Free! The Final Stroke is the last chapter of Kyoto Animation’s Free! Iwatobi Swim Club franchise. The final movie is divided into two parts, with the first film set to premiere this year in Japanese theaters. Here’s your one-stop guide to all the news about the last Free! films.
Free! The Final Stroke's Plot
Free! The Final Stroke is a continuation of the previous season of the swimming-based anime series. In Season 3, protagonists Haruka Nanase and Rin Matsuoka compete in the All-Japan Invitational to qualify for the global swimming competition. Rin wins the 100m butterfly race; however, Haruka loses his 200m freestyle race after succumbing to competition pressure. But, even though Haruka loses the race, he vows that he will become a world-renowned swimmer.
Season 3 perfectly sets up what’s to come in the final Free! movie. Although there hasn’t been much information about the movie’s premise, it's safe to assume that Haruka and Rin will be competing against highly trained and gifted swimmers from all around the world. Also, based on the teasers released for the film, Haruka must overcome the pressure that comes with competing, which he struggled with in Season 3.
Free! The Final Stroke: Release Date & Trailer
Since the film’s announcement, two teasers have been released, one on April 22 and the second on July 26. The second teaser reveals snapshots of the Free! cast preparing for a swimming competition with intense music in the background.
Free! The Final Stroke will be a two-part movie event. The first installment will release in Japanese theaters this year on September 17, and the second movie is set to be released next year on April 22. There has yet to be an international release date given. However, since Funimation acquired a screening of Take Your Marks in US theaters on March 14, 2018, there's plenty of reason to be hopeful that The Final Stroke will get similar treatment.
News To Know About Free! The Final Stroke
The poster above was released alongside the new teaser trailer for Free! The Final Stroke, featuring Haruka, Rin, and Ikuya Kirishima at the fore and many of the other Free! characters in the background. The film will also feature a remake of the third season’s opening theme song, "Heading to Over - Version: Free-," by the Japanese rock group OLDCODEX. A CD featuring the song will go on sale on September 15. In addition, Eisaku Kawanami, the director of the previous Free! films, is returning as the director of the final movie.
