The Series (3/5)

Summer has just ended and the new swimming season has just started. The town of Iwatobi is prepared with their top four swimmers, Haruka, Makoto, Rin, and Nagisa. The four boys face the challenge of improving their skills and some of life’s dramas.

Originally based on a novel by Koji Oji, entitled High Speed!, Free! Hit the Japanese TV landscape and soon started a huge media buzz. While on the surface, the series is just your usual sports drama, it quickly turned into one of the most talked about series. Soon the US anime fandoms discover the series and made it an internet sensation. What made the series and first season so odd was its endless fanservice, and worship of the four teenage boys. The images of attractive men are common for these series, but Free! Made a point to continually reference how sexual and cute they were.

So, this works on two levels, one is self-parody of the genre, and two it pushed for more of a gay audience. The parody is pretty on the nose and it makes the series work as a campy comedy. The sports anime genre has always been one of the more outlandish in the terms of melodrama, and here it’s pushed to 11. The smallest details are stretched to complete episodes, such as shopping for the perfect speedo. The gay attraction was not the creator’s original goal, but the series soon became a hit among lgbt+ groups for the teasing of gay tension/ relationships. One character brings up muscles in a hilarious amount of ways.

This second season improves some of the characterizations, and adds a rival team for the Iwatobi crew to match wits with. What’s nice about the series is its calmness and its sense of community. Seeing the boys prepare for matches, go to class, and put up flyers. As for the animation, Free! Is one of the most impressive looking series in recent years I’ve came across. Each of the characters have a unique style and look. The swimming and use of different techniques, is all highlighted. The splash of waves or the effortless moments of swimming is breathtaking to watch. The season moves along at a good pace. While the drama may be silly, it quickly becomes enjoyable.

Audio/Video (4.5/5)

The Funimation discs come with two audio options. The Japanese Dolby True HD 2.0 track is smooth with no hiss or errors. The music score and sound effects are also huge highlights on my sound system. The sounds of waves and splashes are top notch. The English Dolby True HD 2.0 dub track is clear and sounds great, I just prefer original language. English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD transfer is glowing and fabulous. The animation is flawless and the picture sharpness connects with it. There’s a few moments of blur that keeps the picture from being perfect. The black levels are smooth and the colors just pop out at you. The biggest highlight being the waves of the water in the pool.

Extras (3/5)

Funimation gives Free! A healthy number of extras. We get the never- before- seen OVA episode, Episode Commentaries, Web Previews, Extended end card collection, Memorial promo video, promo videos, textless songs, us trailer, and a Funimation trailer reel.

Overall (4/5)

While not a masterpiece, Free! Is a fun mix of comedy and melodrama. The swimming scenes are truly impressive and the characters are likable. Funimation gives Season 2 a handsome release. Recommended.