By Erika Suarez
Warning: Spoiler Included!
The beautiful animation and escalating action was a lot to take in for this premiere. Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill, Little Witch Academia) and A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online, Fairy Tail) presents you with a new mecha series that enthralls us in a captivating story about children who are put into pairs of opposite sex to pilot robots named Franxx and are used in missions to fight off mechanical enemies. The children are downgraded by this life they live, but it's the only way to prove their existence and be valued in the unknown wasteland they reside in.
The episode introduces us to a boy named Hiro that’s wandering in the forest and finds a dying bird struggling to fly. His commentary is used throughout the time that gives you a clear understanding of what is going in the story. The dying bird that was seen in the beginning was used as a reflection of Hiro because he lost the ability to pilot therefore losing his “wings.” It was a very impactful introduction that I enjoyed watching. We know enough to see that Hiro used to be a parasite (What the children are called by the adults) and had a partner to pilot the Franxx, but things went down that caused both of them to lose their privileges of Piloting again. It remains a mystery on what exactly happened, but that’s what keeps you hooked and waiting to find out
Things quickly change for Hiro when he meets and extraordinary girl named Zero Two with red horns. He finds her swimming nude in a lake and dives in to “rescue” her because he believed she was drowning. She jumps out of the lake with a fish in her mouth and from there it gets a bit strange when she goes on top of him to lick his face. She mentions his taste makes her heart race and offers him to be her Darling (Co-pilot) and that she can awaken his abilities to pilot a Franxx again. Another form of sexuality is used when the scientist gropes the secretaries butt for being uptight, but it's very subtle and something I wouldn’t complain about.
When Hiro comes close to boarding on a ship to be sent to an orphanage, which is where the unvalued children are taken to, a group of Klaxosaurs arrive to attack. This event quickly escalates into an action pact mechanic fight and the red horned girl fights them off while piloting the Franxx by herself. A grand moment approcaches for Hiro when he decided to pilot the Franxx with Zero Two and results in a complete transformed Franxx called Strelizia and the episode ends with everyone incredibly shocked and amazed by the remarkable defeat of the Klaxosaur. The action is captivating, and I for one not big on mecha shows so it was imposing for me. Darling in the Franxx can be a good start to getting into this type of genre as well and I have high hopes for the success of this show.
Score: 5/5
DARLING in the FRANXX E.01- “Alone and Lonesome”
Writer/Director: Atsushi Nishigori
Studio: Trigger and A-1 Pictures