【Free!】ESお疲れ様でした！

The best team. the best relay,

a never-ending summer,

and Everlasting Friendships.

大丈夫だよ、真琴。

これからもずっと、一緒だから…。

エターナルまこはるありがとうございました！！

理想通りの最終話で幸せ者ですv

Thank you Ouji Kohji and Kyoto Animation for High☆Speed, High☆Speed 2, Free! and Free! Eternal Summer ^^

To some, it may appear to be a superficial anime of muscles, boys and fanservice but both High☆Speed novels and Free! ES has proven this wrong. From elementary school (HS1), to middle school (HS2), high school (Free!), university and beyond (Free! ES), this amazing tale accurately portrays how young boys and girls struggle through the different stages of their lives. It is a true, real, and timely reflection of how our actual society is. Making new friends, adjusting to a new life, battling injuries, coping with conflicts and misunderstandings, discovering one's self-identity, aspirations, dreams and hope for the future... there would definitely be one which you and I can identify with.

This is just the beginning of a new summer,

one that is here to stay forever...

橘真琴/Tachibana Makoto：七夜タケル/Shichiya Takeru

七瀬遙/Nanase Haruka：雫/Shizuku

撮影/Photography：JP Capture

【Free!】最初で最後の、永遠の夏。

I'll be your light, your match, your fire that never fades.

いよいよES最終話です・・・！去年の夏から、今年の夏まで、いろいろFree!を撮影したり（大好きなまこはるも、最高のチームを組んでグループ撮影も、七瀬遙のソロも）、Free!をコスしていろいろなイベントに参加したり、いろいろな人と出会えたり・・・　本当、Free!のおかげで、またはFree!を一緒にハマってきた仲間達のおかげで、この一年がこんなにも楽しくなったのであります。出会えた奇跡にありがとう。ありがとう。ありがとう…。

It's the final episode of Free! Eternal Summer. Yet, it is not the end. In fact, there is no end.

Since last summer till today, a year has fleeted pass. Many photoshoots were done - my forever bias Makoharu, Iwatobi team x Matsuoka Kyoudai group shoot, Nanase Haruka solo shoot.. - and many a times have I cosplayed Free! (mostly Haru, once Nagisa) to various events, met many people both in and out of the Free!dom, made new local and international friends... Indeed, if it was not for Free!, if it was not for the lovely buddies around me who let their minds lose and be in this insanity with me, this year would not have turned out to be how it is. I am truly grateful. Thank you. Thank you all for this miracle.

So, why is there no end? Because it is Eternal Summer, one may say. Indeed, there is, no doubt, no end in Eternity. But there is also, more importantly, and without doubt,

No end in Friendship.

Cheers to many more years - or rather till eternity - of friendship <3

橘真琴/Tachibana Makoto：七夜タケル/Shichiya Takeru

七瀬遙/Nanase Haruka：雫/Shizuku

撮影/Photography：JP Capture

[20th Sept 2014, JPN time] 完璧主義者のK様へ。

Happy Birthday Kuryu

※　この記事は全て英語のみで書かれています。和訳は御座いません。

Keeping this short and simple as my heartfelt thoughts and gratitude to this amazing lady is inexpressible by words and most of what I wish to express has already been written in the form of a card, mould into a little blue dolphin and burnt into a CD for her. Thank God for delivering the gifts and letter safety across the ocean... and at such a perfect time! (The parcel arrived at Yossan's place on 19th sept - a day before Kuryu's birthday - and as she will be heading over to Yossan's house on her actual birthday, she said she would collect it from Yossan then too. Never did I thought she would be receiving it on her actual birthday!)

It's the first time I am recording a little piano piece and a short voice clip for someone and I was really hesitant about doing it as she is such a perfectionist and I was afraid that the quality of my playing and recording would scar her delicate ears... However, God kindly reminded me of one thing - "if only the best of the best birds sang, the forest would be very quiet." Also, one of Yossan's old RT on Twitter came into my mind - "Just because the one you admire is popular and receives countless comments from many, do NOT feel that conveying your own feelings to him or her is at all redundant. This is because, your words are from you and only you. It is exclusive and irreplaceable, and no one else can say it any better but you."

Somehow, I am unable to upload the piano audio clip onto blogger hence I have uploaded it onto seperate site. If anyone is interested, here is the link to the file → FINAL happy birthday kuryu

Disclaimer: Both the quality of my playing and recording is not the most professional but I have tried my best and I hope to improve in future!

Finally, to the one who is enjoying champagne in a limousine with her 3 good buddies right now (JPN time: 12.18am, 20th sept 2014),

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KURYU

Thank you for being such a great inspiration,

Wishing you all the very best in your future endeavours ^^ 

<3 Shizuku

【Free!】 Life is bittersweet.

こうやってずっと、抱いて欲しい。

Nanase Haruka feat. Orca Makoto

A year of living in denial.

１２話は結局凛遙回でした。おかしくはない。最初からそう思った。原案のハイスピもハイスピ２もハルを巡るストーリーなのだが、アニメのFree!は最初からハルと凛の関係を強調したのだ。もちろん他の仲間の関係も大切にしてますが、一期からそうであったのだ。その予想であったのだ。だが、悲しまない。ずっとまこはる派なのに、悲しまない。何故ならば、遙が夢を見つけたからだ。昔に凛を救って今度凛に救われる遙が、もし仲間を離れて凛とで一緒にオーストリアで技を磨くことになるのでしたら、それでも涙をこらえて祝福してあげる。ハルは夢を見つけたのだ。ハルは自分の本当にやりたいことを見つけたのだ。ハルは本当にそれで良ければ、それでいい。

と、真琴はきっとそう思っている。

なら、私もそれでいい。

【JAEPO会場限定描き下ろし七瀬遙feat.シャチ真琴】

七瀬遙 . Nanase Haruka： 雫 しずく

撮影 . Photography： Nyvrem Porktography

Special Thanks： Summer Seet Shiying , Samantha Sia , 相田 リコ

【Free!】 The day I brought you out to sea.

　

ハルがシャチ真琴を連れて海に出たある日。

Nanase Haruka feat. Orca Makoto

Free!二期はもう始まりましたが、JAEPO描き下ろしのパーカーと帽子が可愛すぎてやらざるを得なかったのですヽ(∀)ﾉ　紺色の生地にアンティックゴールドのディテール、また白と赤と組み合わせて完璧なボートウェア。こんなコーデなら是非お船で撮りたいなあと思いましたのでつい＼(^^)／

本当はまこはるをやりたかったのですが、私の真琴が、真琴が…暫く休んでましたのでシャチまこを代わりに連れて行かせました。笑　真琴は"ハルじゃないと駄目"だし、口にはしませんが、ハルだって真琴がいなきゃ駄目なんだ。だからいつまでもどこまでも、二人で行くのだ。

真琴、行くぞ・・・！

Makoto, Let's Go!

ES１１話のまこはるがとんでもなく辛くて辛くて...早くも幸せにしてあげたいと思ってます。

もうまこはる永遠になれ。エターナルまこはる…。

【JAEPO会場限定描き下ろし七瀬遙feat.シャチ真琴】

七瀬遙 . Nanase Haruka： 雫 しずく

撮影 . Photography： Nyvrem Porktography

Special Thanks： Summer Seet Shiying , Samantha Sia , 相田 リコ