History WebAnimation / FiftyPercentOff

->'''Rin''': You ready, Haru? Better say bye to your ''boyfriend''.
->'''Haru''': He’s not my boyfriend. The pool and I are just friends. With benefits.

[[quoteright:286:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/50_off.png]]

[[caption-width-right:286: Because it's not quite ''[[Anime/{{Free}} Free]].'']]

An AbridgedSeries of ''Anime/{{Free}}'' created by [[http://www.youtube.com/user/MasterYorgi Octopimp]] and written by [=SparkyTheAndroid=], ''50% OFF'' is a little different than than usual; rather than full episodes of the show, episodes of the series are three-to-five-minute[[note]]The time becomes more like eight-to-ten in later episodes[[/note]] shorts. The series will cover all of season 1.

It's well-known in the fan community for its extreme characterization, resulting in [[FanNickname Thugisa]]. There are also swimming puns and lampshades abound and the show's popularity is now growing beyond the fan-base.

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!!This work has examples of:

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Gou and Makoto have admitted to seeing quite a few "trophies" when they get lonely.
-->'''Gou''': ''(after seeing shirtless Haru)'' I'm sinning tonight!
** Implied with Makoto while he's watching Haru cleaning up the pool.
--->'''Makoto''': ''(in thought)'' He doesn't even know I'm watching him... yeah... *ziiiip*
* AllGaysLoveTheater: Referenced in the DiscriminateAndSwitch joke below.
* AllJustADream: Bonus 14 contains a deleted scene which would have revealed the whole of Episode 15 to have been Rin's dream. Then ''that'' would have been revealed to be ''[[DreamWithinADream also]]'' [[UpToEleven Rin's]] [[MindScrew dream]].
* AuthorFilibuster: Episode 19 has Nagisa give a long one about the problems with Gou's real life gay shipping habits, and then extends it to the fetishization of gays by {{Yaoi Fangirl}}s.
* AWildRapperAppears: Utilized in the cover of [[Anime/{{Free}} "Splash Free!"]], inserting a rap by Nagisa in between two verses filled with GratuitousJapanese.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Miho looks like a nice and harmless literature teacher, when in fact she's a full-blown thug.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Played with in the Halloween special, between Nagisa and Makoto:
-->'''Nagisa:''' Let's wrap up, I don't like being alone up here.
-->'''Makoto:''' Why? Because if this was a horror movie you'd die first.
-->'''Nagisa:''' ''({{Beat}})''. Whyyyy?
* BottleEpisode: Most of Episode 15 is spent in an abandoned lighthouse. Of course, this trope is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by [[MetaGuy Nagisa]], leading to a [[SeinfeldianConversation conversation about the meaning of the term]].
* BreakingTheFourthWall:
-->'''Rin''': Nagisa, I feel like you're running out of [[RunningGag solid shark references to call me]].
-->'''Nagisa''': I may have blown the good ones in the early episodes, yeah.
* BrickJoke:
** A scene which was cut from episode 11 contains the punchline to the Demon!Haru RunningGag from episode 10.
-->'''Nagisa''': He [Rei] can do everything ''but'' swim. Like the opposite of [[GeniusDitz Haru]]. ''Nega''-Haru!
-->'''Haru''': '''''The sunken depths of the screeching horde-'''''
-->'''Makoto''': Cut it out! He's had enough!
-->'''Rei''': I ''KNEW'' YOU PEOPLE KNEW HE COULD DO THAT!
** In episode 7, one of the Harus gets in an argument with the other Harus and storms out, slamming the door behind him, which does raise the question as to ''where'' he could've gone. Episode 16 reveals he somehow wound up in ''Rin's'' head.
* BrotherSisterIncest: Downplayed. [[YaoiFangirl Gou]] seems to enjoy the thought of Rin getting it on with Haru, even though she's Rin's sister. And her reaction to the actual encounter between the two boys is one of disappointment.
-->'''Gou''': That wasn't hot, it was just *seagull noise*-ing ''weird''!
* BrokenAesop: The filibuster Nagisa goes on in Episode 19 rings a bit hollow when it comes from his mouth-- something that [[HypocrisyNod he even recognizes]]-- but it's even more hollow when you realize that it comes from a show that takes handsome characters who were AmbiguouslyGay ''at most'' in the source material and turns them all into [[DysfunctionJunction dysfuntional misfits]] and loud gay stereotypes for the sake of comedy and playing into fangirls' stereotypes, with one of the comparatively sane characters of the bunch ''being'' that gay fetishizing YaoiFangirl.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Haru.
* CampGay: PlayedForLaughs in one instance where Rin in shown to be running, saying "[[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy You can't catch me, gay thoughts!]]", and his thoughts reply in a camp voice, "Yes we caaaaan!"
* CensoredForComedy: The worst of the curse words are all censored. Each character is censored by an accompanying aquatic animal noise, and every character's is different. Nagisa, for instance, always has his swearing covered by a seal's bark.
* CharacterExaggeration: Makoto has been made from a LovableCoward to full-blown wimp and Haru's AmbiguousDisorder is played up to [[TheRainMan Rain Man]] levels. Rin is also much more of a jerk.
** All the boys go from "AmbiguouslyGay" to "So Gay That They Might As Well Have Billboards Advertising Their Gayness" and Gou goes from having a small thing for muscles to being an extremely horny fangirl.
** Makoto, Nagisa and Nitori's respective interests in Haru, Rei and Rin are also exaggerated from "possible crush" to "obsession".
* CharacterisationMarchesOn: Haru doesn't start talking to his [[SplitPersonality other selves]] until a few episodes into the series. Before then, in one of the early bonus videos, he's freaked out when he hears a creepy voice in his otherwise quiet head.
* {{Corpsing}}: Bonus 14 shows Octopimp cracking up every time he tries to deliver the "fart-smeller, fart-smeller" line. On the ''fourth'' occasion, he manages to get through it, ''then'' cracks up: "I did it!"
** Bonus 16 reveals that Rin's voice actor cracked up after delivering the "Suck my shark dick!" line.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Makoto, whenever Gou seems to be expressing attraction towards Haru:
--> '''Gou:''' He's so hot but so crazy! That makes him even more hot!
--> '''Makoto:''' Back off! I've already called dibs like 5 years ago!
* CreditsGag: In Episode 16 Nagisa ''twice'' interrupts the opening title card, first to complain about Haru's QuipToBlack, and then to complain about [[BreakingTheFourthWall the title card playing over from the beginning and cutting him off]].
* CrossOver: An ever-so brief one with ''WebVideo/DanganRonpaAbridgedThing''. Nagisa apparently went to Hope's Peak at some point and killed every student in the building for scholarship money.
** Happens again in PalletTownChampion's Fairy Tail Abridged, getting broken out of jail by Easter Dave[[spoiler: AKA Makarov]] for illegally breeding Roskhopper penguins.
* CutawayGag: The ''WebVideo/DanganRonpaAbridgedThing'' CrossOver in episode 11 rather plays out like one; Nagisa off-handedly mentions how he "enrolled at a different school" and then it cuts away to him talking to Monokuma.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment:
--> '''Rei:''' I would like to join your team. To swim. On the team.
* DepravedHomosexual: Nagisa, obviously PlayedForLaughs. An escaped convict for whom violence seems to be the answer for everything. He's also not the least bit subtle with his attraction towards Rei.
* DiscriminateAndSwitch: Between Nagisa and Makoto during episode 5:
--> '''Makoto:''' ...And I'm not allowed to watch ''Series/{{Glee}}.'' My dad says it might turn me into something bad.
--> '''Nagisa:''' Something bad?
--> '''Makoto:''' A musical theater major.
--> '''Nagisa:''' Oh. Right.
* DistractedByTheSexy: Gou, [[RunningGag regularly]].
** Nagisa, whenever Rei is around.
** Makoto is distracted by Haru's sexy when he emerges from the bath in episode 2, leading to the inevitable FreudianSlip.
-->'''Haru''': [[MyEyesAreUpHere Dude, are you okay?]]
-->'''Makoto''': ...We're gonna be date- ''late''!
** Makoto, [[RunningGag again]], when Haru tries on a new swimsuit at the store. This time, though, he merely stares and drools for close to thirty seconds.
* DontExplainTheJoke: When Nagisa refers to Makoto and Haru as "Sherlock" and "Wetson" respectively.
-->'''Haru''': I get it- "Wetson". I like water. Wet. Haha.
* DoItYourselfThemeTune: Just like the original series, the performers sing "Splash Free!" at the end of the episodes.
* DreadfulMusician: Nagisa, judging by his mixtape in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FDmQJm0T90 this bonus video]].
* DuckSeasonRabbitSeason: Like in the original series, but lampshaded.
-->'''Nagisa:''' Ha, your ass just got ''Looney Tuned''!
* DudeNotFunny: InUniverse. Nagisa complains about Makoto's 'BeYourself' advice by making a jab at Makoto's lack of luck with Haru. Makoto replies by asking about Nagisa's mother's drinking problem.
-->'''Nagisa:''' Below the belt, Makoto.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: Gou when she sees Haru taking off his shirt.
-->'''Gou''': (''getting out a camera phone'') I HAVE TO TUMBLR THIS!
* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
-->'''Nagisa:''' What up, sluts? Guess who just got out of prison?!
-->'''Haruka (thinking):''' I always thought swimming was kinda like doing somebody.
-->'''Makoto''': Is it weird for me to think that [[MrFanservice he]] looks good in that swimsuit? [[EatingTheEyeCandy I mean,]] ''[[EatingTheEyeCandy really]]'' [[EatingTheEyeCandy good]]. [[TransparentCloset It's totally not weird, right?]]
* EvilSoundsDeep: Nagisa and Rin have much deeper voices, although neither are, per se, evil. Miho's voice also gets a bit deeper when she drops the "nice teacher" act and snaps at Makoto and Nagisa for not working on the pool to distract the other teachers from her "extracurricular chemistry project."
** [[spoiler: Satan Haru.]] Nobody seems to take this into account but Rei.
* EvenTheSubtitlerIsStumped: "Translator's Note: I have no idea what this says."
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Makoto's one-sided interest in Haru is treated as this by everyone [[ObliviousToLove except Haru himself, naturally]].
* EveryoneKnewAlready: That Haru can't read, as revealed in Episode 12.
* EveryoneIsGay: With Gou as the obvious exception, pretty much all of the main characters are depicted as gay. Given the source material, though...
* FailedASpotCheck: As everyone is giving their encouragement to Haru in order for him to come home via phone messages, Rei then suddenly finds that Haru's cellphone is in his living room.
* FellOffTheBackOfATruck: Nagisa has a [=TiVo=] from Easter Dave, and said they were found 'abandoned on the side of the road'.
* FiveSecondForeshadowing: "Man, wouldn't it be crazy if we ran into Rin? Oh look, there he is."
* FoeYayShipping: [[invoked]] [[InUniverse Directly referenced and stated]] when Gou ships two swimmers:
-->'''Gou:''' They hate each other, but they also f-''[[SoundEffectBleep *gull squawk*]]'' each other!
* {{Fratbro}}: How Seijuurou is characterised.
* FreudianSlip: "Let me help you out of that swimsuit- ''POOL''!"
** And later on, during the race between Haru and Rin:
-->'''Makoto:''' Come on Haru, you can do me! IT! It. You can do it.
-->'''Nagisa:''' I heard that one.
-->'''Makoto:''' Shut up! You're high as balls!
-->'''Nagisa:''' Heh, yeah, I am!
** Makoto makes so many of these that he might just be the [[Series/ArrestedDevelopment Tobias]] of ''50% Off''.
-->'''Makoto''': I'd do ''anything'' to you, Haru- '''for''' you!
* {{Gayngster}}: Nagisa, who is both involved in gangs and has a certain fascination for Rei.
* HalfHumanHybrid: If Haru is to be believed, Rin is a bipedal shark-person.
* HehHehYouSaidX: Nagisa has this as a RunningGag.
-->'''Nagisa''': Alright, time to learn the titty stroke.
-->'''[[StraightMan Rei]]''': ''Breast'' stroke.
-->'''Nagisa''': Heheh, still funny.
* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: "Easter Dave" is one, and has been referenced by both Miho and Nagisa, and seems to be some sort of gangster they both work with.
** [[spoiler: Easter Dave is ''[[Manga/{{Fairy Tail}} Makarov]]'']].
* HiddenDepths: Nagisa has a surprisingly poignant speech in episode 19 on how [[GayAesop Go's consumption of yaoi doesn't mean she supports gay people]], and that gay men are depicted as either [[{{Seme}} devil-like bad boyfriends]] or [[{{Uke}} submissive weaklings]] in her media, saying both interpretations are bad, since gay people are human beings.
* HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: Makoto, apparently. What we've seen of his father so far corroborates this.
-->'''Makoto''': I learned to swim the old-fashioned way: when I was five, my dad took me out to a lake and tossed me right in the water! Making it to shore was easy! Making it out of the gunny sack was hard, though.
* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: The various locations listed in episode 13 as being part of the swim team's training regimen, including Camp Killateen and the village of Witchpyre.
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Nagisa has apparently killed someone with a Speak and Spell once.
* InUniverseNickname: Nagisa loves giving Rin shark-related nicknames, like "Jaws" and "Deep Blue Sea". He's not unjustified.
** It's later lampshaded when Nagisa greets him by calling him "Jaws 3D."
--> '''Rin''': Nagisa, I feel like you're running out of solid shark references to call me.
--> '''Nagisa''': I may have blown the good ones in [[BreakingTheFourthWall the earlier episodes]], yeah.
* LameComeback:
-->'''Rin''': Hey, Haru. You still hang out with these losers? ''[[EvilLaugh (laughs)]]'' I guess you'll never learn.
-->'''Haru''': You still hang out in...abandoned...buildings? [--...Got 'im.--]
** And the HilariousOuttakes include two more.
-->'''Haru''': What, do you still... walk around with your... legs? [-...Good one, Haru.-] [---Thanks, Haru.---]
-->'''Haru''': What, do you still... wear a... hat? [--''[[PrecisionFStrike ...Fuck!]]''--]
* LaughablyEvil: Thugisa. Breaking and entering has never been as hilarious.
* LaughTrack: Crops up in episode 15 as a RunningGag.
-->50% OFF ''is filmed in front of a live StudioAudience.''
* MakeOutPoint: Haru tricks Makoto into driving him to other towns' swimming pools by telling him they're going to one of these. It speaks volumes about Makoto's naive nature (and his feelings for Haru) that this trick works ''five times''.
* MediumAwareness: All of the characters seem to be vaguely aware that they're in a show, although Nagisa seems to be the most disturbed by how little he can remember of what goes on off-screen.
* {{Metaphorgotten}}: This hilarious monologue from Nagisa in Bonus 14, after Haru and Makoto get into trouble while swimming:
-->'''Nagisa''': Haru and Makoto? Dead? Let me tell you somethin'. Those two are ''literally'' [[PlotArmor impossible to kill]]. To prove a theory, I one time tried to just straight-up shoot 'em with a real-ass gun. The bullet missed, ricocheted off a frying pan on the wall, and broke open a cabinet full o' bottles [[HoistByHisOwnPetard which I then tripped on and fell over]]. Hurt my pride more than anything... 'cept my tailbone, which I bruised. Did you know that the scientific term for "tailbone" is [[InherentlyFunnyWords "coccyx"]]? [[HehHehYouSaidX Hehe... that's funny]]. Anyway, [[LampshadeHanging I don't remember why I was talking about this]] - they're probably fine.
* MonsterClown: Nagisa brought a {{Juggalo}} friend to Makoto's fifteenth birthday. [[NoodleIncident He apparently set the pinata on fire]].
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: When suggesting ways to find out if Rin goes to their school, Nagisa says that he has an idea, but Makoto tells him that they can't kill anyone. Nagisa is out of ideas.
-->'''Nagisa''': Oh, I think I know how we can find out.
-->'''Makoto''': We're not gonna kill anyone.
-->'''Nagisa''': Well then I got nothing.
* NeverLearnedToRead: All but one of the Harus in Haru's brain. And then one of the Harus had to go and shoot him.
* NiceGuy: Makoto, to the point of being the only nice guy if you don't count Seijuurou or Nitori, who are both pretty considerate too. But Makoto takes the cake.
-->'''Seijuurou''': (to Nagisa when he pulls out a knife after Nitori takes Rei away) Calm down little dude, Nitori is just borrowing him. [[{{Fratbro}} Bro...rrowing him. Bor...bro-ing him...]]
-->'''Makoto''': [[TeamMom Sound it out...]]
-->'''Seijuurou''': Brobrowing him.
-->'''Makoto''': You got it, buddy!
* NotEvenBotheringWithAnExcuse: Rin to Nagisa in episode 10.
--> '''Rin''': I've got to go... not talk to you any more.
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:The Haru that can read returns in Episode 18]].
* NoodleIncident: There are a LOT of these involving Nagisa. He's apparently drowned a guy, burned down the old Iwatobi swim club, been in (and broke out of) prison, got Gou sent to prison, and has connections with someone called "Easter Dave".
** Add Makoto's "I regain consciousness, there's cops everywhere, Nagisa's covered with blood, got an ''ice-pick''..." story to this.
-->'''Makoto''': It was ''kind of'' a weird Tuesday.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcNwzvBWaOg&list=PLJVeF2-zu1kGQ7t7UUPwolNWiQHXQUASsv The first few scenes of this]].
** Gou apparently can't go back to sewing club on account of the fact that she threatened some of the members with sewing needles.
** Miho also seems to be getting a few of these, with the "chemistry project" mentioned in Episode 5 and something involving killing a man interfering with her profits. She also seems to know who "Easter Dave" is.
** Haru has a problem with dolphins, because one once [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext stole his penis]].
** Nagisa has apparently killed someone with a Speak and Spell once.
** Nagisa's birthday party exemplifies this trope. He, Rei and Haru all go to an Iggy Azalea show. A matter of hours later, they're driving a possibly-dead [[EarlyBirdCameo Momotaro]] to the hospital, while Nagisa trying to call Makoto to tell him to burn everything inside a certain desk drawer in his house.
-->'''Makoto''': He ''never'' invites me to his birthday parties.
* ObliviousToLove: Haruka seems to have no idea that Makoto has feelings for him, no matter how incredibly obvious Makoto gets. Though of course, Haruka is oblivious to pretty much everything not relating to water in this series.
** Hell, Makoto even ''admits'' his feelings for Haru directly to his face in Episode 15, only for Haru to barely even notice.
* OffingTheOffspring: PlayedForLaughs. [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood Apparently, Makoto's father tried to drown him as a child.]]
--> '''Makoto''': Don't worry about it, Rei. This is easy. I learned to swim the old-fashioned way. When I was five, my dad took me out to a lake and tossed me right in the water. Making it to shore was easy! Making it out of the gunny sack was hard though...
* OffModel: Lampshaded in Episode 17 when Nagisa spots two background characters with disproportionately small hands and laughs hysterically, and in Bonus 16 spends the next minute or so [[HurricaneOfPuns delivering hand pun after hand pun]] in between bouts of hysterical laughter.
-->'''Makoto''': Nagisa, people are staring at us!
-->'''Nagisa''': They should be staring at those tiny-ass hands!
* OnlySaneMan: Rei, for a given definition of "sane".
** Gou plays with this trope. She's very much the TeamMom towards the guys in the Iwatobi Swim Club and is intelligent enough to pick up on some of their secrets (such as Haru being [[ContinuityNod unable to read]]), but boasts habits such as breaking into men's locker rooms or rooting through random people's garbage.
* PlanetOfHats: The ''entire Samezuka swim team'' is apparently emotionally unstable and joined to swim their problems away, if the member at the front desk is to be believed.
* PlotArmor: Discussed/parodied in Bonus 14, where Nagisa claims that Haru and Makoto are completely unkillable, and that he once tried to prove the point by firing a gun at them. The bullet missed, ricocheted, and smashed a glass cabinet instead, ultimately [[HoistByHisOwnPetard bruising Nagisa's tailbone]].
* RagingStiffie: To Nagisa's embarrassment, Makoto gets one after fantasizing about the guys trying on tight swimsuits.
* ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: [[spoiler:The Haru that can read says this word-for-word when he returns in Episode 18.]]
* RunningGag: Plenty.
** People, usually Makoto, wondering what [[CloudCuckooLander Haru]] is thinking about, followed by an AnswerCut. Said thoughts are invariably bizarre (and hilarious).
** Nagisa giving Rin shark-related nicknames.
** Makoto making [[FreudianSlip Freudian slips]].
** Episode 12 features a RunningGag of having "translator notes" that read: "[insert word] means nine-tailed fox".
** Variations on the phrase "Shut up, [[ButtMonkey Makoto]]!"
** Bonus 14 has a RunningGag of Octopimp trying to deliver Rei's "fart-smeller, fart-smeller" line only to [[{{Corpsing}} crack up laughing halfway through]].
* ScaryBlackMan: Nagisa has the personality and speech patterns of one.
* ScriptBreaking: Back when Nagisa attended [[WebVideo/DanganRonpaAbridgedThing another school]], he decided the best way to kill someone without getting caught was to [[KillEmAll leave no one around to convict him]].
--> '''Nagisa:''' Can't prove nuthin' if they all dead.
* ShipperOnDeck: Gou is one, and has one moment in Episode 6 where she ships people together who just happen to be next to one another.
* ShoutOut: At least one to VideoGame/DwarfFortress in Episode 8.
** Also in Episode 8, Haru activates Protocol Blackbird 3-3-5. Given Sparky's affinity for ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' shows. The way it is said, 3-3-5 may be a reference to ''Series/DenjiSentaiMegaranger''.
** One of the bonus videos has Gou/Kou complaining about it sucks that she's not allowed back in the sewing club because she has to work on her [[Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona social links]].
*** Another has her start to refer to [[AloofOlderBrother Rin]] as a [[VisualNovel/DanganRonpa "Super High-School Level Swimmer"]] before Makoto cuts her off.
** In Bonus 8, an AnswerCut shows Haru thinking about traversing the [[Series/LegendsOfTheHiddenTemple Temple Run]].
*** An AnswerCut in Episode 9 shows the various Harus singing [[Series/DonkeyKong the DK Rap]].
** The first bonus video features Nagisa singing ''Miss New [[StuffyOldSongsAboutTheButtocks Booty]]'' by Bubba Sparxxx ft. Ying Yang Twins and Collipark. The same song later appears in episode 8.
** [[Music/LionelRichie Lionel Richie's]] "Hello" plays briefly in episode 10.
** The fact that the [[NoodleIncident kid whom Nagisa drowned]] was named "Shinji" [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion can't be a coincidence]].
** Rei's voice and tendency to monologue were inspired by [[Film/AmericanPsycho Patrick Bateman]].
** One of Haru's emergency protocols involves [[Music/WeirdAlYankovic polka renditions of Ke$ha songs]].
** Gou apparently writes {{Series/Supernatural}} FanFiction. [[YaoiFangirl Very]] [[SlashFic kinky]] fan fiction.
** Episode 16, "Bad Blood", is named after the Music/TaylorSwift song of the same name. Rin sings a few lines from the song during the episode.
*** Later, Haru launches into a segment of [[Music/BareNakedLadies "One Week"]] before he gets cut off by one of his other selves.
** In Episode 18 Nagisa calls Rin "Film/TheReef", and then has to explain the reference when Rin doesn't get it.
* SingleTargetSexuality: Haru seems to only be attracted to bodies of water, a la [[WebSeries/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Mako Tsunami]].
-->'''Haru''': Oh, you ''like'' that, don't you? You dirty ''[[SoundEffectBleep *dolphin noise*]]''-ing ocean. Oh, you can't wait for me to get inside you, huh? Huh? Oh, you ''[[RunningGag *dolphin noise*]]''-ing slut! You're so ''wet''!
** Meanwhile, Makoto seems to be exclusively Harusexual.
* SirSwearsALot: Nagisa.
* SkywardScream: "WHY CAN I NOT SWIIIIIIM?!"
* SlashFic: In episode 11 we learn Gou has written one about {{Series/Supernatural}}. Makoto is later seen reading it and decides to "keep it for later".
* SomethingElseAlsoRises: Haru's reaction to Makoto telling him that [[CargoShip there is a pool in both his old swim club and Samezuka Academy]], complete with slide-whistle sound effect.
** Makoto himself gets one in episode 11 when he starts thinking about [[CostumeTestMontage all of the]] [[{{Fanservice}} possibilities]] of seeing the others in new, tight swimsuits.
* SoundEffectBleep: Primarily animal cries based on the team's AnimalMotifs. Haru's are dolphin noises, Nagisa's are seals barks, and so on.
** [[FridgeLogic Except that Nagisa's animal is a penguin, not a seal]], so you'd expect his swears to be accompanied by a penguin squawking.
* SplitPersonality: Haruka. There are several "Haru(s)" inhabiting his psyche, each with their own unique personality and characterization. Apparently, only the main Haru can read. [[spoiler: He gets shot in Episode 8 and the others have to improvise, but he returns in Episode 18.]]
* SpotlightStealingSquad: For the sake of jokes, many lines in a given episode end up going to Nagisa and Rei. In fact, a lot of times you forget that the main story was ever about Haru, Rin, and Rin's estrangement from his former friends at all.
* StalkerWithACrush: Nagisa, towards Rei, to the extent where he takes the time to memorize the route he takes to school so he can jog up to him and hit on him.
** And Nitori, towards Rin. He holds onto a towel, recently used by Rin, in order to make a "Rin quilt" out of it.
* StraightGay: Makoto, although he is bit of a wimp.
** And he ''does'' take ballroom dancing lessons.
** Nagisa mostly counts, but he does [=TiVo=] ''Series/{{Glee}}.''
* StuffBlowingUp: In the 9th Bonus video.
* [[TalkingToThemself Talking to Himself]]: Haru.
* TattooedCrook: Nagisa. He has several, including a massive back-tat (the details of which have yet to be revealed), a Bowie knife on his right bicep, the words "Swim Life" bordered by barbed wire wrapping around his left wrist, and the words "Thug Seme" written over his collarbones.
** Furthermore, Rei has a tramp stamp that says, "Property of Nagisa". Although Rei's status as a criminal is a little more ambiguous than Nagisa's.
* TemptingFate: Rin's introduction to Haru in episode 1 is made of this.
-->'''Rin''': I sure hope we become best friends! But I ''don't'' hope we have a falling-out over a race, leading us to having a tense, emotion-heavy, [[RuleOfDrama dramatic]], [[TheRival competitive]], [[FoeYay love/hate]] relationship later on!
-->'''Haru''': Yeah, that'd be awful.
** Makoto uses the WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong variation of this trope in episode 15, while the team is staying the night in an abandoned lighthouse, [[SubvertedTrope only for nothing bad to even happen to them]].
* ThatCameOutWrong: "If he makes me late again, I'm going to give him ''such'' a tongue-lashing! There's got to be a better phrase for that..."
* TransparentCloset: Makoto, to the point that you wonder why he even tries to hide it.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Makoto, to Haru.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Haru's demonic personality in episode 10. However, only [[OnlySaneMan Rei]] is concerned.
--> '''Makoto:''' Still doing that weird demon thing to him?
--> '''Demonic Haru:''' ''(deadpan)'' Totally.
--> '''Makoto:''' Cool.
* TheVoiceless: Rei, at least until episode 8. The only "line" prior to that point is him inhaling, then getting cut away before he could say anything.
* WaxingLyrical: The beginning of Rin and Nitori's conversation in episode 9 has them saying the lyrics to "Hide and Seek" by Music/ImogenHeap.
-->'''Rin:''' Blood and tears...
-->'''Nitori:''' They were here first.
-->'''Rin:''' Hmm, whatcha say?
-->'''Nitori:''' Oh, I only meant well.
* WickedCultured: Surprisingly enough, ''Nagisa'' turns out to be this. Apparently, he draws his inspiration for the swim-club posters he makes from Wassily Kandinsky, a famous Russian painter and theorist.
* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Haru links up to Rin's mind and gives him one to tell him that he's more determined than ever after Haru's recent loss against him.
* {{Yandere}}: Nagisa's attraction to Rei borders on this, given that he drew a knife when Nitori took Rei into the dressing rooms.
* YaoiFangirl: Gou is definitely one. Her immediate reaction upon entering the Samezuka Academy swimming pool area during practice is to geek out and start shipping everyone in her head. She also writes ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' fanfiction in her spare time.

* CampGay: PlayedForLaughs in one instance where Rin in shown to be running, saying "You can't catch me gay thoughts!", and his thoughts reply in a camp voice, "Yes we caaaaan!"