#now i would not be shocked if S3 was labeled BL

[kuravix-art]

Honestly? Who knows at this point.

[redxblueihateloveyou]

I doubt that kyoani would choose to deliberately end this franchise that’s become such a big, important thing in a bad/ underwhelming way. In a way that disappoints us all. I mean, they clearly learned from S3, right? Or do you think they’ll choose to end it in a loose/bad end just for shock value? Like genuinely, I want to believe they’ll stick to the friendship/love premise that’s been the core of free! since forever. Do you believe they will solve this in a satisfactory way? What would be the worst outcome? How can they solve this without going bl? Will they solve it half-heartedly??? Will they meet out expectations?? Will they let us down??? I’ve been going crazy for the past days trying to come up with ANSWERS but is there a way to know?🥲

Nah, I don't think it's possible for them to end it in a bad or unsatisfying way. Each rinharu angsty bomb at the end always follows up with even more intense happy ending one like 1x12 and 2x12. It's how they go. And the new angst bomb is a result of combination of all rinharu angst throuhout the whole story since the very beginning, so I can't tell how excited I am about the next movie O_O

I honestly don't ever remember any conflict in free resolving in unsatisfying way ever. We don't like s3 bc Ikuya's storyline was a repetitive soup and bc because of this we just didn't move anywhere plotwise and thus everyone was mad, but it once again didn't harm rinharu in any way. We also weren't used to this kind of plot distribution you see. Apparently Hiyori's words, opening credits with Rin leaving and Haru on the rails, Haru being so upset after Rin jumping in like "yo" and his whole reaction that was all them planting more seeds for the main rinharu boom-boom that this movie ended with and the resolve you'll see in the next one. So they're just using rinharu as a carrot here.

Literally everything what was happening rn, I was expecting in s3, bc of the opening too, when they showed him hurting over Rin leaving and Haru's eyes lit up and he destroyed the pool.

That was when and why I wrote this scene in the first place, bc I thought he would yell at him about leaving and coming back without a word in 3x10, but you see I underrestimated his control xD. It's just so funny bc I remeber how I was grasping on straws after everyone was upset about 3x10, I wrote an analisys of this scene right after the episode, how he's just tired of him leaving and then jumping in like no biggie, thats why he looks so upset and angry in that scene:

and I just trashed them by saying that "if I wrote fanfiction, I would suggest this reason for him being so upset, but thats not gonna happen with writers like this". And turns out they planned the fafiction all along lmaaooooo (I'm real sorry, free creators, I'm sorry)

I then wrote "He just doesn’t want to soften up in case Rin leaves again… shut up, let me dream." and made this vid LOL SCORE.

I suggest to look at it like 3x01, 3x03, 3x09-3x12 is the first five episodes of the season, the first movie is the usual mess thats happening from ep 6 to 9 or smth and the finale is gonna be the second part of the movie. But kudos to them for the fact, that they indeed planned it all along, I just thought that my theory in s3 was too fanfiction-y and that was just my rinharu crazed brain, but then again they always were the best fanfiction, so I don't even know why I'm so surprised. It's just really funny that it was indeed exactly that.

So my point is, if that was really their intention all along, since its the only reason s3 opening along with everything that was happening makes true sense, then I have no doubt it's gonna come together very nicely at the end. I mean, all elements are in place, there's a reason sakura doesn't bloom now and we're there again, the set up is perfect, you can hardly back out from what Haru said now and it's just Rin related, not about friends or swimming really. As for bl or not, I mean, to me it always was their love story even without this label. I don't think they'll make them kiss or anything, but they always write them so good that they give me the amount of feels that most bl won't give me. I'm pretty sure Haru hugging him paralleled to s1 finale and blooming sakura will be included as for the rest, I have my wild scenarios ready, yes. But my point is I don't think they'd disappoint us, no.

I just honestly think they should've either wait and put this all in one season or make Ikuya story separetely, bc the way s3 was was like if s1 ended with ep5 or smth. We're just used to our usual emotional rinharu drama, emotional rinharu resolve during the season that we didn't quite get wtf was s3 haha. I just remember how we didn't get why Hiyori thing wasn't adressed and what is even going on and why Haru is like that during the reunion and what opening has to do with anything if he didn't have any outburst. Here it is. Why they split it like this idk. Worst decision ever. I mean, ppl were sooooooooo mad.

Ah, good job tho, so happy about their box office record, well deserved. That was good promotion with the Road to the World, trailer and everything *wink wink*.