Free! – 10
Ama-chan is the life of the party!
Wooooot! I get to do a tag post with Anaaga? This sure feels super rare huh? So far I Free has kept me entertained every week along with doing the weekly pictures with Shark-kun or Ika Musume hanging out with the main guys, but anyway I hope you enjoy this crazy post.
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Yo yo anaaga is back with her yaoi talk in Free, with Fosh as my partner-in-yaoi. Let’s see how intense the level of “passion” in this week’s episode, shall we?
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Oh the manly drama!
Kou-chan is so cute-o!
With every passing episode we discover more information on the damn drama between Rin and his old swimming bros, but Rei on the other hand wants to know what is up because he never met the other guys when they were children. Thankfully Haru finally tells him everything; however after listening to the story he still feels aggravated and seeks out the truth for himself by seeking out Rin. After watching that scene with Rin staring at Rei it literary made me shout FINALLY! Because someone is finally using their brain to ask Rin about the past, but will it change anything? Probably not but I guess it will give Rei a better understanding of how Rin feels about the past if he even agrees to openly share that information with a random member the rival team? Anyway it was great that we saw them as kids, but from what I can tell Rin was trying to be a nice kid to everyone, but the flashbacks made it look like Haru was the one with all the issues back in the day! I mean I get that he is technically the “quiet” type but seriously? You hardly ever say anything to Rin and you get depressed when he decides to leave the school to become a better swimmer or am I thinking about it wrong? Either way I hope they can put this silly drama behind them soon and get back to becoming friends.
Yaoi time travel with Anaaga
Anaaga watching yaoi with her friends.
It’s as if fate is on my side this week. I have been given the pleasure to talk about Free! When it happened to be filled with love conflict among the characters, to be specific Haruka, Rin, and Rei. A new shipping is born out of this episode. What could be better than this?
It is nice that they finally show the background story of the friendship among the four sexy drool-worthy swimmers. Well, to be more exact, the complicated love relationship friendship between Rin and Haruka. Fosh has a point when he said that Haruka has early teenage angst issue by being ignorant and “mean” to Rin, but I guess it’s because he’s not used to be hit on pursued aggressively? Makoto is not the aggressive type after all, and Rin is the total opposite of Makoto’s composed personality. It can also be that Haru used to see Rin as a rival because he hasn’t seen anyone as passionate as Rin when it comes to swimming… Only to have Rin slowly growing on him as time passes by. I guess love does can bloom from rivalry. This is a potential doujishi/fanfiction story.
Back to the present. I feel bad in a way for Rei since he has to listen to all the talk about the past. He’s the only member who has no relation whatsoever with Iwatobi Middle School Swimming Club, so it’s understandable how he’s all angry and pissed about it. It’s like having your lover talking her/his ex non-stop when you know nothing about the lover. Annoying, isn’t it? I guess that’s how Rei must have been feeling. Being the only outsider though, he’s the one who can see the issue objectively… I think. I kinda have the same question with Rei: Why? What the hell is the problem? This drama feels so meaningless, it’s as if these guys are having serious emotional conflict when they’re only in high school. I mean, they can solve this peacefully instead of being all angsty about it. Man, anime. But oh well, for the sake of Haru-senpai he loves admires so much, Rei is willing to end this conflict by… Approaching Rin? I don’t know how this will end the conflict, but bring it on, drama! *eats popcorn*
Extra swimming fun
What went wrong bro!?
Ama-chan had the best reactions this week.
Fun fact younger Nagisa is voiced by Satomi Satou aka Eru Chitanda.
Shark-kun continues his adventures.
End thoughts
Well that was an interesting episode because we got to see the important flashback of everyone as kids, but again like I said already that flashback makes it look like Rin was just being nice while Haru was the jerk back in the day? Besides that I really enjoyed how animated Haruka was! I can tell he got along well with all of them even Rin, but I am still confused as to why Rei decided to confront Rin about the past because finding out now does what exactly for him? I suppose he was just really curious? So what did you like this week?
That was an emotional episode… I guess? Like I said before, it feels dramatic to me, as in too dramatic. Not even the most dramatic part in my life is this dramatic and yaoi. But oh well, this is anime after all. I think they’re trying to have at least one meaningful episode that’s not about muscle fanservice (although it turned into another fanservice)? Oh well, better than nothing at all. Besides, it’s nice seeing the flashback and all of that because if was able to fill my yaoi meter that hasn’t been filled at all this week (except Magnus Bane x Alec in The Mortal Instruments. Godfrey Gao is hot). The flashback also helps the audience understand why the two of them are closer to each other than they are to others. Although it’s dramatic, it’s still pretty good. Or maybe it’s just me who think that this episode is too dramatic? Heh.
Preview
Intense physical exams yo!
About Tag Team
We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
I kinda felt that most of the episode was not needed. We already knew what Rin was harpring about since elementary school. Yes, he loves swimming. Yes, his father died and he wanted to become an Olympic swimmer. Yes, he lost to Haru before. And yes, we know that Haru only swims free. We didn’t need the full flashbacks just to drill those details again in our heads.
The only thing it served is that Rei finally knows about their past. And he’s gonna do something about it which is good I guess. Rin needs to get his shit together.
We only have 2 episodes left. Something tells me the ending will be lacking or really rushed, unless they’re planning to cash in more with a second season. Either way, it still stands that I like the show more when they’re in the water.
and no that’s not what I mean by that.I want those magazines of Ama-chan.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I feel you on that Bel! We really did not need this recap episode since we already know the reasons why Rin is acting the way he is, but I guess we can count this as filler? I know I do…
I have a feeling Free! Will get a second season because it seems KyoAni is in the business of doing that since we are getting Chu2koi s2 and Tamako Market s2? I just want to see Rin finally swim with his old team.
SAME!
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I’m still holding my theory where Ama is actually K-ON’s Mio in disguise and where the world in Free is the world after K-ON’s era. Rin is sooo gona move to Iwatobi in the sequel, and the team is going to England in the movie
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Thinking about it, I still can’t comprehend the conflict between Rin and Haru. Basically they don’t talk because one is a better swimmer than the other? It feels like a trivial matter to me. But I guess I’ll never know since I’m a swimmer. They’re pretty delicate when it comes to swimming, after all.
The one thing I enjoyed the most is how the stories are connected with each other. Like how the fisherman Makoto knew is actually Rin’s dad, that’s pretty cool.
Of course they’re going to have a second season! Or else they’ll have some extremely serious talk with me.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Ama-chan’s sexy secret has finally been confirmed!
Has anyone here who is male ever tied up their hair like Nagisa this ep?
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 167 comments
Usually when I study.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
And I imagine you’re obligated to do a lot of studying now and then.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Even when my bangs have been down to my chin, I have never tied my hair up like that.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I’m a girl and I don’t tie my hair up like that. If my bangs are really bothering me, I just brush them back.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’ve never let my hair grow long enough to even try that. I’ve always been taught to look proper.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I’ve wanted to try it but my parents always got angry. They said it was unmasculine.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
My mom just said “ok, why don’t you go to a hairstylist?”
I have put my hair in a ponytail, but it was never much longer than my shoulders, maybe down to mid-shoulderblade.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hahaha!! My parents wouldn’t even let me put my hair in cornrows much less the way Nagisa has his. After a while, it’s straight to the barber. Lord have mercy, they’re so strict.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
I had a classmate who once did that. He was like “guys, look, I’m a unicorn XD”
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hahaha!! Did anyone get a picture of that?
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 318 comments
Not sure. It was in middle school and nobody had good enough phones to capture the awesomeness of the scene, if somebody had it, they probably deleted it 🙁
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
This was a pretty good episode, and it looks like we’re finally going to get to the bottom of what happened between Rin and the rest of his team. Sometimes it really takes an outsider looking in, and we have that in the form of Rei, who unfortunately has found that he is kind of a place-holder on a team that has a phantom member, and he wants to know who Rin is, why the 4 have this relationship and what happened to them all.
This is helped through flashbacks and we can see that Rin was a pretty fun, pretty cute kid, fangs and all. (Didn’t you know fangs, grew into a full set of shark teeth as you get older? LOL) He seemed to do his best to make friends and create a swim team. In fact he really admired Haru, and it was really Haru who was kind of being standoffish with his “I only swim free” stance. However, in the end, they became really close and one of the best swim teams ever. Rin had a close relationship with them and even told them his father’s story and his dream and that Rin was trying to share that dream as well. And all the way up until he left, the four ended up being really close.
However, we notice that it wasn’t until Rin returns from his sojourn in Australia, that we see that he’s changed. He’s become colder, harder, more competitive, and instead of purely admiring Haru, he now wants to beat him, to prove something to himself. However, when we see him lose this time, it’s almost like that was the last straw and it broke something within him that had already been cracked. And we see him declare that he will give up swimming altogether.
My question is, what happened out there in Australia? For whatever happened there seems to be at the crux of the situation. Something happened there that broke or damaged Rin’s spirit and changed him into the man we see today, shark-teeth and all.But then, what also caused him to go back to swimming again? Hopefully Rei will be able to get the whole story before we have these last two final episodes.
I doubt we will have any sort of physical fight between Rin and Rei, and if anything it will be a swimming challenge. However, unfortunately I know that if they even go that route, Rei will lose. Rin may act cold and rough around the edges, but he’s no slouch when it comes to sports. He’s been swimming since elementary school and perhaps even before, and he’s an expert at butterfly, even though he can do all 4 strokes pretty well. He’s strong in both his body and spirit and has impeccable drive. Rei on the other hand, has only JUST started swimming this year, the ONLY stroke he can do is butterfly, and even in that he’s still got a long way to go to perfect it. He’s not incredibly good at endurance, even though he has studied forms and stances, he can’t employ them very well. If they do have some sort of swim off, if they do have Rei win, it would be incredibly unbelievable. However, as I said, I really don’t think it will come to that. I think that Rei will simply talk to Rin and try to pry out the other side of the story and find out what truly happened.
Also, does anyone get the feeling that in the end Rin might transfer from the school he’s at? He doesn’t really seem to enjoy it there, doesn’t really have any relationship or connection with anyone on the swim team. He doesn’t really seem to belong there, and I think everyone around him is beginning to notice. From his roommate to his team captain. I wonder what’s going to happen there.
This was a pretty good insight episode with some funny moments. Them finally finding out about the swimsuit modeling. Seeing Rin and Nagisa as kids was adorable. And shota Nagisa was one of the cutest things ever seen! I hope that Rin is one day able to go back to being his fun, outgoing self again. It’s obvious that he’s suffering without his friends, since his natural self requires more social interaction than he’s limiting himself to right now.
I give this episode a 7.8/10.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I’m also curious about Australia. Obviously something happened when Rin was there. My guess is that the swimmers there “insulted” Rin, saying that he’s not capable enough to join Olympics? Frustrated, he went to Haru for comfort to prove that he’s actually better than someone.
That or maybe he just misses the bond he had with the other three guys, something he might didn’t get in Australia.
Yeah, there’s a chance that Rin is going to transfer to Iwatobi. Power Ranger wouldn’t be complete without him
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Shark-kun’s days are numbered. Who will be the mascot for next season? Any suggestions?
What a contrast. Hard to believe that upbeat red head kid became the self centered jerk he is today. Him chasing his father’s dream to be in the Olympics is all well and fine but it doesn’t excuse his rude behavior to pretty much everyone, especially those who put themselves out of their way to support him.
Rei’s reading too much into the conflict between Rin and Haru. I don’t understand why he lets it bug him so much. If anything, it’s irreconcilable differences, a history that he can’t change. Personally, if he dwells on it any further, it will shake his concentration in the competition.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I thought we were going to have a bat next season? Though Shark-kun could still make appearances next season! Isn’t there an Arppegio of the Blue Steel that’s all ocean based?
Anyway, as for Rin, I thought one new piece of information was interesting in that it shows that he told his friends about his father and his dream and what he was doing this all for, and this was all before he began to become colder and more cynical. Because of this I don’t think that the issue about his father is entirely, if at all, responsible for his change of character. His personality seemed to change much later after he returned from overseas. So it’s more likely that whatever happened over there is responsible for him becoming the way he is.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It’s probably cause he realized / had it proven to him that he was nowhere near as good as he thought he was. The thing I come back to is that his ‘dream’ that he’s using to justify being a jerkface all over the place is pretty much unobtainable. An olympic caliber swimmer is not going to be the 5th qualifier in a prefectural meet final, even if it’s not his best stroke.
So now he’s basically having to fall back to “I have to beat Haru, who hardly even trains and isn’t serious about it.” Maybe he thinks that can be a stepping stone to future glory, but it’s really just a personal bugaboo. Maybe his emo-ness is because he realizes that in pursuit of something that’s never going to happen, he basically threw away everything he had friendship-wise.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
True Irenesharda! With Arppegio of the Blue Steel next season I could do something with that or go with a bat for more of a halloween theme ;D
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Or we can go for a double header. Shark-kun has gained enough popularity from Free! He should be able to share the spotlight.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Shark-kun and Bat-chan? SO MANY ANIMALS! xD
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Nana-nana-nana-nana-Nana-nana-nana-nana Bat-chan!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
As long as it doesn’t turn into a zoo. 😛
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Hey, Bat-chan could make appearances in Valvrave, Strike the Blood, and Diabolik Lovers depending on which ones will be covered.
Shark-kun has Arpeggio of Blue Steel and Nagi no Asukara (which in looking at it’s PV, seems to have fish swimming in midair all the time? o_o).
There, a place for each one! They could even meet in Valvrave if they happen to have an episode with naval battles in it or something.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
As expected of my
fellow Vampire Lovernew partner. You’ve named all the three vampire animes next season. But here’s a little surprise: Diabolik Lovers gets a head start on all the other animes next season. It starts September 16th 2013, meaning tomorrow (I even mentioned that to Karakuri in my comment in the recent Rozen Maiden post). Bat-chan will have a lot of room to party.Arpeggio of Blue Steel looks awesome and a fun ride thanks the PVs that have been released. And the animation looks bright and fluid. I could see Shark-kun as a guard if anyone tries to board one of the ships. He’ll be paying tribute to Jaws.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I had just heard that Diabolik Lovers was going to start early. It’s not one of my high hopes for the season unfortunately. I did take a look at the first episode though, and it interested me….for all of 3 minutes. And then the boys started talking….
Wow, this was a first where the girl isn’t the annoying one, but it’s actually the boys this time around. The beginning weirdly reminded me of Beauty and the Beast with the girl coming into the stone and scarlet castle manor out of the rain and calling out to whoever was there. Unfortunately that great atmosphere shattered the minute annoying boyfriend #1 began to speak.
I’ll finish the episode, but I doubt this is going to be one I’m going to follow for the season. These vampires are not worth my time.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I can understand why Rei would go all the trouble to approach Rin. How Haru is behaving, from an outsider’s perspective, is annoying. He lets Rin affects him so much to the point where he can’t even swim “properly.” To make it even worse, Haru’s not doing anything to solve the problem. At least, don’t let it affect his swimming style, but it does.Unfortunately, it does affect Rei’s swimming as well. Though how Rei’s way of solving the problem might be unwise and dumb in a way, his feelings and reasoning that makes him do that is understandable
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Another fun fact: The current Nagisa is voiced by Tsubasa Yonaga aka Tasogare Otome x Amnesia’s Teiichi Niiya.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeppers! It is amazing that these actors have such range even though lately whenever I hear Satomi Satou I always hear Wendy of Fairy Tail and she is in the current season of Railgun S as Banri Edasaki~
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
One of the female seiyuu I find has a nice range as well is Yoko Hikasa and I found out she plays the younger version of Rei. Her voice is easy to recognize most of time but she tries something new in certain series like Musashi from Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride. The character I was baffled finding out she was playing was Miu from Hagure Yuusha no Estetica.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah Yoko Hikasa has lots of roles that make you go wait that was her?! WOW! I will say she plays the role Sera from Kore wa zombie quite well and she was in the Index movie as as Shutaura Sequenzia which is kind of a dark character in terms of personality xD