Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-174.101.116.82-20130729125737/@comment-58.166.97.27-20140725065722

Final line - interpret it how you want.

Personally, I see it as just guys being extremely close friends, and are just plain comfortable or used to each other, however I do like shipping as well (though I'm a rare pair shipper).

But either side should not insist on anything: let the fujoshi/fudanshi stick to their BL and shipping, and let the fans who love the friendship stick to that, and let those who are fine both ways go for that. Just don't shove your belief down anyone else's throat, because that's highly improper and disgusting manners.

However, I do believe there won't be CANON ships (one-sided stuff doesn't count - it takes two to tango) because there are so many fans who ship so many different shippings, and just making a ship canon would pretty much cause a huge crack in the fandom (e.g. the classic MakoHaru vs. RinHaru - I don't like either couple, and I'm getting tired of seeing the rabids of both ends froth at each other claiming their ship will be canon: nothing will be canon, so just go ship it, and leave the others to ship what they want).

Free! isn't a romantic anime, however it's not a bad thing to fantasize romance, either - just don't get in the way of anyone else's fun or likes just because it's not the same as yours.