Freezing: Cultural References

The manga and anime series of Freezing contain numerous cultural references in its storyline, depicted down with thorough explanation down below.

Incidents and actions

Miyabi Kannazuki embarrassing Satellizer L. Bridget.

The scene in the introductory arc where Miyabi Kannazuki tries to embarrass Satellizer L. Bridget by flipping up her skirt and taking down her panties is a common theme in Japanese culture. This is a stereotypical method of bullying of girls by other girls or boys in Japanese high schools.

Charles Bonaparte and Roxanne Elipton calling each other names.

Charles and Roxanne are seen lightly insulting each other during their encounter, particularly how Charles calls Roxanne "Zombie Girl" and the latter slapping her butt upon meeting Charles. This might be a form of cultural and/or political sentiments. There was once an incident in March 2003 where the menu French fries and French toast in the United States House of Representatives cafeteria has their names changed to freedom fries and freedom toast instead. This incident was regarded as a form of Anti-French sentiment.

Arnett McMillan and Ganessa Roland's conversation during the soccer game.

During the soccer game in the second omake, Ganessa tackles Satellizer to get the ball, earning a yellow card for an intentional foul from Chiffon. Arnett, being Ganessa's team-mate, yelled to her, in which she defends by replying that she's seen it all the time on TV. Arnett remarked that, being British, she should have known the rules. With soccer (also known as association football) being the most popular sport in England, even girls watch it, which was Arnett`s expectation of Ganessa's understanding of the game.

Gengo Aoi's parochialness

When Gengo Aoi and Howard L. Bridget discuss the relationship between Satellizer L. Bridget and Kazuya Aoi, Gengo reveals himself to have typical insular ethnic preferences, as frequently found in Japan, of not wanting outsiders to marry into the family, so no foreigners, such as the blonde foreigner Satellizer.

Yumi Kim's happiness on Mi-Ryung Baek's victory

In the Freezing universe, nationalism is supposed to have been overcome. However, Yumi Kim's happiness that her countrywoman, Mi-Ryung Baek, won the Carnival shows that it is still like it is in reality.

Names of Freezing Characters

Charles Bonaparte

Charles Bonaparte is a reference to the second Emperor of France, Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, aka Napoleon III, the only emperor of the Second Empire. Also, it is a common characteristic for some French women to have masculine names, "Charles" being a male name. As she is a Pandora from France, her name is patriotic. Moreover, her short height also pays homage to Napoleon I, aka Napoleon Bonaparte, the first Emperor of France and only emperor of the First Empire.

Sharon Obama

Sharon Obama is a reference to the 44th US President, Barack Obama. "Obama" is a surname of the Luo tribe of Kenya in Africa, as well as one for Japan (小浜). The name has also been adopted in mirth, song and for pubs by Ireland, as "O'Bama". The subsidiary references then are for Kenya and Ireland, while the primary is for the USA.

Scarlett Ohara

Scarlett Ohara (Kanji: スカーレット＝大原; Hepburn: Sukāretto Ōhara) is a reference to the lead female character Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind.

Marks Spencer

Marks Spencer is a reference to the British department store chain Marks & Spencer.

Elizabeth Mably

Elizabeth Mably's last name is an abbreviation of Maybelline New York, a worldwide distributor of cosmetics. Due to the fact the Mably household also runs a cosmetics department (which is also renowned worldwide) underpins this.

Hinted name combination from Amelia Evans and Cassie Lockheart

When Amelia Evans' first name is combined with Cassie Lockheart's last name, one gets Amelia Lockheart. This being a reference towards Amelia Earheart, world's first female pilot who solely crossed the Pacific and set various other world flying records. Amelia's self-sacrificing and immovable will also pays homage towards Earheart's personality.

André Françoise

André Françoise's name is a reference to the Hungarian-born French cartoonist André François.

Citroen

Citroen, Charles Bonaparte's Limiter, is a reference to the French auto-mobile company Citroën.

Arnett McMillan

Arnett McMillan's last name has several references towards the real world, such as McMillan Hotels (a hotel group), McMillan LLP (a Canadian law firm), and Clan MacMillan (a Highland Scottish clan). However, its best probable reference is to Macmillan Publishers, an international publishing company which has published novels of major writers including Margaret Mitchell, the author behind the novel of Gone with the Wind, which contains a character named Scarlett O'Hara, which is a reference towards Freezing's Scarlett Ohara.

Arthur Crypton

Arthur Crypton's last name is a reference to planet Krypton, the planet of origin of the famed Superman.

Names of Valkyries

Each Valkyrie representative's surname is based on car manufacturers from their respective countries. They are Tiziana Ferrari (Italy) , Christine Evora (United Kingdom), Franca Porsche (Germany), Lucy Renault (France) and Ouka Honda (Japan). However, Christine's surname actually refers to Lotus Evora, a sports car from British manufacturer Lotus.

Location names

Chakra

Chakra is the alternate name for Genetics India, the Indian Pandora military academy. "Chakra" is an Indian mystical concept of a sort of wheel-like vortex inherent in the body's life-force, which may be a reference to the Stigmata implanted into the bodies of Pandora. Additionally, it may be a misspelling of "Chakram", a throwing weapon consisting of an annulus with a knife-edge. As a traditional Indian weapon, it may be a reference to the military aspect of the Genetics academy.

PANZER

PANZER is the alternate name for Genetics Germany, the Pandora military academy of Germany. "Panzer" is the German term for tank (armored offensive combat vehicle) or armored (such as a suit of armor) and the English term for a WWII German tank, or a German tank in general.

South/North

South/North is the alternate name for Genetics Korea, the Korean Pandora military academy. This references the divide of Korea between North and South, and a dream of a reunified one. It also shows "South" first, either showing the pre-eminence of the South over the North or showing the traditional Chinese-derived directions where South is first, instead of North as is in the Western tradition.

L.T.D.

L.T.D. is the alternate name for Genetics France, the Pandora military academy of France. "NYSE L.T.D." is a reference to the NYSE symbol for Limited Brands, Inc., suggesting that Genetics France considers itself as a "Limited Edition".

Eaton school

Eaton school is based on the real life boarding school for boys, which is based in London. Which Luke Evans got in to freezing and is the college that Sir Ian Fleming attended to. Fleming who wrote the James Bond novels and is also the college that James Bond attended himself.

Organizations

Genetics

The Genetics Academies are a mixture of private and national military academies. Like many private military academies, the Genetics ones are high schools. National military academies are typically universities. Like many national military academies, students at Genetics hold reserve commissions and are required to serve when called. Higher school grades/years/classes have higher rank as in military academies, however school life is more akin to standard Japanese high school dramas than actual military academies. Like private military academies, and unlike national military academies, graduates are not required to serve a term of service, but can "retire" at graduation. Like military academies, punishment is frequently meted out by upper-class men upon lower-class men (such as plebs) for disobeying them. Like many national military academies, the seniors (4th years) serve some school terms in the field, such as midshipmen from naval academies or cadet under officers (ensigns) from army academies.

See also

• Freezing (manga)
• Freezing (anime)
• Freezing - First Chronicle (manga)

External links

• Lim Dall Young World wiki: Cultural references in Freezing

Freezing
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