History Anime / Free

* {{Deuteragonist}}: Rin serves as this for the first two seasons.

** In ''Dive to the Future'', Kisumi mentions that his senior is going to see the movie ''The Rat Life 2''. This references a drama [=CD=] track from the first season where Seijuurou and Nagisa mention going to see ''The Rat Life''.

* ContinuityCavalcade: About every named character (and some unnamed ones) in the show comes back for ''Eternal Summer's'' finale.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Between Momotarou and Rin in the movie ''Take Your Marks!''. Momo is asking Rin for a rare [[BlandNameProduct Lucky Meal]] toy, but Rin thinks he wants to ask for Gou's hand in marriage. [[OutOfContextEavesdropping The rest of the team (and Momo's brother!) get caught up in the misconception.]]

* SempaiKohai: By ''Dive to the Future'', all of the younger year characters (Nagisa, Rei, Gou, Momo, and Aiichiro) have become the new upperclassmen to some new students to the Swimming Club. Their dynamic and how they adjust to being the seniors looks to be a subplot while the college kids have their own dillemmas.

* VomitDiscretionShot: Rei was seen getting nauseous from the seasick. The next scene shows him wiping his mouth in the bathroom.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In the Eternal Summer OVA, Haruka [[spoiler:gets water shot in his face [[HoYay by Rin]]]]. The [[LuminescentBlush look on his face]] and the ''sound'' he makes, plus [[DoubleEntendre the way]] Director Utsumi describes the scene [[http://seakittens.tumblr.com/post/113999352696/fencer-x-director-utsumis-comments-on-the here]], gives the impression that Haru ''[[JizzedInMyPants really]]'' enjoyed this.

* '''''Anime/HighSpeedFreeStartingDays''''' (2015): a film adaptation for ''High Speed! 2'', premiering in December 2015

* '''''Free! Take Your Marks''''' (2017): the last part of the ''Timeless Medley'' trilogy containing an original movie in four parts that focuses on what happens to the cast after the events of ''Eternal Summer'' and ''Timeless Medley''. Ikuya, Asahi, Natsuya, and Nao from ''High Speed!'' make [[TheCameo cameos]] as well.

** ''High Speed! 2'' reveals that Asahi and Rin were friends when they were little but they don't remember each other.

* AnimalMotifs: The main cast (the main swimmers, to be exact) all have animal motifs. In ''Eternal Summer'', this later extends to Aiichiro and the new main characters introduced, Sosuke and Momotaro.
** Haruka: dolphin
** Makoto: orca
** Rin: shark
** Nagisa: penguin
** Rei: butterfly
** Aiichiro: duck
** Sosuke: whale shark
** Momotaro: sea otter
** Asahi: ribbon seal
** Ikuya: beluga
** Hiyori: polar bear
** Natsuya: tiger shark
** Nao: northern gannet
*** Unrelated to any particular character, birds are a surprisingly prevalent motif for a series revolving around swimming. The UglyCute mascot Iwatobi-chan is a bird, and a soaring hawk seems to represent [[TitleDrop free]]dom.

** The animation in ''Dive to the Future'' is more detailed with regards to lighting and hair.

** Asahi: monkey
** Ikuya: cat

* Unnamed ''Free!'' property, to be released in 2020

* ThisIsReality: When they plan their beach training, the characters remark that this isn't an anime where [[OrganizationWithUnlimitedFunding clubs have unlimited funds]].

* TitleDrop: Episode 1: Rin's BadassBoast is actually one of the original working project titles for the series. Later, Haruka drops the title when referring to his preference for freestyle.

* '''''Free! Road to the World''''' (2019): ''Dive to the Future'' recap movie with new scenes, to be released in summer 2019. Focus characters are Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa. Also celebrates the franchise's sixth anniversary.

** [[http://i.imgur.com/PO6uCxz.jpg Rei in his butterfly swimsuit]] made many ''Manga/BusouRenkin'' fans wonder if he was the ''Free!'' universe's version of [[http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire3/02082008/e/b/c/6/ebc66bc0ab6810_full.jpg Papillon Mask.]]

The series was successful enough to include sequels and movies, which includes:

* FatCat: The Matsuoka family has one named Steve.

** The fact that everyone on the team has a "girly" name. Except Kou/Gou, who has a boyish name.

* '''''Anime/HighSpeedFreeStartingDays''''' (2015): a film adaptation for ''High Speed! 2'' premiering in December 2015

* '''''Free! Take Your Marks''''' (2017): the last part of the ''Timeless Medley'' trilogy containing an original movie in four parts that focuses on what happens to the cast after the events ''Eternal Summer'' and ''Timeless Medley''. Ikuya, Asahi, Natsuya, and Nao from ''High Speed!'' make [[TheCameo cameos]] as well.

** During the beginning of Season 2, the gang tries to market their club to the incoming freshmen, but they're not quite sure how to do it. Gou suggests (and implements) the swim team showing off their strokes and their "[[{{Fanservice}} charm points]]" to get people interested. Which would be fine itself, but with the added bonus of ''stripping onstage'' to do the aforementioned actions. It only puts potential hopefuls off, and they turn their attention towards other clubs. In fact they only start getting results after Iwatobi's swim team wins nationals, showing that the team is capable and worth their time. You can't win ''everyone'' over with {{Fanservice}}.

* SliceOfLife

[[quoteright:318:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/free_poster_6440.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:318: Let me show you what makes you and I different!]]

* AbridgedSeries: The humorously titled ''WebAnimation/FiftyPercentOff'' was quite popular in the fandom's heyday. It only covered most of ''Iwatobi Swim Club'', however, before fading interest in the series led the creators to cancel it.

* '''''Free! Road to the World''''' (2019): ''Dive to the Future'' recap movie with new scenes, to be released in summer 2019. Focus characters are Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa.

* '''''Road to the World''''' (2019): ''Dive to the Future'' recap movie with new scenes, to be released in summer 2019. Focus characters are Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa.

* '''''Road to 2020''''' (2019): ''Dive to the Future'' recap movie with new scenes, to be released in summer 2019

* SymbolicBlood: PlayedForLaughs in the OVA when [[spoiler:Nagisa "kills" Rei]] in a gout of water, who even [[spoiler:[[FridgeLogic coughs up water despite having only been shot with a ''squirt'' gun]].

* FairyTaleMotifs: ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid'' features very hard into Ikuya and Hiyori's character arcs during ''Dive to the Future'', and their different interpretations of it also factor into their outlook on l`ife.

* [[spoiler:HappyEnding]]: Season 1's ending.

* '''''Free!''''': Original TV series
* '''''Free! Eternal Summer''''': 2nd TV series
* '''''Anime/HighSpeedFreeStartingDays''''': a film adaptaton for ''High Speed! 2'' premiering in December 2015
* '''''Free! Timeless Medley''''': [[RecapEpisode recap movies]] focusing on the main plots of ''Eternal Summer'' from the perspectives of Haru and Makoto and Sousuke and Rin respectively, with new scenes and cameos from Asahi and Ikuya added to tie into ''Take Your Marks'' and ''Dive to the Future''
* '''''Free! Take Your Marks''''': the last part of the ''Timeless Medley'' trilogy containing an original movie in four parts that focuses on what happens to the cast after the events ''Eternal Summer'' and ''Timeless Medley''. Ikuya, Asahi, Natsuya, and Nao from ''High Speed!'' make [[TheCameo cameos]] as well.
* '''''Free! Dive to the Future''''': 3rd TV series following Haru, Rin, and Makoto in their college years
* ''Dive to the Future'' recap movie, to be released in summer 2019