Free! Eternal Summer
The second season of Free! that takes place a year later. I have been looking forward to this anime the most since I've enjoyed the first season. When the first pvs came out they really set the theme to be "their last summer" which is not surprising, but it was kind of made me not exactly looking forward to graduation drama. Despite being in the sport genre, this really is a story of growing up than sports. Watch this for the cute boys than for the story though. I will talk more about this so this is a warning for spoilers!The main focus is on the 3rd year students: Haruka, Rin, Makoto, and the new character Sousuke. There's also a new character that we didn't find out about till the 2nd episode, Mikoshiba Momotarou. The design of the characters have gotten a much softer look compare to season 1 which quite an improvement. The OP and ED weren't too bad either, but personally its hard to beat the first ED. Later on the Future Fish ED starts to get annoying.
Its kind of hard to explain this season since quite a bit is going on, and for a 13 episode season its slightly a mess. The season balances out both Iwatobi and Samezuka's story lines so its no longer just Iwatobi. For the first half of the season Rin establishes his own relay team, and Iwatobi focuses on recruiting members to their club. Rei and Nagisa have their own episode focus which is nice, but their role in the overall storyline is so little since they're just 2nd years. Being 3rd year, Haru and Makoto are faced with deciding their career goals which they have no idea. So the first couple of episodes have been pretty good, and then the tournaments start.
Makoto enters in the 200m free race in the prefecture tournament, and only Haru finds this suspicious. They race against each other, and as expected Haru wins easily. For some reason the writers don't make them talk about it, and when they do actually talk its brief and vague. Anyways, they all were able to advance to regionals even in their individual races! Makoto gets another episode where he helps out at the Iwatobi swim club as a swim teacher to kids.
Things are getting more dark now. Haru has been asked about his future plans and swimming since the start, but has brushed them off. He wants to remain the same which makes others quite concerned. After the prefecture he has been contacted that he's got universities interested in recruiting them. When its time for the regionals the whole scouting business has gotten to him, and did quite a stunt at his race. To me this episode was quite powerful. Sousuke's secret is also fully revealed and because impossible to hide from Rin. He gets to finally fulfill his dream. To me I didn't expect his storyline to be resolved this early.
Haru's drama continues when Iwatobi starts to lose touch a little. The Iwatobis go to confront Haru about it, and he still brushes them off and Makoto and Haru have a fight. Makoto reveals that he plans to go to Tokyo hit Haru hard. The next day Rin invites him to come with him to Australia. Yes, Australia. A whole episode of just these two there. Haru's fight with Makoto has made his mood pretty down during the trip. Its a very Rin centered trip since he shows and tells him all about his time there. Rin also confesses how much he looked up to Haru, and thinking that he'd be in the same world as him. He goes to show the olympic aquatic center, and there Haru decides to keep swimming. That is his dream.
They return to Japan in time for the nationals, and Haru goes to tell his friends that he will continue to swim and go professional. He also goes to apologize to Makoto. Makoto then tells Haru that his time teaching kids to swim has made him want to make kids happy, and that is his dream. The Iwatobi have a bonding moment since this is the last time they'll swim together since the 3rd years have to retire. After the race there's a time skip montage. It ends on a pretty happy note, bit some fans may not like the paths some characters have choosen.
Overall, I find the story to be quite lacking. I have a lot of problems with the story, but its really no point in even thinking about it now. There were quite some wasted potential though given the time this was worked on its surprising it didn't feel rushed. I know some people are hoping for a third season or a movie I highly doubt it it will happen. It has been quite a ride though I give it that. I will definitely miss it.
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