Darling in the FranXX

Darling in the Franxx (Japanese: ダーリン・イン・ザ・フランキス, Hepburn: Dārin In Za Furankisu, stylized as DARLING in the FRANXX), abbreviated as DarliFra (ダリフラ, DariFura), is a 2018 Japanese science fiction monster romance anime television series co-produced by A-1 Pictures and Trigger and animated by Trigger and CloverWorks that premiered in January 2018. The series was announced at Trigger's Anime Expo 2017 panel in July 2017. A manga adaptation by Kentaro Yabuki and another four-panel comic strip manga began serialization in January 2018.
Darling in the Franxx is set in a dystopian future where children are artificially created and indoctrinated solely to defend the remnants of civilization. The story follows a squad of ten pilots, particularly focusing on the partnership between Hiro, a former prodigy, and Zero Two, a hybrid human and elite pilot who aspires to become entirely human.
The animation began international distribution simultaneously upon its domestic release. The streaming service Crunchyroll internationally simulcast the series, with Aniplus Asia simulcasting the series in Southeast Asia. Service partner Funimation began the dubbed release of the series in February 2018.
== Episodes ==
See Darling in the FranXX/Episodes
== Trivia ==
* All members of Squad 13 and their caregivers have Goroawase names that correspond with their code numbers.
* The quarantine location of the parasites is referred to as a Birdcage, signifying how the children are kept in isolation from the world and only allowed out unless they are needed, like birds in a cage.
* The safe haven for the parasites was named the Bird Nest, which architecturally resembles a bird’s nest. It could be used to signify the gathering of all the parasites and housing them until they had matured enough to venture in their own, like baby birds.
* Plantation 13 is named Cerasus (a type of edible sour cherry), the home of its parasites is named Mistilteinn (mistletoe), Plantation 26 is Chrysanthemum (a type of flower used as medicine, and means ‘gold flower’ in Greek) and APE's HQ is named Cosmos (tall and colorful summer flowers).
* The developmental facility for the children, the Garden, is a metaphor to describe the children as flowers in a garden; created and fertilized from seedlings to flowers.
* The two satellites, Phobos and Deimos, located on two rocks within Mars’ orbit are named after two moons that orbit Mars in real life.
* Parasites refer to the children who pilot the FRANXX. However, in biological terms, a parasite is an organism that lives on or in another organism, deriving benefit from living on or in that other organism, while not contributing towards that other organism sufficiently to cover the cost to that other organism.
* For parasites, the male pilots are called stamens and the female pilots are called pistils, which are the male-female gametes used in floral reproduction.
* All the FRANXX units and Plantations are named after flowers.
** Strelizia: Known as the Bird of Paradise flower due to its resemblance to the head of an exotic bird. It holds a meaning of love and joy.
** Delphinium: Known as larkspur for its deep blue flowers with a hint of purple. It has a meaning of strong attachment and also ambition of reaching one’s goals.
** Argentea: Known as cockscomb or feathery amaranth, it has plume-like flowers ranging in colour from dark crimson to orange and golden yellow. It holds a meaning of silliness and affection.
** Genista: Known as Broom, it is a genus of shrubby plants known for their yellow flowers. It holds the meaning of creativity and imagination.
** Chlorophytum: Known as the Spider Plant for its long, slender leaves and thick roots. It holds a meaning of protection.
* Strelizia’s true form, True Apus, derives from Apus, which is a small constellation in the southern sky. It represents bird of paradise, and its name means "without feet" in Greek because the bird of paradise was once wrongly believed to lack feet.
* The FRANXX units are named after their creator whose real name is Dr. Werner Frank. The double xx is in reference to the normal complement of female sex chromosomes (as the FRANXX are the byproducts of Klaxosaurs, which are formed from female klaxosapiens).
* The Klaxosaurs translate to Kyoryuu in Japanese, which uses the kanji for scream and dragon, hence screaming reptiles in Japanese. Klaxosaur is a portmanteau of klaxon, which is a loud electric horn, and the suffix -saur, which is derived from the ancient Greek for lizard and identifies the genera of the extinct great reptiles, the dinosaurs.
* All varieties of the Klaxosaurs have names that derive from German origin, such as Conrad, Gutenberg, Mohovoric, and Lehmann.
* When the words VIRM and APE are combined and rearranged, it forms the word ‘vampire’. This is befitting for VIRM, as they are an alien species that devours the souls of other lifeforms.
* The term pruning means to dispose of excessive material from a tree or flower. In the series, though, it refers to the disposal of a parasite who fails to meet expectations and it is implied that those who are pruned are killed (which is confirmed in the manga).
* The term stampede mode refers when a FRANXX is piloted by the pistil without a stamen and it gives the FRANXX a beast like appearance and causes it to act wildly aggressive. In dictionary terms, stampede is the occasion in which many large groups of animals or people suddenly move in the same direction at the same time in an uncontrolled way, usually because of fear.
* Kissing refers to the act of two plantations mechanically joining together to transfer magma energy, like how two people join together by kissing on the lips.
* The transportation units are called Plants, though they appear as large, round orange vehicles.
* Kokoro’s code number 556 and Mitsuru’s code number 326 adds up to 882, which can translate to hahani (“to become a mother”) in Japanese. With handakuten, it translates to papani (“to become a father”). This reflects how the two go on to become the first parasites to naturally bear a child.
** With a different kanji 反乱 ‎(hiragana: はんらん, romaji: "hanran”), "hahani" also means "rebellion". Consummating their relationship and conceiving a baby were acts of rebellion against APE as Papa had banned any relationships besides professionalism.
* Hiro’s code number 016 and Zero Two’s code number 002 adds to 018; in episode 18, they reaffirm their promise to get married in the future. The number 18 can be read as Seiha (制覇), which means domination in Japanese. When subtracted, 016 and 002 becomes 014; in episode 14, Hiro and Zero Two are separated due to the fear of Hiro losing his humanity if he continues piloting with her. When divided, 016 and 002 becomes 8; in episode 8, Hiro starts to see more of Zero Two’s human side during the Boys vs Girls’ conflict.
* Futoshi’s code number 214 and Ikuno’s code number 196 add up to 410, which can be read as Crapo (嫉妬), which means jealousy in Japanese. This is in reference to their unreciprocated love for Kokoro and Ichigo respectively, as Kokoro is in love with Mitsuru and Ichigo is in love with Hiro but Goro also has feelings for her.
All the FRANXX units from Squad 13 have unique colors, which the pilots also wear on their suits, to distinguish their connection to their FRANXX. Each color has a hidden meaning to the pilots’ personalities and relationships.
* In the opening's introduction screens, Kokoro and Mitsuru are the only two pilots who are glancing to their sides and towards their own partners (while everyone else is looking towards the camera). However, the way the shots transition between one another can also make it look like they aren't actually looking at their partners, but at each other. After they pair up in Episode 11, the opening is updated to have them in the same shot and it is revealed that they are actually looking at each other.
** In the second opening’s introduction, Kokoro and Mitsuru are the only pair who are facing and reaching out to each other but they are being pulled apart. This is clarified when their memories are altered after their relationship is discovered.
* In the second opening, all the squad members are seen reaching for the sky while Zero Two comes down from the sky and kisses Hiro, and wings sprout from him. The events of Episode 24, starting with the children sending their prayers to Hiro and Zero Two from Earth while the latter fight VIRM in space, and Zero Two saving Hiro before he can succumb to VIRM and they become the Jian, resonate with this.
* Also in the second opening, Futoshi and Ikuno are back-facing each other and looking into the distance. While they are not on bad terms with each other, they have feelings for someone else who they know they can't have (in Futoshi's case - Kokoro, and in Ikuno's case - Ichigo).
* The fifth end credits show a shadowy image of Ikuno nearly kissing someone who appears to be Ichigo. Episode 18 confirms that Ikuno is indeed in love with Ichigo.
* The fifth end credits also show Kokoro being embraced by an unknown boy and another scene shows her sitting and clinging her stomach. Episode 17 reveals that she wants to have a baby with Mitsuru, as she is in love with him, and he comforts her after she is berated for this. After their memories are altered and they become estranged, Episode 22 confirms that she is indeed pregnant, leading to their reconciliation.
== Gallery ==
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