The wait is over and the second episode including the opening sequence aired on 20 January 2018. You can watch broadcast episodes of Darling in the Franxx legally and with English subtitles on the online streaming website Crunchyroll. You can find the link and streaming options for all anime here:

Winter 2018 Anime: Legal Streaming List

Last week, I didn’t really write how I felt about the first episode because it was my first review. I wasn’t quite sure how to start this. This time I would like to share my thoughts on Episode 2 with you. Please leave a comment on how you like Darling in the Franxx so far.

Japanese title: 繋がるということ(Tsunagaru to iu koto)

Episode 02: What it Means to Connect

After his kiss with Zero Two, Hiro can’t remember how he piloted Strelizia. His fellow Parasites can’t believe that he piloted a Franxx and are wondering if Zero Two defeated the Klaxosaurs by herself. Ichigo (code 015) is really worried that Hiro might get hurt again, this time by Zero Two, and volunteers to be his partner for his last ability test allowing him to board her Franxx, Delphinium. As Zorome (code 666) and Hiro had a fight before, Zorome gladly volunteers to be his opponent for this mock fight and changes Miku’s (code 390) mind to join him. So the mock battle between Delphinium and Argentea begins. Hiro can control Delphinium for a short time but fails to fully connect with Ichigo after a collapse, even though she kisses him like Zero Two did.

Terms

Connection

In order for the parasites to connect with their Franxx, each pilot has to first undress, put on a special underwear, and then change into a suit sprayed (?) onto their bodies.

Fun Facts

• Franxx’ faces only appear if the pair’s minds could connect. Female pilots control face ‘muscles’.
• Single-digit code names, like Zero Two’s 002 seem to be rare.
• Plants are stronger than we thought.
• Futoshi is only eating.

Characters and Franxx

Delphinium

Delphinium is the Franxx of Ichigo and Goro (code 056). The word ‘Delphinium’ derives from two words. One is the ancient Greek word ‘delpínion’, which means ‘larkspur’, and the other one derives from Latin word for ‘dolphin’. Delphinium is a toxic flower, which is native to the Northern Hemisphere and high mountains of tropical Africa. The Franxx does share some similarities in color and shape.

Argentea

Argentea is Miku and Zorome’s Franxx. Argentea could be based on a flower called Celosia, commonly called woolflowers or cockscomb. Celosia has flowers in red, pink, purple, gold, or bicolored, which would fit for the Franxx, as it is pink with twintails. The word ‘celosia’ derives from the shape of many flowers blooming next to each other, which resembles a fire. Therefore the Greek word ‘celosia’ had been chosen.

My Thoughts

Episode 01 was a bit pervy, with Dr. Franxx touching Nana’s butt, but watching this episode exceeded all my expectations and I strangely liked it. As a girl, I was a bit disappointed not to see the guys getting naked in the locker room, but the girls. Give us, or better me, some half-naked guys too!!

This ‘connecting’ stuff is really bad for me. I am the person that thinks rather ambiguous. So, when they are talking about connection and then posing like they’re up to something… totally different, it just blew my mind. And then the girls do slightly moan too when their partners connect with their minds. I mean how do the girls control a Franxx in that position. It must be tiring and also embarrassing, having the boys behind them and steering the Franxx like steering a horse. Oh, I forgot, they don’t seem to know anything about boy-girl relationships. The first words in Episode 1, which Hiro didn’t understand were the words ‘kiss’ and ‘darling’. I kind of have a feeling that there are two worlds clashing. One world, which is ‘normal’, knows what is going on in the wide world. People from the ‘normal’ world know what relationships are and the meanings of words like ‘kiss’. Examples for this world are Dr. Franxx and Zero Two. And then we’ve got the other world, which doesn’t know anything about relationships and whatsoever, the parasites. I don’t know anything about them, but for ‘normal’ girls it should be quite embarrassing posing like that in front of a guy. It is because they don’t know that it should be embarrassing.

For now, we’ve only seen Ichigo acting a bit weird in front of Hiro did she develop some feelings for him, or do they have some kind of past together? The way she gets jealous when seeing Zero Two being nice to him, sitting on his lap or talking about her ‘darling’ is making Ichigo tense.

Highlights

Opening

Like in many other anime series, the opening appeared in the second episode. ‘Kiss of Death’ is the title to the opening song, sung by Mika Nakashima and produced by Hyde. I like how each pair is introduced with their Franxx in the background. It makes it easier to learn their names as they are written in alphabets. This song just perfectly fits the series. It feels like it has a deeper meaning like it was made for Zero Two, who we also didn’t really get to know this time too. The video does also connect to the song and vice versa. I just love how Zero Two appears at the part where Mika Nakashima says ‘Darling’ like she is whispering it to Hiro, but into our direction.

I love Zero Two. I loved her character from the first time she met Hiro at the lake in Episode 1. Her toughness, her ‘I don’t give a f***’ mentality although nobody seems to really like her. The way she’s treating Hiro like her ‘darling’ but then at the end of Episode 1 she just drops the poor unconscious Hiro.

Let-Downs

Ending

At first I was like ‘Why did they cast a girl group for the ending song?’ Then I learned that the ending song was sung by XX:me, which is a group formed of the voice actresses: Haruka Tomatsu (Zero Two), Kana Ichinose (Ichigo), Nanami Yamashita (Miku), Saori Hayami (Kokoro), and Shizuka Ishigami (Ikuno). The title of the ending is ‘Torikago’, which literally means ‘birdcage’. I mean the name does fit and it is cool that some voice actors formed this special unit, but I still don’t think that this song fits 100%. It could be because I didn’t listen to it as often as I listened to the opening song.

My What-Is-Going-On? Moments

Ok, so Naomi didn’t die, which means that she may be able to reveal why she pushed Hiro back. By the way, I would like to know how she survived this and how Plants look on the inside.

Oh and as I mentioned above… what is going on with these poses in which they ride the Franxx? Is this the influence of A-1?

Did Hiro break Ichigo? Because they couldn’t connect and ride the Franxx together, Ichigo seemed quite broken at the end. Will she stop ‘liking’ him or try other options in order to make him hers?

In the End

I really enjoyed this episode, not only because of the pervy scenes but because of Zero Two’s behavior. I hope to see Hiro and Zero Two ride Strelizia again soon and want to catch a glimpse of how she operates her Franxx. Is it the same way as the other girls have to, or do they ride it the opposite way?