Plot: What’s it about?
Joong-Won (Lee Seo-Jin) has mourned the loss of his true love for years, a romance that was doomed from the start. He is a vampire and while humans also experience extreme loss over similar situations, none have to suffer for centuries like Joong-Won has, so his pain is immense. He couldn’t tell his true love the truth about himself, nor could he be with her like he desired, but she still had strong feelings for him. As she died, she had a letter sent to him asking for him to look after her daughter, Ji-Woo (Park Han-Byul), who seeks him out after her mother’s death. Joong-Won is now in Seoul with his longtime companion E-Wa (Son Tae-Young), whom he saved over three hundred years ago and has been with since. Over time, Joong-Won has become cold in his heart, but when he meets Ji-Woo, he starts to open up again, much to even his own surprise. But how will the arrival of Ji-Woo impact E-Wa and will the three find themselves in a tragic love triangle?
When I think of Korean dramas, I tend to think of light, soap opera style shows. So Freeze is a step outside that, a show with a supernatural twist. As you’d expect from a K-Drama, the emphasis is on story and characters, so despite the presence of vampires, this is not a horror slanted show. The focus is on emotional distance, as we watch a character try to overcome his past and learn to love again. There is a side story that has a detective trying to track down a murderous vampire, but again, violence and bloodshed is not a concern here. Freeze is only five episodes, so it is shorter than most K-Dramas, but even with fewer episodes, the pace tends to be quite slow at times. I think this is done to create a certain atmosphere and allow the exposition to unfold, but I can see how some might not like the slower approach. Freeze was a solid watch and shows that the romantic mythology of vampires can hold up even without over the top bloodletting. The show is short, but for fans of K-Dramas it is well worth a look and YA Entertainment’s release is well crafted.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This show looks excellent, thanks to this transfer that ensures the dark visuals are well handled. The image is crystal clear and shows no debris or softness, so detail is high throughout. I found black levels to be superb, always stark and accurate, even in the darkest shadows. No issues with colors either, the hues look bright and bold when needed, then more reserved when that is called for. I did see a few minor issues here and there, but overall the show looks fantastic here.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original Korean soundtrack is preserved via a solid, but rather basic stereo soundtrack. This show is driven by dialogue, so there isn’t much need for surround presence. The music has good presence however, so when the audio does need a boost, it is provided. The main emphasis is on dialogue though and since the vocals are always clear and crisp, there isn’t much else I can report in this department. This release also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes interviews with prominent cast and crew members, two brief behind the scenes featurettes, and the music video for Fate.
