Darling in the FranXX Episode 7 Discussion

Comander-07 said:
what makes we wonder was the way she talked about the kiss and how its for someone special while at the same time denying hiro the kiss. It feels like she is a child playing with a toy, just that the toy is hiro

It's an interesting point of view, personally I think that, as you said, 02 will learn "human" feelings. I don't really care of who will date Hiro in the end but if 02 learn feelings she might be able to fall in love with Hiro or maybe someone else. I think this anime is mostly about human relations and he always suprised me so You're point of view may be one of the logicalest but I think there too logic in it

Implyingi said:


Oh 100%, I couldn't agree with you more I think the entire premise of the show is human growth, feelings, emotions and all the rollercoasters they take you on.

Shaser_99 said:


It looks like 02 make competiton with Ichigo for Hiro but only for fun. Maybe 02 only wants to play with this children

Comander-07 said:
that seems to be more like her personality liking to pick on her, after all ichigo only really showed romantic interest in hiro after zero two was all over him. The rivalry (lol can we even call it that? Hiro ditched her multiple times) with ichigo is more like a bonus thannthe reason

BLaCkGuN69 said:
I am the only one that thinks this one was full of death flags?

Shaser_99 said:


I think she is going to be in the friendzone

Implyingi said:

Zero Two has come to no such revelation, in-fact she doesn't (in my opinion) look at Hiro as a person but more of the goal of which she has been seeking, now obtained and nothing will take that goal away from her. Hiro "belongs" to Zero Two. Across these episodes there isn't dialogue in which Zero Two and Hiro communicate as people, they only speak of their wishes, goals, desires and alike, their entire romance dynamic is very fake feeling because of this.

Dr. Mech-Face Ossan (apologies I forget his name) even states in this episode not to give his emotions to Zero two because they will be eaten and my interpretation of that (and there might and probably will be many different meanings to that statement, both actual and metaphorical) is that falling in love or wishing to be loved by Zero Two isn't an outcome that can happen. Not the way Zero Two is as of right now anyway.

Troll12345678966 said:
How are the guys finding the swimsuits exiting?? It doesnt seem like they have been through sex ed, since they have no idea what a kiss is or how babies are made so seeing the girls «secret parts» shouldnt be affecting them the same way it would normal boys. Am i missing something here?

Fappa said:


Hey!

I'm heavily disagreeing with this. You want a revelation from Zero Two but we are not even in any position to see her inner thoughts yet. We're limited to the people she interacts with and how she present herself in front of them and as we know that's not exactly representative of what she truly feels. The closest we get to it is through Hiro's perspective and that has gradually become more and more intimate as he changed his goals and eventually became a wing for her in Episode 6.

I don't see how that degrades her view on him to that of a mere obstacle. She was interested in him, he made her realize that unlike all the others, he views her differently, she accepted him and forged a bond with him in Episode 1. Afterwards she tested him, ironically on exactly what you're accusing Zero Two of. Does he merely want to pilot a FranXX and she has the means to fulfill that wish or is it her that he wants? That's what was clarified in Episode 4, he wants not to pilot with anyone even if he could but with her. That was enough for her to know that he really cares about her rather than piloting. Episode 6 then rounded things off where on the verge of death he altered his purpose in life to not ever leave her side.

With that the Jian motif has become complete and if you go back to Episode 1 you hear it from Zero Two herself what it means to her. Look up what Jian means and suddenly you find out that a bond equal to marriage and life long dependency is a way of life she finds profoundly beautiful. She seeks that connection with someone. In this Episode 7 she calls him her wing which in context to the Jian means her other half, her soulmate, that does not sound objectifying to me but rather trusting and loving.

Yes she is possessive of him but why wouldn't she? She has lived god knows how long with partners that don't value her beyond a tool to perform outstanding on the field and even if she was to grow familiar and friendly with someone he would die after the 3rd time anyway. Now here is someone who for the first time finds the side that makes other people look in disgust at her actually attractive and who didn't leave her alone by herself after the 3rd time. Anything other than her clinging onto him would worry me.

I don't know about you but part of falling for each other is to get to know each other and that also includes wishes, goals, desires and more especially now that they have to depend on each other even on an official level. Heck, she even tries to soften him up so he would talk with her on a more down to earth level. She teases him and teaches him about what kissing means effectively telling him that she wants him to do the first move ( which he does not get at this point ). She has problems getting into the group, so she distances herself. When she told Hiro she would go swimming, she wanted him to say he would tag along, read the situation you know. But he didn't. To me she desperately tries to communicate and get closer to him on a personal level.

What you may see as fake and objectifying is to me a lonely girl trying to close distance between herself and the first person who sees her in a positive light and commits himself to her...problem is he's a unaware, oblivious boy who was raised to not know a single thing about physical or emotional intimacy.




I don't think that interpretation is fitting at all.

We know that Zero Two is no blind follower of Papa and this whole cultic society. She does her thing and as long as she's left alone she abides on as much as she can..but we also see that she is absolutely willing to go against any rules or orders for whom? Hiro. And that's the key point. She has proposed twice to him so far to run away with her. In Episode 6 Dr.FranXX ( that's his name btw ) mentioned how Hiro might just be able to fulfill Zero Two's wish. What Dr.FranXX seems to be referring to here is that if Hiro falls for her and gives his all to her she will lead him down a path that collides with Papa, this society, his entire environment and possibly even his teammates. She will eventually take him with her, break out of this literal birdcage and be free, fulfill her wish and so on.

Implyingi said:
Ok, here's my take on things so far... (Skip below if you want a TL;DR)

Zero Two and Hiro don't work together (as a couple) and here's why I think that.

Zero Two doesn't see Hiro as a person, just her darling and there's a good reason for that. From the onset of the anime we've been presented with the premise that Zero Two and Hiro need each other as they complete each other, they are two halves of the same whole if you will. Zero Two is compatible with one other and it's Hiro. This is something Zero Two has been seeking for a long time, all those partners dead, the way people perceive her, it's all very sad and it's clearly had an impact on her mental state. Her desire to find the partner that won't die and allow her to be free is found in Hiro and to that end she has her eternal love, her "Darling".

Hiro is the other side of this parallel, Hiro perceives himself (as so do the majority) a failure. He has been raised to be a Franxx pilot something that is drilled into them form an early age, this however is seemingly the one thing he cannot do despite trying. Repeated failures and consequences of those have left him weak and down heartened. Here he meets Zero Two, a beautiful girl who is unlike any person he has seen before. Over the episodes that follow Hiro discovers his compatibility, manages to pilot and through Zero Two he is given the one thing he has striven for; piloting a Franxx to please Papa and help his friends and all through Zero Two, his missing piece if you will.

Here's the thing, turns out accomplishing that one thing you've been told to do is just that, an accomplished goal. Beyond piloting Hiro has become to feel for Zero Two and wishes to truly be by her side. He has seen different aspects of her personality, including times of weakness and wants to devote himself to this person. He has grown and gotten over the aspect of "I need to succeed piloting Franxx because I've been told that's what I'm supposed to do" and has progressed into developing his own reasons for doing that. Not because he is told but because he wants to be with Zero Two.

Zero Two has come to no such revelation, in-fact she doesn't (in my opinion) look at Hiro as a person but more of the goal of which she has been seeking, now obtained and nothing will take that goal away from her. Hiro "belongs" to Zero Two. Across these episodes there isn't dialogue in which Zero Two and Hiro communicate as people, they only speak of their wishes, goals, desires and alike, their entire romance dynamic is very fake feeling because of this.

Dr. Mech-Face Ossan (apologies I forget his name) even states in this episode not to give his emotions to Zero two because they will be eaten and my interpretation of that (and there might and probably will be many different meanings to that statement, both actual and metaphorical) is that falling in love or wishing to be loved by Zero Two isn't an outcome that can happen. Not the way Zero Two is as of right now anyway.

It's common for childhood friends to get cucked in anime and it's probably the same here but at this point Ichigo is winning the brownie points in the Hirobowl.

Closing thoughts: This could all change and I truly hope it does with as little heartbreak as possible. This is the first episode in which we see what I believe to be desire for Zero Two to fit in with the group (her staring at them from afar and having fun together). Perhaps she'll gain some humanity and realize her situation with Hiro and her treating of others up to this point has been nothing but somewhat cruel, especially if she feels no true sense of love for Hiro.


TL;DR
Zero Two is just using Hiro and the Dr's warning may actually be literal as she doesn't see him as a love interest but just means of achieving her goals.


Or maybe I'm just talking out of my ass, idk. Thoughts anyone?

pandidora said:


Totally on point! Zero Two is the perfect image of a sociopath.
She can't conform to social norms, impulsive, aggressive and disregards the safety of others.
She is possessive as hell, she looks at Hiro like a "belonging" not like her love! She doesn't have feelings, she will drop Hiro the moment she finds someone better, she only toys with him as long as she finds it entertaining. That's why Doctor Franxx said Hiro not to let her consume his emotions because he will be left and forgotten by Zero Two. Even competing with Ichigo makes it more fun and interesting for her, just look at how she likes to tease Ichigo when it comes to Hiro.
She will turn sides when the time comes, I'm sure she'll be a 'villain' for a couple of episodes but in the end she will make up for it somehow and will be on Hiro's side.
I loved this episode very-very much because now we can see where this one goes. Like with Gurren lagann and Kill la kill we will see a mind-blowing turn of events in the second half of the show. I can't wait to find out more about their World and how they are misinformed about everything they knew and believed in!
Poor Ichigo won't get the guy. She'll constantly support Hiro "no matter what". I just hope she'll realize how much Goro cares for her and accepts that Hiro's heart only beats for Zero Two. I guess they just don't want to ruin the love triangle way too early.

Vindicater said:
1/5

Complete waste of time.

Brobot said:
Enjoyable episode. The show is always at it's best when it focuses on the character's chemistry. The strong direction and attention to detail (Ichigo following Hiro's footprints) really helps fleshing out the character's personalities.

jwinter01 said:
Last time I saw a a mecha anime, after the beach/onsen episode happened stuff also happened...
Just saying...

ichii_1 said:
UMI DAAAA
What's the meaning of a kiss and finding an old city makes hiro have some doubts.

Tomlora said:
OP changed a little bit.

https://i.imgur.com/jeuBjEQ.gifv

https://i.imgur.com/4Hx7HQ9.gifv

The diamond is now black at the end while he was white before.

MethodMike20 said:


If Ichigo dies, this show will be nothing to me. Not gonna watch her struggle and suffer just for her to die. Thats bullshit.

DivineLion said:
I really hope that death flag is not for Ichigo

Arcaedes said:
Beach setting was very suitable for another character focused episode. The previous one - ep 5, had a totally different atmosphere, lots of scenes in enclosed spaces and that moment between Zero Two and Ichigo at night just as it started to rain. For the type of world and character building we were getting here though, open spaces and vibrant colours was the more suitable ambience.

For Zero Two I don't think we've even started with her development yet. She found the darling she wanted in episode 1, and is partnered with him by the end of episode 6. Now she has a long way to go before we find out if she ends up able to have stable emotional relationships, goes off in some other direction, or ends up having to reevaluate her initial motivations and goals.

Ichigo has made a lot of decisions already, had moments where she's been unable to keep it together and picked herself up again afterwards. However things go for her, I really hope she's able to maintain the same attitude at the end - all of them will probably be knocked down emotionally at some point and have to come back up. Right now she still wants what she wants, but isn't letting it control her.

For Hiro I think the majority of his development will alongside development for Zero Two, she's the new element in the mix, and the one who changes the already established relationships he has with the rest of the group. He still seems a little unsure and on edge around her, in contrast to Ichigo where he's so chill he doesn't even notice anything.

Goro was solid again as he has been in every episode, and the others all had their moments to further the connection and investment in them as characters. I'm still not sure about Mitsuru, but he did go looking for Kuroko and despite what he said, seemed concerned for her safety.

Pretty much all stuff that wouldn't have been delivered in an action episode, and wouldn't have worked so well in the plantation area that we've already seen.

I spent a long time today cutting an Ichigo render for a Delphinium wallpaper, but ended up using it with a shooting star/meteor theme as well. I'l linky them here in case anyone wants them

https://arcaedes.deviantart.com/art/Ichigo-Delphinium-Wallpaper-1-732616837
https://arcaedes.deviantart.com/art/Ichigo-Wallpaper-2-732624687

Preview

firemagnet said:
Notes as I'm watching the episode:

6. At 14:42. There's something much more profound going on here. The city (obviously Japanese) is mostly intact, so much so that there are still posters on the walls for the last product placement. Which begs the question: what happened to make people abandon the city like that? People don't abandon livable areas like that unless some sort of significant disaster occurs, like Chernobyl or Fukushima Daiichi. I can only imagine what would require such a cultural shift as to move from modern cosmopolitan to a quasi-cult where even the basics of romantic love have been forgotten.

7. 18:01 and here we have the seeds of doubt. What Mitsuru is saying is obviously the [i[Big Lie(TM)[/i] that's been peddled to them. Somehow, the Klaxosaurs are being created to enforce the cult, which is fueled by magma energy, not the other way around...the cast will undoubtedly find this out in due time.