Free! Iwatobi Swim Club is one of those few sports anime, which triggered my heart with a train of feels and emotions. Starting from its attractive animation, it has a well-developed plot. It's not just an anime about cute, passionate (shirtless) teenage boys......but it has so much depth into it. The message it gives throughout the entire series is all about self-discovery; young hearts burning with passion; confusion, insecurity and struggles faced during adolescence, especially at the thought of future; the value of a team; rivalry and friendship; brotherhood.... Much enough to fill the minds of young children with inspiration and hope, especially those who actually loves swimming as a sport.
Despite the hardcore homosexual shippings, what I found after watching this anime and observing every bit of it, minutely....is that it's this strong bond of friendship between each character, which is so rare and so beautiful....and thus the gay ships.
It's amazing to watch the character development of each....as each of their past is connected to each other some way or the other ( By "Red String of Fate" as stated by Miho Amakata) and eventually meets at a crossroad.
So this summer, fellow otakus, drive away the heat by taking a dive into this wonderfully animated series of Free! and let it take away your breath and seize your heart with a splash of feels, emotions, friendship values, teamwork, passion, inspiration, hope.
Totally recommended to everyone, especially swimmers out there....it's a must-watch!!!