Darling in the FRANXX
Studio Trigger/Cloverworks/A-1 Pictures
Genre: Mecha, Science- Fiction, Romance
Hey guys.
And welcome to another anime review.
And today… like I said yesterday, I am going to do this anime I really liked a lot, from the very first episode, despite all the controversy. And that anime is…
Darling in the FRANXX
Oh boy!!! I am so excited.
But before I start, I must ask you the typical Question.
Are you guys ok? Washing your hands? Maintaining social distancing?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy, especially on these very turbulent times of coronavirus. Again, I leave with the same message that I kept repeating for these days…
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CORONAVIRUS!!!!
Whatever happens, listen to the doctors, to the scientists, and be diligent, if you do, then we will overcome this in no time.
Having said that, let’s go with… DARLING IN THE FRANXX
PREMISE
Released in 2018, as a co-production from Studio Trigger and Cloverworks, Darling in the FRANXX takes place in a dystopian future, where relationships and procreation have been eliminated, and humankind is now divided between the adults, who live in big cities and domes, and the children, also known as Parasites, who drive theses mechas, called FRANXX, that defend the Earth and the world of the adults, from a really dangerous alien race that is trying to extinguish humankind, known as the klaxosaurus, a mixture of robots and dinosaurs that are after a great energy, called Magma energy, which is the only that is both helping the adults to live, and helping the FRANXX to work.
One of the kids, named Code:016, or simply Hiro, was once a prodigy at piloting the FRANXX; now is unable to synchronise with them properly, becoming a pariah, that is until he meets a mysterious girl, named Code:002, or Zero Two, who is a hybrid between Human and Klaxosaurus, and her FRANXX, Strelizia; but then, it is revealed that Hiro can pilot Strelizia with no problem.
Because of this, Hiro immediately becomes Zero Two’s… Darling.
This gives Hiro a new purpose for his life, and to recover his place at 13th Squad. Now, both Hiro ans Zero Two unite to defend Earth from the klaxosaurus. But there is a big problem. Zero Two, due to her klaxosaurus blood, is also known as the Partner Killer. Why? Because every partner that Zero Two has dies after the third ride on Strelizia.
Now, Hiro, Zero Two, and the rest of the 13th Squad must survive the klaxosaurus while discovering the secrets of Zero Two herself, the klaxosaurus, and the FRANXX, with many wonderful, romantic sub-plots that will allow our heroes to grow and become more than they could ever expected.
Wow!!! Forgive guys. I know I wrote a lot about the premise. But it is because Darling in the FRANXX has a lot. It has drama, it has romance, it has action, it has delightful characters, it has a very sweet backstory from the FRANXX, the klaxosaurus…
It has everything!!!
There is a lot to say, and that lets to…
STORY
I know what many of you is thinking… This story is Neon Genesis Evangelion.
And yeah… it takes a lot of elements from Evangelion. But come on!!! Evangelion is one of the greatest anime of history. Of course, it is going to influence many series for the years to come. Nevertheless, Darling in the FRANXX is also its own thing. If not, I won’t waste so many paragraphs focused on the premise. Again, it has drama, it has romance, it has comedy, it has sci-fi. And every element of Darling has a solid development, there is a reason of why everything in this series is that it is. And through these wonderful 24 episodes, we come to know everything about this world.
And speaking of story…
HIRO AND ZERO TWO ARE CRIMINALLY ADORABLE!!!
Hiro and Zero Two, as a couple and as individual characters, is what keeps the story so engaging. She is trying to be human, and he is trying to recover his purpose, and through their trials, they truly connect; both their chemistry and development is so organic that is practically hypnotic. Every single romantic moment is really beautiful, I really loved them. I think they are among the best characters of 2018, especially Zero Two.
And… many people will might hate me for this, but…
I LOVE HIRO AND ZERO TWO AS A COUPLE, OVER…
These two!!!
I am not saying that Asuna and Kirito are a bad couple. They are not. But some elements of their romance feel rushed and unconvincing, especially after what SAO did with Asuna on Fairy Dance Arc.
And no!!! I will not go there!!! Not now.
For me, neither Asuna nor Kirito are explored as they should, especially as a couple, or at least… before Ordinal Scale and Alicization. And it’s funny, because the seiyuu of Asuna and Zero Two is the same person.
Haruka Tomatsu
Anyway, along with the love story of Hiro and Zero Two, Darling in the Franxx deals with themes like adulthood, meaning of life, love, humanity, hope. There are so many themes, and, like Evangelion, Darling in the Franxx addressed them in its own unique vision. Many will not like that, but for me, it is one of the many strengths from Darling in the FRANXX.
Furthermore, the other stories, especially from characters like Zorome, Ikuno, Kokoro and Mitsuru are as charming as the main one. And let’s not forget about about the action.
SORRY GUYS. I couldn’t find any GIF of the action.
Darling is directed by Atsushi Nishigori, along with Toshifumi Akai, with character design mostly done by Masayoshi Tanaka, who was also involved in Highschool of the Dead, Anohana, and Waiting for Summer among other gems. And the opening song, Kiss of Death, is a really catchy song, especially because the voice of Mika Nakashima is priceless.
In fact…
CREDIT – Kentarou Yabuki
That is the costume of Mika Nakashima for the cover.
There are so many elements from the story that I have to do a second part. And that’s not all. We also got…
CHARACTERS
Now, I will name them from left to right
Kokoro, Ikuno, Miku, Goro, Zorome, Ichigo, Futoshi and Mitsuru. THE 13TH SQUAD!! And all of them is as recognisable as Hiro and Zero Two. With Ichigo being the leader of the squad, as adorable and diligent as we can be. Personally, I understand that Ichigo might not be that popular among Darling fans, especially because of her… emotions. But let me ask this to the haters…
«Can you blame her?»
Yeah. I will not spoil anything, and I am well aware that some of her actions are just wrong… So wrong… But things are not always black and white, especially in Darling in the FRANXX. There is still a bit of good in Ichigo. Of course that doesn’t completely justify her, but she is not a monster.
Also…
How can you say NO to this cuteness?
And finally, we got…
IKUNO
If you think that the story, should you love Darling in the FRANXX, is beautiful, check out these characters.
I will guarantee you you will love them all. Most of them.
CONCLUSION
To sum up, Darling in the FRANXX is one of my favourite anime, despite having a lot of resemblance to Evangelion, and one of the best works from both Cloverworks and Studio Trigger.
And I strongly recommend it. I will promise a roller coaster of emotions.
Well. Thank you so much for checking my second review of Studio Trigger. And tomorrow I will bring another review, and I wish I could give you a hint but… I watched so much ecchi from the manga of Darling in the FRANXX, from Kentarou Yabuki, and…
I think tomorrow the cops will arrest me and send me to Hell… Do they still have the BFG 9000?
Jainituos Presents 