The hugely popular anime "Free!" is a story of bonds and youth set in a high school swimming club. Two seasons have already aired, with the third season set to begin in July 2018! This is why it's such a hot topic right now, and it features many unique and attractive characters. One character who stands out in particular is Ryugasaki Rei, a member of the swimming club. In this article, we'll introduce you to exactly what kind of person Ryugasaki Rei is!
Ryūgasaki Rei's Profile
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
First, here is Ryugasaki Rei's visual. He has distinctive red glasses and short blue hair. If you check his official profile, you'll see that he specializes in swimming as a grasshopper (butterfly stroke), is 177 cm tall, weighs 65 kg, and is born on December 14th, making him a Sagittarius. Her family consists of her father, mother, and older brother. Her hobbies are reading and studying, and her favorite food is sushi. She was originally a member of the track and field club, but after receiving an enthusiastic invitation from Hazuki Nagisa and being moved by the beautiful swimming style of the main character Nanase Haruka, she decides to join the swimming club.
A unique aesthetic? Ryugasaki Rei is too serious
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Ryugasaki Rei is a very serious person. However, he is a little too serious, and his actions often end up spinning out of control... Even when playing sports, he drills all the theories into his head and does calculations while doing them. This makes him a little bit big-headed. She has a unique aesthetic sense when it comes to sports, and in the track and field club she was a pole vaulter, which is calculated based on her movements. That's why, even when Nagisa Hazuki invited her to join the swimming club, she refused at first, saying it wasn't pretty and coming up with some excuse. She's also the type who starts with form, and will even blame her swimsuit for not being able to swim well! She'll make excuses when she can't compete with theory, but she's also a hard worker who practices on her own behind the scenes.
Ryūgasaki Rei, the bad swimmer!? Although he provisionally joined the club...
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Originally, there was no swimming club at Iwatobi High School, so Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa and others were trying to gather members and apply. Nagisa invited Rei for a very simple reason, saying, "Because you have the same girly name as us." It has nothing to do with swimming. At first, Rei brushes him off, but Nagisa keeps pursuing him, and he finally says he'll provisionally join. But he makes it a condition: "I can't swim." As long as there are enough people, the situation is calmed down, but later a certain secret is revealed.
He couldn't actually swim!
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Rei couldn't swim at all, he was a complete wreck... (By the way, he said, "I can float, so I'm not a wreck.") He can float, but he sinks right away. That's why he stubbornly refused to join the swimming club. However, later, Rei becomes fascinated by Haruka's swimming and discovers a freedom in swimming that goes beyond theory, so he decides to officially join the swimming club. From there, an intense training schedule awaits, but the hardworking Rei does not give up.
Ryūgasaki Rei is played by Hirakawa Daisuke
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
The voice actor for Rei is Hirakawa Daisuke. Hirakawa has always done voiceover work, but he has also appeared in many anime. Other than Ryugasaki Rei, he has played a wide range of roles, including Koji Tanaka in "Ajin" and Momotaro in "Hozuki no Reitetsu."
Summary about Ryugasaki Rei!
Source: Free! ©Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
That's all for an introduction to Ryugasaki Rei, a character that appears in this work! Although he is a character with plenty of things to criticize, such as his overly serious personality and his tendency to start everything from a theoretical perspective, he is loved by all the club members. It's also surprising that he was terrible at swimming at first! If you're interested in Rei's efforts, be sure to check out the first and second seasons of the anime. The third season will also start in July, so there's plenty to look forward to!
