English Dub Review: Darling in the FranXX “The Garden Where It All Began”

A monster is exposed in the explosive finale to the first cour of Darlifra.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The members of squad 13 are taken back to the nursery, the place they first called home, under the guise of running tests. Mostly, though, they’re just tagging along. It’s 02 who requires some serious evaluation. Over the course of the episode, we see her become more and more unhinged, as the Klauxosaur side of her gains power while her human side diminishes. She thinks killing as many enemies as possible will grant her wish to become fully human, but it seems like losing control may only be accelerating her downward spiral – and dragging Hiro down with her.

Our Take:

Based on the episode title and the first half, where the Parasites explore their childhood home, I thought this episode would be a further examination of the mythology of the kids and their origin. While we do get a little of this, The Garden Where It All Began turns into a 02-focused episode, revealing more about her true nature and what it may hold for her and Hiro’s future together. (That red skin is a LOOK.)

As I’ve said in several reviews in the past, 02 remains an enigma. Despite her being one of the show’s most celebrated and recognizable characters, she hasn’t really changed over the past 12 episodes. Sure, she agreed to partner up with Hiro and become an official member of the squad, but she clearly doesn’t care that much about either one. Up until now, she’s been a textbook ‘manic pixie dream girl’ – a rule-breaking outsider who helps Hiro grow. That’s why I’m pretty excited about this episode; we finally get some insight into what drives 02 herself – what she’s fighting for and what she’s running from.

Dub-wise, the main actors were their usual wonderful selves. The guy who played Nine Alpha felt a little stiff in her performance, but at least he brought the required gravitas. The visuals were mostly solid, though there were a few scenes where characters struck me as being a bit ‘off’ or wonky-looking. At the halfway mark of the series, I think it’s safe to say that Franxx’s animation and art direction are some of the best parts of the show as a whole. It may not be entirely narratively coherent (or have any idea about what it’s trying to say in regard to its overall themes), but these criticisms are easy to forget when you’re watching the fluid animation of giant robots destroying giant monsters.

This was a very good episode of Darling in the FranXX. Not only did we get more glimpses into the dark and depressing upbringings of the Parasites, but we also were able to learn more about 02 and what makes her tick. I’m still not sold on her and Hiro relationship (what does he “love” about her, exactly?), but I’m definitely eager to see more of where it’ll go in the weeks to come.