[Darling in the Franxx] This season's hottest anime! We've compiled the plot and highlights!

We'll be introducing the worldview, setting, and cast of Darling in the Franxx, a much talked about anime currently airing as part of the winter 2018 season. It's a highly anticipated anime, produced in collaboration between A-1 picture, the animation company famous for Anohana, and TRIGGER, famous for Kirari Kill.

Summary of the Darling in the Franxx Worldview and Setting

Synopsis (Worldview)

A world where tectonic shifts and environmental destruction have occurred due to the mining of highly energy-efficient "magma fuel." In order to survive on the devastated Earth, humanity has built giant mobile fortress cities and lives within them, but mysterious giant creatures called Klaxosaurs have appeared, threatening peace. To counter this, a group of genius scientists called APE develops a giant two-seater weapon called the Franxx. They raise nameless children solely to be its pilots, the parasites. *Quoted from Wikipedia, "Darling in the Franxx"

Franxx

Franxx, humanoid robot weapons, were developed and manufactured to combat the mysterious giant creatures known as Klaxosaurs. Most of them have a female form. To operate a Franxx, a man and a woman are required to pilot it. The woman sits in the front seat leaning forward, while the man pilots the Franxx in the back seat. Simply put, if the man and woman don't have good compatibility (synchronization), the Franxx won't move. The Franxx of the 13th City Squad, to which the main character Hiro belongs, differ from those of other units in that each one has its own unique characteristics. The name apparently means "Maiden of Steel."

Parasite

The children chosen to pilot Franxx are called parasites. These children were created by adults solely to fight the Klaxosaurs with Franxx. Most of them are teenage boys and girls, and they have been taught that piloting a Franxx and fighting the Klaxosaurs for the sake of humanity is their mission and honor. In reality, they are disposable pilots, and in one scene they are instructed by adults to crash into a Kyoryu and self-destruct. However, the parasites of the 13th City Unit are placed in a special environment where various experiments are carried out. They are basically only taught how to fight, so they lack common sense.

The Mysterious Giant Creatures: Klaxosaurs

The mysterious giant creatures known as Klaxosaurs are fought by Parasites riding Franxx. They attack in response to the magma fuel mined by humanity. They are classified into strength classes based on their size. They regenerate unless their core, located somewhere, is destroyed. Much about them remains a mystery, with no clear explanation of where they come from or why they target magma fuel.

The climax is finally approaching

The story has reached the halfway point and is racing toward its climax. The bonds between Hiro, Zero Two, and the 13th City Squad have become even stronger, and the adults have come into contact with a boss-like character from the Klaxosaurs. From now on, the adults' conspiracies and the history of humanity will come to light. Many mysteries remain, so we look forward to future developments in the story.

Character Summary and Star-Studded Voice Actors

Hiro (Code: 016): Yuto Uemura

The protagonist of this work, a parasite candidate belonging to the 13th City Unit. Due to an incident that occurred in his childhood, he lost the ability to pilot a Franxx and became a dropout, but his fate changed when he met Zero Two. Hiro's voice actor is Yuto Uemura. Main anime appearance: Bungo Stray Dogs [Atsushi Nakajima]

Zero Two (Code:002): Haruka Tomatsu

The main heroine, a member of the elite parasite unit "9's Nines," is a member of a different species. He is the strongest and strongest of the Strelizia parasites, but every time he fights he ages his partner parasite, causing them to die in three battles, earning him the reputation of being the "partner killer." His fate changes when he meets Hiro. His voice actor is Haruka Tomatsu. Main anime appearances: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day [Naruko Anjou], Sword Art Online [Asuna Yuuki]

Ichigo (Code:015): Kana Ichinose

A young girl who is the leader of the 13th City Unit. She has known Hiro and Goro since childhood, and is concerned about Hiro, who can no longer pilot a Franxx. She seems to dislike Zero Two, who has become Hiro's partner. She has feelings for Hiro. Her voice actress is Kana Ichinose. Appeared in the game Grimms Notes [Elena Whisult]

Goro (Code:015): Yuichiro Umehara

A boy who is childhood friends with Hiro and Ichigo. He is an excellent student who possesses the abilities of a parasite, good judgment, and the ability to observe and be considerate of others. He has feelings for Ichigo, but he knows that Ichigo has feelings for Hiro, so he watches over her. However, after overcoming a life-threatening situation in battle, he confesses his feelings to Ichigo. His voice actor is Yuichiro Umehara. The anime featured is DamePri Anime Caravan [Vino]

Darling in the Franxx staff includes the Anohana production team

Director [Atsushi Nishigori]