English Dub Review: Medalist “Meikoh Cup, Junior Women’s Prelim Free Skating (Part One)”

Overview:

Inori’s first competition, the Meikoh Cup, begins. Inori’s future is at stake, and while she gets off to a rocky start, her mother and sister are there to support her from the sidelines.

Our Take:

During episodes like this when I start balling and I don’t know why I often find myself questioning why I’m so emotional. It wasn’t that sad but seeing how much Tsukasa believes in Inori and tells her that it’s okay to fall I couldn’t help it and the tears started flowing. In a normal sports anime after Inori gets a speech like that she would perform perfectly but she falls within the first few seconds. But because of Tsukasa’s faith in her, she gets right back up and skates like a pro.

When Inori’s performance first began I was prepared to write a bad review for this episode because the CGI was noticeable and bad. But luckily they decided to keep Inori in the frame and close, so we got to see the typical beautiful animation we’ve become accustomed to. Her skating performance became the highlight of the episode when I was worried it would be the worst part. If all the performances are like this then I can’t wait to see more ice skating!