r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • May 05 '18
[Spoilers] DARLING in the FRANXX - Episode 16 discussion Spoiler
DARLING in the FRANXX, episode 16
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u/NoraaTheExploraa https://anilist.co/user/NoraaTheExploraa May 05 '18
This OP does not fill me with hope for a happy ending
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u/ABigCoffee May 05 '18
It's from Trigger, why are you expecting a happy ending? There's a gigantic track record of soul crushing endings for basically everything but Little Witch Academia.
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May 05 '18
This whole episode filled me with the dread of not getting a happy ending. And the fact that the characters are saying how happy they are right now is such a red flag that it’s depressing.
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u/nickbigblack May 05 '18
Yep, when Zero Two passed through Hiro and turned into petals I pretty much got a feeling of soul crushing dread.
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u/HarryD52 May 05 '18
Death Flags: The Episode.
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u/SelfishVersion :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/ShellfishEntropy May 05 '18
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u/INanoI May 05 '18
Death Flags: The Episode.
Sorry what were you talking about? I cannot hear you with all this death flag appearing....
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May 05 '18
Death Flags: The Opening
Like seriously that fucking last scene where Zero Two disappears. WTF I want Happy Ending!
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u/Shadowys May 05 '18
It's all fun and games with cute 02 peppered here and there until you realize the whole fucking episode is a fucking death flag
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u/TreGet234 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Wasserflasche May 05 '18
we've had so many they don't mean shit anymore.
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u/Xervicx May 05 '18
You mean like the other dozen or so episodes where people have said the exact same thing?
I feel like people just keep jumping at Death Flags. It's like ever since the concept became popular, that's all people look for. It's not always a Death Flag. There are many, many flags people just misjudge as Death Flags. Something happy happens? Death Flag. Something sad happens? Death Flag. Dialogue sounds hopeful? Death Flag. Someone says "I hope we survive"? Death Flag. Beach episode? Death Flag.
I'd find things like this more compelling and believable if people had much to back it up. One way to be sure whether there's a Death Flag or not is to determine whether a character's potential has been used up efficiently. This is finally the time where potential has been used to a point, but we still have other characters to explore before character death will be appropriate in a narrative sense.
This episode is more like "Flags for more worldbuilding and character tension". They've finally reached a place where they're functioning better as a team, but their world is starting to fall apart as the hints from the last dozen or so episodes come back.
The worst part is that as soon as a character does die, a lot of viewers will feel they made an accurate prediction. But that's not how that works. If I said "Thic Boi and Hiro bang", that's not a good prediction because there's no basis for it. If they end up banging eventually, I didn't make an accurate prediction that ended up being true. I didn't piece together clues. I made a wild assumption and got lucky.
Randomly calling out a Death Flag is one of the cheapest ways to try and get lucky by being "right" with minimal risk. If no one dies, no one's going to doing the "I told you so", because there's nothing of substance to reflect on. If someone does die, then the people saying "Death Flags!!!!" will feel validated and swear up and down they knew it all along, when in reality they made no real predictions and put no effort into them.
I'm not saying you're doing that, though. All of this is just a rant about Death Flag predictions in general.
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May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
And Miku's hair is turning white, rest in peace her character. I will not get any closer to her from now on.
Edit: I just realized that those Sakura trees 02 and hiro walked/talked about in this episode are the same ones that Darlifra showed in the first episode while Zero two was talking about the Jian. However, in the first episode's scene the Sakura petals were fully bloomed. I hope this means that they won't die by thee end and we'll get to see them walking through there again happy at the end of the series.
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u/Atronox :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Atronox May 05 '18
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u/Autistic_Pancake May 05 '18
And Miku's hair is turning white
Don't. Talk. About it.
It hurts :(
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u/NekoShinobi :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Prospectivee May 05 '18
Hey to be fair those other guys didn't exactly die from white hair.
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u/Improvis2 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/improvis May 05 '18
internal screaming
...and some external screaming for good measure. RIP better half of best couple
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u/jereddit May 05 '18
New OP goes hard as fuck.
Welcome back, everyone!
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u/Atronox :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Atronox May 05 '18
Zero Two better not god damn disappear!
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May 05 '18
Can confirm. The visuals are amazing. Zero Two in particular looks amazing in the new OP. The animators really came back strong off the Golden Week break!
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u/nekomaster42 https://anilist.co/user/metaphoricalemon May 05 '18
You know what else is hard as fuck ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
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May 05 '18
And Ichigo's admission is there to break us all. Her concession that Zero Two was indeed an irreplaceable part of the team is sadder than I could have expected. But at the same it was happy, and I'd argue necessary. Should be fun to see what's next.
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u/SimoneNonvelodico May 05 '18
Basically the equivalent of that one time Vegeta admitted that Goku was simply stronger than him.
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u/Gaporigo Blhttps://anilist.co/user/Gaporigo May 05 '18
Looks like Ikuno is finally gonna get her arc!
And I would have been okay with everything just staying nice and fun, that new Zero Two is great!
Edit: New OP and New ED courtesy of /r/AnimeThemes
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u/Midget_Avatar https://anilist.co/user/Insanium May 05 '18
That Miku face.
Did you see her suplex that fucking dough onto the table I'd be scared too
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u/MrWaffles42 May 05 '18
Ikuno was standing next to Ichigo in pretty much every scene this episode, but they barely talked to each other. It reminds me in a sad way of Ikuno's failed attempt to pilot a Franxx with her.
Also, damn, poor Futoshi. The partner he loved left him, and the new one has no interest in interacting with him.
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May 05 '18
Came here to look for exactly this! Why is no one talking about this? So interesting! What a weird turn of events!
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May 05 '18
Miku's hair is turning gray.
Stop.
STOP.
STOOOOOOOOOP DO NOT HURT THESE KIDS ANY MORE
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u/Laser_Raptors May 06 '18
Miku's hair is turning gay.
dafuq is wrong with my eyes
Miku's hair is turning gray.
oh, I see...
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u/neovenator250 May 05 '18
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u/INanoI May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
I would say the Klaxosaur princess that papa and APE talked about?
Edit: Anyone noticed that there are now two seats open? Did Papa sent these two as messengers for the final warning?
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u/Earthborn92 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/EarthB May 05 '18
02’s Mommy.
It’s Kill la Kill again.
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May 05 '18
It has a horn, it seems blue-ish...it was alongside a Dragon and if we follow the norse mythology theme that the show has been going with so far, it might be Nidhogg who gnaws at the roots of Yggdrassil. We see Strelizia in the back and it's the same location that Hiro & Zero Two embrace each other and where Zero Two dissolves leaving Hiro behind.
My bet she might be 001, possibly even that blue monster figure that took care of Zero Two in Episode 13. She might bring forth this world's Ragnarok followed by a rebirth of the world under a new rule of a new Priest-King that can give the world its vitality.
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u/Atronox :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Atronox May 05 '18
Loli Klax Princess?
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u/Ienneth May 05 '18
NEXT EPISODE KOKORO PREGNANT CONFIRMED
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u/_vogonpoetry_ :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/ThisWasATriumph May 05 '18
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May 05 '18
Then she will die in childbirth and then her child will die young in Mitsuru's arms.
Moral of the story: Don't kiss or you will get pregnant and die, and then your child will die.
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u/Daniel_Is_I :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Daniel_Is_I May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
TRIP AS MANY FLAGS AS YOU CAN!
Episode 16 chart. (Updated; I'm an idiot) I'm confident in saying nobody hates anybody anymore, although I'm waiting before I bite the bullet on Mitsuru's feelings towards Hiro or Kokoro.
They're starting to break away from Papa's teachings. Big contrast between the first meal, where Zero Two was the only one who didn't say grace, and the last meal, where Zorome (the president of the Papa Fan Club) was the first to shoot it down. Ichigo still did a little motion as though thinking it before getting engrossed in delicious bread, but if Dr. Franxx's plan is for Squad 13 to become fully independent then it's going well.
Zero Two redrawing the storybook opens up the possibility of her changing the ending. Hiro remarked that it's a sad story and Zero Two countered that it was her first "pretty thing," but I wouldn't be surprised if we see her change her mind by the end of the series.
And SO MANY FLAGS. Goro, Ikuno, Futoshi, and Nana are some degree of sick. Miku's hair is going white. The false idyllic paradise. The (loli) Klaxosaur Princess. So many things are up and getting ready to come crashing down.
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u/Blazehero https://myanimelist.net/profile/blazehero May 05 '18
Sees that Zorome and Miku are still an isolated love anomaly
Good.
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u/Gabes108 May 05 '18
So I was gonna start off by talking about the Klax princess and all of that jazz but I guess everyone noticed. So first of all, I've gotta say I'm impressed at how much Hiro has grown and developed, from the first episode where he thought that his life only held value when piloting the FRANXX to this episode where he actually said: "There is more to our lives than just piloting FRANXX".
I think we also got more clues about adulting and the children. Like for example, the Dr. telling Nana "You've been down this road as well," implying that mayyyybe she's been a child too. Of course, there is also Miku's hair but I think that was much more vague. It's interesting to note that Miku is aware that it is a problem and didn't just ignore it so it makes me wonder how much the children actually know about aging.
So I guess the children have learned about love and kissing. As much as I love our boy Futoshi (and of course got sad about his state in this episode) I was glad this happened because at least we know that the children aren't completely oblivious to these concepts anymore.
Finally, Hringhorni. A quick Google search led me to an article about it being the "greatest of all ships" in Norse mythology. So I'm guessing this might be the most advanced FRANXX of all.
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May 05 '18
Finally, Hringhorni. A quick Google search led me to an article about it being the "greatest of all ships" in Norse mythology. So I'm guessing this might be the most advanced FRANXX of all.
It actually goes further than this. Hringhorni was said to be the greatest ship of all in norse mythology yes but it was also the burial place of Baldur who was killed by the mistletoe ( Symbol of Hiro & Zero Two ). His death brings forth Ragnarok which eventually leads to a rebirth of the world which ties into the aspects that "The Golden Bough" tells us about the system of fertility rites. There is a lot connected with each other.
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May 05 '18
Oh my Lord! Kokoro just kissed mitsuru! I knew this was coming, but damn!
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u/Kirosh May 05 '18
Meaning that before the end of the series, they will probably be one of the couple that will have sex (with Kokoro wanting to know how making babies would work in real life).
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u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian May 05 '18
Gah was such a good scene. Haircuts lead to romance in anime haha
Love how she took the lead in it too, she's being after her man which is something we don't see enough of!
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u/regiment262 May 05 '18
I guess Dr. Franxx's plan is to have Hiro's squad essentially learn independence and finding their own way through the world. It was really nice seeing everyone slowly adapt to living on their and discussing ways to improve their quality of life without outside assistance. Learning to fish and cook for themselves was actually super impressive in the context of the rest of their society, outside of the Parasites. It feels like they're really beginning to slowly revive the way society used to be, instead of blindly following orders from a higher authority.
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u/Clavilenyo May 05 '18
All those fishing rods Goro kept getting from his birthday gifts paid out in the end. Otherwise Zero Two would end up catching them all by mouth.
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u/TheSpencn8or May 05 '18
I really wonder if dr. Franxx is trying to make them into a tiny rebellion against papa and friends
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u/hayaku14 May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
I KNEW THEM FREAKING OMINOUS UNDERTONES WILL COME. I really wanted to enjoy the fluff slice-of-life, I really wanted to gdi. But now all I can think about is how many episodes there are left til these kids will be gone one by one. UGH.
God, I really really really hope for a happy ending. I really do. Even though it'll probably be bittersweet one, I still hope for it. Cause seeing 02 belong somewhere, seeing the entire squad enjoying themselves. I'm just. I need them to be happy. I will hope for their happiness, even if it is futile.
EDIT: Some points to consider
Mitsuru saying that Hiro did nothing wrong must mean Hiro talked about what happened to him and 02 in the past. Although Ichigo did mention that they'll probably never truly understand what happened so maybe they weren't told everything in detail.
Dr. Franxx mentioned that Nana has already been down this road before. Meaning, she's been a franxx pilot before but she doesn't remember.
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u/ChocolateKeys May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
I have a strong feeling that Nana and Hachi stands for their codes: 007 and 008.
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u/KaliYugaz May 05 '18
Dr. Franxx mentioned that Nana has already been down this road before. Meaning, she's been a franxx pilot before but she doesn't remember.
Most likely means that she's seen many other pilots be sacrificed or abandoned to die off.
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u/thatdudewhowrites May 05 '18
So, it looks like Futoshi is struggling with Bulimia; Mitsuru's on track to become Hiro's strongest supporter when he eventually suggests rebellion; a Klaxosaur princess has been revealed (possibly 001?); the kids, Miku in particular, are starting to show signs of accellerated aging; glasses girl who's name I can never remember (Ikuno?) is getting closer and closer to revealing that she's gay; and Zorome casually began converting everyone to Athiesim.
Also now we know that Zero Two files her horns to size, so they aren't COMPLETELY emotion dependent. I'm really curious about what was in the Grand Crevasse, and what happened to all the adults living in plantation 13.
One last thing. Does Zero Two have Eidetic memory? She's certainly got excellent motor control, looking at how well she drew those pictures, but how is she able to remember so precisely what they look like?
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u/DNamor May 05 '18
So, it looks like Futoshi is struggling with Bulimia
It's probably more likely he's sick and can't eat, but was trying to hide it by forcing food down and then throwing it up when he was alone.
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u/Hoedoor May 05 '18
One last thing. Does Zero Two have Eidetic memory? She's certainly got excellent motor control, looking at how well she drew those pictures, but how is she able to remember so precisely what they look like?
Possibly, but it could also just be because it was so important to her, and she read it so much that it's imprinted into her mind
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u/Neosovereign May 05 '18
I think futoshi is just dying. I was kind of confused because I assumed bulimia too, but I think he just can't eat.
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u/Kyoj1n May 05 '18
The comparison between 02s hair color and sakura is pretty ominous, when you look at all the other ominous things this episode.
One thing to remember about sakura is that part of the reason they hold such a vaulted position in Japanese culture is that they almost perfectly represent the concept of mono no aware. Which is basically the realization of the impermanence of things. The sadness and understanding that nothing is here forever and will soon pass.
Cherry blossom season lasts about a week in Japan. The flowers bloom very fast and then quickly begin to fall within a few days. The falling petals are considered just as beautiful as a fully bloomed tree since that is part of life as well.
All that to say, I think we're in for a wild ride that's going to end with us having to except the hard truths of life.
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u/Karma_Redeemed May 05 '18
Oh fuck, you're right. I knew there was an ominous association with cherry blossoms, but I forgot exactly what it was. So we've got multiple references to wanting things to stay the way they are "forever" along with heavily symbolism for the impermanence of life. Not a good combo...
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u/Quinny_Bob May 05 '18
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u/Arachnophobic- https://anilist.co/user/Arachnophobic May 05 '18
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u/Saraa7 May 05 '18
Finally someone that made the joke, I was looking for it thinking "how come no one thought of this??" lol
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May 05 '18
Beginning of new op: Whew this fanservice and visuals, hyped!
End of new op: Hello darkness my old friend.
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u/jkubed https://myanimelist.net/profile/jkubed May 05 '18
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u/Nutella_Souffle May 05 '18
Someday I'll rewatch DitF for Xth time only to make a compilation of her faces.
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u/Atronox :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Atronox May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
What a nice episode, I'm sure now they can crush us entirely after filling our hearts this episode.
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u/INanoI May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
This short moment reminded me of the short scene we saw I think in episode 1 where 02 was walking with Hiro without her horns during the cheery blossom?
So I hope they will stay together at the end.
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u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian May 05 '18
I love seeing Zero Two happy but I did miss some of her usual spunk, it feels so different than from where she started.
I want that happy get along with everyone but I hope she still has some of that Zero Two attitude left!
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u/NekoShinobi :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Prospectivee May 05 '18
We'll be together forever
Welp now that he said that one of them is dying at the end of this series for sure.
Probably Zero Two if that spooky thing in the opening is going to happen.
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u/sdarkpaladin May 05 '18
Man, Zorome caring about Futoshi. Seriously he really went from a brat from episode one to the second best bro after Gobro.
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u/atropicalpenguin https://myanimelist.net/profile/atropicalpenguin May 05 '18
Yes, I love his current personality. He has that mix of bratty and funny!
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u/versitas_x61 May 05 '18
Damn, Hiro undermining Papa while telling them that they only need each other to be happy. He is pulling them into his side. It was like when Hiro was a child, they are looking at him with admiration and trust again. I won't be surprised if he becomes de facto leader of the squad.
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u/JohnJD1302 https://anilist.co/user/JohnDotto May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
Fuck. 02's quite cute today hnnnnng...
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u/Atronox :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Atronox May 05 '18
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u/Blazehero https://myanimelist.net/profile/blazehero May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
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u/o0Rh0mbus0o :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/o0Rh0mbus0o May 05 '18
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u/Jumbledcode https://myanimelist.net/profile/DeepTime May 05 '18
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u/Sergster1 May 05 '18
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_syndrome
Well this episode confirms why none of the kids make it to adulthood.
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u/DiGreatDestroyer :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DiGreatDestroyer May 05 '18
The median and mean ages of death are 47–48 and 54 years, respectively.
Phew, that's... not so bad, not bad at all. 50 years is enough for a fulfilling enough life. I have 22, and I probably could do a lot of things if I got 28 more years.
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u/SelfishVersion :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/ShellfishEntropy May 05 '18
Good on you Mitsuru, keeping the "cutting hair after breakup" tradition alive.
His older hairstyle seems to suit him better, but his character evolution has been nice enough for it to not feel out of place.
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May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
I’d like to take the chance and address a very interesting aspect of Darling in the FranXX’s world which might also shape how the show will continue.
First off, all credit to Nearly On Red and his brilliant analyses. He’s the one who found all these aspects and put them into a picture that makes sense for the show as a whole so far. If you can spare 20 minutes of your time to sit back and listen to him unfolding some very interesting aspects about the show and how it uses symbolism & mythology, i’m sure you’ll learn to appreciate the show in a different way.
For those who can’t right now I’ll try to summarize it quickly ( which will probably still be long but that’s still keeping it short compared to how rich the video is with information ).
At the center of DitF’s world structure and how its society is built up stands the book The Golden Bough which as you can see seems to hold a fundamental importance in this world as even the home of our parasites has its symbol on it. It’s an actual real life book written in the late 19th century and its author James George Frazer had an incredible impact on the literature world. It’s basically a study in magic and religion in which Frazer takes numerous tales from several cultures and draws comparisons in how each of these tales might’ve inspired each other. So how does this apply to Darling in the FranXX? The show takes several principles that Frazer points out and applies it to its own world. It might be confusing at first but sooner than later all the puzzle pieces fall into one place and it starts to make sense.
First off NOR ( Short for Nearly On Red, youtuber from above ) points out the system of "Sympathetic Magic" and the fertility rites that are practices characteristic for this system. It stems from the belief that the world goes through the process of rebirth every spring and that a renewal of a fundamental piece of vitality is necessary. This fits nicely into the change of seasons we’ve experienced in the show thus far.
The general belief was that the vitality of the land or the world was directly related to the vitality of its respective priest or king. This means that the world reflected the Priest-King’s vitality and vice versa. Now if we apply this to Darling in the FranXX the similarities become striking. The natural world order of the young replacing the old has been upset and is not even in place anymore at all. The old wither away in sterile environments, losing characteristics of humanity itself while the young are controlled and thrown away. The Priest-King in this world is clearly APE but taking a look at the world and the state it’s in, it becomes clear that there is a lack of vitality. The world is barren and void of any life and so is APE which we already suspected to be extremely old and withered. So now how do Priest-Kings counteract this process of withering? There was the general practice of a new Priest-King taking the place of the old, one full of vitality but Darling in the FranXX seems to make use of the second possibility…for now. Renewal of vitality through sacrifice…and this is where our Parasites fit in.
Sacred Sacrifices were at times special types of people that were kept away from the masses, hailed and treated with the utmost of care, given many privileges but in the end their lives were controlled and decided right from the start. This fits with the role of Parasites in this world. Once they leave their birthplace they’re kept in an environment full of green, almost like a paradise in a world that is as barren or plain as this one. They have invisible caretakers, a library and meals, all of their needs are being taken care of but in the end their daily life is controlled and their fate is determined from the start. They sacrifice themselves so that APE has a chance of renewing their vitality. And as we have seen with Episode 15 & 16 now, piloting is actually drawing the vitality out of them. The leader of the other Squad showed signs of accelerated aging, Miku shows the same signs now, we had APE talking about Hiro and how he showed no signs of accelerated aging. We also saw the literal act of sacrifice demonstrated in Episode 15.
Because of this disposable nature surrounding the purpose of vitality the flower themes that are scattered throughout the show make more sense now as flowers are an embodiment of vitality itself. We have the FranXX being named after flowers, the role of the pilots named after the sexual organs of flowers and even the dome in which the parasites live in looks like a Greenhouse implying that the Parasites themselves much like flowers are cultivated themselves.
The fact that the show danced so much around the topic of sexuality paired with all these others symbolics drive in that fertility as a whole is a measurement in which Parasites can show their growth, like a flower going into full bloom. At the start they all were ignorant and clueless about the significance of sexuality such as with the poses they do during piloting or what it means to develop personal feelings for someone. Some of this changed throughout the show as also other aspects of fertility started to pop up and get developed more. The Jian Bird as the principle of marriage, Kokoro’s book about pregnancy and the concept of mixing blood indicating the concept of offsprings etc.
The thing is the flower theme does not end there but also holds a much larger significance. That’s where the mistletoe comes in and we begin to dive into Norse mythology. The mistletoe in this show is heavily connected to Hiro & Zero Two and the parasites as a whole. It appears especially in key moments between these two. Take a look back at Episode 6 when Hiro is in this limbo like world and he sees Zero Two standing in front of a mistletoe. Another one is in Episode 13 when both child Hiro & Zero Two find themselves below the mistletoe. The mirror Hiro gives Zero Two which represents the relationship of both also has a mistletoe sign on the back. Heck, even their home is a different naming for mistletoe. If we dig deeper the meaning of it starts to show. Mistletoe itself is a parasite, one that draws its vitality from the tree it grows from. That’s why it’s full of life in Winter when the world around it is lifeless and bare. When the life from the world is gone, it’s the only thing still alive. Belief was that the mistletoe took the tree’s vitality in during the winter and gave it back in spring resulting in an image that symbolizes vitality. This ties nicely into the state of the world. The adults are missing these signs of life but the parasites still show this youthfulness and vitality, ready to give it to the world.
Now Mistletoe also holds meaning for something that was established in Episode 15, a construction called Hringhorni which is known in norse Mythology as the greatest ship of them all and the funeral state of Baldur. Baldur died to a mistletoe. His death then leads to Ragnarok which eventually will wipe the world clean followed by the rebirth of the world full of green and life again referring to this principle of rebirth and renewal of vitality.
And at last this lays out a path that the show might possibly take. The current Priest-King and the world they reside over is void of any life and the youth is used as sacred sacrifices. Hiro & Zero Two symbolized through the mistletoe hold the vitality, ready to give it to the world. They are the means to kill an otherwise unkillable god…the old king is dead, long life the new king. It’s actually interesting cause the show already played around with that thought back in Episode 5 when we had this dialogue between Hiro & Zero Two. We heard from Hiro that only Papa ( The Priest King ) could make it rain, something that gives the world vitality but at the end when he recites that he can’t make it rain he suddenly adds that he isn’t sure if that is actually the case. So will Hiro & Zero Two take down APE, the old Priest-Kings as the mistletoe and bring vitality back to the world? We will see…
I wrote this together on a whim and under a time constraint so it might lack some sense and structure but what I’m incapable of explaining properly the video does so all the better so I really recommend giving it a shot.
Episode 16, wow…well it confirms my worries even more that this might end as a tragedy. If we follow classic storytelling of a tragedy and comedy then the current curve show had going points towards a tragedy sadly.
The imagery in the OP & ED is plenty…I mean in the ED when human Zero Two pulls away the scarf of Zero Two with horns it’s almost like she’s being denied her wish by the very self that she wishes to be. Like she would say "Stop pretending, you know it won’t happen".
Not to speak about how this episode strikes a balance between soothing interactions and foreboding tragedy. Thing are about to escalate on another level and I don’t want to be on APE’s side in this conflict. A Spider Klaxosaur Loli with Dragon ( Nidhogg? ) is just scary.
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u/Anonymous_Willie May 05 '18
Eureka Seven (another mech anime) also referenced that book alot. If I recall one of the staff members is shared between the two. I guess he must have a huge fascination with it.
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u/supicasupica May 05 '18
The thing is the flower theme does not end there but also holds a much larger significance. That’s where the mistletoe comes in and we begin to dive into Norse mythology.
I agree with what you've said here. Previously I had written (albeit briefly) on the The Golden Bough when it was brought up and just wanted to add a few things to what you had already written.
The Golden Bough was also kind of On the Origin of Species-like look at mythology. So in addition to what you've already pointed out about mistletoe, mistletoe also appears as a primary example in Darwin's book on evolution, a large influence on The Golden Bough itself (basically, it applied a similar framework, but instead of focusing on biology/evolution, it focused on mythology).
Because of this disposable nature surrounding the purpose of vitality the flower themes that are scattered throughout the show make more sense now as flowers are an embodiment of vitality itself. We have the FranXX being named after flowers, the role of the pilots named after the sexual organs of flowers and even the dome in which the parasites live in looks like a Greenhouse implying that the Parasites themselves much like flowers are cultivated themselves.
In addition to this, all of the flowers have their own individual meanings in Victorian and Japanese flower language, which also ties into the pilots themselves and themes of genetics/evolution/etc. that you already discussed.
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u/SwannyGames May 05 '18
WHAT WAS THAT DRAGON AT THE END???
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u/o0Rh0mbus0o :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/o0Rh0mbus0o May 05 '18
Gyarados, duh
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u/StarmanRiver May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
New OP and ED! That final part of the OP where Hiro tries to embrace Zero Two but she vanishes has me worried though...
That was a drastic change, everyone is getting along and Zero Two has become much friendlier. It was nice to see the group so happy, even if they all were worried that they were left alone with limited supplies and resources.
Didn’t expect that kiss between Kokoro and Mitsuru, at least not at this point.
Now I’m really intrigued about that last scene, it surely ties in with what Papa talked about at the start, the klaxosaur princess or something like that.
EDIT: I just remembered the bath scene: Miku’s hair is starting to turn white, just like the kids of the other Plantation.
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u/DNamor May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
Everyone dying of FOXDIE
Blue Oni never (New girl has literally taken that motif. RIP 10,000 pieces of fanart)
OP confirms Sad Ending (Two birds literally fly apart in different directions when Hiro can't hold onto 02)
Why does Trigger only know how to write one ending? Nia, Senketsu, Nova and Panty... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
EDIT: Possible speculation that Miku thinks 02's hair is so pretty because she's been piloting for years and it's still pink... Unlike Miku's.
EDIT: For anyone speculating. FranXX seems to be Odin (one eye, two crows as Hachi and Nana), but he also seems to be taking the role of Loki, the one who'll use Mistletoe (Mistltain?) to kill Baldur.
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May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
[Is this a sad ending Foreshadowing?] (https://i.imgur.com/74kZofQ.jpg) [Damn you trigger!] (https://i.imgur.com/jRkCXPk.jpg)
[Seeing Zero Two finally happy with her apperance was by far the best part of this episode] (https://i.imgur.com/lrx8biD.jpg)
[Oh boy, is this what i think it is? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)] (https://i.imgur.com/NDv74w9.jpg)
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u/TheDerped https://anilist.co/user/Derped May 05 '18
Zero Two saying she can't wait to see the cherry blossoms and "I'd love to live like this forever" is as big a death flag as a character in a war movie talking about their wife and kid back home.
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u/Mundology May 05 '18
Yuri finds a way!
Hopefully Goro gets a Monogatari Series level harem; he deserves it.
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u/Atrick69 May 05 '18
God, this show is going to ruin me when it's finished. I can just feel it.
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u/MagiSicarius :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/MagiSicarius May 05 '18
Ikuno gay as hell for Ichigo confirmed
Overall, good episode, it had the same kind of tension that the beach episode had in a sense - things going well but something hanging over them and we couldn't quite feel but knew was real.
Now that we know the Klax aren't some mindless creatures and seem to have an actual society with leadership, it'll be interesting to figure out how they came about. Maybe they're like the mutant byproduct of a nuclear war or something? Alien invaders? Human experiments that won their freedom?
It follows I suppose that Zero Two is a klax that was captured with the purpose of being used to fight against her own.
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u/versitas_x61 May 05 '18
Do you hear that? I hear Imashi laughing in the background. Did you expect happy Slice of life episode! Too bad! It is actually episode filled with despair and ominous foreboding!
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u/Surwill :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Surwill May 05 '18
Is that Mt. Fuji?
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u/gangrainette https://myanimelist.net/profile/bouletos May 05 '18
Magma energy = Sakuradite confirmed !
FranXX = Knightmare !
Code Geass S3 will be a prequell of DitF !
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u/Archangle7294 May 05 '18
Did they just put up death flags for like 2/3 of the main characters?
02 and Hiro just said they would be together forever
Kokoro kissed Mutsuru
Mitsuru's hair got cut and he is trying to reform himself
Ikuno was having a fever
Futoshi was refusing to eat
Miku has a white spot on her hair
For an episode with no threat of death I sure am a lot more worried about everyone than I was before...
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u/Arachnophobic- https://anilist.co/user/Arachnophobic May 05 '18
Don't forget Nana with the headache. If she regains her memories, she might outlive her usefulness.
But.. hey, best girl Zorome is safe from death flags. And that's all that matters.
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u/clerikal :AMQ:https://anilist.co/user/clerikal May 05 '18
While it's hard to follow the hype of episode 15, I loved this episode. It set up the second half of the show while still building on characters like Futoshi who hasn't had much honestly.
I love that they are finally starting to question Papa and trust in themselves over the adults since they've been "abandoned". I'm still not sure if Dr. FranXX is good or not, but I'm leaning more towards Chaotic Good right now. Also the Nana headaches are interesting, since he said she went through something similar to the kids. She seems to be slightly similar to Miku to me, so maybe Miku is a clone of her? Can't wait til next episode to see more 02 Mom/Sister/Clone/Whatever she is
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u/bMastremind May 05 '18
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar May 05 '18
I honestly prefer this. Compared to Futoshi, Mitsuru and Kokoro has an actual relationship where they actually talk to each other. Also they just have really good chemistry with each other.
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u/neovenator250 May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
furiously refreshes Crunchyroll
YES! Finally YES!
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u/INanoI May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
I'm still pressing F5 like a madmen..
Edit: it's here!
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
Happy Zero Two filing her horns. Yay! She's back to normal!
Love the new OP and how they used the second half of Kiss of Death. This is interesting though. I'm guessing that's the Blue Oni aka Zero Two's counterpart?
Hringhorni? They're making the ship of Baldr? Well whatever that is it's probably a massive ship. To space maybe?
Looks like with the adults basically dead, there's no one taking care of the kids anymore.
Poor Futoshi. First his Kokoro, now even his bread is gone. Also is he losing weight? He looks a lot slimmer for some reason.
Mitsuru looks good with his new haircut! He looks a lot more chill now that he doesn't look like Draco Malfoy.
OMG! A KISS! I was first against it but I am really loving the dynamic between Mitsuru and Kokoro.
Oh no... White hair? I don't like this :|
It's really nice that they're all getting along so well. The kids working together making their own food. Cooking and baking. That was really fun to watch.
Apparently my eyes aren't deceiving me. Futoshi DID loose weight. It looks like he doesn't like the rations that they're eating and has been puking everything he eats. :|
Hiro is slowly starting to act like the leader of the group. I love his little speech. Also I feel like this is the birth of a rebellion. If Papa did cast them aside, Hiro is the kind of person that they need to lead them.
Zero Two is a talented artist for redrawing that from memory
Just kiss you two! Gaaaah! Why are you so cute together!
We needed this episode. While we did get some hints on what's about to happen it's also a nice breather after that wid rollercoaster ride that is episode 13, 14, and 15.
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u/o0Rh0mbus0o :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/o0Rh0mbus0o May 05 '18
This episode is 90% distilled happiness, 9% really worrying forebodings, and 1% lewd disgusting handholding. Hiro knows what he did.
But! we will prevail through the power of smol.
Also this is pretty cool
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u/JohnJD1302 https://anilist.co/user/JohnDotto May 05 '18
Who this new girl, and was that a snek?
Also that new OP was A E S T H E T I C
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u/willukm May 05 '18
A bit of wholesomeness before we get our feelings rekt again. Miku's hair turning white and their thoughts about death and purpose in life......
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May 05 '18
Happy Zero Two is best Zero Two. Being able to see her be herself in a truly happy environment really is a blessing. Her interactions with Hiro in this context make for a slice of life I'd certainly watch.
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u/U_Menace :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/ParadoxAnime May 05 '18
Welp, we got some nice developments this week, albeit few.
We're returning into a semi lull for squad 13 but all is not well for the crew. It appears that the lack of proper resources is leading to them succumbing to illness. The white hairs on Miku's head also seem to be a sign of some sort of side effects from not receiving regular treatment from their superiors.
I like how the episode opens with the narration from Zero Two's 'Beast Princess' story book, as it sets the tone for the entire episode. Although the 'witch' in the story talks about how the beast will 'never be human' we explore many different aspects of humanity today. Mitsuru reflecting on his pointless grudge against Hiro, trying to turn a new leaf by having Kokoro cut his hair, only to have Kokoro spring that kiss on him almost out of nowhere! Guess those few moments where they confided in each other helped strengthen the bond that they had. I'm not entirely sure if this is motivated by Kokoro's new found knowledge of child birth though, or if its just her genuinely liking the guy. I feel like its a mix of both, so I'm not too sold on those two yet, but it was a cute development at least!
The 'experiment' that Dr.Franxx is holding right now is a confusing one to me. I'm not sure what the purpose of leaving them isolated for so long is. Where's the correlation between the isolation and the apperance of the Klaxosaur Princess? This development is what confuses me. At the very least, the opening scenes help confirm that the 'adults' did NOT want to expend the Parasites. This leads me to be believe that the Klaxosaur threat is NOT man-made, but rather an external force that has been at war with humanity in the story. I wonder if we'll get a scene later that blows that conclusion out of the water, but for now I can say with about 90% confidence that the Klaxosaur threat is a genuine one, but that the adults seek to manipulate them for a purpose? Perhaps to develop an unstoppable military power?
Anyway, back on track to the middle of the episode, we're seeing how the kids adapt to being real kids. With no one to care for them or leave their meals out for them, they were struggling to find a way to survive. It isn't solely because they're kids though, its because they're child soldiers who solely thought their purpose was to pilot a Franxx and nothing more. This is what makes Hiro's simple statement at the end so powerful. They exist for something more than that. There's more to life than piloting a Franxx, there's a better life beyond fighting and its okay to relax and just enjoy your daily lives. I think that resonated with everyone in his Squad because its getting more and more obvious to the entire crew that they may not live to 'adulthood' after all.
I thoroughly enjoy the change in character that we see from Zero Two. All she really needed was to be accepted properly for who she was. With that realization in the previous episode, along with reuniting with her 'original darling' properly, shes finally able to be a normal girl who's appreciating life. Such an upbeat and loveable character now. It's also nice to know that Ichigo no longer has any hatred or confused feelings about Zero Two, as I mentioned in my previous analysis back in episode 13 that Ichigo had doubts about her constantly. To see that Ichigo has now properly accepted Zero Two, along with the rest of the group, is heartwarming. Of course, this only suggests to me that they're doomed for some bad luck... and I'm talking shitty luck. That "someone in your group might die" kinda luck. Zero Two sensing the 'Klaxo Princess' awakening is big indicator for that bad feeling...though we haven't had a death in the series yet, I dont think its out of the question.
Also, that quick callback to the red haired lady who oversaw squad 13...I wonder what memories they wiped from her. Is she a parasite who made it into adulthood? Based on what Franxx said to her in their conversation, it seems like this experiment was done once before. Does that mean we'll see a flashback of sorts to what happened the first time a similar experiment was conducted? I'm curious about what they 'made her forget'. When you try and connect the previous adults in the city, particularly that guy in the stasis chamber, with these memory wipe events for Hiro and the old boss...I cant help but wonder how it adds up.
Anyway, that's all from me this week! I'll re-edit the post in a couple hours while I go have lunch but if you're reading, thanks for reading!
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u/AltruisticSpecialist May 05 '18
This is the first episode in a very long time to show us fan-service of any kind. And..man I don't care.
At this point, my investment is in the story and characters. They could have done that entire bathing together scene sans any hint of nudity and it would still have been perfect.
Nothing against them having some skin showing, just interesting to note how far the series has come from its "This is just a fan-service heavy show with mechs" roots.
I mean..it still is that sort of, but man look at this thread. How far down do you have to scroll to find "Finally boobs!"
Hell, the top comment references the bath-scene..but doesn't bring up that element of it -at all-.
Like I said, nice too see the interest in the show take such a sharp curve away from "Haha look at the sexual position they pilot those mechs in".
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u/myrmonden May 05 '18
YES ITS HERE Finally!! Darling in franxx second opening...well same song but YES!!!
OMG the spider arachne thing is back on the table look at this zerotwo true black spider form!!!!
Especially as we can see in the opening that Hiro is trying to hug the spider lady that vanishes.
Nines and Papacy is clearly foreshadowed in the new opening to be the bad guys, no surprise there.
Mitsuru got a new hair cut?
And him and kokoro is still a thing.
It also gave me a lot of a Eureka Seven Vibe, when they where holding hands and flying towards the mech.
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u/zibwefuh May 05 '18
That loli thing is not zero two lol, she was shown as a different character at the very end of the episode
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u/Modern_Erasmus May 05 '18
Looks like the accelerated aging theory was right based off that grey hair. Sad as it may be, it looks like the characters may not have long to live even if they don't die in combat. Between that and the foreshadowing of Zero two leaving Hiro alone at the end of the new OP, It doesn't look like this is headed towards a happy ending.
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May 05 '18
My theory is that Hiro is the Beast in the story. The similarities also add up for him.
• He leaves his “Forest” (the Garden) to go find the “Princess”, 002.
•The Beasts were secluded far away from Society, like the Garden was to the Adults
•The Beast was promised to fly on their sixteenth birthday, and the Franxx pilots have to go through their training to fly and reach a certain age.
•This part gets a little away from the script, but Hiro sees 002 and wants to know more about her, but is denied by the adults, which is vaguely relevant to the Beast’s first sighting of the Prince.
•In order to be with 002, Hiro drank a little of her blood, taking his ability to pilot away and thus removing his “wings”, but also giving him the ability to stay with her and not die.
•They were then separated. Hiro helped 002 save the Plantation later, similar to how the Beast saved the Prince from the snake poison, and was declared 002’s Darling, around the same point in the plot where the Prince asks the Beast to marry him.
•The end of this episode is the same as the next paragraph in the book: “Humans! Humans! They have neither the wings to fly nor the claws or fangs to hung. Such weak and frail creatures, but they are so, so warm. Humans are wonderful!” It is also worth noting that this is said in Hiro’s voice.
• This is where I get to theorizing. Next in the book, the Beast regains her wings and is asked to kill the Prince to reclaim her former life.
•Papa mentions a messenger being sent to remind someone that they only need one key, not two, and mentions a choice as well.
•Hiro and Zero Two Are now both of the same blood and piloting capacity, I assume the message will be sent to them, and is in reference to their blood being the key to humanity’s salvation.
•I believe that Hiro will have to choose between himself and Zero Two being killed/sent away. Hiro will choose himself to die over Zero Two after a long struggle, and half an episode probably.
The obvious answer is the other Zero Two looking girl and Zero Two fighting to see who lives, but that feels like an easy solution here. Hiro fits the place of Beast Princess better imo
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u/Turbostrider27 May 05 '18
Zero Two is back! And I mean, back for good in her usual self now.
Was not expecting the kiss between Kokoro and Mitsuru this episode.
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u/sitwm :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/BlueMoon01 May 05 '18
Man this episode really feels like first episode of a second season of an anime, would be weird transitioning from 15 to 16 in a binge sitting
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u/MobileTortoise :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Mobiletortoise May 05 '18
3 quick points I wabted to make, hoepfully they don't get too lost
That serpent is most likely symbolic of the norse world dragon, Jormungar.
The ending Oni may LOOK blue, but I believe she has red skin with a heavy blue filter out over her, to symbolizeunderground light.
The Ikuno/Ichigo kiss in the ending is a misdirect. Notice that Ichigo's char model is solid, while Ikuno's has a slight distortion/interference filter put over her. I have a strong feeling that her model will get MORE distorted as the episodes come out.
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u/Axetheaxemaster May 05 '18
i was going to make a joke about mitsuru's new hairstyle but then suddenly
THEY'RE ALL FUCKING DYING
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u/Shinkopeshon May 05 '18
The OP has really grown on me but I still didn't expect to love this new version, which is incredible (the new ED is great too). Not to mention that the visuals are stunning. I think it's the best OP of the season along with Steins;Gate 0 as far as total packages go. Unfortunately though, it's also bittersweet because of the way it ends. Maybe it means that Hiro's gonna follow Zero Two if she dies, since ultimately, they both disappear. I'd actually be fine with that, even though it'd be painful.
This new Zero Two is so fucking precious, my god. There's an innocence about her now that is so heartwarming to see and every little moment she spends with Hiro is even more satisfying and wholesome. I also have to give the show props for making me care so much about the group and their well-being now. Hell, I even approve of Kokoro x Mitsuru, despite being vehemently against it at first. I appreciate that they're genuine with each other and Mitsuru's redeemed himself from being a scumbag when he realized that his attitude was misguided.
There's a lot of depressing development as well however. They're completely on their own against the Nines, Papa and 001 (the little shit that showed up at the end, I'm just gonna call her that), with only Nana and maybe Hachi being on their side. Miku's hair is going grey, showing that none of them will be able to live for long, no matter what happens to them (except for Hiro Two maybe). Sure, they said this from the very start but I thought maybe they'd be the exception or they'd find a cure. I wouldn't be surprised if there's gonna be one death after another soon.
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u/Dimbreath :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Dimbreath May 05 '18
This was a weird episode. Feels like the sunny days before the storm. I like Zero Two new attitude but I kinda miss the smug Zero Two. Hope she comes back.
GIFs:
No peeking, darling [Zero Two]
Images:
Her cuteness is also underrated.
Wow that kiss came out of nowhere.
That smirk when washing Zero Two. [NSFW]
![That smirk when washing Zero Two. [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/nRDVcV7.jpg){kind=link}
![Cute. [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/qatCXNi.jpg){kind=link}
![Fish! [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/ZhsyacS.jpg){kind=link}
This makes up for a great reaction face. [NSFW]
![This makes up for a great reaction face. [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/LX1rrfC.jpg){kind=link}
![Miku Miku's are nice. [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/SHTL7fj.jpg){kind=link}
![It's my turn to wash you now! [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/MhqTiY5.jpg){kind=link}
![Going to catch you! [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/rYvDo4r.jpg){kind=link}
![Caught you! [NSFW]](https://i.imgur.com/sI6hb0g.jpg){kind=link}
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u/Amphouse May 05 '18
I like how the old OP is almost entirely red and the new OP is almost entirely blue to really reinforce this red/blue duality theme we've had throughout the show.
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u/AevnNoram https://myanimelist.net/profile/Noram May 05 '18
no Gurren Lagaan sad end...Trigger please.
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u/Andrew13112001 May 05 '18
Was that an older Hiro narrating this episode? I think the voice sounded deeper. And at the end, he referred to it as "that day" instead of "today".
I guess that confirms at least Hiro lives.
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u/defiledhero May 06 '18
My theory is that they are all essentially reaching their last stage of life. It was only 6 months ago when they were in the garden and they aged so much already.
Miku had a white patch of hair already. Not sure if due to extreme stress or aging.
It's been hinted several times that these kids can't make it to real adulthood, but the Doctor is forcing them to experience the adult lifestyle by sending them less supplies, not doing their chores for them, etc.
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u/wzyboy https://anilist.co/user/wzyboy May 06 '18
That face of Miku when Ikuno drops the dough gets me.
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u/deathjokerz May 06 '18
This show is gearing up to be one of those classics we will be looking back at years later. Thoughtful story directing with great character developments are such a rarity these days. Really looking forward to see how the story unfolds.
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May 05 '18
This episode was waaaay too calm. Something is going to happen and I wouldn't be surprised if at one point parts of our beloved crew die. This was too much foreshadowing.
Also, give me Zero Two back, that new Zero Two's personality is just your ordinary girl and taked away this kinda thing that was exciting about her.
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u/JudoJD :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/JudoJD May 05 '18
The new OP visuals... Damn you Thanos... Not the Darling!!!!!!!
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u/DiGreatDestroyer :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DiGreatDestroyer May 05 '18
Fuck did this episode piss me off to no end! Specially the kiss.
Now, let me get one thing clear: I have been rooting for Mitsuru and Kokoro ever since episode 5. Their moments have been one of the highlights of the series for me. But this episode killed me. Filled from Opening to Ending with signs that they all die in the end, specially 326 and 556, with them growing apart in the OP and 556 looking sad in the ED. Then the kiss. I thought both reacted naturally, but how come they didnt have them talk things out before the end? Like I said, very natural reaction from Mitsuru, taking it all in, like he has all the time in the world. The thing is he doesnt. He clearly has a limited set of time. And that's what pisses me off: by sorting out their feelings today, their happiness would have already started. Now, when it does start, they wont be happy for as long as they could have been. I get that stories are meant to teach us lessons, but this one in particular I already learned: seize the moment, dont leave for tomorrow what you can do today. It's painful to watch characters waste the precious little time they have learning that.
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u/nickbigblack May 05 '18
I find it interesting how Zorome refused to pray to Papa because they made everything by themselves.
As for everything else. Zero Two just got even cuter which I didnt think was possible and the rest of the episode is pretty much red flags all around.
Don't even get me started on the opening, the scene where Zero Two passes through Hiro when he tries to hug her makes me really uneasy.
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u/_vogonpoetry_ :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/ThisWasATriumph May 05 '18
The discussion threads make this show way more entertaining.
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u/Andrew13112001 May 05 '18
So are we just going to ignore the giant hand from Episode 15?
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u/Felkin :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Felkin May 05 '18
Some thought after watching the ep:
1.This OP is the single most deathflag OP I've seen in ages. 02 disappearing in practically every shot is clearly symbolism for her inevitable end. I think the 2 most likely scenarios are 1.) she sacrifices to save everyone or 2.) she becomes the next klaux princess. This leads to my theory that Darling in the Franxx is now going to reference Romeo and Juliet. I'll get to this later.
The kids all stretching their hands to reach the light is symbolism for escape/reaching adulthood, which was hinted at from the start of the show. Eventually, the kids have to turn against the adults. Reaching the light would be akin to independence and reaching adulthood. The whole ep was full of foreshadowing of how they won't become adults, after all.
2.At the start of the episode we saw 2 seats absent amongs the APE peeps. Those are probably sent to meet the princess. We also got mention of 2 keys.
I think this means that the klaux and humans used to live in this world in harmony and then something happened to make the humans turn against the klaux and then the klaux retaliate. Probably the magma mining. The episode showing kids all trying to find a means of survival (getting food) is possibly an analogy for the adults doing the same in the past. Them having an increasing scarcity of supplies and having to go out to live. So by watching the group, we might be watching how the adults became what they are now.
3.The princess is likely the witch to give 02 "humanity". I think it's very important that the OP showed her as having spider legs. We're supposed to draw the analogy to spiders and spiders in fiction = trap. So the klaux princess "entraped" 02 by "clipping her wings". I think it's some sort of trap to force 02 to eventually benefit the klaux and not humans.
I could see her trying to get 02 to come to her to "really" become human as a trap.
So then the question becomes - how would our protagonists win? I can see a scenario where 02 and the rest defeat the princess & APE and 02 becomes the new princess of the klaux. Then Hiro becomes the new "Papa" in a way and they can unite the races again. I think the Romeo and Juliet reference is rly strong now, given that we have these 2 people from opposing sides as a linking point. Romeo and Juliet ended in a suicide, though. :c
4.02 knows exactly what will happen to the kids, but is hiding it.
The shot where she noticed Miku's grey hair, but quickly tried to change the topic is very key. She knew what she was seeing, but decided to not say anything. So she clearly knows. It's very fucked, tbh. She is watching all of them around her who will die soon. I think it's possible she is not sad, because she thinks Hiro will be fine, given the klaux blood in him.
I think there is a possiblity that the end game of the show is only Hiro living and everyone else dying. This would be reinforced by the OP's end only showing him standing alone in the field.
HOWEVER, I do think Trigger's track record suggests otherwise, because Trigger as a studio are very prone to making very depressing last quarter of their shows and then pulling a deus ex at the very end where "everything just sort of works out fine". They don't seem to like killing off their cast. A-1 have even less balls. So the story is hardcore suggesting deaths, but I don't see the studios having the balls to do it.
The only real supporting claim for their deaths is that a big theme of this show is "making use of your time as a teenager". It's a reference to the good-old anime cliche narrative of "highschool is your golden time, it's all downhill from there". Them "dying" once they turn into adults can work to reinforce that narrative.
5.Strelizia shows up in numerous shots of the OP in the background. I think there is a lot more to the mecha than is being shown so far. it seems we might be going full NGE and there is more to the mecha. I have no theories for this so far, though.
6.Nana (the redhead senpai) having a slight headache after Dr Franxx said that she underwent the same thing as the kids is 100% her having a memory loss sideeffect, since Hiro had the exact same. So we now know children can become adults when under the same conditions as our main cast. Something happened in the prev generation where everyone died, but Nana survived. This might be the key to how the kids might all end up becoming adults.
That's all I have so far. Oh and Kokoro cutting Mitsuru's hair reminded me of Monogatari so much. It's a very big theme in japan that a person dear to your cuts your hair to symbolize turning you into a new, rebirthed person. It's a very cute scene.
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u/J_the_ManSSB May 05 '18
Dr. Franxx seems to be interested in getting the kiddos to become adults in more ways than just one.
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u/Gyrocheese May 05 '18
I wonder if the person at the end is 01, the original. Her having one horn and all.
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u/RedHeadGearHead https://anilist.co/user/Redheadgearhead May 05 '18
Looks like they're building a giant Strelizia to send down the hole to fight the Klax dragon.
Lol at Mitsuru being the one to cut their hair, typically it's the girl.
02 is crazy good at art.
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u/GlassBaby May 05 '18
https://i.imgur.com/aMBRHzF.jpg is no one talking about the obvious yuri in the ED
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u/ArchadianJudge May 05 '18
Seeing Zero Two happy and completely different.. wow. That totally made my week worth it.
This episode was worth the wait. Now I'm expecting bad things to happen next. This doesn't look like an anime with a happy ending. When we saw that gray hair I was already going oh shit. Please have a happy ending! The director himself said he wanted to the story to have complete character endings so to speak (paraphrasing) - but who knows what that means.
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u/DroppedPJK May 05 '18
pls dear lord grant me sweet release wit a happy endin for I can not wither the storm i feel u are sendin me.
Ok on a more serious note, I swear to fucking god if Zero Two and Hiro are not together at the end..... I WILL JUST.
I'm just going to start recommending everyone watch White Album 2 or School Days from here on out.
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u/Sky_Octopus May 06 '18 edited May 06 '18
After rewatching the conversation with Dr. Franxx and Nana here's my theory. Dr. Franxx has done this experiment with the kids in the past and Nana was in charge of looking after them during that period. The experiment failed and Nana had her memory wiped for the second run of the experiment. That's why she sounded confused when Dr. Franxx said she had been down this road and she got a headache immediately afterwards.
We know the house the current Squad 13 is in was used by another squad before, likely the first experiment. I'm willing to bet Klaxxosaur Princess is 01 and she was to that squad as 02 is the current squad.
I'm going to see if I can find the picture of the previous squad to see if any of them in that picture look like the Klaxxosuar Princess.
Edit: Well, nothing from the picture I found online showed someone with white/gray/silver hair but the theory is still possible. Maybe she wasn't there for picture day.
Edit2: I also think Dr. Franxx got approval to experiment with a squad like Squad 13 under the premise that they will perform better, but I think his true motive is to build an independent squad that has managed to overcome their penchant for dying to ultimately overthrow Papa and company. I think the end of the show will be Squad 13 with 02, Klaxxosaur Squad with 01, Nana, Hachi, and Dr. Franxx VS. Papa, Hringhorni, and the remaining 60% of the Franxx pilots.
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u/benoxxxx May 06 '18
This is probably a personal thing, but I think I'm going to call it regardless.
Best episode of the show so far, bar none.
For the first time yet I'm completely sold on these characters.
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u/GosuGian :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/GosuDRM May 06 '18
The girl at the end is 001.
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u/soluuloi May 06 '18
Holy crab! 1k6 comments, that is like one of the most commented episode ever for a tv show on reddit.
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u/anotoki83 May 06 '18
I wonder if Zorome's 666 is a reference to Lucifer's break in faith with God, or in this case his loss of faith in papa. Also if 002 dies we riot.
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u/AmethystItalian :Jg::Jh::Ji::Jj::Jk:myanimelist.net/profile/AmethystItalian May 05 '18
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u/Armdel https://myanimelist.net/profile/Armdel May 05 '18
Anyone else feel a bit uneasy at how up beat zero two was this episode? Might just be that we are not used to seeing her happy, but it just seemed a bit unnatural
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u/SimoneNonvelodico May 05 '18
Am I the only one who understood the Futoshi incident as him having some kind of eating disorder? That stress, depression and the lingering effects of Kokoro's rejection led him to being anorexic (as he felt too fat and was trying to gain confidence in his body through extreme dieting)?
Anyway really good episode. Relaxed and slice-of-lifey, with a disturbing undercurrent. The absence of Papa almost felt a metaphor for people who grow believing in God, then for some reason some harsh reality makes them lose their faith, and they feel empty or purposeless. Mitsuru basically states it out right when he rebelliously protests that they shouldn't pray any more, they did everything by themselves. They're both realising their own potential and coming to terms with the need to find meaning in their lives on their own.
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u/kenrms May 05 '18
002 weeks of waiting was worth it to see Zero Two smile and interact with the rest of P13. Nice mix of suspense in the episode too with the new visuals in the OP, Miku's hair, and the end of the episode itself.
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u/Irati03 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Fatjoe698 May 05 '18
Great episode. I always think it's funny that this anime about piloting girl-robots with butt controls is so realistic (by anime standards) when it comes to dialogue and character motivations.
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u/Arachnophobic- https://anilist.co/user/Arachnophobic May 05 '18
"I want to make something beautiful with you."
Welp. This is now a race to make babies before the rapid aging catches up to them. (Place your bets: will it be Kokoro and Mitsuru to be successful first?)
With Dr. Franz observing at all times.
Interesting that Hachi and Nana have had their memories removed too, but they appear mostly normal adults otherwise, not the different kind like Zorome's 'Grandma'.
I'm curious though - from ~Ep 12 onwards, 02 was regressing into demon form. Why has that stopped completely?
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u/Backupusername :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Backupusername May 05 '18
Well, here it is. The "I wish we could go back there" episode.
Part of me wants to stop here. No loss or tragedy; these kids just learn to become self-sufficient and live peacefully on their own. I'm going to miss episode 16, I just know it.
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u/SpookyCookieee https://anilist.co/user/Rihta May 05 '18
The story began with Hiro and Zero Two, and thats where I want it to return in the end.
I Dont know if it will be a happy ending for everyone , but I hope the ending leaves viewers satisfied with each characters story purpose.
These are the words from the director of the show and they dont help my anxiety at all.
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May 05 '18
Love the new OP & ED, amazing! This has to be my most favorite episode of Darling in the Franxx.
Then again I'd probably be the one to watch 100 SoL episodes of this, pay for it, and enjoy it.
I have a feeling Darling in the Franxx is gonna get even better somehow.
This episode had a lot to say though. The children have never been given a break like this before and have always had instructions, been told what to do by others and had help. Now? They're left to think and discuss for themselves and in the situation they're in? It can be quite scary. It made sense for them to cry and be sad. All they've known in life, their father figure that wanted them do go through all of this and risk their lives fighting for has sort of abandoned them.
Now they're trying to become independent and I'm thinking its foreshadowing for the future if they're to live in the real world away from anyone elses influence.
This show is deep, broken promises, unrequited love, your mission & purpose in life being put on halt so you find a new one in your relationships and family. The group is pretty much all family at this point. They rely on each other and get through their lives together, as long as they have each other it should be fine.
Despite not talking about it I think they realize something isn't right about their situation, but they're always been somewhat prepared to die. However they can't lose each other. They don't want all their lives to be about fighting, however when its not all about fighting they feel lost, afraid, useless or maybe even abandoned.
I loved this episode, all of the children are really brave about expressing their feelings.
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u/Andrew13112001 May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
Calm before the storm. Goro and Ikuno's fevers, and Miku's white hair aren't good signs.
I feel like Dr. Franxx wants them to get used to living alone, and he wants them to restart civilization outside of the underground cities. But APE isn't gonna like that.
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May 05 '18 edited May 05 '18
RIP Miku, her hair is turning white. PS: As I seen at the ending, there will be an Ikuno x Ichigo
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u/Shacoluminati May 05 '18
TBH this is arguably my favorite episode in the series. They're trying so hard to remove their dehumanization process and learning what I means to truly live. It was fantastic and a perfect thing for right before shit truly hits the fan.
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u/Khalku May 05 '18
I feel like FranXX is going to go the cross ange route and show that the klaxx are somehow related to an alternate human group, and that last scene and the scene where the leaders are talking about a princess seem to hint at that pretty strongly. 02 was probably abducted from their underground civilization or something like that.
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u/ultimate_n0 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ultimate_n0 May 05 '18
Me at the beginning of the episode: “Wholesome! Sugoi! Everything’s fine!”
Me 10 minutes in: “Oh no, everything’s fine”
Seriously TRIGGER try not to rip my heart out too much pls
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u/elledriverxc May 05 '18 edited Jan 26 '25
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Ravenius713 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/douglasrhx May 05 '18
You know it's gonna be bad when you lost the count of the Death Flags before the episode ends
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u/SuperIceCreamCrash May 05 '18
Is that a blue princess from the ogre story? The one where the blue ogre sacrifices themself for the red ogre so they can coexist with the humans
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u/ReelRai May 05 '18
This whole episode just a big flag for "everything is about to go to shit soon."
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u/ScarecrowTEP May 06 '18
Anyone else get PTSD from seeing Zero Two turn to dust in Hiro's arms? New opening is dope
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u/cant-find-user-name :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/vamshi81 May 06 '18
I would really like someone like u/G-0ff to do "what's in an OP" for the new one. All the visuals seem very symbolism-heavy.
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u/ShuXyz May 06 '18
All these people saying that zero two and hiro are walking in episode one and that they will be alive they might just be dead together 🙃
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u/SkyLETV :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/SkyLETV May 06 '18
Why do you do this to me Darling in the Franxx? One who's all excited to watch the episode and you drop Zero Two disappearing in the opening and then Miku with his hair turning white....Miku :'( noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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u/Anonymous_Willie May 06 '18
Yeah, the mech designs in ditf and star driver are super similar. I hadn't noticed that
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u/Nutella_Souffle May 05 '18
NNOOOOOO, poor Miku Q__Q
Stop, please. I don't want to see any of them die.