'Free!' Reveals Season 3 Episode Order, Release Date

Free! is one of the most popular franchises in the anime and manga scene right now since it caters [...]

By Nick Valdez

Free! is one of the most popular franchises in the anime and manga scene right now since it caters to a demographic that often does not get much attention outside of shoujo series.

Because of this immense popularity, the series is continuing in a number of ways including a third season; which has just revealed its episode order and release window.

Along with a new key visual teasing the season, the series has confirmed that the third iteration of the Free! franchise will premiere in Summer 2018 and run for 12 episodes. Unfortunately there are no other concrete details at this moment as to the staff, subtitle, or whether or not it will take place after the events of the sequel film -Take Your Marks-, but expect more details to arrive close to the Summer.

For fans interested in new Free!, Funimation has also announced they acquired the rights to the sequel, and two prequel films in the series. Free! -Take Your Marks - (which follows Haru and Makoto preparing for college after the events of -Eternal Summer-) High Speed! Free! -Starting Days- and Free! -Timeless Melody-, which explore the pasts of Haru and Makoto, and Kizuna and Yakusoku respectively, will be available to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD some time in the near future.

If you are not familiar with Free!, then you have time to catch up. The anime made its debut in July 2013 after it was adapted from a light novel by Koji Oji. Before the show was ordered, a short animated PV featuring the novel's cast was released. Fans from all over the world flocked to the video, buzzing over its animation style and concept. So, when Kyoto Animation green-lit the project for a full season, few were surprised.

When the anime's first season aired, the show became a success with international fans despite its sports content. In 2014, a second season of the anime was released before an animated film debuted in December 2015.

As for its story, Free! follows a group of high school students who were introduced as children on a local swim team. The anime's primary lead Haruka is a prodigal swimmer who can think only about swimming but does not wish to turn his passion into a profession. When the boy teams back up with his friends Makoto and Nagisa on a swim team, Haruka is stunned when their third childhood friend reappears in his life. Rin, who had gone to hone his swimming skills abroad, is back in their hometown and holds plenty of bitterness towards his former friends. And, as the series goes on, fans watch as swimming rekindles the friends' once-tight bonds.

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