| 1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darling_in_the_franxx_poster.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:350: [[ThemeSong ''Will your lips taste the kiss of death?'']][[labelnote:*]]''Clockwise from the top'': [[HalfHumanHybrid Zero Two]], [[CuteBookworm Ikuno]], [[NiceGirl Kokoro]], [[FieryRedhead Miku]], [[TheLeader Ichigo]], [[TheHero Hiro]], [[TeamMom Goro]], [[TheNapoleon Zorome]], [[BigEater Futoshi]], [[TheResenter Mitsuru.]] Above: [[SuperPrototype Strelizia]][[/labelnote]]]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | -> ''I've found you, my darling.'' |
| 5 | --> -- '''Zero Two''' |
| 6 | |
| 7 | In a distant future, humanity lives within fortified mobile bases called "Plantations", under threat from strange creatures called Klaxosaurs. Klaxosaurs are drawn to Magma Energy, a substance mined from deep beneath the Earth's crust to fuel the Plantations. To combat the Klaxosaurs, the human race relies on young children who pilot HumongousMecha called FRANXX which are armed with Klaxosaur-killing weapons. These children are instructed from on high by "Papa" to kill the Klaxosaurs and protect humanity. For these children, this is their reason for being. They know nothing of freedom or joy or love. They don't even have names, only code numbers. They exist to pilot FRANXX and give their lives so humanity can thrive. When not needed in battle, they are confined to their "birdcage" within the Plantation until the next battle. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Code:016, a member of Squad 13, is unique among these children for two reasons: One: He gave himself a name "Hiro" and he has subsequently given names to all his squadmates, and two: He is incapable of piloting a FRANXX, even with a willing female partner. Because of this, he believes there is no reason for him to exist. He spends his days wallowing in self-pity until the day he crosses paths with a beautiful naked girl with long pink hair and short red horns. This girl, Code:002 "Zero Two", quickly takes a liking to Hiro and asks him to be her "Darling". From this simple chance encounter, a story of love, loss, separation and reunion unfolds, forever changing the lives of both Hiro and Zero Two, the rest of Squad 13 and humanity as a whole. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | ''DARLING in the FRANXX'' is a 24-episode HumongousMecha {{anime}} series directed by Atsushi Nishigori, with mech designs by Shigeto Koyama (of ''Anime/StarDriver'' fame) and is a co-production between Creator/StudioTrigger and Creator/A1Pictures. Best characterized as a ComingOfAgeStory and TeenDrama in the SuperRobot genre, it premiered on January 13, 2018 and concluded July 7. A manga adaptation drawn by Creator/KentaroYabuki (''Manga/BlackCat'', ''Manga/ToLoveRu'') is in simultaneous production for Shueisha's ''Magazine/ShonenJump+'' website; it initially follows the anime's story before deviating later on. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | There's also an official {{Yonkoma}} by mato, ''DARLING in the FRANXX!''. It's viewable in both their official Website/{{Twitter}} and ''Shonen Jump+'' website. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | The series is licensed by Website/{{Crunchyroll}} and Creator/{{Funimation}}, the latter giving the series a simuldub. |
| 16 | ---- |
| 17 | !!''DARLING in the FRANXX'' contains examples of: |
| 18 | * AccidentalPervert: |
| 19 | ** As he is looking for a wounded bird, Hiro comes across some discarded clothes. He picks one at random... and it just happens to be the underwear of the girl SkinnyDipping in the lake in front of him. |
| 20 | ** ''All'' the boys in episode 8. The first time thanks to a klaxosaur with a [[TheNudifier nudifier liquid]], the second thanks to Zero Two {{troll}}ing them by tricking the boys into trying to take a bath at the same time as the girls. |
| 21 | * AceCustom: All the Franxx of Squad 13. Justified in that the entire plantation is an experiment. |
| 22 | * AdamAndEvePlot: [[spoiler:Defied. Once a food supply is established, hundreds of former Parasites are brought out of stasis to join the population. Considering the Professor was responsible for them being there, hidden from APE, he probably made sure there was enough genetic variance for a stable population.]] |
| 23 | * AdvancedAncientHumans: [[spoiler:''The klaxosaurs!'' Late in the series it's revealed that they're the remnants of an ancient race of {{Ultraterrestrials}} and/or HumanAliens, ''Klaxo sapiens'', who won a PyrrhicVictory against an AlienInvasion millions of years ago, and retreated underground in anticipation of VIRM's return. Some became {{Energy Being}}s (and are being harvested as magma energy), while others became the klaxosaurs. Only their leader, the Klaxosaur Princess, remains humanoid.]] |
| 24 | * AfterTheEnd: It's implied early on with remarks that klaxosaurs first appeared when humans began harvesting magma from beneath the earth for power. [[RuinsOfTheModernAge Later confirmed in episode 7 when Squad 13 discovers the ruins of a pre-apocalyptic town.]] |
| 25 | * AlienBlood: Klaxosaurs gush bright blue blood when their cores are destroyed. In episode 1, a girl with red skin who resembles Zero Two bleeds blue blood from her finger, but Zero Two herself is shown to bleed normal red blood later in the episode. [[spoiler: Episode 13 confirms Zero Two is the red-skinned girl, who became "more human" through unknown means.]] |
| 26 | * AmbiguouslyRelated: Zorome meets a kindly old lady who helps him after he got lost in the city. Their dialogue and interactions seems to point to the fact she may be his mother. |
| 27 | * AlmostKiss: Zero Two pulls Hiro to her in episode 7, but then just licks his cheek. Zorome later asks Hiro what a kiss is, and tries to do it to him when he misunderstands the context of a kiss. |
| 28 | * AnimalMotifs: There are roughly three examples, [[TheTalk the Birds and the Bees]]... [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and the Bears]]. |
| 29 | ** Birds: The young parasites are compared to nestlings huddled together in their dark nest dreaming of one day being able to see the sky; the cooperation between male and female pilots operating Franxx is compared to a myth of a species of bird where males and females have only one wing and thus can only fly together; and parasites who are unable to pilot are compared to birds unable to fly, doomed to an early death because, "where would a flightless bird go?" |
| 30 | ** Bees: The Plantations' society is divided into strict societal roles, with Papa and the other adults acting like queen bees while the parasites act as soldiers defending the hive/plantation. Their tech and power is fueled by magma, which is colored a honey gold color. The interior city of the plantation is all golden buildings. Gold hexagonal shapes like honeycomb are frequently used, in in interior hallways, in the mission control computer screens and cockpit screens of the Franxx. It also ties into the parasites' designation as stamens and pistils, and all the Franxx being [[FloralThemeNaming named after flowers]]. |
| 31 | *** And yes, [[TheTalk The Birds and The Bees]] is explored as well... |
| 32 | ** Bears: Relatedly, the klaxosaurs are giant beasts trying to steal the plantations' magma like bears do to honey bee hives. Zero Two, being part klaxosaur, also seems to have a fondness for covering her food in either honey or syrup. She also first met Hiro while she was catching fish with her teeth. |
| 33 | * AppliedPhlebotinum: Magma energy: an orange, magma-like substance mined from deep below ground that provides power, anti-Klaxosaur weaponry, and [[spoiler: immortality]]. |
| 34 | * ArtisticLicenseGeology: Magma is literally just rock that has melted from the Earth's internal heat, and once it's on the surface it's called lava. And we do make use of magma energy with our current tech; it's just called "Geothermal energy". However, the concept of "magma energy" in the series is basically just {{technobabble}} for whatever powers the series' machines and bears little resemblance to actual volcanology (beyond apparently being extracted from underground). [[spoiler: {{Justified|Trope}} in Episode 20, where it is revealed to not actually be magma, but instead [[HumanResources derived from klaxosaurs who "returned to energy"]].]] |
| 35 | * AspectRatioSwitch: The series uses letterboxing OncePerEpisode to emphasize particularly important or poignant moments. |
| 36 | * AttackItsWeakPoint: The klaxosaur can only be killed by striking and extracting their cores. |
| 37 | * BabiesEverAfter: and how! At the end [[spoiler:pretty much everyone outside of Hiro and Zero Two has lots of children. Mitsuru and Kokoro are at their ''fourth'' baby. Well, they do have to repopulate the Earth after all...]] |
| 38 | * BarbieDollAnatomy: In the anime no nipples are shown. |
| 39 | * BatmanColdOpen: Some of the episodes start with a brief Franxx fight before moving onto more talky pursuits, particularly episode 8 and 10. |
| 40 | * BattleCouple: Excluding those used by the Nines, most Franxx are piloted by a male and a female who are intimately close to one another. [[spoiler:The klaxo sapiens have a similar but less sexualized configuration for their war machines during their war against the VIRM.]] |
| 41 | * BeachEpisode: Episode 7, where Squad 13 gets a much deserved break from fighting klaxosaurs and are allowed to go to the beach. |
| 42 | * BetaCouple: [[spoiler:Mitsuru and Kokoro as of Episode 17.]] |
| 43 | * BigBrotherIsWatching: [[spoiler:Nana and Hachi were watching the entire time that the Parasites were left alone after the Plantation was abandoned.]] |
| 44 | * BigBad: The Klaxosaur Princess is the leader of the invading klaxosaurs, [[spoiler:[[DiscOneFinalBoss but]] she is actually trying to [[GoodAllAlong save humanity]] from Papa/Vice Chairman and his organization, APE, which is actually a cover for the alien HiveMind VIRM whom he controls and wants to use to assimilate humanity]]. |
| 45 | * BigDamnHeroes: |
| 46 | ** Hiro and Zero Two pull this off in Episode 4: After deploying Strelizia against orders, they proceed to assist the other four Franxx who were pinned down by the klaxosaur. |
| 47 | ** Ichigo [[spoiler:''diving in a Klaxosaur by herself'' to save Goro]] in Episode 9. In the manga's equivalent to this plot, the "saver" and the "saved" are reversed, which leads into a more [[RescueRomance romantic tone]] between them. |
| 48 | ** In the manga, Genista and Chlorophytum come to the Nines' rescue after they've all but been completely wiped out by the Kalxosaur Princess. |
| 49 | * TheBigDamnKiss: In the very first episode no less. Zero Two pulls Hiro into one hell of a kiss, signifying their unison as Hiro offers to co-pilot Strelizia with her. [[spoiler:Later, in Episode 15, Hiro initiates one with Zero Two after they cleared up their misunderstandings and apologized for their mistakes. That kiss cements their OfficialCouple status and triggers Strelizia's red transformation.]] |
| 50 | * BirdsOfAFeather: Hiro and Zero Two. Both have a desire to fight for their own self worth and they don't fear death. But the biggest is that they both [[spoiler: fought against their oppressive world all alone]]. |
| 51 | * BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: After a seemingly endless struggle, the threat of VIRM has finally been extinguished, with the Klaxosaurs returning to the Earth to pass it on to humanity. However, Hiro and Zero Two had to sacrifice their lives to ensure their friends will live on to building a better world than the one they lived in before. Though it's shown centuries later after the epilogue that Hiro and Zero Two have reincarnated on Earth, with the two of them meeting once again.]] |
| 52 | * BlackWidow: Zero Two is known as the "partner killer" for a reason. (She is also specifically compared, at one point, to a vampire who sucks the blood of her partners until they have nothing left to give, killing them.) Notably, it seems to be unintentional on her part. |
| 53 | * BlueAndOrangeContrast: Used to distinguish our protagonists and antagonists. The inner-city areas of the Plantations are white on the ouside and very orange inside due-to the lava-based power systems, while the Klaxxosaurs are black with glowing blue highlights. |
| 54 | * BreakTheHaughty: Zorome and Mitsuru are hit with this hard in episode 3, though for opposite reasons. [[spoiler:Zorome bragging instead of finishing a klaxosaur gets Miku badly hurt, invoking MyGodWhatHaveIDone from him. Mitsuru casually abandoning his partner and then [[NeverMyFault bragging how much better Zero Two is for him]] and how much better he is for Zero Two than Hiro invokes IAmNotLeftHanded from her, getting ''Mitsuru'' badly hurt.]] |
| 55 | * BreatherEpisode: |
| 56 | ** In Episode 7, Squad 13 get to take a break from fighting klaxosaurs by spending some time at the beach. |
| 57 | ** Episode 16 focuses on the squad adapting to a new way of life, with a little [[ContemplateOurNavels navel-gazing]] to go along with it. |
| 58 | * BrokenAesop: A significant factor behind the highly controversial ending. The CentralTheme of ''Darling in the Franxx'' could be described as 'Passion is what gives us strength, and technology can never replace that.' Episode 10 in particular focuses on a woman who has replaced all human interaction with technology, and it's very clearly shown that while her life is comfortable and even pleasant, it's also emotionally empty and devoid of any strength or purpose. Yet at the end of the story, Hiro [[spoiler:ends his life by spending two years with his body connected to Zero Two through a ''[[Franchise/TheMatrix Matrix]]''-esque attachments of tubes and cables, while Zero Two loses her body entirely and is transformed into a Franxx spaceship. Hiro is left unable to eat or move, unable to touch Zero Two, or kiss her, or even look at her. Neither express any horror at their condition, and near the end of the final episode Hiro and Zero Two rejoice that they're closer together than they've ever been before. This suggests that technology is in fact the key to love and intimacy ''despite'' human passion or interaction playing an important role in their increasingly romantic relationship.]] |
| 59 | * CallBack: At the end of Episode 19, when Hiro meets Zero Two sitting on the floor, he stares at her horns and Zero Two responds by saying "Darling, you pervert.", [[https://i.redd.it/gbq5egmfrh011.jpg just like]] their encounter back in Episode 3. |
| 60 | ** Similarly, when he offers his hand to help her up, he says "Let's go, Zero Two" in the same way he did [[spoiler:after he'd come up with her name back when they first met, as seen in Episode 13]]. |
| 61 | ** In Episode 23 [[spoiler:Nine Alpha, who's piloting with Hiro, tells him he puts too much strain on his partner and no ordinary Pistil could handle him. The same thing Code:081 had told Hiro about Zero Two and her Stamens back in Episode 1 when he met her at the lake]]. |
| 62 | * CallForward: Many in episode [[https://imgur.com/a/nvaJH 13, mainly dealing with how Zero Two's personality and quirks came to be.]] |
| 63 | * CastingGag: |
| 64 | ** This isn't [[Manga/ToLoveRu the first time]] Creator/HarukaTomatsu played a devilish girl with pink hair and green eyes. Double funny as the manga is being made by Kentaro Yabuki, the creator of Lala. |
| 65 | ** Ditto with the English dub when it comes down with a certain character. Creator/BrynApprill voiced a pigtailed redheaded tsundere in ''Literature/DateALive'' as Kotori Itsuka. |
| 66 | ** Creator/JustinBriner [[Anime/SpacePatrolLuluco previously]] voiced a blonde haired boy who's a mysterious bishonen. |
| 67 | * CharacterNarrator: Certain parts of the story are narrated by the members of Squad 13, though Hiro gets the lion's share of it. |
| 68 | * CherryBlossoms: In the second half, it plays an important part of both Hiro's and Zero Two's love and [[spoiler:restarting their relationship]]. In the last episode after [[spoiler: both Hiro and Zero Two sacrifice themselves to stop VIRM]], a cherry blossom sprung out where [[spoiler: Zero Two's body was at]] and acts as both a symbolic representation of both Hiro and Zero Two love and [[spoiler: humanity's prosperity]]. |
| 69 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: The relationship between [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two]] is revealed to be this. Flashbacks show [[spoiler:Zero Two and Hiro]]'s MeetCute that blossomed into PuppyLove and a ChildhoodMarriagePromise, [[spoiler:before Zero Two was taken away by APE to be the subject of ColdbloodedTorture to study her Klaxosaur physiology and Hiro was struck with LaserGuidedAmnesia]]. |
| 70 | * ChildSoldiers: Played disturbingly straight as it is made very clear that the children, who are called '[[ChildrenAreAWaste parasites]]' by the adults, are seen little more than as potential pilots to field against the klaxosaurs. |
| 71 | * ClimateChangeAllegory: The Earth underwent global desertification as a result of the mining of "magma energy", [[spoiler:which turns out to be dead {{Ultraterrestrials}}, the survivors of whom, the Klaxosaurs, emerge from underground to avenge the mining of their brethren for fuel]]. |
| 72 | * CosmicHorrorStory: [[spoiler:It is ultimately revealed by the Klaxosaur Princess that an alien race called Virm once attacked the Earth centuries ago and were driven off by the klaxosaurs. However, several of them disguised themselves as humans and formed APE to manipulate humanity into exterminating the klaxosaurs for a chance to destroy the world again.]] |
| 73 | * CrapsaccharineWorld: Inside the plantations, it is shown that the adults live very comfortable lives, but have basically sacrificed all forms of human interaction and individuality, only pairing up for pragmatic purposes such as breeding. This is not even considering that this is a society that actively uses ChildSoldiers to fight giant monsters that are a constant threat to the plantations. |
| 74 | * CultOfPersonality: Papa, the leader of the plantations is seen as an almost god-like figure by the parasites (at the very least), to the point of saying prayers to him prior to meals. |
| 75 | * CyberCyclops: The Franxx belonging to Code:196 Ikuno & Code:326 Mitsuru, 'Chlorophytum' possesses one eye on the left side of its face. |
| 76 | * DarkerAndEdgier: The anime is without a doubt ''the'' darkest series that Studio Trigger has produced since ''Anime/KillLaKill'' and ''Literature/NinjaSlayer'', almost reaching ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion's]]'' darker tone by the end of the first episode alone, which is jarring compared to their [[QuirkyWork typical fare]], [[Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia especially in comparison to their previous production]]. |
| 77 | * ADayInTheLimelight: While the early episodes focus mostly on Hiro, the other pilots get episodes that focus heavily on them, such as Zorome in episode 10. And in some cases, it focuses on their interactions with their partner, such as Goro and Ichigo in episode 9. |
| 78 | * DeflectorShields: [[spoiler:The Klaxosaur Mothership uses one to deflect a VIRM laser in Episode 23.]] |
| 79 | * DenserAndWackier: The official four-manga is more comical in nature. Even the more dramatic and serious moments from the anime are played for laughs. |
| 80 | * DistantFinale: and ''how''. The last scene is over 1000 years after Hiro and Zero Two warped out. |
| 81 | * DoItYourselfThemeTune: ''XX:me'', the unit that performs the ending themes, consists of the voice actresses of the main female cast. A variation of this is used in Episode 13, where Creator/HarukaTomatsu (Zero Two) solos the ending theme. |
| 82 | * DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: |
| 83 | ** The act of piloting a Franxx is a pretty clear parallel to sex, what with the positions of the pilots, and Hiro's inability to pilot one in most situations is treated as if he has a case of TheLoinsSleepTonight, complete with him attempting to motivate himself to pilot by kissing his copilot. Another character even explicitly tells her stamen to "Get it up!" at one point when they can't move their Franxx. Referring to the male pilot as a "stamen" and the female pilot as a "pistil" is another example, these being the sexual organs of flowers. Additionally, piloting a Franxx requires both parasites to deeply trust each other, which makes the metaphor specifically "sex in a loving relationship". |
| 84 | ** Ikuno's desire to pilot with Ichigo, but their inability to get the Franxx to move, reads as a bi/lesbian girl trying to start a relationship with another girl but failing due to IncompatibleOrientation, which is reinforced by the third end credits having a shot of them {{Almost Kiss}}ing. The 4koma series even has her wishing they could pilot the same way [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure the first Pretty Cures transformed]], alluding to Nagisa and Honoka's own couple-like dynamic. [[spoiler:Episode 18 confirms that Ikuno has feelings for Ichigo; it's unclear whether Ichigo returns them.]] |
| 85 | ** In Episode 15, [[spoiler: the loving reunion between Hiro and Zero Two is followed by the two flying into battle [[TheImmodestOrgasm screaming each other's names]]. Zero Two in particular is ''very'' happy to be riding with her Darling.]] |
| 86 | ** The Nines stand in for nearly all nontraditional relationships: Stamen girls with Pistil boys, the Zeta triplets as artificial clones, sex without love, LGBT (two girls [[spoiler:or boys]] can pilot without problem, [[spoiler: the Nines have no biological sex]]), and [[spoiler: childfree couples, though in Alpha's case it crosses over with being disgusted with the idea of making them.]] |
| 87 | ** [[spoiler:Strelizia True Apus' appearance looks like Zero Two in a wedding dress with the Klaxosaur bomb being a flower bouquet]]. |
| 88 | * DomedHometown: The various plantations are these. |
| 89 | * DontLookAtMe: In Episode 15, [[spoiler:Zero Two says this to Hiro when they reunite inside Strelizia's cockpit, since she considers herself a monster after all of her previous actions.]] |
| 90 | * DownerBeginning: ZigZagged. The series starts with Hiro musing on his uselessness as a Stamen and his inability to pilot, alongside with his longtime partner Naomi being ReleasedToElsewhere. However, episode 2 is arguably his DarkestHour, with him feeling like a complete failure due to being unable to reinstate his parasite licence, before recovering for a while with Zero-Two's aid...Which brought with it the threat of death due to Zero-Two's cursed nature. |
| 91 | * DoomMagnet: Zero Two is considered one, being labelled as a "partner killer". |
| 92 | * DrFakenstein: Doctor Franxx, alleged creator of the eponymous Mecha. |
| 93 | * DugTooDeep: The klaxosaurs first appeared when people started drilling into the crust to harvest magma for power [[spoiler:and immortality]]. [[spoiler:It's revealed in Dr. Franxx's episode 19 DayInTheLimelight that, even before that, the extraction of magma energy had led to rapid desertification worldwide.]] |
| 94 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: Episodes 23 and 24 will bring you tears of joy. [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two merge with Strelizia True Apus, and after a two-year journey through deep space, they reach the VIRM homeworld and deliver a klaxosaur bomb, winning the war at the cost of their bodies. The humans back home rebuild Earth and civilization, with Goro and Ichigo finally getting together and thousands of HumanPopsicles of failed and former parasites being brought out of cryogenic suspension, swearing off magma energy forever. Seemingly many decades later, Hiro's and Zero Two's souls make it back to Earth and are reincarnated.]] |
| 95 | * EmptyEyes: The Nines, and all adults except Dr. Franxx, have a glassy-eyed look without pupils. Dr. Franxx has a pupil, but no shine in his eye. This contrasts with the more alive eyes of the main cast. |
| 96 | * EvolvingCredits: From Episode 12 onwards, Futoshi and Mitsuru swap their positions in the opening sequence to reflect them [[spoiler:swapping their partners]] in the previous episode. |
| 97 | * EvolvingMusic: The opening sequence for Episode 16 onwards uses the second verse and chorus of "KISS OF DEATH" instead of the first. |
| 98 | * FantasticRacism: Miku, Ichigo, and a member of the Nines have referred to Two Zero's nonhuman genetics in less-than-complimentary terms. |
| 99 | * FatalFamilyPhoto: [[spoiler: Hiro keeps the photo they all took together at the wedding with him through the warpgate. With the same results as always with this trope.]] |
| 100 | * {{Fembot}}: The Franxx all have feminine designs complete with breasts, RobotHair, and even a SailorFuku like projection on Strelizia. |
| 101 | * FloralThemeNaming: All of the Franxx are named after flowers, with the male pilots called stamens and the female pilots called pistils. Locations are also named after plants: Plantation 13 is nicknamed [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry Cerasus]], the home of its parasites is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistletoe Mistilteinn]], Plantation 26 is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum]] and APE HQ is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_(plant) Cosmos]]. The place parasites are gathering after the Gran Crevasse battle is named the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neottia_nidus-avis Bird's Nest]]. |
| 102 | ** Takes a darker turn with the reference to "pruning" in episode 11. |
| 103 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: |
| 104 | ** In the opening's introduction screens Kokoro and Mitsuru are the only two pilots who are glancing to their sides and towards their own partners (while everyone else is looking towards the camera). However, the way the shots transition between one another can also make it look like they aren't actually looking at their partners, but at each other. [[spoiler:After they pair up in episode 11 the opening is updated to have them in the same shot]]. |
| 105 | ** Ikuno's orientation starts being hinted at in episode 4, with further hints along the way until her final confession in 18. |
| 106 | ** The Lyrics to Strelizia's theme song "Vanquish", first heard in episode 1, actually summarizes episode 13. The song is in English, but in an etherial choral style, making it hard to notice if you didn't know ahead of time. |
| 107 | * ForgottenFirstMeeting: Strongly implied with the old lady that Zorome talks to during episode 10. He starts tearing up suddenly, but doesn't know why. Some quick FlashBack scenes are shown of when he was still young, implying that the lady may have been a caretaker for him, if not a relative [[spoiler:possibly his mother, since both of them have purple eyes]]. For her part, the lady claims this is their first time meeting, and her dialogue is a bit vague at times. But she also implies she may have taken care of him before, but had to part ways with him while he was still very young. |
| 108 | ** [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two met in the Garden when they were kids. Episode 13 explores it extensively]]. |
| 109 | * FourIsDeath: Hiro's locker number, as seen in Episode 2, is number 4. And [[spoiler:Plantation 26 Squad seems to be assigned to 4th United Company during their last sortie]] in Episode 15. |
| 110 | * GainaxEnding: [[spoiler: While the actual ending is a straight up BittersweetEnding as above, the appearance of [[EleventhHourSuperpower Strelitzia Apus]] as a giant Zero Two in the final battle feels out of place in an anime that supposed to be (pseudo)science fiction instead of straight-up fantasy or magical.]] |
| 111 | * GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: |
| 112 | ** Goro does this to Ichigo when the latter has a HeroicBSOD over [[spoiler:Hiro's supposed death]] in Episode 6. |
| 113 | ** Hiro tearfully gives one to [[spoiler:a still [[BrokenBird emotionally broken and sobbing]]]] Zero Two at the climax of Episode 15 [[spoiler:after she sees herself as a disgrace to her Darling and [[IAmAMonster kept on convincing herself that she's a "monster"]] for her actions in the past three episodes, stating that they should talk it out and think it through as well as reassuring her that [[WalkingTheEarth they'll explore the world together]] and this won't be like last time before [[LoveConfession declaring they're "one"]] and giving her a BigDamnKiss. This would not only snap Zero Two out of her funk, but also grant Strelitzia access to her SuperMode and the two went into a RelationshipUpgrade ''immediately'' afterwards.]] |
| 114 | ** In Episode 16, Kokoro gives a reassuring variant to Mitsuru when [[spoiler:the latter told her that he used to resent Hiro for forgetting [[ThePromise their promise]] and just to have a purpose but now that he and Hiro have buried the hatchet after finding out that APE tampered Hiro's memories years ago, he's currently unsure what to do.]] |
| 115 | *** Also from the same episode, Zorome told Futoshi [[spoiler:that he should eat to keep living instead of the other way around after finding out that he had an eating disorder.]] |
| 116 | ** Mitsuru returns the favor to Kokoro near the end of Episode 17 when [[spoiler:[[ItsAllMyFault she blamed herself for her baby-making attempts (including dragging him along with it)]], which resulted with her getting into trouble with both the Nines ''and'' Nana, and then [[DontYouDarePityMe tried to push Mitsuru away]] when he showed up in her room to console her. He even resorted to give Kokoro his own ShutUpKiss just to snap her out of it, triggering TheirFirstTime and RelationshipUpgrade in the process.]] |
| 117 | ** Ikuno gets a CooldownHug version of this from Ichigo in Episode 18 [[spoiler:when she confessed [[AllLoveIsUnrequited her unrequited feelings]] to the latter and broke down, openly admitting that she hates herself for [[LipstickLesbian being a "creep"]] who not only [[DoesNotLikeMen gets jealous at men for being around Ichigo]], but also selflishly wanted Ichigo for herself. Ichigo, who [[CharacterDevelopment learned her lesson]] from her failed attempt in [[RemovingTheRival getting rid of Zero Two from Squad 13]] and claiming Hiro as a LoveInterest four episodes earlier, symphatizes with Ikuno and tells her that feeling like this is also part of life. In response, Ikuno gives her thanks to Ichigo for at least being considerate to her feelings even though she won't let them go so easily.]] |
| 118 | ** Mitsuru does this again to Kokoro in the penultimate episode [[spoiler:after the latter kept on ranting that she's now worthless as a Parasite due to the TeenagePregnancy she got from [[TheirFirstTime the night she slept with Mitsuru]] preventing her from piloting a FRANXX, telling her that responsibility doesn't matter because he's also worthless ''and'' a weakling who [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove can't even understand what love is]] but being with her as well as protecting her and their unborn child's future is WorthLivingFor. When Kokoro asked Mitsuru why did he still kept the wired ring, he told her that starting over again even after their wedding gone wrong is their ''own'' personal fight and [[SayMyName she can call his name as many times as she wanted]].]] |
| 119 | * GhostTown: The children discover one while exploring a tunnel with lots of overgrowth near the beach. Kokoro finds a pamphlet discussing babies when she wanders into an abandoned clinic. |
| 120 | * GodivaHair: In the anime this is often employed [[NippleAndDimed to hide the nipples of the girls when they are naked]]. The [[HotterAndSexier manga adaptation]] doesn't bother with it. |
| 121 | * GodzillaThreshold: Any time HQ is willing to send Zero Two out into the field, despite knowing the danger it risks her partner, is this. |
| 122 | * GooItUp: Early in the series, the children fight a klaxosaur that produces slime that seeps into their mechas' crew compartments and melts all their clothes off. |
| 123 | * GoroawaseNumber: The children's "names" derive from their numerical designations. A {{flashback}} shows this was Hiro's doing, as he preferred it to only calling each other by numbers. |
| 124 | * GildedCage: The kids themselves only have limited access to the plantations and instead stay on certain levels. Just about all of their needs are met so long as they do what they're asked. |
| 125 | * HalfHumanHybrid: Zero Two is revealed to be part klaxosaur by the end of the first episode. |
| 126 | * HornedHumanoid: Zero Two has a pair of small red horns on the top of her head and the headband she wears connects to them for an unknown purpose. They probably come from her klaxosaur blood. |
| 127 | * HotterAndSexier: The manga is noticeably more fanservice-heavy, naked breasts and all. Which shouldn't be surprising when [[Manga/ToLoveRu Yabuki Kentarou]] is the one in charge of it. |
| 128 | * IAmNotLeftHanded: A variation: when allowed to ride Strelizia with Zero Two in Episode 3, Mitsuru glorifies in the PowerHigh it brings, despite the clear toll it's taking on his body and mind. That's when Zero Two declares that she can go all-out now. Cue OhCrap from Mitsuru. |
| 129 | * ImmortalProcreationClause: [[spoiler:The magma energy infusion process that grants humanity their immortality also rendered them infertile and caused a massive population explosion that had to be reined in with legislative means.]] |
| 130 | * InSpiteOfANail: The manga's final colored illustration shows what happens to the cast past the alternate final battle. [[spoiler:Despite everything and not delving into sexuality as much as the anime, Kokoro and Mitsuru still remain the first of the pairs to have a child, as the former is pregnant in the picture. The cast sans Zero Two and Hiro also take roles similar to the ones they had when they began rebuilding old human civilization.]] |
| 131 | * {{Irony}}: In Episode 13, we learn [[spoiler:that Zero Two met a little boy when she was a little girl. She thinks killing enough klaxosaurs will make her a human and let her stay with that boy, and she doesn't care how many partners she has to kill in the process to do it. We learn this during a flashback while she's killing her ''current'' partner, Hiro, who happens to be the boy in question.]] |
| 132 | * JettisonJetpackAttack: The second Gutenberg-Class is defeated when Goro uses one of Delphinium's spare battery packs as an explosive and detonates it from the inside. |
| 133 | * {{Kaiju}}: The klaxosaurs. |
| 134 | * KissOfDeath: The title of the opening song references Zero Two's reputation [[spoiler: which is completely true. She causes any stamen who pilots with her to die by draining the life from them. Hiro is the one exception]]. |
| 135 | * LaserGuidedAmnesia: This is done twice in the story, first to [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two as children after they meet and run away together]], then in Episode 18 to [[spoiler:Kokoro and Mitsuru to remove their memories of becoming an OfficialCouple.]] |
| 136 | * LatexSpaceSuit: Taken to the point where the pilot suits are literally painted on by a machine rather than donned in a conventional manner. |
| 137 | * LastOfTheirKind: By the end of episode 24, [[spoiler: Nana and Hachi are the last of the immortal adults]]. |
| 138 | * LockedOutOfTheLoop: Hints are given throughout the show that there's more to the children than meets the eye, such as why they're called parasites, and are normally unable to enter the underground city. Even the other team they worked with in a previous episode hints that the children are unaware of their special situation and will likely not reach adulthood as Zorome constantly claims. |
| 139 | * LivingIsMoreThanSurviving: Zero Two hates the plantations, which she calls a "lifeless city." Episode 10 elaborates that [[spoiler:most adults live bland and stagnant lives, getting their physical needs provided but their emotional needs basically nonexistent--void of any names, emotions, passions, companionship, socializing, or even simple pleasures like eating or dreaming.]] |
| 140 | * LoopholeAbuse: In episode 8, the girls tape off half of the dorm after they got mad at the boys when their uniforms melted and the boys gave them pervy looks. Unfortunately they forgot to include the dining hall, so the boys immediately tape the girls section out of it. They also bathe outside because the bathrooms were on the girl's end, meaning they will see the boys in towels when they come back to the dorm and can't do anything about it. |
| 141 | * LoveDodecahedron: By episode 7, the series' relationships are becoming quite the headache. Goro and Ikuno have feelings for Ichigo, who loves Hiro, who loves Zero Two, who reciprocates, while [[{{Tsundere}} Miku and Zorome]] may have unadmitted feelings for each other. And theres a seperate LoveTriangle between Mitsuru, Kokoro, and Futoshi. What makes it a headache is that outside of Zero Two these kids have about zero understanding of romantic feelings and relationships due to their upbringing, and thus have no idea how to act on these feelings. However, by episode 11, the various triangles are working themselves out. |
| 142 | * AMechByAnyOtherName: They're all called 'Franxx'. Named after Dr. Franxx, their apparent creator. |
| 143 | * MobileCity: The setting takes place on a mobile fort city called a "Plantation", and there are several others like it roaming the Earth. Their sole purpose is to protect the remainder of humanity from a race of aliens called the Klaxxosaurs, whom they fight off using HumongousMecha. |
| 144 | * MythicalMotifs: |
| 145 | ** Jian: A mythical bird with only one wing that needs to pair up (male and female) to fly and live. Because of this it's also associated with romance. The motif is represented by the Parasites piloting the Franxx which take a male and female to pilot. |
| 146 | ** Phoenix: Episode 24 gives this to [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two who sacrifice themselves to stop VIRM and are reincarnated later on and with the Jian in their picture book looking more like a Phoenix in appearance]]. |
| 147 | *** Justified, as in Chinese myth, the Fenghuang (phoenix) is ''also'' a fusion of two birds, one male (Feng) and one female (Huang). It's the exact same concept as the Jian. |
| 148 | * NakedFirstImpression: Between Hiro and Zero Two, the latter being naked SkinnyDipping and dramatically [[SexySurfacingShot surfacing out of the water right in front of him]]. |
| 149 | * NeverWasThisUniverse: Like ''Anime/CodeGeass'' and its Sakuradite, after Episode 19 establishes HowWeGotHere starting TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, Episode 20 [[spoiler: establishes an ancient war between {{Ultraterrestrials}} and an AlienInvasion, as well as showing that "magma energy" is HumanResources instead of a "mere" currently-undiscovered fuel]]. |
| 150 | * NippleAndDimed: The anime never shows the nipples of the girls, while the HotterAndSexier manga adaptation does it all the time. |
| 151 | * NoPeekingRequest: In episode 16, Zero Two teasingly warns Hiro not to peek at her and the other pistils while they [[OutdoorBathPeeping bathe in the river]]. |
| 152 | * NotHelpingYourCase: Hiro in episode 8 trying to console the girls, embarrassed at ClothingDamage to themselves, by repeating one of Zero Two's earlier lines to him that a pilot is "better off being a little pervy". |
| 153 | * TheNudifier: Episode 8 starts with the group fighting a klaxosaur that releases a liquid that is completely harmless to the Franxx, but melts the uniforms of the girls. |
| 154 | * ObstructiveBureaucrat: In episode 3, [[spoiler: Nana denies Hiro's request to join Zero Two in rescuing the others by piloting Strelizia as clearance hadn't been made, even though the audience has been led to believe he would be the best person for the job.]] |
| 155 | * TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The leaders of APE sit in a circle and are only seen talking about the main cast and how they are an experimental team. |
| 156 | * OfficialCouple: [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two as of the ending of episode 15.]] |
| 157 | * OfficialCoupleOrdealSyndrome: |
| 158 | ** '''And how'''. [[spoiler:Not long after Hiro made a ChildhoodMarriagePromise with Zero Two, APE soldiers capture the two. Hiro gets hit with LaserGuidedAmnesia as punishment for their escape attempt, while Zero Two once again becomes a subject of ColdbloodedTorture to study her Klaxosaur physiology. Because of Hiro's tampered memories, Zero Two has no idea he was her original Darling when they meet in Episode 1. Then, when they finally recover their memories in Episode 13, Zero Two gets reassigned to the Nines and Ichigo stops Hiro from chasing her. It's not until Episode 15 when they ''at long last'' reunite and make up for lost time.]] |
| 159 | ** In Episode 18, the BetaCouple [[spoiler:(Kokoro and Mitsuru)]] get rocked with this as well. [[spoiler:The couple have a wedding with the help of the other squad members. They are then captured by APE and the Nines to have their minds wiped.]] Zero Two remarks that the same thing happened to her and Hiro as children. |
| 160 | * OneTrueLove: The main symbol of the series is the ''Jian'', a one-winged bird from Chinese mythology. In Chinese myths, a pair of ''Jian'' birds represents marriage since the two are inseparable and co-dependent on one another. Much like a ''Jian'' pair, [[spoiler:[[OfficialCouple Hiro and Zero Two]]]] are inseparable and serve as each other's wings. [[spoiler:Back when they were children, [[RescueRomance Hiro tried to help Zero Two escape the APE facility where she was being tested on and tortured]]. [[BeastAndBeauty Looking past Zero Two's inhuman appearance]], Hiro became the only boy who admired and loved her for who she was, WartsAndAll, and [[ChildhoodMarriagePromise even promised to marry her]] while they were on the run. [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Their short time together as children made an impact on Zero Two]] and, as Episode 12 reveals, she spent much of her life looking to reunite with her original "darling", the boy she loved and missed. When she finds out Hiro was her "Darling" all along in Episode 13, she becomes distraught over her actions up to that point before the two make up in Episode 15.]] Since then, the two have shown unconditional love for one another and know that their bond will help them overcome whatever obstacle fate throws at them. |
| 161 | * OnlyOneName: All the characters have a single name based on a GoroawaseNumber. Not only are the names [[YouAreNumberSix normally numbers]], there aren't any family names since the very concept of "family" is a thing of the past in the show's setting. |
| 162 | * OppositeSexClone: Not in the anime itself, but in the 4-panel manga, [[spoiler: Zero Two, who is a clone of 001, has an image spot of a male version of herself.]] |
| 163 | * OutOfClothesExperience: Averted for most of the anime, except for a few scenes with Hiro and Zero Two. This does come into effect in the manga, when there are moments where the female pilots are shown nude from within their Franxxs. |
| 164 | * PhlebotinumHandlingRequirements: Franxx cannot be piloted by just any pair - the duo, aside from being opposite genders with good mental sync, must also be naturally compatible. This is taken to an extreme with Zero Two and Strelizia: She can pilot Strelizia solo in a lionlike form in emergencies, but still requires a partner to unlock the Franxx's full combat power, and Hiro is to date her only partner to survive more than three sorties. |
| 165 | * PinkIsErotic: Zero-Two has pink hair and is the most sexually aggressive person amongst the cast and is the primary [[LoveInterest love interest]] for Hiro. |
| 166 | * PlotBasedVoiceCancellation: Zorome talks to an old lady he accidentally falls in front of in episode 10. Before some guards arrive to escort him back, he asks her if she can be his family when he becomes an adult and moves into the city, but then cuts himself off and asks to be her friend instead. She refuses, but her answer is obscured by static before it can be heard. |
| 167 | * PoorCommunicationKills: |
| 168 | ** In episode 3, the group was told there was only one klaxosaur they needed to kill. There were dozens of them, which they weren't expecting. The only reason there wasn't a TotalPartyWipe was because backup arrived. |
| 169 | ** In episode 14, both Hiro and Zero Two want to talk to each other after [[spoiler:the former almost kills the latter and the two learned they had met before]]. However, they are both stopped by Ichigo and the Plantation 13 Squad. After Ichigo and others finally decided to let Zero Two see Hiro, [[spoiler: he isn't in the hospital room and Zero Two assume they tricked her and attacks them]]. |
| 170 | * PowerTrio: Hiro, Ichigo, and Goro, the three having known each other the longest and have rarer 2-digit number codes. |
| 171 | * PragmaticAdaptation: The manga freely rearranges how some events played out, mixing scenes and dialogues from different points of the anime. That way all the necessary scenes can be covered in the limited number of pages each chapter has without hurting the overall pacing. |
| 172 | ** The Nines are introduced [[spoiler:and mostly wiped out]] far earlier than in their original appearances. This turn of events also gives them the opportunity to make a HeelFaceTurn at an earlier point than in the last five episodes. |
| 173 | ** Futoshi and Ikuno are the ones who suggest partner switching instead of the opportunity being presented to them. Mitsuru's Child Fever also plays a big role into this instead of his piloting with Zero Two. |
| 174 | * ProductionThrowback: |
| 175 | ** Strelizia's TransformationSequence in episodes 1 and 15 is very similar to ones of Ryuko Matoi's and Satsuki Kiryuin's transformation with their Kamuis in ''Anime/KillLaKill''. |
| 176 | ** Several to early Studio Trigger series ''Literature/WhenSupernaturalBattlesBecameCommonplace'', including a love triangle between a black-haired boy with lackluster powers and two girls with red and blue hair, the forthright and aggressive suitor calling the boy "darling" repeatedly while the passive suitor seethes with resentment, and Creator/SaoriHayami voicing a sweet, gentle girl with nearly the exact same hairstyle as Kokoro. |
| 177 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: Zero Two's eyes and horns start to glow red when she's agitated. |
| 178 | * RedOniBlueOni: |
| 179 | ** Hiro and Zero Two. In more ways than one. He's collected and DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife while she's unruly and not fond of regulations or social norms. Their color patterns emphasize this [[spoiler:even moreso when blue TaintedVeins start appearing on Hiro's chest after his second ride with her.]] |
| 180 | ** Done in an almost literal sense between [[spoiler:Zero Two and the Klaxosaur Princess. The former is wild and passionate, whereas the latter is cold and calculating, and Zero Two is made partially from the Princess's DNA.]] |
| 181 | * ReincarnationRomance: Episode 24 ends with [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two, who sacrifice themselves to stop VIRM, being reborn centuries later and meeting each other again as kids with the strong implication they will restart their romance]]. |
| 182 | * RescueRomance: Episode 13 revealed that [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two]] formed a PuppyLove version of this during their childhood. [[spoiler: This later becomes the basis of their ''actual'' romance when they recover their memories and apologize for their mistakes in Episode 15]]. |
| 183 | * RewatchBonus: Once you know her backstory in Episode 13, Zero Two's behavior in the earlier episodes takes on a whole new meaning, [[spoiler:since every aspect of it relates back to something she experienced as a child.]] |
| 184 | * RobotGirl: All the 'Franxx' are stylized and function more as [[{{Moe}} giant robotic girls]] instead of giant robot mecha typical of the genre. |
| 185 | * RomanticSpoonfeeding: Zero Two does this with Hiro in Episode 5 with one of her typical pieces of bread drenched in honey. The fact that he actually eats it shows how much he's come to trust her. |
| 186 | ** Futoshi and Kokoro, the one pair that seems to have the most well-adjusted relationship among the main cast, are shown following their lead not long after. |
| 187 | * RotatingProtagonist: While the early episodes focus mostly on Hiro and Zero Two, after episode 6 each episode is narrated by a different character and the focus is successively put either on the group as a whole or on each individual pair, while the two mains take a backseat. |
| 188 | * RuinsOfTheModernAge: The kids stumble upon the ruins of an old town during their [[BeachEpisode vacation on the beach]] in episode 7. Of particular note are the [[spoiler: ruined dormitory that's suspiciously similar to their own dormitory in Plantation 13, as well as the book on raising an infant that Kokoro finds in it]]. |
| 189 | * SandWorm: The klaxosaur from Episode 4. |
| 190 | * ScrewYourUltimatum: [[spoiler:The Klaxosaur Princess in episode 17. A party of adults led by two of Papa's group tries to threaten her into surrendering. Her nonverbal refusal is a BrownNote to the negotiator. The other one attacks her, and she {{impale|dWithExtremePrejudice}}s him with CombatTentacles and slaughters the rest of them.]] |
| 191 | * ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Hiro is more concerned about [[AccidentalPervert having accidentally seen Zero Two naked]] than Zero Two herself is. |
| 192 | * ShipSinking: The [[spoiler:Hiro/Ichigo]] ship gets torpedoed in Episode 15. [[spoiler:When Ichigo synchronizes with Hiro, she quickly discovers that Hiro solely thinks about Zero Two and thus will never have space in his heart for anyone else.]] |
| 193 | * SickeninglySweethearts: Zorome describes Futoshi and Kokoro like this, and while they're not exactly over the top (and don't even seem to be necessarily ''together'') they seem to have the most uncomplicated and "sweet" relationship in [[{{DysfunctionJunction}} the main cast.]] In Episode 5, they actually seem to start picking up Hiro and Zero Two's romantic behavior, with Kokoro handfeeding Futoshi at breakfast. |
| 194 | ** [[spoiler: Episode 11 shows a rapid, gut-punch breakdown of their relationship.]] |
| 195 | * SkinnyDipping: Hiro first meets Zero Two when she is swimming naked in a lake. |
| 196 | * SpaceBattle: [[spoiler:The final battle against VIRM is basically this.]] |
| 197 | * SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler: Hiro, Zero Two, Nine Alpha, and Nine Delta all survive in the manga.]] |
| 198 | * SpentShellsShower: |
| 199 | ** Downplayed when Strelizia kills the klaxosaur with her weapon and a single shell is ejected into the air and falls onto the ground with a heavy thud. |
| 200 | ** Played straight with Chlorophytum when she fires her {{Arm Cannon}}s. |
| 201 | * SuperRobot: The Franxx are clearly this, with teenagers being able to pilot them mostly with a mix of ThePowerOfLove and HotBlooded willpower. Speaking of willpower, the main mecha seems to spontaneously grow stronger whenever its pilot overcomes a personal dilemma. |
| 202 | * SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: |
| 203 | ** While the events of episode 8 have a fair dose of RuleOfFunny, those kinds of childish fights are to be expected when you put a bunch of teenagers who are just entering puberty to live in the same house. Dr. Franxx drops a LampshadeHanging on this matter when Nana and Hachi ask him for advice on how to deal with it. |
| 204 | ** In Episode 24, [[spoiler:despite having used a warp gate to clear the heliosphere and presumably coasting at relativistic speeds, it still takes Hiro and Zero Two ''years'' to cross the void and reach the VIRM homeworld.]] |
| 205 | * TheirFirstTime: In Episode 17, [[spoiler:Mitsuru and Kokoro have sex for the first time.]] |
| 206 | * ThemeMusicPowerUp: In Episode 15, the show's opening theme, "KISS OF DEATH" plays when [[spoiler:Strelizia starts ripping apart the Super Lehmann-Class klaxosaur.]] |
| 207 | * ThemeNaming: [[OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness The APE council]] ruling the Plantations has a name that corresponds to the ape-like masks worn by its members pretty damn well. |
| 208 | * ThePromise: Of the "made before the start of the series" variety, and naturally explaining one character's behavior. [[spoiler:Hiro promised to pilot with Mitsuru before the latter underwent a procedure that was extremely likely to kill him. As soon as Mitsuru returned, Hiro had completely forgotten, [[BrokenPedestal crushing Mitsuru's opinion of Hiro]].]] We later find out [[spoiler:this wasn't Hiro's fault; he had a lot of other memories wiped, and the promise was collateral damage.]] |
| 209 | * ThisIsMySide: The eighth episode has the girls dividing the house in half after an argument with the boys. As expected, Zero Two and Mitsuru completely ignored the entire spectacle, and both Hiro and Kokoro only went along because they didn’t have the guts to go against their friends. |
| 210 | * TimeSkip: One month passes between episodes 15 and 16. The episode focus on how the main squad adapts to the aftermath of the last episode and the new chemistry of Zero Two fully reintegrated into the crew. [[spoiler: It also shows that piloting the Franxx is finally taking a toll in their bodies, with characters getting sick and starting to show signs of RapidAging.]] |
| 211 | * TitleOnlyOpening: Episode 6, 13, and 15 do not use the standard opening sequence. Instead, the credits are superimposed over the first few minutes before or after the title card is shown. |
| 212 | * TogetherInDeath: In the series finale, [[spoiler:Hiro and Zero Two [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice their lives]] to stop the VIRM. The OfficialCouple knew they were going to die after they dived the Strelizia into the Klaxosaur bomb. They also knew that this wasn't the end for them and that, [[OneTrueLove no matter how long it took, they would meet again]]. Sure enough, they do in the epilogue when their souls return to Earth centuries after the battle and [[ReincarnationRomance reunite as human kids]]]]. |
| 213 | * TransformingMecha: Franxx require both pilots in order to maintain their humanoid forms. If a Pistil tries to pilot her Franxx alone--either because she has lost her Stamen or he refuses to cooperate with her--it regresses into a bestial form called Stampede Mode. It looks ''incredibly painful''. |
| 214 | * {{Troll}}: Zero Two. In the first episode alone, she repeatedly messes with her caretakers and Hiro without any kind of mercy, making both highly uncomfortable. She ramps it up in episode 8, screwing with the boys and girls by tricking the boys into walking in on the girls while they're bathing, then stealing all their clothes for good measure. |
| 215 | * UnexplainedRecovery: In "Jian", ''Delphinium'' is badly damaged [[spoiler:trying to immobilize ''Strelizia'' long enough to pass Hiro aboard to reunite him with Zero Two]], with her weapon destroyed and part of her head ripped off. But in the next shot while she's [[HoldTheLine holding the line]] against klaxosaurs she's back to normal. And it's fighting in its normal mode suggesting Goro somehow teleported back on board. |
| 216 | * UnfulfilledPurposeMisery: Every child is born and raised into ChildSoldiers for Papa against Klaxosaurs with the use of the giant robots called Franxx. The protagonist, Hiro, is unable to pilot and ends up depressed. As the series goes on, he ends up subverting this as he learns that there's more to life than serving Papa. |
| 217 | * UnusualUserInterface: Zero-Two's [[MaleGaze butt]] is the dashboard. Naturally many sex jokes were made. |
| 218 | * VetinariJobSecurity: Zero Two. Despite her LooseCannon antics and BlackWidow pattern with her partners, the klaxosaur are a great enough threat and Zero Two a great enough parasite (with one of the best Franxx around) that HQ can't afford ''not'' to send her out in the field [[GodzillaThreshold when the situation becomes dire enough]]. |
| 219 | * VisualInnuendo: The show has tons of it, probably most blatant in the piloting positions of the female and male drivers: they strongly resemble doggy-style sex, with the male holding onto a control yoke attached to the female's hips while she kneels prone. |
| 220 | * WeHaveReserves: APE has very little reservation about throwing Stamen after Stamen to Zero Two despite knowing that she'd likely kill them in the process. |
| 221 | * WellDoneSonGuy: All of the parasites are raised with Papa, the head of APE, as a distant surrogate father figure that they are trying to impress. Zorome fully buys into this, and while the others are less enthusiastic, they all nod their heads in agreement when he starts boasting on how they are impressing Papa by defeating klaxosaurs. |
| 222 | * WhamEpisode: They start coming one after another in the middle arc of the show. [[WhamEpisode/DarlingInTheFranxx See the dedicated Wham Episode page for details]]. |
| 223 | * WhamLine: |
| 224 | ** Episode 13 explores the backstory for Hiro and Zero Two. This all comes to a head in Episode 14 [[spoiler:when Zero Two realizes the Darling she loved and missed was Hiro all along]]. |
| 225 | --->'''Zero Two''': [[spoiler:Hey, were you my Darling from back then? ''Then what have I been doing all this time?'']] |
| 226 | ** In an episode loaded with wham moments, Episode 17 shows [[spoiler:001]] dropping a bomb [[spoiler:after she kills two APE officials]]. |
| 227 | --->[[spoiler:'''001''']]: [[spoiler:Damned human wannabes.]] |
| 228 | ** The closing monologue of Episode 18: |
| 229 | --->'''Hiro''': The home we built for ourselves was too brittle to live in, and everything we ever hold dear is always destroyed in the blink of an eye. [[spoiler:If that is our destiny, then we can't let it rule us anymore. We are at the end of our rope.]] |
| 230 | ** Not a surprise to the audience who already knew, but to the characters, episode 22: |
| 231 | --->'''Nana''': [[spoiler:Her urine sample revealed traces of human chorionic gonadotropin. According to the database, [[TeenPregnancy this is a hormone secreted during pregnancy]].]] |
| 232 | * WhamShot: |
| 233 | ** At the end of episode 3, [[spoiler:we see Mitsuru bleeding and injured in the cockpit of Strelizia, revealing that the rumors surrounding Zero Two's partners being unable to ride with her more than three times before dying are true.]] |
| 234 | ** The end of episode 8, [[spoiler:showing the prior plantation 13 parasites...[[TotalPartyKill who were wiped out to a man.]] ]] |
| 235 | ** Episode 15 has two of them. First, an exposed Klaxosaur's core reveals [[spoiler:what's clearly a human-shaped body]]. And then, [[spoiler:just as Hiro and Zero Two defeat a gigantic Klaxosaur, an ''even bigger'' Klaxosaur hand tears itself out of the ground and massacres Plantation 13 in a single attack, leaving Squad 13 stranded.]] |
| 236 | ** The final shot of episode 21 [[spoiler:shows Zero Two as an apparently lifeless husk after using Strelizia Apath to repel VIRM.]] |
| 237 | * WhatTheHellHero: |
| 238 | ** In Episode 11, Futoshi does this to Kokoro over [[spoiler: breaking their promise of being "partners for life" by willingly partnering with Mitsuru during the "partner switch" Nana proposed.]] |
| 239 | ** Hiro calls out Zero Two in Episode 14 for [[spoiler: beating up the rest of Squad 13 in a fit of rage and [[PoorCommunicationKills under the assumption they lied to her about seeing him again]] (which Ichigo forbade her to do after nearly strangling him to death earlier), even going so far as to call her a "monster". Though to his credit, he didn't call her that on purpose, since he was referring to her [[YoUareWhatYouHate acting like a "violent wild animal"]] instead of her current appearance. Hiro felt bad about this soon after and brought that up again to Zero Two during their reunion in the next episode.]] |
| 240 | ** Kokoro got two of them during the events of Episode 17, [[spoiler:first by Mitsuru for trying to force herself on him, and later by Nana over her thoughts of wanting to concieve children, which is against APE's rules. Both times, this does not sit well for Kokoro.]] |
| 241 | ** The majority of Squad 13 lambasted Zorome in Episode 18 for [[spoiler:justifying and defending APE's decision to crash Mitsuru and Kokoro's wedding ceremony, and then tamper their memories the same way they did to Hiro and Zero Two back when the latter two were kids. It took Zorome asking Papa about how many Klaxosaurs the Parasites should further kill to become adults in the next episode to ''finally'' realize that Papa is a BadBoss.]] |
| 242 | ** Goro chews out Hiro in Episode 22 for [[spoiler:always going off on his own and unknowingly acting like an UngratefulBastard to the rest of Squad 13 just because of his love and willingness to die for Zero Two, whose consciousness is ''still'' in Strelitzia Apus and fighting the VIRM by herself. As much as Hiro cared for the rest of his squadmates, Zero Two is his number one priority due to the ThePromise they've made two episodes prior, and Goro understood his decision to save her in the end.]] |
| 243 | * WholeEpisodeFlashback: Episode 13 is entirely devoted to Hiro and Zero Two's past. |
| 244 | * WholePlotReference: |
| 245 | ** Episode 10 shows that life in the Plantation inner city is basically ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'', and the kids are pretty much one of the lower classes used by the "adults" for their needs. |
| 246 | ** The plot of "The Beast and the Prince", the book that shows up in episode 13, is strikingly similar to Hans Christian Andersen's version of ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid''. |
| 247 | * YouAreNumberSix: Only Zero Two is known by her numbered designation while the rest of the children have actual names. And even those are only a very small step above this trope, as they are based on [[GoroawaseNumber alternative readings of their respective numbers]] (invented by Hiro). [[spoiler:It's later revealed that all Parasites are identified by their designation, and Hiro's group are an anomaly for having adopted nicknames – another team comments that [[StopHavingFunGuys such a thing]] [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint seems pointless]].]] |
| 248 | ** Episode 13 [[spoiler: reveals that Zero Two's name was also invented by Hiro - after briefly considering {{Oni}} and quickly thinking better of it.]] |
| 249 | * YouMonster: [[spoiler:Hiro]] tells this to [[spoiler:Zero Two]] in Episode 14 [[spoiler:after he stumbles onto her literally holding onto Ichigo by the neck after she's beaten his other teammates and admits that she did so because they wouldn't let her talk to him. He wasn't referring to her increasingly inhuman appearance, but to her selfish and violent behavior. He would later bring that up again as a way of apologizing to Zero Two near the end of Episode 15 in response to the latter's HeelRealization over treating and degrading him like "fodder".]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Anime / DarlingInTheFranxx
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
