Otaku Magazine ISSUE #5 July 2014

►What To Watch!►

►What To Watch!►

        Ah, Free. Free, Free, Free. It seems that you're back with a second season. Obviously, this season isn't going to be anywhere near as good as the first, so I'll probably just watch one episode and leave it at . . .

         . . . at . . . wait, is that Rin in a . . . no, that's not Rin in a . . . policeman's outfit . . . oh my . . .

        . . . well, it certainly seems that I have been proven wrong. Oh well. I needed something to write an article about that wasn't Selector Infected Wixoss, a.k.a the latest Madoka rip-off. This will have to do. Brace yourselves, everyone. It's time to get wet.

        Did you see that pun there? I thought it was pretty intelligent. Isn't this article going swimmingly so far? I know I'm fishing for compliments, but . . .

        . . . okay, I'll stop there.

        So, what can I say about Free that hasn't already been said at least a thousand times by people on tumblr? Well, as the eldest of four children, I've watched more than my fair share of kids' TV shows. I've seen everything from the acid trip that is In the Night Garden to the constant shouting of Dora the Explorer. I've sat through so many episodes of the Wiggles that I can't so much as look at a fruit salad any more without laughing. I've probably been to the cinema to see a kids' film more often than I've been to see one actually meant to be seen by my own age group.

        Now, here's something that you probably didn't know.

        Free, as bizarre as it may seem, is actually the Lego Movie of anime.

        Hang on, what do I mean by that? Free isn't a kids' anime, is it? Well, no. It's not. Then again, the Lego Movie isn't actually a kids' movie either. I mean, come on. Will Ferrell. The message about not losing your imagination even as you get older. The meta jokes shoved in at every possible opportunity. Come on, guys! This isn't a movie intended for kids! This is a movie for adults that happens to be kid-friendly!

        Wait, so I'm saying that Free is an anime intended for adults that happens to be kid-friendly? Am I insane?

        Actually, I'm not. I'm completely sane. I have some very, very good reasons for saying that Free would actually make an incredibly good kids' show. What are these reasons? Well, you're about to find out!

1. It's Exciting!

        Free, despite its reputation as a Yaoi that isn't quite a Yaoi, actually manages to hold its own as a sports anime. While there isn't a race or a competition in every episode as is standard in most kids' TV shows, I think that there's definitely enough excitement to hold a child's attention. There's tension in the air during every race and you really do get the sense that anything could happen. The rivals of the series, Haruka and Rin, are very evenly matched. You really do get the sense that it all comes down to how the two of them are feeling on the day. This, of course, makes it all the more intense when the two rivals battle it out.

        The sense of unpredictability in this series is further heightened by the fact that Rei, one of the members of the Iwatobi swim club, can't actually swim for quite some time. Will he be able to make this up before the final battle? Will he slow the team down? How will he cope against Rin, his direct competition true master of the butterfly stroke? Well, I have to say that even I was incredibly surprised as to how everyone manages to work things out in the end!

        I'm going to clear this up now before anyone starts throwing around accusations about Free not actually having a plot. Free DOES have a plot. In fact, it's actually a very, very good plot. It's completely self-contained, all side stories have a purpose and there are no unnecessary characters. Even the silly side story about Amakawa-sensei's swimsuit modelling career has a purpose in terms of comedy. There's really nothing unnecessary at all in this anime and everything makes coherent sense from beginning to end. Now, how many other kid-friendly shows can you say something like that about?