Free!
First introduced by a commercial for KyoAni's studio that later announced it being a anime show. I was pretty excited and interested since its quite different from what KyoAni usually produces. It actually turned out quite different than what I expected, and I loved it to bits! There will be spoilers so beware!
This is a swimming anime. It is classified as a sports anime, but we learn that its not like other sports anime or manga at all. The show is a original sequel to a light novel call High Speed! which is about elementary school boys in a swim club. The anime starts off with a scene from the novel which introduces the main characters and learn about their relationship. The main character is a boy name Nanase Haruka. He is very talented at swimming and has a love for water. Then it cuts to present time where he's a high schooler, and wishing he's a ordinary person. Haruka is very introverted. He has that cool and cold vibe to him. He's also a little weird since he has a abnormal love for water, and only swims the crawl.
But like any other KyoAni school life shows the first episode starts off with the first day of school (well its the second in this case) and we meet most of the characters. Haruka's childhood friend, Tachibana Makoto, who is also his neighbor comes to pick Haruka up for school. The show is quick to establish Haruka's peculiarities, and the close relationship between him and Makoto. Then it introduces us to Nagisa, who Haruka and Makoto haven't seen in years. We also learn the fact that the names of the main characters are girly and the main girl's name, Gou, is quite manly. The first episode is the only episode where we get to hear Haruka's inner thoughts so the rest of the show he is quite quiet. Being a KyoAni show, I'd expect the first episode to be mundane, but there's lots of story going on. For one, we meet Rin who we learn went to swimming school in Australia, and has come back to Japan unannounced so it really surprised the other 3 when they run into him. It also puzzled them how cold and different Rin has become including his own little sister, Gou.
Normally people would just forget such a person like Rin, but these guys would really like to still be friends with him. Nagisa figures they could reconnect if they met at swimming tournaments, and suggests they should start a swim club. Which proves to be not easy as they have to clean and fix the weed filled outdoor pool, and no one in their school being interested in joining the club. Nagisa did find someone he really wants to join their club which is his fellow classmate by the name of Ryugazaki Rei who also has a girly name like them. Gou also joins the club as their manager. She also is in the dark about what's going on with Rin and joins the club in hopes these guys will reach her brother better.
At first, Rei seem to be one of those cold, smart guys with glasses but he quickly broke that stereotype with his love things beautiful like track sports. He didn't want to join the swim club since he didn't find it beautiful. But Nagisa was very persistent and was able to convince him to be interested when he mentions how beautiful Haruka swims. He comes along to their joint swim practice at Rin's swim club, where we hilarious learn that Rei can't swim but after seeing how amazing Haruka is at swimming he wants to learn to swim and joins their club. The episodes of him learning to swim are the most hilarious. He apparently has trouble swimming despite being able to have perfect form to swim most of the strokes. He eventually is able to swim normally with the butterfly stroke.
After Rei learns to swim properly, the show gets more serious. The club members decides to do a low budget training camp by swimming in the ocean. This training camp focuses on Makoto's secret issue, and a bonding moment between the swimmers. Then finally their first tournament which is quite dramatic that the show takes a different turn. Up until the tournament, Rin is a troubled kid who is struggling with his goal of fulfilling his late father's dream of being an olympian. He isn't naturally gifted like Haruka, but he works hard to be as good as he is. Beating Haruka in a race is a threshold Rin has believed will give him the step forward to achieving his goal. And he was able to do that in this tournament, however after Makoto says a few words with him and watching Haruka and the others swim and win the medley relay race Rin starts to change. The show has made several flashbacks to scenes in High Speed! of their elementary school days where they raced in the medley relay as a team. They repeated the importance and how wonderful this relay race was in the show. So it was predictable to me that this show will focus more on the relay than their individual races so it was no surprise to me to see that the boys didn't advance in their own races, but was able to advance in the relay.
Then things get more serious when Haruka gets depressed after losing to Rin and Rin telling him he will no longer swim with him. Haruka was able to pull himself up when his friends' heartfelt message to him makes him realize how happy they make him feel. This is some amazing character development since he was brooding for probably four days and has not been entirely social with the others. He was able to tell Makoto with Nagisa and Rei listening from elsewhere about his feelings, and wanting to swim the relay with them. He's quite emotional in that scene and he actually smiled though not for the first time. But for him to smile openly with his friends is definitely a turning point for the Haruka and his team.
The rest of the show grows more focus on Rin. Rei being the only one who doesn't know much about Rin start to feel out of place when Rin is mentioned or talked about. It really bothered him since they all talk about Rin in a friendly way, but to Rei Rin is just the guy who wants to beat Haruka in a race. When he learns that Rin swam in a relay race with the others before, it puzzled him why they were no longer friends. He did eventually ask Haruka, and the others about it. Haruka doesn't mind telling Rei about their past, but even they don't really know what's going on with Rin other than the fact that he was quite hurt when Haruka beat him in a race during Haruka's first year in middle school. This made Haru quit swimming back in middle school thinking his talent has hurt Rin enough for him to quit swimming. This doesn't seem to satisfy Rei so he takes goes to visit Rin himself to confront him. Rin was already struggling with his own emotions, and after Rei confronted him he becomes a little unstable. Rin is able to pull himself together and call Rei out the night before the second tournament to tell him that he didn't quit swimming because of Haruka, but because of his low performance of his swimming and how hard it was for him to reach the goal of being a olympic athlete. Also how watching their relay race in the first tournament made him remember his relay race with them that he wanted to join the relay in his own swim club. Rei was pretty set on forgetting about Rin, but after this talk he realizes that Rin isn't who he thought he was. He is able to understand Rin's feelings and his actions.
Rin is back to being emotionally unstable when his captain takes him off the relay race at the last minute. The last episode focuses on Rin in a emotional wreck as he treats his roommate, Nitori, very rudely and does poorly in his individual freestyle race. Seeing Rin struggle in his race upsets Haruka that he runs out to find Rin. Makoto and the others follow Haruka as well. They witness Rin yelling at Nitori that he's going to quit swimming because he's worthless. Hearing those words made Haruka emotionally upset and unstable. I have to admit that that was hilariously over dramatic how upset they made Haruka there. But Rei becomes the hero and suggests that they save Rin, by having him race in his place. He tells them what Rin told him the ngiht before, and that he and Rin are the same who want to swim with Haruka, and co. The best team they could ask for. So they go to search for Rin, and Haruka finds him first. He tries to reach out to Rin with his words, but Rin does not listen and gets aggressive. The words that does reach Rin where not spoken but written on the ground by Haruka. "For The Team" Rin finally sheds his pride, his walls, and his tears as he admit to Haruka that he wanted to swim with them again. Haruka says he still can. Then it cuts to them racing in the relay and their friends cheering them on. And a happy ending of everyone all happy and smiling! Well even though they did finish first in the race, they are disqualified for letting Rin swim.
I have to say I did wonder if they were going to have Rin swim in the relay in Rei's place since it was getting pretty obvious that somehow Rin would swim with his old friends again. Having seen recent KyoAni's shows its not like them to do have such a dramatic way to conclude the show. It may not be the most perfect ending, but anything else wouldn't be consistent with the story. You really have to use a battering ram to break down Rin's walls. I find Rin to be a interesting character. I've read an impression of his character from one who is training to be an olympian that Rin is quite like the typical athlete. Winning is important to him since it is his dream to be an olympic athlete. But his time in Australia has discouraged him. He must feel pretty ashamed which would explain his lack of communication and his bitterness to his old friends which I can understand. He worked really hard to reach the opportunity to go abroad only to fall is pretty hard is tough especially for a teen. In a way it does seem like he's a sore loser. Although Rin did say he blames his relay with his old friends for hindering his performance which is a bit vague. I've noticed that the story follows a lot of the novel. From first race between Haruka and Rin, to Makoto's personal issue, convincing Haruka to join the relay, and then the relay race. The characters in the novel are not as quirky as they are in the anime. The show really did surpass my expectations, and I find the show quite interesting. They executed the story quite well. It really is a story about friendship than about talent vs hard work and dreams. Sure there are several "sexy" scenes and fanservice for fujoshi fans but what show doesn't have something that appeal to certain demographic? I mean these scenes are quite amazingly daring. Its entertaining! The show is quite humorous too and the characters are adorable, and charming.
This anime animates water flawlessly and beautifully! Its really amazing. This show really breaks from the typical soft, K-ON! style by designing these boys with a more sharper style. Since I believe this show didn't get as much time or budget as other KyoAni's shows the slight inconsistency of the art is noticeable. What I find really interesting is this is the first anime I've seen where the seiyuu of the show also sings the opening and ending songs! The ending of this anime is amazing and entertaining with the questionable dance club and the Arabian setting.
Overall I highly recommend it! Despite people calling this show "gay" it really didn't seem like that to me at all. Sure, there are obvious parts that panders to the fujoshi fans but its really not that big of a deal or worth labeling the show to be "gay" and it shouldn't deter you from watching it. Even though its about swimming and the fact that the guys will be half naked half the time it didn't seem lewd at all. I suggest looking into the light novel as well. It is a lot more serious than the show, but the inner thoughts of the boys in the book gives you a much better understanding of their character. The book also has some great moments that wasn't shown in the anime. Its a little too early to know whether there will be a second season or not, but I hope they will continue this series in some way. I ain't picky.
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