Free!

Haruka Nanase has always felt most like himself in the water, preferring the calm of a pool to the chaos of daily life. As a child he and his friends Makoto, Nagisa, and Rin won a youth swimming meet, then drifted into different schools and routines. Years later Rin reappears, stronger and more driven, challenging Haruka in a way that reawakens old rivalry. Not willing to let their past end on that note, Haruka reconnects with Makoto and Nagisa, and recruits the analytical Rei Ryugazaki to form the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club. The series follows their training, competitions, and shifting friendships without giving away the outcomes of big matches.

First broadcast in 2013, Free! was created by Masahiro Yokotani and Koji Oji and produced by Kyoto Animation, with Hiroko Utsumi directing the initial season and Kyoto Animation handling character and animation design.

Although Free! wasn't a sweeper at mainstream international awards, it earned strong support in anime community polls and year-end lists, and its popularity helped justify a string of movies and additional media tied to the franchise.

The show made a notable impression on fandom, especially for its character-focused cast, stylized swimming sequences, and visual appeal. It generated extensive fan art, cosplay, merchandise, and concert events, and it widened interest in sports series centered on male characters while fueling multi-format releases across music and stage adaptations.

Critics and audiences generally praised the series for its animation quality, detailed swimming choreography, and the emotional dynamics between teammates and rivals, reflected in an 8.2/10 user score. Thematically it centers on friendship, personal ambition, identity, and what it means to commit to a team, balancing lighthearted comedy with more serious moments of competition and self-reflection.