Feb 26, 2018
(Episodes 1 - 6)
Darling in the Franxx has disappointed me so far. I can’t get past the fact that while this is an anime that I want to like, it has failed to draw me into an immersive story populated with interesting characters. Instead, each episode leaves me with the feeling that I am missing something, an absence which prevents me from fully enjoying what is happening in the story. In short, I want and expect more than what has been delivered. If Zero Two were any less interesting, I would probably stop watching altogether.
# SOUND
The music is generally serviceable, especially the tracks that play
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during the action climaxes. However, the score doesn’t contribute enough in setting the tone. It fails to create atmosphere, and that is a problem given that this series has more than a few dark undertones. By way of contrast, compare this with the music of the much-maligned Studio Deen Fate/Stay Night, accompanied by a highly atmospheric and evocative soundtrack that brought some much-needed immersion to an otherwise dubious production.
The voice-acting of Darling in the Franxx is good, especially the VA for Zero Two who does excellent work here.
# ART
While the animation of action sequences stands out, generally the visuals of this show are boring. The plantation environments are typically sterile and unadorned, while the exterior settings are generic, uninspired, and lacking in variety. Compare this with the Miyazaki’s classic Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which has many beautiful and striking wasteland landscapes that provide an effective backdrop to a post-apocalyptic story. By contrast, this world doesn’t feel lived-in, nor does it feel like is has particularly shaped the people that do live within it.
# STORY
The main issue so far with Darling in the Franxx is the lack of an overarching conflict driving the narrative. There is no sense as to why this story or these characters matter, other than it is happening and they exist.
While plenty of anime can take a few episodes for a clear thread to emerge, this series has struggled to present any of the events that have happened so far as truly meaningful.
A major contributing factor to this is insufficient world-building. We know nothing about the state of human civilization in the world of Darling in the Franxx. Most importantly, we don’t know what is so worth protecting that the Franxx pilots are forced to endure such a dehumanizing and dystopian existence.
Indeed, there is no clear concept of government or who is in power (Papa who?), and as such we can’t guess what the motivation of such actors would be. We don’t know whether they would have anything to gain from the development of a hybrid Parasite like Zero Two, her finding a compatible partner, or anything else.
The point is this: without sufficient world-building, the we have no idea what is at stake or why it matters. It’s difficult to put characters into context and understand their motivations, and it is difficult to pick up on what kind of direction the story will take going forward. If we don’t know, it’s hard to care.
# CHARACTER
A weak story can be salvaged by characters with depth and complex relationships. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with nearly any character in Darling in the Franxx.
The first problem is the excessive number of “main” characters: there are ten Parasites in Plantation 13 alone, with yet more supporting characters. I can’t even remember half their names as I write this because of their inconsequential roles in the story.
The result is that many characters are seriously lacking in depth, with insufficient screen-time spent on developing them and their relationships. We are given scant insight into how characters feel about the events of the story, beyond trite one-liners or cliched outbursts. This is the definition of one-dimensional. Without the more personal interactions that come with more intimate relationships, it’s hard to care for most of these characters.
Ichigo is the best-developed character so far. She actually shows emotional depth and has clear feelings that provide motivation for her actions. She reacts consistently and in ways that are understandable. She has a well-defined internal conflict, driven by her unrequited love for Hiro, and brought to the fore by the intrusion of Zero Two. The way Ichigo responds to this stress helps us understand what kind of person she is, and allows us to empathize with her situation.
In contrast, the challenges that have shaped Zero Two as a character haven’t appeared on screen. While she is clearly supposed to be a major character, her development has been perplexingly sparse.
The story suggests that Zero Two has been ostracized and perhaps abused for much of her life. However, we have yet to see this first-hand, making it hard to understand why she is so sensitive. She repeatedly expresses distress that others see her as nothing more than a monster; and is similarly uplifted when Hiro is not repulsed by her horns. But there is no evidence that she is being seriously discriminated against for being non-human in the present. If anything, Dr. Franxx seems excessively permissive of her belligerence.
Presumably, this discrimination and othering is supposed to explain why Zero Two has no regard for others, even dismissing her peers as “weaklings”. But again, without showing any of her supposed struggle on screen, it’s hard to sympathize with her. No one wants to be hated or alone, but her behavior so far makes it easy to conclude that she lacks normal feelings.
On the flip side, Hiro claims at one point that Zero Two is “just like us”; presumably a person, in other words. But there is little story to back this up, either. Zero Two is depicted as alluring, capricious, rebellious, and increasingly callous; traits that, while fascinating, are not particularly endearing or suggestive of her humanity.
Ultimately, it feels like we are being given an incomplete and inconsistent picture of Zero Two. It’s hard to pin down how to feel about her, not because she is particularly multi-dimensional, but simply because the writers have so far struggled with her development.
# ENJOYMENT
Darling in the Franxx is a series that takes a well-known genre and puts some interesting twists into the formula to create an ostensibly unique story. This has a lot of potential to create an exciting and enjoyable series. Regrettably, I have to say that so far I am disappointed with what the creators have managed to produce. While I am always excited to see a new episode, it is ultimately because I am hoping something really juicy will finally develop with Zero Two. Despite the ample 24 episodes slated to air, it feels like I am being fed the plot through a straw, leaving all the great potential of this series on the table.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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