Skate-Leading Stars Skating Anime Gets Manga

The April issue of Square Enix's G Fantasy magazine revealed on Wednesday that J.C. Staff's original television anime Skate-Leading Stars will have a manga adaptation. Chiaki Nagaoka (Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Dai 2-Maku) is writing the story, and Sumika Sumio is drawing the manga.

The anime's official website describes the anime's story:

"You will never win against me."

Figure skater Kensei Maeshima stopped his career when he heard those words from his rival Reo Shinozaki. Some years after, Maeshima, now a high schooler, uses his physical talent for to help other clubs with various activities, while never committing to any one thing. One day, he sees a press conference where Shinozaki announced that he was shifting from single skating to "skate-leading." After that, he met a boy named Hayato Sasugai, who knew of Maeshima's single skating career. With the words, "I need you," Sasugai invites Maeshima to the world of skate-leading, or competitive team-based skating.

Skate-leading is a fictional figure-skating competition, in which each team of five skaters earns points for technical skills (such as unison formation) and artistry (such as composition and entertainment) from an automated camera-based system and nine judges. There are three positions on each team: the lead who is the point-getter with many combination jumps, the wings who are mainly responsible for twist lifts and similar elements, and the guards who perform with such elements as lifts and steps.

Goro Taniguchi (Planetes, Code Geass, Maria the Virgin Witch) is the chief director, with J.C. Staff in charge of animation production. Yana Toboso (Black Butler) is the original character designer. Toshinori Fukushima (Tamayomi) is the director. The anime will premiere in July.