English Dub Review: Darling in the FranXX “Fighting Puppet”

02 destroys another partner when the rest of the Parasites require a rescue.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After last episode’s failed connection, Ichigo can’t seem to shake off thoughts about Hiro. When her team is in trouble, she loses focus and almost causes a catastrophic failure. Luckily, Strelizia comes to the rescue, piloted by 02 and Mitsuru.

Our Take:

Now that we’ve moved past the initial introductions, I’m definitely enjoying the rapport between all our cast members. Each of the Parasites have distinctive character designs and unique personalities and relationships to each other. My favorite is probably Ichigo and Goro. So far, they’re top candidates for the most stable connection. They don’t squabble (looking at you, Zorome and Miku) and seem to speak honestly with each other. It’s going to be interesting to see how Ichigo’s feelings for Hiro impact her connection with Goro. I just hope neither of them will be hurt too badly.

This episode had some very cool shots that utilized different aspect ratios, like a closeup of 02’s eyes, or of Hiro’s reaction to her suggestion that they run away together. Their relationship is still somewhat of a mystery to me. 02 seems to have no concern for other people. She practically kills Mitsuru despite being ordered to hold back. Yet Hiro is much more selfless, almost like a mother hen to the Parasites. We learn in this episode that he’s the one who gave them all names. Is their special connection formed thanks to some ‘special sauce’ that he was due to his low number? I was a little disappointed that the show skipped over the initial pairing of 02 and Mitsuru, especially since we got to see Hiro’s attempt to pair with Ichigo in detail. It feels like a missed opportunity to show us why 02 and Hiro worked so well together.

The dub continues to be one of the best I’ve experienced. Everyone is perfect in their roles, especially Ichigo. I wrote in my review of the premiere that I liked Hiro’s VA despite the voice not matching the character’s look, to my mind. I still feel like his voice is out of place among the other Parasites, but it fits him in a strange way. He is separated from his former ‘family’ now – even most of the teammates he named consider it time to move on.

Despite seeing yet another battle with Franxx in action, how they work is still a bit of a question. Apparently, the mechs only open their mouths when the female pilots speak. The Franxx are also styled after their female pilots. Yet the male pilots are the ones doing the actual controlling? (Hence the episode title ‘Fighting Puppet’.) Not only does this come across as a bit sexist, but it’s just plain confusing. If Goro is driving the mech, what does Ichigo contribute to deserving the title of ‘Leader’?

DarliFra has set-up a lot of interesting tensions between the Parasites, 02, and Hiro. I hope the show keeps on exploring these relationships, and how they contribute to the success of piloting the Franxx. Once you buy in to the, er, unique piloting positions required by the Franxx, the show is a fun ride for sure! Next week’s episode can’t come too soon.