Free! controversy

In my previous blog post I talked about an anime that has amazed me this summer. However, some might not realize how incredibly close it was to not existing all together. 

Fan service as you know it

The initiated anime watcher is probably already quite familiar with the term ‘fan service’. Not that it is a phenomenon only restricted to animes, as it is present in films, comics and other media as well, but it is a bit more noticeable in Japanese animation, as it can be extremely over-the-top. A prime example of just how silly it can get would probably be the “matrix breasts scene” from High school of the dead (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKBKLvI8F8A).

The second thing that is very influential in anime fan service is the demographic. While the exact gender divide of the demographic can vary from one poll to another, the majority believes that most of the demographic are males and thus get the most attention when marketing anime. In practical terms, this means that ‘fan service’ are mostly selective camera angles, mostly highlighting pride female assets, or female character with cute or/and attractive traits such as the ‘moe’ archetype.

Fan service aimed at girls is mostly found in the ‘shojo’ genre of anime, where the story mostly revolves round a couple’s journey of getting together, or in the ‘yaoi’ genre involving relationships between two males.

Free phenomenon

As stated in the pas section, to create an anime with fan service aimed at girls outside of those two genres was virtually unheard of, at least not in such an obvious way. Free! was the first one to step out of the line, but it started primarily due to fan initiative.

Originally, Free! was released as a small animated short from Kyoto Animations, just about one half of a minute long. The intent was not to announce a new swimming anime, but to show off their water animation. However, the short quickly spread around the female community, particularly the site Tumblr. The pressure on the animation studio was so high they eventually announced a full length anime due for the summer season.

Backlash

Just the proposal was heavily criticized by the male anime community. The main problem was not just the anime concept itself, which was said to be an anime with fan service for girls, but also the production studio. Kyoto Animation was, as mentioned in my former post, formally famous for producing a lot of anime titles that pandered to the male anime watchers by showing cute little girls going about their daily lives doing cute things, such as K-on for example. To think that the studio would do a 180 with a show that featured guys undressing at regular intervals was incomprehensible to some. Certain people even went as far as believing it’s just a high-budget addition to the yaoi genre, other argue that it is presenting unrealistic expectations of the male body.

The truth?

It is hard to be completely objective about these things, so you’ll have to take my opinion for it.

There is fan service in the show and it is relatively easy to pin down where. Firstly it is in the camera angles that are, as with most fan service, conveniently placed for you to get a good look at the well-drawn stomachs and, in some cases, even the rears. The other use of fan service is a bit more subtle, but still fairly noticeable. While none of the characters in the anime are clearly homosexual, there are some suggestive moments between the cast that were obviously there to make the fujioshis* have a collective ‘fangasm’.

However, the fan service is more of a flavor on the side, a choice in detailing rather than the driving force of the plot. After all, the contraction of clothes is usually required before going into the water. The story doesn’t make jarring turns or completely unreasonable decisions to get the characters to behave a certain way, but it seems to be their inward motivation.

That is why I advise you not to get discouraged from seeing this anime, particulary if you enjoy slife-of-life comedy and judge it yourself.

The splash of the summer: Free!

 Free! joins the long and impressive family of Kyoto animation’s long list of famous slice of life animes like Clannad, Lucky star and the legendary The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. As typical of the genre, it also has a good sense of humor with plenty of comic relief. What it does not share with the rest of its older sibling is the sport aspect of the show, swimming to be exact. Made for the summer season of 2013, with the running-time of 12, 24 minutes long episodes, its last episode aired on 25 of September, 2013.  It was made as an adaptation of the novel High speed and is, in a way, a sequel to the book.

Story

While it is often classified as a sports anime first and a SLICE OF LIFE anime second, I argued the opposite. Free!’s story  is on the surface the most basic, copy/pasted slice of life school comedy plot. Four young friends, going about their daily lives as high school students, form a club where shenanigans ensue.

It is given a bit more of an edge with the added competition and rival aspect that the nature of tournaments brings. While most SLICE OF LIFE animes are just about the characters’ quirky, but ultimately aimless or mundane day-to-day experience, Free! does have a ‘ticking clock’ as the characters have to prepare for the tournament, setting up a club from scratch and training hard to catch up with the other clubs.

 However, I find the centerpiece of the story is represented by the relationship between the main characters, Haru and Rin. We are first acquainted with them as little kids and best friends, before being introduced to their older, estranged selves that then carry the story in the present. As the plot progresses, it is showed to us through flashback the string of events that led to their current relationship, thus keeping us interested in the final reslice of lifeve of their past shadows.

Characters

Similar to the story, Free !’s main characters could be describe as flat stereotypes of SLICE OF LIFE types. Haruka Nanase, better known as Haru, as the quiet one, Makoto Tachibana as the caring and supportive one, Rei Ryuugazaki as the smart one, Rin Matsuoka as the jerk and Nagisa Hazuki as the lovable, but dependable ‘shota’.

Nevertheless, just like with the story, you don’t find this to be completely true. The characters are memorable and likable, each having their own quirks and personalities to make them unique. Haru turns out to be more of a loveable eccentric, who, despite being fully capable to fend for himself, still needs his friends to keep him in line with social norms (such as keeping his clothes on when near water).Rin also turns out to be quite the opposite of what he shows on the outside, with the story explaining his hardened shell and his distant, almost hateful behavior towards his old friends. Nagisa, while bubbly and cheerful personality-wise, was not as dependable as I expected him to be. In a lot of cases, he was almost the group leader, pushing the characters forward and trying to pick up their spirits with his off-beat ways. Lastly, Rei turned out to be less of the constant calculator, but more of a comic relief, which was highly welcomed by me. Makoto is probably the most true to his stereotype, but as an elder brother of a larger family with a off-the-wall friend like Haru, you believe it was only natural for him to adopt a more supportive, down-to-earth personality.

The side characters were fun to watch as well, with special regards going to Matsuoka Gou, who is one of the most entertaining, unique and relatable female characters I saw in a long time.

The only character I felt disapproving of was Nitori Aiichiro, Rin’s roommate. While having a very minor roll, there was just something about him that was incredibly irksome. Perhaps it was the higher pitch voice or his puppy-like following of Rin.

Visuals

I found the Free!’s art-style to be extremely nice and easy on the eyes. It is done I a more realistic anime style, with detailed bodies and muscles, but it has a softer touch o it with thinner lines and brighter colors. I particularly liked the eyes. While the style itself didn’t stray too far from the glide lines of anime drawing, unlike an anime like Amnesia, they were used heavily as a tool to convey the emotions the characters felt in scenes without dialogue.

Sound and voice acting

This anime harbors the phenomenon where the ending song is probably far more popular than the opening. The ending, titled Splash free by Style five, is an incredibly catchy and entertaining song that is perfect for the summer season. Accompanied with great and unique ending animation, it is the first thing I associate with this anime, aside from water of course. The opening song, while a very powerful and energetic song with a lot of fighting spirit, just fails to really capture the fans’ hearts. he rest of the soundtracks are appropriate and fun to listen to but nothing would consider really outstanding.

For now, there isn’t an official English dub, but the Japanese voices acting is spot on. The voices match the character appearances and personalities to the point, being almost inseparable from the characters themselves. As I mentioned before, the only one disturbing me was Nitori’s voice, which was too much on the pitchy side, but it did fit the character.

Personal thoughts

I personally adore Free!. As it is, I am a big fan of SLICE OF LIFE animes with a good balance of comedy and drama, so this anime was right up my alley. I loved the characters, the humor made me chuckle several times per episode and the drama that unfold between the mains was enough to leave me eagerly waiting in my seat with a bowl of popcorn for the next episode. It is good regardless of the season, but it is abslice of lifeutely perfect for the summer! 

Sara