Free! Iwatobi Swim Club centers around the exploits of a high school swimming club made up of five ionate (Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, and Gou). Together they not only chase swimming championships but go through the struggles of growing up and figuring out what they want to do with their lives.
With the second part of the final movie in the series, Free! The Final Stroke, set for release in April 2022, fans are reminiscing about the many true-blue friendships that make the show so pleasant to watch.
Isuzu Mikoshiba and Gou Matsuoka
As one of the only female characters in a show with a predominantly male cast, it's nice to see Gou find a female friend in season 3. Isuzu is the middle child of the Mikoshiba family and is just as fiery as her brothers Seijuurou and Momotarou.
When Isuzu meets Gou, she reacts to her the same way her brothers did: delightedly shouting about how cute Gou is. The two of them quickly bond over one of their favorite subjects: men's muscles. They are both very ionate and competent of their swim teams: Gou as Iwatobi's manager and Isuzu as Hidaka's team captain.
Samezuka Swim Club
While many a rival team in sports anime are often characterized as nasty and unsportsmanlike to both their opponents and each other, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to Samezuka Academy. While as a whole they don't get much focus, due to their team being much larger than Iwatobi's, what viewers do see of them is nothing but friendly.
Whether they are led by Seijuurou, Rin, or Nitori, the team's training regimen is diligent but never damaging. When a member is chosen for a prime position, such as the captaincy or a spot in the relay, the rest of the team is collectively happy and ive. It's easy to see why they're a powerhouse school in one of the best sports anime.
Rei Ryugazaki and Haruka Nanase
At first, Rei is reluctant to the swim club, having originally gone for track and field. However, when he actually arrives, he sees swimming prodigy Haruka in the water and is struck by the beauty of his freestyle. From then on, he's fully on board, inspired to perfect his swimming technique until he can be like Haru.
Haru, not being as open with his emotions as his teammates, might give off the impression that he doesn't feel as strongly. However, in the episode "The Butterfly of Farewell!" when he believes that Rei is planning to leave the team, he begs Rei to stay with them, revealing he's been paying close attention and is very proud of all Rei's hard work.
Momotarou Mikoshiba and Aiichirou Nitori
In season 2, Seijuurou Mikoshiba's younger brother Momotarou comes to Samezuka Academy, ready and eager to the swim team. He puts his all into everything he does, including befriending his teammates: he can often be found around Nitori and Rin, who he openly ires.
While the much milder Nitori finds Momotarou a handful at times, he shows how much he cares when he gives Momotarou a determined pep talk the night before their race at regionals, a quiet and serious moment that stands out in a sports anime full of over-the-top moments. By the end of the season, the two are affectionately calling one another "Momo-kun" and "Ai-senpai."
Rin Matsuoka and Sousuke Yamazaki
Introduced in season 2, Sousuke is Rin's good childhood friend who has just transferred to Samezuka Academy. Rin is openly excited to see him, greeting him with a mock fight and then their old secret handshake. While it took him a full season to reconnect with his friends on the Iwatobi swim club, Rin is always perfectly at ease with Sousuke.
Sousuke is also shown to be protective of Rin and sensitive to perceived disrespect towards him, which is where his pointed dislike of Haru stems from: he doesn't think that Haru appreciates all the work Rin put in to catch up with him. He its in the episode "The Six-Back Kick of Tears!" that he avoided telling Rin about the shoulder injury that ruined his chances of swimming professionally because he knew the news would break Rin's heart.
Aiichirou Nitori and Rin Matsuoka
Though Rin, one of Mamoru Miyano's best characters, starts the show snappy and closed off, he did make one good friend at Samezuka before moving past those issues: his roommate Nitori. Nitori ires Rin deeply and is often seen close by him. While he isn't always sensitive to Rin's emotions, he is constantly concerned for Rin and wants him to be happy.
After his Iwatobi friends help him return to his old friendly self, Rin becomes more openly appreciative of and affectionate towards Nitori. He calls him by the nickname "Ai" and encourages his efforts to train harder. While Nitori can be timid and uncertain, Rin is so confident in his abilities that he names Nitori his successor as captain of the Samezuka swim team in the episode "The Eternal Summer of Beginnings!"
Nagisa Hazuki and Rei Ryugazaki
Super-serious Rei and happy-go-lucky Nagisa are proof that opposites attract. It is Nagisa who first notices Rei's potential and insists he s the swim club, leading to Rei falling in love with the sport. Nagisa is very affectionate with Rei, both good-naturedly teasing him and loudly praising his accomplishments, which are particularly notable in one of the sports anime that portrays swimming realistically.
Rei and Nagisa are rarely found apart and are both incredibly comfortable with one another. Their relay changeover is perfect, and in season 3, they are shown to be training the new of the swim club together, now that Haru and Makoto have graduated.
Haruka Nanase and Makoto Tachibana
There is no more loyal friend than Makoto Tachibana. Gentle and kind, he is always close by Haru's side, accepting of all his idiosyncrasies and lending a helping hand whenever necessary. While he is more willing to move on to the future, swimming with Haru specifically means a lot to him, and in competition, they are described as working together in perfect harmony.
In his own quiet way, Haru shows that he cares about Makoto just as much, from saving a drowning Makoto's life in the episode "No Breathing Shock!" to winning him goldfish at the festival in the episode "Hesitant Loosen Up!" The ending of season 2 shows that the two move to Tokyo and attend university together.
Rin Matsuoka and Haruka Nanase
This is the friendship that drives not only the plot of season 1 but much of the character development for both Rin and Haru. Even after their falling-out, the two are always on each other's minds, and their strongest inspirations for improving their swimming are arguably each other. At the end of season 1, it's Haru who finally gets through to Rin and helps him return to his former sweet and confident self.
In season 2, they become even closer now that they've worked out their personal issues. Highlights include the episode "A Swim-Off in a Foreign Land!" where Rin takes Haru around Australia to ease Haru's anxiety about his future, and the final scene of the season, which shows Rin and Haru still competitively swimming together as adults.
Iwatobi Swim Club
Of course, the real heart of the show is the friendship between all five of the titular Iwatobi Swim Club. While Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa are the ones who have been friends since childhood, their bonds with newcomers Rei and Gou are just as strong. Their teamwork makes an anime that best portrays its sport. Whether they're together or going their separate ways, they will always love each other.
Throughout the whole show, they are perpetually ive and encouraging each other to be their best selves. In competition and in life, their trust in each other is complete and they all complement each other perfectly. Audiences would be hard-pressed to find a more tightly knit group of friends.
