DARLING in the FRANXX

Episode 22

If nothing else, “Stargazers” shows that if DARLING and the FRANXX had committed to this whole “space aliens” plot much sooner in its run, it might have done a bang-up job of it. The story would have had more room to breathe, characters would have had more time to react to the catastrophic change in status quo, and the climax of going out into space to fight VIRM might not feel so slapdash and silly. Watching the kids struggle to figure out how to feed themselves and survive on the barren Earth without APE's guidance was a legitimately fascinating scenario, and “Stargazers” even managed to sneak in some decent character writing on the side. It's only when DARLING's worst instincts kick in that we're reminded of how many half-measures and false starts make up this story, and that the smaller successful narratives it's managed to tell are ever overshadowed by the fatal flaws of its big picture plot.

So long as DARLING is ignoring Hiro, Zero Two, and the rest of the VIRM-related plot, “Stargazers” does a lot of things right. There's real potential to be mined from showing how Ichigo and Goro have taken charge to lead the stranded Parasites toward something resembling hope, which offers us a story of survival and hardship that could bring out welcome developments in DARLING's otherwise underutilized cast. The original Nana returns this week, and while she hasn't made enough of an impression before now to act as a compelling character, I did like how she and Hachi had to reckon with Dr. FRANXX's final directive: lead these lost Parasites as the new adults. Given that much has been made of the tragically limited lifespan of parasites, there is a certain satisfaction that comes from seeing the two slowly step into their roles as guardians. One of the final moments of the episode has Nana slowly stepping up from her wheelchair to comfort a scared and lonely child, and as clumsily as Nana's character has been handled up to that point, this small interaction had me wishing we'd gotten to know her better over the course of the series.

I'm much less enthusiastic about all of the Zero Two moments this week. It turns out she did survive merging with Klaxie and Star Strelizia last week, but she's been rendered catatonic, and if there's one trope DARLING in the FRANXX has no business messing with, it's using a non-responsive love interest to fuel the main character's pain. I honestly regret being so on board with Zero Two and Hiro's relationship earlier in DARLING's run, because these two have swiftly become the absolute worst thing about this show. If there's anything more irritating than seeing these two lovebirds coo over one another obsessively, it's watching Hiro wallow in his sadness as Zero Two gazes vacantly into space, with mysterious cuts appearing all over her body just so the audience can't possibly ignore how painful and sad this situation must be.

While I kind of dig the idea that Zero Two's physical body could be psychically linked to Strelizia, I'm put off by how the series has hijacked her personality just to get Hiro and the others out into space to rescue her. It's one thing when Hiro monologues about the similarity between their current situation and the picture book he's apparently structured his entire relationship with Zero Two around; it's amateurish illustration of an obvious metaphor, but it's forgivable. But when Hiro tries to justify going off into space by telling the other Parasites that “If Zero-Two won't smile for me, I might as well be dead”, that's just plain terrible. This is such a flabbergasting, self-centered, gross, and dumb thing to say, and it perfectly encapsulates everything wrong about Hiro's relationship with Zero Two. I understand that the intent of this scene is to communicate Hiro's all-consuming love for Zero Two, but it makes the show's ideas about romance feel more sickly than sweet.

To DARLING's credit, Goro calls Hiro out on this in a blistering takedown of the protagonist's overblown martyr complex, while rightly pointing out that the Parasites might not be able to afford traipsing off into space to rescue Hiro's girlfriend since they're already on the brink of starvation. It's a great exchange that gives Goro the most he's had to do in months, but then the sentiment of this scene is immediately undone. Miku waxes romantic about just how beautiful it is that Hiro would throw everything away to save Zero Two, so then Goro wallows in self-pity and doubt. By the time the episode is over, the whole gang has agreed to join Hiro in space after all, even the surviving 9s, who are dying and suddenly good guys now. Of course, it makes sense that the heroes are going to head into space to blow up the aliens; VIRM made it clear that they were coming back, so the Parasites would have to do something about them eventually. I just wish DARLING in the FRANXX didn't keep picking the worst possible way to run through a series of story beats that could have been fun and entertaining if they were executed properly.

Kokoro's pregnancy also gets addressed, but it remains little more than a dramatic Sword of Damocles, hanging like a shadow above the characters' heads until the story needs to factor it back into the drama again. Thankfully the show seems smart enough to avoid trying to tackle the emotional fallout of an outer space abortion, but at this point I have to wonder what the point of this arc is anymore. The dystopic angle of this story seems to have been completely forgotten at this point, as do most of the show's preoccupation with gender politics, and I can only pray that the story won't try to use Kokoro's womb to solve the gang's alien problem. Even if the pregnancy goes well and Kokoro and Mitsuru get to end the series by walking off with their baby into the sunset, how can we really be expected to feel about that?

That's the question that I want to levy at the entirety of DARLING in the FRANXX more and more with each passing week. What will any of this amount to, looking back? The story has become hopelessly fractured, half the cast has been given nothing to do for months, and the show's thematic concerns are completely up in the air. I certainly hope this final battle against VIRM will at least provide some decent action sequences, because mindless spectacle is about the only thing to look forward to with DARLING in the FRANXX these days.

Rating: C

DARLING in the FRANXX is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is an English teacher who has loved anime his entire life, and he spends way too much time on Twitter and his blog.