Movie
Description
Momotarou Mikoshiba is a supporting character introduced in the anime Free! Eternal Summer and appears in the film Free! Take Your Marks. He is a first-year student at Samezuka Academy and the younger brother of Seijuro Mikoshiba, the former captain of the school’s swim team. Momotarou is known for his bright, outgoing personality and his strong emotions. He is cheerful, playful, and often shows a lighthearted attitude that can lift the spirits of those around him. However, he also has a competitive streak and carries a great deal of self-confidence, frequently boasting about his past successes as a middle school swimmer. He even gives himself the nickname The Sea of Japan’s Sea Otter and claims that everyone in his hometown knows of his reputation. This confidence sometimes borders on cockiness, but it is balanced by a genuine passion for swimming and a desire to improve.
His primary motivation in the series is to compete at a high level and earn the respect of his peers, especially given that he lives in the shadow of his accomplished older brother. He specializes in backstroke and is noted for his speed and the powerful underwater dolphin kick he employs during races. Although he is generally self-assured, he occasionally struggles with self-doubt when facing exceptionally strong opponents such as Rin Matsuoka or Haruka Nanase. Over the course of the story, he learns to channel that insecurity into motivation, growing more confident and solidifying his place as a key member of the Samezuka swim team.
In Free! Take Your Marks, Momotarou plays a central role in one of the film’s segments: he wins tickets to the Anago Hot Springs and, together with Aiichiro Nitori, sets up an elaborate scavenger hunt to present them as a graduation gift to Rin Matsuoka and Sosuke Yamazaki. This episode highlights his playful and thoughtful nature, as well as his desire to contribute to the team’s camaraderie.
Momotarou’s key relationships include his bond with his brother Seijuro, who serves as a mentor and inspiration. Within the Samezuka team, he develops close friendships with Rin Matsuoka, Aiichiro Nitori, and Sosuke Yamazaki, and these interactions help him mature as both an athlete and a person. He also has a tendency to fall in love easily, and he repeatedly tries to impress Gou Matsuoka, though she never quite remembers his name—a running gag that underscores his earnest but sometimes clumsy approach to romance.
Outside of swimming, Momotarou has a distinct hobby: collecting stag beetles. He even keeps a pet stag beetle named Pyunsuke, which reflects his quirky and enthusiastic personality. Throughout his appearances, Momotarou embodies the themes of friendship, determination, and personal growth that run through the Free! series. He starts as a boastful newcomer and gradually becomes a dependable teammate whose competitive drive is matched by his loyalty and warmth.
His primary motivation in the series is to compete at a high level and earn the respect of his peers, especially given that he lives in the shadow of his accomplished older brother. He specializes in backstroke and is noted for his speed and the powerful underwater dolphin kick he employs during races. Although he is generally self-assured, he occasionally struggles with self-doubt when facing exceptionally strong opponents such as Rin Matsuoka or Haruka Nanase. Over the course of the story, he learns to channel that insecurity into motivation, growing more confident and solidifying his place as a key member of the Samezuka swim team.
In Free! Take Your Marks, Momotarou plays a central role in one of the film’s segments: he wins tickets to the Anago Hot Springs and, together with Aiichiro Nitori, sets up an elaborate scavenger hunt to present them as a graduation gift to Rin Matsuoka and Sosuke Yamazaki. This episode highlights his playful and thoughtful nature, as well as his desire to contribute to the team’s camaraderie.
Momotarou’s key relationships include his bond with his brother Seijuro, who serves as a mentor and inspiration. Within the Samezuka team, he develops close friendships with Rin Matsuoka, Aiichiro Nitori, and Sosuke Yamazaki, and these interactions help him mature as both an athlete and a person. He also has a tendency to fall in love easily, and he repeatedly tries to impress Gou Matsuoka, though she never quite remembers his name—a running gag that underscores his earnest but sometimes clumsy approach to romance.
Outside of swimming, Momotarou has a distinct hobby: collecting stag beetles. He even keeps a pet stag beetle named Pyunsuke, which reflects his quirky and enthusiastic personality. Throughout his appearances, Momotarou embodies the themes of friendship, determination, and personal growth that run through the Free! series. He starts as a boastful newcomer and gradually becomes a dependable teammate whose competitive drive is matched by his loyalty and warmth.