6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
In a word overrun by aliens, mankind is protected by genetically-enhanced female warriors called Pandoras. Satellizer el Bridget is the most feared Pandora at West Genetics academy, and anyone foolish enough to lay a finger on her lush body may not live to regret it. Until, that is, her status as the “Untouchable Queen” is threatened by the arrival of Kazuya, a young boy with a tortured past.
Starring: Mamiko Noto, Kana Hanazawa, Mitsuhiro Ichiki, Marina Inoue, Yuri AmanoAnime | 100% |
Foreign | 95% |
Action | 27% |
Comic book | 27% |
Comedy | 26% |
Erotic | 24% |
Romance | 23% |
Fantasy | 22% |
Sci-Fi | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Japanese: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (2 BDs, 2 DVDs)
DVD copy
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
If aliens ever do show up in the skies above Planet Earth, we better hope that whoever is in charge of defending us is an anime fan, because heaven knows this particular subgenre within anime has offered lots of different "solutions" for how to handle an incipient alien "problem". Alien invasion has been an anime trope for years, and the kind of interesting thing about it is the somewhat varied approach various anime have taken towards the subject. Some deal in gloom and doom, positing a post-Apocalyptic future with alien overlords. Other anime tend to favor a more whimsical approach. The aliens may in fact be just as dastardly, but nothing seems to be all that serious, with some series actually playing things largely for laughs. Freezing is yet another anime outing pairing genetically altered girls and boys whose special “talents’ will hopefully prevent a mid 21st century world from being overrun by aliens. The show may not be quite as buffoonish as Sekirei or Strike Witches, but it will probably remind many anime fans of those shows due to Freezing’s somewhat similar emphasis on both science fiction and some ubiquitous fan service. It’s a kind of bizarre situation in a way that so many anime series tend to feature “girl power” while at the same time not hesitating to have their female heroines fairly busting (pun intended) out of their skimpy clothing, but that’s been the case in any number of high profile anime through the years, and it’s something that Freezing also exploits. The show plays almost like a reverse harem enterprise in a way, even though we do have a singular male hero surrounded by a bevy of extremely buxom heroines. But in this particular formulation the girls hold most of the cards and in fact a good deal of the power. That may be the single most salient differing characteristic between Freezing and other shows of this ilk, so the question is immediately raised: is that enough to warrant interest?
Freezing is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. I was just slightly disappointed with the sharpness of this release, especially considering how recently it was produced. Things certainly are nowhere near as bad as the upconvert on the recently reviewed Shakugan no Shana: Season 1, but things rarely rise to the relatively tack sharp levels of, say, Sekirei: Pure Engagement. This presentation offers acceptably sharp line detail and some nicely robust colors, but the character designs are pretty standard and aside from some nice CGI elements, things don't pop with a lot of force and in fact quite a bit of this series looks oddly soft, as can clearly be seen in some of the screencaps uploaded with this review. Those who love this series—and there are many who do—will no doubt be quite pleased with this high definition presentation.
Freezing features the original Japanese language track presented via a Dolby TrueHD 2.0 mix, and an invigorating English dub offered via Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Both of these tracks have their good points, though as has often been the case recently on a number of anime, the English track is significantly more aggressive, even divorcing the surround versus stereo aspect. The English track also presents a wealth of surround activity that really helps to make the series a lot of fun to listen to. Fidelity on both of these tracks is excellent, and dynamic range is very wide, especially on the surround mix.
Freezing is another okay to middling anime that really doesn't have anything especially wrong with it, but which is so old hat (and/or old bust, so to speak) that it just becomes tiresome to sit through, especially if you've watched any number of other anime that trods this same general territory. The series presents some interesting characters, none more so than the extremely oddly named Satellizer el Bridget, but it's hobbled by being too complex for its relatively short episode length. Fans of the series will probably enjoy this Blu-ray presentation, even if the video is strangely soft at times, but those unfamiliar with the series may want to do a little "comparison shopping" of other titles with similar themes. Heaven knows there are more than enough to choose from.
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