Free! (Iwatobi Swim Club)

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Kyoto Animation exudes an image of making anime in which female characters appear such as “AIR”, “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”, “K-ON!”, “Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!” and so on. Kyoto Animation is popular in making high quality anime. Kyoto animation made a long-waited (?) anime targeting women in which many male characters appear...that is “Free!”. Well, I’ve waited. I waited for the broadcast to see what kind of anime it is.

Original plan of “Free!” is a prize novel “high☆speed!” which contest held by Kyoto Animation. The protagonist Haruka Nanase attended swimming club when he was elementary school student and swam with the club members Makoto Tachibana, Rin Matsuoka and Nagisa Hazuki but after the club was closed, he distanced himself from swimming and lived a high school life without any feeling. One day, Nagisa enrolled in Iwatobi high school at which Haruka enrolls. Nagisa was glad at reunion and proposed to dig up a time capsule which they buried in the back courtyard of the club. They ran into Rin, who would go to Australia to practice swimming, again at the swimming club they gained entry. But the attitude of Rin was harsh... . The story of blossom of youth sets in high school swimming club is initiated with the above introduction.
Not only male characters but also attractive female characters appear such as Gou Matasuoka who is a younger sister of Rin and becomes a manager, Miho Amakata called Ama-chan sensei who is an advisor and so on.
Since it is made by Kyoto Animation, I expected high quality illustration. Actually, I was amazed at the illustrations of each characters swimming having an uplifting feeling. Water is very beautiful and their muscles are too great! I’m not Gou, who is muscle mania, but I was impressed with illustrations from which I strongly felt awkward of staffs. Reference place (holy site) of back ground I thought it is alive is Iwami-town, Iwami-county, Tottori prefecture. Even it is far from Tokyo area, many fans visited there. There is limited item you can purchase only there. If I can see the scenery, I would like to visite there for once.

Personally, I like the scene Rei noticed he could swim butterfly in episode 4. He was a rational about swimming until then. I thought it was the moment when he came in contact with water more on feel than theory. Rei is the only character who doesn’t know Haruka’s elementary school days among main characters. He has agonized about it but when he knew and accept it, I felt sorry for him at the last of the first season. Since the second season is decided, I want to see swimming match between pure Iwatobi high school and Samezuka academy.