By Andrew Osmond. Free! The Final Stroke is the three-hour long finale to Kyoto Animation’s franchise about male competitive swimmers. This conclusion was released in Japanese cinemas as a two-part movie, with the first part in September 2021 and the second in April 2022. Back at the start of the franchise, Free’s first two TV […]
Apr 20, 2023 • Subscribe
More like this
Free! The Final Stroke 2nd Part
The dramatic side of Free has always been its weakest point, as the story once again draws on the same conflicts before racing to its predictable conclusion.
Free! The Final Stroke 1st Part
For Free! fans who aren't quite ready yet to say goodbye to these characters, this was a nice film that takes the time to set up an emotionally…
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: FALL 2019
Aaah, I’m a bit late due to computer issues (and a passing lack of time to justify watching anime) but Fall of 2019, and 2019 as a whole,…
Ascendance of a Bookworm, BABYLON, Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: SUMMER 2023
We’re almost done with 2023 if you can believe it, and Summer has basically come to an end… ignoring a few straggling shows that have fallen behind in…
BanG Dream!, BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!, Helck, The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, The Duke of Death and His Maid
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: SUMMER 2021
The season of Isekai is here! I swear I skipped watching a big chunk of this season’s Isekai, but I still ended up watching five of them somehow.…
Remake Our Life!, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, Girlfriend, Girlfriend, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: SPRING 2023
It’s here! The season of romance! I never thought I’d see one of these again, but boy am I glad. There were so many that, for once, I…
The Dangers in My Heart, KamiKatsu: Working for God in a Godless World, TOO CUTE CRISIS, Insomniacs after school, Stella of the Theater: World Dai Star
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: WINTER 2023
Yo yo I made a Visual Novel! It’s free, it looks pretty, go read it. That’s why I’m almost a week late posting this, but uh… I did…
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, Farming Life in Another World, In/Spectre
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: FALL 2023
Fall arrives, and with it, my two most anticipated shows of the year: 16bit Sensation and Sousou no Frieren. That doesn’t mean I think they’ll be good, but…
I Shall Survive Using Potions!, SHY, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, 16bit Sensation: Another Layer, GOBLIN SLAYER
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: FALL 2022
While anime was busy being terrible throughout last season, I took a pleasant break from watching cartoons to play a game I’ve been anticipating for a while now:…
Management of a Novice Alchemist, Reincarnated as a Sword, My Master Has No Tail, Beast Tamer, The Eminence in Shadow
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: WINTER 2024
Come one, come all! Step into this season of amazing EDs! Aside from the shows listed below, I also watched Pon no Michi, which depressingly isn’t really about…
The Apothecary Diaries, Pon no Michi, TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy-, A Sign of Affection, The Dangers in My Heart
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: SUMMER 2022
Oh boy, here it is… When I first saw what was airing this Summer, one thought stuck in my mind: this is quite possibly the worst season of…
Black Summoner, Overlord, Summer Time Rendering, Call of the Night, Engage Kiss
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: SUMMER 2019
Oh man, I don’t know what’s going on with anime recently, but the quality is spiraling downwards. I dropped a lot this season, and the next season looks…
O Maidens in Your Savage Season, ASTRA LOST IN SPACE, The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, The Girl from the Other Side
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: SPRING 2022
For the first time in a very long time, we’ve got a packed season stacked with great options. There were so many shows I wanted to try this…
Love After World Domination, The Dawn of the Witch, Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness, Healer Girl, A Couple of Cuckoos
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: FALL 2021
Huh… We got a pretty good season this time. It’s been a long while since I’ve watched so many shows in a single season, and miraculously I came…
Deiji Meets Girl, Tawawa on Monday, KAGINADO, Mieruko-chan, The Faraway Paladin
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: WINTER 2022
Aaah man, my highlight show Digimon Ghost Game got postponed mid-way through the season, and it kinda killed my desire to push on with the rest. I’m pretty…
In the Land of Leadale, The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Digimon Ghost Game, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man
~SPOILER FREE~ FINAL THOUGHTS: SPRING 2021
Bit late finishing out the Spring season due to some computer problems, but I haven’t been watching much anime for the past year anyway, so it’s not like…
Kiss Me At The Stroke Of Midnight, Vol. 1 Review
Shoujo Manga Reviews Kiss Me At The Stroke Of Midnight, Vol. 1 Review Shoujo Henshin shoujo, shojo, anime, manga, manga blog, anime blog
Free, Free, & More Free!
The grammar thing keeps trying to correct “More Free” to “Freer” and if that is not the name of the next season then they really missed out on…
Shingeki no Kyojin - The Final Season - Episode 81 - Annie Free of Crystal
When Eren unleashed the Rumbling, he undid the hardening of all Titans everywhere. That included Annie! Shingeki no Kyojin - Episode 81
DanMachi S4 - Episode 15, 16 - Aisha Finishing Stroke
Because she was a veteran of dungeon exploration, Aisha's confidence never wavered. The Hestia party would find Bell! DanMachi S4 - Episode 15, 16
Metallic Rouge Episode 13 Review + Final Thoughts – Their Free World
The best part about this finale is that it’s finally over.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie – 08 – Stroke of Noon
Izumi learns a lot of new things about his library buddy Kamiya during their quiet library rest area shifts…except what she’s thinking the whole time. That she’s an…
The Last Free Man
detective fiction, 推理小説、games, mystery, murder, locked room, Japanese, translations,
S2E01 - Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Caterpillar Girl and Bad Texter Boy
In this episode of Screentone Club, Andy and Elliot get all romantic as they discuss the perils of going out with a superstar in Kiss Me at the…
Gintama: The Final
Gintama has always been earnestly self-aware, irreverent without being cynical. Gintama: The Final is a continuation of this core identity, laughing and crying and falling and cheering all…
Shingeki No Kyojin (The Final Season – The Final Part)
OMG!!! OMFG!!! HYPE! HYPE! HYPE!!! IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! THE LONG AWAITED FINALLY HAS FINALLY COME!!! That’s right. Forgive me if I can’t contain my excitement because after last…
The Manga Critic: Free Comics!
Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day! Among the many publishers participating in this year's event are ABLAZE, Kodansha, Tokyopop, and VIZ, all of which are offering samplers of…
the pain of free will
Every day we live and choose; but do we actually want to? Free will is at the heart of humane philosophical discussion. From whether we even have free will,…
Cowboy Bebop, Death Parade, Durarara!!, Gurren Lagann, Jormungand
Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS
Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS is currently streaming on Crunchyroll....
Final Fantasy XIV: The Trial: The sprout’s guide to pain management and the reality of the free FFXIV trial
Did you know that the award-winning MMO Final Fantasy XIV has a free trial including the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the first expansion, Heavensward, with unlimited…
Strike The Blood Final
OMG! It’s finally here! The moment that I have been waiting for a long time has finally arrived. Not that I am a big fan of the series…
![Featured image for Fruits Basket (2019): The Final Episode 13 [Final Impressions]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210630/1625039041.15769.40868.png)
Shingeki No Kyojin (The Final Season – The Final Part) part 2
OMG!!! THIS IS IT!!! THIS IS REALLY IT!!! THE END IS HERE! THE FINAL HAS COME!!! 10 years ever since the first season aired way back in 2013,…
~SPOILER FREE~ SUMMARIZING THE YEAR! 2023
What a busy year 2023 was! I made a game, I made a big ol’ video essay, and I drew far too much. Played some games too, none…
My Clueless First Friend, Magical Destroyers, The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses, Tengoku Daimakyo, BanG Dream!
~SPOILER FREE~ SUMMARIZING THE YEAR! 2022
Another year is over, and unfortunately it was the year that finally killed Twitter Moments, so I can’t do my usual linking of an “everything I did this…
Sing a Bit of Harmony, Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness, Healer Girl, Summer Time Rendering, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform
~SPOILER FREE~ SUMMARIZING THE YEAR! 2021
2021. What a year, huh? I was injured for most of it, especially during the early months, so I watched a lot more anime than usual. Went back…
Super Cub, Weathering With You, RUMBLE GARANNDOLL, Girlfriend, Girlfriend, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles
~SPOILER FREE~ SUMMARIZING THE YEAR! 2019
2019 is oooover! It was an… interesting year. On the personal side, I released my first game, improved my reach on Twitter, made a whole bunch of music,…
The Rising of the Shield Hero, BABYLON, Carole & Tuesday, GRANBELM, ASTRA LOST IN SPACE
Free Makes Me Feel Things! – Free Starting Days
Free has been on my mind recently probably because summer is showing early signs of surfacing. Finally urged me to watch precious boys youth that I know was…
No Guns Life – 16 – Free Will Ain’t Free
While Juuzou destroyed Victor’s first fake body, he has a smaller spare extended backed in a suitcase. Nevertheless, Avi Cobo has Mary at gunpoint, and demands to know…
Harleen by Stjepan Šejić: A Stroke of Genius Origin Story for The Joker’s Leading Lady – Comic Review
Harleen by Stjepan Šejić is a psychological thriller graphic novel. After months of interviewing criminals at Arkham Asylum, Dr Harleen Quinzel starts to have very strange dreams about…
Bucchigiri?! Episode 12 Review + Final Thoughts – The Final Showdown Between The Genies
Certainly Utsumi’s weakest work so far.
Final Thoughts on Just Because (But Mainly the Final Episode)
So the last thing I put out was on a show airing last season that I thought deserved some more attention than it was getting: Just Because. It…
![Featured image for Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Episode 28 [Final Impressions]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220406/1649235463.34071.62422.png)
Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Episode 28 [Final Impressions]
When the opening doesn't play, you know stuff is gonna go down. We got a lot of information this episode. Even Eren's point of view and the things…
Attack on Titan: Final Season – The Final Chapters Special 1
Attack on Titan: Final Season - The Final Chapters Special 1 covers chapters 131 - 134 of the manga. Just 1 episode left.
Anime Like Free!
Haruka Nanase has a passion for swimming that led him to compete and win a tournament in elementary school with his friends.
Kuroko's Basketball, Stars Align, Tsurune, Chihayafuru, Dive!!
Competing with Free
Fans of Nine Inch Nails should instantly recognize the photo above. It is the set from their Lights in the Sky tour. The final show of the North…
Filler Free Bleach
As a rule, I watch every episode of an anime at least once, this remains true with Bleach. After that, when I rewatch anime though, I tend to…
The Importance of the Final Impression
With the recent ending of Seirei Gensouki which kind of left a sour taste in my mouth at least, I decided it was timely to revisit my thoughts…
Ragnarok the Animation, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles, Steins;Gate, Phantom in the Twilight
Fruits Basket the Final – 11
This was one of those big moments a series has to get right, and thankfully that's exactly what happened. Read more
Fruits Basket the Final – 05
Momiji is the strongest Sohma there is. Read more