eisaku

[Translation] Free!DF Starter Book Interview - Kawanami Eisaku

- Please tell me what the theme of “Free! -Dive to the Future-” (“Free!DF” hereafter) is.
In contrast to “Free! -Eternal Summer-” (“Free!ES” hereafter), which portrayed the characters’ individual future courses, this season will portray the various futures of an ensemble cast. Since there are more characters appearing now, it has lead to more diversity in the plot. The characters from the two TV seasons and the movie “High Speed! -Free! Starting Days-” (“Movie High Speed” hereafter) all gather together, and we will show them all grown up from boy to men. I hope everyone can focus on the history of each character and how their pasts connect to their futures.

- Please tell me the placement of Episode 0 in the main plot.
Episode 0 is an episode that takes place right in the middle of the period between “Free! -Take Your Marks” (“Free!TYM” hereafter) and “Free!DF.” It includes elements that serve as a warm-up for the new season, but its plot is more closely tied to Free!TYM. Originally, I think of “Free!” as an open-minded show that can be both realistic and comical, so we’ve tried to pack as much comical and fun ideas as we could into episode 0. I think Haruka and the others will eventually become used to living in the city, but in this episode, we’ve taken great care to portray the gap of them newly moving to the city from a rural area. I think it’s only in episode 0 where you can have a fresh take of them at the mercy of a new environment, and I hope you will enjoy this side of them.

- Please tell me what the highlights of Episode 1 are.
“Free!” started with Haruka and the others turning High School second-years, and in this season, we’ve also carefully portrayed their “various beginnings”. We took care to create an atmosphere like we’re newly meeting and learning about each character all over again. I would like you to watch out for the beginning a new chapter in their lives, such as Haruka who has started university, and Rin with his new club team.

- What things are you particularly fixated upon as the director of Free!DF?
First of all, I think the moment you see it on screen, you’ll have a different impression of it compared to the “Free!” you’ve known in the past.  It’s more solemn and more mature, and the colors and tones are more life-like. In order to make sure the characters’ personalities are not too dull, we took care to connect their past and future throughout the whole series and show the depth and gravity of the lives they’re living. Specifically, just like the scene where Haruka is lost about what path to take in Free!ES episode 9, we consciously created a dramatic atmosphere that delves deep into the psyche of the characters, which spreads out throughout the whole plot of Free!DF and all its characters’ stories. Also, since they are all university students now, instead of being completely blithe, we made sure to show their expressions with deeper emotions than before.
Just like in real life, where people of the same gender, height, weight or sports club can be vastly different, all the characters have different taste, and the sight they see when they look at a swimming pool is different as well. When we’re creating the show, we think about how we can express these lives they live and their connections with other people that are not shown on screen, even if they are characters with few appearances.

- Finally, a message to the fans, please.
Thank you very much for buying this book. Revisiting the TV series by watching “Kizuna” and “Yakusoku” of “Free! -Timeless Medley-” and kickstarting the new content with “Free!TYM” were both important steps to create “free!DF.” The content of these works is, of course, a reason, but it was important that our staff have prepared these three movies in order to take the next step to make the new show.
It’s been four years since we last make a Free! TV show, and we’ll be portraying the characters’ relationships, and their various encounters and conflicts. We’ve prepared some gimmicks that we hope would make the audience feel something, whether is something they find relatable or something they’d react differently to. I would be very glad if you could all watch over Haruka and the others as they pursue their new dreams.