'Free! Iwatobi Swim Club' To Get A Third Season

It’s about time the boys of Iwatobi Swim Club made their comeback. Thanks to a new update, fans [...]

By Megan Peters

It's about time the boys of Iwatobi Swim Club made their comeback. Thanks to a new update, fans of Free! just learned the anime is finally getting a new TV series next year.

Earlier today, the official site for Free! announced the franchise is getting a new TV series (via ANN). The show is expected to debut next summer but no timetable has been released as of yet.

While there's little know about the anime yet, fans do know where they can catch its 'first' episode. The new series will show "Episode 0" at screening events early next year. The first wave of Blu-ray releases for Free! - Timeless Medley: Kizuna and Free! - Timeless Medley: Yakusoku will come with application forms for priority tickets to screen the anime's newest episode. The Blu-ray box sets will ship later this week and in December, so fans are expecting Free! to screen its new series early next year.

If you want a taste of the new series, then you can head to Japan and screen Free! - Take Your Marks. The film houses a teaser illustration for the upcoming series. Fans were even teased about the new project at an advanced screening this month when the film ended with the following message: "See You Next Stage."

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! follow 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.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of