(L+CR) Darling in the Franxx

[Gan_HOPE326]

Originally Posted by Botan_TM

Everybody talks about EVA, but personally I see some similarities with Sidonia no Kishi.

Spoiler for Just in case:

Some immortal bastards, genetically altered people, war with dangerous creatures, moving fortress (ship/plantation), hybrid created by crazy immoral scientist, some gender/sex theme (third sex), and so on.

Main difference is that in Sidonia all pieces seems to fall together like puzzles, making a coherent world, here it feels a bit opposite.

I mean, if that magical energy makes a post-scarcity world, why not just built one plantation for the most successful parasites? Also some parasites kamikaze'd with tanks full of it, so why not make some missiles with it? It just feels like some decided to make "castrated cold adult vs horny teens drama" and that's it. In the end, it all just comes to how big suspension of believe one can have.

From the other hand, "teen drama" part seems to work, Kiznaiver hasn't created such heated fanboys wars. And memes.

I haven't seen of Sidonia, I can see some similarities with Suisei no Gargantia too.

And as I mentioned on Reddit, that old crazy Sean Connery movie, Zardoz. You had immortals controlling the world, actively trying to prevent and repress reproduction ("the gun is good, the penis is evil!" ), being basically passionless and bored by their condition, and eventually waking back up to sex thanks to Connery's mojo . Weird movie. But it really had similar ideas.

[Haak]

Well at the very least, it was much better than the last three episodes. We finally get a significant expansion on the setting. It's disappointing that they revealed it in such a forced manner (random Dr Franxx flashback) rather than a more natural way of having the children find out (e.g. Shin Sekai Yori) and I agree the aesop of this tale falls a bit short when properly scrutinised, but I still found it interesting.

I think the show reached its heights when it focused on ZeroTwo. Ultimately it's her character and her relations with others that has been the most interesting aspect of this show. Now that her character is resolved it's become apparent that the story didn't have much else going for it. A lot of steam has been lost at this point that even the Blue Oni can't bring back.

At the very least the end of this episode with the kids finally rebelling seems to indicate that the show is finally pointing itself in the right direction albeit a bit belatedly. At least I hope it is anyway.

As for the Eva similarities - I'm of the opinion that this show is inspired by Evangelion in certain ways but is still mostly a distinct show that chooses to focus on different things (for better or worse). I wouldn't call it a rip off or a big love letter. Maybe a little love letter at most.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

Dear EVA,

I thinks you iz awesome! Because you haz giant robots and hot girls and sexual symbolism and stuff. Please look at my waifu! She like Asuka but better. She haz hornz! Tee-hee I love you much XOXOXO <3

Darling in the FranXX

It's funny how recent mecha shows for otakus who aimed to copy the success of old shows can only managed to make the said old shows look even better at the expense the said recent shows themselves.

Sometimes, we get good ones like Sidonia and Majestic Prince. The former knows how to explore its themes well and the latter knows how to be a fun show with a lot of heart, characters and great action (we need more shows like them). But many other times, we get duds.

Originally Posted by Botan_TM

Everybody talks about EVA, but personally I see some similarities with Sidonia no Kishi.

Spoiler for Just in case:

Some immortal bastards, genetically altered people, war with dangerous creatures, moving fortress (ship/plantation), hybrid created by crazy immoral scientist, some gender/sex theme (third sex), and so on.

Main difference is that in Sidonia all pieces seems to fall together like puzzles, making a coherent world, here it feels a bit opposite.

I've said this early in the show and I'll say it again: Franxx is a hodgepodge of elements from various mecha animes, from the obvious Evangelion, the ancient Super-Robot shows like Getter Robo, some parts of Gundam, post-apocalyptic environment of Gurren Lagann, the teenage relationship drama of Gunparade March, transhumanism of Gargantia & Sidonia and the mix resulted in a mediocre blend like Franxx. Lackluster writing is mostly to blame.

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

And as I mentioned on Reddit, that old crazy Sean Connery movie, Zardoz.

NNNOOOooooo!!!! You just reminded me of Connery's outfit in that movie that I successfully erased from my memory!!

[Homura7]

DFXX is a really great show. But I guess I must be in the minority that enjoy it thoroughly.

[RDNexus]

Said stories of yore were pioneers of each their genre or style of storytelling, making them fall easily into grace of Anime of old, especially when at that time decent internet was still a luxury only for some.

Nowadays, with globalization and net connection more accessible and fast, it's easier for fans to try to get what they may like and way harder for creators to try and make a mark in the world and the hearts of fans.

Taking inspiration on one or more stories, or even simply paying homage to those, but trying to put a new spin on it is what usually makes or breaks a new story, especially when it's now easier for fans to desconstruct, picks references to compare, and even trade comments between themselves or throw their opinion to said creators.

And let us not forget the now usual trolls and haters...

[Blueknight78]

Originally Posted by Knighto

DFXX is a really great show. But I guess I must be in the minority that enjoy it thoroughly.

this is the problem with "popular shows, the more popular the more "angry peoples come to bash it, because you know it's important keep watching the show which you "hate with passion and need to bash every episode till the end.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Knighto

DFXX is a really great show. But I guess I must be in the minority that enjoy it thoroughly.

I think it is the opposite, otherwise it would not be at the top:



but there is a vocal minority that likes to trash the show:

1. Because it is evolutionary, not revolutionary. It builds upon evangelion, just like evangelion built upon mazinger z, just like mazinger z built upon iron man 28 and so on. Triggers popularity is working against them in the sense that some people expect even bigger projects from them, so no matter what they do, for some people they will fail short not because the show is below average, but because it is below AotY.

2. I get the feeling some people expected this to be steven universe for mecha or some other thing the show is not and was never advertised as, some people are projecting their wishes upon this show and obviously that is not how this works.

[DemonneoPT]

I don't mind the similarities with Eva. Not at all. Eva is one of my favorite shows and if a title wants to take some inspiration of it then be my guest, since there is a chance i might like the outcome of seeing familiar elements being twisted in a new plot scenario. My problem with Darling is that it focused too much on shippings and pre-teen romantic stuff instead of the world itself. Nothing wrong with it. I'm just not a fan of those type of stories. In Eva you also had some "teen moments" but ultimately, it was all about what was happening to that world, crazy action, fucked up characters and the mystery behind the angels. I prefer that approach instead. If this was not made by Trigger and their awesome visuals and art style i would probably have dropped it in the first half of the anime, since it's clearly not a narrative for me and that's why i rarelly comment on this thread. However, even if you want this show to mainly focus on teen drama and feelings, nothing excuses the underwhelming and rushed world building we had in this episode and therefore my disappointment towards it. I think Trigger and A1 were definitelly not at their best here and there's still room to improve and explore a bit more of the world they created, that in my opinion, is the best thing the show has to offer, especially after they killed the essence of 02's character and made her like everyone else in the cast. Even if the anime was not popular i would say the same thing because it's Trigger, it had an interesting background story and a pink haired character that sparked my curiosity. But hey, it's just my two cents. I'm not here to hate. i just felt like writting my thoughts after watching the episode. That's it.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

I see some people here are still using the tired excuse of "You're following a show that you totally hate just to bash it!" as a means to brush off legit criticism. Well, here's a news flash for you: I don't hate the show (so far). I'm underwhelmed by it but I still find it entertaining. That's why I still follow this show, because it still entertains me. I wouldn't watch a show I totally hate because that would defeat the purpose of anime show as an entertainment and I wouldn't want to waste my precious time like that.

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

1. Because it is evolutionary, not revolutionary. It builds upon evangelion, just like evangelion built upon mazinger z, just like mazinger z built upon iron man 28 and so on.

Franxx build upon Evangelion? What? How? What notable new non-superficial things that Franxx managed to add to Eva?

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

2. I get the feeling some people expected this to be steven universe for mecha or some other thing the show is not and was never advertised as, some people are projecting their wishes upon this show and obviously that is not how this works.

If you're imitating Evangelion left and right in a non-ironic way, that means you draw much attention to yourself and trigger some (high) expectation with you. So, don't blame people for having high expectation of you because of it. I'm one of those who didn't have high expectation going into the show but it still managed to underwhelmed me. Go figure.
________________________________

For fans of Franxx:
You enjoy the show? Fine. That's great for you and we're not trying to take away your enjoyment, but labeling those who throw legit criticism to the show as trolls and haters is low and only makes you look bad and desperate to defend the show.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

1. Because it is evolutionary, not revolutionary. It builds upon evangelion, just like evangelion built upon mazinger z, just like mazinger z built upon iron man 28 and so on. Triggers popularity is working against them in the sense that some people expect even bigger projects from them, so no matter what they do, for some people they will fail short not because the show is below average, but because it is below AotY.

I think its misleading to say this show is building upon Evangelion, because that implies that this show is exploring the same stuff Evangelion is which it really isn't. I don't think Evangelion is nearly that much of a factor to this show.

Also, you can't say you're building upon a critically acclaimed billion dollar franchise and then complain about unfairly high expectations. You kinda bring that on yourself.

2. I get the feeling some people expected this to be steven universe for mecha or some other thing the show is not and was never advertised as, some people are projecting their wishes upon this show and obviously that is not how this works.

If anything I think this comment is more offensive to fans of the show than the detractors. If the popularity of NearlyOnRed's analysis proves anything, it's that fans really do believe that this show is the real deal.

[RDNexus]

If the "trolls and haters" thing was about my latest post here, believe me when I say it was meant as a more generalizing way rather than specific way, like the rest of said post of mine

What's this about Steven Universe? Since I know the story only by name...

[Norn]

Originally Posted by Mistyclear

Except Norn there’s a difference between the two. The adults are immortal and were alive when the klaxosaurs first made an appearance, which means they experienced it first hand. Youngsters today were absolutely not alive during WWII—they did not experience it first hand. You said it yourself didn’t you? The WWII Veterans haven’t forgotten WWII (not going into medical stuff such as Alzheimer’s), so why should it makes sense for the adults to forget about the klaxosaurs when they are NOT the youngsters but the veterans. To experience something first hand is a lot different from second hand knowledge and it’s also a lot harder to forget your own personal experiences then non personal stuff—particularly when it’s on such a massive scale like the Klaxosaurs and the desertification of the world you knew.

What I meant to say is that the adults have a similar level of complacency towards the existence of the Klaxosaurs. And why wouldn't they? Chances are pretty big that they never suffered a Klaxosaur attack. And they don't fight on the frontlines, nor are they really invested in those fighting for their peace. Lastly, why worry about Blue blooded monsters when you can just sit in a futuristic coffin and get pure happiness injected into your veins?

Originally Posted by Blueknight78

another thing which i noticed it make sense now the parasites aging too fast, it is really a problem related to clones, if i'm not wrong the "first animal cloned in the world the sheep "doly" suffered of it, after sometime the scientists noticed the clone "started to age and deteriorate fast, them the same can happen with the kids since they are "clones".

This is a "clone issue and one of the reasons human clones is a issue because this can really happen, you have a "human clone at some point start to "accelerated age and die.

I really wonder if Goro and Miku have to drink Klaxosaur blood at one point to fight off the aging.

Originally Posted by kampfer91

I can see Hiro gonna be kidnapped soon .
Because all Klaxxosaur is female , Hiro would be the 1st male Klaxxosaur hybrid .

The nine is not really Klaxxosaur hybrid , they are more human like , i doubt they have that blue heart and blue horn which Hiro is possessing .

This would require Blue-hime to be somewhat aware of Hiro though. Z2 can sense her or at least resonate. But Hiro's saurification has not progressed that much. He's probably on the cusp.

The nines are probably the next step for Dr. Franxx after Z2. But they too, are probably rather limited in a way.

Originally Posted by Kanon

I used to be positive about it, but its flaws have gotten way too big to ignore. It always had them, but they were less noticeable. I was first extremely disappointed by episode 14, which for a while seemed like an accident because the following episodes were really great. However, the past couple episodes have been really bad. Plot induced stupidity, a poorly written backstory, and the oversimplification of the show's themes like immortality being among said flaws.

I see people rail about the oversimplification of heavier themes, but I don't think that DiTF had any space to fully explore those anyway. More exploration and exposition of said themes would ultimately hurt the show as well, as it would quickly lose steam. I think that there's a point at which one should make peace with what kind of show DiTF is and isn't.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Haak

I think its misleading to say this show is building upon Evangelion, because that implies that this show is exploring the same stuff Evangelion is which it really isn't. I don't think Evangelion is nearly that much of a factor to this show.

"Exploring the same stuff" is not synonym of "building upon", the former is plain plagiarism. Evangelion did not explore the same stuff as mazinger z, nor the simpsons explore the same stuff as the flintstones, nor the flintstones explore the same stuff as the honeymooners, they were their own shows how took elements from preexisting series.

Also, you can't say you're building upon a critically acclaimed billion dollar franchise and then complain about unfairly high expectations. You kinda bring that on yourself.

In layman terms, everybody is a critic. "Let the dogs bark, Sancho. It’s a sign that we are on track "

[Gan_HOPE326]

Originally Posted by xrick

Taking inspiration on one or more stories, or even simply paying homage to those, but trying to put a new spin on it is what usually makes or breaks a new story, especially when it's now easier for fans to desconstruct, picks references to compare, and even trade comments between themselves or throw their opinion to said creators.

I really have no problem with taking inspiration. I'm in the minority that believes originality is overrated. What's my most enjoyed show of the season? Megalo Box, and that's as straightforward a take on every sports anime trope ever, crossed with every cyberpunk trope ever, as they come. But it's done beautifully.

IMHO the problem isn't taking inspiration, heck, it's not even stealing, it's doing it knowing what you're doing. Remix stuff properly, give it a new spin, know what to do with all the pieces you're plundering. That's IMHO where DitF has failed. It lacks a cohesive theme that makes sense. Its stylistic choices are all over the place (this episode had a lot of vignetting and framing completely out of whack). The backstory is full of holes and plot contrivances, it doesn't really explain anything and weakens the already questionable themes by being all so forced.

Overall, the show had some real standout episodes, either in terms of animation (episode 15) or writing (episode 13). But as a whole, the story was never the strongest, and IMHO episode 19 is where it finally jumped the shark and lost all chances at ever being something you could possibly take seriously.

[wissenschaft]

Its just surprising that views on the show can be so different. Some say the writing is bad but others, like me, think the writing is great. Its certainly a polarizing show. Episode 19 case in point. When I watched it I though it was a great episode. So its a little jarring to then see others view the same episode as terrible and a low point of the show.

To be fair, "Exploring the same stuff" isn't plagiarism either. Copying footage, character designs, or parts of the script without permission would be plagiarism. I wouldn't even say DinF is exploring the same themes as EVA. The themes of the show are quite different. Theres just a ton of little easter egg homages to EVA in the show which is amusing.

[Blueknight78]

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

IMHO the problem isn't taking inspiration, heck, it's not even stealing, it's doing it knowing what you're doing. Remix stuff properly, give it a new spin, know what to do with all the pieces you're plundering. That's IMHO where DitF has failed. It lacks a cohesive theme that makes sense. Its stylistic choices are all over the place (this episode had a lot of vignetting and framing completely out of whack). The backstory is full of holes and plot contrivances, it doesn't really explain anything and weakens the already questionable themes by being all so forced.

that is the point excluding some generic villians being stupids i don't see it "falining in make snese, so far it's makse sense for me and a lot of peoples, it's again just about 'opnion and vision" as you told you don't like the way they portrait "immortality and bla bla bla while for me it make a lot of sense because it's match what i feel and understood about that problems, not saying which the show don't have flaws but many of "hated flaws" are much more a "matter of taste" or point of view than actually flaws.

[Gan_HOPE326]

Originally Posted by wissenschaft

Its just surprising that views on the show can be so different. Some say the writing is bad but others, like me, think the writing is great. Its certainly a polarizing show. Episode 19 case in point. When I watched it I though it was a great episode. So its a little jarring to then see others view the same episode as terrible and a low point of the show.

It just depends on what you value I guess. But actually for me episode 19 was pretty good when viewing it, and gets worse and worse the more I think about it. Stuff like the part where only the rich people are becoming immortal and then suddenly 7 years later everyone is is objectively contradictory; it's just whether you care about it or not. There's also the fact that I haven't made a secret of disliking the theme, and frankly, I think most people just sort of roll with what the typical show says without thinking about it too much. This whole "humans seeking immortality befall a terrible fate" thing is an old sci-fi trope, but if you really think about it, most of the ideas behind it don't really make sense. It's one of those things that keep being said and repeated exactly because they've become a trope, and it's empty at this point. Like when the hero goes "no, I will not kill the villain or I would be just like him!" at the end of a story where he killed hundreds of random mooks who were far less guilty than their ringleader.

Originally Posted by wissenschaft

To be fair, "Exploring the same stuff" isn't plagiarism either. Copying footage, character designs, or parts of the script without permission would be plagiarism. I wouldn't even say DinF is exploring the same themes as EVA. The themes of the show are quite different. Theres just a ton of little easter egg homages to EVA in the show which is amusing.

I'm not saying in any way this show is plagiarising EVA. I think it's heavily inspired by it and I think since the writers aren't great they're not doing anything interesting with the material, so it feels simply like a rip off. That said, I'm not the biggest EVA fan on this planet, so.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by wissenschaft

Its just surprising that views on the show can be so different. Some say the writing is bad but others, like me, think the writing is great.

I've complained enough. So why do you think the writing is great? I want to hear from fans. Why do you guys like the show?

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

Stuff like the part where only the rich people are becoming immortal and then suddenly 7 years later everyone is is objectively contradictory

I see no contradiction whatsoever. "Immortality" is a merchandise first and foremost. First adopters are expected to pay a pretty hefty price, their soul even. But unlike some treatment big pharma sells nowadays where you need to keep taking it as long as you live, this one seems to be like a vaccine, a treatment you will not need to pay for over and over. So it makes sense that once they run out of filthy rich geezers, they will lower the price over the years. Also, if the desertification happened relatively quickly, the percentage of rich immortals would rise because poor mortals would die of starvation.

This whole "humans seeking immortality befall a terrible fate" thing is an old sci-fi trope

I repeat myself, I do not think that immortality is the real theme (albeit "population explosion" is a real problem with immortality in the real world, but here at the rate the plantations are disappearing I do not think anyone is worried about the parasites starting to pump babies, it is simply that parasites are not meant to reproduce, they are meant to die in the battlefield and not to bear children and educate them).

Why do you guys like the show?

Because it is entertaining and well thought. I should probably add that I have no reason to hate it, but if there was one, I for one would not be reading this thread. Yes, there are animes I dislike for the silliest of reasons, but why waste my time with them?

[SeijiSensei]

Wouldn't a better negotiating strategy have been, "You fix Kokoro and Mitsuru, then we'll go on that mission?"