DARLING in the FRANXX Episode 18

Well fuck. I was prepared for the worst, and that’s exactly what we got. I knew the wedding was not going to play out without Papa and the Nines crashing it, and sure enough, just after they exchanged rings, they teared our couple apart. Perhaps they were lucky Mitsuru accidentally made the rings a bit tight, as it is the only clue of their former selves.

Although Kokoro and Mitsuru’s time was incredibly short, it still sucks to see their memories had been altered. Will they be able to fall in love again? There is certainly hope, as we know while memories can be altered or erased entirely, there certain conditions that can trigger it. In this case, it’s the sakura petals. This is something that is associated with waking up the morning after they spent the night together, their wedding and their exchange of rings. All of these things are incredibly valuable memories to them both. Kokoro seeing a sakura petal is the first sign of that. There is also the camera that is carrying their first and last group photo. That picture shows both Zero Two and Mitsuru and Kokoro holding each other. Should the picture be processed, it could prove to be incredibly important. I also believe Papa is gravely underestimating what can trigger memories, which is why they weren’t concerned about removing “traces” of the children’s former selves (ie: Kokoro’s doll).

What will also be interesting is whether or not Kokoro and Mitsuru will be ordered to pair up with their former partners. And if so, it will be interesting to see whether or not the two can pilot without the other. Or is that something that is exclusive to Zero Two and Hiro?

But this was undoubtedly the breaking point. With what happened to their friends, now the entire group has a reason to rebel against Papa. They are sick and tired of being used as disposable tools. Hachi who has also undergone indoctrination, is also disturbed, and feels restless about the situation. There is a part of him that wishes he knew what to say to the squad, but feels the way Nana is at the moment, would have been able to help them. Unfortunately she is currently being confined.

I would also say it’s safe to say even Hachi knows the children have had it, so it will be interesting to see whether or not he and Nana will try to contribute to helping Kokoro and Mitsuru. As for the rest of the squad, I would have a hard time imaging them not trying to help the two recover their memories, but now that all the parasites have been gathered into one space, it will be a lot more difficult to act freely without the adult’s interference.

Before they decided to trample all over their happiness, the wedding arrangements was very cute. It was Hiro who suggested that Kokoro and Mitsuru were to get married, and from there on out the squad did a fabulous job with their DIY Wedding, and Mitsuru even made their wedding rings (SOBBING). They painted the house, they made decorations, a dress and veil and managed to find some fresh flowers. And Kokoro was a beautiful bride! It was just nice to see them have something to look forward to.

Lastly, we cannot forget about Ikuno. She finally confessed to Ichigo today, and I absolutely loved how it was handled. Ichigo was surprised, but she respected her feelings. Although she does not feel the same way towards her, she understands the pain she is going through in a sense of her unrequited feelings, as she herself has been there too.Funny enough we learn it was Ichigo who named Ikuno, and like she had fell in love with Hiro, Ikuno only had eyes for her from that day on forward. I love how Ichigo assured her that it’s fine to be who she is, she isn’t a creep, she is allowed to be jealous of the boys, and be angry at the system. There is nothing wrong with her loving a girl. And I am glad she got a hug because oh my god, Ikuno needed a hug for the longest time now.

As the sakura blooms, shit is finally getting real. We don’t know what Papa plans to do next, but it is probably safe to assume Zero Two is the “replacement key” they keep on talking about. And if there isn’t already enough fear for Zero Two, she is experiencing nightmares or even a prophecy of her past coming back to haunt her. The nightmare of all the stamen she has killed, rising from the graves to drag her back to the depths of hell, along with the giant hand is enough to warrant a concern of whether or not Zero Two will actually make it out of this series alive.

Well actually, let’s be real, everyone has a death flag hanging over them, and it’s stressing us all out. Can we please have a Happy Ending with everyone’s memories in-tact/restored, please?