Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Darling in the Franxx - Part One (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray review) (2018)

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If you enjoy smart, action-packed mecha anime series, “Darling in the Franxx – Part One” is highly recommended!

TITLE: Darling in the Franxx – Part One

TV SERIES RELEASE DATE: 2018

DURATION: 300 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Funimation

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: March 26, 2018

Director: Nishigori Atsushi

Series Composition: Nishigori Atsushi, Hayashi Naotaka

Character Design by Horikoshi Kohei

Music by Tachibana Asami

Art Director: Hirayanagi Satoru

Anime Production: A-1 Pictures, CloverWorks, NamHai

Featuring the following voice talent:

Uemura Yuto/Matt Shipman as Hiro

Tomatsu Haruka/Tia Ballard as Zero Two

Umehara Yuichiro/Austin Tindle as Goro

Goto Hiroki/Blake Shepard as Futoshi

Ichinose Kana/Brittany Lauda as Ichigo

Yamashita Nanami/Bryn Apprill as Miku

Ichikawa Aoi/Bryson Baugus as Mitsuru

Konishi Katsuyuki/Eric Vale as Hachi

Hayami Saori/Jeannie Tirado as Kokoro

Justin Briner as 9’α

Horiuchi Kenyuu/Kent Williams as Dr. Franxx

Ishigami Shizuka/Leah Clark as Ikuno

Kugimiya Rie/Luci Christian as 001

Inoue Marina/Michelle Rojas as Nana

Tamura Mutsumi/Ryan Reynolds as Zorome

In a battle against the klaxosaurs only the children, classified as parasites, are humanity’s hope in this dying world. Fighting in mechanized suits known as FRANXX, parasites are grouped up in male and female pairs to face the monstrous creatures. Hiro was once a prodigy FRANXX pilot. But when he gives up the fight, he meets Zero Two, the girl with the horns, and finds a new reason to keep going.

In 2018, an anime series titled “Darling in the Franxx”, produced by CloverWorks and featuring animation by Trigger aired on television and has received positive reviews in Japan and was nominated for numerous awards.

And now the anime series is available in the US courtesy of Funimation with the release of “Part One” featuring the first 12 episodes of “Darling in the Franxx”.

“Darling in the Franxx” is set during a post-apocalyptic future in which human civilization have abandoned the surface due to the emergence of an monstrous threat, the Klaxosaurs.

And humanity’s best defense to fight them, mecha known as Franxx, led by the organization known as APE.

Adults and children are separated from each other and while adults live in technologically-advanced within plantations and are immortal (human immortality was discovered long ago), because of this, procreation and relationships have become obsolete and have not been in used.

So, children are artificially-created and are known as “parasites”, they are created for the main purpose of piloting Franxx which they do in pairs and each of them have no individuality.

Adults are separated from the parasites and are isolated from each other, this is for the purpose of developing emotional responses necessary in piloting a Franxx.

The series begins with an introduction to Code:016 (Hiro). He was once considered a prodigy but now is a 14-year-old dropout pilot cadet after he lost his ability to synchronize with his partner, Naomi. He has failed his test to become a Franxx pilot.

Looked as a failure, one day he meets someone named Zero Two/Code:002, an elite pilot of the Strelizia. She is referred to people as a monster because she is a hybrid human/klaxosaur. She has red horns and klaxosaur blood. She is also known as the “partner killer” as anyone who has partnered with her and piloted Strelizia alongside her has died. The most people had ridden with her is three times.

And as the two meet, they are separated and he is warned not to get close to her.

As Hiro debates about leaving the city because he has failed and his fellow classmates are attending a welcoming ceremony to become official Franxx pilots, a Klaxosaur attacks during the ceremony.

As Zero Two goes to fight it with her Strelizia, she gets injured and her partner is killed. Hiro volunteers to become Zero Two’s partner and she kisses him, which activates Strelizia.

And as the two defeat the Klaxosaur (despite Hiro not having any memories of what has happened), many don’t believe Hiro was involved and those who do know him, ask him to stay away from the “partner killer”.

Even APE tries its best to prevent Hiro from getting close to Zero Two.

But for the first time in his life, Hiro feels that can be a pilot around Zero Two and for Zero Two, she feels that Hiro is the only pilot compatible with her.

Meanwhile, the other pilots who know Hiro wonder if they can trust Zero Two and also discover emotions through them, that they are unfamiliar with.

VIDEO:

“Darling in the Franxx” is presented in 1080p High Definition and the anime series is is vibrant and characters are well-drawn and shaded, art backgrounds are also well-done. Mechanical designs are also creative and fascinating. Overall, the series looks great in HD!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Darling in the Franxx” is presented in Japanese DolbyTrue HD 2.0 and English Dolby TrueHD 2.0. Both soundtracks are fantastic and are well-acted. Dialogue and music are both crystal clear through the center, front and surround channels.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Darling in the Franxx” comes with the following special features:

Episode 006 Commentary
Episode 012 Video Commentary
Pre-Broadcast Special
Textless Opening Song
Web Previews
Trailers

EXTRAS:

Both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the “Darling in the Franxx” are included on this Blu-ray release. Plus a Funimation Digital Code is included.

Upon watching “Darling in the Franxx”, I have to honestly say that this was a mecha anime series that I enjoyed because there is a lot of thought that went into the setting of the series and its characters but it’s also an interesting concept in which humans are immortal, they do not have relationships or procreate in the near future and children (known as “parasites”) were created for the sole purpose of piloting the mecha known as Franxx.

And while the organization APE is making sure that adults are isolated from the “parasites”, because this ongoing battle with monstrous entities known as Klaxosaurs, the parasites are just created the sole purpose of piloting and fighting the monsters.

They have no individuality and no one cares about their emotions.

But for Hiro (Code:016), he was once the top of his class but when he failed to synch with his partner, he is seen as a failure.

Not sure if he wants to leave, he meets an unusually, flirtatious young woman known as Code:02 (Zero-Two). She can fight and she can also pilot a Franxx. Unfortunately, he is separated from her.

But later that day, during a ceremony for those who passed their pilot exam, a Klaxosaur has attacked and Zero-Two takes the Klaxosaur head-on and she is injured and her partner is killed. Seeing Zero-Town in a bad state and wanting to do something to help, Hiro agrees to be her partner and she kisses him and calls him her darling. Somehow the emotions awakens Zero-Two’s mecha Strelizia and while Hiro is out, she is able to use Strelizia to defeat the Klaxosaur and save everyone.

While Zero-Two should be commended for her bravery, unfortunately she is not seen by people in a good light. For one, everyone who has partnered with her has died and she doesn’t allow anyone close to her because they think she is a monster. Everyone with the exception of Hiro and he wants nothing more to be her partner.

But what is this emotion that makes him want to be her partner and be with her? Could it be love? The emotion which humanity has been rid long ago when they felt relationships and pro-creation are obsolete?

So far, these first 12 episodes are exciting and I’m really enjoying this storyline.

Of course, I’m curious to see how the story pans out for the second set of episodes but from what I saw so far, I can easily recommend this anime series!

If you enjoy smart, action-packed mecha anime series, “Darling in the Franxx – Part One” is highly recommended!