History Trivia / Free

* ChannelHop: The first season's license is held by Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, but they outsourced the production of the home video releases to two companies; Creator/DiscotekMedia made a set that was subtitled-only, while Creator/FUNimation, who themselves holds the second season's license outright, did a rerelease with the first season's dub included.

* ActorAllusion: This isn't the first time Creator/KenichiSuzumura has voiced [[FieryRedhead an energetic, flirty redhead]] [[Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub highschool boy]].

* The symbolic equation of Haruka=dolphin and Rin=shark is already established (promo art, Rin's teeth); and in the endtheme animation, as Haruka wanders through a desert wasteland, what does he pass the skeleton of? A Chinese river dolphin.
** Dolphins and sharks don't exactly get on well in the animal kingdom. Then there's Makoto's orca...

** In the Latin American Spanish dub, Enrique Cervantes is the ADR Director as well as Goro Sasabe's voice actor.

* UnfinishedDub: As of 2023, the only installments of the series that, for unknown reasons, haven't seen English dubs are ''Road to the World'' and both parts of ''The Final Stroke''.

* RelationshipVoiceActor:
** Siblings [[Creator/AkenoWatanabe Gou]] and [[Creator/MamoruMiyano Rin]] worked in the past as partners as [[Manga/SoulEater Death the Kid and Liz Thompson]], while best friends [[Creator/ToddHaberkorn Haruka]] and [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch Makoto]] worked in the past as twin siblings [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV Yun and Yang]].
** [[Creator/VicMignogna Rin]] and [[Creator/MaxeyWhitehead his younger self]] were once known as the [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Elric Brothers]].
** [[Creator/ToshiyukiToyonaga Asahi]], [[Creator/KoukiUchiyama Ikuya]], [[Creator/YoshimasaHosoya Sousuke]], [[Creator/MamoruMiyano Rin]], [[Creator/SatoshiHino Nao]], and [[Creator/KenjiNojima Natsuya]] are [[Anime/YuriOnIce Yuuri, Yuri, Otabek, J.J., Emil, and Seung-Gil]].
*** In the dub, [[Creator/JoshGrelle Niitori]] is Yuri, [[Creator/JerryJewell Momo]] is Victor, [[Creator/MicahSolusod Kazuki]] is Yurio, [[Creator/CaitlinGlass Miho]] is Lilia, [[Creator/IanSinclair Sosuke]] is Celestino, Nao (Creator/OscarSeung) is Seung Il, [[Creator/ChristopherSabat Goro]] is Chris, [[Creator/JMichaelTatum Rei]] is Michele, [[Creator/RiccoFajardo Natsuya]] is Leo, and [[Creator/VicMignogna Rin]] is Nobunari.
** [[Creator/ToshiyukiToyonaga Asahi]], [[Creator/KoukiUchiyama Ikuya]], [[Creator/YoshimasaHosoya Sousuke]], [[Creator/MamoruMiyano Rin]], [[Creator/NobunagaShimazaki Haru]], [[Creator/RyoheiKimura Hiyori]], [[Creator/SatoshiHino Nao]], and [[Creator/KenjiNojima Natsuya]] are [[Manga/{{Haikyuu}} Shirabu, Kei, Asahi, Atsumu, Suna, Bokuto, Daichi, and Kita]].
** [[Creator/YoshimasaHosoya Sosuke]], [[Creator/MamoruMiyano Rin]], [[Creator/ToshiyukiToyonaga Asahi]], [[Creator/ChihiroSuzuki Kisumi]] and [[Creator/KenjiroTsuda Captain Mikoshiba]] are [[Manga/{{ThePrinceOfTennis}} Shiraishi, Ryoga Echizen, Aoi, Kamio and Inui]].
** [[Creator/RyoHirohashi Ayumu]] is a perverted fan[[CrossDressingVoices boy]] of [[Creator/AkenoWatanabe Gou]]. Sousuke grew up from [[Creator/AoiYuuki a frog]] into [[Creator/YoshimasaHosoya a bird]] who is one of her [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia 1-A classmates]]. [[Creator/KoukiUchiyama Ikuya]] is a villain they regularly clash with.
*** In the dub, [[Creator/JMichaelTatum Rei]] is the class rep Iida ([[Main/TheComicallySerious hell, they even share the same personality]]), [[Creator/JoshGrelle Niitori]] is Tokoyami, [[Creator/IanSinclair Sosuke]] is Shoji, [[Creator/GregAyres Nagisa]] is Kouji and of course, [[Creator/ChristopherSabat Goro IS HERE]] as All Might, their teacher in Class 1A. [[Creator/JerryJewell Momo]] is their principal, [[Creator/MicahSolusod Kazuki]], and [[Creator/JamieMarchi Gou]] are pro heroes while [[Creator/JasonLiebrecht Hiyori]] and [[Creator/EricVale Kisumi]] happen to be part of the League of Villains.
** From ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch Makoto]] is Ichigo, [[Creator/VicMignogna Rin]] is Ikkaku, and [[Creator/ToddHaberkorn Haruka]] is Moe Shishigawara. they're also, [[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax Yu, Minazuki, and Junpei's da man]], [[Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic Tidus, Koubun Ka, and Judar]], [[Manga/BungoStrayDogs Shosaku Katsura, Ranpo Edogawa (for the fist 2 seasons), and Edgar Allan Poe]], and [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sasori, young Obito, and Hiruko from the 3rd movie]].
** With the exception of [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch Makoto]] and newer voice actors like Christopher Llewyn Ramirez (Asahi), Oscar Seung (Nao), and Lee George (Ikuya), most of the cast had worked in both ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' and ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''.
** [[Creator/MamoruMiyano Rin]] and [[Creator/KoukiUchiyama Ikuya]] are both [[Franchise/KingdomHearts Keyblade wielders]], and have teamed up together as allies [[Manga/SoulEater Death the Kid and Soul Eater Evans]].

* [[IronyAsSheIsCast Irony as He Is Cast]]: ''Free!'' is known to have strong {{yaoi}} overtones, yet the English dub had Creator/VicMignogna in the cast, who is known for his Christian beliefs and his dislike in working in yaoi anime because of his beliefs. [[note]]That being said, he is known to be good friends with Creator/JMichaelTatum, who is openly gay.[[/note]]

* PlayingGertrude: Creator/MamoruMiyano, who voices Rin, is a year younger than Creator/AkenoWatanabe, who voices his younger sister Gou.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[http://i0.wp.com/livedoor.blogimg.jp/otaku_blog/imgs/1/6/16d7adcc.jpg This image]] shows the Iwatobi Swim Club without Rei, but instead with another character named Kaede. Apparently this character would have been more easygoing than Rei, as well as retaining the "inexperienced newcomer" role Rei eventually got according to [[http://ultimatemegax.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/free-guidebook-interview-hiroko-utsumi-x-futoshi-nishiya-part-1/ this interview]].

* AllStarCast: Who knew that the 5 main characters are voiced [[Creator/ToddHaberkorn by five]] [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch of the]], [[Creator/GregAyres most popular]], [[Creator/JMichaelTatum English dub]], [[Creator/VicMignogna voice actors]] at the time of the dub's release? The supporting cast isn't that different either.

* AllStarCast: Who knew that the 5 main characters are voiced [[Creator/Todd Haberkorn by five]] [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch of the]], [[Creator/GregAyres most popular]], [[Creator/JMichaelTatum English dub]], [[Creator/VicMignogna voice actors]] at the time of the dub's release? The supporting cast isn't that different either.

* TheMerch: This franchise is extremely JustForFun/{{Egregious}} when it comes to merchandises ranging from figurines to ''life-size standees''. This franchise also ''loves'' to produce limited edition '''one-offs''' that usually costs ''triple'' in auctions. Recently taken UpToEleven with the release of many merchandises related to the theatrical film ''right after'' the film's announcement.

* PlayingGertrude: Creator/MamoruMiyano, who voices Rin, is a year younger than Creator/AkenoWatanabe, who voices his youngeer sister Gou.

* PlayingGertrude: Creator/MamoruMiyano, who voices Rin, is a year younger than Creator/AkenoWatanabe, who voices his youngeer sister Gou.

* FanNickname: A number were given to the main cast [[http://squick-too-quick.tumblr.com/post/44725923400 by the growing fanbase]] a while before the anime was announced and character personalities established, including:
** "{{Tsun|dere}}" for Haruka, though he turned out to be genuinely more of a [[SugarAndIcePersonality Kuudere]].
** "Senpai" or "Sweetie-pie" for Makoto, emphasizing his caring nature.
** "Shota" for Nagisa, who has the typical (Male) TokenMiniMoe physical aesthetic, if not as exaggerated as [[Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub some]]; he's more or less a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, though.
** "Pimp" [[labelnote:Explanation]]Appeared to be waving to the fans, presumably girls, in the original commercial, and thus identified as a ladies' man.[[/labelnote]] or "Cameron"[[labelnote:Explanation]] Stands for '''came'''-here-for-the-girls-turned-gay[[/labelnote]] for Rin.
** "Megane" or "Glasses" for Rei when he was first revealed and most were still more comfortable using the nicknames because the anime still had not aired.
** "Far Left-kun" or "Far Left-kun 2.0" for Seijuurou due to his resemblance to Rei's prototype design.
*** The nickname has also migrated over to Momotarou.
** The series itself is nicknamed "Swimbros!" or "Gay Swimming Anime."
*** Hilariously enough, if you simply put "free" into Google images, you get pictures of a red button with the word "free" written on it, but if you put in "gay swimming anime" pictures from the show come up, along with the anime ''Anime/{{Tsuritama}}''.
*** ''Anime/{{Tsuritama}}'' is sometimes [[FanNickname referred to as]] 'The Gay Fishing Anime', so this makes sense.
** "Anime {{Music/Macklemore}}" for Goro, due to their similar look.
** "Minishiba" for Momotarou, due to being Seijuuro's younger brother
** "Eternal Suffering" for the second season (especially after [[WhamEpisode Episode 9]]), due to the series undergoing CerebusSyndrome.
** "The Iwatobabies" for the new Iwatobi first-years in ''Dive to the Future''.

** From ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch Makoto]] is Ichigo, [[Creator/VicMignogna Rin]] is Ikkaku, and [[Creator/ToddHaberkorn Haruka]] is Moe Shishigawara. they're also, [[VideoGame/Persona4Ultimax Yu, Minazuki, and Junpei's da man]], [[Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic Tidus, Koubun Ka, and Judar]], [[Manga/BungoStrayDogs Shosaku Katsura, Ranpo Edogawa (for the fist 2 seasons), and Edgar Allan Poe]], and [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sasori, young Obito, and Hiruko from the 3rd movie]].

* CrossDressingVoices: Female voice actors portray the main characters' younger selves in both Japanese and English. Averted in the Latin American Spanish dub, where the main characters' younger selves are played by their main voice actors.

** The English dub has Creator/JerryJewell (Momo's VA) as the director for the first 2 seasons, while Creator/CaitlinGlass (Miho's VA) takes over the directing duties for season 3.

* TheOtherDarrin: Creator/AustinTindle took over as Rin beginning with the Dive to the Future OAV due to Creator/{{Funimation}} firing Creator/VicMignogna. [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement And that's all that needs to be said about it.]]

* NoDubForYou:
** Subverted for the first season. It was licensed for streaming by Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, a website that generally streams anime with subtitles and isn't known for dubbing anything into English, or even streaming English dubs period. While ''Free!'' was initially streamed with English subtitles at first, they also began streaming an English dubbed version of the show (with the English voice actors from Funimation's dub reprising their roles, no less). Played straight for the sub-only DVD release, which was sub-licensed to Creator/DiscotekMedia (another company not known for dubbing anything into English); a Blu-ray/DVD release by Creator/{{Funimation}} of season 1 eventually happened in 2017.
** Averted with ''[[SequelFirst Eternal Summer]]'', which was licensed and dubbed by Funimation in 2016.

** [[Creator/YoshimasaHosoya Sosuke]], [[Creator/ChihiroSuzuki Kisumi]] and [[Creator/KenjiroTsuda Captain Mikoshiba]] are [[Manga/{{ThePrinceOfTennis}} Shiraishi, Kamio and Inui]].