All of the ten parasites of Plantation 13 grew up together as “hatchlings”, and they all gravitated towards 016, Hiro, who gave all of them names, including 015/Ichigo.
They all had high hopes for him leading them, but it didn’t happen. After their catastrophic mock battle, the interaction between Ichigo and Hiro is understandably awkward.
Gorou has always understood and accepted how close Ichigo is to Hiro; they’re both in the -teen numbers, which basically makes them brother and sister. But nothing is more important to Hiro than being useful, which means if he can only pilot with Zero Two, so be it.
Of course, that’s not his call, or Two’s. As the undermining of Ichigo’s authority as leader proceeds apace, led by Mitsuru, who thinks it’s time to cut their losses on the now-pathetic Hiro, Two watches Hiro feverishly train, and falls asleep waiting for him to finish.
She embraces him so he can get through a security wall, and Two shows him the glittering inner city, not because she thinks it’s beautiful or romantic, but because it’s ugly, boring, and depressing. She can’t stand it in there, with no sky and no sea.
She’s thinking about getting away, and wouldn’t mind her Darling coming with her. She laughs it off as a joke, but one must wonder…
The active parasites, meanwhile, are assigned their first sortie against a klaxosaur, but things immediately go wrong. Ikuno cannot connect with Mitsuru (and the hubristic Mitsuru blames her without mercy), and the one klaxosaur turns into a lot more, and Miku gets knocked out, leaving just two FranXXs to deal with the threat. They may have passed trials Hiro could not, but they’re still green-as-hell rookies.
When things turn dire, Zero Two demands to sortie, with her Darling Hiro. The adults adhere to the rules and won’t allow it, as Hiro is not an official parasite. Mitsuru offers an alternative: he’ll be Zero Two’s Stamen. Two asks Hiro if he’s sure he wants her to pilot Strelizia without him; Hiro definitely isn’t happy about it, but insists nevertheless; it’s more important to save the others.
When Ichigo hears Strelizia is sortieing, she loses composure just long enough to allow the Klaxosaurs to break through a barrier and surround them, making the situation a lot worse.
Knowing Hiro might be in there with Zero, kissing, is just too much to bear, and even if she knows she must if she wants to be a parasite and a leader, she can’t control those feelings or how they affect operation of Delphinium.
Strelizia swoops in, and when the other parasites hear Mitsuru’s voice, they’re shocked. Mitsuruimmediately becomes drunk on power, further dragging his partner Ikuno’s name in the mud expressing his amazement at himself and his elation he wasn’t the reason things weren’t working out.
However, when Strelizia returns after Zero Two went “all out”, Mitsuru is barely alive, and Zero Two is unimpressed. As far as she’s concerned, she only has one Darling, and it’s Hiro.
Darling in the FranXX running into problems and having to deal with periods of helplessness or instances of failure, but I do hope Hiro is able to prove himself once again and isn’t useless or a failure. Otherwise, he’s a reverse Gary Stu; an Anti-Inaho.
Some more balance would be nice. It’s confirmed by the adults that no one has fared better than him as Zero Two’s partner. So lets get these two back in a pilot so they can contribute. I’d just like to see a win soon, however small.
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I have to agree with those sentiments! It’s clear that they are setting things up, but I’d like the 02 and Darling pair to get going already haha. Mitsuru did oust himself as being much more problematic than before. I thought Zorome was bad, but he clearly cares a lot about Miku. His childish way of comparing himself with Hiro is just that, a bit of childishness. When he mentioned riding with Delphonium he didn’t catch the same implications as Miku did (IE that he’ll be “riding” Ichigo instead of Miku). In the previous episodes they showed Mitsuru as being more stoic and unconcerned. Now its’ revealed he hides some serious deep seated emotional issues. I think they’re less directed at Hiro specifically and more on his own self worth.
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I’m also glad they were careful to show that Zorome doesn’t see Miku as some kind of ‘hindrance to his greatness’, but as a valued partner and friend. I loved how he was so happy when Miku came to he had to cry and hug her.
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Man, haven’t they learned that lesson yet? Angsty lovestruck teenagers make for bad mecha pilots.
“Otherwise, he’s a reverse Gary Stu; an Anti-Inaho”
There is actually a name for that, a “Shinji Ikari” XD Though I am find with the “Anti-Inaho” tag (given that I despise what Inaho’s characterization ended up becoming).
Well, whatdya know? They actually saved Zorome’s characterization. Though Mitsuru’s emergence as that obligatory asshole victim kinda came out of nowhere.
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