yuitsuka performed at her first All-Japan Novice competition in the first season. Haruse, who watched from close range, said with a trembling voice, "Memories from the first episode came flooding back, and I almost cried." Ōtsuka also commented, "Scenes from the anime came back to me, and I was deeply moved." Suzuki revealed the feelings she put into her performance, saying, "I skated with Inori's past, the joy of encountering skating, and her determination to work hard."

In the first season, the story follows Inori Yuitsuka, who dreams of the world of figure skating, as she grows through encounters with various rivals alongside Tsukasa Akeuraji, a young man who failed as a skater, culminating in her passing the Level 6 badge test. Suzuki, who was involved in the production through choreography and motion capture filming, stated that she was particularly committed to "becoming the character while skating." Regarding Tsukasa's choreography, who comes from an ice dance background, she revealed, "I incorporated an image of how it would look cool if a man skated like this."