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Aug 22, 2018 8:23 AM
#1

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Nov 2011
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THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Pretty much a buildup episode from the members of various clubs and schools. There's a championship match coming up after all.

Glad to see the episode focus more on Makoto this week. He's one of those guys that is very open minded. On the more competitive side, it seems we have many skilled swimmers.

The second half of the episode highlighted some of their skills and it's definitely quite a sight to feast on.
Aug 22, 2018 8:29 AM
#2

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Nov 2007
31838
Main character asked coach to private lessons, "for Uchiyama-san's character's sake".

Red hair guy's sister's baby likes the friend more than red hair guy.

Kimura-san's character and Uchiyama-san's character are awkward because of what happened in last ep.

Summary of previous seasons and junior high movie by main guy.

Coach getting warned about not eating food at pool is lol. and it's udon and kansai soy sauce flavor.

Senpai pair worrying about Uchiyama-san's character.

Hosoya-san's character talking w. his brother. He's going to Tokyo.

Competition time. Uchiyama-san's character's brother encouraging main character to concentrate on what he can do.

High school group. They are excited to see main character and Mamo's character swim because Mamo's character passed the requirement for Japan in Sydney.

Red hair guy and Uchiyama-san's character met up.

Main character participating solo medley (this is the reason he asked for the coach's private training)? He tells him he's not alone. Continuing to next ep.
tsubasaloverAug 22, 2018 9:07 AM
I Two Syaorans from Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and TRC!!!
Aug 22, 2018 9:53 AM
#3

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Jan 2017
173
The baby captured my mood perfectly, I would also rather hang out with Kisumi than any of those downers
Aug 22, 2018 10:13 AM
#4

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Jul 2010
321
Asahi's sister is so cute when cheering the guys on.
Hyuga Junpei: “Yeah… I’m confident… Because my teammates will help me out! I can shoot confidently.. because it will be okay even if I miss!”

Kagami Taiga: “I don’t know about being the bad guy or whatever. It’s only in stories where titles like that decide the loser. This is our show. We’re the ones who are writing the script.”
Aug 22, 2018 10:34 AM
#5
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Jul 2018
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Asahi and Kisumi with a baby is so freaking cute!

What an underwhelming season by far. I just sometimes think whenever I watch an episode that was there even a need for a sequel. First and second season were plenty enough. There's nothing much to these new character we're getting.
Aug 22, 2018 10:37 AM
#6

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Aug 2015
227
My my my

I'm very glad we got to see Asahi and Ikuya finally getting to meet each other and talk again, I also lowkey laughed the moment Asahi was trying to shit talk Ikuya (because.. same) I really needed them to talk after all those years, and I'm glad Ikuya ain't mad at Asahi because he had to move away when Ikuya was in the US.

Also confirmed that Ryuji is coaching Haru, which makes me happy because now I can finally see the light of Rin and Haru meeting each other again, and basically confirmed because according to Gou Rin made it through so.

Dang that cliffhanger was really something... because Ikuya won't open himself up to Haru and try to fix up their friendship Haru really is forcing himself onto him now and they are finally getting to swim with each other/against each other. I hope episode 8 will be a good one and hopefully end the awful drama thats been going on since ep2.
Aug 22, 2018 12:04 PM
#7

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Sep 2017
2799
Ah man that cliffhanger got me. I got so excited to see Haru swim other styles (pretty sure they said individual medley which I think is all styles). It's gonna be pretty cool and combined with Asahi's talk with Ikuya, we might start to get some resolution on this Ikuya drama. Speaking of, I actually really like that they chose Asahi as the one to end up speaking with Ikuya. He's the most separate from Haru so I think he'd listen to him the most.
Aug 22, 2018 3:33 PM
#8

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May 2016
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youthful said:

What an underwhelming season by far. I just sometimes think whenever I watch an episode that was there even a need for a sequel. First and second season were plenty enough. There's nothing much to these new character we're getting.


As much as I am enjoying a lot of the new season I can't help but agree with you, everything about it seems very sub par, and it feels like they're just making more seasons for the sake of making more seasons, idk maybe it'll win me over by the end of the season.
Aug 22, 2018 5:38 PM
#9

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Aug 2014
135
Iruka said:

Dang that cliffhanger was really something... because Ikuya won't open himself up to Haru and try to fix up their friendship Haru really is forcing himself onto him now and they are finally getting to swim with each other/against each other. I hope episode 8 will be a good one and hopefully end the awful drama thats been going on since ep2.


I'm hoping as well, this season's really soured imo with all that Ikuya drama. It's so unnecessary. And I am agreeing with you on ur point earlier about FINALLY SEEING Rin and Haru possibly meeting up back again! That's pretty much how I wanted this season to go
Aug 23, 2018 7:27 AM
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I've never really been excited to watch an episode of Free!, but I am definitely looking forward to next week's episode after this cliffhanger. When Ikuya found out that Haru was standing next to him in the individual medley, I immediately looked at the time left and went, "NOOOOOOO!!!"

I'm glad Asahi was able to talk to Ikuya, even though Ikuya was still being a bit distant. I knew Ikuya doesn't entirely hate the idea of speaking to the trio again. I'm sure Ikuya was happy to hear that Asahi thinks of him as a friend, even if Ikuya still thinks that he's alone in the pool. No one can affect Ikuya as much as Haru can, because Ikuya looked up to Haru the most.

Anyways, I wonder how well Haru will do in the individual medley. It's hard to guess what will happen since he's always only swam freestyle. Will he be a genius, or will he nothing special? Either way, I'm more interested in seeing what kind of affect Haru will have on Ikuya.
Aug 23, 2018 7:43 AM

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May 2015
238
Yass Haru that's the spirit. Just force Ikuya so he'll open up his eyes!
I'm really excited to see the results of his 'special training' :)

Also I want more Sousuke
Aug 23, 2018 9:06 AM

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Mar 2017
25
This episode was definitely one of the best so far! Correct me if I'm wrong, but will Rin be there? Or was that for something else?

Anywho, that cliffhanger though!! I can't wait to see what happens. Haru will swim other styles and Ikuya finally gets to meet with him. ALSO, is Makoto onto that new coach, or is it just me???
Aug 23, 2018 8:14 PM
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Aug 2018
7
aijou17 said:
This episode was definitely one of the best so far! Correct me if I'm wrong, but will Rin be there? Or was that for something else?

Anywho, that cliffhanger though!! I can't wait to see what happens. Haru will swim other styles and Ikuya finally gets to meet with him. ALSO, is Makoto onto that new coach, or is it just me???


As seen from his text with Gou, Rin wil be on the All Japan tournament.
Aug 23, 2018 8:25 PM
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Aug 2018
7
Man, this episode got me reeling. Mixed emotions.
- I love Ikuya, but dang, my heart breaks for Hiyori
- Makoto sure is fit to being a swimming coach
- Can't wait for Natsuya to get serious with swimming as well and I sure think that Nao will have a lot to do with it
- I can't wait to see Haru swimming other styles
- Ikuya, stop being on a slump and go talk to Haru for the good of all!
- Let's get it on with the All Japan tournament! Can't wait to see Haru and Rin swimming together again

But yeah, gotta settle the issue with Ikuya first. And stop hurting Hiyori, dang.it.
Aug 24, 2018 2:04 AM

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Mar 2016
1724
This season has been quite boring so far. Actually, with the increased amount of bl that is going nowhere, it's been rather annoying! It was bearable in season 1, because the plot was good, but now, it's just bad.

At least, the end makes it look like the plot will finally (after half the season is over) take one step forward. I hope Haru loses. Beating someone who's been practicing for years, by practicing for a short amount of time, is quite unrealistic and boring in fiction.
Aug 24, 2018 6:31 AM
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Sep 2015
858
FuMomo-kun said:
This season has been quite boring so far. Actually, with the increased amount of bl that is going nowhere, it's been rather annoying! It was bearable in season 1, because the plot was good, but now, it's just bad.


I totally agree.
I hate fujoshi bait and since I'm one of the few guys that watches Free! I expect less gayness and more swimming and character development.
I apologize if I offend any fujoshi here lol.
Aug 24, 2018 6:32 AM
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Sep 2015
858
This season is definitely weak and Ikuya's drama doesn't make sense. Is he depressed and sad because he misses his old friends? What's up with the whole 'No one can save me' drama? To me it sounds too edgy.
Also, there are so many characters. How am I supposed to remember all of them? I miss the old cast of characters...
Aug 24, 2018 6:45 AM
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Aug 2018
7
JOELbedulla said:
FuMomo-kun said:
This season has been quite boring so far. Actually, with the increased amount of bl that is going nowhere, it's been rather annoying! It was bearable in season 1, because the plot was good, but now, it's just bad.


I totally agree.
I hate fujoshi bait and since I'm one of the few guys that watches Free! I expect less gayness and more swimming and character development.
I apologize if I offend any fujoshi here lol.


No worries. Us fujoshis know how to respect other people's opinions as well. :)

"More swimming and character development."
- I guess this would be addressed. Haru would be swimming different styles this time. :D
Aug 24, 2018 12:52 PM

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*rolls eyes* I know I dislike Toono but Ikuya is a real jerk. Saying he doesn't even think he's a friend? What an ass. He's obsessive and annoying but now you can't even tell if he's a friend? This drama needs to end.

I hope he loses big time.
Aug 25, 2018 3:46 PM

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Jul 2012
113
i loved haru's swimming scene 16:35-17:12 the music was really well put
im so hyped
Why, you say... Don't you get it?

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Aug 26, 2018 8:40 AM

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in loving memory of rin matsuoka
he isn't dead i just like to remember when he actually had a fair amount of screentime in the series
Aug 26, 2018 10:40 AM
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Inugirlz said:
*rolls eyes* I know I dislike Toono but Ikuya is a real jerk. Saying he doesn't even think he's a friend? What an ass. He's obsessive and annoying but now you can't even tell if he's a friend? This drama needs to end.

I hope he loses big time.
I mean but he said that he hit a wall, and has been majorly depressed about it. I wouldn't go as far as saying he's an ass, but that he just needs some saving.

The only person I dislike right now is Hiyori, and I'm so glad that they fought. Maybe now he'll realize how selfish he's been with trying to keep Ikuya all to himself.
Roses are red

violets are blue.

Omae Wa

Mou shindeiru
Aug 26, 2018 11:48 AM

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I liked that Asahi could finally speak with Ikuya and apologize for moving out without telling him. Although I didn't expect for Ikuya to listen to him and even express some of his feelings, but nevertheless I'm glad that he did.

I hope that in the next episode, Ikuya's drama will finally be over and he could spend some time with his old friends and be in good terms with Hiyori.

On the other hand, I loved the part where Asahi and Kisumi took care of that little, beautiful baby, they all looked so cute!!!
Aug 27, 2018 2:04 AM

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silverwalls said:
in loving memory of rin matsuoka
he isn't dead i just like to remeber when he actually had a fair amount of screentime in the series

lmao, yes! I'm annoying but I can't feel this anime when there's no Rin in it...

"Please stop talking about math when I'm eating."
Aug 27, 2018 5:00 AM

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Aug 2018
332
Looking forward to ep 8, Ikuya is pretty similar to Haru which is why I'm quite fond of him (Ikuya's seiiyu is pretty amazing too), he's definitely my favourite character in the series, although Natsuya is pretty cool too. Meanwhile, Sousuke is going for the operation I'm guessing?

It's not a negative but kinda feel the cast is quite large for 12 episodes, and not enough time to do them justice.
Sep 6, 2018 9:11 AM
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I'm not exactly following exactly what's going on. Ikuya is WAY too emotional.

But Asahi's sister and her baby are both fucking adorable.

Dec 16, 2018 11:07 PM

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11506
Oh Ikuya, stop being an emo.
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Jan 13, 2019 2:47 PM

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All new characters are annoying and/or boring af.

Can't we just go back to having fun with Nagisa and Rei? Sigh :x
Jun 11, 2019 8:59 PM

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I found this episode touching. I appreciate the sincerity of the characters. They could easily ignore each other and declare they don't care for each other, since Haru, Makoto, and Asahi haven't spoken to Ikuya since middle school (they're all in their first year of university now!). However, I love that they still choose to try to resolve the past or whatever misunderstandings occurred then, and they're trying to mend the bond now. It's a small world when you run in the same circle, like competitive swimming, so they were bound to meet eventually. And I appreciate that this series show males expressing their emotions (not advocating toxic masculinity), and that how they feel about themselves and their friendships are very important. I totally agree with Ryuuji when he talked about your mental fortitude determining your swim results, which we can clearly see from Ikuya who hasn't improved his time during practice :/

I found it cute when Asahi was holding his book on mental strength and he was reciting that he's a genius lol. xD Our boy hasn't changed from middle school, and it's good that Rei's advice still helps Asahi to this day. :P I hope Asahi and Rei reunite soon!! :) I would love to see Asahi's excitement seeing Rei again lol.

I'm noticing that we only see Akane carry Tsukushi, while Kon walks around meeting people or watching swim relays... The gender division of labour is apparent here. It's not easy to manage a cafe, so taking care of Tsukushi along with that can be hard work. I applaud Akane /claps/ I hope we see Kon care for their child soon, or else he's basically an uninvolved parent. (Only Akane is holding Tsukushi in the opening and ending theme songs too.) Meanwhile, it was cute to see Tsukushi being watched by Asahi and Kisumi! :) I laughed when Tsukushi reached out for Kisumi and was climbing up while pulling Kisumi's hair, and Tsukushi even kicked Asahi's face lol. xDD Tsukushi might grow up 'bullying' his uncle, so Asahi might have a handful to deal with in the future :P

I love that Ikuya took a step forward, by approaching Asahi. :)) We know Ikuya is not mad at Asahi for suddenly moving away, without saying anything. When Ikuya said he wasn't sure if Hiyori is his friend, I'm sensing that Ikuya is feeling confused and lost. Last episode might have been Hiyori and Ikuya's first fight ever, so they probably just need some distance before they can approach each other again. Ikuya forced himself to swim alone for so long, it can be hard to adopt new approaches once you're very used to a certain mentality and stuck with it for years. With the patience and acceptance of his friends, I'm looking forward to seeing Ikuya embrace those around him. We saw how isolated and frustrated Rin used to be for example, and he's now so expressive it's awesome! :)

It's incredibly cute that Haru values his friendship with Ikuya so much, he even asked Ryuuji to be his private coach and learn other swimming styles, just so Haru can swim alongside Ikuya in the individual medley! :) The pair can't swim on the same team, but now that Ikuya has Haru swimming side-by-side with him (literally beside each other), this will certainly drill into Ikuya's head that he's not alone! :)

It's good to see Sousuke again, and he's ready to move forward! Sousuke still has the charm Rin gave him too :)) And we see that Rin's ready for the All-Japan Invitational, since he beat the base time in Australia. Looking forward to Rin's 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle!! :) I'm looking forward to seeing how Natsuya will support Ikuya too. Nao encouraged Natsuya to think for his own future regarding swimming and Ikuya too, so we'll see what Natsuya decides and what role Nao will play there. (I found it cute that Natsuya was drinking beer, and it looked like Nao was drinking juice?? xD)
Cloe900311Jun 11, 2019 9:04 PM
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Nov 21, 2019 11:40 AM

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Haru is doing great, and now that Ikuya has encountered both Haru and Asahi, hopefully he'll start doing better too.

Also, it's nice to see more of Nao, because his English voice and smile makes me want to melt.

Jun 26, 2020 2:02 AM

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Jun 2020
2455
Wow that part when Haru talked about how he has just been swimming since elementary till high school and the montage of all the flashbacks was really great. Brought tears to my eyes! Wonder how it feels to be this passionate about something and meet the best people of your life doing it Tt_______tT







but i’ll probably remember over and over again
you were there and everyone else was there
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Aug 16, 2021 4:23 PM
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Sep 2018
402
too hype for the next episode. I really like what Haru is doing right now. The discussion between Asahi and Ikuya was really good and makes you think about a lot of things... that's one of the things I love about Free!
Apr 5, 2022 11:54 AM
🍅 Tomato 🍅

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Feb 2020
102807
These new characters are pretty boring compared to the original main cast.

Well, that cliffhanger was nice. Go, Haru!

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