The hugely popular anime "Free!" is a story of bonds and youth set in a swimming club. The third season of the anime series will begin in July 2018, so it's a work that's getting a lot of attention right now. There are many fascinating characters in this work, including the main character Nanase Haruka, swimming club members Tachibana Makoto, Hazuki Nagisa, and Ryugasaki Rei, as well as rival Matsuoka Rin. But that's not all, "Free!" also features a variety of great supporting characters. In this article, we'll be introducing some of these great supporting characters!
Introducing the great supporting characters① Matsuokae
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Matsuokae is the manager of the Iwatobi High School swimming team. Her name is pronounced "Gou" and she worries that "she has a boyish name even though she's a girl." Although she's not good at sports, she is the manager and has become an indispensable member of the swimming team. She is very active, working hard to come up with practice menus and gathering information on other schools. By the way, she is also the younger sister of Matsuoka Rin, Haruka's swimming buddy and good rival.
Actually a muscle fetishist!?
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Although E looks very cute, she is actually quite a "muscle fetishist"! She has a strange habit (?) of staring at the well-trained muscles of the club members, even though she feels embarrassed. For her, the always topless swimming club is like a paradise. By the way, thanks to her muscle fetish, she is quite knowledgeable about the names of body parts.
Introducing the Great Supporting Characters② Nitori Aiichiro
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Nitori Aiichiro is a member of Samezuka High School's swimming club. He looks a bit like a girl and is cute. She is a junior student of Matsuoka Rin, and was her roommate in the first season of the anime. She admired Rin, and had been watching her since they were in swimming school at elementary school. She has a straightforward and honest personality, and is quite a hard worker, which may be similar to Rin. She was described by Rin as having "endurance," and specialized in long-distance free swimming. However, she wanted to swim in a relay with Rin, so she began to train in her brakes midway through.
An unexpected side to her! ? He's not good at cleaning up...
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
One surprising aspect of Aiichiro is that he's not good at cleaning up. When he was roommates with Rin, Aiichiro's desk was quite messy next to Rin's neatly organized desk. The contrast is cute, isn't it?
Introducing the best supporting characters③ Amakata Miho
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Amakata Miho is the homeroom teacher for Haruka and Makoto's class. Although she is a new teacher, she is already well-known by the nickname "Ama-chan Sensei." Makoto says she is "a little off," and has a bit of an airhead side to her. She was selected as the swimming club advisor because she "works in the swimsuit industry," but she is quite scared of swimsuits and boasts that she will "never wear a swimsuit again."
Was she a gravure idol?
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
What kind of work is swimsuit-related? That's what it seemed like, but in episode 10, it turns out that she was a gravure idol who appeared on the cover of "Weekly Young Shock." By the way, her stage name when she was a gravure idol was "Nishikujo Marin".
Introducing the great supporting characters ④ Sasabe Goro
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
Sasabe Goro was the advisor for the swimming school that Haruka and her friends used to attend. He has a generous and bold personality and is a passionate athlete. He is an alumnus of Iwatobi High School and was a member in his last year when the swimming club was still active. During his time as advisor he was quite strict and was nicknamed "The Devil Bamboo Club." Since the swimming school was demolished he has been working part-time at a pizza restaurant. However, he is also a caring person who lends a hand whenever the swimming club's activities hit a dead end.
Introducing the great supporting characters!
Source: Free! © Oji Koji, Kyoto Animation/Iwatobi Town Supporters Association
That's all for the introduction of the great supporting characters that appear in "Free!"! As you can see, there are many other attractive characters besides the main characters. With the new anime series starting, we're looking forward to seeing their future exploits!
