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

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“Darling in the Franxx” is truly a wonderful, refreshing mecha anime series that I enjoyed thoroughly from beginning to end. Featuring a captivating story, interesting characters but a concept that stands out on its own. And without spoiling anything, I’m confident in saying that this anime series is highly recommended!

TITLE: Darling in the Franxx – Part Two

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: May 28, 2019

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.

With “Darling in the Franxx – Part Two”, the second half of the anime series establishes that Hiro and Zero Two actually have met each other when they were kids, but due to injuries suffered in a battle, Hiro’s team, to protect him from Zero Two, that he may lose his humanity the longer he stays with her.

But as they try to keep Zero Two and Hiro from seeing each other, it brings out the worst out of Zero Two.

Also revealed is the true purpose of the Franxx pilots and Squad 13 and the true story of the battle against the Klaxosaurs.

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 18 Commentary
Episode 23 Video Commentary
Playback Specials
Textless Opening and Closing 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.

Having watched “Darling in the Franxx”, there are numerous things that come to mind, but one thing that I’m quite sure about is saying that this anime series is one of the best mecha anime TV series to be released in quite some time.

It’s a mecha action anime series but “Darling in the Franxx” is also a love story.

It’s one thing to watch the first half of the anime series and see how it played out between the violent Zero Two and the boy named Hiro who feels himself drawn to Zero Two, who many consider as a monster.

By the second half, we now have a much better understanding of these two characters, their love story which began when they were kids, but unfortunately, they were a product of their environment, kept away from each other until they discovered each other again, but learned later on that they had met before when they were children.

The series also does a good job of including the other characters and weave them into the storyline compared to the first half of the series.

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