I have no conceivable preamble for this stupid show left in me, so here, have some adorable Madokittens .
Episode 11
0:14 – He’s pulling out all the stops. Explain the plot, Rin!
0:23 – Wait, seriously, that’s the whole cold open? We… we kinda know why he’s swimming the relay. Isn’t that… haven’t they been explaining that for the past, like, every episode?
1:49 – High-tension angles! It actually is a nice shot. And I love these ridiculous episode titles
2:01 – Not good enough, Jaws.
2:14 – Gettin’ vertigo from all these furious angles . TENSION!
2:22 – Ride too intense need off
2:35 – Submitted without comment
2:42 – No we’re sideways again stooop
Man, Dutch angle jokes. This show really has me stretching
3:00 – FUCK IT I’M POT COMMITTED NOW WHOAAA
3:29 – ARARARARA
Cinematography humor->shark noises. Bring the family! Kids get in Free!
3:33 – You and your goddamn sense-making word-noises!
3:40 – Affluent straight white male who claims to listen only to logic and considers himself a victim . Come on, Rei. You know you want to
Man, I think that’s two fedora jokes in one week. What can I say, the Victims have been particularly incoherent lately
3:44 – KyoAni’s chosen style here, where it seems like vague pencil-sketches are still visible, once again results in a really nice effect
4:26 – How come they only talk about you? I’m such a nice guy!
Omigod this might actually be too perfect for Rei
4:49 – What has swimming DONE to you?!?
5:24 – This scene is so great. If they kept the level of swimming-related melodrama at this hyper-intensity all the way through, I would have no complaints. Somebody call the guy directing Attack on Titan
5:52 – I’ll kill you?
5:56 – Oh please
6:06 – Enjoy some feet. All fetishes welcome!
6:22 – Nice
6:28 – The disconnect between the sports drama and the fact that this is K-On with abs has never been more apparent
6:49 – Haru decides the plot needs a little prodding. More seriously, it’s nice that they’re continuously illustrating Haru’s character turn in little ways like this. He’s far less distant and more empathetic than before
7:31 – Look, the relay needs four people. Don’t read into it, clammy-hands
7:59 – I’d make a pick-up artist joke or something, but this is pretty moe
9:01 – I bet you think you’re pretty sly with these shots, KyoAni
9:39 – This show I don’t even
9:53 – I like anime for all the subtle metaphors . Wait, that’s not even a metaphor, that’s just writing the moral of the story on the screen
11:46 – You’re an inspiration to us all, sensei
Apropos of nothing, it is kind of shocking to me that KyoAni are only capable of writing the second-best SoL/sports show in a single season. I mean, it’s not even a real genre. Come on, guys
12:41 – You know what that song means! That’s right, it’s a fun on the bus montage!
Sometimes this show really makes me reassess my life trajectory
13:20 – I can’t even imagine what the board meetings were like for this show. “Look, if we scrap the cute boys doing cute things montage, this entire episode falls apart”
14:38 – Yeah, alright, it’s a kickass pool
15:39 – This scene is quite good. Maybe I just like all the softer, jangly-guitar songs on the soundtrack, but this comes across as a very unrehearsed moment, which is a very good thing in a character story
18:10 – Constantly snuggling Rei is not enough. Nagisa is insatiable .
18:22 – It all comes down to this. I hope you’re ready, Rei-chan
19:37 – I think this is solid stuff too . It’s much easier to be on board with the drama when the context of the characters’ emotions is available to the audience
And Done
Well fuck. Alright, I’m on board for this finale. The first half of this episode (well, I guess the first two-thirds) were kind of extremely silly, but KyoAni whipped out that signature control of a quiet moment (on display in Disappearance, Hyouka, Chuunibyou, and even Clannad) for the last act, and stuck the landing. They centered the episode on Rei but managed to fit in some of the best moments for both Haru and Rin. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but here’s hoping Free finishes strong.