Free!

Haruka Nanase has a love for water and a passion for swimming. In elementary school, he competed in and won a relay race with his three friends Rin Matsuoka, Nagisa Hazuki, and Makoto Tachibana. After claiming victory at the tournament, the four friends went their separate ways. Years later, they reunite as high school students; however, Rin couldn't care less about returning to the way things used to be. Not only does he attend a different school, but the sole thing important to him is proving that he is a better swimmer than Haruka.

After the bitter reunion, Haruka, Nagisa, and Makoto decide to form the Iwatobi High School Swim Club, but they will need a fourth member if they hope to take part in the upcoming tournament. Enter Rei Ryuugazaki, a former member of the track team whom Nagisa recruits. As the time to compete draws near, the four develop a close bond while training intensely to come out on top and settle things between Haruka and Rin once and for all.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Matsuoka, Rin Main

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Tachibana, Makoto Main

Suzuki, Tatsuhisa Japanese

Nanase, Haruka Main

Shimazaki, Nobunaga Japanese

Hazuki, Nagisa Main

Yonaga, Tsubasa Japanese

Ryuugazaki, Rei Main

Hirakawa, Daisuke Japanese

Matsuoka, Gou Supporting

Watanabe, Akeno Japanese

Nitori, Aiichirou Supporting

Miyata, Kouki Japanese

Mikoshiba, Seijuurou Supporting

Tsuda, Kenjirou Japanese

Sasabe, Gorou Supporting

Yanaka, Hiroshi Japanese

Amakata, Miho Supporting

Yukino, Satsuki Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Nakamura, Shinichi Producer

Saitou, Shigeru Producer

Nishide, Masayuki Producer

Reviews

Jul 28, 2025

cronaaa

Recommended

I don’t know why I get so emotional and hooked with this kind of anime. Maybe it’s the way it shows friendship, growing up, and dealing with feelings that hit me so hard. There’s something comforting about watching people build real bonds and push each other forward, not just in sports but also in life. Free! is one of those anime that somehow made me care deeply about the characters and their connection, and honestly, I didn’t expect that from a swimming anime.

I won’t talk about the plot because you can already find it in the description and other reviews, but I do want to ... share my thoughts. Some people might say that the plot is somewhat similar to other sports anime. Yes, it also has a team that grows closer, rivals that push each other, and characters chasing their dreams. But the way Free! does it feels more personal. I really enjoyed watching it. The animation looked amazing, especially the scenes in the water. Every swim felt alive, and the emotions were so clear through their movements and expressions. What stood out the most for me were the characters. They were not perfect, and that made them feel real. Rei felt jealous because he thought he was just someone to fill a space, not a true part of the group. Rin also showed jealousy, especially toward Rei, because he was struggling with the idea of being replaced in a group that used to be his. These are the kinds of feelings many of us go through, and seeing them shown in the anime helped me understand the characters more deeply.

I know this review might not be written like a professional one, but I just wanted to share how much this anime touched me. I don’t really judge anime based on deep analysis or technical things. For me, it’s simple. If an anime makes me feel something, if it makes me care, then I love it. And Free! did exactly that. I hope more people give it a chance. If you’re someone who enjoys strong friendships, real emotions, and beautiful animation, then this anime is worth watching. Let yourself feel with the characters. That’s what makes it so special.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Apr 6, 2025

xyrkre

Mixed Feelings

Great anime but mostly focuses on friendship rather than the sports itself.

The story revolved mainly on drama and the friendship of Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki and Rin Matsuoka (mostly Rin and Haru's friendship)

The character designs are great, as expected of KyoAni they make eye visually appealing characters. Although there's nothing really unique with the characters as they follow a certain character archetype. (Typical thing that happens in anime)

Voice acting (Japanese dub) was splendid though. I have nothing else to say because these voice actors are professionals and they know how to read the characters well and voice them accordingly.

Plot wise, ... it felt a bit flat. When the KyoAni promoted Free! the animation didn't exactly aligned with the set expectations. The anime focused on the drama side of the plot.

I won't go into full details but this anime is for you IF you like fanservice, drama and friendships. (Bonus if you're a fujoshi/fudanshi)

This anime isn't for you if don't like drama (between male friendships), highschool setting and fanservice.

I liked this anime because it focuses on friendships, drama, highschool setting and I like sports.

Ps. I've seen the anime upon its released and decided to rewatch it (to see if I'll still feel the same towards the anime)

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jul 4, 2023

Grumar

Not Recommended

It's really boring, anything that you think is going to happen is going to happen, the melodrama over swimming is farcical, the main character is the annoying type of autistic, the other characters are nothing burgers with the only one coming close to interesting is the guy with the glasses. The only thing this show has going for it over other sports anime is that it doesn't over explain the sport while it's happening, it's nice quick has some commentary then it's over very much appreciated. It also isn't offensively bad, it's just a bland gray slop of a show some moments more than others ... will hold your interest but nothing is going to have you on the edge of your seat. if you ant a story about rivalry and sportsmanship there are plethora of better options out there for you, if you want a diluted story with those themes that just have muscular teens...well there are still better options but this would fit that bill nicely

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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