This feeds into what I see as the uniting theme of the series: a rejection of group mindsets.

In
other words, DARLING in the FRANXX mostly reflects the common anime theme of rebelling
against Japanese cultural norms. Thinking for one's self and bucking the system can incur a
harsh cost, but it also shows those who attempt to suppress such deviancy as regressive. That
an experiment allowing Squad 13 to be individuals ultimately proves to be the ticket to the
future has provocative implications, as does the fact that the rigid system collapses and those
trapped in conformity mostly die off along the way. It's no coincidence that the true villains are
also a homogeneous group mind. The series shows that achieving a world where
independence is valued is a messy process, but also the key to avoiding a dead-end fate.

Ultimately, the greater focus remains on the central romance. While all of this other stuff is
going on, the heart of the story still lies with the relationship between Hiro and 02. The
flashback about how their paths intersected once before shows how their previous encounter
defined each of them in entirely different ways, as well as making more sense out of the
connection that they have shown so far, and the power of their two hearts finally aligning is
palpable. The series also shows that their love is by no means always healthy; in some early
episodes of this half, it borders on pathological obsessiveness, to the point that 02 is unstable
without Hiro, whose ongoing competition with Mitsuru to be the blandest member of the cast
does not help their dynamic. Because of that, the love story does not achieve the epic impact
that the story aims for, though the way that later episodes show their love as the key to the
future of humanity that will transcend time and space still conveys enough sentiment to work.

The biggest problem with the second half was less in the details for me and more with the
overall structure. The series builds satisfactorily toward a major climax in episode 21, but then
spends most of the remaining three episodes concentrating on events on the ground, with the
continuing battle in space only being a limited complement. This would have been fine if those
last three episodes were structured more as a third act, with the spacefaring part being the
climax (like in Gurren Lagann), but DARLING in the FRANXX mostly just creates a lull that
reduces the impact of the finale. Granted, what is happening on the ground is ultimately more
important to the future beyond this story, but the transition could have been handled more
smoothly.

Technical merits are generally in line with the first half of the series, although a couple of new
closing themes are added. Even the more spectacular new versions of the Franxx that come up
late in the series are still in line with the earlier stylistic trends of this series. The design for the
younger and more bestial 02 will doubtless earn its own fans for how it successfully makes her
equal parts cute and monstrous, and the “ten years later” designs for many key cast members
offer a nice series-ending treat. The only significant flaw is that the characters are shown as
not having aged at all in scenes that take place two years later, which seems improbable since
they are all teenagers. Graphic content is more intense this time around, including some
scenes that are effectively torture sequences, though fan service elements are more
minimized.
As with the first half, this set comes in a Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital combo pack in a slipcover. On-
disc extras include English episode commentaries for episodes 15 and 23, web previews, clean
opener, and a clean version of episode 16's special closer. It also includes a pair of 24-minute
long “Playback Specials,” which are a mix of animation clips, staff interviews, and seiyuu
interviews, with the first one featuring pairs of actors sitting in a giant bird cage. The English
dub also continues to stand out as one of Funimation's better recent efforts, with new
highlights being Justin Briner's performance as 9'α and Leah Clark's handling of some
emotional scenes as Ikuno.

DARLING in the FRANXX's popularity ultimately seems to have won out over its divisive
reception. 02 is still a popular anime cosplay option, and series merchandise still does well in
both Japan and the West. Its combination of sweeping love story, cool mecha action, homages
to its bombastic heritage, and potent themes have resonated with audiences in ways that few
anime are able to achieve. It may be less than graceful in how it builds its themes and
definitely has some structural issues, but on the whole it works for what it's trying to
accomplish.

Grade:

Production Info:

Overall (dub) : B

Overall (sub) : B

Story : B

Animation : B

Art : B

Music : B+

+ Never a dull moment, solid musical score and English dub

− Muddled themes, timing and pacing of the last few episodes could use some improvement

Director: Atsushi Nishigori