YMMV / 50% OFF

• Cargo Ship: Haru and water. Poor Makoto.
• Crossing the Line Twice: Thugisa.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Nagisa, mainly based on the awesome thug attributes he gains in this series.
  • The many Harus inside Haru's head, particularly the Haru that can read, AKA Supreme Overlord Haru.
• Fan Nickname: "Thugisa" for this gangster-like Nagisa.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • Remember in one of the earlier episodes when Makoto's dad mentions having Makoto as a son was a major disappointment? Episode 10 reveals (through Makoto himself) that he tried to drown the boy by throwing him into the river while trapped in a gunnysack. That's how much of a disappointment he was.
  • Nagisa spooking Haru with not having a season 2 is this, since 50% Off ended in the middle of Season 1 and the creators won't do Eternal Summer and onwards due to waning interest in the series.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • Episode 12 has a brief one. When Rei felt down about not being able to properly swim, Haru comes over to cheer him up and tells him an anecdote to help him out. Of course, this is Haru we're talking about, so it comes across weird, but the sentiment is still there.
  • Although he postures himself as uncaring, Nagisa occasionally shows some warmth to his friends, especially in the Bonus videos.
  Nagisa: Makoto, I love you, but you're dumb as hell.
  • Episode 15 opens with this exchange:
  Rei: Makoto, I would like to apologize for-
  Makoto: Don't worry about it. A mom's got to look after her kids right?
  • In episode 19, after several episodes of claiming He Is Not My Boyfriend, Rei doesn't object when Nagisa refers to their relationship as dating, and even expresses approval when Nagisa calls him "[his] main bitch."
  • Also episode 19: Nagisa admits to actually putting in work for his team, even if he was high during most of it. The fact that this mismatched team is trying to give it their all is inspiring.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: One of the episodes has Nagisa try to snap Haru out of his Split Personality interactions by saying there will never be a season two of Free!. Lo and behold...
  • One of the bonus videos features G/Kou making a reference to Danganronpa. Kira Buckland, the voice of G/Kou in 50% OFF, later played Hiyoko Saionji in the second game.
  • Co-Creator Octopimp once mentioned on his blog that he wanted to audition for the Free! dub, with the official twitter joking that they'd be expecting his 50% OFF works for the audition. Come July 2015, and we figure out that both he and fellow creator SparkytheAndroid are starring in the dub of Eternal Summer (albeit, in minor roles dispersed across the episodes).
    • Any reference FUNimation did to this abridged series before also counts under this.
  • Everything concerning Makoto's very obvious crush on Haru, considering that in the High★Speed! - Free! Starting Days movie Makoto's feelings for Haru increasingly resemble those of a crush.
  • Nagisa's tract on gays in media and how others react to it seems to be Foreshadowing in hindsight for Octopimp's next abridging project, Yaoi!!! on the Rocks, given that its source material both tries to appeal to the Yaoi Fangirl crowd and treats the gay relationships there with as much respect as possible.
  • Nagisa rapping in the 50% Off version of “SPLASH FREE” became this when Tsubasa Yonaga (Nagisa’s voice actor in canon) was challenged to rap on a TV show (he’s the one on the left).
  • A tiny adorable blond with the voice and attitude of a Scary Black Man? Is this Thugisa or Finnick?