Free! The Final Stroke - Tatsuhisa Suzuki Remains The Voice Of Makoto

Tatsuhisa Souzuki remains the voice of Makoto Tachibana for Free! The Final Stroke.

On August 17 two days before the release of a new trailer, it was announced that the trailer would be delayed. It heavily featured the new theme song by OLDCODEX. However, the group is currently on hiatus. On July 30th, the Japanese outlet Bunshun Online published an article claiming Tatsuhisa Suzuki cheated on his wife LiSa. This lead both actors to take a hiatus in their respective careers. Their official sites explain it is due to physical and mental fatigue.

The delay of the trailer and the hiatus of Suzuki lead the Free! fandom to wonder whether he would remain the voice of Makoto Tachibana, one of the main characters. The wait is finally over. Indeed, Kyoto Animation has announced today that Tatsuhisa Suzuki would remain the voice of Makoto Tachibana for Free! The Final Stroke.

I directly translated the official statement below from Japanese to English:

Concerning Makoto Tachibana and Tatsuhisa Suzuki, it was announced he was taking a break from his career. As a result, we have carefully discussed with the production committee and staff the best way to honour our fans and this work.

Makoto Tachibana has been an important character of this series for nine years. Furthermore, Tatsuhisa Suzuki’s intricate performance and the bounds he shares with the rest of the cast and crew is also an important part of the character. Thus, we have decided that Tatsuhisa Suzuki would continue his work on the series.

We appreciate your comprehension. We look forward to your continued support for the series Free!

Source: Official Site