Description

Iwatobi Junior High School Swim Club, Ikuya is quiet, cynical, and distrustful of others. Though taciturn, he isn't afraid to express his annoyance with others, especially 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 Nanase, Makoto Tachibana and Asahi Shiina - but comes to trust them. He admires Haruka a great deal, secretly wishing he possessed similar confidence in sport. Ikuya's health is delicate and he has some fear of water due to the fact that he nearly drowns several times due to intermittant hypoxic training. Yet, being a determined athlete and not wishing to disappoint Natsuya, he pushes himself endlessly. This drive also stems from 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 is 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 professes this to Hiyori, who supports him in this belief but who, unbeknownst to the others, is left in charge of keeping Ikuya's health intact while Natsuya travels the world as a professional swim competitor. This responsibility strains their friendship, but Ikuya remains oblivious to Hiyori's struggle until he makes amends with his estranged brother. In making amends with his former teammates and after swimming an Individual Medley with Haruka in fulfilment of a promise made long ago, Ikuya feels re-connected to humanity and is also able to reconcile with Natsuya and Hiyori. Only then, does he begin to see himself in a fully "humanized" way, although he still holds competition and winning to be a major goal in life.