Free! The Final Stroke got a new teaser trailer and key visual this morning. The film will conclude Kyoto Animation and Animation Do’s popular sports anime in a two-part series finale, the first of which was released in September to Japanese audiences.
While we have yet to hear details of a North American release of Free! The Final Stroke, the new trailer is sparse on plot details. It plays up the life-long relationship the boys have with swimming and each other, all coming to a climactic head in Sydney’s world championships.
AnimeFactory on YouTube has already made an unofficial subbed translation of the trailer and you can check out the key visual below.
What is Free! The Final Stroke?
Free! Is based on Kōji Ōji’s light novel series High Speed!. Originally announced in 2019, the film proceeds the events of the anime’s third season and features a returning team and cast directed by series veteran Eisaku Kawanami.
Production was initially delayed by the tragic arson attack in July of 2019 at Kyoto animation’s main studio. The production company’s output was already halted when the pandemic further disrupted production across Japan in 2020, and we did not hear any updates on the specific project until April of this year.
The second Free! The Final Stroke releases in Japan on April 22, 2022. While we have no word on an English dub or North American release, we can expect both parts of the film to make their way outside of Japan in the coming year.