I’ll admit, when I heard about a Free prequel movie, I was expecting it to follow the first meetings of Haru and Rin and the team they formed together with Makoto and Nagisa years before their rivalry in High School. Instead, High Speed is a very welcome surprise focusing on a new team dynamic that would be unknown to anyone who hasn’t seen the third season, Free! Dive to the Future. And while High Speed is a little too long of a movie and feels like it could have been a prequel TV Series rather than a movie, it’s still a Free story and that means if you love the show, you’re gonna enjoy this one too.
While I did enjoy Dive to the Future, one of my rare, main complaints was the appearance of new characters like Ikuya and Asahi using footage from stories I hadn’t seen yet. High Speed fills in many of those gaps and im sure another Free film we’ll be looking at over the next couple of days will fill in the rest. I’ve gotta say though, I was surprised by how much I didn’t miss Rei or Nagisa being matched up with Haru and Mako. Ikuya and Asahi bring their own fresh energy to this new/old quartet and play off two of Free’s most popular leading men pretty well. Asahi’s a ball of energy who’s fun loving but also learning he might not be as good as he thinks he is. Ikuya is pretty much the same as he is in Dive to the Future, just younger. But his personal struggle to reconcile his relationship with his brother Natsuya and emerge as the swimmer he is meant to become are both surprisingly compelling even when Ikuya’s the most stubborn of the new cast.
Not surprising since it came out after Free! Eternal Summer, High Speed continues the TV Shows second season themes of change and looking ahead. Haru and Makoto aren’t just starting Middle School, theyre doing so without their best relay team and it hangs over both of them like an unwavering cloud. Rin might not physically be around in the movie outside of flashbacks and a brief check up on him in Australia but his absence haunts Haru in particular. Much like how Eternal Summer dealt with Haru needed to decide what to do after High School, High Speed sees Haru and Makoto try to figure out how this new era of their life is going to go. Should they pretend to be grow up or stay as they are and try to find their way together? The same drama heavy topics are also handled very well with Asahi and Ikuya. It is tough watching Haru and Makoto not be on the best of terms or watch the hyper confident Asahi struggle mentally or Ikuya find himself unable to see past his own frustrations. It’s the power of Free to inject drama you can get behind with characters you want to see succeed, even if, in this case, you know where are their stories eventually end up.
While it serves as a prequel, High Speed cant help but try to connect the larger Free universe together in little ways. While their screentime is on the minor side, Nagisa, Rei and Sousuke all make all make brand new appearances while Rin appears in some new footage of his time in Australia. All of these guys have been connected for a long time and the shadow of Rin’s absence definitely lingers over Haru. I guess my main issue with this is Sousuke’s involvement. Rei’s cameo was fun for Asahi’s storyline and Nagisa had a reason to be around. Sousuke’s appearance and instant beef with Haru feels very forced in a movie with plenty of conflict for Haru and company to chew on. There’s also the added surprise of seeing some parental presence in Haru’s life. While we never see her face I think this is the first time in the franchise his Mom is around. Idk why but that’s just a nice little note to smile at. Also, the ever upbeat and friendly Kisumi from Eternal Summer shows up as well but he kind of vanishes after around the halfway mark of the film. He kind of gets lost in the shuffle after High Speed diverts more screen time to Ikyua’s brother and Swim Team Captain Natsuya and Swim Team Manager and Mentor Nao.
It goes without saying that High Speed still retains the high animation quality and production values that Kyoto Animation gives pretty much everything it works on. The swim sequences might not be as majestic or otherworldly as anything in the TV Series. They actually take on more of a grounded approach and I love that you could feel the energy fade when the relay team began to really hit a rock in their training. But once they were back in better shape, the races and water felt more vibrant and alive. Plus, come on, it’s Kyoto Animation. If it’s one thing this studio is best known for, it’s making real life look like the most amazing piece of Anime ever made. And Free has always been one of its best looking franchises to date. High Speed is no different.
While it does go on a little longer than needed (maybe 10mins could have been shaved), High Speed! Free! Starting Days is a welcome chapter to the epic story of the boys from Iwatobi. Asahi and Ikuya helped form a new quartet that was just as strong as our core Iwatobi High Team and there’s still plenty of magic and drama to mine from the Haru and Makoto friendship that’s one of this franchises beating hearts. While some cameos are welcome but ultimately unnecessary, High Speed still manages to maintain the feel good awesomeness Free always delivers. Every saga has a beginning and while I think it might go back a bit further than the events of this movie, High Speed is still a decent starting point for one of Anime’s most astonishing sports entries.
8/10
Check back Next Monday for a special DOUBLE FEATURE review as I take a look at the two part compilation duology of Free: Eternal Summer with Free! Timeless Medley-The Bond and The Promise, right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.
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