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Darling in the FranXX is a collaboration between Trigger Studios and A-1 Pictures, it's a sci fi mecha, with inspiration of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gurren Laggan.
One thing before reading anything else, most of the work in production is done by A-1 Pictures, Trigger has only helped in some fighting sequences and as of episode 23, Trigger hasn't put a hand in production since episode 15.

Story (05/10)
The writting is a mess. Most of the first episodes were done almost perfectly but after episode 6 it began to stray it's way. Giving each 'main character' an episode, which is done wrong because after those few ... episode focusing on the 'main characters' they return the way to Zero Two and Hiro (or two real MCs). To tell you straight, in the official page and official info delivered tell you that all of Squad 13 are the main characters but since the start of the series, everyone except for Hiro and Zero Two, were just there to stop the story from advancing. Then in episode 13 we get a flashback episode explaining half of the origins of Zero Two, which rose again the quality of the series, but after episode 14 strayed again it's way, showing that the creators didn't knew the reason for the story, and as for episode 23, they still don't know.
And then episode 20 threw it all away, because of how slow the pacing in the story is, in which some points in the series it doesn't even move at all because of the others in Squad 13. They threw another flashback episode, in this case, telling us the past of Dr. Franxx, throwing away all the possible misteries. And leaving a rain full of doubts and nonsense with the following episodes, showing that they didn't even knew what kind of logic they were putting into their universe.

Art (07/10)
The art is cool, but not original or fresh.

Sound (05/10)
Beside the cool OP and EDs, everything from the OST to the SFXs is too simple, to the point is forgotten really fast.

Character (05/10)
As I've explained, they tried to have a choral main character, but failed to do so. The main characters are Zero Two and Hiro. But in all those 23 episodes, they just had ONE actual character development and that is the acceptance and love between them, because they continously repeat the same 'Zero Two is distant and Hiro tries to became closer to her'.

Enjoyment (06/10)
You can really enjoy the first few episodes, but after that is just nonsense after nonsense.

This is a series that after being so popular it didn't managed to fulfill those expectations.

This is one of those slice of life series that goes beyond the expectancy.

Every episode in the series so far are well thought and written. This goes in two directions, the development of the story and characters. Even though the idea of high school girls going to the Antartida is crazy, is well thought.

The first three episode introduce you to the main characters, they even explain the reasons of why every girl wants to journey to the Antartida and by that form a bond of friendship you don't see often nowadays. After that is mainly about the journey the girls have, in and out.

Every episode ... can manage the youth and inexperience of the girls, without going to borderlands of stupidty that many slice of life do. The dreams and hopes they have and how they grow by reaching them is managed well.

The series can be enjoy by both women and men, because the themes goes beyond the high school girls cliche series. It is about life itself so it's very emotive in almost every aspect. As for my experience I've watched every episode on the edge of dropping a tear.

The story is more than decent. The art is very well polished. The sound is good, emotive when it wants to be, silly when it needs. The characters are awesome, and the enjoyment is good, like a roller coaster.

So this is my first review on MAL. I hope it helps decide to watch or not this series.

If you're expecting some slice of life with some a good story, don't watch this.

If I were to compare this series it'll be with Dagashi Kashi but with zero character development. At least in Dagashi Kashi you have some sense that the characters are moving foward, although the story development of this is slow, even in the manga.

The first 4 episodes present you four girls, two will have the most time on screen, Koizumi and the girl with short hair that stalks her. Then it doesn't move ... a bit after the first episode. But they explain a lot about ramen and it's different types. It is until episode 5 that you get some 'development' with Koizumi and the girl with short hair, after that episode they just forget about what happened in episode 5 and it stays the same.

It doesn't have funny gags or some sense of interaction with the two main girls. It's pretty much that the short hair girl follows Koizumi everywhere and kind of force her to talk to her, only for the anime to go for the main course, which as I said is to explaing the different tipes of ramen and how to eat it.

The art is less than decent. The characters are not interesting at all, Koizumi a bit for the first episodes but after that is always the same. The enjoyment depends on the person, if you expect some drama or funny things, you'll get bored fast, if you expect to learn about ramen is okay, but I much prefer to look online for that instead of losing my time watching something.