Hot boys in a pool having emotional crises about water. Kyoto Animation said 'we know our audience.'
3.024 minSeason 3 • Episode 12
LatestNagisa, Rei, and the rest of the Iwatobi Swim Club have come to cheer on their former teammates at the All-Japan Invitational. Makoto tells them the story of how ever since Haruka swam for the first time, he'd been swimming only freestyle.
The story revolves around Haruka Nanase, a boy who has always loved to be immersed in water, and to swim in it. Before graduating from elementary school, he participated in a swimming tournament along with his fellow swimming club members, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, and Rin Matsuoka. After achieving victory, each of the boys went their separate ways. Time passed, and in the middle of their uneventful high school lives Rin appears and challenges Haruka to a match, showing Haruka his overwhelming power. Not wanting it to end like this, Haruka, gathers together Makoto and Nagisa once again and brings a new member named Rei Ryugazaki to create the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club in order to defeat Rin.
Cinematography
KyoAni's liquid animation makes water look almost thirst-trap religious.
Score
OST that somehow makes butterfly stroke feel like an anime battle theme.
Production
The studio invented new tech just to render prettier splashes. Commitment.
Nobunaga Shimazaki
Haruka Nanase (voice)
Daisuke Hirakawa
Rei Ryugazaki (voice)
Akeno Watanabe
Gou Matsuoka (voice)
Kenjiro Tsuda
Seijuro Mikoshiba (voice)
Mamoru Miyano
Rin Matsuoka (voice)
Hiroshi Yanaka
Gorou Sasabe (voice)
Tatsuhisa Suzuki
Makoto Tachibana (voice)
Satsuki Yukino
Miho Amakata (voice)
Kouki Miyata
Aiichiro Nitori (voice)
Yoshimasa Hosoya
Sosuke Yamazaki (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
KyoAni created this after a commercial featuring swimming boys went viral, proving they know exactly what the people want.
Part of the 'bukatsu' genre boom—Japanese media's obsession with after-school clubs as sites of intense emotional bonding.
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