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Darling In The FranXX Episode 15 ((EXCLUSIVE))
Zero Two thinks she was human, though she pretended, she wished to become one. Ichigo charges towards her. Zero Two attacks Delphinium, to which Ichigo yelled she hated how Zero Two toyed with her feelings. After Strelizia breaks Delphinium's spear, Delphinium slaps her and Ichigo says she wishes she'd never known her. Zero Two breaks Delphinium's helmet and Ichigo demands Zero Two get her act together as she headbutts her. As the door opens, Hiro finds that Zero Two's horns have grown and branched and her eyes are red. Hiro tells Zero Two he came to see her. Ichigo instructs to protect Strelizia since it's the only one that can kill the klaxosaur. As Genista and Argentea attack klaxosaurs, one of the cores crack in half and something yellow falls out it. Ikuno says it looks like a human. Suddenly, there is an explosion. As it is announced that the backup plan is almost complete, Papa says that they can let the plantation go now. The stamen of the plantation are confused as to why they're making plantations self-destruct. 9'ε and 9'a say that they're planning to end things without Strelizia's help. Dr. FRANXX is disgusted with their choice. Hiro tries to connect with Zero Two, but he gets no response. He holds her horns and asks to be taken to her. In Zero Two's memories, Hiro sees a man saying that, though 016's memories were erased, 002's couldn't be completely erased. The doctor tells them to continue to try and erase, regardless of the effects on her and orders a young Hiro back to the garden. The doctor adds that he's probably useless now that he ingested Zero Two's blood. Zero Two cannot remember things but begins to when she recognizes familiar actions. She licks her wounds in a similar way. Seeing her book, she begins eating it. She learns the word "boku" and Zero Two, and "darling." She remembers him getting attacked and begins crying. Zero Two's horns break and Hiro hugs her. She pushes him away and tells him not to look at her. They apologize and cry holding each other. Hiro says they can see the world together and kisses Zero Two as she cries. Strelizia attacks and transforms into a red version of it, easily taking out the klaxosaur. Hiro and Zero Two confess their love for each other. Futoshi and Zorome cry and Ichigo says she's happy for them. The 9's begin attacking as well. The sages say that the door to Gran Crevasse has been opened and the day of humanity's liberation is upon them.
Darling in the FranXX Episode 15
Upon starting the episode, we are dropped straight into a briefing with the Franxx stamen and pistil of Squad 13, where they are being tasked with the biggest and most crucial objective to date: Securing the Gran Crevasse. A massive dome in the center of a number of plantations, which is currently absolutely crawling with Klaxosaurs. During this mission, they will be cooperating from squads from 4 other plantations, forming the 6th United Company task force.
A team of ten parasites is assigned to the experimental Squad 13 of Plantation 13. One of them, Hiro (Code:016), is a former pilot-candidate prodigy who can no longer synchronize with his partner, and they both fail to complete the training program. While skipping his squad's graduation ceremony, Hiro encounters Zero Two (Code:002), an elite Franxx pilot with klaxosaur blood, red horns, and an infamous reputation as the "Partner Killer". It is rumored that Zero Two's partners are killed after pairing with her by the third time. Shortly after, a Klaxosaur attacks, disrupting Hiro's graduation ceremony and leaving Zero Two's partner killed in action. Despite the rumors, Hiro volunteers to become her new partner, or as Zero Two calls him, her "darling".
Reception to Darling in the Franxx in English-language media was mixed. Some reviews praised the large focus of the series on its coming-of-age and romance elements. Other themes with a more mixed or negative reception involved the heavy sexual innuendos of teenagers, the lack of plot development regarding the alien species VIRM, and the plot twists of the second half of the series, and the rushed pacing of the storyline following episode 15. Eric Van Allen of Kotaku described the series as having "moments of brilliance" with solid work on the early mech fights and the character of Zero Two, but disliked the plot developments in the second half of the series and the ending.[41] Kyle Rogacion of Goomba Stomp called the series "an endearing character-driven coming-of-age story" but criticized it for having by the end "eschewed everything that made it great and settled for the easy way out".[42] Random Curiosity voiced a more positive opinion to its ending, stating the series will be "well-remembered for seasons to come" and "kept us all fixated and eagerly anticipating every episode set to air".[43]
When Zero Two was manipulated by the Klaxosaur Princess into attacking Mistilteinn, Hiro forced his way into Strelizia to try and save her. Upon trying to connect with her, she began strangling him and revealed her goal to become human was so she could find her long lost darling. Their minds connected too deep, causing them to remember their erased memories of their childhood together.
The episode climaxes with Hiro and Zero Two coming back together in the final act, in a sublime example of storytelling and direction coming together beautifully, so long as you ignore the questionable ideas surrounding their reunion. For one thing, Ichigo got a surprisingly quick turnaround on her redemption arc, as she finally let go of her love for Hiro and helped him fight to reach Zero Two. While both Ichigo's change of heart and Hiro's sudden ability to synchronize with her feel like undercooked payoffs, I'll be glad to see the fandom hopefully cool their jets on all the Ichigo criticism after this.
This is part of what makes this show such a strangely divisive viewing experience. DARLING in the FRANXX remains a uniquely frustrating experience when it comes to addressing whatever themes and ideas underlie all of its spectacle and romantic bombast, but it's so ridiculously earnest and entertaining that it bypasses the logic and reason centers of my brain in the moment. It strikes directly at my inner anime-obsessed teenager, back to a time when a series' quality was measured directly in proportion to how many cool explosions and melodramatically romantic moments it could pack into a single episode. Someday, DARLING in the FRANXX might be able to justify Adult James' reservations and misgivings, but for now I'm willing to put a pin in the series' many questionable elements and enjoy the spectacle on its own merits.
As seen in the anime series Darling In The Franxx, this figure features the fiery red powered up version of the Strelizia as seen in the climactic episode 15, "Jian: The Bird That Shares Wings," where Zero Two and Hero finally learn to trust one another. Included along with the figure are two expression parts, one left and two right optional hands, Queen Pike, shield, stand, and Tamashii stage connector joint.
Darling in the Franxx was supposed to be the big anime of 2018. A large part of that had to do with it being worked on by Studion Trigger, whose staff was well-known for series like Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill. Besides that, the series started off well in its own right; it was a legitimately exciting and engaging mix of mecha and romantic drama. It also had unique sci-fi elements and an intriguing mystery to its overarching plot to keep viewers wanting to know more. Everything was going well for about the first 15 episodes.
Whoever was in charge of writing the finale seemed to have a similar problem. The drama surrounding Hiro and Zero Two's separation and reunion was repeated at least a couple of times within the final episodes of the series. In comparison, the drama between the rest of the cast was either uninteresting or shallow.
Others disliked how rushed-yet-slow ending. Despite taking place over the course of two episodes, the finale covered a span of at least eight years of the characters' lives. At that time, while Hiro and Zero Two were doing nothing but fighting aliens, the rest of the cast was raising families and restarting life on Earth. The worst thing is that in a better series, the latter could have actually worked as an ending, but the loss of investment made it just okay.
To a lot of people, DarliFra should have ended around Episode 15. Not only was it the emotional peak of the series, but neither the story nor the characters improved much after it. Those looking to watch DarliFra should either stop around episode 15 and read the manga or expect disappointment. 041b061a72