(L+CR) Free!

[orion]

Originally Posted by novalysis

For some reason, I've come to this dreadful realization. Free!'s scenario seems taken right out of an Otome Reverse Harem. Think of it for a moment. Female High School student becomes manager for a New Swimming Club full of buff guys (Bishounen Harem). Who has a brother, who is also a swimmer (Incest potential). If I didn't know anything about Free!, but you told me about Gou, I would have presumed that Free! was an Otome reverse Harem VN adaptation.

The girl got squat. None of the guys paid attention to her. She was not that much an active part of the universe. Not at all like an otome title.

If anything, the character in the "otome" role is most likely Rin.

[Puu]

Originally Posted by orion

the girl got squat. None of the guys paid attention to her. She was not that much an active part of the universe. Not at all like an otome title.

If anything, the character in the "otome" role is most likely rin.

Heeey! Samezuka Buchou is a guy and he pays attention to Gou!!

[orion]

Originally Posted by Puu

Heeey! Samezuka Buchou is a guy and he pays attention to Gou!!

Otome MC's usually get all the main guys and has her pick over which one. Samezuka would be a consolation prize if Gou was the "otome" MC.

[Triple_R]

It's the yaoi equivalent of a harem.

Haru is the harem MC here.

Now, just like some harems have a gay option, this harem has a straight option, and that's Gou!

[orion]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

It's the yaoi equivalent of a harem.

Haru is the harem MC here.

Now, just like some harems have a gay option, this harem has a straight option, and that's Gou!

I haven't come across an otome with a "gay" option. I've also seen a yaoi equivalent, girls aren't a choice. Gou wasn't even in the running.

In fact, another site's forum thread was throwing out that Gou was actually displaying "bara" fan tendency (ogling the guys muscular form).

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by orion

I haven't come across an otome with a "gay" option. I've also seen a yaoi equivalent, girls aren't a choice. Gou wasn't even in the running.

You're really selling Gou short. She's clearly well-liked by the main cast, and I did get a vibe from her in an earlier episode that she might be into Haru.

[orion]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

You're really selling Gou short. She's clearly well-liked by the main cast, and I did get a vibe from her in an earlier episode that she might be into Haru.

But that was because of his form.

Any Gou x Haru got dropped fast for the rest of the series. It became Makoto x Haru with a side of Rin bromance.

She was basically "liked" as a friend.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Reading criticisms of this ending reminds me quite vividly of the times when I'd be pissed off that a harsh, seemingly unappreciative tsundere won out over a nice, pleasant girl in an anime love triangle.

I'm oddly not sure where to go with this observation, but I find it interesting nonetheless. Rin's behavior isn't terribly different from a tsundere. Heck, he even can get a bit physical at times. I will say that I think the anime took it too far in having Rin actually swing a punch at Haru.

Rin's a lot worse than a tsundere.

In such a love triangle, usually, when push comes to shove, the tsundere will be there for the MC. In her harsh tsun ways, maybe, but she'll be there. And more importantly, even if she hides it, she'll put in her own effort to have nice things happen to her. She won't, say, steal the other girl's valentine chocolates to give them to the MC.

Here, everything nice that happened to Rin in the last episode was from the effort and at the expense of others. Rei swam his heart out to qualify for the regionals and gave up his spot, like the unnamed Samezuka guy before him. And they end up disqualified despite their great performance, and god knows how it'll affect how their school will see their club. They were counting of good performance to increase their budget, after all.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by orion

But that was because of his form.

So what? A romance can't begin out of an appreciation over physical attractiveness?

I've noticed that whenever a het shipping option for this show comes up even in passing, you've consistently went out of your way to attack it. Why does a het shipping option in this show bother you so much?

[orion]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Rin's a lot worse than a tsundere.

In such a love triangle, usually, when push comes to shove, the tsundere will be there for the MC. In her harsh tsun ways, maybe, but she'll be there. And more importantly, even if she hides it, she'll put in her own effort to have nice things happen to her. She won't, say, steal the other girl's valentine chocolates to give them to the MC.

Here, everything nice that happened to Rin in the last episode was from the effort and at the expense of others. Rei swam his heart out to qualify for the regionals and gave up his spot, like the unnamed Samezuka guy before him. And they end up disqualified despite their great performance, and god knows how it'll affect how their school will see their club. They were counting of good performance to increase their budget, after all.

I bet the school prob gave them a stern talk and sent them back to practice since they were #1.

[orion]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So what? A romance can't begin out of an appreciation over physical attractiveness?

I've noticed that whenever a het shipping option for this show comes up even in passing, you've consistently went out of your way to attack it. Why does a het shipping option in this show bother you so much?

Why is this getting personal?

It would be like having a het shipping in Togainu no Chi. (...which by the way you could do a character to character comparison for the 4 main since they are similar types). Yeah, there's a female in this title. But guess what's not happening?

If this was a title that was meant to have a het romance in it and aimed at a female audience, we would have known it by now. It's obviously not no matter how much some people in this thread were wishing otherwise.

[akumaten]

Given the (somewhat) Yaoi undertones, I had fun with this series. C+ in a good way, but fun. Some depth in there.

To keep it simple
Haruka is a Class A Aquasexual
Makoto is awesome (like a male Tsumugi)
Rei started off as a dick, but got better
I didn't like Rin, because he was putting alot of unnecessary expectations on his shoulders (hopefully he'll get better in the next season)
Nagisa was too cheery for my taste and I wish to see some weakness within him. But the would take it in stride. Bonus points for being voiced by Jude from Tales of Xillia
Gou is cute and endearing. At least Gou wasn't a Tsundere or I may have cringed and dropped the show.
Ama-sensei's hot as well. Had a feeling she was a swimmwear deigner, model, or both in her past job.

Will be checking out the next season

[Kirarakim]

Everyone knows the main couple is really Haru & Makoto, they are like husband and wife.

Rin might be that fiery lover, but Makoto is the dependable one for Haru.

It's early morning so don't blame me for this post.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by orion

It would be like having a het shipping in Togainu no Chi. (...which by the way you could do a character to character comparison for the 4 main since they are similar types). Yeah, there's a female in this title. But guess what's not happening?

I doubt that Free! will ever have an explicit romance between two or more of its characters. And that goes for het and yaoi (and obviously yuri, lol).

Given this situation, I don't see the harm in viewers shipping different pairs as long as it's at least somewhat plausible given the character's personalities and affinities for one another.

[Bern-san]

The ending was ok. I don't agree with the way they solved Rin's issues but at least it makes people love Rei.

The ending only missed a scene with Mikoshiba and Gou, although Rin shows his overprotective side every time Mikoshiba tries to make advances in the drama CDs

An enjoyable anime, looking forward to a future season 2 if there's one.

[novalysis]

Well, I'm just saying that there is the potential for an Otome game plot, given the character set-up. The whole scenario seemed tailor made for an Otome Reverse Harem, even if indeed, everything in Free! has been platonic, with the exception of the crush the Samezuka swim team captain has on Gou.

[Parchevich]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

I know people are upset that the story shafted Rei for Rin but I disagree· Yes Rei gave up his spot in the relay but it showed his own maturity·

It wasn't just about Rin either because Rei saw how the team being worried about Rin would affect their performance· Rei did something to help someone else· Some people say Rei was the joke of the series but I don't see that at all· If anything he had the most positive growth of all the characters·

I think where the episode failed is not in how it treated Rei but Rin, up to he got what he wanted he acted quite awful. Yes Rin apologized for his behavior but only after getting to swim in the relay· Rin for being such an important character got limited character growth. And while I am for one glad he gained happiness & his friends again, I wish more of that was based on his own efforts, not the effort of others·

I'm not upset over the ending of Rei's story - getting upset over an escapist fictional story would be silly - but I do think he got short-changed. He might have shown maturity in giving up his spot, but that's a paltry consolation considering he found out how little he matters to his friends compared to Rin, and that all the effort he expended on winning that relay was all for nothing. He earned his spot, while Rin earned nothing, yet Rin got everything he wanted at the expense of Rei (and others).

But I agree with you that from a narrative perspective Rin got it way worse than Rei. No growth, no character development, and complete passivity in his own story resolution don't make for a compelling character.

[GDiddy]

I'm suspecting though that we might get more Rin development in season two....

I get what everyone's saying about Rei giving up his spot...I do. But Rin basically got his way by acting like a two year old.

[Cloudedmind]

This would have made that scene a heck of a lot better for me.

http://beccafey.tumblr.com/post/6247...-chan-rei-chan

[YayPepsi]

I get what everyone's saying about Rei giving up his spot...I do. But Rin basically got his way by acting like a two year old.

People keep saying Rin "got his way" by throwing a tantrum, and I just don't get it. Rin wasn't trying to "get his way." He wasn't throwing a tantrum because he wanted the Iwatobi team to come chasing after him. He just wanted to be left alone and Nitori kept pestering him and pestering him and didn't know when to back off, and Rin finally snapped. When he stormed off after that it was to be alone again. He was genuinely angry in that moment. He wasn't trying to get his way, he was just trying to escape so he could wallow in his misery privately.

He didn't know Haru and the gang was going to chase after him, he didn't know Rei was going to offer his spot up to him. In fact, Rin was angry when he saw Haru had followed him. It's not like he sought them out and begged for a spot on their team and then pouted and threw a tantrum about it when they said no. They sought him out and offered it to him. (Rin did break down and say he wanted to swim with the team, but Rei had already given up his spot in the relay before that while Rin wasn't even in the room. He made that decision on his own.) If they didn't want him to swim with them, or if Rei was uncomfortable, they could have easily just left him alone.