Free! facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club
Free!
Promotional poster of the Free! anime series
Genre	Sports (swimming)
Anime television series
Directed by	Hiroko Utsumi
Produced by	Shinichiro Hatta Shinichi Nakamura Shigeru Saito Masayuki Nishide
Written by	Masahiro Yokotani
Music by	Tatsuya Kato
Studio	Kyoto Animation Animation Do
Licensed by	^UK Anime Limited ^AUS/NA Crunchyroll
Network	Tokyo MX, TVA, ABC, BS11, AT-X
Original run	July 4, 2013 – September 26, 2013
Episodes	12 (List of episodes)
Light novel
High Speed!
Written by	Kōji Ōji
Illustrated by	Futoshi Nishiya
Published by	Kyoto Animation
Imprint	KA Esuma Bunko
Original run	July 8, 2013 – July 2, 2014
Volumes	2
Anime television series
Free! - Eternal Summer
Directed by	Hiroko Utsumi
Produced by	Shinichiro Hatta Shinichi Nakamura Shigeru Saito Masayuki Nishide
Written by	Masahiro Yokotani
Music by	Tatsuya Kato
Studio	Kyoto Animation Animation Do
Licensed by	^AUS Madman Entertainment ^NA Funimation ^UK Anime Limited
Network	Tokyo MX, TVA, ABC, BS11, AT-X, NHK G Tottori
Original run	July 2, 2014 – September 24, 2014
Episodes	13 + OVA (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Free! - Dive to the Future
Directed by	Eisaku Kawanami
Written by	Masahiro Yokotani
Music by	Tatsuya Kato
Studio	Kyoto Animation Animation Do
Licensed by	^NA Funimation
Network	ABC, Tokyo MX, TVA, BS11, AT-X
Original run	July 11, 2018 – September 26, 2018
Episodes	12 (List of episodes)
Films
High Speed! Free! Starting Days Free! Timeless Medley Free! Take Your Marks Free! Road to the World - the Dream Free! The Final Stroke

Free! is a popular Japanese anime TV show. It was made by Kyoto Animation and Animation Do. The story is based on a light novel called High Speed! by Kōji Ōji.

The first season, Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club, came out in 2013. The second season, Free! - Eternal Summer, aired in 2014. A third season, Free! - Dive to the Future, was released in 2018. Hiroko Utsumi directed the first two seasons, and Eisaku Kawanami directed the third.

Before the third season, several movies were made. These films show events that happened before, during, and after the first two seasons. The first movie, High Speed! Free! Starting Days, came out in 2015. It tells stories from the High Speed! novel. In 2017, a group of three movies called Free! Timeless Medley and Free! Take Your Marks were released. These films included summaries of the TV seasons and new short stories. A movie that summarized the third season, Free! Road to the World - the Dream, came out in 2019.

The final movies in the series are called Free! The Final Stroke. They came out in two parts in 2021 and 2022.

The Story of Free!
Meet the Characters!
Where to Watch Free!
- The TV Series
- The Movies
See also

The Story of Free!

Free! is set in a town called Iwatobi in Japan. The main character is Haruka Nanase, a very talented swimmer.

Season 1: Iwatobi Swim Club

Haruka meets his old friend and rival, Rin Matsuoka. Rin is now at Samezuka Academy. Haruka and his friends decide to restart their high school swim team at Iwatobi High. His childhood friends, Makoto Tachibana and Nagisa Hazuki, join him. They also get a new member, Rei Ryugazaki.

As the team trains, Haruka and Rin's rivalry becomes more intense. Rin struggles with his swimming, but he really wants to compete. During a big tournament, the Iwatobi team reminds Rin about their friendship. Even though they get disqualified, their friendships become stronger.

Season 2: Eternal Summer

Haruka is now in his last year of high school. He is unsure about what to do after graduation. Meanwhile, Rin's childhood friend, Sosuke Yamazaki, moves to Samezuka Academy. Rin hopes to swim with Sosuke, but Sosuke has a secret shoulder injury.

During a regional competition, Haruka feels a lot of pressure. He gets confused about his future. He also learns that his best friend, Makoto, is moving to Tokyo for university. Haruka becomes very quiet and avoids everyone. But with help from his friends and a trip to Australia, he decides to keep swimming at a college level.

Season 3: Dive to the Future

Haruka goes to Hidaka University. He meets his old friends from junior high school again. One friend, Ikuya Kirishima, is still upset about their old team breaking up. To make things right with Ikuya, Haruka starts training in different swimming styles. They eventually compete together and become friends again.

Haruka then realizes he will be competing against many strong swimmers. But he decides to keep working hard and aims to swim at a global level.

The Final Movies

In Free! The Final Stroke (Part 1), Haruka, Rin, Ikuya, and others join the Japan National Swim Team. They compete in big global events. In Free! The Final Stroke (Part 2), Haruka, Rin, Ikuya, and Sosuke swim in a medley race. They win gold medals and become national champions!

Meet the Characters!

Iwatobi High School Swimmers

Haruka Nanase (七瀬遙, Nanase Haruka): Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki (Japanese); Todd Haberkorn (English); (Child) Voiced by: Megumi Matsumoto (Japanese); Lara Woodhull (English); Haruka is amazing at freestyle. He loves water and his swimming style is captivating. He is a quiet person who doesn't show much emotion. He learns to enjoy teamwork and aims to be a world-class swimmer.

Makoto Tachibana (橘真琴, Tachibana Makoto): Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch (English); (Child) Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Colleen Clinkenbeard (English); Makoto is Haruka's best friend and specializes in backstroke. He is outgoing and often speaks for Haruka. He is also sensitive and gets scared easily. He decides to become a professional swim coach.

Nagisa Hazuki (葉月渚, Hazuki Nagisa): Voiced by: Tsubasa Yonaga (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English); (Child) Voiced by: Satomi Sato; Nagisa swims breaststroke. He is cheerful and energetic. He admired Haruka's swimming since elementary school. He helped restart the Iwatobi High School swim team.

Rei Ryugazaki (竜ヶ崎怜, Ryūgazaki Rei): Voiced by: Daisuke Hirakawa (Japanese); J. Michael Tatum (English); (Child) Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa; Rei specializes in the butterfly. He is smart and logical. He loves things that are beautiful. He joined the swim club after seeing Haruka's elegant swimming.

Romio Hayafune (早船ロミオ, Hayafune Romio): Voiced by: Atsushi Abe (Japanese); Parker Gray (English); Romio is a first-year student at Iwatobi High. He is a freestyle swimmer. He overcomes his fear of false starts with his teammates' help.

Shizuru Isurugi (石動静流, Isurugi Shizuru): Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Japanese); Alejandro Saab (English); Shizuru is a first-year student and a great swimmer. He is usually serious and gets motion sickness.

Samezuka Academy Swimmers

Rin Matsuoka (松岡凛, Matsuoka Rin): Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese); Vic Mignogna (S1-S3; films), Austin Tindle (S3 OVA) (English); (Child) Voiced by: Akeno Watanabe (Japanese); Maxey Whitehead (English); Rin is skilled in butterfly and freestyle. He was friends with Haruka as a child. After studying in Australia, he returns to Japan and becomes Haruka's rival. He later becomes the captain of Samezuka's swim team.

Sosuke Yamazaki (山崎宗介, Yamazaki Sōsuke): Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya (Japanese); Ian Sinclair (English); (Child) Voiced by: Aoi Yūki; Sosuke is Rin's childhood friend and a butterfly swimmer. He transferred to Samezuka because of a shoulder injury from over-training. He supports Rin's swimming goals.

Aiichiro Nitori (似鳥愛一郎, Nitori Aiichirō): Voiced by: Kōki Miyata (Japanese); Josh Grelle (English); Aiichiro is a member of the Samezuka team. He swims long distance freestyle and breaststroke. He becomes the new captain of Samezuka.

Seijuro Mikoshiba (御子柴清十郎, Mikoshiba Seijūrō): Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese); Robert McCollum (English); Seijuro was the captain of the Samezuka swim team. He is very enthusiastic and a good swimmer.

Momotaro Mikoshiba (御子柴百太郎, Mikoshiba Momotarō): Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese); Jerry Jewell (English); Momotaro is Seijuro's younger brother. He is a skilled backstroke swimmer. He is also enthusiastic and later becomes the captain of Samezuka.

Other Friends and Coaches

Asahi Shiina (椎名旭, Shiina Asahi): Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Japanese); Christopher Llewyn Ramirez (English); Asahi was on the Iwatobi Junior High swim team with Haruka and Makoto. He specializes in butterfly. He later joins Haruka at Hidaka University.

Ikuya Kirishima (桐嶋郁弥, Kirishima Ikuya): Voiced by: Kouki Uchiyama (Japanese); Lee George (English); Ikuya was also on the Iwatobi Junior High team. He is good at breaststroke and crawl. He works to become an Individual Medley swimmer.

Hiyori Tono (遠野日和, Tōno Hiyori): Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura (Japanese); Jason Liebrecht (English); Hiyori is Ikuya's friend and supporter. He swims backstroke. Their friendship becomes stronger during college championships.

Kisumi Shigino (鴫野貴澄, Shigino Kisumi): Voiced by: Chihiro Suzuki (Japanese); Eric Vale (English); (Child) Voiced by: Rina Satō (Japanese); Tia Ballard (English); Kisumi was Haruka and Makoto's classmate in junior high. He supports his friends who continue to swim.

Natsuya Kirishima (桐嶋夏也, Kirishima Natsuya): Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (Japanese); Ricco Fajardo (English); Natsuya is Ikuya's older brother and was the captain of their junior high swim team. He swims competitively around the world.

Nao Serizawa (芹沢尚, Serizawa Nao): Voiced by: Satoshi Hino (Japanese); Oscar Seung (English); Nao was Natsuya's classmate and a member of the junior high swim team. He helps Makoto with his coaching career.

Gou Matsuoka (松岡江, Matsuoka Gō): Voiced by: Akeno Watanabe (Japanese); Jamie Marchi (English); Gou is Rin's younger sister and the manager of the Iwatobi swim club. She loves muscles!

Miho Amakata (天方美帆, Amakata Miho): Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Caitlin Glass (English); Miho is Haruka and Makoto's teacher. She becomes the faculty advisor for the swim club and supports the swimmers.

Goro Sasabe (笹部吾朗, Sasabe Gorō): Voiced by: Hiroshi Yanaka (Japanese); Christopher R. Sabat (English); Coach Sasabe is an old student from Iwatobi High. He coaches the swim team and later reopens the Iwatobi Swimming Club as a community center.

Ryuji Azuma (東龍司, Azuma Ryuji): Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao (Japanese); Brandon Potter (English); Ryuji is a former top swimmer from Iwatobi High. He now coaches Haruka Nanase and helps him improve.

Mikhail Makarovich Nitori (ミハイル, Mihairu): Voiced by: Hidenobu Kiuchi (Japanese); Phil Parsons (English); Mikhail is Nitori's uncle and a former Russian swimmer. He coaches Rin Matsuoka in Australia and also loves muscles!

Isuzu Mikoshiba (御子柴五十鈴, Mikoshiba Isuzu): Voiced by: Rina Sato (Japanese); Mikaela Krantz (English); Isuzu is Seijuro and Momotaro's sister. She is the captain of her high school swim team and admires Haruka.

Albert Volandel (アルベルトヴォーランデル, Aruberuto Vōranderu): Voiced by: Jeff Manning (Japanese); Daman Mills (English); Albert is a Swedish swimmer who holds world records in freestyle. He is a strong competitor for Haruka.

Kaede Kinjou (金城楓, Kinjō Kaede): Voiced by: Daisuke Ono; (Child) Voiced by: Sachi Kokuryu; Kaede is a top swimmer at Naribusawa University. He aims to break Japan's freestyle record.

Where to Watch Free!

The TV Series

The Free! anime series was first shown in Japan. It quickly became very popular.

The first season, Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club, had 12 episodes and aired in 2013.
The second season, Free! Eternal Summer, had 13 episodes and aired in 2014.
The third season, Free! Dive to the Future, had 12 episodes and aired in 2018.

You can often find these seasons streaming online or on DVD/Blu-ray.

The Movies

Several movies have been made for the Free! series:

High Speed! Free! Starting Days (2015): This movie tells stories from when the main characters were younger.
Free! Timeless Medley: The Bond (2017) and Free! Timeless Medley: The Promise (2017): These are summary movies of the second season, with some new scenes.
Free! Take Your Marks (2017): This movie has new short stories about the characters' futures after high school.
Free! Road to the World - the Dream (2019): This movie summarizes the third season.
Free! The Final Stroke (Part 1 in 2021, Part 2 in 2022): These are the final movies in the series, showing the characters competing at a global level.