Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club

Re: Free!

Bradalee said:
This all boils down to guys not wanting to see "sexy boys" in their anime. Don't pretend it's some massive vendetta against all fanservice, fact is the reason a lot of people are dropping this is because it's guys getting attention instead of girls, so why not just say that?

If the bathroom scene was really such an abomination in general terms Hoffstyle, then why did you give 5* to Vividred Operation, 4.5* to Nisemonogatari, 4* to Highschoold DxD....you also finished Date A Live, which had it share of girls in lingerie, the bathtub, towels, sexy mahou shoujo outfits....etc. Vividred is about 80% ass shots, Highschool DxD has bathroom scenes, and to be honest in that show that's the least of your worries, Nisemonogatari has....well, i won't even go there.

I don't care if you drop this, but i've seen a buttload of guys on the internet try to make out they've dropped this because of plot reasons, because the fanservice was too much or whatever other dumb reason, they then go and post about how awesome the new season of DxD looks. The real reason is they don't want boys getting the attention in their anime, which is fine by me, but why pretended like you're dropping it for some great moral reason when you aren't? I don't watch many shows that have Neko's in them, because i hate the shit out of them, but i'm not going to lie about it and say i'm not watching Neko shows for plot reasons.

This isn't an attack on you by the way, just something i was wanting to say anyway, you just happened to provide me with an example!
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Yeah this nails it but lets be honest even without my yaoi goggles on its quite easy to see they are pretty close as far as male friends go and especially where I live straight men do not act like this around one another. Sure it is different for every culture but I can see why they would get upset basically from my point of view their are two types of fan service and I have to say this kind of fan service is far more tasteful than the typical screaming girl as she is walked in on by the male protagonist its over used and extremely boring. Apart from
when Accelerator did it in index season 2 that was classy
. However as someone who watches both yaoi and yuri with no problems I am guessing the fan service is currently more aimed towards BL fans than fans of hot guy with average cute girl like in a lot of reverse harems. I am guessing for a straight male is the uncomfortable kind of fan service for them I think that is why people are dropping it but its a shame because so far this could be pretty interesting as they used the London 2012 swimsuit style developed recently. This means they are so far taking the swimming side of it seriously and who knows their could be a great story behind for this regardless of the non offensive fan service.

However as usual I heard a lot of people saying how gay the anime was and they are dropping it looks like we still have a long way to go before people are more accepting of this kind of anime. Anyway good job and this kind of series has every right to exist but in some ways I wish some battle focused anime were this beautifully animated so I am a little jealous.
 
Re: Free!

Bradalee said:
I never said all guys, i said a lot of guys. And judging by the reaction around the internet, it is a lot. There are also plenty who, like myself, were pleasantly surprised by it. I can respect people who have a genuine reason to hate it, and admit it.



My intention was never to attack you, and i don't think what i posted came across as that in any case.

I certainly don't see why you feel the need to get derogatory though, would you call Highschool DxD "gay pandering"? No, of course you wouldn't. But that features girls in the bath together, playing around provocatively and even getting nude together, and last i checked girls can be gay too?

And it's just as well you edited your final comment out, that was a ridiculous thing to say.

But you're right, if you don't think you can continue this conversation without it turning into a "combat zone" then we should drop it here. Hopefully you find something more suited to your tastes.
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Spoiler tagged so wall of text don't crit.

Ok let's back up a second since you and I have never had a serious disagreement before. First I apologize if my pandering comment was taken as derogatory. I admit in hindsight it was probably extreme.

I merely mean to express that I found the fanservice outside of my comfort zone and I am going to move on to something else and let the Gods of Anime and the Fanbase judge Free! good or not good as it will.

I also didn't mean to make it seem that I am dropping this thread to avoid having an argument either, but this thread will start going into personal, political, and gender/orientation based arguments that I prefer just to keep out of my entertainment.

And yes, lol, I am well aware that Girls have been known to like girls but I am not uncomfortable with that. I have no problem with dudes doing cute dudely things, it is just not for me.

Thanks, I will end with that, as I have no ill will with you, and have always regarded you as one of a few who I can depend on for a reasonable opinion in a series.
 
Re: Free!

<~~This guy is waiting like a schoolgirl for an anime about living dolls to air so I have no room to put Free! down for anything. So I will leave it at that.

On a side note: I too thought the OP was pretty awesome.
 
Re: Free!

Bradalee said:
I certainly don't see why you feel the need to get derogatory though, would you call Highschool DxD "gay pandering"? No, of course you wouldn't. But that features girls in the bath together, playing around provocatively and even getting nude together, and last i checked girls can be gay too?
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Brad, I may love you forever just for this quote.

I am not sure what the intentions behind Free were (I've told you before, I'm skeptical about feminist intentions when KyoAni historically are populist in their fare e.g. Clannad, Lucky Star). But Free has nevertheless unmasked a lot of the taken-for-granted biases. For example, something is called 'gay' in a derogatory sense if it's guy on guy. Because it makes hetero guys uncomfortable. When yuri is present, it is assumed to be sexual gratification for hetero men, so it gets the thumbs up.

I've had to sit through shows like TTGL, where Yoko's boobs get more frames per second than her face, and admit that the series was great - problematic because of it's continual sexism, but great. Funny how 'a lot' of hetero guys can't sit through the exact reverse without dropping it. Social norms are a funny thing.
 
Re: Free!

VivisQueen said:
I've had to sit through shows like TTGL, where Yoko's boobs get more frames per second than her face, and admit that the series was great - problematic because of it's continual sexism, but great. Funny how 'a lot' of hetero guys can't sit through the exact reverse without dropping it. Social norms are a funny thing.
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Well, lighten up Vivis, it was only tits. Besides, aren't all women a bit bi? I am totally not projecting that onto you, not at all.

What's interesting (but not surprising) to me is that Free! is getting some negative reactions despite it being mild as far as fanservice is concerned (I am very jaded though). I mean, the fanservice is about as mild as that in K-On! or other KyoAni shows; it's certainly not anywhere close to ecchi shows like Manyuu Hiken-chou, Highschool of the Dead or Seikon no Qwaser (how I wish I could forget that one). There's no groping, no butt close-ups, no kissing, no blushing guys or the like yet. Even when seen as a shounen-ai it's insanely mild.

Now, I don't really think people have to watch this to prove that they are comfortable about watching dudes, or that you are an incessant homophobe if this show makes you uncomfortable. I just think it's fun to think about. But when women complain about the sexism that is rampant in entertainment (or anywhere else), they're generally told to lighten up and enjoy the show, get a trite "don't like it, don't watch it" in response, or they receive torrents of abuse. Like Vivis said, social norms are funny like that.
 
Re: Free!

HasseRovdjur said:
no butt close-ups
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There was one! I don't know if it was me just starting to imagine fanservice where there wasn't any, but... you remember at the end when Haru gets out of the swimming pool to challenge Rin (occurs in HorribeSubs video at 21:05)? The camera stays on his back as he exits the water. And the level at which it stays, as he pulls himself over the edge, happens to be 'bum' level. And because Haru is bent over, his bum is projecting towards the camera in a more pronounced manner, rivulets of water contouring the cheeks quite precisely. The movement is beautifully animated and very natural, but the camera's positioning is not.

Btw, I really enjoyed writing that.
 
Re: Free!

HasseRovdjur said:
I bet you enjoyed looking it up as well.
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Research was necessary. And to get my description so accurate meant multiple watches. I do this for science.

Seriously, I'm in the library right now, and I kept looking over my shoulders, as if I was browsing XXX porn with horses.
 
Re: Free!

hoffstyle said:
<~~This guy is waiting like a schoolgirl for an anime about living dolls to air so I have no room to put Free! down for anything. So I will leave it at that.

On a side note: I too thought the OP was pretty awesome.
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Rozen Maiden Zuruckspulen or Fantasista Doll?
 
Re: Free!

I'm a little late to the party.

Episode 1:
...What an extremely fast-paced episode.
It was alright though. It seems very typical KyoAni, just with boys instead of girls. Not much of a difference to me, honestly.

OP was great because of Oldcodex.
I love dance-y OPs/EDs, so I of course really liked the ED too. It seems a bit too out of place though. That's okay though.

Nothing more to say since it didn't make a big impression on me.
 
Re: Free!

Bradalee said:
I can only assume your mind was still blown from the sexy hair-flips that were going on moments before this shot.
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Which reminds me to ask this absolutely vital question. What kind of a guy shakes water out of his hair like a dog? Was that supposed to be L'Oreal sexy? When I first saw that I was like:

:seriously:
 
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