#i know nobunaga shimazaki is going to do an amazing job of these lines

[angryborzois]

can't stop thinking about how cool the izana vs mikey battle is gonna be when its animated

[aja154ever]

High☆Speed Free! Starting Days Event – 03/19/2017 Evening

Again, as in my previous event reports, I am posting this for the record, and for my feelings. ^_^ I’ve been busy these past few days so this came in late. Again this is based on my limited Japanese skills and memories. (Also thanks to other reports I used as reference @aitaikimochi @what-isti )

FREE! is a very precious anime to me. I have soooooo much love for this anime. The story is really beautiful, so I hate it when people judge the anime by its appearance (it’s not all fan service; you know it’s a swimming anime so being half-naked is common sense). I just want people to see that it offers something more than the characters’ bodies. You also do not have to be a fujoshi to appreciate it (I don’t mind the ships; as for me I can still watch Free! objectively and see that the characters’ relationships are platonically normal for guys)

I actually had no plans of going to this event because I am way too attached on the Free! anime series. High Speed is a bit different; sure Haru and Makoto are still there but it just pains me that the others (both characters and seiyuu) aren’t. I did not even buy the High Speed DVD where the lottery ticket for the event was enclosed. But it was Haru and Shimazaki Nobunaga’s fault! Lol To keep the explanation short, Haru is who you would call my ultimate husbando in the anime world lolol. I just thought that this could be the last chance for me to hear his voice live because I no longer expect Free! to have more events like this in the future. I mean I can still meet Zakki in his other events because I really do want to meet this seiyuu too, but as Haru, there might be no next time. In the end, I couldn’t resist not going to this precious event so when I found out that the general ticket sale was still ongoing, I bought one immediately. It was pretty much late (it was March 6 already OMG) so the seat I got was not really good. It was in the far, far end of Ryogoku stadium and worse, I had their backs facing me. But because the stage/pool is at the center of the stadium, the seiyuus do not necessarily always face just one side of the audience.

Okay, that’s too long for an introduction! Sorry, I got carried away lol. Report under the cut!

ハイ☆スピード！－Free! Starting Days－』岩鳶中学水泳部 記録会お疲れ様パーティー

The format was basically the same as the 2015 event. The event began with the seiyuus going up the stage one by one in the ff. order, greeting the audience with their respective characters’ middle school voices.

Shimazaki Nobunaga (Zakki) – Nanase Haruka

Suzuki Tatsuhisa (Tatsun) – Tachibana Makoto

Toyonaga Toshiyuki (Toshi) – Shiina Asahi

Uchiyama Kouki – Kirishima Ikuya

Nojima Kenji  – Kirishima Natsuya

Hino Satoshi – Serizawa Nao

Zakki opens the event as Haru declares, “Take your mark. Ready, go!” They then proceeded to their seats around the pool. There are only six of them so they took their own benches. They first talked about how the fans who came to the day event were all posting “Yabai!” on social media after the event. It was a hint about new projects for Free! but the fans cannot spill the news yet because it still needs to be a surprise for the evening event.

Furikaeri

 Scenes, personally chosen by each character/seiyuu, were then played on the screen/pool followed by comments from the cast.

*Final relay scene - Toshi’s chosen scene (which turns out to be Tatsun’s choice, too)

We’re just getting started but this is the first scene that plays (omg my feelings) Toshi highlights Asahi’s part where he thanked Haru and Makoto. Tatsun comments that there is no other scene to be chosen but this. You know, it’s the relay that the four finally makes – the pinnacle of everything, the climax. Zakki counters that there are other good scenes, too. Tatsun laughs, “Oy, you’re setting the bar high for yourself!” as everyone would have expectations for Zakki’s chosen scene.

*Haru and Natsuya scene, where Natsuya helps Haru carry stuff and chats a little bit esp about Ikuya – Nojima-san’s chosen scene

They joked about how Natsuya is concerned about Ikuya but does not talk to Ikuya directly. They compared it to a typical father who shyly, reluctantly, asks stuff about his son through his mother rather than talking to his son properly. Meanwhile, the scene also shows how Natsuya and Haru’s relationship is basically in good terms.

*Natsuya and Nao scene, where they talk about the four – Hino-san’s chosen scene

They likened it to two drunk men talking about other people while drinking. lol. They also liked how Natsuya thinks highly of his brother as when he said, “Sugoi darou, ore no otouto (Isn’t he amazing, my little brother).”

*Makoto and Haru swimming and talk scene – Tatsun’s chosen scene (apparently he has chosen another one too)

“Ore, kawaii! (I’m cute!)” – that’s the first thing Tatsun blurts out as soon as the video ended. Lol. They then corrected that it was Makoto who was cute. 

Tatsun shares that there is a moment when he himself is surprised that such a kind of voice comes out of him. It was like the Makoto in him that spoke for a moment and not Suzuki Tatsuhisa the seiyuu. (Awww Tatsun you really love Makoto huhu)

Zakki and Tatsun lay down on the pool/floor and imitated the scene where Haru and Makoto lay down next to each other. The seiyuus also envied how good it feels to just dive into the water and swim freely with all your clothes on as is.

*Sleepover at Haru’s house scene, where Ikuya’s ears redden as he shyly admits how he feels for the team – Kouki’s chosen scene

Kouki also comments how cute he, Ikuya rather, is on that scene. They also comment on Asahi’s straightforwardness.

*Ikuya scene where everyone runs after him – Zakki’s chosen scene

I was really anticipating Zakki’s chosen scene because of Tatsun’s taunt earlier. And so I really liked it that he chose this scene. It was really more of an Ikuya scene, but Zakki shares that this was also a turning point for Haru as he reflects on his own feelings and comes to a realization. Toshi comments how amazed he was with the words that Haru said at that moment. “Ore ya Natsuya-senpai no ushiro janakute, minna no yoko ni narabe (Don’t stand behind me or Natsuya-senpai. Stand in line beside everyone).” Was this something a middle school kid says? That is why Ikuya cries loudly soon after with Toshi acting the “Uwaaaaaa” part. (Awww that was really touching huhuhu) It was all in all an important scene for the team.

Iwatobi Chuugakkou Suieibu Training

The cast plays a board game. The pool flashes the letters I-W-A-T-O-B-I.  They roll a huge dice as they step on the letters and stop in accordance with the number on the dice. Each letter corresponds to an action. Zakki pairs up with Tatsun, Kouki with Toshi, and Nojima-san and Hino-san. Kouki and Toshi got to play first as they landed at “O” which stands for “Oyasumi (Break time).” They comment that the game was just getting started but then they’re having a break already lol. The pool shows a video comment from Suzuki Chihiro, Kisumi’s seiyuu. He also gets to make the audience chant “Ki-su-mi” then he sends a flying kiss. (You know the inside joke that Kisumi’s name can be translated as “Kiss me” :* )

Meanwhile Zakki and Tatsun end up in a game where they had to have matching answers. The first question was what is something that they would have in their bento boxes. Zakki comments that this is the only possible answer. They then show up their whiteboards which as expected have “Saba” as their answer. The next question asks what’s the first thing they do after getting out of the pool. Unfortunately, they had different answers. Zakki answers the gesture that Haru does with his hair after rising from the water. Tatsun clears it out that it has to be the thing that they do after getting out of the pool. So his answer was removing water from his ear. Oh well. The last question was, “Who from the characters would they want to have as their little brother?” Kouki reacts violently that this question isn’t good. In the end, Zakki and Tatsun both answers “Ikuya.” So they had 2/3 matching answers which was good enough. The prize was a customized Iwatobi milk pack which they made Kouki drink (because Ikuya isn’t fond of milk).

It turned out to be a really fun game as the cast kept on landing on the letter “B” that made them go back three steps, which is “A.” They joked that they were there just to do a “sanpo (walk).” Meanwhile Kouki and Toshi advanced more than anyone else and even landed on the letter that gave them the power to make a team go back a few steps. They chose Zakki and Tatsun’s team. Eventually, Kouki and Toshi won the game.

A drama CD played as an introduction to the live drama acting which came in next. It was about the岩鳶中学水泳部 記録会お疲れ様パーティー (rough translation: Iwatobi Middle School Swimming Club Track Meet Thank you Party) Everyone goes to Ikuya and Natsuya-senpai’s house for the celebration. Ikuya was complaining how his brother did not do anything to help in the preparation. It was their mom who did the cooking, which everyone liked.

They played games after eating as they teamed up in unexpected pairs: Asahi and Makoto, Ikuya and Nao-senpai, and Haru and Natsuya-senpai. Makoto and Asahi were tasked to speak in Kansai accent. Asahi did a ridiculous tongue twister to which Toshi really did a great job eliciting applause and cheers from the audience. He was then teased into singing a random chant he made up on the spot. (It was really cute because he was singing in his middle school voice!!) Toshi takes a chance to get revenge as he was able to tease Tatsun into singing on the spot. Tatsun was complaining how this was not supposed to happen and that no one took notice of how Makoto did his best to speak in Kansai. Tatsun didn’t really want to sing but everyone, the audience and the cast, kept on bugging him. He tried to change the topic saying that Makoto can do other things as well, like reading Haru’s mind. They then stared at each other and Tatsun finally gives in as Haru’s mind says that he wants Makoto to sing. And OMG OMG TATSUN DID IT. He sang High Speed’s theme song, Aching Horns, in his middle school Makoto voice. It was sooooooo damn cuuuuuuute T.T Such an angelic moment Tatsun, thank you!

Meanwhile, for Haru and Natsuya-senpai’s turn, they made Haru dip underwater. Zakki just sat there covering his face with his knees. Haru was taking a loooong time under which made everyone worried that something bad may have happened to him. When Haru rose, he said he was completely fine and apparently was just savoring the moment. (Ofc you guys should’ve known this because he’s Haru and the safest place he can be is in the water right ^_^)

A video comment from Miyano Mamoru, Matsuoka Rin’s seiyuu came in next. (I almost jumped from my seat out of delight as I was not expecting any more video comments at this time and if ever, not from Rin because he barely appeared in the movie lol) And being Mamo, it ended up being a long message. He said himself that he only participated little in the movie as Rin’s letter. But he pointed out how Rin is a really special character to him and wants to keep acting as Rin and grow with Rin. He was happy to be able to experience “seishun (youth)” again because of Free. Whoa, I can really, really feel Mamo’s passion for Free! and his love for Rin. *sniffs* Mamo then led everyone to the next video which contains the special announcements.

The special announcements – This is what I’ve been looking forward to, since the day the event was announced. Based on the anime’s ending, season 3 isn’t expected anymore. So at least OVAs or novel and manga adaptations were to suffice. I was really surprised and delighted with High Speed even if it featured their middle school days. But after that, what’s to come for Free!? Their grade school days? Well that’s when everything began as that’s when they met Rin, but if they were to adapt this, it might be hard to keep the seiyuus.

Anyway, as soon as the VTR played showing the first frame, my tears uncontrollably began to fall. Huhuhu

My goodness, my feelings, I can no longer take this. Especially when the new Style Five song began to play, then they showed the high school Asahi and Ikuya, and then the date 4.22 ROADSHOW. 7.1 ROADSHOW. OMG There’ll be two??!! OMG What did I do to deserve this? Plus I only need to wait for a month for the first one. Then the advance ticket selling begins immediately on the Saturday of that week, 3.25. Free! What are you doing to me??!! 

Then finally, the new movie, Take Your Marks! NEW STORY and it will be shown this year also. Okay. This has been the happiest moment of my 2017. Words can no longer express how much I was feeling. I did no longer control or bother to hide it as I heard everyone beside me was also sniffing and sniffing.

The seiyuus were amazed by the audience’s reaction. They thanked the audience because it was all thanks to us that the Free! series continues. But no, I am badly thanking you also, everyone, not only the cast, but the staff. T.T I truly believe in Haru’s words “Owari nante nai! (There’s no such thing as ending!)” Toshi and Kouki were also happy that they get to act as Asahi and Ikuya once again, this time as high school students.

It was finally time to say goodbye so the seiyuus all gave their farewell and thank you messages. The cast was actually thankful to Zakki and Tatsun as everyone besides these two was relatively new to Free!. Hino-san says that they were actually saved by these two. From the start of High Speed’s recording, they felt how the atmosphere of these two was different as they already have deep connections to the series and the characters. This aided them (the supposed newcomers) to realize how precious this series is and so encouraged them do their best. Toshi bows down to the two in gratitude.

Tatsun gave the most touching message as usual, and I can really feel how deeply he loves Free! He remembers what he said in the last event in 2015, that he will play any Tachibana Makoto no matter what. He is really happy that the Free! series continues. He also shared how he even argued with the higher-ups about the casting of Nagisa and Rei in High Speed because he really wanted Wingu (Yonaga Tsubasa) and HiraDai (Hirakawa Daisuke) to be there.

The seiyuus finally made rounds to thank everyone, bowing and waving their goodbyes to all sides of the stadium. When the cast left, “See you next movie!” flashed on the screens, and I think a tear dropped again from my eye. T.T

Photos and screenshots from Official Twitter accounts:

Anyway, the DVD/Blu-ray for this event has been decided! It’ll be on sale on August 18. Yey! And ofc I’ll buy this as my souvenir/memento.

I only have one regret in this event – it’s that I did not buy the DVD so I could have joined the lottery before and so could have gotten a closer seat. Anyway, it was a fun event, though the previous one was more fun (though I haven’t gone there live) because everyone was there. I just hope that we can have an event in the future featuring the Iwatobi and Samezuka team, plus Ikuya and Asahi. Just wow. Though this is just the second seiyuu event that I’ve attended live (the first one being Bungou Stray Dogs), I just realized that you can enjoy seiyuu events best when you love the seiyuus in it and the series itself. I look forward to more events in the near future!!