And just like that, the 6 month journey has ended, leaving a bittersweet feeling hovering in our hearts. Episode 24 made sure to land the heavy plot points that had been hovering in the air. We saw Kokoro have Ai, her and Mitsuru's adorable child. We see the process of the society on earth being rebuilt, even getting explanations on what they did with the magma energy and what they did to replace the loss of this power. We see our beloved squad 13 grow from children to adults. We see what each child chooses to do for their job as adults. We get quality Ikuno time. We get to see Naomi again, not just as a brief plot point, but actually get to see her talk and interact with other characters. We didn't get to see a reconciliation between Naomi and Hiro directly, but I feel this scene with the mirror shows us that whatever Naomi felt against Hiro, it has been settled in her heart. And, of course, out of all of the things we see that tug at our heartstrings, the one that hits the hardest is the death of Hiro and Zero Two. Despite the countless death flags that had sprung up around the couple throughout the series, I desperately wanted to believe that they would somehow get a happy ending; standing, married, alongside their friends in squad 13. I know this was fueled chiefly by simple blind hope, but I truly thought there was a chance for it. After the two went through the portal in episode 23, I really should have known better. Hiro and Zero Two's death was handled in a better way than I could have hoped. First of all, we get the blow softened by the visual of their souls dancing through space. The scene with the blue oni and red oni versions of the couple with the Jian flying in the background truly was some gorgeous imagery. I appreciate how the studio took special care to ensure us that Zero Two and Hiro were truly together and happy in their last moments. I had hoped in my hear that we would see a fully blue Hiro before the series ended, and that wish was answered. But, at what cost?!? :,( We also get a reincarnation scene. Reincarnation is one of the most bittersweet anime tropes, often used to soften the sharp blows of character deaths. Your beloved characters may not remember one another, anything they did together, or form the friendships and life experiences that made them who they are, but hey, they're together again! I think the thing I am most sad about from the episode is the fact that Zero Two and Hiro never got to see squad 13 again. I think the show did a great job showing how Zero Two and Hiro impacted the world they lived in, and how squad 13 will never forget the two, but I just wish there could have been an in person interaction. I am by no means saying this was a writing flaw, as allowing that to happen would have kind of been a cop-out. I think that the scene where they linked hands and shouted to the two of them was touching and probably the best they could do to satiate that desire, which I'm sure I share with other fans, but damn, a girl wants what she wants. As a whole, I think that Episode 24 was a good episode and a good ending to the series. It may not have given us everything we wanted or expected, but it brought things to a halt very nicely and left a smile on my face and a tear on my cheek. Darling in the Franxx was one hell of a ride and I'm glad I got to experience it, crazy pacing issues and all.
We only get a series like this every once in a while, and I'm glad I got to watch it while it was airing.
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AuthorI've been watching anime since I was 9 and I write about my thoughts sometimes. Archives
June 2019
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