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ハイ☆スピード！ #2
ハイ☆スピード！2 [High Speed! 2]
岩鳶中学校へと進学した遙と真琴。遙は水泳部に入ることに難色を示すが、真琴たちの勧めで入部することに。そこで出会った個性豊かな同級生や先輩たちと共に、新たな大会へのスタート台に立つ――。
379 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2014
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May 19, 2023This review is based on the Japanese text and my subsequent interaction with it.
There is a somewhat surprising phenomenon in manga, anime more recently, light novels when it comes to discrepancy between the overall age of the cast and that of the target audience. In particular, titles peopled almost exclusively by children are aimed at a much older audience. This is not unique to this type of fiction but it is pervasive and leads to a kind of dissonance that I wish to address here. Namely, how some of the darkest titles are often helmeted by considerably young children. As a result of this, if you encounter something with characters in the 10 (if not under) to, say, 14 range, it is more likely to delve into truly disturbing content, as opposed to 16 up. Middle school (if not elementary) thus becomes the stage for much horror.
Here are a few examples: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol. 1 has Shinji, age 14; Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 1: To Till's eponymous Utena is also 14; Puella Magi Madoka Magica's eponymous Madoka is 14 as well. As is Seita from Grave of the Fireflies, his sister being 4. One of, if not the darkest entry in the vast Gundam universe is Victory, helmeted by Uso at the tender age of 13.
There are probably many reasons behind this phenomenon, its being part of wider one, 2D culture already skewing very heavily toward a younger cast as it is. Added pathos probably also involved. There is very likely a kind of selection bias- on my part, that is- going on here as well, as titles with characters within this age range that do not match this criteria are likely to be simply be dismissed altogether. After all, counterexamples do abound, like more traditional magical girls that to this day tend to be younger.
Be it as it may, I think there is enough attestation across widely different genres to make a case for this being a thing.
HS is obviously not on the same level as the above mentioned titles, be in terms of violence, sheer horror or psychological devastation but it too presents a story in which very young characters are facing intense suffering, great pressure on their daily lives, while being left to fend for themselves with precious little in terms of adult guidance. In a way, the scaling down of these elements to a very mundane and routine school narrative adds to the jarring effect. Stripped of cataclysmic consequences, mecha wars, warped supernatural systems of oppression, world destruction just around the corner and other common features, HS presents us with teen dystopia as it is actually lived, all too often. More, it does so without quite acknowledging that there is something profoundly wrong in the way these children are being at best neglected, at worst actively abused. It is unclear- at least to me- how deliberate a choice this is on the part of the author. Be it as it may, HS sees itself as a coming of age tale, with its tribulations being part and parcel of the growth process, when one has the distinct impression much of it could at least have been ameliorated with some timely care on the part of the way too absent adults. What care there is, is provided by slightly older children, as will be covered later on.
To have an idea of what I mean, the word "humiliation" appears dozens of times, applied to virtually every single character. It is often coupled with "self-loathing", "despising oneself", "powerlessness", and other like emotions. Being "in a dark abyss", "entrapped", "stifled", all these are recurring experiences that they articulate, or try to, and if there are plenty of light hearted intervals and humor, these tend to highlight everything else by contrast.
The cast in this volume has been considerably expanded. Rin is mostly gone, not appearing in the story proper but being mentioned in key moments. Everyone else is back, Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa (although his role is now minimal since he is still in elementary school), Sosuke, Kisume (as an ascended extra of sorts) and Aki, and a new batch of characters is added. These include, first and foremost, new classmates and future teammates, Ikuya and Asahi, and upper classmen at the swim club, Natsuya and Nao. Each of these gets a surprisingly deep analysis, even minor characters get just enough to flesh them out as real people and the main ones are developed in ways that are rare in the world of light novels.
The story concerns itself with the new challenges presented by middle school, including club activities as is to be expected but also committee activities and class events that are all very particular to the Japanese school experience. This volume shifts the action from the Iwatobi's swim club, that will appear sporadically, and focus on school as the main stage. In doing so, it is closer to the anime series (with events from this volume being covered by the movie Starting Days). This means that joining the swim school club is the first arc as tends to happen in traditional entries of the genre. But this being HS, what is usually a fairly brief moment occupies a very long space in the narrative.
Haruka remains, in a sense, the 'anti-shounen hero' of the sports world. The trope of refusing one's call is also productive here but it is mostly punctual, in that something happened to the lead to make him wary, unable, or perhaps too arrogant to pursue what they are best at in a competitive setting (or at all). This is the case in ツルネ ―風舞高校弓道部― 1 Tsurune ―Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu― Light Novel #1 , where a traumatic experience made the lead utterly unable to do archery.
Haruka's case is very different. Haruka, quite simply, is radically and in some ways, fundamentally opposed to swimming for the sake of winning. The unavoidable tension that results from having someone like him as the lead will mark the whole of F! as well and lead to much drama.
And if it was already present in the first volume, the conflict is retched up to an unprecedented level, with very troubling consequences for Haruka's wellbeing.
Haruka spends a lot of time firmly entrenched in not wanting to join the school's club and the reasons that lead him to cave in are quite distressing. Normally, the unwilling hero comes to join the club after his love for the sport is rekindled and/or his teammates persuade him. In this case, Haruka joins the club because he is dealing with a deep dissatisfaction with the one thing that usually brings him peace, namely, swimming. He finds himself unable to relax in the water, he flounders in search for a way out this emotional morass- and there will be a lot of this, too, throughout the whole novel- and eventually is backed into a corner of sorts.
It is not the most auspicious of starts, to put it mildly, and it does not become better. In fact, I'd say that Haruka's club experience is so traumatic- as is that of his peers, that will be covered next- that one can perfectly see why he is so jaded about the whole thing at the beginning of F!. While the anime may seem to be retreading the same ground- necessary from a narrative POV given the viewer is not expected to be familiar with the novel- it is the logical result of having been put through the grinder.
Eventually, the novel will push for the club as being a good influence on Haruka (although even here, there will be an admission that grave mistakes were made along the way) but not even the amazing climatic final race can possibly do away with the way in which he was treated.
Haruka is a very precocious young boy, which is probably why some rather concerning issues have gone completely unacknowledged but he is rough around the edges. By only swimming freestyle and having a particular speech pattern that veers on the truncated he becomes something of a target at the club. Haruka keeps forgetting to address his upperclassmen properly, and gets repeatedly corrected. It is not as if he is rude, he is not (Ikuya, on the other hand...). But he does not use "keigo", a more polite manner of address that he is expected to use when addressing his elders, who, incidentally, are 9th graders. On top of this, the grueling training regime is simply too much. As is the demand that he swim every single race involving freestyle on all meets. This means that Haruka, who is 13 (I think, surely not much older) has to swim the 50 meter, the 100 meter, the 200 meter, the 400 meters, and the 1500 meter races plus the relay. All these take place in the same meet, with shortish breaks in between.
It is simply far too much. Haruka is a prodigy and he goes on to break records but he is a child. No child should have to endure this. He gets saddled with this insanely demanding regime because he will not swim any other style, thus in order to be allowed to even take part in club activities, he strikes this bargain with Natsuya, the captain. At this point, there is not much fun involved. Or any, really. The club is simply using Haruka's exceptional talent for its own sake and that Haruka gets absolutely nothing from this but frustration is simply irrelevant.
All of this is part of a wider narrative, the arrogant natural genius who needs to learn some humility and the value of respect for experience and teamwork is almost a constant presence in works of this type. But given how young Haruka is, how clear it is that his relapsing into non-keigo is unintentional, and the way in which the text codes him as perhaps neurodivergent (probably unintentionally), all makes it seems as if he is being bullied. It is not so much about Haruka learning a lesson on how to get along better with other but more on how Haruka can be forced into increasingly more uncomfortable situations that actually place him in direct conflict with said peers, through no fault of his own.
More, in a practice meet where Haruka does actually swim all of the above races, he is so utterly exhausted at one point that his inner dialogue goes on about how he is not "swimming so much as struggling not to drown". And here a very dangerous aspect of HS pops up. In most sports titles, the "pushing the hero past his endurance point" is already bad as it is but when it comes to swimming, the risk of actual death, or at least of some impairment, needs always be kept in mind. The novel knows this, too, the boys are made to bow to the pool upon starting club activities so as to be routinely reminded that water needs be respected lest it proves deadly. But then it forces Haruka to swim himself almost into a stupor. More than once, he can barely leave the pool unaided and is unsteady on his feet.
Nor is Haruka the only one who is borderline brutalized by club activities gone completely out of hand. Asahi, a new character, is a bubbly, silly, spikey haired boy who is full of energy and full of enthusiasm. He is also seething in self-doubt. Haruka can only swim freestyle, Asahi is now unable to do so. This, too, is the result of trauma. . He is still made to swim freestyle, before the entire club, when it is obvious he is reluctant to do it.
What follows is a painful ordeal as this child flounders, kicks up foam, barely makes any headway, falls behind, and nearly drowns his way to the end of the pool. There are no adults overseeing this. No one jumps into the water. At some point, an order is given to put an end to this horrifying trial but by then the damage has been done. This is how 'humiliation' became such a productive concept in the novel.
Ikuya is by far the character whose struggles are more pressing and visible. It is this visibility that makes what the lack of adult intervention slide into borderline abuse. To be clear, every single character is in dire need of help (minus Nao). But they have come up with coping devices that make their problems not as easily apprehensible. Ikuya, however, is in a constant state of keen distress. He is very angry, lashing out against those around him, in particular Haruka whom he blames for much of what is wrong with him. Ikuya often erupts into arguments, runs away in a fury, is rendered entirely speechless with anger and at least on one occasion breaks against punching the water over a loss. More, Ikuya himself is painfully aware he is spiraling out of control and this brings him great shame, and adds to the cycle of self-hatred that is at the root of it all.
Feeling betrayed by his older brother- Natsuya, the captain- and childhood friend, Ikuya is in a terrible headspace. He senses a kindred soul in Haruka, which in turn triggers all of Haruka's deep-seated issues. At the same time, Ikuya has focused his pent up aggression on Haruka, for reasons that Haruka cannot comprehend. Ikuya being hardly articulate given how anguished he is, the explanation in very long in coming.
Ikuya's case is so extreme that his peers are all aware of it. It is Natsuya who takes it upon himself to help his little brother, which, of course, he cannot do. Their parents are a non-factor. Never, in 375 pages, does it occur to Natsuya to involve their parents, or to consult an adult. Ikuya makes me think that actual counseling would be immensely useful. It is never even floated as an option.
In pure teen dystopia, it is a barely older brother (and a childhood friend of Ikuya's age!) who feel they have to pool their resources and drag Ikuya out of his crisis.
The above mentioned 9th graders, Natsuya and Nao, thus gain a kind of ascendence that goes above and beyond the usual senpai motif. The dearth of adults elevates them into stand-ins for this role. This volume actually does have a whole section dedicated to two adults but they are not connected to the school, being Asahi's father and Rin's grandmother; this is also the only time they, or any other adult, actually appears in the entire book. Haruka's mother is mentioned (she works parttime at the supermarket, and leaves him cooking instructions when she is too busy), as is his father (working away); at one point a basketball club instructor is said to be trying to scout Makoto; Makoto's parents are mentioned once. I think Ikuya and Natsuya's parents are present in a meal but it has to be inferred.
Apart from the above sketched mentions, all of them being very brief, there are no adults in HS.
Natsuya is the super confident type, a great swimmer and always eager to give instructions, being a strong proponent of hard work, training, and the like. He is also consumed with guilt over his little brother, Ikuya, who may represent the apotheosis of child neglect in the entire franchise. Natsuya is the leader and he sets the rules. So if he decides Haruka needs to be taken down a peg or two, or four hundred deep into negative self-esteem so that the kid's sense of self-worth is in the Mariana trenches, then so be it. It builds character, don't you know.
There is, of course, no malice involved. Natsuya is well intentioned but he is, again, a 9th grader and utterly unequipped to deal with any of this. Nor should responsibilities of this magnitude be placed on his shoulders.
Aiding him in leading the club is Nao. Nao is an odd one. He is supremely intelligent and like Haruka has developed an elaborate and very personal theory of what swimming means to him. It is connected with aikido, of all things, and going past ego into a kind of sublimation of the will. Nao is very pale and tall, and he does not actually swim. So right away one fears a terrible tragedy in the making.
Nao is the perma-smile, borderline creepy type with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things swimming. He is clearly devilishly intelligent and takes a certain delight in lowkey trolling everyone around him. With a sense of humor that goes over their heads, one gets the distinct feeling Nao is a challenging person, with hints of his having the makings of a formidable villain even though he is ultimately a positive influence.
It is through Nao that the novel becomes extremely technical. The reason why F! is not taken seriously as a sports anime is a prejudice against the target audience being primarily female, as a result of its cast of pretty boys in swimming trunks. The anime does have plenty of strategy and swimming technique, the LN goes a step beyond with certain real life practices explained in excruciating detail, to the point actual reference books are identified at the end. Nao pretty much quotes these with great accuracy, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
When it comes to 2D sports, this franchise is one of the most realistic takes out there. While it does edge into symbolic representation of what swimming means to each boy- some of the most lyrical passages and the highlight of the anime still being Haruka's "water is alive" mantra- the actual representation of swimming, in terms of water resistance, buoyancy, attention to each of the styles and different body types, stamina, etc., is all very factual.
Makoto is still terrified of water and we get to see this playing one in one terrifying scene.
Overall, the LN is a surprisingly candid and dark look into the psyche of young boys under pressure. It confronts the reader with a daily routine full of inner demons, inevitable interpersonal conflicts, and extremely pressing issues. The final result is fascinating, rewarding and considerably more distressing than anyone would assume.
Get on that pool, Haruka.
There is a somewhat surprising phenomenon in manga, anime more recently, light novels when it comes to discrepancy between the overall age of the cast and that of the target audience. In particular, titles peopled almost exclusively by children are aimed at a much older audience. This is not unique to this type of fiction but it is pervasive and leads to a kind of dissonance that I wish to address here. Namely, how some of the darkest titles are often helmeted by considerably young children. As a result of this, if you encounter something with characters in the 10 (if not under) to, say, 14 range, it is more likely to delve into truly disturbing content, as opposed to 16 up. Middle school (if not elementary) thus becomes the stage for much horror.
Here are a few examples: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol. 1 has Shinji, age 14; Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 1: To Till's eponymous Utena is also 14; Puella Magi Madoka Magica's eponymous Madoka is 14 as well. As is Seita from Grave of the Fireflies, his sister being 4. One of, if not the darkest entry in the vast Gundam universe is Victory, helmeted by Uso at the tender age of 13.
There are probably many reasons behind this phenomenon, its being part of wider one, 2D culture already skewing very heavily toward a younger cast as it is. Added pathos probably also involved. There is very likely a kind of selection bias- on my part, that is- going on here as well, as titles with characters within this age range that do not match this criteria are likely to be simply be dismissed altogether. After all, counterexamples do abound, like more traditional magical girls that to this day tend to be younger.
Be it as it may, I think there is enough attestation across widely different genres to make a case for this being a thing.
HS is obviously not on the same level as the above mentioned titles, be in terms of violence, sheer horror or psychological devastation but it too presents a story in which very young characters are facing intense suffering, great pressure on their daily lives, while being left to fend for themselves with precious little in terms of adult guidance. In a way, the scaling down of these elements to a very mundane and routine school narrative adds to the jarring effect. Stripped of cataclysmic consequences, mecha wars, warped supernatural systems of oppression, world destruction just around the corner and other common features, HS presents us with teen dystopia as it is actually lived, all too often. More, it does so without quite acknowledging that there is something profoundly wrong in the way these children are being at best neglected, at worst actively abused. It is unclear- at least to me- how deliberate a choice this is on the part of the author. Be it as it may, HS sees itself as a coming of age tale, with its tribulations being part and parcel of the growth process, when one has the distinct impression much of it could at least have been ameliorated with some timely care on the part of the way too absent adults. What care there is, is provided by slightly older children, as will be covered later on.
To have an idea of what I mean, the word "humiliation" appears dozens of times, applied to virtually every single character. It is often coupled with "self-loathing", "despising oneself", "powerlessness", and other like emotions. Being "in a dark abyss", "entrapped", "stifled", all these are recurring experiences that they articulate, or try to, and if there are plenty of light hearted intervals and humor, these tend to highlight everything else by contrast.
The cast in this volume has been considerably expanded. Rin is mostly gone, not appearing in the story proper but being mentioned in key moments. Everyone else is back, Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa (although his role is now minimal since he is still in elementary school), Sosuke, Kisume (as an ascended extra of sorts) and Aki, and a new batch of characters is added. These include, first and foremost, new classmates and future teammates, Ikuya and Asahi, and upper classmen at the swim club, Natsuya and Nao. Each of these gets a surprisingly deep analysis, even minor characters get just enough to flesh them out as real people and the main ones are developed in ways that are rare in the world of light novels.
The story concerns itself with the new challenges presented by middle school, including club activities as is to be expected but also committee activities and class events that are all very particular to the Japanese school experience. This volume shifts the action from the Iwatobi's swim club, that will appear sporadically, and focus on school as the main stage. In doing so, it is closer to the anime series (with events from this volume being covered by the movie Starting Days). This means that joining the swim school club is the first arc as tends to happen in traditional entries of the genre. But this being HS, what is usually a fairly brief moment occupies a very long space in the narrative.
Haruka remains, in a sense, the 'anti-shounen hero' of the sports world. The trope of refusing one's call is also productive here but it is mostly punctual, in that something happened to the lead to make him wary, unable, or perhaps too arrogant to pursue what they are best at in a competitive setting (or at all). This is the case in ツルネ ―風舞高校弓道部― 1 Tsurune ―Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu― Light Novel #1 , where a traumatic experience made the lead utterly unable to do archery.
Haruka's case is very different. Haruka, quite simply, is radically and in some ways, fundamentally opposed to swimming for the sake of winning. The unavoidable tension that results from having someone like him as the lead will mark the whole of F! as well and lead to much drama.
And if it was already present in the first volume, the conflict is retched up to an unprecedented level, with very troubling consequences for Haruka's wellbeing.
Haruka spends a lot of time firmly entrenched in not wanting to join the school's club and the reasons that lead him to cave in are quite distressing. Normally, the unwilling hero comes to join the club after his love for the sport is rekindled and/or his teammates persuade him. In this case, Haruka joins the club because he is dealing with a deep dissatisfaction with the one thing that usually brings him peace, namely, swimming. He finds himself unable to relax in the water, he flounders in search for a way out this emotional morass- and there will be a lot of this, too, throughout the whole novel- and eventually is backed into a corner of sorts.
It is not the most auspicious of starts, to put it mildly, and it does not become better. In fact, I'd say that Haruka's club experience is so traumatic- as is that of his peers, that will be covered next- that one can perfectly see why he is so jaded about the whole thing at the beginning of F!. While the anime may seem to be retreading the same ground- necessary from a narrative POV given the viewer is not expected to be familiar with the novel- it is the logical result of having been put through the grinder.
Eventually, the novel will push for the club as being a good influence on Haruka (although even here, there will be an admission that grave mistakes were made along the way) but not even the amazing climatic final race can possibly do away with the way in which he was treated.
Haruka is a very precocious young boy, which is probably why some rather concerning issues have gone completely unacknowledged but he is rough around the edges. By only swimming freestyle and having a particular speech pattern that veers on the truncated he becomes something of a target at the club. Haruka keeps forgetting to address his upperclassmen properly, and gets repeatedly corrected. It is not as if he is rude, he is not (Ikuya, on the other hand...). But he does not use "keigo", a more polite manner of address that he is expected to use when addressing his elders, who, incidentally, are 9th graders. On top of this, the grueling training regime is simply too much. As is the demand that he swim every single race involving freestyle on all meets. This means that Haruka, who is 13 (I think, surely not much older) has to swim the 50 meter, the 100 meter, the 200 meter, the 400 meters, and the 1500 meter races plus the relay. All these take place in the same meet, with shortish breaks in between.
It is simply far too much. Haruka is a prodigy and he goes on to break records but he is a child. No child should have to endure this. He gets saddled with this insanely demanding regime because he will not swim any other style, thus in order to be allowed to even take part in club activities, he strikes this bargain with Natsuya, the captain. At this point, there is not much fun involved. Or any, really. The club is simply using Haruka's exceptional talent for its own sake and that Haruka gets absolutely nothing from this but frustration is simply irrelevant.
All of this is part of a wider narrative, the arrogant natural genius who needs to learn some humility and the value of respect for experience and teamwork is almost a constant presence in works of this type. But given how young Haruka is, how clear it is that his relapsing into non-keigo is unintentional, and the way in which the text codes him as perhaps neurodivergent (probably unintentionally), all makes it seems as if he is being bullied. It is not so much about Haruka learning a lesson on how to get along better with other but more on how Haruka can be forced into increasingly more uncomfortable situations that actually place him in direct conflict with said peers, through no fault of his own.
More, in a practice meet where Haruka does actually swim all of the above races, he is so utterly exhausted at one point that his inner dialogue goes on about how he is not "swimming so much as struggling not to drown". And here a very dangerous aspect of HS pops up. In most sports titles, the "pushing the hero past his endurance point" is already bad as it is but when it comes to swimming, the risk of actual death, or at least of some impairment, needs always be kept in mind. The novel knows this, too, the boys are made to bow to the pool upon starting club activities so as to be routinely reminded that water needs be respected lest it proves deadly. But then it forces Haruka to swim himself almost into a stupor. More than once, he can barely leave the pool unaided and is unsteady on his feet.
Nor is Haruka the only one who is borderline brutalized by club activities gone completely out of hand. Asahi, a new character, is a bubbly, silly, spikey haired boy who is full of energy and full of enthusiasm. He is also seething in self-doubt. Haruka can only swim freestyle, Asahi is now unable to do so. This, too, is the result of trauma. . He is still made to swim freestyle, before the entire club, when it is obvious he is reluctant to do it.
What follows is a painful ordeal as this child flounders, kicks up foam, barely makes any headway, falls behind, and nearly drowns his way to the end of the pool. There are no adults overseeing this. No one jumps into the water. At some point, an order is given to put an end to this horrifying trial but by then the damage has been done. This is how 'humiliation' became such a productive concept in the novel.
Ikuya is by far the character whose struggles are more pressing and visible. It is this visibility that makes what the lack of adult intervention slide into borderline abuse. To be clear, every single character is in dire need of help (minus Nao). But they have come up with coping devices that make their problems not as easily apprehensible. Ikuya, however, is in a constant state of keen distress. He is very angry, lashing out against those around him, in particular Haruka whom he blames for much of what is wrong with him. Ikuya often erupts into arguments, runs away in a fury, is rendered entirely speechless with anger and at least on one occasion breaks against punching the water over a loss. More, Ikuya himself is painfully aware he is spiraling out of control and this brings him great shame, and adds to the cycle of self-hatred that is at the root of it all.
Feeling betrayed by his older brother- Natsuya, the captain- and childhood friend, Ikuya is in a terrible headspace. He senses a kindred soul in Haruka, which in turn triggers all of Haruka's deep-seated issues. At the same time, Ikuya has focused his pent up aggression on Haruka, for reasons that Haruka cannot comprehend. Ikuya being hardly articulate given how anguished he is, the explanation in very long in coming.
Ikuya's case is so extreme that his peers are all aware of it. It is Natsuya who takes it upon himself to help his little brother, which, of course, he cannot do. Their parents are a non-factor. Never, in 375 pages, does it occur to Natsuya to involve their parents, or to consult an adult. Ikuya makes me think that actual counseling would be immensely useful. It is never even floated as an option.
In pure teen dystopia, it is a barely older brother (and a childhood friend of Ikuya's age!) who feel they have to pool their resources and drag Ikuya out of his crisis.
The above mentioned 9th graders, Natsuya and Nao, thus gain a kind of ascendence that goes above and beyond the usual senpai motif. The dearth of adults elevates them into stand-ins for this role. This volume actually does have a whole section dedicated to two adults but they are not connected to the school, being Asahi's father and Rin's grandmother; this is also the only time they, or any other adult, actually appears in the entire book. Haruka's mother is mentioned (she works parttime at the supermarket, and leaves him cooking instructions when she is too busy), as is his father (working away); at one point a basketball club instructor is said to be trying to scout Makoto; Makoto's parents are mentioned once. I think Ikuya and Natsuya's parents are present in a meal but it has to be inferred.
Apart from the above sketched mentions, all of them being very brief, there are no adults in HS.
Natsuya is the super confident type, a great swimmer and always eager to give instructions, being a strong proponent of hard work, training, and the like. He is also consumed with guilt over his little brother, Ikuya, who may represent the apotheosis of child neglect in the entire franchise. Natsuya is the leader and he sets the rules. So if he decides Haruka needs to be taken down a peg or two, or four hundred deep into negative self-esteem so that the kid's sense of self-worth is in the Mariana trenches, then so be it. It builds character, don't you know.
There is, of course, no malice involved. Natsuya is well intentioned but he is, again, a 9th grader and utterly unequipped to deal with any of this. Nor should responsibilities of this magnitude be placed on his shoulders.
Aiding him in leading the club is Nao. Nao is an odd one. He is supremely intelligent and like Haruka has developed an elaborate and very personal theory of what swimming means to him. It is connected with aikido, of all things, and going past ego into a kind of sublimation of the will. Nao is very pale and tall, and he does not actually swim. So right away one fears a terrible tragedy in the making.
Nao is the perma-smile, borderline creepy type with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things swimming. He is clearly devilishly intelligent and takes a certain delight in lowkey trolling everyone around him. With a sense of humor that goes over their heads, one gets the distinct feeling Nao is a challenging person, with hints of his having the makings of a formidable villain even though he is ultimately a positive influence.
It is through Nao that the novel becomes extremely technical. The reason why F! is not taken seriously as a sports anime is a prejudice against the target audience being primarily female, as a result of its cast of pretty boys in swimming trunks. The anime does have plenty of strategy and swimming technique, the LN goes a step beyond with certain real life practices explained in excruciating detail, to the point actual reference books are identified at the end. Nao pretty much quotes these with great accuracy, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
When it comes to 2D sports, this franchise is one of the most realistic takes out there. While it does edge into symbolic representation of what swimming means to each boy- some of the most lyrical passages and the highlight of the anime still being Haruka's "water is alive" mantra- the actual representation of swimming, in terms of water resistance, buoyancy, attention to each of the styles and different body types, stamina, etc., is all very factual.
Makoto is still terrified of water and we get to see this playing one in one terrifying scene.
Overall, the LN is a surprisingly candid and dark look into the psyche of young boys under pressure. It confronts the reader with a daily routine full of inner demons, inevitable interpersonal conflicts, and extremely pressing issues. The final result is fascinating, rewarding and considerably more distressing than anyone would assume.
Get on that pool, Haruka.
June 26, 2016
این جلد، سال اول راهنمایی هاروکا و ماکوتو رو بیان می کنه و جلد پایانی سری لایت ناول هست. اگر اشتباه نکنم انیمه ی Free! Starting Days این برهه ی زمانی رو پوشش می ده، اما خودم ندیدمش.
تغییر نامحسوس ولی قطعی نگاه هاروکا و همین طور این واقعیت که نویسنده خیلی خوب تونسته یه بچه اول راهنمایی رو توصیف کنه، داستانو لذت بخش کرده بود. یه سری بخش هایی مربوط به شیوه های شنا کردنشون بود که من با کمک ویکی پدیا و دیکشنری هم سر در نیاوردم ازشون :D
به نسبت لایت ناول های دیگه ای هم که خونده بودم، توصیفات بهتری داشت. می تونست راحت رمان باشه، فقط چهره ی شخصیت ها خوب توصیف نشده بودن که با توجه به اینکه قرار بود تصاویر جای خالیشونو پر کنه - که نمی دونم نسخه ای که من خوندم همه ی عکسارو نداشت یا اینکه کلاً تصاویرش انقدر کم بودن - و هم اینکه داستان عموماً از دید هاروکا بیان می شد، قابل درک بود.
اگر انیمه ی Free! رو دوست داشتین، از دستش ندین.
تغییر نامحسوس ولی قطعی نگاه هاروکا و همین طور این واقعیت که نویسنده خیلی خوب تونسته یه بچه اول راهنمایی رو توصیف کنه، داستانو لذت بخش کرده بود. یه سری بخش هایی مربوط به شیوه های شنا کردنشون بود که من با کمک ویکی پدیا و دیکشنری هم سر در نیاوردم ازشون :D
به نسبت لایت ناول های دیگه ای هم که خونده بودم، توصیفات بهتری داشت. می تونست راحت رمان باشه، فقط چهره ی شخصیت ها خوب توصیف نشده بودن که با توجه به اینکه قرار بود تصاویر جای خالیشونو پر کنه - که نمی دونم نسخه ای که من خوندم همه ی عکسارو نداشت یا اینکه کلاً تصاویرش انقدر کم بودن - و هم اینکه داستان عموماً از دید هاروکا بیان می شد، قابل درک بود.
اگر انیمه ی Free! رو دوست داشتین، از دستش ندین.
December 28, 2014
I really hope there is more that will directly lead into the anime, but then I'll be sad about how all the book characters aren't included at all in the anime.
Thank you again to the people that translated the chapters!
Thank you again to the people that translated the chapters!
June 28, 2025
“All three men were taken by the sea when they were young. In spite of that, Kyou didn’t try to leave the sea. She lived, loved, hated, feared and healed together with the sea. For Kyou, there’s no doubt that the sea was being alive itself.”
ed eccomi qui a frignare nuovamente per i miei piccoli nuotatori, anche questo secondo volume mi è piaciuto tantissimo e sono felice che siano stati introdotti nuovi personaggi che hanno reso la storia super interessante!! il character development di Haru e degli altri ragazzi mi ha fatto scendere una lacrimuccia, è stato bello vederli evolvere sia caratterialmente sia nel loro rapporto con gli altri membri e con l’acqua!! e nulla, sono davvero felice di aver recuperato queste due novel e aver potuto ampliare ulteriormente la mia visione sull’universo e la storia di Free!🩵
anche questo volume si merita decisamente 5⭐️ piene🩷
(Nao il mio tesoro mamma mia quanto gli voglio bene🥺🩷)
ed eccomi qui a frignare nuovamente per i miei piccoli nuotatori, anche questo secondo volume mi è piaciuto tantissimo e sono felice che siano stati introdotti nuovi personaggi che hanno reso la storia super interessante!! il character development di Haru e degli altri ragazzi mi ha fatto scendere una lacrimuccia, è stato bello vederli evolvere sia caratterialmente sia nel loro rapporto con gli altri membri e con l’acqua!! e nulla, sono davvero felice di aver recuperato queste due novel e aver potuto ampliare ulteriormente la mia visione sull’universo e la storia di Free!🩵
anche questo volume si merita decisamente 5⭐️ piene🩷
(Nao il mio tesoro mamma mia quanto gli voglio bene🥺🩷)
January 28, 2022
Колебая се между три и четири, но с оглед на това, че ми е повлиял недобрият превод, след кратък размисъл завиших оценката. Ревюто ми също е смекчено. Може да го прочетете в Цитаделата.
https://citadelata.com/high-speed-2/
https://citadelata.com/high-speed-2/
September 16, 2015
Read in a fan-made English translation. Truth be told, I wouldn't have picked up HIGH SPEED 1 and 2 books if it weren't for anime Free!, the books are a prequel of.
Since I love the anime story so much, can I even be objective in this reviewing and rating? No, but I tried to. I am glad to have read the books, if nothing, for a better perspective on characters and later plot. They are not masterpieces, especially not the first book, but to an Free! anime fan, they are a fun read.
Since I love the anime story so much, can I even be objective in this reviewing and rating? No, but I tried to. I am glad to have read the books, if nothing, for a better perspective on characters and later plot. They are not masterpieces, especially not the first book, but to an Free! anime fan, they are a fun read.
January 13, 2023
it’s easy to run away. all you have to do is turn your back and throw away everything. it ends with that. but, try accepting it just a little. then, have them accept it.
stories when they are about growing pains
stories when they are about growing pains
March 3, 2015
Just like with the first novel, I have read this sequel before, and both times they took a while to get through. However, it was interesting to read it after having watched the whole anime and having recently re-read this book's prequel.
This book deals with more characters than High Speed! did, but I think it is done well. In particular I liked Nao, and I found Ikuya to be interesting, albeit a little overdramatic at times. Asahi I found to be a lively and silly character with serious goals, which also interested me.
It was also nice to see how this novel expanded the existing characters (Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, and Sousuke) and how each of them had a new conflict. Nagisa's conflict was really heartbreaking but it was nice to see how it was resolved (although what happens to him next becomes partially apparent during the anime, and it is just as heartbreaking).
I felt that the pacing of the story was nice and that the plot was designed well. Towards the end I really enjoyed seeing where the team were going and how they would move forward.
As with the first novel, I recommend High Speed! 2 to all Free! fans because it gives great insight into what happened between High Speed! and . It also gives insight into the development of Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa's relationship as well as an interesting view of Sousuke's side of Rin's .
If only we had more of an idea what happens between this and the first season of Free!!
This book deals with more characters than High Speed! did, but I think it is done well. In particular I liked Nao, and I found Ikuya to be interesting, albeit a little overdramatic at times. Asahi I found to be a lively and silly character with serious goals, which also interested me.
It was also nice to see how this novel expanded the existing characters (Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, and Sousuke) and how each of them had a new conflict. Nagisa's conflict was really heartbreaking but it was nice to see how it was resolved (although what happens to him next becomes partially apparent during the anime, and it is just as heartbreaking).
I felt that the pacing of the story was nice and that the plot was designed well. Towards the end I really enjoyed seeing where the team were going and how they would move forward.
As with the first novel, I recommend High Speed! 2 to all Free! fans because it gives great insight into what happened between High Speed! and . It also gives insight into the development of Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa's relationship as well as an interesting view of Sousuke's side of Rin's .
If only we had more of an idea what happens between this and the first season of Free!!
December 13, 2015
UPDATE: 12/13
So, the film premiered to..a .less-than-great response. I tried to avoid spoilers, I really did, but tumblr exploded and I...hmm...
I'm...kinda scared. Again, anyone know about a U.S. release? Or will fans translate it and upload it (like the seiyuu event)? I do want to see it for myself and form my own opinions, even though what spoilers I can find are kinda...
But that's beside the point; regardless of how good the film is, the book is still...the book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Which I'll be live reading so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ so if you want to, like, have a live annotation thing going on
UPDATE: 11/11/15
WHO ELSE IS FREAKING OUT ABOUT THE MOVIE??? AND THE TRAILERS??? ANIMATED ASAHI AND IKUYA AND NAO AND NATSUYA AND AKI AND ALL THE DRAMA AND EVERYTHING AND THEYRE SO SMALL AND CUTE AND AAAAAA
So, in preparation (more like celebration) for the film, I saved the PDF of the translation and I shall be rereading this book, using Goodreads to keep track of my progress and comments. Exciting, right?! And then I'll write my actual review.
Okay, but seriously: is Starting Days coming to US theaters? Does anyone know this?
Actual review to come.
So, the film premiered to..a .less-than-great response. I tried to avoid spoilers, I really did, but tumblr exploded and I...hmm...
I'm...kinda scared. Again, anyone know about a U.S. release? Or will fans translate it and upload it (like the seiyuu event)? I do want to see it for myself and form my own opinions, even though what spoilers I can find are kinda...
But that's beside the point; regardless of how good the film is, the book is still...the book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Which I'll be live reading so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ so if you want to, like, have a live annotation thing going on
UPDATE: 11/11/15
WHO ELSE IS FREAKING OUT ABOUT THE MOVIE??? AND THE TRAILERS??? ANIMATED ASAHI AND IKUYA AND NAO AND NATSUYA AND AKI AND ALL THE DRAMA AND EVERYTHING AND THEYRE SO SMALL AND CUTE AND AAAAAA
So, in preparation (more like celebration) for the film, I saved the PDF of the translation and I shall be rereading this book, using Goodreads to keep track of my progress and comments. Exciting, right?! And then I'll write my actual review.
Okay, but seriously: is Starting Days coming to US theaters? Does anyone know this?
Actual review to come.
August 28, 2016
Well, this didn't have the same vibe of High Speed. I assume it was written after the show came out, and thus already includes familiarity with the characters. The fan translation is also a little more disjointed. I don't know, this one didn't click for me.
January 15, 2015
Cute, but I prefer the 1st one :3
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