Not Recommended
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.
