Freezing Vibration

There’s something that is painfully cold about Freezing Vibration. It’s not the temperature I’m referring to but the fact the show is stone cold in terms of storytelling, characters, and presentation. I tried to remain optimistic about what this sequel could bring because the establishment of season 1. Despite being clichéd and molded with unbalanced characters, the first season at least had some standards on its premise. The way it was orchestrated did not live up to its promise but if you thought Freezing was bad, season 2 is at another level of catastrophe. It’s like an avalanche heading for disaster and eventually buries itselfin this disaster of a continuation. Freezing Vibration is the direct continuation of season 1 of Freezing, a manga based on the same name written by Dall-Young Lim. If you haven’t seen Freezing yet, then better get to that now if you’re curious about this series. The fact is that you’ll be a bit lost at what’s happening. Therefore, it is highly advisable to watch season 1 of Freezing before venturing on this continuation. Season 2 takes off wasting little time with its plot. From the beginning, we meet our three main protagonists Kazuya, Satellizer, and Rana whom seem to be part of an expedition in a very frosty location. It’s soon we find that they were sent there to undertake and be part of an experiment for the “benefit of humanity”. I put this in quotation marks as this will be explained later. But as the plot begins to unfold itself, we find out there’s more than meets the eye especially for what’s going behind the scenes. The anime is adapted from the manga as part of the “E-Pandora” arc that introduces many new characters into the show. New characters such as Amelia Evans and Gina Papleton are introduced as supporting characters and part of a project known as “E-Pandora Project”. Other prominent characters such as Chiffon, Elizabeth, and a returning Cassie Lockhart make their way in the show. What do they have in common? Nothing except their rankings in terms of fighting abilities that made the famous throughout the world. Altogether, they are in line to support the latest evolution in experimentation to combat the deadly Novas. That’s at least what they think anyways… At the core of the experimentation is a research with extensive knowledge of the Stigmata. We learn throughout the show that the experimentations aren’t as they appear to be especially involving a powerful drug. It’s hard to categorize what kind of drug this is but the effects are malevolent. To make matter worse, there’s a line where E-Pandoras cross before they get themselves hurt. By hurt, I mean real hurt. For this sequel to work with a storyline this, there’s need to be a realization on the history of experimentation (or at least similar cases). Unfortunately, the series explores only its effects on the surface through actual combat. The fighting itself doesn’t hold any promise as most of the fights are one sided. Even when there’s a little glimmer of hope, it goes back to being stale again with predicable circumstances. The plot of Freezing Vibration also apparently explores a bit of our main characters in particular Satellizer. We already know that she is nicknamed the “untouchable queen” for a reason in season 1. However, that element is really touched upon (almost in a literal sense…) in this sequel. To say the least, it’s disturbing, ominous, and distasteful to watch considering the relations involved. To make matters worse, it makes little effort in resolving the issue. Sure, there’s the emotions and symbolism that were involved. However, there’s little sense in who to exactly blame. Was it really the perpetrator, Satellizer’s own insecurities of herself, or just nature of humanity itself? It’s also unknown what sort of message it's trying to sent; especially with its odd coordination at the middle of the story. The premise is completely separate from the E-Pandoras or war against Novas itself. It seems like the series is trying to develop characters but rubs it in the wrong way. It’s literally forcing itself at the body of its plot to show the grim reality of Satellizer’s past. It’s excruciating to watch and makes us feel uncomfortable with its delivery. At some respects, Freezing Vibration does give many of the characters screen time. Almost everyone gets a little action in whether you’re a Pandora, E-Pandora, or Limiter. Just be aware that the series is a one cour show so don’t expect any characterization on anyone. In fact, we only get a little glimpse at the true visage of a few characters such as Elizabeth and Amelia. Our antagonist of this show named Scarlett Ohara is also stereotypical with the lab coat, cynical personality, and ambition of a researcher just without the mad scientist glasses. With no sense of a personality she is about as stone cold as the freezing winds of Alaska. At various points, I question if the main problem of the antagonist is humanity itself because the E-Pandoras suffers by the products of humans’ inventions. Without them, the E-Pandoras wouldn’t even be there or have to live through a fear of being a human lab animal. In terms of aesthetic values, Freezing Vibration does keep up with its science fiction theme well. Characters are designed to look and feel like they are part of the program. Because the show brings out the female dominance of the characters, most of them are designed to look compelling and can handle themselves. In particular, the top 5 Pandoras of the world distinguishes themselves by different nicknames that matches their personalities/abilities. On the other hand, there’s a subtext of cruelty related to the E-Pandoras as we get to see where some of them came from; not literally with background histories but rather what they are fighting for or why they’re there. Similar to the first season as well, there’s fan service. It feels odd to see many pool scenes in a cold climate where the experimentations take place. Of course, with a pool filled with hot water can only mean one thing: clothes coming off. In more ways than one, a few of the characters goes on a more daring way to advertise themselves such as Elizabeth or Roxanne. Rana also follows this trend in order to “take advantage of Kazuya”. Oh and speaking of the relationship Rana and Kazuya, there seems to be no progression there as well except for the occasional tease that achieves little results. Similarly, Satellizer still remains unbaptized despite overcoming a crucial obstacle in her life. It’s factors like these that really degenerates the main plot together as viewers may be left with how to feel. In the end, I felt unsatisfied. The way some conflicts are resolved are also questionable with predictable results left with clichéd holes. It’s a cold stone reality and the E-Pandoras doesn’t like it either. Artistic wise, most of the designs are generic although fits with the overall science fiction theme well. There’s not much change in any of the main characters’ designs although a few of the new Pandoras introduced give them a distinguishing appearance. These include the scarlet hair of Roxanne, the short stature of Charles, or the glamorous figure of a nude Elizabeth Mably. On the contrary, we don’t get to see a lot of Novas in this season as the show focuses on the E-Pandoras so it’s hard to tell if they underwent significant changes. The setting of this season goes well with its style though in the cold climates of Alaska. The freezing snow depicts the cruelty of the experimentation and the reality of E-Pandoras like the frozen winds. Soundtrack isn’t entirely impressive but is tolerable enough. Music director Masaru Yokoyama returns for his role and does a standard job. The OST is only tolerable at best during the action scenes and less so during emotional subplots. The choreography of the action scenes rises above the standards though especially for moves such as the rapid Tempest maneuver or Accel Turns. The OP song ‘Avenge World’ balances itself with a sense of science. On the other hand, the ED song ‘Sekai wa Kizu wo Dakishimeru’ is saturated with fan service that makes the sinister style of this season look like a joke. Freezing Vibration is one of those shows that I only recommend for completion’s sakes or if you want to see what happens after season one. It’s really hard to not feel disappointed after seeing the weak characterization and its mess of a plot. The plot itself also doesn't end well with a rushed conclusion and hinting a possible continuation. There are many inconsistencies related to the E-Pandora arc such as to who to blame or its main purpose. Sure, it might be to save humanity but who is to save the E-Pandoras themselves? Thankfully, the show introduces a diverse amount of characters that fans might get accustomed to along with some intense action and feuds. But ultimately, Freezing Vibration doesn’t live up to its name. If Freezing is a prototype, then Vibration would be the defection. Clearly, evolution is NOT the solution.