Beginner’s Guide to Complete Free! Watch Order

On the surface, Free! comes off as an anime that serves no other purpose other than catering to fan service. The lean physique of the swimmers, their well-defined torsos, and perfect swimming strokes are just the flashy cover of an otherwise toned-down slice-of-life sports anime.

The plot revolves around a high-school swim team competing in various tournaments and making you have conflicting thoughts about teen anime boys.

Free! Has received three anime seasons and seven movies. It also has some specials and o+OVAs and all of them have been covered in this article. KyoAni has done an extremely good job with the animation, making Free! A must-watch.

If you miss swimming during this pandemic, then dive into the refreshing world of Free! Even if you don’t, just watch it for the amazing story and characters!

1. Recommended Order

The following order shows the best way to experience the Free! franchise. The recap movies are skipped in this order and only the most important parts of the series are present.

2. Release Order

Below is the order in which Free! was released.

3. Chronological Order

The chronological order follows the timeline of Free! so that you don’t miss out on anything.

• High Speed! Free! Starting Days
• Season 1: Free!
• Free! FrFr – Short Movie
• Free! Movie 1: Timeless Medley – Kizuna
• Season 2: Free! Eternal Summer
• Free! Eternal Summer – Kindan no All Hard!
• Free! Movie 2: Timeless Medley – Yakusoku
• Free! Take Your Marks
• Free! Dive to the Future Episode 0 – Soushun no build up!
• Season 3: Free! Dive to the Future
• Free! Movie 3: Road to the World – Yume
• Free! Movie 4: The Final Stroke – Zenpen
• Free! Movie 5: The Final Stroke – Kouhen

4. Where to watch Free! with English subtitles and dub?

Crunchyroll and Funimation are mostly the main providers of Free! but you can also find them on Netflix and Prime Video.

5. Can you download and watch Free! offline?

Several websites offer download options with their different packages, and we have the readymade list right here:

6. What to do if Free! is unavailable in your region?

A lot of anime are geo-blocked for several countries. If the anime isn’t available on any streaming website in your area, then you can use a VPN to bypass the geo-block.

There are many paid VPN services available, but you also have free options at hand. You can also use free browser extensions VPNs that you will find in the extension store.

If you are accessing streaming websites from your phone, you will find several VPNs from the app store. The important thing is that Free! is present on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation, Prime Video’s catalogs, so set your VPN to a suitable location to access the anime from anywhere.

7. How much time will it take to complete watching Free!?

Assuming you would take the longer route and watch the series, the movies, and the specials; it will take you 28 hours and 18 minutes to finish them all, which counts to 2 days approximately.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Free! movies important to watch?

Yes, most of the Free! movies add important developments to the anime. Only the Free! Timeless Medly: The Bond and The Promise are recap movies that summarize season 2: Eternal Summer. You can skip them unless you want to stick around for a few original shots.

‘High Speed! Free! Starting Days,’ ‘Free! Take Your Marks’ and the trilogy movie ‘Free!: The Final Stroke’ are all important to watch.

Has Free! ended?

Free!: The Final Stroke is the concluding movie of the franchise. The series has thus ended, but you never know when an OVA or spin-off might pop out.

9. Conclusion

The recommended order is the best way to watch Free!. You can skip the Timeless Medley movies as well as the Character Butai Aisetsu. The former are recap movies while the latter are character stage greeting specials that precede the respective movies.

10. Quick Review

I. Story

Free! revolves around Haruka Nanase and his friends’ adventures that revolve around swimming. The story isn’t very unique since it follows the standard high school kids participating in tournaments by overcoming various obstacles. However, what sets it apart is the slice-of-life elements present throughout the show.

II. Characters

The relationships that the characters share, their friendships, and the way they interact make them seem very real and memorable. Sure, there are typical anime archetypes thrown in with over-the-top antics, but that doesn’t affect the show’s breezy theme at all.

III. Animation

Kyoto Animation is well known for its beautiful animation. Needless to say, Free! doesn’t disappoint. From smooth and perfect swimming strokes to beautiful character design, everything in Free! is eye candy!

IV. Sound

The soundtracks in Free! are quite generic but extremely catchy! The opening and ending themes will make you not want to skip them because you just can’t resist listening to them!

11. About Free!

Free! is animated by Kyoto Animation and is loosely based on the light novel, High Speed!, by Koji Oji.

The series revolves around members of a high school boy’s swimming team. The youngsters participate in a swimming tournament right before they graduate from middle school and go their separate ways.

Free! has a unique concept by using the sport of competitive swimming as their focal point. The animation, art, and sound used in the series complement the story well.

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