Is Medalist Manga Finished? Status Update (2026)

If you’re here, you probably just discovered Medalist — maybe through the anime, maybe through a recommendation — and you want to know one thing before you invest your time and money: is Medalist manga finished?

Short answer: no, Medalist is not finished. The series is ongoing, and there’s no announced end date. That’s great news if you like having something to look forward to, and totally understandable if you prefer to wait for completed series. Either way, here’s everything worth knowing about where Medalist stands right now.

Is Medalist Manga Finished or Still Running?

Medalist (メダリスト), the figure skating manga by Tsurumaikada (つるまいかだ), is currently ongoing. It has been published chapter by chapter in Monthly Afternoon magazine since May 2020 — meaning new chapters come out in the magazine first, then get collected into book-format volumes. Neither the author nor the publisher has announced any plans to end the series.

As of early 2026, there are 14 volumes released in Japanese and 14 volumes available in English from Kodansha Comics. New volumes continue to come out at a steady pace, and the story shows no signs of wrapping up anytime soon.

This is worth emphasizing because the question “is it finished?” often comes from readers who’ve seen the anime and want to know if they can read the entire manga from start to finish. You can absolutely start reading now — there’s plenty of material — but the story is still being told. If you’re the type who needs a definitive ending before jumping in, you’ll be waiting a while. The series is clearly in the middle of its run, not approaching a finale.

For everyone else, an ongoing series means you get to be part of the conversation as new chapters drop. There’s something genuinely fun about following a manga in real time and speculating about what comes next.

What the Story Covers So Far

Medalist follows Tsukasa, a figure skating coach whose career has stalled, and Inori Yuitsuka, a young girl with raw talent and a burning desire to compete. (The English edition from Kodansha Comics uses “Inori,” while the original Japanese renders the name differently — you may encounter both versions depending on the source.) Their paths cross at a point when both desperately need each other — Tsukasa needs a skater to coach, and Inori needs someone who believes in her potential.

What makes Medalist stand out from a lot of sports manga is how seriously it takes the sport itself. The manga doesn’t just use figure skating as a backdrop for drama. It gets into the mechanics — the training, the choreography, the scoring system, the physical and emotional toll of competitive skating. If you’ve ever watched figure skating during the Olympics and wondered what goes into those performances, Medalist pulls back the curtain in a way that’s both educational and deeply compelling.

The emotional core of the series is the relationship between coach and student. Tsukasa carries the weight of his own failures, and watching him pour everything into helping Inori succeed gives the story a layered quality that goes beyond typical “underdog rises to the top” narratives. Inori, meanwhile, is written as a believable kid — not a prodigy who magically succeeds, but someone who works incredibly hard and still faces setbacks.

Without getting into spoiler territory, the manga progresses through competition storylines as Inori enters various tournaments and faces increasingly skilled opponents. The stakes grow naturally, and the series does a fantastic job of making you care about the outcome of each competition. As of the latest volumes, there’s no “final tournament” or climactic showdown on the horizon — the story is still building, still introducing new characters and challenges.

The emotional depth here is the real hook. Medalist can hit you surprisingly hard. The victories feel earned, the losses sting, and the quiet moments between competitions — the training sequences, the conversations about doubt and ambition — carry just as much weight as the dramatic skating scenes.

How Many Volumes Are Out Right Now

Here’s the current volume breakdown:

The series has maintained a fairly consistent release schedule since it began in 2020, with new volumes typically coming out every few months. The gap between the Japanese and English editions is small — currently at parity as of this writing — which is great for English-speaking readers who don’t want to fall too far behind.

With the series ongoing, you should expect more volumes to follow. There’s no indication the release pace is slowing down.

A note on catching up: Fourteen English volumes is a solid amount of reading material. If you’re starting from scratch, that’s enough to keep you busy for a while before you hit the “waiting for the next volume” stage. And by the time you catch up, there may well be another volume or two out.

For readers who want to start collecting from the beginning, Medalist Volume 1 through the latest English release are all available through Kodansha Comics in both print and digital formats. The print editions are roughly the size of a small paperback, and the digital versions are available through platforms like Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and other manga storefronts.

The English volumes are well-produced, with clean translation work that preserves the technical skating terminology while keeping dialogue natural. Kodansha Comics has done a solid job with this series.

Medalist Has an Anime Adaptation Too

One of the biggest reasons people are searching “is Medalist manga finished” is the anime adaptation. The anime has brought a huge wave of new fans to the franchise who naturally want to know how much manga exists and whether the story is complete.

As of 2026, two full seasons of the Medalist anime have aired. Season 1 ran from January to March 2025 with 13 episodes, and Season 2 followed from January to March 2026 with 9 episodes. An anime film has also been announced for 2027. Both seasons do a beautiful job of bringing the figure skating sequences to life with animation, and together they cover a significant portion of the manga’s story so far.

If you watched the anime and loved it, the manga is absolutely worth reading — you’ll get the same emotional beats plus a lot more detail in the characters’ inner thoughts and training sequences that anime pacing sometimes has to trim.

Here’s the important thing to know about the anime and manga relationship: the manga came first, and the anime was adapted from it. Even with two seasons complete, there is still story in the manga that hasn’t been animated yet. If you’ve finished Season 2 and want to know what happens next, the manga is where you go.

For people who haven’t tried either format yet, the anime works well as a “taste test.” Watch a few episodes. If the characters and the sport grab you, the manga will give you a deeper, more complete version of that experience. And if you end up loving it, you’ll have volumes of material waiting for you.

Whether you go anime-first or manga-first, both are great entry points. But reading the manga from the beginning — even if you’ve seen both seasons of the anime — is worth it for the additional detail and the way Tsurumaikada’s artwork captures the beauty and intensity of skating on the page.

Where to Start Reading Medalist

Start with Volume 1. This might sound obvious, but it’s worth saying clearly because a lot of anime viewers wonder if they can skip ahead to where the adaptation ends. You technically can, but Medalist is the kind of series where the early volumes do a lot of emotional groundwork that pays off later. The manga gives you more time inside the characters’ heads, more context for their motivations, and more of the small moments that make the big moments land.

Volume 1 opens with the fateful meeting between Tsukasa and Inori, and it immediately establishes the tone of the series — warm but not saccharine, sports-focused but deeply human. You’ll know within the first few chapters whether this series is for you.

If you’re ready to start from the beginning or catch up on recent volumes, this is a great place to jump in. The card below links to Vol. 14, the newest English volume, which arrived digitally on May 12, 2026.

For digital readers: Kodansha Comics publishes the English digital editions, which are available on platforms like Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and other digital manga storefronts. Digital is a great option if you want instant access and don’t mind reading on a screen.

For print collectors: The physical volumes are available through major retailers. Print editions of Medalist look great on a shelf, and the artwork benefits from being seen on paper — the skating sequences in particular have a fluidity that’s gorgeous in print.

For anime-to-manga readers: If you’ve watched both seasons of the anime and want to continue the story in manga form, the two seasons together cover a significant portion of the manga so far. You could pick up from where Season 2 leaves off, but honestly, starting from Volume 1 is the better move. The manga enriches scenes you’ve already watched, and experiencing them on the page adds new layers you won’t get from the anime alone.

One more thing: since the series is ongoing, now is actually a great time to start. You’re not so far behind that catching up feels overwhelming — fourteen English volumes is very manageable, likely around 15–20 reading sessions depending on your pace — and you’re not so early that there’s barely any material to read.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Medalist manga completed?

No. Medalist is an ongoing series as of 2026. It has been published in Monthly Afternoon magazine since May 2020, and no ending has been announced by the author or publisher. The story is still actively progressing with new chapters and volumes being released regularly.

How many volumes of Medalist are there?

There are currently 14 volumes in Japanese and 14 volumes in English. The most recent Japanese volume was released on January 9, 2026. The English edition, published by Kodansha Comics, is currently at parity with the Japanese release as of this writing.

Who creates Medalist?

Medalist is created by Tsurumaikada (つるまいかだ) and is published in Monthly Afternoon, a manga magazine from Kodansha. The English edition is published by Kodansha Comics.

Will there be more volumes of Medalist?

Yes. Since the series is still running in Monthly Afternoon magazine, more volumes will continue to be released in both Japanese and English. The series has maintained a consistent publication schedule since 2020, and there’s no reason to expect that to change.

Should I read Medalist or watch the anime first?

Either works great as an entry point. The anime is a faithful adaptation and gives you a good sense of the series’ tone and characters. The manga offers more depth and detail, especially in the characters’ inner thoughts and the technical aspects of figure skating. Many fans enjoy both — watching the anime for the animated skating sequences and reading the manga for the fuller story.

Is Medalist good for someone new to sports manga?

Absolutely. You don’t need to know anything about figure skating going in — the series teaches you as it goes. The emotional storytelling is universal, and the character dynamics are compelling regardless of your interest in the sport itself. If you’re curious about sports manga as a genre — manga that focuses on athletics, competition, and the personal growth of athletes — Medalist is a wonderful starting point.