Free! (English Dubbed) Season 3 Episode 1 Build-Up of Early Spring!

The episode "Build-Up of Early Spring!" is the first episode of the third season of the anime Free! (pronounced "free-ee"). The show follows a group of high school boys who belong to a swim club called the Iwatobi Swim Club.

The episode begins with a new school year starting and the boys returning to school after their summer vacation. Haruka Nanase, one of the main characters, is shown swimming alone in a pool. Meanwhile, his friend Rin Matsuoka is training at a different swimming club in Australia. The other members of the Iwatobi Swim Club, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, and Rei Ryugazaki, are also shown returning to school and discussing their plans for the upcoming swim season.

The main focus of the episode is on the Iwatobi Swim Club's preparations for the upcoming regional swim meet. The club's advisor, Miho Amakata, announces that the competition will be held in six months and urges the boys to start training as soon as possible. The club also receives a new member, a first-year student named Ikuya Kirishima. Ikuya is a former friend of Haruka's who stopped swimming with him after a fight.

The episode shows the boys beginning their training regimen, which includes strength training, endurance training, and practicing different strokes. The boys also compete in a relay race against another school, which they win. During the race, several of the boys show off their individual swimming styles, including Haruka's freestyle, Makoto's backstroke, Nagisa's butterfly stroke, and Rei's breaststroke.

The episode also delves into the relationships between the characters. Haruka and Ikuya have an awkward reunion, as Ikuya blames Haruka for their past fight. Makoto is shown worrying about his future and whether he wants to continue swimming competitively after high school. Rei is shown struggling with the breaststroke, which he is not as skilled at as the other strokes, and seeks advice from his friends on how to improve.

Overall, "Build-Up of Early Spring!" sets the stage for the season and establishes the themes that will be explored throughout. The episode emphasizes the importance of hard work and perseverance, as the boys begin their training for the regional competition. It also touches on themes of friendship and forgiveness, as Haruka and Ikuya attempt to rebuild their relationship after their falling out. With its focus on character relationships and swimming techniques, the episode is a promising start to the third season of Free!.