Do you ship it?
Nanase Haruka/Tachibana (Free! Iwatobi Swim Club)
I ship it!
Neutral
I don't ship it
I don't know the characters
reason under the cut! it's a long one.
Where to begin? Invented soulmateism. Blueprint of the friends to lovers trope. Each other's safe haven. Makoto is the shore to Haru's ocean, his home. They know each other so well they can literally read each other's minds and their friends can't stand them for it. They constantly CHOSE each other, in big ways (Haru moving to Tokyo when Makoto did) and small ways (making time to hang out in a big new city even when they've already spent the whole day together and staying the night would be inconvenient in the morning). They have learnt to communicate like no other characters in show, discussing how swimming and reaching their goals will mean they'll see each other less but being happy for each other regardless bc they're doing what they love. They've literally had TWO "daisuki" scenes. TWO. There's a reason their relationship charts in the 10th anniversary booklet for Makoto and Haru say "can't live without each other".
Haru says everyone thinks Makoto is kind but he gets away with everything he wants, when in reality it's Haru who bends to every one of Makoto’s wills. There's a reason Rin asks Makoto to tell Haru to join the relay, bc Rin knows Haru will listen to Makoto.
There's a reason the director specifically said "When it comes to Haru, Makoto is his other half" there is a reason Kisumi says Makoto and Haru's hearts are connected. Even strangers in school refer to them as "two bodies in perfect harmony".
In the mh mook not only do they SHARE the dream like some psychically linked soulmates it shows Haru (who's doesn't trust easily doesn't open up easily) moves in with Makoto immediately, becomes a part of his domestic routine, cooking for him etc. Makoto learns about him being a half fish and shows him the world in a way HARU wants to see not the way Makoto thinks is best for him. In the end Haru respects and trusts him so much that he willing and without hesitation DIES for him with a smile on his face bc sacrificing himself for Makoto is only natural and ofc he'd do it in a heartbeat.
There's a reason that in the novelisation of episode 6 Haru LIES about his biggest fear being water disappearing from the earth (showing he's thinking about the possibility but that's not his biggest fear) bc he's hiding his real fear which is losing Makoto. There's a reason we see Haru literally almost die in the last movie to get a medal, and then it's shown that he gives that medal to Makoto. He wouldn't have achieved any of it without Makoto. There's a reason at the end of Timeless Medley: the Promise, at the shibuya crossing, Haru is worrying about his future, and all it takes is a single LOOK at Makoto to calm his nerves and get him smiling. He sees himself standing next to Makoto at the world stage, walking together into their future. This was supposed to be THE final scene for the series (until they decided to continue the show).
