I’m guessing this ability won’t last forever-plot reasons demand it-but it does beg the question just what Franxx’s ultimate screw over will be. It truly begs the question just what’s wrong with our lead parasite, for while noticeably stricken with a unique, yet mostly unknown ailment (*cough* klaxosaur DNA), he can seemingly control the state of infection when the moment calls for it. We all knew he was going to suffer for example, and yet the kid not only survived in his original state, but seemingly pulled back before reaching the brink. Probably the biggest eye opener in this regard was what happened to Hiro.
For every par the course moment Franxx delivers, something else pops up which defies all expectations. Take Ichigo’s brief moment of breakdown, you’d typically expect the poor girl to lead to someone (and I’m not naming any names) perishing under the face of some well-executed skullf*cking, yet she somehow manages to pull herself together and give our featured duo the opening they need to show which monster does the thrusting here. I’m not sure yet if Franxx will remain a tease throughout when it comes to its characters, but leaving these guys alive at the opportune moment does suggest this show isn’t going to use genre clichés just for the sake of it for all its genericities, Franxx has a soul of originality quietly bubbling under the surface. Death for example was noticeably absent even in the face of all the teasers, with our new Franxx crew suffering immensely while still somehow surviving in the face of certain defeat. While everyone and their dilapidated cat knew what was going to happen this week, the results were still arguably surprising. Superfluous secondary characters dying like flies in the name of super serious story developments? Err-we’re working on it ok! I’d give Franxx a break, when you’re throwing up pulpy mecha goodness this hard, a few mistakes can certainly be forgiven.
Ichigo dropping from the Hiro love shock at the worst possible moment? Got that too. Hiro almost losing it to the blue infection and pulling back in the nick of time? Check. Well talk about an episode of (non-)surprises.