The 2013 Kyoto Animation series Free! has a prequel that focuses on Haruka Nanase in sixth grade who teams up with his childhood friend Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, and Rin Matsuoka to form a relay team. In the second novel of the series, which takes place during their first year at middle school, Haruka and Makoto navigate their experiences on the swim team alongside two new characters, Ikuya Kirishima and Asahi Shiina.