Free! Take Your Marks

Lore & Background

The film is divided into four segments. In 'Choice of Fate!', Haruka Nanase and Makoto Tachibana search for an apartment in Tokyo as Haruka prepares for college, aided by Kisumi Shigino. They encounter a young swimmer named Misaki, coached by the previous tenant Nao Serizawa. 'Cooling Down at a Secluded Hot Spring!' follows Aiichiro Nitori and Momotaro Mikoshiba as they give Rin Matsuoka and Sosuke Yamazaki a graduation gift of tickets to Anago Hot Springs, where Momotaro competes with a Sofukan High School captain over a capybara plush toy, and Natsuya Kirishima offers advice to Sosuke about his shoulder injury.

Reader's Guide

Free! Take Your Marks is significant as the direct sequel to Free! Eternal Summer and the conclusion of the Timeless Medley film trilogy, providing a comedic interlude before the third season. Critics noted its shift from dramatic storytelling to a lighter, comedic approach, with Spencer Dakos praising its revelation of new character sides. Jacob Chapman called it an 'enjoyable comedy' that eases fans into season three, though he felt the change in director from Hiroko Utsumi to Eisaku Kawanami affected atmosphere and drama. Nick Creamer appreciated its integration of the first season's comedic style but found the narrative not cohesive. The film opened at #8 in its opening week, earned ¥346 million at the box office, and its limited Blu-ray edition debuted at #1 on Oricon. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 4, 2018, and distributed in North America by Funimation.

Did You Know?

• The film's post-credits scene includes the message 'See you next stage', later revealed as a teaser for Free!'s third season, Dive to the Future.
• The original soundtrack, titled 'Free! Take Your Marks Original Soundtrack: Bring it In!', was released on November 29, 2017 and peaked at #42 on Oricon.
• The opening theme 'Free-style Spirit' is performed by Style Five, a group of voice actors for Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, and Rin.
• The film was released in theaters on October 28, 2017, and its DVD and Blu-ray were released on April 4, 2018.

Narrative Structure & Story Arcs

Free! Take Your Marks unfolds across four distinct episodic segments, each spotlighting different characters and moments in the Iwatobi swimming community's life. The first segment follows Haruka and Makoto as they search for a Tokyo apartment ahead of Haruka's college enrollment, where they encounter a young swimmer named Misaki connected to their former coach Nao Serizawa. The second shifts to a hot spring outing where Momotaro's scavenger-hunt gift for Rin and Sosuke leads to an unexpected rivalry over a capybara plush, while Natsuya Kirishima offers Sosuke guidance about his shoulder injury. The third segment centers on Rei, Nagisa, and Gou producing a recruitment video, during which they uncover a humorous legacy nickname from a past team member. The final part builds toward Rin's departure for Australia, culminating in a relay race against the Mikoshiba brothers. A post-credits message teasing the next season closes the film.

Production Context & Release

The film emerged as the capstone of a multi-part theatrical project announced in March 2017. Kyoto Animation and Animation Do collaborated on what was initially revealed as a new screen project through a promotional video tied to the home release of High Speed! Free! Starting Days. The full scope was unveiled at a March 19, 2017 event: two compilation films of the second season, Free! Timeless Medley, plus this all-new original sequel. Set at the point where Haruka prepares to enter college, the film functions as a narrative bridge to the third season, Dive to the Future. It hit Japanese theaters on October 28, 2017, and reached home video on DVD and Blu-ray on April 4, 2018. For North American audiences, Funimation secured distribution rights for the entire trilogy, holding a limited subtitled screening on March 14, 2018, before releasing all three titles as a bundled set in October 2018.

Critical Reception & Commercial Performance

Commercially, the film opened at eighth place in its debut week and ultimately grossed 346 million yen at the Japanese box office. Its home video performance was notably strong: the limited-edition Blu-ray claimed the top spot on Oricon's weekly chart with 6,336 first-week sales, the regular Blu-ray landed at number seven with 1,991 copies, and the DVD debuted at number two with 3,592 copies. Critically, reviewers from Anime News Network offered mixed but generally positive assessments. Spencer Dakos highlighted the film's comedic tone for revealing fresh character dimensions and noted its departure from the heavier dramatic storytelling of earlier entries. Jacob Chapman called it an enjoyable comedy that gently eases fans into season three, though he felt the directorial shift from Hiroko Utsumi to Eisaku Kawanami altered the film's atmosphere and dramatic weight. Nick Creamer appreciated the return to first-season humor but found the overall narrative lacking in cohesion.

Music & Soundtrack

The film's musical identity was shaped by composer Tatsuya Kato, whose original soundtrack album, titled Bring it in!, arrived on November 29, 2017, and reached number 42 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart, remaining on the list for two weeks. The opening theme, Free-style Spirit, was performed by Style Five, a vocal group comprising the voice actors behind Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, and Rin. The closing theme, What Wonderful Days!!, was delivered by The Merry Friends of Iwatobi, a collective representing the broader Iwatobi cast. Both songs were issued together as a double-A-side single on November 8, 2017, debuting at number 19 on Oricon and charting for five weeks. The soundtrack album later incorporated all three recorded versions of What Wonderful Days!! alongside the score, giving fans a complete audio package of the film's musical landscape.