5/5
I recently started watching anime and this has got to be in my top five (along with Kaichou wa Maid-sama, Special A, Chihayafuru, and Vampire Knight). It has only aired for about a month no but it looks promising in my limited experience as an anime watcher.
English Title: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club (2013)
Number of Episodes: 12
Airing Day: Wednesday
Broadcasting Stations: Tokyo MX, ABC, BS11, TV Aichi
Synopsis: Four boys named Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa and Rin all participated in a swimming tournament shortly before graduating elementary school and later parted ways. Years later, they reunite when Rin challenges Haruka to a race and wins. Not wanting to be defeated so easily, Haruka gathers Makoto and Nagisa and a new recruit named Rei to form the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club.
Episode 1 Recap: Starting Block of Reunions! (再会のスターティングブロック!)
From the very first minute we meet Haruka Nanase (a boy with a girly name), he reminisces about his childhood memories about swimming. In this memory we learn that he's especially skilled in swimming, and another young boy named Rin Matsuoka notices. Rin offers Haruka to join a relay with him in a tournament. Cooly Haruka brushes off the invitation and explains that he swims only free, freestyle to be precise.
Jumping back to present day, we meet Makoto Tachibana picking Haruka up to walk to Iwatobi High School together. During lunch that very day they meet an old friend and recent transfer student, Nagisa Hazuki. So for their reunion, Nagisa suggests they dig up the time capsule they buried as a group (with Rin) years ago. Another flashback plays where Rin reveals to Haruka that he will be moving to Australia to train at a swimming school instead of attending a local middle school. Only then does Haruka agree to participate in a swimming relay.
Then the flashback ends, and the scene changes to reflect present day. Haruka, Makoto, and Nagisa all arrive at the old swimming club they attended during elementary school and find that has been poorly kept up. In fact, rumors have mentioned the building is haunted. Nagisa, know this, prepares purifying salt for the trio. When Nagisa throws the salt on Haruka and Makoto, Haruka notices that the salt is sugar.
When the trio proceeds inside the building, they recognize each room and notice a picture of them with Rin after they won the relay tournament in grade school. Mesmerized Haruka remains and peers at the photo, thinking about their last swim together where Rin shows his special talent, the butterfly stroke.
On their way to dig up the capsule that held their relay tournament trophy the three boys see a mysterious silhouette moving towards them. Only Haruka immediately recognizes the brooding figure with the low baseball cap to be Rin.
Upon meeting each other, Rin challenges Haruka to a race. They each strip their clothes (and to both Makoto and Nagisa's surprise) reveal their already swimsuit clad bodies. Both run to the starting podiums prepared to jump only to find that the old pool is empty (aside from a fat rat, eww).
The next day at school a scarlet-haired girl named, Gou (a girl with a very boyish name), notices the three boys and admits them being old acquaintances when her friend catches her staring at the boys. Later in the evening when Makoto and Nagisa visit Haruka they notice Gou standing hesitantly in front of Haruka's door. The two boys immediately recognize Gou as Rin's sister, and they both learn from Gou that Rin is back from Australia attending Samesuka Academy.
Later Makoto and Nagisa convinces Haruka to visit Samesuka Academy by tempting him to swim in the pool (even though they were recently called to the principals for trespassing into the old abandoned pool). There, Haruka quickly removes his clothing and dives into the pool with both Nagisa and Makoto behind him. However their fun is interrupted by a fuming Rin who orders them to get out of the pool. The episode then ends with Haruka challenging Rin to a freestyle race.
My Thoughts:
Okay, so this is definitely my new anime of the summer! The art is beautiful and the colors are superb. Everything is drawn to the last detail, and it's even cooler since the drawings are of water and swimming. I've never really watched a sports related anime other than Chihayafuru but I know this one definitely won't disappoint. And I have to admit the guys are super hot. I think I already have a crush on the kid Rin. And of course anybody in their right minds would fangirl over the teenage Haruka. XD
So until next time here are a few gifs of a cute and determined face Rin!
(the gifs aren't mine, credits to the owner! I found it on tumblr.)
