Recap: After learning the truth about Rin’s rivalry with the rest of the team, Rei confronts him for Haruka’s sake.

After last week’s dramatic climax, Free! returns with a quiet before the storm, a rather uneventful romp that alternates between the swimming club’s antics before regionals — I cannot help but to think of Glee when I hear that word — and Rin’s character development. The latter was most definitely the more interesting part of the two, and while all the conflict he had with Rei remained civil and predictable, it is nice to see his arc come full circle. The analytical Rei of all people being the one who manages to convince Rin and Haruka that both ambition and enjoyment are equally as important in sports neatly reflects the character development he’s gone through. Besides, who didn’t want to see Rin get roughed up a bit? … I mean, get beaten up, because he’s such a jerk, and stuff.

The conclusion to Rin’s arc is made all the more effective by Kyoto Animation’s deft decision to summarize all of the bits and bops related to the boys’ shared past we already knew last week, though it does beg the question why Rin had to be such a jerk to Haruka when he never really blamed him to begin with. I will blame it on his rampant ambition, as his former friends are definitely not the only people he treats like dirt. Then again, I probably would not be able to stand Nitori either, so more power to him. In the end, it even backfires on him, as the team captain basically tells him he cannot just act as if he owns the team and join up with the relay when it pleases him. Will Rin have to sit out next week’s epic relay? Of course not, but at the very least it’s neat to see Kyoto Animation keep the plot ball running until the very end.

Nothing good has ever come from moving to Australia.

Random observations

• More so than Tamako Market, Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions — which actually got one — and even Hyouka, I could see Free! getting a second season, as the team will clearly not make it to nationals with only one more episode to go. Besides, this thing sold like hot cakes, which despite the (male) anime fandom’s vocal complaints does not surprise me in the slightest.
• The watermelon Nagisa wants to buy for Rei apparently costs ¥5980, which roughly corresponds to $60. What the heck?
• Do we even know the name of Gou’s equally messy-haired friend?
• Seriously, nothing good has ever come from moving to Australia.