Unchanging

So, the movie starts Ikuya stuck under a bridge because it's raining. He's talking on the phone to Hiyori and telling him he'll be late to meet him at Maron because he didn't remember Kisumi telling him it would rain. Hiyori offers to bring him an umbrella but Ikuya says he'll just wait. When Ikuya hangs up he turns and sees Kinjou standing next to him. Kinjou apologies for being so mean to them and they talk about the tournament for a bit before Kinjou runs out into the rain.

When Kinjou leaves Sousuke shows up and tells Ikuya he isn't lost but Ikuya calls him out on it. They talk about how Ikuya has decided to go pro and the tournament in Sydney. Then Hiyori shows up with an umbrella for Ikuya.

Next we see all of the Mikoshiba siblings talking over zoom. Momo is talking about how he's going to beat Nitori at the Samezuka farewell race next week and become the next captain. Then they start talking about the Sydney tournament and they show flashbacks to the first part of final stroke.

Dried up youthful fame version:free starts playing and they show parts of Rin and Haru's fight from the end of the last movie. They added a new line of Haru saying that he wants to swim in the lane next to Rin at the next tournament. Haru sounds sadder than he did in the last movie, so things are slightly different than how they played out the first time but it still ends the same.

After the fight it slips into Still life goes on they and show more flashbacks and training...

After all that we then see Haruka as a baby with his grandma and she's showing him the water and videos of waterfalls and stuff. She comments that it's like he's loved by the water.

They show an interview with Haru like the video from the beginning of the first movie with interviews about Haru from the other team members. Haru talks about how he feels about swimming. They ask him about the relay and there's a flashback to when Haru and Rin were fighting in Elementary school and got held after class for fighting and the teacher tells them they need to talk about why they're angry or they'll never solve their problems. Makoto and Nagisa are watching from the hallway and Nagisa says that he hopes they make up and get along soon and Makoto pictures them as the Doppelganger rangers that Makoto mentioned all the way in episode 1. The rangers decide to stop fighting and join forces to beat the bad guy.

It then shows that Haru is watching this scene in a movie theater with his younger self in Albert's jersey sitting a few rows in front of him. It's quite an artistic shot I guess? It appears this is happening in Haru's dreams because they show him sleeping and talking in his sleep.

It then shows people talking about Haru quitting the swim club in middle school and Makoto chasing after him but unable to reach him. They show Rin saying he's quitting in middle school but they've got the adult voices (though acted to sound younger) rather than the original kid voices from season 1.

Haru's younger self in Albert's jersey is an asshole and says mean things and Haru keeps arguing with himself. They show flashbacks of season 1 while him and Rin were fighting and kid Haru tells him he's all alone.

They show Albert sitting alone in his room crying while thinking about Haru's swimming. Mikhail comments about how Albert's swimming is lonely and that makes it feel completely different from Haru's swimming. But that Haru's swimming is like Ryuuji's when he was younger.

Haruka wakes up and goes for a run early in the morning but he exhausts himself and crouches on the ground panting. Sousuke is driving by in his car and picks him up and takes him back to his place. Haru is just spacing out staring out the window and looks really pathetic. Sousuke tells him everyone is worried about him and asks if something happened between him and Rin. Sousuke tells him that him and Rin have fought a lot and hurt each other without realizing it but they've always made up so it will be okay between them too.

As soon as Haru gets out Natsuya is just THERE and I don't even know how he got there lol. I assume he hopped in as soon as Haru got out but I have no idea. Maybe he was secretly there the whole time. Natsuya comments how it's tough being a hero in reference to Haru.

Rin stands in front of the door to Mikhail's office talking to himself, practicing a speech to tell Mikhail about how he wants to know how to keep swimming 5-10 years into the future. To be a pro. To keep swimming with Haru. When he opens the door to the office Mikhail isn't there and he's disappointed but then Mikhail shows up behind him and apparently heard the whole thing anyway. Mikhail tells him it's decision and if he wants to do it he'll support him.

Next we see Asahi at the laundromat washing clothes and when he turns around he's startled to find Rin there. He didn't notice him at all. Rin is sitting there looking super depressed.

This image doesn't do it justice... there was a shot of him looking even more depressed lol.

Asahi tells Rin since he can swim butterfly so well he should have more confidence and Rin says he hasn't lost his confidence... or maybe he has. Maybe he was just expecting too much. Asahi tells him that he once had a time where he wasn't able to swim free anymore and he realized how important it was just just be able to swim normally. Rin tells him that Ikuya asked him what he wanted to do and Asahi tells Rin that anyone would ask him when they see him looking like that and Rin just wonders if Haru would ask.

Next we see the underclassmen joining the college teams. Rei and Nitori join Shimogami with Ikuya and Hiyori. Nagisa and a whole bunch of Samezuka guys join Naribusawa with Kinjou. The Samezuka guys comment that Kinjou reminds them of old Rin and that he seems scary. Nagisa just goes up to him and asks him if he can swim and stuff and acts all cheerful and Kinjou is kind to him so the Samezuka guys think he might be okay but Kinjou yells at them when they talk to him.

We then see Nitori, Rei, and Nagisa bowling. Rei of course sucks because he's just thinking about the theory on how to do it. Makoto shows up and they talk about how they all decided to keep swimming and Nagisa says it's because they actually really do love swimming. They ask about Haru but Makoto deflects and says that he's just busy getting ready for the next tournament. Nagisa tells him if he's worried about Haru he needs to tell him.

Haru is training with Ryuuji but he's exhausted. Ryuuji tells him to stop for the day but when Haru tries to walk away from the pool he collapses. Haru's legs twitch in a weird way and Ryuuji demands to know when that started but Haru says it doesn't hurt and that after swimming his hardest he just can't get any strength in them. Ryuuji tells him that he should stop swimming like that until he reaches the last 20m of the race and Haruka demands to know why. Ryuuji tells him that he's pushing too hard and that he's going to injure himself if he keeps going the way he is. He needs to take a year to build his body up. Haru complains that will be too late because Albert announced he was retiring after the next tournament and he won't be able to beat him at this rate.

Sousuke, Asahi, Ikuya, Hiyori, and Natsuya are all training with Makoto and Nao as their trainers. They're still worrying about Haru.

Haru is still overworking himself. Ryuuji catches him swimming hard and tells him he told him to stop swimming like that and forces him to stop swimming. We see Rin training and then he gets a call from Makoto. Rin shows up at Haru's training place where Makoto is talking to Ryuuji and demands to know why Haru isn't there training. Ryuuji tells him he's forcing him to take a week off. Rin yells at him and says that if he takes a week off now he won't be in shape to do the tournament. That swimming is too important to Haru. Makoto makes Rin stop, but Ryuuji yells back telling Rin if he cares so much he should tell Haru himself.

Rin and Makoto run around Tokyo searching for Haru. They aren't able to find him anywhere. Rin thinks about how he's always is so selfish and pretends like he doesn't notice Haru's feelings and took advantage of how strong Haru was. Rin trips and rolls onto the ground. He looks up and sees a sakura tree in bloom above him. He looks up through the branches and sees Haru on a roof of a building. Rin calls Makoto and tells him he found Haru.

Rin and Makoto go to the top of the building and find Haru floating in a pool on the rooftop. The sign outside calls it a "night pool". It's night time and there are red lights shining on the surface of the water. I don't even know how long Rin was standing there staring at Haru before Makoto got there but Makoto starts walking towards Haru and Rin stops him and starts walking toward Haru and stripping. He hops into the pool and asks Haru to race him. Tells him he has an obligation to swim with him since he hasn't said he will quit again. (reference to season 1 fence scene) They race, Haru swims better, he doesn't feel exhausted and one of the lifeguards watching the pool comments they set a world record but the other one says that's crazy. Rin hugs Haru, him and Makoto tell Haru how they feel. Rin says he admires Haru and he needs to stop making him saying over and over. Rin and Haru tease Makoto and pull him into the pull with them when he tries to get them out.

Makoto tells Haru a story about how when they were kids Haru was upset because he lost to some middle schoolers in a race and he was upset about it. The middle schoolers also made fun of Makoto and Nagisa. Nagisa and Makoto wanted to cheer Haru up and tried to go to his house, on the way they see Elvant(sp?) Volandel (which the staff said at a theater stage greeting is Albert's dad) at a stand at a festival buying a mamori (for safe childbirth because Albert's little brother was about to be born). Nagisa and Makoto decide to buy one as a present to cheer Haru up. They go to Haru's house but he's not there, they eventually find him at the festival and follow him up to the ocean lookout that they go to all the time in the series. They give a mamori to Haru but he asks why it says anzan (安産 safe childbirth) and Nagisa and Makoto are shocked it doesn't say anshin (安心 peace of mind) so Nagisa writes over the second kanji to say shin instead with a pen.

Haru trained harder and ended up beating the middle schoolers in the next tournament, they stopped bullying Makoto and Nagisa, and Rin heard about the tale of the elementary schooler beating some middle schoolers and decided he had to race that guy and that's how he originally got interested in Haru. Haru says he doesn't remember something that happened so long ago.

Haru says he wants to beat Albert at the next tournament, that he doesn't want it to end this way. That he doesn't know what will happen to his body but he wants to swim his all. Makoto and Rin go with him to talk to Ryuuji and ask him to let Haru practice and let the practice together. Ryuuji tells them to do what they want.

Ikuya and the others are all training together and Natsuya tells them they have to train hard because they have to qualify at the All Japan Tournament in order to qualify for the tournament in Fukuoka.

There's a flashback to when Ryuuji and Mikhail are younger and Mikhail is resting his arm on Ryuuji's shoulder and asking him to race with him. Ryuuji tells him there's no point since they're alone in the water. Kiyofumi comes up, apparently they haven't seen him in a while, and he calls Ryuuji "Ryuu-chan" and Ryuuji tells him not to use -chan. Kiyofumi tells Ryuuji he wants to see his swimming because his swimming makes everyone feel better. Current Ryuuji says that while they might have been cocky back then if he could go back to that time he would.

Sousuke and the others find Haru sleeping outside under a tree and they comment that he's been sleeping before practice a lot recently. They all decide to to everything they can to help him like doing his laundry and stuff.

Through the rest of the movie they keep mentioning that they're doing medical checks on Haru and he keeps passing them so I GUESS he's fine but he's sleeping all the time lol.

It's time for the All Japan Tournament. Rin and Sousuke compete in fly. Sousuke asks if they should bet who buys drinks over who wins but Rin says since they've made it this far they just need to aim for medals. Haru and Kinjou qualified in 100m free, Rin, Asahi, and Natsuya qualified in 100m fly, Ikuya qualified in 100m breast, Hiyori and Sousuke qualified in 100m back. They originally had Sousuke swimming backstroke for rehabilitation but since there were so few back swimmers they had him train in it.

Nagisa and Rei make misanga (good luck bracelets) for everyone.

The Gou, Isuzu, Momo, and the younger Iwatobis are all planning watching the Fukuoka tournament at Iwatobi SC but Ayumu isn't there because she had to do something with her family and will arrive late... apparently that means in a helicopter and they end up going to Fukuoka to watch the tournament in the helicopter.

Ryuuji is getting ready at the tournament and has Makoto helping him. They run into Kinjou and Ryuuji tells Kinjou he has learned he loves swimming this past year and that he won't run away anymore. He says that someday he'll save Kinjou too in order to fulfill is promise with "that guy" (Kiyofumi). Kinjou says okay and then tells him that he thinks Haru is at his limit. Makoto wonders what it means and Ryuuji says that Haru's overworking himself when he swims fast and he probably can only swim like that for one more tournament.

In the locker room Kinjou asks Haru why he's doing so much for swimming and Haru says he doesn't know but that being in the water is his special place.

Haru swims in the qualifier for the 100m free, Ryuuji is watching and telling him to hold off on swimming harder but Haru speeds up right after the turn and Ryuuji calls him an idiot. Haruka wins but Ryuuji asks "why now?" and they show a flashback of Kiyofumi dying.

Rin and Ikuya talk about making this far, Hiyori says that he believes in Ikuya and Ikuya blushes.

Rin and Ikuya win bronze in their races. Rin puts the medal around Gou's neck and she says it's heavy and Rin agrees and says it's surprisingly heavy. Rin's mom and Gou both congratulate him but Rin's mom tells him that he still has something to do (implying taking care of Haru.)

Kinjou find Haru sleeping on a bench and puts his jacket over him. Sousuke comes up and tells him not to mess with him but Kinjou is just worried about him. Kinjou wonders why everyone is so obsessed with Haru and Sousuke says maybe he'd understand if he swam with him. Kinjou says to let Haru sleep since Haru still has things to do. Sousuke takes Haru to the nurse and he sleeps through the 100m free final. Kinjou wins bronze. Albert wins gold. Kinjou asks Albert if he's okay quitting without racing Haru.

While Haru sleeps he has a dream about Rin and the others asking him to swim in the relay with him in elementary school. Child Haru runs away and Adult Haru stops him and asks him where he's going. He tells himself not to run away from his feelings and that he needs to do what he wants to do.

When Haru wakes up Makoto, Rin, and Ikuya are there with him. They tell him not to move yet but Haru says he has to go.

The Team Japan leaders start to announce who will be in the relay but Natsuya tells them to stop and that they should let Haru swim in the relay. The other leaders are outraged but the director is all for it and lets them do it. They set up two teams so Haru can rest and if the first team makes it through the preliminary race, Haru can swim in the final. The teams are Hiyori (back), Ikuya (breast), Natsuya (fly), and Kinjou (free) for the preliminary and Sousuke (back), Ikuya (breast), Rin (fly), and Haru (free) for the final.

Albert also asks to participate in his team's medley relay so he can race Haru.

Nagisa hands out the misanga to everyone before the relay races to cheer on "team Haru".

(at the staff talk they said Nagisa forced Kinjou to wear one too)

Haru is sleeping again during the prelim but he somehow managed to pass another medical check so he's fine.

Rin and Ikuya wait outside the room and Ikuya asks if he's okay not seeing him right now, but Rin says he told him they're not like that. Ikuya says it's their turn to support Haru this time. Rin says that's the reason he swims.

Hiyori, Ikuya, Natsuya, and Kinjou swim the prelim and win (obviously) and then Sousuke, Ikuya, Rin, and Haru swim their race. They come in first and get the gold medal. They all hug and cry. Even Haru. Ryuuji crys watching them. As they hug Haru passes out and Rin pulls him into his lap. Everyone from the team runs down to the poolside calling out Haru's name.

we see a large billboard of Haru in Tokyo that says "Stay strong! Be Free!" on it (pictured above) and people commenting about the billboard. There's a girl walking down the street reading a news article about Haru winning and being hospitalized. She looks around when people say "Nanase" commenting about Haru. It has been confirmed this girl is Aki as designed by Nishiya in one of the staff stage greetings. Nishiya also designed the causal clothes that Haru and Rin wore in the movie.

We hear Nitori and Ikuya talking about Haru. Nitori asks if he's okay and Ikuya says that Haru was released from the hospital last month and returned to Iwatobi. Nitori hopes that he's able to swim again because not just free, but relays are part of who he is.

We see the credits which show almost every single magazine art published for free over the years... there's a few missing but it's a ton of art.

We see Nagisa, Rei, and Asahi getting ready for a tournament and talking about how everyone is getting better.

Momo is the captain for Samezuka, Ayumu is the captain for Iwatobi (but how I don't know. She can't even swim!? How do you have a captain who can't swim??) She has red glasses like Rei and seems to be acting like Rei.

Hiyori comments about how Kinjou's cousin was Ryuuji's childhood friend and Kinjou says he'll explain later. Sousuke tells Kinjou to act nicer and Kisumi teases Sousuke for being the one to say that. Kinjou asks Sousuke to race him in butterfly but he says that he needs to race Asahi first. Ikuya says he'll race him in free and Kinjou says they can do IM too. They argue over it and Kisumi comments that he hopes they'll get along soon and Ikuya says it will take a while before that happens.

Next we see Gou and her friend talking about how Rin has gone overseas again. This time to Hungary. They talk about how well Haru did at the tournament and Gou's friend says that it's sad that Haru wasn't swimming anymore since then and Gou starts to say that she heard from her brother that he is now.

Albert also came out of retirement to continue swimming because he has someone he wants to swim with. Natsuya says this will make the Athens tournament even more interesting. Haru is swimming again. He apparently swim in a tournament in Mexico last week. Mikhail teases Ryuuji about being happy about Haru and Ryuuji tells him to shut up because Rin is in Hungary right now. Mikhail says he is and so is Haru.

Makoto is wandering around Hungary by himself and manages to find Haru on the street and Haru is surprised to see him. Makoto comments that Haru's rehabilitation seems to be going well. Haru says it is and it's relaxing to be here instead of Japan because he was getting hounded by reporters for interviews there. Makoto says that Rin is in Hungary too.

Rin is on the street looking at things with Ai because Ai is doing an exchange program in Hungary. Rin comments that Ai never told him that he was related to Mikhail and Ai says he was too embarrassed but now he will tell people because he's going to get even stronger.

Rin and Haru are walking towards a train crossing and the arms come down and a train passes. When the arms lift they walk into the middle of the train crossing. Rin says he saw a dream about a tournament and Haru says he did too. Rin asks if he wants to know how that dream will turn out and Haru says he obviously does.

We see Asahi and his sister talking about the Athens tournament and then they talk about Asahi's sister's husband who is a swimming reporter and how he made a documentary about Haru and the others. He took a whole bunch of things that were filmed of them over the years and interviewed people about them.

We see the second time capsule they burried, Haru is wearing his high school jersy so the image is probably when they were burying the time capsule. The letter he put in says "even if I become a normal person, I'll keep swimming" and Haru's voice over says "I can wait to become normal for a little longer."

We also see these flowers, which I think are known as a star of Bethlehem? They represent natural talent.

I don't even know what these red ones are but we seen them when Makoto is praying at the temple... so if anybody knows please tell me lol I'm awful with flowers in anime honestly >.<

and of course the camellia you asked about. Though I don't know that they have a bad meaning? They're mean unassuming beauty and pride.

And for the birds...