Voice actors Natsumi Haruse and Takeo Otsuka attended a guest press event for the Medalist Exhibition held on August 13 at the Event Square on the 8th floor of Matsuya Ginza in Tokyo, Japan, where they spoke about how they prepared for their roles in the series.

Haruse, who voices Inori, a young girl aspiring to become a figure skater, revealed that she began taking figure skating lessons after being cast. “I realized just how difficult it is to skate, and at the same time, I became more conscious of where my weight is placed, which helped me in my performance,” she said. “The exhilarating feeling when gaining speed, the unique scent and coldness of the rink—these are charms unique to skating. Experiencing them firsthand gave me a deeper sense of the character.” She added with a smile, “I’m able to keep that sensation in mind while acting, so it feels like a very special experience.”

Otsuka shared his own preparation process: “Akiko Suzuki, who was in charge of motion capture, gave me the opportunity to interview her at the skating rink and even taught me how to skate. It was a valuable experience and a huge reference for my performance.” Speaking about his character Tsukasa, he explained, “He’s a very energetic person, so I paid close attention to how I could bring out that emotion. We recorded many scenes together with Haruse and the rest of the cast, which made it easier to naturally flow into the emotions during the sessions.”

He also revealed how Haruse’s expertise came in handy: “Whenever I didn’t understand something about skating during recording, I would ask Haruse, and she’d give me detailed explanations. It was a great help.” Laughing, Haruse said, “I’m a total skating nerd at heart. I never imagined my 15 years as a skating fan would come in handy like this.” She added, “Things I absorbed out of love for the sport ended up being useful, and sometimes others shared perspectives I’d never considered before. Recording sessions were full of discoveries and joy.”

Created by Tsurumaikada, the story follows two people who meet on the ice and join forces to aim for the world stage in figure skating. Tsukasa, a young man who gave up on his dream as a skater, meets Inori, a girl with a strong longing for the sport. Although she was brought to the rink by her mother as an excuse to make her give up skating, Inori possesses an unyielding obsession with the ice. Moved by her passion, Tsukasa volunteers to be her coach, defying her mother’s opposition, and begins training her—ultimately helping her talent blossom.

The series has been running in Monthly Afternoon since 2020 and has won multiple awards, including first place in the Next Manga Awards 2022 Comics Division. Its first TV anime season aired from January to March 2024, and the second season is scheduled to air in January 2026 on TV Asahi’s “NUMAnimation” block.

This exhibition is the first-ever for Medalist, featuring newly drawn illustrations by Tsuruma, reproductions of iconic manga scenes, displays recreating the series’ world, and selected anime scenes. It also showcases the charm of figure skating alongside the work itself. Exclusive merchandise featuring the new illustrations will be available. The exhibition will tour Japan: August 13–September 2 at Matsuya Ginza (Tokyo), October at Daimaru Museum Umeda (Osaka), and December at Korinbo Daiwa (Ishikawa).

Source : ORICON NEWS