Growth

Compared to Traits, which is somewhat static, Growth is the dynamic part of Waterbound: It explores how those traits manifest in Haru’s interactions with others, how they might change over time depending on his level of familiarity with the respective character, and how Haru himself struggles and grows over the series — from the perspective of autism.

Bonds

Haru may not be equally close with every character, and not every character in Free! receives equal attention and development, but Haru does interact with each of the following in a distinct way.

Struggles

Free!’s first and second seasons are very different from each other: S1 is more compact in the story it tells, with a line going from A to B, whereas S2 gets “sidetracked” at times and occasionally injects elements that seem to be spontaneously introduced. It’s quite fitting, seeing how S1 is about setting a certain goal and working towards it, whereas S2 is about plans and the uncertainty of the future. As the themes of the two seasons differ, so do Haru’s struggles.