Mr and Mrs Nanase

Mr. and Mrs. Nanase are two minor characters in the anime series Free! They are married to one another and are the parents of Haruka Nanase.

Appearance
Mrs. Nanase is of average height and build for a Japanese woman with long, nearly black hair. In the film High☆Speed！－Free! Starting Days－, she is seen wearing khaki slacks, a long-sleeved grayish blue sweater and a bib-style apron. In  Episode 13 of Free!-Eternal Summer-, she is seen attending an important tournament wearing a short-sleeved purple dress and carrying a handbag.

Mr. Nanase's only appearance is at the above-mentioned tournament. He appears to be of average height and build with short black hair. He wears gray slacks, a light green t-shirt and a teal camp shirt.

Personality
Despite Makoto calling Haruka's parents "free spirits," Mrs. Nanase seems to be a relatively conventional, pleasant and loving woman who is interested in her son's well-being. She's aware of her son's talent from his earliest days, but it is unknown how assertive she is regarding his swimming since Haruka's attitude about competition is so ambivalent and he never speaks about his parents. Mrs. Nanase accepts his quiet nature, but encourages him to be independent, as seen when she must leave him alone for a week while he is only in Grade 7 in order to take care of her husband who has been injured at his then-assignment in Hokkaido. She simply asks Haruka if he will be alright and accepts his decision without undue worry. Being long-time friends with the Tachibana family, she tells him she will ask the Tachibana family to watch out for him during her absence.

Once Haruka enters high school, however, the presence of either parent seems ghost-like, for unspecified reasons, and while the Nanase seem to support Haruka's choice of sport, they are seen attending only one tournament. This is not explained nor how Haruka's university and private coaching costs are covered; whether by his parents or via inheritance, but it is likely through a trust fund that his parents oversee.

The only other known information about Mr. Nanase is that his job once takes him to Hokkaido where he is injured on the job, requiring Mrs. Nanase leaving Haruka at home for a week in order to take care of him.

Story
Their presence in the franchise is minimal, appearing in only a few scenes to establish Haruka within his family of origin. What does appear, however, seems supportive and loving.