The thing that struck me the most about this anime is how similar the setting is to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Humankind under threat of invasion by otherworldly beings of alien origin, some kind of top-secret technology that allows them to combat the unknown threat and even conspiracies to top it off. It has NGE written all over it thus far. But this is where the similarities end and, cracks begin to appear. To begin with, I do not think an anime with such a serious theme should have had as much ecchiness as Freezing did. This is a minor complaint though and shouldn't affect the experience much if you've decided to pick it up after seeing the 'ecchi' tag as I did. The second and the biggest problem is that the plot veers wildly off course after the introduction. One doesn't witness epic battles for survival. No, the viewer is instead treated to squabbles between the female protagonist (Satellizer) and other random Pandora. Given the backdrop of the series, this is an odd decision on the part of the producers. That said, the plot does manage to recover partially towards the end. It may be too little too late for some, but I personally liked the cliffhanger ending. If only the plot and setting were bolstered by not-so-weak characterization, maybe this anime would've stood out of the crowd.
The characterization is probably the weakest link in Freezing. In fact, it's downright frustrating. To the extent that you might be inclined to drop the series solely because of it. Let's talk about Satellizer first. She is the only character who receives some semblance of development during the course of the series. This by no means implies that she is tolerable as a character. Satellizer is irritating, period. She comes across as a tsundere of the highest order at the beginning (first few minutes of the first episode). Now, that impression is destroyed as soon as it is created by none other than Aoi Kazuya, the male protagonist. He has a sudden urge to hug her because she resembles his late sister, a legendary Pandora. This effectively sends Satellizer's reputation as the 'Untouchable Queen' down the drain. Thereafter, she transforms into this cute, shy insecure high school girl whenever she comes into contact with Kazuya. This, frankly speaking, is downright pathetic and a pain to watch even after the flashback to her distressing past. The chief reason for this is her 'I will not lose' personality. Under normal circumstances, this is supposed to be something admirable. But it's obvious that this is only a facade and she requires Kazuya to bail her out of tough situations. So, what happens when it's all done? You guessed it, she acts all feminine, says something like 'I didn't need your help' and makes a hurried exit from the scene. Satellizer does change during the course of the series though, in fact, she's the only one. But it comes after eleven episodes of utter stupidity. In other words, it doesn't amount to much.
Aoi Kazuya is another entity that I would like to discuss in detail. But I'll keep this one brief. Basically, he's your idealistic hero who doesn't take 'no' for an answer and is obsessed with becoming Satellizer's Limiter, probably because of his sister complex. Kazuya's okay for the most part, but it has to be pointed out that his tendency to deliver long, emotional (mostly uninspired) speeches can get irritating. Also, he has some kind of mysterious power which makes his Freezing a lot stronger at the right time. Personally, I'm not a big fan of characters with 'hidden potential' who come through for others in the nick of time and that too, recurrently. Personal views aside, Kazuya doesn't receive any development AT ALL. This is unfortunate as he is one of the leads in this show. The rest of the cast is composed solely of extras. Even Rana Linchen, Satellizer's rival, is just that and doesn't serve any other purpose. But as strange as it may seem, she is actually better than either protagonist in many ways. This is one of those rare anime in which the supporting cast is apparently far better than the protagonists. Don't ask me why though, I have no answer. Overall, this is one of the worst assortment of characters I've seen in any anime.
The art and animation are pretty well done for the most and manage to portray action scenes quite nicely. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's more than adequate for an ecchi anime. The same goes for the character designs. They're ok, albeit a tad generic.
The audio on the other hand is slightly disappointing. The voice cast does a pretty good job, but, none of them really stand out. One gripe I have about with regard to this is that most of what Satellizer says to Kazuya after about five episodes is annoying. Almost every dialogue is delivered in an irritating hesitant tone and has numerous pauses which are quite unnecessary. The soundtack is average, but manages to get the job done.
Freezing isn't a bad anime by any means. In fact, it has an interesting setting and more than adequate back-story for an ecchi anime. But it fails to use that solid foundation to its full potential. Weak characterization and an uninteresting plot prevent it from being one of the best products in it's genre. despite everything I have said, I still think it's a good pick for anyone looking for mindless ecchi action. Freezing has a lot of content to satisfy perverted minds.
