Free! : Distant Free!

Episode 12

We are ready for regional's and the heartbreaking news that Rin isn't swimming in the relay anymore after losing his focus.

Can the boys win?!

***SPOILERS***

Flashback to Rin's last day with his friends.It isn't surprising that Haru's catchphrase on his brick was "Free" though it was sweet that Rin's was "For the Team" and I'm not sure about Makoto and "I Swim" he's pretty boring isn't he?!

I can also officially say that the opening sequence doesn't bother me anymore now that I love all the characters! The ending... is another matter.

So the cheering team is all nearly there (well Coach and Kou are!) and Kou asks Rei about her brother, the rest of the cheering team shows up and Coach brings out his megaphone.

Rin is being mean to his annoying little friend and in his heat for the freestyle he came last. He also has trouble getting out of the pool, afterwards he shows his temper once more and quits swimming once again. The boys over heard that Rin was taken off the relay team and Haru starts to get really upset that he won't be able to swim with Rin again.

Seeing the pain that Haru was going through Rei tells the rest of the team what Rin told him the night before.

Don't tell me they are going to go along with his temper tantrum and ask him to join them in the relay at the expense of Rei? Rei seems happy with it (it was his idea) but I don't like that, he's worked so hard the whole time it was about working as a team don't let them kick him out.

Haru gives the most emotional speech he's ever given and nearly gets a punch in the face for it. Haru's speech is kind of made redundant when he replaces his friend to swim with someone else. It actually kind of sickened me to be honest. I don't think there is anything else I want to say about the episode because it was horrible.

And the photo at the end says it all really doesn't it? Rei is just there because he has to be.

I can't help it, it disappointed me.

The episode didn't work to begin with, the whole "doing it for the team" message and Haru's belief that he wants to swim with his friends came across as fake and shallow when we realized that the "team" wasn't actually the TEAM that we've seen for 11 episodes, the friends don't include the one guy who actually helped change Haru and make him happier.

The end message felt more like "roll over and do what Rin wants because Haru will cry if he can't swim against Rin anymore. Sod what Rei feels, though for some reason Rei feels this is right."

It might have been nice of Rei to fall on his sword and let Rin join the team, though they got disqualified for their efforts, but when Haru and the rest kept going on about team work and friendship and then allowed Rei to step out just to make Rin who was a total dick happy it doesn't work. It would work if Rin wasn't such a dick but he is, he's childish, he's horrible and why am I meant to be happy that he got what he wanted but Rei didn't?

Lets remember it was Rei that had to be FORCED to join the team. Rei is a lovely character who has never been a dick to anyone! And what was the point of the home visit and the gift? Rei is disposable! They don't even allow him in the photo at the end to be in the middle of the team to signify the sacrifice he made for someone whose only quality in the whole series was to be a moaning prima dona! No he gets tacked onto the end, possibly with Nagai holding onto him but it looked more like he was jumping for joy with a clenched fist.

I just don't like it!

Up until the second I foresaw this happening the episode was great but now it has left me with a bitter taste.

Rei as a character was worth more than that.

No amount of it being his idea, him being happy with it, him being happy that Haru and Rin are together again or him going on about "next year I'll show you my wonderful Butterfly technique" can take away the horrid feeling that one of the most sincere characters in the show just got shat on.

Looks like it'll be back next summer. Yeah.....