Darling in the FranXX

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Henyo
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Darling in the FranXX

Now that the series has finished it's run i figured it's time to ask what the old time Mecha genre fans think of the show. The younger and casual anime watchers seemed to like it(especially those hardcore SHIPPERS) the peeps at ANN, from what i can tell are really divided on it.

as for me, i enjoyed how much of a trainwreck it became. some nice ideas that went nowhere or were not well executed. i think i'd enjoy watching Aldnoah again than FranXX. At least that one has a lot more consistency.

one more thing; THE YURI was MEH.
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tHeWasTeDYouTh
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

I have not seen the series but Studio Trigger has never let me down!!! kind of getting nervous about this one since so many people do not like it
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Henyo
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

tHeWasTeDYouTh wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 4:46 pm I have not seen the series but Studio Trigger has never let me down!!! kind of getting nervous about this one since so many people do not like it
it is important to take note that FranXX isn't solely a TRIGGER work. it's a collab from A-1 pictures IIRC.
but of course the hardcore fanboys solely atribute FranXX's good points to Trigger and every bad thing to the other studio.

to me, one of the best Trigger anime is NINJA SLAYER!!!

DOMO, NINJA SLAYER DESU!!!

i should take this time to say that i like the mecha designs in general. reminds me of Diebuster's versions of Buster Machines.
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Quiddity
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

9 episodes in. I'm torn. Design-wise, the series is amazing. Things look gorgeous throughout. The mecha design reminds me a lot of Star Driver, whose mecha design was really strong, probably not much of a surprise since I hear they have the same designer. The Klaxosaurs are interesting as well. Love Zero Two's design (so-so I suppose on the rest of the characters). The scenery and world they are in also look amazing and everything seems to be well animated. Love the opening sequence.

On the other hand, the whole set up of how they pilot the things is just so ridiculous. I haven't seen something that over the top, in that way, since Aquarion. They've thrown out a lot of mysteries, have hardly focused on any of them but are slowly trickling more character things in. Looking forward to seeing the rest of it but hard to say how I'll feel overall yet.
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BrentD15
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

Kinda got a "Kill la Kill" vibe from this series.
"To you who will watch, I offer a heart filled with gratitude." -Yoshiyuki Tomino, Gundam Reconguista in G, Episode 25
Quiddity
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

^ Actually I get more of a Gurren Lagann vibe from it, although since Trigger was involved in the show it isn't all that surprising as they had a hand on all three shows. If anything some of the criticism I've seen online is that too many similar themes or plot points or showing up in their works.

Anyway, just wrapped this show up (yep, binged it pretty quick, being on vacation last week helped a lot). While I can certainly understand some of the criticism of the show out there, when this show was running on all cylinders, which was most episodes starting from the Hiro-Zero Two backstory episode (episode 13 I think), it was amazing. It occasionally did crash pretty hard (episode 14 and the third to last episode in particular are huge downers compared to the episodes surrounding them) but not enough to tremendously pull down the show from the heights it reaches. Pulling an Eva (incidentally in the exact same spot of the series too) by having an exposition flashback episode to explain things was also terrible storytelling, as it was in that show. From what I've read online it seems like people were really critical of the revelations about APE near the end of the show
Spoiler
That they were aliens, although personally I found the revelation fine and have no complaints about it. If anything I enjoyed the fact that it is a callback to Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End which also inspired Eva, Xenogears and other works.
If you want a bad version of that trope look to
Spoiler
Gasaraki, which brought aliens into the plot totally out of nowhere in the final episode.
Really liked the Hiro - Zero Two relationship throughout, and they did a good job at eliciting an emotional reaction from me, something that hasn't happened for me with a new anime in a while.
i think i'd enjoy watching Aldnoah again than FranXX. At least that one has a lot more consistency.
Yikes. I tried Aldnoah a couple of years ago and couldn't even finish it, quitting shortly into the second season. The way they ended the first and nerfed it so badly in the second was brutal, from what I recall. I do hope to watch it in its entirety at some point in the future though. Its not in the same league as FranXX.
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BrentD15
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

Quiddity wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:33 pm ^ Actually I get more of a Gurren Lagann vibe from it, although since Trigger was involved in the show it isn't all that surprising as they had a hand on all three shows. If anything some of the criticism I've seen online is that too many similar themes or plot points are showing up in their works.
Yeah, it gets pretty annoying, and I can't help but ask every time the themes show up: Is it necessary?
"To you who will watch, I offer a heart filled with gratitude." -Yoshiyuki Tomino, Gundam Reconguista in G, Episode 25
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tHeWasTeDYouTh
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

I read that up to episode 15 Trigger did all the fight scenes but the story and everything else was done by A1 Pictures, Trigger didn't have a hand in any of that
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Henyo
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

BrentD15 wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 11:59 am
Quiddity wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:33 pm ^ Actually I get more of a Gurren Lagann vibe from it, although since Trigger was involved in the show it isn't all that surprising as they had a hand on all three shows. If anything some of the criticism I've seen online is that too many similar themes or plot points are showing up in their works.
Yeah, it gets pretty annoying, and I can't help but ask every time the themes show up: Is it necessary?

and from the looks of things, it ain't stopping anytime soon. one of Trigger's upcoming anime literally has KAMINA as one of the characters. i can't recall the details about Trigger's involvement with FranXX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ojIhu_JklM
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Zeonista
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

I agree with Quiddity, a strong Gurren Lagann vibe developed in the second half of the story.

I enjoyed the series very much, as it departed from the many of the standard mecha anime settings and trope lists, and set out to tell a story of a society that almost engineered itself into extinction in the name of survival. (Yeah I know, that wasn't the final reveal, but that was the presentation for most of the story.) A friend of mine was much taken with the program of choosing and raising the pilot couples. Indeed, the raising and development of the FranXX crews as compared to the others was very interesting! Plus it was nice to see weaponized teen angst used for positive character development this time. The final battle arc and its resolution made all the pain worthwhile, and left me with a smile on my face.
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zerogradius
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

The first half was intriguing but the show started to lose me with the revelations about Hiro's and Zero Two's past. It only got worse with the flashback episode, the way they treated the seemingly LGBT characters, the truth about Ape and the klaxosaurs, and the out right silliness of the big space battle that literally came out of nowhere. I suspect Darling in the Franxx started as an idea in someone's head that was not properly developed before production. Squandered potential in the end.
Henyo
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

zerogradius wrote: Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:20 pm The first half was intriguing but the show started to lose me with the revelations about Hiro's and Zero Two's past. It only got worse with the flashback episode, the way they treated the seemingly LGBT characters, the truth about Ape and the klaxosaurs, and the out right silliness of the big space battle that literally came out of nowhere. I suspect Darling in the Franxx started as an idea in someone's head that was not properly developed before production. Squandered potential in the end.
i think they did admit the whole unplanned thing a bit. it was from an ANN interview if i remember correctly.
let's see how SRW will fix the series' issues. whenever it will debut. :D
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zerogradius
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

Henyo wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:47 am
i think they did admit the whole unplanned thing a bit. it was from an ANN interview if i remember correctly.
let's see how SRW will fix the series' issues. whenever it will debut. :D
I got the feeling that it was made as they went along with the way the story shifted, especially in the second half.

And SRW has worked miracles before. They made more sense out of Brain Powerd than Tomino ever did. I also wouldn't mind an Evangelion, Gurren Lagann and Franxx team up in its debut.
Henyo
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

zerogradius wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:03 pm
And SRW has worked miracles before. They made more sense out of Brain Powerd than Tomino ever did. I also wouldn't mind an Evangelion, Gurren Lagann and Franxx team up in its debut.
i'm just hoping that Rinne no Lagrange debuts before FranXX. wait a minute!!! let FranXX debut with Lagrange and be alongside Cross Ange. let's see how the FranXX pilots deal with Madoka's GAY and Ange's BI.

anyone checked out the manga adaptation? it's worth noting that To Love-ru's artist is the one doing it.
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Quiddity
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

The first half was intriguing but the show started to lose me with the revelations about Hiro's and Zero Two's past.
For me that was one of the best parts of the show. I really liked their backstory and where they ended up going with it, if anything it helped cover up some of their more notable flaws for me.

Despite being from a totally different genre, part of me is wondering if they took some inspiration from Flip Flappers, which I'm watching for the first time; in particular the Klaxosaur Queen design from a character in that show as well as the design of the mysterious APE members.
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Henyo
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Re: Darling in the FranXX

Quiddity wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 11:01 pm
The first half was intriguing but the show started to lose me with the revelations about Hiro's and Zero Two's past.
For me that was one of the best parts of the show. I really liked their backstory and where they ended up going with it, if anything it helped cover up some of their more notable flaws for me.

Despite being from a totally different genre, part of me is wondering if they took some inspiration from Flip Flappers, which I'm watching for the first time; in particular the Klaxosaur Queen design from a character in that show as well as the design of the mysterious APE members.
now that you mention it...yes, she does looks similar to that Fli Flappers Character...gotta look it up some time.
oh yeah, it seems that not many cached the reference to Childhood's End. at least during the time the revealed specific plot point similar to that classic novel. :D
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