DARLING in the FRANXX

Episode 16

“Days of Our Lives” picks DARLING IN THE FRANXX up after a two-week break with a new OP and the Parasites living in an unfamiliar status quo. Not only has Zero Two's attitude toward the other pilots completely turned around, but all the kids have essentially been abandoned by their adult guardians. With only a small ration of food and a quickly dwindling fresh water supply, The Parasites must deal with running Mistilteinn themselves as they wait to be called back into battle. When even the food begins to run out, the kids have to figure out how to hunt and cook for themselves too, which turns out to be quite the bonding experience for the group. This is all perfectly fine to see unfold, and after the supercharged climax of episode 15, it makes sense that DARLING in the FRANXX would want to afford its cast a break, but at this point I have to wonder if this series can really afford to spend more time exploring the Parasites' interpersonal dynamics when its plot and world-building remain frustratingly hazy.

I will admit, it's nice to see all the kids finally getting along like friends; even in their struggle to fend for themselves while they wait around for orders, they seem happier than they've been in a long while, and that's an admittedly infectious feeling. Nobody is enjoying this newfound freedom more than Zero Two, who works tirelessly to befriend the others and uphold their rules, and even Ichigo can't help but be pleased to call Zero Two her friend. While it's nice to see these once-contentious pilots enjoying time together, the sudden shifts they've undergone over the past couple episodes feel pretty toothless, dramatically speaking. I can see how the show is getting them from Point A to Point B, but the actual development of Ichigo and Zero Two's arcs has felt too driven by narrative convenience, and I feel like some of this episode's pathos is hampered because of that.

The biggest issue that “Day of Our Lives” struggles with is that its script is just too focused on performatively indulging surface details; it's so devoted to foreshadowing all the Serious Business that each character is (not yet) facing that it becomes distracting. Miku is sprouting some conspicuous grey hairs, Futoshi has developed an eating disorder, and Ikuno seems to have fallen ill out of the blue. Mitsuru has Kokoro cut his hair before sharing an unexpected kiss with her, which is like a double-whammy of death flags. “Days of our Lives” even brings back Zero Two and Hiro's picture book at both the beginning and the end of the episode, making sure to bookend the story with reminders that our central couple is almost certainly doomed. A few minutes per episode spent on all of this portentous imagery and storytelling is usually tolerable, but devoting an entire half hour to this teasing feels gratuitous.

We've been reminded time and time again that the Parasites are designed to die young, so the audience can only watch the kids develop signs of their inevitable destruction for so long. Dr. Franxx insists that the Parasites' isolation is a part of his larger experimental goals, but we still have no clue as to what any of those goals are, and the series is well past its halfway point. DARLING's usual penchant for teasing out plot developments as slowly as possible feels frustrating rather than intriguing at present; this might not much bother the binge viewers who come into DARLING in the FRANXX late, but it certainly affects the experience of watching the show on a weekly basis.

When I'm just absorbing “Days of Our Lives” in the moment, there's a lot of fun to be had in seeing the Parasites bond and become more independent. For being such stock archetypes, the DARLING in the FRANXX cast ekes out just enough charm and chemistry to stay engaging week after week. Plus, the visuals and direction are strong as always, which means the episode is never painful to look at. But as a piece of the show's larger puzzle, “Days of Our Lives” is disappointing, an aimless and interstitial chapter in a story that cannot afford to kill any more time.

Rating: B-

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.