Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: DARLING in the FRANXX
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Coup d'État
 Posts: 179 |
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It's not that I don't think it's a joke, or not funny, I just honestly didn't understand what you meant by it. Media coverage of this over here was all about the trial. (And I think somehow the Kardashiens got famous over it?) Thanks for explaining it, now I understand what you said better. |
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Gurren Rodan
 Posts: 264 |
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Honestly I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned sooner, what with all the other Eva parallels that have been quickly calked out before. On that thought, was there a slecial term at all for when 02 went "berserk"? Maybe the term "stampede" is what is used to refer to a dangerous mode when the pistil takes full control and ends up going wild. |
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Scherzo
 Posts: 149 |
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Yeah that's a good point, her reaction to Futoshi in the Battle of the Sexes episode makes a lot more sense if she were not entirely comfortable with his attention in general; and only felt more uncomfortable when it came to it in specifics. I think its clear now that Futoshi is being portrayed as a (mostly) benign Nice Guy; I don't think he's malicious, but he doesn't really respect Kokoro's agency. That's one of the big reasons I think she decided to bond with Mitsuru, so she could actually act on her own intentions rather be the passive recipient of puppy dog affection. |
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SilverTalon01
Posts: 2404 |
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She pretty clearly wasn't entirely comfortable with it. It is basically just the old 'nod and smile' routine. If you're stuck with someone, sometimes it is easier to just nod, smile, and get on with things. She was finally presented with a way out, so she took it. Like you said, Futoshi isn't being intentionally malicious, but he isn't respecting her agency nor does he make any real attempt to figure out how she might be feeling. So basically, he has a one sided crush and is just creeping on her. |
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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Yeah. James literally didn't mention it just to avoid pissing people off for bringing up EVA too much. The episode gave him enough to talk about otherwise. |
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Ashen Phoenix
 Posts: 2918 |
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I'm bothered a great deal by ep. 11's implications that same-sex pairings are detrimental in the universe of DARLING, and even more so if the romantic/sexual metaphors are meant to be a commentary on real world society.
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15523 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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It was not the episode's implications, it was Ichigo's. Ichigo was saying she felt nothing, and seemed relieved it did not pan out. It seems more that Ichigo was not actually up to it at all and that is why it failed. Might actually be interesting to think that it might be a case that Ichigo should not have to be forced into it, but clearly Ikuno has been forced into it. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18268 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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As others have implied, that's reading way too much into it. All that the Ichigo/Ikuno scene confirmed is that activation isn't possible if no sexual attraction exists and that Ichigo is clearly purely straight. There's not enough evidence at this point to say definitively that same-sex pairings in the cockpit aren't possible. |
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Mojave
 Posts: 178 |
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I kind of thought that, but then I'm not sure how to account for the Ikuno/Futoshi pairing succeeding, and actually performing quite well. Both are recovering from heartbreak, so there might be some understanding/respect between them, but there's certainly no sexual attraction between them. There was also the scene where Futoshi intuitively noticed Ikuno being too tight during the fight and then she immediately responded appropriately, so there appears to be a genuinely good working relationship between the two as of now, which doesn't really make sense if it's supposed to be dependent on mutual sexual attraction. |
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RestLessone
 Posts: 1426 Location: New York |
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Isn't that also incorrect, since Ikuno can work with a male but is apparently not bisexual? It still seems like messy writing, since it indicates male-female pairs can work to some degree regardless of sexual attraction but not female-female. I'd rather it meant that there needs to be a willingness for both participants to engage on some level, but who they prefer to partner with or work best with is someone they are attracted to. I'm not sure how I feel about operating the Franxx symbolizing non-sexual/non-romantic bonds. It's very steeped in eroticism, you would expect male-male and female-female pairs to work if the two were friends, and it further muddles symbolism about sexuality. That isn't to say the show *won't* go there, but the thought kinda falls flat to me. I think the show will eventually come around and allow for gay pairings, but I think they've stuck too close to their metaphor to say anything unique about the range of sexualities out there. The concept itself is too limiting. I mostly expect a, "Hey, two girls can operate just like a straight couple!" sort of thing. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11451 |
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I don't think it even confirms that much. It could just be that Ichigo didn't want it to succeed, so it didn't. As I said before, unless both Ikuno and Mitsuru are both bisexual, sexual attraction isn't what's required, or they would fail in the hetero pairings. If this series actually is positing both that Ikuno at least is strictly homosexual and that sexual attraction is required for functional pairings, then I'm seriously going to have a problem with that, since it would suggest that m/f pairings work because they're "normal" even if one of the partners is gay or lesbian. I honestly can't imagine (yet) that's what they're saying though. |
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15523 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I think it is worth also going back to the episode that Ikuno was struggling to pair with Mitsuru. They were not able to link up, but when she touched I think her shoulder that Ichigo touched, they were able to work. My take is that Ikuno is probably thinking of Ichigo when she pairs up, like a in the closet lesbian who is trying to act heterosexual, and thinking of someone else. I am no expert, but I have heard that there are cases like that.
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Scherzo
Posts: 149 |
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I wouldn't even go so far as to say it's because Ichigo is straight. The subtext I got was that she isn't even cognizant that such powerful female bonds, romantic or otherwise, are possible.
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Cptn_Taylor
Posts: 925 |
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 Ichigo is straighter than an iron ruler.
It's simply amazing watching the utter desperation of yuri fans clinging to things that just aren't there. |
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Coup d'État
Posts: 179 |
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I'm still not convinced that the problems behind the parings working/not working isn't just sloppy writing.
Every episode, I sit there wondering "is this show trying to tell a deeper story, or nah?" I'm also not too happy with how Futoshi is threaded. He's going the "fat = pathetic" route, which, at very least, is not original. "How do we convey that this one guy is a bit of a clingy, clueless dude without making him seem threatening?" "Eh, just make him fat, that'll do both." I'm not a fan of that. I have a few issues like that with the show, and sometimes I think they'll get back and address them, because they were put there on purpose. On the other hand, maybe it's just a silly Anime and I'm waaay over thinking this. |
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