Studio: A.C.G.T
Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Drama, Ecchi, Martial Arts, Romance, Sci-Fi, Harem, Military, Seinen
OP: "AVENGE WORLD" by Konomi Suzuki
ED: "Sekai wa Kizu wo Dakishimeru (世界は疵を抱きしめる)" by Konomi Suzuki
Summary: Continuation of the Freezing series. An increasing amount of Nova are appearing on earth, and their aren't enough Pandoras to regulate the increase. In order to offset that, Chevalier headquarters begins a new Pandora Project called Evolution Pandora. The project is intended to create artificial Stigmata to implant into normal girls and they will become new Pandoras to help in the fight against the Novas.
I am slightly surprised that Freezing got itself a sequel, considering it didn't seem that popular in the first place. But, I'm going to complain because I did enjoy it's previous season. So I did end up re-watching the first season a few weeks ago to figure out if I want to even bother with the second, and let just say you are reading this first impression because I still find the series compelling enough to continue.
So right from the start, we get a freezing joke coming from Rana which was also sexually laced to get close to Kazuya; this is basically what Freezing is, during something like responding to a distress signal, there is still room for some lighthearted sexual advances. Even if Kazuya is still a big push over, we get the pleasure of seeing some femdom coming from Rana right from the start, which I'm perfectly okay with.
As it goes for story, we are continuing where the first season left with Kazuya's grandfather -- which I thought he was his father, when I first saw him -- Aoi Gengo interested in exploring the double edge sword of what is Nova-mode. That wasn't mentioned in this first episode, but we do get introduced to a new type of Pandora, only they are artificial. Evolution Pandora, or E-Pandora for short, are basically normal women with artificial Stigmata; the only thing I'm not sure of is if they are weaker, stronger, or about the same as regular Pandoras -- that might get cleared up pretty quickly though.
What I am wonder, and it is very likely, is the fact that there are two different type of Pandora, they might end up having conflict with each other. In the first season, Satellizer was the "other" because she was the strongest of the first year and she dared to challenge Pandora other than the ones in her year; and this time around I don't think she will be the enemy of other Pandora, consider she was one of the few that saved the West Genetics' base from a S-level Nova. So all that is left is really the E-Pandora to be the other inside this group, since Nova aren't that much of a threat, character development wise.
Now this is where a good chunk of people are drawn in or put off by this series, that being fanservice. Freezing is known for the only things that are really coming off, in a fight, is clothes. I never was bother by that fact, because little bit of skin didn't hurt nobody. And as long as it isn't obsessive, it wont end up subtracting from the story.
So we do have a bit sprinkled around from panty shots, to breast grabs, and of course full frontal nudity. I would say that it was enough to wake people up in between the details of the story being introduced. It felt like a natural flow, and wasn't gratuitous like the OVAs; the scenes were brief and felt like it was just apart of the anime and not forced viewer bait.
Overall, this looks like a good start to a series I've been looking forward to for some time. The introduction is far more story focus at the moment and that is great, and I'm interested in seeing what is going to happen between Pandora and E-Pandora. I was far more drawn in to Freezing because of the character Satellizer, but I'm sure they will still have some character development in future episodes, so I'm excited to see whats next.
Orginally posted to the now shutdown sekijitsu.com: No Archive Found