Now for those of you who are considering watching this without the first season (I doubt there is any of you), let me say that – you’re doing the right thing. Free first season wasn’t a disaster, but it was distasteful and irritating to watch. It tried so hard to showcase the nonexistent drama that was going absolutely nowhere.
As for this second season, I will say that if you know what you’re watching, then you will enjoy it.
“Hmm… what?”
That might have been a very silly statement, so let me phrase it another way.
If you are here for a sport anime, you are doing it wrong. If you are here to be mind-blown about some teamplay/team-spirit or some convoluted dramas, you are also doing it wrong. If you are here for the “feel-trip” through some inspiring, wonderfully touching friendship stories, you are still doing it wrong.
So, what should you be here for?
You could be here and watch it, KNOWING that this is *mostly* intended for a female audience, that it DEFINITELY has that boylove/”yaoi” vibe. But above all, it is a light-hearted slice-of-life story focusing on a talented “swimmer” who does not see swimming as a sport.
-Story- 6/10 “Fine”
May I remind you again not to be confused that this story is about swimming as a sport. In fact, if you’re here looking for the competition, you will be mind-blown with how many plot holes there are in this show (for example, Rei didn’t know how to swim a few months prior, and is now competing with competitive swimmers in the nationals).
Rather, Free! Eternal Summer has a simple, straightforward plot: it is about a bunch of high schoolers who enjoy swimming, just for the sake of it (well, not all of them). And so “swimming” here is more of a medium or a lens through which the characters, their stories, and personalities unfolds.
-Art/Visual- (9/10) “Great”
If someone tells you there is anything wrong with Free! Eternal Summer animation, they are fooling themselves, full stop.
-Sound- (7/10) “Good”
Not bad, but nothing memorable. I will say that I was surprised that Kyoto Animation actually hire English speakers to speak the English lines. Good for them!
-Characters- (6/10) “Fine”
In the first season, calling the characters “one-dimensional” would be an understatement. With Eternal Summer, the change isn’t exactly phenomenal, but this time around, their stories and personalities are somewhat more realistic and relatable. The dramas and how the characters overcome their struggles, however, can be over the top at times.
Nagisa and Rei has somewhat of their own identities, but a critical glance and you could tell they are there to fill the plot. They aren’t bad characters, but with 13 episodes, there isn’t enough screen time to showcase any particular highlights about these two. Makoto is …well, still unfortunately known more as “the mama of the group” and “Haru’s friend” than as Makoto Tachibana himself. Although I must say that I sincerely respect him as his tolerance of Haru (and everyone else) is seriously top-notch.
Sousuke – a new character introduced in this season – is probably the closest to a decent character if not for the fact that the whole revelation about him comes very late in the show. I also personally feel that Sousuke serves more as a plot device to complicate the drama and boost the character development of Rin and Haru.
Rin - surprisingly - is the one to save the whole cast this time around. He is much more well-written this season, as his logic seems the most reasonable and relatable.
If there is one character I’m most frustrated with, it most definitely is Haru the protagonist. It’s not about the fact that he’s uncertain of what he wants in life and not moving forward that frustrates me. And quite honestly, I find all his worries about the future, dream, being bound by expectation completely relatable. However, it is his attitude toward said matters and his friends that bothers me to the extreme. Until probably the very last few minutes, all Haru says to everyone around him on every matter is “I don’t care, I just swim.” I understand the intended portrait of his character, as well as how he just wants to swim “freely” (in all its literal and figurative sense). But here, the drama about Haru is way over the top: Haru struggles for 12 episodes about his "inner world" and makes little to zero effort of trying to be at least appreciative of what people around him do for him. But at the very last moment in the very last episode, he goes "Yes, I have found it (my path)" Wow, just wow.
So either I'm too slow in understanding this thing or Kyoto Animation is doing a really, really bad job of writing and the execution of this protagonist.
The rest of the cast is... unsurprisingly forgettable. They are there so fangirls could write some more fanfics and draw some more fanarts I suppose, not that I mind it.
-Overall- (7/10) “Good”
This show is a solid 6 (“fine”) for the first 10 episodes; the last few are much stronger and I think a 7 (“good”) would not be an exaggeration. I was also pleasantly surprised as I watched this series and enjoyed it more than I ever thought I would be. I must say though - if you absolutely dreaded the first season and are looking to have that perspective completely flipped around, you probably won’t be. But if you keep your mind open and watch the show for what it’s worth, I’m certain it won’t be a disappointment.
