I wrestled for a while with whether or not to go back and review this, but eventually I felt like I had to, especially in the leadup to experiencing Dive to The Future for myself. This is where it all started, after all.
A lot of series often don't start out the strongest, and it takes a half a season or maybe even one full season to find their footing. Iwatobi Swim Club, however, is not one of those seasons. By the end of the first episode, I was hooked. The pacing isn't exactly on point at first, but it very quickly recognizes the real strengths of this series andf hones in on those with the time it has to spend per episode. The biggest reason why is simply because this series creates a wonderful cast of characters, all with interesting personalities, appearances, goals, and desires. Their lives are all touching, intimate and compelling to see, and they really build the anticipation for intrapersonal conflicts to explode so well- and of course, they're all very funny and fun to see interact with each other as friends, and as a team. Haru is a reserved and somewhat flat but nonetheless captivating lead, Makoto is the loveable and purely precious bean, Nagisa is the somehow even MORE precious bean with a naivete about him, and Rei is the nerdy and ambitious but incredibly kind soul at heart. Rin might be the most intriguingly complex of all of them,, initially being built up as an antagonist but being redeemed in the end in a beautiful way that made me cry and cheer for the boys being reunited all together as friends.
That's one of the main things I love about the writing, inf act. It's so optimistic and hopeful, even when the team can't win every race they enter, naturally. You want to see these boys succeed, and it feels like you're sharing that victory with them when they do- and of course you're rooting for them to solve their differences and grow closer together as they learn more about each other and work to give legitimacy to the resurrected swim team.
And with how great the cast is, the swimming, and the animation that powers these sequences? Nothing short of visually arresting and electric. You can almost feel the power behind every stroke, and the breath leaving your own lungs as the boys push themselves to prove the worth of Iwatobi High's resurrected swimming club. Maybe some of the most beautiful looking water I've seen in any animated project, and the show in general has a very colorful, bright, and lively aesthetic that's infectious and endears you to it immediately.
Shoutout to the music, particularly the character songs and the OP and Ed by OLDCODEX and STYLE FIVE respectively. They really fit the style and mood that the show is going for, and pump you up for the start of one episode and the ending-to beginning of another, as well.
I also just appreciate how... gay this series was from the start? It's not explicit, and arguably unintentional as I'm aware this was mainly meant for younger women to enjoy from a commercial standpoint... but I get a lot of enjoyment from that aspect anyway and I think it's really cute and sweet how close this team with each other without any shame for being such. Nagisa definetly has feelings for Rei and Makoto, Rin and Haru are in a love triangle, that's my hot take
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