Medalist Season 2 Adds Natsuki Hanae and Three More Cast Members as New Character Visuals Revealed

The second season of the TV anime Medalist has announced four new cast members: Natsuki Hanae, Konomi Inagaki, Shoya Ishige, and Yuki Ono. Alongside the casting news, new character visuals have also been unveiled.

Medalist is based on the manga of the same name by Tsurumaikada. The series has received widespread acclaim, ranking No. 1 in the Comics category of the Next Manga Award 2022 and winning the General category at the 48th Kodansha Manga Awards. The story follows Inori Yuitsuka, a young girl who dedicates her youth to figure skating, and her coach Tsukasa Akeuraji as they pursue their dreams together.

Joining the cast in Season 2 are Hanae as Kakeru Uobuchi, a freelance temporary coach specializing in jump instruction; Inagaki as Miku Ahiru, the gold medalist of the Hokkaido-Tohoku Block Competition; Ishige as Kohei Kamogawa, the head coach of the same club and a former clubmate of Tsukasa; and Ono as Juna Shiratori, a choreographer who is also active as a celebrity.

Hanae, who voices Uobuchi, shared his excitement: “I was deeply encouraged by the original manga, so I was truly happy when I was cast in the series. I feel that the passion this work carries represents each person’s life itself.” Regarding his role, he commented, “I try to portray both the joy of watching one’s students grow and the clarity needed to communicate effectively as a teacher. I hope to deliver an encouraging message to everyone who takes on challenges, together with Uobuchi.”

Ishige expressed his surprise and gratitude, saying, “I never imagined I would be able to live in the world of Medalist, so I feel both surprised and honored.” He added that he hopes to fully bring out Kohei’s charm in his performance.

Inagaki reflected, “When I first met Miku, I knew I absolutely wanted to play her,” and stated her determination to carefully portray the character’s dignified strength and underlying fragility

Ono also shared that he is honored to join Medalist and looks forward to Juna’s appearance in the story.

Source : ORICON NEWS