Jun 28, 2018
**ANIME FINISHED*
My goodness, this anime has truly proven itself to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year: and we're barely into the summer season.
In the months that it has taken for me to digest this series; I have gone through numerous versions of this review, and now, as it seems to be turning to it's final page; I feel confident enough to release it to the public.
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STORY (2): Originally I chose to ignore immediate faults of this anime; at the time I was blinded by the excitement that was Mecha. Unfortunately for me, the more I began to watch
...
this anime: the harder it became to ignore the seemingly brighter flaws.
"Darling in the FranXX" is an episodic mess: and I believe that owes to the fact that the director, Atsushi Nishigori, has previously only produced the anime iDOLM@ASTER and various unconnected episodes of other minor anime's. Although each episode in "Darling in the FranXX" is well done, it fails to deliver a comprehensive and enjoyable overarching plot.
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ART & SOUND (6): The artistry and acoustics in "Darling in the FranXX" is perhaps the only redeemable quality of the anime. Although they aren't terrific in comparison to other pieces of work released by Studio Trigger and A-1 Pictures; they do paint a clear picture of what this anime was attempting to be.
The soundtrack for the entire anime is fairly well done, that much I can commend the producers for: however, that is where my compliments end. The animation itself is none too special and the designs of characters and the main antagonists are lackluster and without creativity. The designs and animation may look good at a first glance; but that is all they are, and for that very reason, I can't give this category above a six.
It simply doesn't tick enough boxes.
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CHARACTERS (3): The caricature in this anime is so appalling that I can't begin to fathom the writing process that it underwent. From the unlikable characters, seemingly improvised backstory, and poor resolution: this anime has enough symptoms to be diagnosed with a terminal illness.
However, that is not to say that all the characters in this anime have been distasteful: it's just, when the writers of "Darling in the FranXX" produce quality, they seem to carelessly destroy what they've produced without much thought. For example; one of the main characters, Zero-Two, is originally portrayed as a rebellious and downright uncontrollable fiend: that's quite the necessity when the remaining 90% of your cast are practically docile sheep. Nonetheless, the writers chose to tune down her personality in order to compromise with plot and in doing so turned a once enjoyable character into a dull machine.
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ENJOYMENT (5): If you ignore all the major issues that I have listed above: this anime is decently enjoyable. The flashy battle scenes and cutesy romance is enough to keep most viewers entertained, however, without it, "Darling in the FranXX" would be left sitting sorely in the dirt.
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OVERALL (4): This anime is filled with enough regret to fill an Olympic swimming pool. There is no doubt in my mind that "Darling in the FranXX" originally had the bones and plot premise to produce an anime that would blow any competitor out of the water. Unfortunately, due to studio error, poor writing, and poor production: this anime is very out of contention for that title.
Overall, it's decently enjoyable and will be able to keep most viewers entertained. However, if you expect "Darling in the FranXX" to rock your world with outstanding quality, you will be very disappointed. If you're craving a Mecha; "Darling in the FranXX" will do the trick just fine, but in my humbled opinion, there are so many better choices out there.
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Once MAL has returned to normal service, I welcome anyone to PM me with criticism or compliments: I hope to begin to produce better quality reviews in the near future. Thank!
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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