Free! Starting Days

Haruka Nanase and Makoto Tachibana enter middle school facing the unfamiliar shifts that come with growing up. Makoto settles in easily and keeps his upbeat focus on swimming, but Haruka withdraws—struggling to connect with classmates and unable to commit to the swim club as past troubles with the sport linger. Unsure where he belongs, he keeps his distance while everyone around him, Makoto included, wavers over which club to choose.

A dispute ultimately pushes the boys toward the swimming club, where they begin training in earnest. As they work to sharpen their technique and bring their styles into sync, Haruka and Makoto confront their complicated feelings about swimming—and about each other—alongside classmates searching for their own direction during these early days.