Mezzo

I was very touched by this movie - which could be called a culmination of the series, where the footprints of “Free!” are sprinkled all throughout. What was most important to you when creating this film, and what are your honest feelings now that you have spun the story of “Free!” this far?

“Mainly, I feel like a I can breathe a sigh of relief. I have been swimming with Haru and the others for a really long time, and this movie was created while reflecting on all that accumulated time - so my feelings of relief for having been able to tackle Haru’s life and this work called “Free!” with sincerity and in my own way, for having been able to give them shape yet again, are really enormous. Ever since I became the director of “Free!”, I have always said, “I want all the characters to cross the finish line together in a happy way”. It may not be perfect, but I am very glad that I was able to give each and every character a gift of happy feelings in this movie. Gratitude was one of the themes of the film. Throughout the story, I wanted to convey a big “thank you” to the characters, to all the staff who have been involved in this project until now, and to all the people who will see the movie. There were many difficulties, but I am really happy that we were able to finish the film by putting all these different feelings into it. Moreover, I have always wanted to make a movie with a fired-up storyline like in a shounen manga, so I am also glad that I was able to accomplish that.”

Haru and Rin’s hearts were separated by an unexpected clash in the first movie, but the scene where they face each other again as “rivals” is reminiscent of their confrontation in the pool at night in the first season of “Free!”, it was really heart-warming. The scene where the two pull Makoto into the pool also made me smile. Please tell us your thoughts about the flow and direction of that scene.

“The main concept, “Haru confirms his bonds through swimming” was set as a general framework spread out throughout both movies - but all the non-essential parts, details and seasonings were added to the story in a pretty flexible manner. It’s difficult to put into words, but I feel like the “Free!” world carved into my body was added to the movie almost intuitively. For example, at the planning stage of the series, I was the one to suggest the idea of a confrontation in a night pool, I participated hands-on in the storyboarding and direction of the second episode of the first season, and I expressed the idea in visual images. When I tried to express my thoughts and feelings about “Free!” in this movie, the memories of that time suddenly came back to me. The Haru and Rin in my mind found their way to the “night pool” on their own, very naturally. For the staff, the production of this series was a sort of personal experience. I would even say it was ingrained in our bodies. I wove the storyboard of this movie while following the threads of my memory, and recalling that experience. The “Free!” that I had experienced emerged straight through the images, and the characters were moving freely as they pleased within that picture. I created the movie with those feelings, so during the production process, I felt very nostalgic, sometimes excited, and at the same time a little sad.”

After focusing on the butterfly race and putting in a lot of effort, Rin finally made it to the podium. The scene where Rin puts his medal around Gou’s neck was a deeply, deeply emotional scene for the viewers, who have witnessed Rin’s devotion to his family over the entire course of the story. How did you feel when you first wrote Rin’s story?

“Since the very beginning, Rin has always been an energetic and active character, and he’s always expressed his desire to win a medal. When I saw him actually win it I was very moved, even though I’m not Mikhail. Having watched the series so far, I feel that Rin has always been pursuing a relationship with his family and his community… but each time he was repeatedly met with setbacks and failures. In his blood-related family, he lost his father, and on his elementary school team, he didn’t get along with Sousuke. I think it was only when he swam the relay with Haru and the others that he felt something in his heart being filled. Then, in high school, he swam with Haru and the others again - and he was also able to swim on the Samezuka team while feeling a bond with them. After that, his personal relationships expanded to include the characters from “High☆Speed! Free! Starting Days”, starting with Ikuya and Natsuya, and he became even more determined to play an active role in the world. In the end, the catalyst for all of this was the relay that he swam with Haru and the others when he was in elementary school. For Haru, Rin is the one who led him to the relay - but for Rin too, it was precisely because Haru was there that he was able to truly see a “sight that he had never seen before”. On a surface level, Haru and Rin are very different from each other. But in the innermost depths of their hearts, deep down in their souls, they both have passionate hearts, and I think they are very similar. Although the length of the movie was limited, I hope that I was able to depict with care Rin's starting point, what he treasures, and what he’s gained in the series so far.”

Haru was able to finally confront himself and overcome the barrier of turning 20 years old, despite being burdened with many different problems. In the previous interview, you said that “Free! The Final Stroke” is “a story meant to bring a temporary conclusion to Haru’s relationship with water”, but please tell us your impressions on Haru’s story so far, and the thoughts that you put into the movie.

“Haru doesn't say much, except what is essential. But his swimming is very eloquent, and has charmed many people. Up to this point, everyone has experienced various feelings after watching Haru swim. But in this movie, the idea is that of Haru using his own swimming to return everyone’s feelings of gratitude, to the best of his ability. Haru, who has always thought he was okay with being alone in the water - after interacting with many characters and experiencing a lot of emotions, both good and bad - has now grown up. In the last race, he put all of those feelings into his swimming and swam recklessly, following his emotions. It was meant to convey those feelings both to the audience/the people watching the relay in the movie, and to the staff who made this film/the fans who supported us in the real world. But I think it was a very exhausting and difficult swim for Haru. The only thing I can tell him right now, is “Haru, thank you for all your hard work”. I hope that he will keep living each day at his own pace. I am sure that Haru and the others will continue to swim in the future, while occasionally doing silly stuff. When watching the finished film, I was very happy I could confirm with my own eyes their readiness to face the future. It made me think that I should also do my best. I think it’s a very happy thing for the series, that the story has now reached one point of completion. It was a sight that I was able to see only because Haru was the main character!”

Please give a message to all the fans who have been following the “Free!” series up until now!