Decades into the future, humanity is under siege by an alien race known as the Novas. These inhuman beings leave devastation in their wake whenever they appear, with the efforts to stave them off becoming known as Nova Clashes. Young women known as "Pandoras" and young men known as "Limiters" are implanted with stigmata to give them superhuman powers and are trained in military academies, where they must learn to work together if humanity is to have a chance of surviving.
Freezing tells the story of Kazuya Aoi as he sets out for his first day at the West Genetics military academy, right when a battle royale is being undertaken by the Pandoras. It is here that he mistakes Satellizer el Bridget—a powerful Pandora known as the "Untouchable Queen"—as his deceased sister and embraces her. Though he costs her the match, she finds that his touch doesn't drive her away and decides to take him as her Limiter. The only question is whether or not their partnership can survive the machinations of their upperclassmen and the impending battle with the Novas…
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Comentários
KaminaKai
*Fan-service aside, this anime did a great job at adapting the manga material.* It breaks my heart to see such horrible overall ratings and reviews on this anime that, for all intents and purposes, was fairly accurate and stayed faithful to the manga if one were to ignore the anime original contents (eg. mostly fan service and one useless episode). While it is fair to say there are multiple flaws in the anime series that could have been improved on (or unnecessary contents that could have been done without), the anime as a whole has served itself quite nicely considering it is only a one-courseries. Covering nearly 60% of the available manga materials at the time the anime finished airing, there really isn’t any way for the production staffs to wrap up the story without ruining any chances for a second season. For the record, the manga material is only two measly arcs ahead of where the anime finished at the time this review was written and the actual plot did not proceed very far.
I fully understand the complexity the anime brings to the new viewers who have no background knowledge from the manga. Numerous terminologies coupled with even more numerous unfamiliar faces does prove to be quite difficult for one to digest at first. Additionally the anime added tons and tons of boobs and nipples sprinkled everywhere in the show from the dormitory room change scenes to intense battles scenes. In short, there are bound to be boobies for the unprepared! Thus this served as another excuse for viewers (even loyal manga readers) to detest and despise the show. Even I have to admit it would have been better if the staffs can use those boobies air time to produce something more constructive like elaborating on certain flashback stories or further develop some characters and their personality or background. So let this be a fair warning to all you potential viewers, only watch this show IF you can stomach the fan services and accept the fact that the story is a work in progress!! With that said, let us finally turn our attention to introducing this anime for those of us who are still interested.
Set in the near future, roughly 50 years from now, the world we know today has already been invaded by an alien race known as Nova. Normal military is powerless in the face of this new threat and thus the world can only rely on girls with special tissues implanted into their backs (called Stigmata) to fight these unknown aliens. These girls, known to the outside world as Pandora, fight in pairs with a younger boy, in order to neutralize a special effect cast by the aliens (called Freezing which freezes anything within the cast radius). Now don’t quickly jump to conclusion just yet. While this may sound like a military action genre to you, the story in actuality takes place in an academy where Pandora are being trained. Following the school life of a second year sophomore, Satellizer el Bridget, the story introduces the problems and threats of the reality very (and I mean very) slowly to the point where one may end up asking more questions than there are answers to. Thus to be fair, I would categorize the anime as ecchi, school life, romance with a fair bit of action, but nothing dramatic nor is it deep in plot (though the manga is getting there). Without a doubt, the story department is the weakest one of all as all the emphasis so far is placed on the characters interaction.
Characters. Many many lovable girls with great looks and even better body proportions, albeit with a nasty attitude. Yes! This is certainly not for the average female viewers! In fact, the anime was never meant for the female audiences as evident from the trailers and even more evident as the series progress with all the boobie attacks on the screen. With that said, the one major downside in the character department for this show is the fact that there are too many girls with not enough time to introduce them properly. It will come as no surprise that you will likely be introduced to a new character in each episode and that the old ones will be brushed aside until close to the finale. On the bright side, our main hero and heroine does have their own lengthy flashbacks and character development for us to “know them better”.
As a manga reader, seeing this series get animated with voice was wonderful. Unfortunately it was not quite to my level of expectation in a few ways. Firstly and perhaps the most obvious is the fact that the broadcast of the uncensored version is at a horrendous 4:3 aspect ratio (and please don’t bother with the censored version, you won’t understand a single thing). Though it remains a mystery as to why the opening and ending animation are in 16:9. The second disappointment, coming from a manga reader perspective, is the altered character looks which may or may not discourage some readers, but it was a disappointment nonetheless. Lastly, and this I am sure is a common sentiment among all viewers, is the miscast voice acting role for Aoi Kazuya. This voice will surely cause some damage to your eardrums. However, other than that one miscast role, it is fair to say this anime has a lot of strong seiyu in the cast. Additionally, both the opening and ending them songs are extremely catchy and are few received by fans in general.
Overall I have mixed feelings for this anime. It was a pleasant surprise when the news that Freezing manga was to be animated. While the fan service ruined some enjoyment of the show for me, I must confess that in the short one-cour time frame I am quite impressed by the production studio with the amount of manga content they were able to include in the series. Most notably the inclusion of certain subplots that really makes certain characters much more realistic and likable. Staying faithful to the original material and introducing some anime-original contents as enhancements to the overall story made me very pleased particularly with the fact that the production studio did not opt for an anime original ending. With that said, I still cannot recommend this series to those who does not enjoy watching ecchi series as this show clearly relies on boobies as its major selling point. However, if the premise of the story does intrigue you then I highly recommend giving the manga a try. Afterall Dall-Young Lim’s manga are quite well received in Korea, Japan, and even Taiwan.
Skadi
I freely admit that I have a guilty pleasure when it comes to silly ecchi action anime just like Freezing. So initially at least I was quite intrigued with this series and for the first few episodes I was amused. However that amusement soon waned as it was buried under it's dozens of characters, inane nonsensical plot, and confusing terminology and technobabble. The premise for Freezing seems like it might have had an enormous amount of potential. Mysterious entities called Nova are invading earth intent on wiping out mankind. All that stands in their way are special soldiers known as Pandora andtheir Limiter partners. Our setting is a school/laboratory called West Genetics which trains future Pandora and their Limiters. This is where that potential I was speaking of starts to get lost. The Pandora are all, unsurprisingly all big breasted girls (hey this is anime after all!) and the Limiters are all guys. Given that the Limiters are timid, weak, and mostly useless this is unsurprising and the only thing they really do is hide behind the skirts of the Pandora and yell "Freezing!" and other clichéd nonsense. The girls on the other hand are violent and uncouth and spend most of their free time trying to kill one another or bully their underclassmen.
Now since I have not read any of the original manga I can’t speak to how well this anime adapts its story. Even if the manga has an amazing story (which I doubt honestly) it is completely lost in its transition to an anime. Really nothing is adequately explained from what the Pandora are to what the enemy is or why or how they are even ended fighting. Eventually by the end you do get some explanation and can make some conclusions from the action and context but this is a piss poor way to present a story to your viewers. Additionally for pretty much two thirds of the series nothing of significance to the plot happens. We get introduced to the lead, Satellizer el Bridget, learn a few snippets from her past, watch her take ALOT of showers, and get groped and bullied by the cunts and bitches she has as classmates and seniors. And for about the first eight episodes that’s just about all that goes on. What story there is remains unresolved with the ending. Though it leaves the viewer with the impression that at least one additional season should be expected. This kind of series always seems to get a sequel if it wants one so it’s really hard to hold the ending against it.
For a series that is at its core about fighting, the overall action is a bit disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of fighting but the majority of it is crammed into the last few episodes. Most of the early fighting is uninteresting and more about tearing apart the girls’ flimsy school uniforms to expose their breasts. If you enjoy exposed nipples and breasts then the world of Freezing should be like heaven to you. Like most fighting anime, the characters yell out lots of nonsense. With Freezing most of it is mindless technobabble and engrish and little to none of it is ever explained. While you can get the meaning from some of it through context it sure would be nice for the story to explain this to you once in a while.
Like the story the characters are also a major weakness. Neither one of our leads, Satellizer or the boy Kazuya are very interesting. Kazuya is your typically weak and unremarkable anime boy with powers (unsurprisingly) far beyond your typical Limiter. He has a special attraction to Satellizer that is both mysterious and due to the fact she reminds him of his dead sister. I know shocking that someone should have a sister complex in anime right? (Pardon my eye rolling) Satellizer, known in the school as the "Untouchable Queen" is a girl of dual personalities. Her external persona is that of a cold and ruthless killer while her true personality is that of a meek and mild mannered girl with a fear of men. Other than learning every inch of naked body through her regular trips to the shower or having her uniform torn off in all her battles we don’t learn all that much about her. What is learned fits into the narrow stereotype her character has its basis in.
The supporting cast is no different. I seem to beat this point to death in an awful lot of the shows I review but the main issue with Freezing's cast is the sheer number of characters in the cast. It is literally impossible to keep track of all the characters. They bring in 2 or 3 a week, many of which looks almost identical to each other. Their main purpose seems to be only to bully Satellizer who for some reason seems to really butt hurt them. Even so, you’re likely to have at least a couple that amuse or even interest you just a little bit. For me it was Rana Linchen who is a quasi-main but whose personality I enjoyed as well as having a pretty sexy character design.
Artistically, Freezing is also weak. For one the character models are absolutely ridiculous in most cases. While I do like the "full figured" look, the extreme and impossible bust and waistlines really detract from the series. Given how much tits and nipples are visible they really should have done a better job with this. Everyone's figures are pretty much interchangeable and the actual animation of all the "jiggle" is really not that realistic or even appealing. The color palette is very drab and depressing, with maroons, dark blues, grays, and blacks dominating the series. The world is also incredibly dark and depressing. While I am certain this is by design that doesn't explain why there is basically no sunlight at all and while they seem to be stuck in a world of eternal midnight.
Freezing's voice cast is quite impressive as it seems to include almost every current seiyuu of note. However this is a double edged sword as the reason it has so many is because the cast is so enormous. Because of this none of the actors really gets a chance to shine. Additionally Satellizer is horrible miscast with Mamiko Noto. While I really enjoy her work and also seeing her portray a bit of a different character than she normally does (though also exactly the same) I just don't think her voice works for her character. The music is solid but unspectacular action anime fair. The OP is particularly exciting but also really drives home how ridiculous, Satellizer's in particular, chest measurements are.
Even though I never really had any high expectations for it, ultimately Freezing is a failure. I was hoping it would entertain me somewhere between other anime it has a lot in common with such as Seikirei and Ikkitousen. But its lack of a coherent story, bland characters, and unappealing visuals make me unable to recommend this to anyone.
Kapodaco
Entertainment is a fickle thing. Everyone has different tastes and different opinions, so making a series that satisfies the tastes of every single individual who may come across the series is a fundamental impossibility. Although, the entertainment industry keeps tabs on what has been deemed popular all throughout the course of history, and if nothing else, they use it to their advantage. While certain aspects of entertainment may be popular, that does not always guarantee those aspects can improve the quality of a title. These things could be criticized as the intentional use of said aspects in order to draw in viewers and have thempay for something they may not really be interested in. And what is debatably the most recognized aspect of this kind in the anime industry? Sex. Enter Freezing, a series that I would describe as the gold standard of what a title looks like when you only focus on the viewer's primal instincts, and the characters' chests.
The driving force behind the series called Freezing is a busty, young woman named Bridget Satellizer, who's reputation as "The Untouchable Queen" runs rampant among the other characters present at the university. With blonde hair, a different uniform from anyone else, and the biggest bust of the bunch, her role as the main character is set in stone, and it's apparent from the start. While there are other characters introduced before her, it's hard to recall said characters when comparing them to Satellizer's overall design. While she appears menacing and cold on the outside, she's actually cold and menacing on the inside as well. That is, until the appearance of the other central, yet less important character, Kazuya Aoi transfers into the school. From that point, Satellizer's image as "The Untouchable Queen" comes under fire, while a looming threat lingers in the distance.
One thing about this series that I never understood was its priorities. This is part of my claim that this series is simply a combination of popular anime tropes. At one point, the series focuses on developing the relationship between Satellizer and Kazuya through the role of damsel in distress, as one of them is placed in a difficult situation, while the other rescues them (or attempts to) from their conflict. This is typical in shounen series and Super Mario games in particular. At another point, they focus on melodrama based on testing the bond between the two of them as new characters are placed within the plot. Then there is also the evident antagonist threat, those called Novas, that eventually become a threat to everyone involved at the school and the world. These creatures are written off as unknown creatures with unknown purposes, which may or may not be an excuse for lazy writing. The sudden shift from one situation to another is more distracting than anything, and it shows an unusual desire to move on from a certain plot point into something new, which may also be a result of lazy writing.
Everything I've said up to this point about the plot was basically underlying problems, problems that arise after digging deep into a title and finding nothing. But what isn't underlying is the inexplicable amount of fan service shown on the outside. Sex appeal and the violence. The strongest argument I can give to support my claim is the apparent focus on these two qualities. Throughout every episode, these two qualities make themselves known in almost every situation. Whether the situation stem from tension between characters, the closeness of partners or comic relief, Freezing finds every single possible excuse to show exposed breasts or unnecessary violence. And while the violence isn't as prevalent throughout the series than the skin, it still panders to the whims of the viewer, finding unreasonable excuses to have the characters duke it out and show off their exaggerated weapons and speed. While this may not be a problem, it starts to become expected. And to expect something before it happens takes the pleasure of being surprised by the creativity of writing out of the equation. And what does this series become memorable for? When someone or something repeats a certain action enough, they become what they do, and they're remembered for that reason alone. How do I remember Freezing? Fan service alone.
Characters within Freezing are about as typical as the writing of the series. They display qualities similar to that of other characters from other series. Satellizer is a tsundere with a remorseful past. Kazuya is the equivalent of the male harem lead. Every other character serves to back them up. They each have one quality that defines who they are, and never develop past that. Their designs are a different story, however. Satellizer's appearance is memorable and does well to support the viewer's interest in her life and problems, if not her chest. The uniforms that all other characters wear are enough to draw interest, but some issues arise in the fact that they're either never in them due to fan service, and that their battle armor looks identical to it. Which, in turn, leads to the quality of animation, which is slick and shiny enough to keep even a sloth awake. The art is of higher quality compared to other titles released during that year, but doesn't take any risks to ensure a place in history. It's well done, but it's nothing different. And with the glorious amount of exposed sexual features, it's within my power to state that they're well done, but with how much it's shown, anyone would expect them to pay attention to detail.
In a society where money is everything, it's easy to assume that titles like Freezing will be prevalent far along in the distant future as much as they are today. As long as sex and violence remains a popular spectrum in the minds of viewers and they use their money accordingly, these things won't disappear anytime soon. At this point, those against it have to at least applaud their durability throughout time. And to those who are so against it, perhaps they should take the chance to see how it can be improved in the future. Fan service is not a bad thing. It lets the viewer identify with the writer or writers of a title and provides them with evidence that these writers had them in mind. But that isn't to say that a series should only rely on fan service, as there are other parts to a story that need to be constructed in order to make a quality work. This statement is both controversial and a gateway to debate. A debate that I hope everyone will take seriously and will take into consideration when watching series in the future. What makes a title successful? Its revenue or its attention to quality? Freezing is a good example of this, as nothing of its quality outside of fan service could be considered good in any sense.
Nebarto
I'll have to say, the reason I started this series is because the introduction summary reminded me of Ash and Pikachu XD. But besides that, Freezing is a definite different from anime i have watched so far. Please remember that this is my own personal opinion, whether you find it distasteful or outright wrong in your viewpoint, is your own valued perspective. Story: The story is original, although it has the overused theme of aliens coming to earth for reasons unknown other than destruction, a typical fanservice-harem anime was easily revealed when the main roles were given to sexy teenage girls with giant racks and fetishesfor younger boys. They attempted, and accomplished well to have a good amount of action and shounen aspects which I found the most blatant factor of why this anime was good. The amounts of ecchi were tastefully included, not shoved in your face at every scene, which is a plus, and the overall plot kept you guessing. Near the end however like many other short anime, was rushed dramatically, dropping the amount of effect it has on the audience. My guess was that Freezing never intended to have a second season, but did particularly well,which is why i look forward to it airing in October of 2013.
Art and Sound: The animations for the Limiter's Freezing have to be my favorite, other than that the soundtrack complimented well with the scenes and the art was very good. Although giagantic oppai that are too large for reality do kind of disagree with me, they kept it fairly under control. Respect points for that. The action scenes were well done too,with enough gore to add effect, but not too much to make you lose your lunch, it was done thoughtfully.
Characters: The personality traits is mainly what i look for in characters, that said,some characteristics were standard in all harem anime, but who can deny the desires of the audience =P.
Overall i enjoyed this anime series and i recommend it to any that enjoyed similar ones such as, Pokemon (XD), Date a Live, Guilty Crown and possibly Angel Beats! fans.
SPOILER
The ending really got me hooked on expecting a second season.
WrenchMan
Before I start this review I will say: I will try to keep this review spoiler free, and welcome to titsville. I have mixed feelings about this anime. There are some good aspects. However, if you decide to watch this, you are in for one hell of a ride, to hell. The combination of tits-for-brains characters and constant meaningless fanservice left me cringing and facepalming on multiple occasions. If you don't feel like reading my jumbled thoughts, skip right to the conclusion. Story: Lets start with the good news. The story was actually quite interesting. Although it could have been executed much better, the story intrigued me enoughto watch until the end despite all the horse shit (which will be discussed later) that takes place from beginning to end. The season finale looked like it was going to be meaningful, but don't be fooled, it's a mediocre harem after all.
There is one filler-like episode where nothing happens plot-wise. It's in this episode that you see exactly how boring this anime would be without the story.
Art:
If you ignore the disproportionate tits and constant meaningless panty shots, the artwork is fairly decent. Most of the fight scenes are decent. Some of the action scenes seemed too slow and lazily drawn, but for the most part, they managed to keep the momentum going.
( '-')b
This anime also contains some scenes of gore. Although it wasn't implemented the way I liked, at least it was a step in the right direction. An arm or leg falling off illogically here and there, very meaningful ( '-')b (sarcasm). Aside from that, gore is decently implemented for scenes where the tits-for-brains syndrome doesn't kick in to overshadow the blood.
I will now tell you about tits, because it seems to be the heart of the anime. Most of the important characters have over-sized over-sized tits. Not so bad right? Well they sure like to slap it on your faces :). What happens when someone gets slashed? They bleed right? Well in the case of Freezing, you constantly wonder where the blood comes from. When a female gets slashed, blood splatters and the cloth covering their tits shreds off. You will notice that the female shows no signs of slash wounds, her tits are conveniently uncovered and unscathed. You begin to wonder where the blood really comes from, them or their clothes? If you happen to like watching clothes (only around their tits) being torn off randomly and illogically during important and meaningful scenes, then this may be the anime for you. Along with that, they seem to think it's a good idea to slap in as many meaningless panty shots as possible.
Characters (I think this section has spoilers):
The entire school staff in this anime seems to only consist of two or three tits-for-brains, because that is how incompetent they are. Despite chaos and earthquakes, teachers either are never there to resolve issues, or show up too late. For some reason they seem to only show up when it's inconvenient for the main heroine. FOR SOME REASON, the main heroine is always taking most of the blame even though it's painfully obvious who is at fault.
There is a social hierarchy in the school between students of different grades. For some reason, most of the 3rd year students who are part of the cast are extremely stupid psychos. I wonder why they are not expelled from the school. I forgot, the staff members have tits for brains.
Let me introduce you to the main villain of this anime, the main character (MC). Are you looking for an MC that surpasses the generic harem MC? Well look no further. Actually, you shouldn't look here at all, because the only aspect in which he excels is... stupidity. Take a generic harem MC, and replace his brain with rocks. Congratulations, your typical harem MC has evolved into Aoi Kazuya! It appears that this MC has no sense of common decency whatsoever. During times of crisis he gives out some cool speeches, and sometimes they even sound stupid. There isn't really much depth to this character. Make an MC, throw in some random "cool" speeches, make the girls love him for no reason, and don't forget the overdose of idiocy.
Unlike the MC, the main heroine seems to be likable... at first. The main heroine was intriguing. I wanted to know more about her past and why she behaved the way she did. Oh I found out all right, that she is probably delusional. Her backstory contradicts the way she feels for the main character, and she seems to only act like that towards him for... hold on, there is no reason whatsoever. Go harem MC power ( '0')/
Sound:
For god's sake, stop moaning when you transform. Other than that, it seems pretty normal, except for the MC's annoying voice.
Conclusion:
It pains me to watch a potentially good anime being destroyed by excessive fan service, illogical events and characters that lack common sense. Despite the horse shit, the story was interesting, the action scenes had momentum, the animations were decent (excluding fanservice), and the main heroine was interesting (until the later episodes that is).
Yemi_Hikari
I think it goes without saying that the ecchi genre has a reputation for putting out shows that are of a lower caliber. The reason the Anime are associated with being such a low caliber comes from the fact that most of the ecchi genre places what possibly amounts to to much emphasis on the fan service. That doesn't mean though, there aren't shows in the ecchi genre that actually have quality to them. Freezing, despite sharing similar attributes to Claymore, happens to be one of those Anime that stands out as having quality to the storyline despite being of the ecchi genre. Sure, theseries has plenty of fan service, but none of it is forced and every shot is actually believable within the context of the story. There is no pushing “the willing suspense of disbelief for this story.” Every step is thought out.
This includes the artwork and the characterization. All of the action scenes flow realistically, not to mention this is one of those shows that as I've said before, due to the subject matter, would be hard to pull off without the ecchi moments. On top of this, the female characters aren't degraded into being mere eye candy for the main protagonist and his friends to ogle over and have to protect because they are girls. No... the girls are allowed to stand on their own two feet.
danbert2
'Freezing' is an anime that people will approach from several different angles. There are the people that will be watching for the outrageous fight scenes, and others will watch for the ample fan service. What surprised me at the conclusion of the show was that I thought back on the series as, first and formost, a futuristic apocalyptic tale in the same realm of subject matter as Neon Genesis Evangelion. It is a return to the subjects of a show that created a surge of more adult-themed stories and content in anime. Every rose has its thorns, as the show itself says, so let'sdelve into the components of 'Freezing.'
Story: I will try not to give away the best bits! Basically, the story revolves around a highschool-aged group of female superstrong Genetics soldiers and their slightly younger male partners, whose power combined is just enough to fight Genetic's greatest foe, the Nova. Right from the beginning, this show flaunts the extreme violence that comes with training for war. We meet the main characters, Sattelizer and Kazuya just as a "carnival" (read: masochistic annual tournament) is wrapping up, with Sattelizer as the heavy favorite in the second years. The late transfer student and the secluded, tormented fighter makes for a great story of reconciliation and selfless love. We get to see the characters as they fight over school politics, war partners, and each other's hearts. The story has a tendency of showing emotions through protracted fights rather than dialogue, and there were a few points where I just wanted to shove two characters in a room and make them talk. It's frustrating when the source of drama is sometimes just silly miscommunications or assumptions, but I guess these fighters and defenders of the earth are a tad egotistical and self-involved. It comes with the territory.
By the time you're wondering just where the show will go with its fleshed out leads, a large attack befalls Genetics, and Sattelizer and Kasuya find themselves right in the middle. The emotional plot really does play into each character's effectiveness as a fighter, which makes the story much more enthralling. I loved the last four episodes. They were dramatic, had some great twists in the fight, and generally made the show. The stakes feel high in the battle, and I was caring for the different characters, as their survival did not seem to be assured. Now, here's some not-so-sweet news: there is a good amount of boobs and poses thrown into this anime, and though it is almost always related to the fights (as their ever-shredded stigma fabric suits are indicative of their condition), some will see this as gratuitous and pointless. And as I said before, the fights can last quite a while, robbing the viewer of more character development or general setting about the outside world.
Animation: The character designs for everyone is great. We see many nationalities at Genetics, and it actually shows some in their look. Also, every Pandora's a babe, and you will be seeing many a pair of fight-revealed titties (for better or worse, this show is a kind of ecchi), and if it's important to you, they are quite the mammaries. The fighters use a variety of tactics and weapons in their fights, and oh are the fights extraordinary! Great animation paired with a visceral feel of classmates/comrades fighting all out (thank goodness for their magical hospital!) makes for exciting fights that feel like they have lots of power behind them and real consequences. Both the fights and the more dialogue-heavy scenes are well-animated, with good, strong emotions coming through with most of the characters. CGI is used for some of the special moves in a way that blends well with the drawn characters and enemies. It looked like it belonged in the fights, and I think that's the best compliment I could give. Blood and gore are present, but never gratuitous, and the expressions of pain that comes with each hit looks the part. Settings can sometimes be bland-- the school is pretty, I guess, and the city in the last arc does give off a futuristic vibe, but sets in the Genetics compound and during fights are dark and spartan. This is a more generic future than NGE's Nerve center, and the beautiful landscapes of that world. The most important parts, though (the characters, the fights, and the enemy design) come out as the focus, and these elements more than make up for the lack of pretty sunsets.
Sound: The OP is fairly good, and this is coming from a chronic skipper. I found myself humming along often, and the montage during the song is a good overview of the characters and their job: kicking ass to protect the world. The ED is more techno, and has stills behind it rather than animation, but it's still a catchy tune. The soundtrack is usually servicable techno, some piano. It gets the job done. I thought the seiyuu performed admirably. Sattelizer and Kazuya are well-done by their respective actors. There's a "rural" character in the show, and her dialect sounds different even to me, a complete japanese newb. Everyone has great force behind their lines during fights, and especially at the end. Overall, a great and even effort. Also, the sound design for the fights and Nova are great. The special moves really pick up intensity when their sound effects give some weight to the punches and slashes. Oh, and that sound the Novas make? It's really creepy and scary. The sound helps make these behemoths seem menacing and frightfully dangerous.
Characters: The crux of this show is the relationship between Sattelizer and Kazuya, and as they draw closer to each other, both of them have to look back on their lives and their motivations to fight before they can handle a Nova fight. Sattelizer had a traumatic childhood, but in the beginning, all you can think is "ice queen". Who better to thaw the Untouchable Queen's heart than Aoi Kazuyah, the brother of the deceased hero of the last Nova war? There's plenty of meat on these characters, and seeing Kazuya's iron will and its affect on Sattelizer makes for good drama, most of the time. It seems like they pulled the rug out from under our feet at the end, though. We never get to see the result of them caring for each other, this "baptism" of sorts, which cheapens the conclusion of the series, in my opinion. Though the other, secondary characters also have varied and refined personalities, the focus on fights and the main two mean that you'll be left reading info cards after the commercial breaks to learn about the other fighting vixens. Lana, Ganessa, and Chiffon are all great personalities to have around Sattelizer and Kazuya, but I just wish I knew more about their stories. In the end, the characterization are meant to lend emotional power to the action climax of the show, and for all my complaining, it worked!
So there you have it. I started watching for the fight scenes and boobs, and ended up staying for the exciting, world-in-the-balance conclusion. This is an adult anime that eschews the ditzy humor of most ecchi for a serious sci-fi story of love and sacrifice. About the 20th time a blade cuts of a girl's clothing but not her skin, you realize that fanservice is a big part of the show, but by no means is it the biggest. If you can't stand these parts, ask yourself what the difference is between this and the naughtier bits of Rome, True Blood, or Weeds. Adult shows have some T&A, get used to it and just watch the censored version if you're too boob-shy. There are some niggling issues with bland-ish settings and Sattelizer's crushing inability to talk to Kazuya about important things in a normal manner, but these are all small imperfections on a generally good, sometimes great futuristic sci-fi action series. With tits.
lasterrending
PMS the Series... I mean, Freezing... is a show about busty teenage girls with super powers getting into petty fights with each other because they got their fragile egos bruised. Then a bunch of aliens show up and try to destroy the world. In short, if you like sci-fi magic combat anime and are willing to turn off that part of your brain that insists that the good guys actually have some redeeming qualities, you might enjoy this one. Story: 3 I score it this low because of the setting, which drives the plot. WORST MAGICAL COMBAT SCHOOL EVER! Let me explain. The school claims tobe run with military discipline. But this is the school's idea of discipline: Upperclassmen can beat up on lowerclassmen all they want, and if the lowerclassmen do anything about it, they get punished. That's right, this school is like three years of frat house hazing. It teaches you to hate people stronger than you and take out your frustrations on people weaker. Throw in the super powers, and the result is clear. The perfect school for creating super villains!
Wait... that's not the goal of the school? It's meant to train superheroes instead? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You're kidding, right? What's that? You're serious? Wow. That is just soooooo lame. If this is where they train the heroes who are going to defend us against the alien invaders, then I'm rooting for the aliens.
I wouldn't mind so much except that this drives the plot for most of the show.
I score it a 3 and not a 2 or 1 because of the occasional tender scene between Satellizer and Kazuya. He's like her very own bad luck charm, but if you can ignore the fact that he inadvertently ruined her life, their relationship is kind of sweet. Plus I have no complaints about the battle against the Nova toward the end. Normally I hate it when a show suddenly introduces a new conflict toward the end, but in this case I was so tired of the girls fighting each other that it was actually a relief to see the Nova show up and give them someone else to attack before the school imploded from all the infighting.
Art: 4
Don't get me wrong; most of the artwork is fine. I'm just disappointed by the half-hearted job they did on the nipples when the girls get their clothes ripped off in battle. If they're going to throw out interesting characters and plot in favor of a bunch of boobie shots, they should at least make the boobies look nice.
By the way, in this case there's a perfectly valid explanation as to why the fights involve clothes vaporizing. The clothes are maintained by the Pandoras' powers. The benefit is that they can regenerate their clothes instantly after the battle. The drawback is that when the Pandoras get injured, their clothes take damage too. Think of the clothes as a kind of video game health bar.
Sound: 6
It mostly gets out of the way and lets you focus on the fights. +1 for the eerie howling of the Nova. Very alien, and very creepy.
Characters: 3
I can describe these characters in one word: unlikable.
A really cool nickname does not make an interesting heroine unless she can back it up, which apparently, Satellizer can't.
Kazuya is fine, although he's so forgettable that you could swap him out for any other hero in any other anime ever made and it wouldn't hurt the show. Actually, in most cases it would probably improve it.
The supporting cast is composed of whiny brats who have all the emotional maturity of a bunch of 5-year-olds. They need to be taken out of high school and sent back to kindergarten until they can learn to play well with others.
Enjoyment: 3
Look, I get it. Bodice-busting cat fights sell DVD's, and I have no problem with that. I'm not one of these morally upright types who get offended by the sight of a bare breast. But I want to watch interesting characters, not walking temper tantrums with boobs.
Overall: 3
Okay, I'll admit I'm not a big fan of serious combat anime, but I try to judge a show on how well it accomplishes what it's trying to do. By this standard, PMS the Series... I mean, Freezing... fails miserably. With mediocre characters and a plot that doesn't convince me that what the people are fighting for is worth it, this is one of the few animes I wish I hadn't watched.
But hey, at least they show a lot of boobs.
helur
Freezing is a true embodiment of what makes shounen, well shounen. A butt load of action, and a lot of naked butts to go with it. Of course, that is a very simplistic and 'large in identity' assumption of me, but that is the type of eye candy we usually get. I have to say, despite my open distaste for fanservice, I have to admit that Freezing is pretty good at hitting the sweet tooth it aims for. There are a lot of things that work against this show; firstly the plot is very slow and somewhat shallow as every girl, in this academy pandora, decidethey want to pick a fight with Satella. Despite it being faithful to the manga, the ending arc which has actual relevance to the setting seems as if they just wanted to have some actual plot. While it is nice it has a lot of action, this is what ends up limiting the story of the show.
The action is solid and pretty enjoyable, and it damn right should be seeing how it takes up some much screen time. I wouldn't be wrong to judge that at least a third of the show is spent with weapons drawn. The girls each have their own special pandora weapon and after watching the opening battle you know that nobody is pulling their punches as the blood rains down.
Of course our female lead might be a little uptight and tsundere, but her background fully justifies her behavior, and allowed me to sympathize with her a lot. The same can not be said for our pathetic cliché male lead. He is completely stupid and head over heels for Satella, but unfortunately we can't have a bad lead right? So they made him the most powerful limiter* in existence - The pandora's male companion who can use 'freezing' to stop the enemy movement. This is another shounen aspect in case you weren't wondering, where the main character pulls tricks out of his butt without having any idea why he is special. The rest of the pandora's we meet are average characters without much depth, but they aren't horrendous either.
Freezing is an okay watch if your looking for something that is easy to follow. It doesn't have very good characters or story, but it maintains a high level of enjoyment despite these weaknesses.
DarkenedSpear
I'll be completely honest here; I'm utterly and completely biased in favor of this series. Ever since I've seen the first episode, I fell in love. The series has some amazing characters, with unique traits, fears, dreams and aspirations that made the characters easily lovable and connectable. The series also includes some great humorous scenes and acts, some great romance sub-plots and plenty of action. A little warning though, despite all the said above in favor of the series, the series' storyline tends to get somewhat confusing if you don't pay enough attention to the details, and there's some new and nifty terminology to it thatyou must pick up early, or you'll miss a lot.
crookedQueen
I haven't read the manga yet, so my review will be based solely on how I enjoyed the anime. Story/6 I shamelessly love the aliens-are-invading-lets-genetically-modify-teens-and-putem-in-a-school plot. I found that the Nova weren't really focused on at all until the last episodes, but the first half of the series was entertaining and flowed nicely. The story line is episode-by-episode for the most part but easy to keep track of. Art/4 The characters were physically distinguishable - if only by hairstyle for all the redheads but I mean. The breasts were unnatural and vaguely uncomfortable to look at, since they more like resembled balloons that jutted outwards. Ehhh. Allin all I didn't find the art particularly unique, pretty average.
Sound/8
I watched the English dubbed version and I loved it! The voice actors were well matched to their characters. It was pleasant to listen too, nothing felt phoney or forced. I highly recommend the dubbed version!
Character/7
Satella's whole character was really admirable to me. I realize that she might be viewed as cliche, but when we were given her backstory and then guided through her character development it was so easy to sympathize with her. Her never-give-up personality makes her fun to root for. She's a strong female character who is finding genuine affection and companionship for the first time. It made me like Kazuya's character as well, since he was the one who was the first to fight for her. I found the two of them very likeable and of course it made the series that much more enjoyable!
Enjoyment/7
This isn't a cute, fluffy series to watch if that's what you're looking for - but if you're looking for a short series with lots of action, that ecchi element, and some interesting characters, I would say give this a shot :)
Zullfiqar
First of all I have to say this, this series is really underrated! It should be at minimum #500, and not #1794. The story is pretty exciting, you wont get bored for sure. Its actually about a Pandora girl "el Bridget, Satellizer" who doesn't want to be touched by anyone because of the trauma she had in her past. But then she gets to see a boy called "Aoi, Kazuya". She starts to get feelings for Kazuya and let him touch her body, normally she nearly killed people who touched her. After that Kazuya wants to be her Limiter but she is too shy to accept and confrontKazuya, that's actually how the story starts...
So every Pandora girl has an Limiter, except for Satellizer due to her trauma. Normally to fight the enemy Nova, the girls need Limiters who can Freeze the enemy movement. That is only possible if those both partners have done the Baptism (joining). But Kazuya is able to Freeze without the need of Baptism, like his sister "Aoi, Kazuha".
So actually its pretty interesting how the story continues, I really enjoyed this series, hope there will be an Season 2 in future, the ending was open.
======
Now about the rating,
Story 8, is very interesting and enjoyable!
Art 7, the art could have been better, but still its pretty decent!
Sound 9, the sound is very good, the effects/fighting sounds are really good, soundtracks was very nice, I really liked the Nova screaming sound!
Character 9, nothing to tell about it, characters are awesome!
Enjoyment 9, really enjoyed it, no boring episodes or childish stuff.
Blood splatters, slashed body parts, the fighting scenes are all topnotch!
Overall : 9/10
Mothmonsterman
If you are reading this because you have not yet seen this anime and are trying to see whether or not this is the right show for you, then please keep in mind that this review is of my own opinion that may differ from you own, so keep your own personal tastes in mind. If you have already seen this anime and are reading this then you're kind of just along for the ride. Story/Characters: The story for freezing is set in a semi-futuristic world where humanity is under threat by inter-dementonal aliens called Nova and young girls; augmented with superpowers named Pandora are tasked withfighting them (Read the synopsis).
Freezing from the very get go has a pretty solid concept and story with a few sci-fi things sprinkled here and there and enough lore to flesh things out and in fact the story is probably one of this anime's strong points, but if only it could focus on that all the time. This anime; being included as Ecchi has it's fair share of fan service and occasional female nudity, I'm just letting you know so this doesn't come as a surprise.
Despite all of that the story alone still holds it's own with some consistent action sequences featuring some pandora vs pandora combat. It's doesn't have the greatest story in the world but this anime defiantly had me watching one episode after the other and I wasn't disappointed.
As for the characters, the characters to some extent were a little weaker than the story but with some exceptions. Kasuya; the leading male protagonist didn't seem all that interesting to me, sure most of the story was seen through his eyes and there were a few things we got to learn about his character and he develops a good working relationship with Satellizer the Female MC but he unfortunately still came off as a little dull to me. Another character that's kind of weak (in writing) was Rana who comes in later in the series, Rana's only real purpose in the story seemed to be to create a love triangle between the main characters and despite proving useful sometimes, this anime really could have done with out her.
To end this section on a good not Satellizer; the Female MC I mentioned before, was probably the best character in the whole series, and that's something I don't say lightly. This character is introduced as a badass with a hard exterior and prefers to have people at arms length. I won't say anything more other than that there is a lot more than what is seen on the surface, which is uncovered over the course of the series.
Art/sound:
The art and animation is another strong point in this anime, the action sequences were really well choreographed and character designs were really good, especially for the female characters.
The music though I don't remember any of the particular tracks from the OST was pretty solid for the most part.
Sub/Dub:
Honestly I wouldn't really suggest one version over the other for this anime, though I will mention that Funimation did a pretty good job with the dub, as for watching it subbed, I had a pretty similar experience with it, so my suggestion would be to go with what ever you feel comfortable with.
Final Verdict:
I'm going to give this a 7 out of 10, this anime isn't perfect with all it's fan service and love triangles but I have to give credit where credit is due and say "hey, this wasn't half bad."
I would almost suggest watching this if you want to see something with fanservice for the sake of watching fan service, that way you also get a good story out of it as well.
Lord-Zul
Not really sure what to say other than I saw what the anime was supposed to be about and got my hopes up only to seem then dashed further against the rocks with each passing episode. After episode 1 I wanted to stop watching, but kept going at the recommendation of a friend. It wasn't just that the entire anime was fan service galore, I've liked Ecchi anime's before. But it was the fact that the presented plot was a background. This might be spoiler so spoiler warning : While it promised an inter dimensional survival war. The whole series was basically a high schooldrama. Not even a good one, or even realistic.
Everything was so horrible I barely made it to the end of the series, sound was average as was the art which was the reason for this not getting a one. If all you're into is softcore hentai without a touch of realism or storyline, this is the anime for you.
Realism in the sense that even the limited character profiles they put together go against their own profile.
Balsamina
"how to sexually bully the hottest girl in school: randomly chopping limbs off hot girls" the anime. If your time is precious, the above line about sums up the show for you. Technically, there is some sort of loose premise in the background that explains why boys and girls are supposed to pair up as Pandoras and Limiters. However, the plot is very, very straight forward of just fighting monsters that chop up girls AND this plot only really exists in the background and is by no means anything intricate. Most of the show is some really unamusing (and at times cringe) bullying of one shy girlwith a history of sexual abuse at home. The first season does not tell the whole story and spends way more time than necessary focusing on all sorts of ways to bully one chick.
No themes, no exploration of any novel ideas. No thinking involved.
Also, the characters don't really change at all. There is hardly illustration of the main character's inner minds. This thing would have done well if it had sex scenes so it could have been a good hentai but unfortunately, by trying to sell itself as a legitimate narrative with ecchi elements, it really barked up the wrong tree.
LuckyKrystal
Despite being a female, Ecchi and fanservice are two things I don't mind in my anime. That is, if it is done in moderation and is not acting as the crutch of the series. Unfortunately, Freezing is one of those anime, one that rides on its fanservice. Now for an ecchi/ harem anime, we shouldn't come in with high expectations that you're going to get amazing, dynamic characters, a killer story-line, and perfect pacing. 90% of the time you're going to get the exact opposite. Well I came in with my expectations low and by the end of Freezing I had that feeling I hate havingwhen I finish a show: The fact that I just watched something that was either really bad or only decent, when the show could have been so much more.
Story: See, this disappointment mostly came from the story. Its not your typical slice of life harem, its the seemingly less taken supernatural harem, one where it actually seems like its at least trying to have a story. Its got an interesting backstory, where super powered girls called Pandora's are assisted by their male Limiters to eradicate an alien threat in a futuristic world. The original mangaka seemed like they took care in crafting this world and the Pandora's power. But the anime seems to want to focus more on tits and ass. You won't even really see the alien threat (the Nova) until near the end. The anime seemed to only show battles between the Pandora, needlessly squabbling for who knows what and who really gives a shit.And these fights are really there to expose the girls, who's clothes seem to be made out of tissue paper. Long story short: Very interesting concept, not realized to its full potential. 4/10
Characters: Most of the characters in this show are forgettable. They simply exist to either have their ass handed to them by Satelizer or for eye candy. Most of the female side characters are bitchy, violent, and unlikable. I can't even remember the names or faces of any of the male side characters. They are far and few. The 3 notable main characters are a bit more interesting. Satellizer el Bridget is quite the badass. A few minutes into the first episode you see her whooping ass and tearing her opponents apart. We find out later that she is quite the shy girl in reality, and as the series progresses, she unfolds in typical tsundere fashion. Kazuya Aoi, is probably one of the dumbest things ever. He's not totally unlikable, despite being the stereotypical loser who managed to score a hot girl. But I don't know what else to call someone who shoves his face in the chest of a girl (the UNTOUCHABLE queen at that) 5 seconds after meeting her. Seeing his relationship with Satellizer bloom was one of the more interesting parts of the anime. I don't really care for this guy though. Rana Linchen was my favorite character by far. She's nothing revolutionary or dynamic, but she's funny, hyper, and an interesting rival. 5/10
Art and Sound: The insert tracks weren't anything special. The opening and ending themes were good. Now the art...oh the art. This anime doesn't look like it was animated in 2011 at all. It looks like an anime made in the late 90s/early 00's. Characters and backgrounds are bland and flat. You would think that they would have did better in the animation department, seeing as this is an ecchi and the focus is mostly on beautiful busty girls. 3/10
Enjoyment: Well I sat through the whole thing if that means something. I don't mind fanservice at all, but Freezing was a bit much. I enjoyed the fights with the Nova toward the end, and I liked the basis of the story, and even liked the 3 main characters. But I wouldn't say I fully enjoyed this anime. 6/10
Overall: It was interesting enough to keep my attention and root for the main characters but Freezing really doesn't live up to its potential. It has action, it has romance, it has aliens, it has magic, it sounds as if it'd be perfect. If they decided to make a second season with more focus on story and characters with better art, then I'd definetly watch it. But as it stands now, Freezing is just average. 5/10
LoneNinja123
Well, this is my first review in this site since i just logged here and i feel like giving reviews in animes that i personally like or don't like. I'm a great fan of ecchi animes XD so i decided to make this review for freezing that is personally one of the few good ecchi animes around with a decent characteristics. Well, lets no waste time and start! Story: 6/10 The story is set in a futuristic wold where the earth is being attacked by aliens called novas that comes from a other dimension. In order to stop it, modified genetically girls are created using some novafragments on them called stigmas in order to fight novas using new abilities, those girls are called Pandoras. The story starts with a young japanese boy called Kazuya Aoi, that enters in a special school that trains both pandoras and limiters(limiters are male partners of pandoras that uses a freezing ability in order to stop the opponent's moviments). As the story keeps going, Kazuya meets a older second year girl called Satellizer el Bridget, that are the strongest pandora of her class but yet she don't have a limiter for her. Kazuya somehow feels attached to satellizer since she really looks like his old deceased sister that died during a nova clash years ago. So he decides that he will become satellizer's limiter even if most of his classmates warn him about She don't like having limiters. And so the story keeps going.
Where we have see this before? Monsters attacking the earth and the humans...Female warriors were created, using same powers as the monsters for defeat them...a old female protagonist having a newer male partner on her side...? Many animes are like that, a clearly example is Claymore. The story itself is not so original and also have a very slow pacing, with few things explained. What makes interesting and unique are the events, the diffeent setting(futuristic setting) and the atmosphere of the anime that becomes slighty dark as the animes goes but do not expect something deep. For now, i won't critique the story totally since is still in the beginning, Freezing's story is good but it had potential to be better with more things explained.
Art: 7/10
I will be mixed in this part, in other words, i will be positive and negative about the art and designs. I personally liked Freezing's art, even if there is no such deep details, i liked it, principally the effects during the fight scenes. What i don't really liked is...some designs of the gils in the beginning of episode 1. I reallyl liked satellizer's design and some other characters'design aswell, but there some girls that...how i say...had some unnecessary designs like very short pants, short shits, short skirts and etc. As i said, i like ecchi animes, but there things that are really unnecessary, like those designs that i told, it makes the girls looks immoral somehow...idk..is hard to explain.
Sound: 7/10
The Op and ED is good, is not so memorable with that feeling of "want more of it" , but yet the OSTs were very good. It fits every scene(sad, fight, etc) with those piano, violin and orchestral marvelous themes.
Characters: 3/10
Now...the weakest part of the show, the characters. There are very few FEW enjoyable characters in this show, incluing the main characters of the show, Satellizer; Kazuya and Rana. Well since we started about the main charactes how about talking about them? Lets start then
Kazuya Aoi: he is your typical correct and unmotivated shounen hero with those repetitive typic phrases like "i will never leave you side" or "i will protect senpai no matter what", making girls attached to him. Kazuya is neither likeable or dislikeable, he is a OK character but is not a character that will motivate us or catch us somehow. The problem of kazuya is because he don't have anything new that lock us on him. we have see too many of his kind, thats ends being a boring and repetitive character. 1.5/5
Satellize el Bridget: Satellizer is a typical strong female warrior, with great powers that most of the times you will think she is OP XD. Besides of the being a strong and unstoppable woman, she is very shy and have unconfident mood and also she don't like being touched duo the trauma of her past. Satellizer somehow catches me deep, even if the authors used the same formula on her for being a typical strong character(just like erza, clare, teresa and etc), there is something new , that is her background story that was very unexpected and also very dark, causing us to enjoy the character in some terms. The only thing that i don't like about her is because she constantly says "i won't lose to anyone" and she don't have any other interesting phrase. =/ if you repeat this phrase a lot, it will comes a time that you will be sick for always see it, but yet, is a good character. 3.5/5
Rana Linchen:She is that agitated happy and confident character and also rival(of love) of Satellizer about Kazuya(since they both start to have feelings for him as the series goes). She is simple, honest and like kazuya, have the "Correct" will, also she is attached to kazuya and always plan to be his pandora. Rana is a mixed character because you will feel like her only hole is being a rival of love and nothing more. Is not really interesting but yet you somehow will like it her scenes, since she is a funny character and likeable in the same time. Rana should have a better background story, since she is just a fighter that ends having love for a main character and only that, i was kinda expectating more for this character, but yet, is more better than kazuya that somehow entertain us. 2.25/5
Honorable Mentions: Chiffon Fairchild, Cassie Lockheart, Elizabeth Mably, Ticy Phenyl(when i make the review on freezing vibration, i will tell more about them, since is when they characters gain a little more of focus)
Now i have told about the main characters and some honorable mentions. Now i will tell the problem of the characters variety in freezing....they are just simple...not interesting. I will explain, in the first episodes and more to the near of the final(1-9), is satellizer fightning with diffeent pandoras or a random fanservice. After the pandoras fight with satellizer, they basically...leave the anime, they don't appears anymore and if they do, is just in a scene. Most of the characters don't have a good background story, interesting concepts or developing characteristics, and is just there for fight with satellizer and then leave the anime like it doesn't existed =/. Freezing have a very poorly amount of memorable characters, most of them are annoying or egocentric in some terms, and you will end hating or not likeing them, there times that will don't even care if they appears or no in the scene. Characters are not very well developed.
Enjoyment: 6/10
I Pesonally enjoyed Freezing for being a anime with different concepts and environments, set in a future atmosphere. Even with the flaws and mistakes, you somehow will enjoy the fights, character relationships and few stories and events that somehow will lock you even if is not too much.
Overall: 7/10
If you are searching for a deep plot, deep characters, great sounds, great arts and great enjoyment with replay valuable, skip freezing. Freezing is a ecchi anime with, let's say, decent characteristics in terms of Arts, Sounds and few background stories and some interesting events, but this anime have a personal group target, that are the ecchi fans. The story for now is focus in the relationship of Rana, Satella and Kazuya, with a slow pacing plot. If you are fan of boobies, pretty girls, nude, love triangle, fights and some emotional scenes , you will enjoy it, if you don't then don't even watch. Soon i will give my review of freezing vibration...and i have really many things to talk about it.
Pros:
+Good Animation Quality
+Stunning Effects
+Good Atmosphere/Unexpected Events
+Balanced Harem/Ecchi scenes and Fan service
Cons:
- Poorly Developed Characters, not a great variety of interesting characters
-Story have a slowy pacing. Many things left unexplained
-Most Episodes will feel repetitive
de_nukie
How do you like your boobs? Bare? Ample? Frequent? If you answered yes to any or all of the above, Freezing is perfect for you! If not, weeeell, you're not going to have such a great time. I had to mention the boobs at the start because the one of the first thing you'll notice is how much fan-service there is in the show. There is not one single episode where a girl doesn't get her breasts out. Seriously. Not even one. They'll come out during fights after they take a hit on the chest, even if its a punch. I'm not sure how punching somebody makes theirclothes explode, but that's what happens. This, and the frequent panty-shots take you out from the experience. While they would be fine if they were littered about occasionally (gotta keep the viewership interested), the sheer volume of them is just too much, not to mention the timing. There will be numerous serious moments which will be broken because you can see a bunch of panties, or a girl has her boobs hanging out, and this just breaks the atmosphere.
The show also throws in some shower scenes for no real reason other than to show off some more skin. And they even change a story sequence from the manga (which it's adapted from) so that they can show off some more boobs, and the intermissions/half-way points in episodes just display the profiles female characters, while showing them off in skimpy-ass clothing. Because, why not?
The show has a pretty interesting premise (read the synopsis), though it can't exactly be called exactly original. I would therefore have scored this higher, except it doesn't even get onto dealing with the alien Nova until episode 9 (out of 12). That's 3 quarters already into the series. Until then, the Nova are only shown in a couple of flashbacks, and the show just deals with in-school drama, which is far less compelling compared to facing off against towering unknown invaders. Fortunately, when it finally does get to the characters encountering the Nova, Freezing really picks up the pace and it starts to really feel like its going somewhere. The action gets more intense and you finally start to take an interest.
One small gripe about the show is how some important information is revealed by one character just talking to themselves in order to explain and reveal some plot details. While this does a fine job at explaining what's going on and providing a bit more backstory, it doesn't make much sense in terms of why the character is saying that to nobody.
For the most part, the art is pretty good. The characters look good, although the main character's breasts just seemed a couple cup-sizes too large. And while the designs aren't unique or anything, they are well drawn. However, the art does suffer when compared to the manga, especially in the design of the 'Pandora Mode' that some characters can go into. In the manga, their outfit changes almost completely, and they have a more sci-fi/battle-suit look to them, but in the anime, the characters just have this white glow around them, without changing the way they look at all. This just seems lazy.
The Nova look great. They look smooth and elegant, and appropriately alien, while also carrying this sense of power. However, their body parts don't move (although this is probably to create an atmosphere of strangeness around them) and they just hover about. The overall animation for the show is mostly smooth, with only a few occurrences when things look a bit choppy.
The characters were a big weak point in the series for me, and there just weren't any mains who I liked. Kazuya is annoying and needy, Satellizer is just not likeable due to her personality and Arthur (really a side character later on) is one of the one sycophantic anime characters I have ever seen. I initially like Rana, until she turned out to be very petty. In fact, the only characters who I did like (or at least, not hate) only appeared a couple times throughout the series, and even then, only for a few minutes.
Personally, I didn't like the music, but that's just my taste (I generally don't like anime music). I felt that the voice acting in Japanese was good, fitting for most of the characters, and I would have given the sound a higher rank, but then I watched the English dub. Many of the voices didn't fit their characters, and at times, the acting wasn't very good and were hard to take seriously. The English dub is pretty horrible. If you're going to watch it, watch it in Japanese.
Overall, Freezing has pretty good art and animation, but wasn't as good as it's manga source, and an interesting, albeit unoriginal, premise. Unfortunately, the story just didn't get interesting until three quarters into series, and this was too late to completely salvage it. The characters were a weak point as they weren't very likable and while the Japanese language version is fine, the English dub suffers from poor voice-work. The show is brought down from a 6.5, to a 5 because of slow story, poor characters and the overload of fan-service, sometimes even breaking the atmosphere and seriousness of some situations.
Story:5 Art:7 Sound:6 Character:4 Enjoyment:5
Overall:5
Chai_
***THIS IS A POORLY COPIED VERSION OF CLAYMORE'S BASIC PLOT*** The WHOLE DAMN PLOT is copied. Anyone who has seen Claymore can EASILY see this. The ppl behind this copied everything down, even at some points, to character personalities! So im not going to go in a lot of detail since its easy to see the flaming obvious plagiarism. Let me break it down. Main plot that was copied: Nova = YoumaPandora mode = Yoki release mode
Main heroin got her power the same way
An organization doing experiments to create warriors
only females can become warriors thru implants
Copied characters/personalities:
No. 2, elizabeth mably of Year 3 = No. 2, Irene, from 77th claymore generation
No. 1, Chiffon "The Unmatched Smiling Monster" Fairchild = No. 1 of the 77th generation Teresa of the Faint Smile (called a "monster" as well)
Differences:
Cheap ecchi
immaturity
romantic touch
fail comedy
other slight modifications to characters and plot to make it look more like ur typical cheap ecchi, fail comedy shounen anime.
Highly NOT RECOMMENDED for ppl seeking true action with a seinen plot. the manga tags said its seinen but it AINT.its ur average cheap shounen show.
