Reaching the rushed ending
What They Say:
“Stargazers”
Hiro is left shattered with an unresponsive Zero Two, and the children struggle to come to terms with the aftermath. Left all alone to battle for their survival, what path will they choose to take?
“DARLING in the FRANXX”
The gang heads off to space to fight in what they believe to be the final battle. Meanwhile, Kokoro and Mitsuru stay behind to fight a battle of their own.
“Never Let Me Go”
While Hiro and Zero Two head to VIRM’s home planet to defeat them, the rest of Squad 13 do their best to get life on Earth back on track.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Well…that was an ending I guess. These three episodes are good, but they just continue down the path of weird decisions that have thrown this show off the rails since episode 20. Let’s get down to it with episode 22.
We begin with the aftermath of the battle between the humans, klaxosaurs and the VIRM. The kids are all gathered in the main hub facility where they were while they were being processed before the battle. They are attempting to survive on their own by growing their own food on a farm since Papa is gone. The dead have been buried, the injured are being cared for by squad members from all the surviving ones and the franxx have been retired for the moment. Zero Two is unresponsive and continues to stare into space without eating. She had cuts all over her arms and she’s bleeding. Squad 13 are the main leading group, all with their own tasks, helping to guide everyone in upkeeping the water supply and energy resources that are left. Futoshi is doubtful about using magma energy. Kokoro is sick again, Mitsuru shows emotion and Hiro is distant. The 9’s are very sick and need maintenance that can’t be provided anymore. Goro asks the new Nana about repairs but she won’t help without Papa’s approval and she doesn’t seem to care. He tells Ichigo and they talk about how living in the outside world isn’t easy but Ichigo is hopeful for their new way of life. Something crashes to the earth while farming one day and they go and check it out. It’s a ball of Klaxosaur and VIRM which indicates to the kids that the fighting is still going on. Kokoro Collapses and we finally find out that she’s pregnant. Everyone is shocked, but none more so than Kokoro and Mitsuru. The new Nana tells her that she can’t pilot while pregnant and lays out her options to either abort or have the child. Mitrusu tries to get some guidance form Hiro but his mind, as usual, is on Zero Two. Hiro goes to her room and finds her staring at the stars. Goro shows everyone that the plants have died just as a ship comes by carrying Nana and Hachi. Hachi takes her to a place Franxx told him to take her that has all the children that had been deemed “unfit” to pilot all cryogenically frozen. Franxx intends them to become the children’s new “adults”. The kids find them outside and how them the soil. Hachi puts the blame on the magma energy being used for so long making the soil infertile. Ichigo is overworked and Hiro loses Zero Two again finding her outside; he ignores Goro’s words to him. She is staring at the horn-shaped building and become cut yet again. While watching her he touches his horns to hers and sees that her consciousness is still in Strelizia Apus as it’s attacked in space. Hachi and Goro find that there is fertile soil in Mistilteinn so they will plant there and then expand. Hiro has made his decision and tells everyone that he’s going to go up and find her alone in a klaxosaur ship. Goro confronts him for only thinking about himself and willing to die without them there to help him. In the morning, as he gears up to leave he finds the others ready to go as well; all but Kokoro and Mitsuru of course. Even the 9’s are going to join them.
I genuinely liked this episode and I feel like this is the last good one until the epilogue of the finale. It had very good drama and suspense for the most part. The resurfacing of the children who never got to pilot, like Naomi, was good. I liked how they didn’t just kill off those kids and I’m glad it came full circle. Naomi never even had the chance to become as developed as the others, so her presence leaves her permanently in the background.
I appreciate that Hachi never gave up on Nana even with his lack of emotions. He followed the orders from Franxx to take her to the facility but I’m also of the opinion that some morality in him can’t just abandon her since they’ve known each other so long. Hachi hasn’t had much of a character lately due to his lack of emotions but it’s telling that he has this loyalty to Nana. When the society they are a part of casts her out for becoming emotional, he’s the only one who visits her. There’s an argument to be made that he only took her to this place because Franxx requested it, but it can also be due to the fact that he believes in Franxx words; that they can be the new “adults” for all of the children.
They finally revealed that Kokoro is pregnant and showed how it impacted both her and Mitsuru even though they don’t remember any of it. It genuinely surprised me at how expressive Mitsuru was in these moments because I was still under the impression that the memory modifications had left him to become his cold self again so this revelation of feelings and emotions from him caught me a bit off guard. It could be that the headache they both experienced when he spoke her name in the cockpit last episode caused a kind of relapselike Hiro and Zero Two experienced. Perhaps the feelings he has for Kokoro simply can’t be taken away that easily.
Hiro became a pretty selfish and annoying character by the end of this episode as well as throughout. He totally disregarded anyone else’s feelings but his own. Even when Goro and Mitsuru ask him for guidance, he has lost that optimism that had inspired everyone in the past. I understand that they were going for Hiro being forever changed by Zero Two that her being how she is has taken away his former self but it’s annoying and very whiney if you ask me. I did like how throughout the series both he and Zero Two learned to love one another unconditionally and selfishly and his reaction here makes sense based on the character we’ve grown to know of him. He was selfish for a while before he needed to realize that he should fight to live instead of living to fight which was good character development from him. He’s always been a bit one dimensional while the others in the squad have had more added to them.
Goro’s confrontation with his best friend was a defining moment for his character. He had always been there for Hiro and dealt with Ichigo’s feelings for him despite his love for her. It’s a very vulnerable moment when Goro points out his selfishness and even punches Hiro when he admits he only finds the will to live if Zero Two smiles for him. I internally applauded him for trying to knock some sense into Hiro who had still apparently not realized that he has friends outside of his relationship with Zero Two. Hiro honestly deserved the blow because he was way too caught up in what he wants and is willing to die for it. In words, it sounds noble but in the context of the series and this episode it irked me and I’m glad Goro finally confronted him. He’s been one of the main coordinators of the farm and has worked so hard to help everyone survive by growing their own food. Even when he asks Hiro to help him out in figuring out how to make the fields grow but Hiro just ignores him and runs to find Zero Two. Goro had been feeling lost and when he does he goes to Hiro, and in this episode, he can’t even turn to him and it’s devastating to watch.
I like how they all decide to join Hiro in the end when he goes to leave, save for Kokoro and Mitsuru of course. It mirrors the moment in episode 15 where he has to let them all go battle without him, but this time they are gathered to battle with him to find his true love. The loyalty the group shows for Hiro is noble, but not very deserved. Partly it felt like they were doing it because they knew Hiro was going on a suicide mission and wanted to help prevent him from dying. The 9’s are in it for a good death of course, but it was nice for them to want to help.
Episode 23 gives us Kokoro’s narration as she feels as if this battle with be their last. There is a flashback to the end of the last episode in a scene we didn’t see where Mitsuru explains that he is going to stay and see things through with Kokoro, which he reiterates to her when she asks him why he stayed. The others are in space with their modified Franxx that help them manoeuvre in the weightlessness. They speak of Hiro being right in assuming the klaxosaurs left this tech for them. Hiro is riding with Nine Alpha because he’s the only one who could handle Hiro apparently. They all go back into the ship as they travel on. Kokoro is looking after Zero Two and wondering what she sees as Mitsuru works in the fields. Nana wonders how Hachi can understand the ship, but he believes that klaxosapiens must have been closer to humans than they think. She worries about the kids because she’s grown to care about them after viewing them as tools for war for so long. They are heading to Mars’ orbit which is apparently where Apus resides. The trio of Goro, Hiro, and Ichigo find each other and hang out for a while as Nine Alpha sees them. Goro apologizes for punching Hiro when he confronted him. This is cut short when the alarm sounds. VIRM fleets are ahead surrounding Apus and the ship is making a beeline for it. As soon as he sees it, Hiro is off, and the others cover him on his path. Apus has no stamen which is it’s why not moving. A large VIRM gets in their way so Alpha sacrifices himself so Hiro can get inside Apus. On Earth, Kokoro grabs on to Zero Two as she gets even more cut and reaches out. Cables come out from the place where a pistil would sit and he bids them to “eat” him. Inside Zero Two’s mind, he finds a child version of her trying to convince him to leave. She left him behind in order for him to be human. Outside the ship is being attacked as well as Apus. Nana and Hachi run through the ship only for him to get hurt protecting her from some debris. He wants her to go on but he must be a part of the kid’s futures too so she helps him to an escape pod. While on the escape pod they realise the ship was rigged with a bomb. The VIRM twins mock them for fighting when they can live forever. Hachi says that the children are the ones who will decide their own future; immortality is what the adults would want. It’s raining heavily, and Mitsuru tries to get Kokoro to go back inside but she refuses; there’s not much she can do to fight so she will stay with Zero Two. They have an emotional moment and he stays with her in the rain. Hiro keeps trying to convince Zero Two to let him help her, so she won’t need fly alone and reminds her of her promise. She agrees and on earth she smiles and turns to stone. Strelizia Apus becomes Tru Apus then defeats all of the VIRM surrounding her then they take the bomb from the ship and open a warp gate. They plan to go through it and destroy the VIRM homeworld. Ichigo bids them to come back alive and the last shot is Mitsuru and Kokoro holding hands with their rings on.
This episode was pretty crazy. It was cool watching these characters engage in a space battle since it was a new experience but it felt a bit forced and convenient. Honestly, how likely is it that the klaxosaurs, after fighting the humans for so long, would just have this equipment for them to use Franxx in space. I get what they were going for with a change of scenery and upping the stakes but it felt rushed and out of place.
Let’s talk about the elephant robot lady in the room: Tru Apus. What actually is this thing? Why does it need to have flesh and why does it look like a wedding dress? This isn’t some epic final-form robot, this is a waifu and it’s terrible. It makes no sense but I get what they might have been going for I think. Since Zero Two’s mind is still in Strelizia it makes sense for it to be her but I think being too literal is where they went wrong. They could have just taken Apus as it was and made it even more powerful and awesome looking or something. I really didn’t like this part, though the animation as great for the reveal.
Nine Alpha’s sacrifice meant nothing to me. They were going for some villain-turned-sympathetic character for him but it didn’t work. He spent any time he was on screen is the worst person and we are supposed to care about him when he sacrifices himself to help Hiro get into Apus safely? I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen out of the blue. I hate to break up an OTP here, but it would have meant more and had more of an impact if Mitsuru would have been the one to sacrifice himself. It would have brought Hiro’s promise to him full circle instead of left in the dust. I doubted he could have tried being a pistil at all but then there was that one time Ikuno tried to connect with Ichigo a while back. It would be more tragic but that would have made it better. Misturu sacrificing himself and leaving Kokoro to tell their daughter about his bravery would have been a fitting end to his character arc. Having a death occur in the core cast could have had more of an impact and would have kept with the dangerous implications every battle up to this point had given us. I have spent a few episodes wondering if this show will kill someone off, and they never did. I would have been okay if they killed off Goro back in episode 9 because that would have upped the stakes and shown how dangerous the roles these children had really were.
What we do get from Mitsuru and Kokoro in this episode was very meaningful. They basically reiterate their feelings for one another where Mitsuru promises to stay with her and see the pregnancy through. He even takes out his ring to show her that he will commit to her. Kokoro has an interesting characters arc as well since she can’t pilot. It’s the one thing she was born to do and it’s all she’s know so she feels useless now that she can’t help her friends. Her encounter with Mitsuru here reminds her that she’s not alone in her own personal battle and that they both have a battle of their own that they must fight together. I still think that Mitsuru dying in Nine Alpha’s place would have been more dramatic but if not having that means I get this moment with this couple, I can accept it.
In episode 24, we finally reach the finale. We begin with Hiro and Zero Two drifting through space on their way to the VIRM and Hiro comments on how he hasn’t needed sleep or food in the 70 days since they left. He’s changed by now and is becoming more and more like a klaxosaur but he’s not afraid. They are becoming more deeply connected and fight VIRM while on their way. Back on earth, 72 days have passed and Kokoro has grown more pregnant. She doesn’t want any special treatment, but everyone worries about her anyway; especially, of course, Mitsuru. She is the first pregnancy in a while, so they have to do it right to set a president. The others are exploring Mistilteinn with Nana and Hachi and they are a bit nostalgic. They waste no time getting down to farming the place while Ikuno gets done to some researching she wants to start. Ichigo feels weird living on without their friend but Goro comforts her, reminding her that the best they can do is keep on living. Zero Two and Hiro still floating along, having some small talk about constellations. 245 days have passed and Kokoro had had the child. Mitsuru has become the first real father in many years. They release the children that had been “unfit” and Naomi reunites with the group, albeit with a missing arm from the attack way back in the first episode. Farming is going well and Goro is packing up to travel the world to find more kids like them and to look for more resources. He leaves Ichigo with an honest kiss and heads off. Time continues to pass as they grow up into adults. It’s been two years now since they’ve left. Hiro and Zero Two finally make it to the planet but Zero Two is on her own because Hiro is unconscious. The VIRM have Hringhorni and have rendered Hiro useless so they would be weak. Zero Two as Tru Apus is badly hit by the weapon. Ai, Kokoro and Mitrusu’s daughter, taps her hand on the statue of Zero Two saying “Darling”. They all decide to hold hands and pray for their friends. This then turns into shouting at the sky to encourage them and tell them about the things that have happened such as the couple naming their child Ai to mean “love”. Zero Two recaps their relationship up until now in Hiro’s consciousness and then they kiss which makes everything strong again. She uses Hringhorni and the bomb to destroy the planet and all the VIRM releasing the spirits of all tose who have been absorbed by the aliens and killing Hiro and Zero Two, but their spirits fly away too. The status crumbles and they all cry at the loss. The epilogue is Ichigo talking about the bright light from the explosion being in the sky for a while. Klaxosaurs returned to the earth and became one with it once more. Eight years pass and they have rebuilt their lives on earth, all growing up and establishing a society. Mitsuru and Kokoro have two more kids, Goro and Ichigo finally got together and she’s pregnant, Ikuno is with Naomi and is rapidly aging though she had been doing research to help with that, Futoshi even has his own family, Miku and Zorome haven’t changed but he’s a teacher now it seems, and Zero Two’s statue became a tree. In the end, they all stand under the tree to remember their lives and friends. In the very end Hiro’s and Zero Two’s souls reach the earth again to be reincarnated then their new selves meet.
This whole episode is a back and forth time lapse over the two years it takes Hiro and Zero Two to make it to the VIRM home world. It goes between the space travel of the couple and the time continuing to pass on earth while this happens. The parts on Earth are vastly more interesting than those with the couple. The only time it goes back to them is to show how much time has passed anyway. All they do is talk and be as cheesy as they always are with an attack happening at the end of each scene with them. On Earth we see Kokoro having the child and everyone else growing older and helping to build a new society. It was adorable seeing Kokoro and Mitsuru becoming parents and working through that together. There wasn’t much to it but the implication that they have been doing something right is good to see.
One thing that gets me about the VIRM is that they have no motive other than just to be evil for evil’s sake. They think they are doing something good for everyone against their will and frankly, they are the worst antagonists. The klaxosars as benevolent and mysterious enemies were more interesting than this rushed villain they thought up. It also can’t help but be mentioned that Zero Two and Hiro committed genocide on a planet they knew nothing about but had only seen one side of. That alone is lazy and rushed writing to me.
The small moment we get of Hachi and Nana in the ship when he protects her was good. It was good to see her step in to make sure that he was okay just as he had done for her after he had done yet another selfless thing for her. Needless to say, I had shipped them for a while and this moment cemented that fact. I also love in the epilogue how they are the only ones who can’t age but they have a duty to guide the children and their children after. It’s also adorable when the little ones come to get Hachi for something, and Nana thinks he’s changing more than he thinks. Their dynamic is one of the things I like about this series and I always wondered when I would see them on screen again. Heck, I wanted to learn more about them aside from the vague flashbacks in another episode of their time as parasites. Maybe learn more about Hachi as a character before he grew up and gave up emotions.
I didn’t care very much for the climax of this episode and I think it could have been one better from the start. Zero Two and Hiro’s deaths didn’t mean as much to me as they would have when I was halfway through the series. I remember being very worried about their well being during the first two times they almost died either trying to save one another or just finding each other. At this point, the show was so boring and laughable in their scenes, as well as cliché, that I genuinely found myself hoping for their scenes to end so we could see Earth again.
When Goro leaves for travel the world and finally kisses Ichigo, it made my day. It was him finally acting on his feelings, even though Ichigo was still thinking about Hiro. I t was a reminder to her that he is right there with her while Hiro is out saving the world. It was a great moment for his character as well as hers, even though it’s a small moment. It leads to them having a child in the end so I’m fine with it.
The whole epilogue is very well done and closes off the characters very well. Miku and Zroeome still continue to be themselves but I assume that they will realize their potential feelings for one another, or they already have. Futoshi moving on and having his own family was very sweet since it prompted him to get over Kokoro and focus on himself. Goro and Ichigo finally being together was a plus, of course, and Kokoro and Mitsuru with a couple more kids. I also liked how Naomi and Ikuno have developed a relationship even though it was never clear until the end that they might have been romantically involved. It would make sense since Ikuno had no attraction to anyone but Ichigo and Naomi didn’t work very well as a pilot with a boy like Hiro. I wish we could have had more time to watch them start that relationship and watched it come to light.
The reincarnations of Hiro and Zero Two meeting in the future was weird because it didn’t seem to make any sense. It was cliché with the “and then they meet again in the future after being reincarnated” state of mind. It’s implied that they will live on through these kids but in reality, these kids could be very different from them depending on their parents. The only thing they hold is their souls, but not their personalities. I don’t know, I might be overthinking something that is way too simple.
In Summary:
Overall, I liked this series, up until the very end. It lost me when the VIRM revealed themselves to be Papa but I stuck it out because I wanted to review it. I loved the style of the animation, the world that these characters lived in, the characters themselves. It was a fun ride, but it could have ended differently to stay with the post-apocalyptic-new-society tone they started with. I think the way society ended up basically the same as it was before the klaxosaurs and the immortality, was a bit weird. They could have built a better society, not one that could possibly suffer the same fate because humanity can be dumb at times. These last three episodes were good but very rushed. I liked the character arcs, Kokoro and Mitsuru falling back in love, Goro calling Hiro out, space travel over two years. They have their ups and downs, but more downs. I have enjoyed watching this series and reviewing it and I don’t think I’ll find anything quite like this any time soon, even though it did borrow from shows like Evangelion and Gunbuster, it had very good originalities to it.
Grade: C+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll.
