Ikuya Kirishima

Ikuya Kirishima (桐嶋 郁弥 Kirishima Ikuya) is one of the main characters in the movie High☆Speed！－Free! Starting Days－ and Free!'s third season, Free!-Dive to the Future-.[http://www.kyotoanimation.co.jp/books/highspeed High☆Speed! Official Website] He was also a minor character in the light novel High☆Speed!. He is the younger brother of the Iwatobi Junior High swimming club's captain, Natsuya Kirishima. He is currently studying at Shimogami University, where he is on the swim team, alongside his friend from America, Hiyori Tono.

Appearance
Ikuya is a muscular, though smaller-framed young man with teal hair, amber eyes and long, black eyelashes. He and his brother do not look particularly alike, but share the same eye color. In competition, he wears black jammers with subtle brown and gray designs.

Personality
When first introduced to the series as a member of the Iwatobi Middle School Swim Club, Ikuya is quiet, cynical, and distrustful of others. Though taciturn, he isn't afraid to express his annoyance or to speak his mind and was at odds with his older brother, Natsuya. When Natsuya, as swim club captain, tries to enlist new members for the swim club, Ikuya resists, saying school-based sport clubs are a waste of time. Though he eventually joins, it takes time for him to warm up to his teammates - Haruka, Makoto and Asahi - but comes to trust them. He admires Haruka a great deal, secretly wishing he possessed similar confidence in sport.

Ikuya's health was seen to be fragile and he had some fear of water due to the fact that he nearly drowned several times. Yet, being a determined athlete and not wishing to disappoint Natsuya, he pushed himself endlessly, often suffering from oxygen deprivation from over-training in the pool. This drive was due to his belief that swimming and competition are to be mastered, as indicated by the anime's depiction of water being an "enemy" that binds him. In this way, he was shown to be both similar to and different from Haruka - both brilliant swimmers with radically different approaches to their sport.

Another major difference between Ikuya and Haruka is Ikuya's desire to "never be ordinary." He professed this to his friend, Hiyori Tono, who supported him in that belief but who, unbeknownst to the others, was left in charge of keeping Ikuya's health intact while Natsuya travelled the world as a professional swim competitor. This responsibility strained their friendship, but Ikuya remained oblivious to Hiyori's struggle until he faced his past. In making amends his former teammates and swimming an IM with Haruka in fulfillment of their promise, he felt re-connected to humanity and was also able to reconcile with Natsuya and Hiyori. Only then, did Ikuya begin to see himself in a fully "humanized" way, although he still held competition and winning to be a major goal in life.

History
Ikuya enjoyed swimming as a child, but grew disenchanted with it as he grew older. This was due, in part, to his idolization of his older brother upon whom he depended a great deal. In a misguided effort to force Ikuya to become self-sufficient and independent, Natsuya pulled away emotionally, but kept pressure on Ikuya regarding sport. Instead of Ikuya rising to the challenge, his fragile self-esteem perceived the distancing as a rejection and he began to renounce the things that Natsuya and he used to share, like swimming. In junior high, he tried to avoid joining the swimming club because Natsuya was the Captain, but is "roped into" doing so by Haruka, Makoto and Asahi.

Once a member, it became obvious that Ikuya was an excellent swimmer, but had health issues due to his perfectionism and over-training to the point of oxygen deprivation. More than once, he lost consciousness while swimming and needed to be recused and even hospitalized. Over time, Ikuya came to respect and enjoy the camaraderie of being on a team and hoped his newfound friends would continue swimming. Unfortunately, it was during this time that Haruka had a falling out with Rin and gives up competitive swimming. The team's plans to work together fell apart, as did their developing bonds.

Shortly thereafter, Ikuya followed Natsuya to America where they attended high school, returning to Japan for university studies. Upon his own return to Japan, Ikuya joined the university swim club. Through intermittant contacts with his former middle school friends and teammates, he made amends with them and others, including his brother.

Trivia

 * He is a childhood friend of Satomi Nii, who only appears in the light novel.
 * His favourite foods are fried shrimp, sweet tamagoyaki and pistachio cream
 * Since he is the youngest in his family, he has always wanted a younger brother
 * According to Hiyori, pistachio drinks are Ikuya's favourite.Free! Dive to The Future Episode 9
 * His motif animal is a beluga.Free!-Dive to the Future- Starter Book Character Profile (translated by donamoeba on Tumblr