Darling in the FranXX

I'd say the manga is a lot better than the anime i the way that it changes the story to be different but better than the anime.

it has this way of telling the story in a different more satisfactory way but still coming out with almost the same results.

it is true there is a lot more development for the other characters in the plantation 13 squad and it takes you a bit more in to their feelings and thoughts adding more of an attachment to the characters than the anime.

the changes in the manga are not bad by any means and i cant wait to see how they end this.

My main gripe with the original DiTF anime series was that it had a lot of unnecessary things happen just to fill up that 24-episode run. Not only that, there's quite a few plotholes that i am bothered by (especially towards the second half of the season).

This manga adaptation starts out roughly the same way as the anime did, but it made do without some of the more 'filler' arcs of the anime and got straight to the point. The way the manga's plot progresses differently also (imo) fixed some of the main characters' personality to be more likeable. This is one of the reasons i prefer the manga more than the anime.

Quite a few plotholes were also fixed in the manga, and i won't say much about the ending, but i found the manga's ending and final arc much more enjoyable as it didn't break the flow set by previous story arcs unlike the anime.

Regarding the art of the manga, it is pretty well drawn and replicates the visual style of the anime quite well. Although i found it questionable that there are a few uncensored panels which i thought was pretty unnecessary.

Overall, i found this manga to be much more enjoyable than it's anime counterpart, with a story that flows better and actually likeable. Give it a read if you felt the anime was lacking.

This is the first review since the series is completed! So, here it is.

NOTE: I will not be comparing the manga series to the anime, but I will however mention the overall experience between the two in the end.

Story: The story is fair, I score it a 6. It's unfortunately rushed, so a lot of emotion is missed. where the could have built a serious dialogue, I felt like the author put more effort into the art than story building. It's a story that has a lot of big ideas, but not the detail to back up that part of the plot.

Art: The art (like most of the manga's by this author) is great. Like really good. I've never come across an artist that can draw naked bodies so realistically (in terms of dimensions and such).

Character: Characters were only fair, there wasn't very much background information on the characters or their feelings, and if there was, it would only have 1 scene and that's it. Unfortunate for this kind of story, since it's essentially post-apocalyptic (since the kids were the only ones around).

Overall, I hate to say it, but it's disappointing. I first watched the anime, and enjoyed it for the coming-of-age aspects and first-love arc's. These did not translate to the manga, and when I first read that the anime was getting a manga adaptation, I was happy because everyone believed that the manga was going to have a more thorough conclusion. Instead, out of absolutely no where, the author revealed that the manga is coming to an end. Then in the end, the fans (including myself), got another rushed ending. Extremely disappointing, and I think I can speak for everyone.

First the manga has almost the same story until like 50 chapters and then it takes a major change from the anime. [spoilers] The manga is for the people who wanted a sweet ending with zero two and Hiro both alive and staying together. The anime had a bitter sweet end with both of them dead but staying together. The manga learnt from the anime’s mistake by not adding the VIRM hence not rushing it. But even when they removed the VIRM part the manga felt rushed, it could have used like 5 chapters more to give a full end with a epilogue. Even if u have seen the anime the manga doesn’t feel boring bcoz of the “IF” moments added. Overall if u don’t have anything to read and want to read a good short manga then this is for you.

Having survived the anime and felt despair on its rushed ending, I quickly searched for its manga adoption once it was announced. However it took me some time to read it through and through, and finally after months I was able to finish it.

My review will have no spoilers, however my review would assume that the reader has watched all 24 episodes of DitF the anime.

DitF the manga is a must-read for the heartbroken admirers and fans of the series. Sure, you might not be hearing Haruka Tomatsu's "Daaahrin" or hear "Kiss of Death" when opening it, but the 60 chapters, rushed as they may seem, is an experience worth reliving for.

The manga's strongest asset would be Yabuki-san and his art. Scenes are drawn with extreme sincerity to the anime. The emotion in each panel is palpable and in-your-face, personally finding it stronger than that of the anime. Speaking of Yabuki-san, the naked illustrations of the Parasites are tasteful and sometimes would add to the emotions felt while reading the scenes.

Story-wise, it does not deviate too much from the anime, but instead rethinks how the scenes could have been presented better. This is its other great asset, which is something that the anime was desperately needing halfway though. Some plot holes were still left open though, but they won't be as severe as anticipated. The writing focused the story to Zero Two and Hiro in such a way that all story lines converged into them. To do this, all side stories were redone to be as realistic and as understandable in relation to the whole story as possible. Conclusion: no more surprise cuckoldry!

Nevertheless, being capped at 60 chapters made the plot pacing too fast and it would even gloss over the more significant scenes in anime. This also caused Chapter 60 to finish on a weak note. But... I would rather let you experience that yourself.

As for me, I'm finally satisfied and am at peace with the whole DitF series.

Darling in the FRANXX is very famous because of it's anime, i tried a while ago to watch and I dropped it because i used to believe that it was only made for fanservice.

Well, the manga so ? It's quite the same but I prefered the manga that I have finished. The issue of the anime that the manga doesnt have is the rythm of the story. The rythm is boring and too slow in the anime and as you can see with my note for the story, it's not something that you want to "taste" slowly. The manga is based on action, so it's fast to read even if the chapters are quite long compared to some other mangas. Obviously you do not have a bunch of text and you have many drawings.

Darling in the FRANXX is a fast food manga, it doesnt mean it's bad but do not wait to read a masterpiece that masters the storytelling and the character development. The main focus of this manga is the fanservice.

Basically, you have a shounen made for the action with mechas, you have romance, a simple "naruto"'s plot and unlike the anime, nudity.

Let's say it, this manga has been made to sell (and it worked, it's probably the thing that masters the author, the ability to create a profitable manga like SAO even if it's a novel). For some reasons, it was readable because the story is short (as I said, chapters are short to read), it took me two days to read it but you can easily do it in one, count 5 hours max to read it entirely. And you really need to be slow to read it in 5 hours.

Let's begin with the story. It's not very interesting and it's quite bland. The story accompanies the fanservice and not the opposite like in a normal manga with a little bit of fanservice. First point is that you cant really relate to the universe, it's not explained. You re in the fog. I would have liked to know some information that even the end dont tell you. I have the feeling that this "post apocalyptic" world is there and there are no explanations. It's here and nothing else to add. Because it was better for the fanservice I guess. As a reader, you will never immerse in the story. It's absolutely not possible. The "drama" scenes were quite useless and only added to make an attempt to deepen the story. Drama with the relationship between X and X, drama with 002 that leaves the HQ. The good point is that those drama were solved quickly so at least even if it didnt bring anything to the story, it was solved in the next chapter.. Classical example, if the manga shows you the "death" of a character, you wont never feel anything. I was surprised to react like "wait he's dead, seriously ? I didnt see it coming, well no matter". Honestly I didnt attach to any of the characters. The story in itself is a little bit original but not too much.. Ennemies were quite kind for ennemies, it's the Naruto syndrom, ennemies become kind for no reason and they help the main characters. The motive of some ennemies (the adults) were shaddy. I still dont understand them...

Once again the story is really basic and it accompanies the fanservice and not the opposite so yes it's at best average. Fortunately it was fast-paced because if the story was slow and long, I wouldn't have rated this manga 6.5 but 4.5.

I rated the characters 6 for some unknown reasons. I appreciated the main character that at the bravoure to do what he needs to do at least. 002 was the main good thing, her fanservice was good. The romance between Hiro and 02 was still better than in any other shounen were MC is in love with a girl, the girl is in love with MC but htey wont do anything unless the last chapter where you learn that they are now married 10 years later. (Hi naruto, Hi my hero academia later). It's probably the best thing about this manga. The author had the guts to do a real romance and not a half baked thing like any other shounens.

The art is ot a masterpiece but it was beautiful as we can expect from an action manga.

All in all, this manga is a fast food manga to read if you can read a manga that doesnt have a deep story. Actually if you like shounen you shouldn't be annoyed with this one. His main good thing is the romance so if you are interested in a shounen manga with a decent romance in it, you should give it a try. If you are someone that wants a deep story, deep relationships, deep character developments and drama then just skip this you will probably hate this manga. As a piece of art, this manga is quite bad to be honest. I probably overnoted it because i like romance and i'm proud to see a shounen konwn by a bunch of people with, finally, a decent romance in it.

TL; DR: The series had great potential with interesting storyline and characters. However, it is extremely rushed and underdeveloped which takes away a lot of the enjoyment. The art (as expected from Kentaro Yabuki) is definitely the best point.


No Spoiler Review

I think Darling In The FranXX has a really good and original idea with a fine cast of characters. The build-up is interesting and the story develops well, there are good humour and romance.

However, the development is extremely rushed, a lot of details are left out and backgrounds of characters are hinted but then completely left out. The ending is unclear and also extremely rushed and a lot of the relationships between characters are left hanging mid-development. I found this seriously intimidating and it ruined the series for me.

The only satisfying conclusion is regarding the two main characters. At least their story is told well. Also, the series is filled with cliches and overused plot structures which are irritatingly predictable.

Maybe I am too harsh but I really think the series didn't live up to its full potential.

ART

The best part for me is the art - Kentaro managed to nail facial expressions, emotions, details, and dynamics.
STORY

The story, as I mentioned, starts strong but then goes completely downhill for me.
CHARACTERS

Also had a lot of potential for great development and interesting background reveals, however nothing of this sort happened except for the two main characters.

in short: It's different from the anime, and as of right now, it's better

Art is detailed and beautiful, and it really makes you feel what the artist is trying to depict (e.g. Desperation, anger, fear, etc.)

For the most part it follows the anime, but it fixes aspects such as
-removing the "Boys VS Girls" arc which was a waste of time
-making Ichigo more likeable
-giving other characters development

In later chapters the manga seems to be turning away from the anime, but in a good way. It seems like the author is fixing many mistakes with the anime, which makes the manga very enjoyable, more so than the anime story wise.

While I miss hearing Zero Two saying "darling" and hearing "Kiss of Death" every episode, the manga's improved story definitely makes up for it.

This manga has lots of potential to fix the bad reputation the anime had in the end, and as of right now, it's very enjoyable to read whether or not you've seen the anime.

After binge watching the anime (and loving it) I've decided to give this manga a try. Regrettable decision.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad manga. But it pales out in comparison with the anime. It's fine to change a story to adapt it to a new medium, as long as you don't kill it in the process.

Story - 6/10. Why are the children fighting? Why can't adults do it? What's APE up to? What's the message this manga tries to convey? The anime already had some problems with rushed plot, but here it becomes almost nonsensical. And a good chunk of the original message (love, trust, bonding, finding yourself in the eyes of your lover) is lost. And let's not talk about the ending, that while happier is by no means satisfactory.

Art - 9/10. Rushed in a lot of parts, but still pleasing to the eyes. I think it's great they gave it some "ecchi treatment" though, with plenty shots of the girls. (Specially Zero Two and Ichigo.)

Character - 6/10. Mitsuru and Kokoro's relationship was never fleshed out, so Kokoro's motivations, crime and punishment were never fleshed out either. Goro, Futoshi, Miku, and Zorome might as well not be there, and the story would still go on. Ikuno got some spotlight but it felt rather irrelevant. Oddly enough Hiro got a mixed blessing, since he's a bit more decisive but loses character development in the process. Zero Two got it the hardest though, I won't spoil it but TL;DR: all that femme fatale aura is broken.

Enjoyment - 6/10. I'm trying to be fair here - I could see myself reading this again in the future, but there's more interesting stuff out there.

Overall - (6+9+6+6*2)/5 = 6.6/10, rounded up to 7/10. I definitively do NOT recommend it if you enjoyed the anime, but if you're into some generic mecha action you might like it better.

ECCHI (what you expect from Kentaro San)/ HUMANS in ROBOT/ WAR AGAINST ALIEN or Monsters)

For those who are here after the anime, I am certain that the manga version (so far) is better than the anime itself. Personally, the female characters are hotter here, and the story is improved (with minor fixes).

***Please be aware that I am trying to ignore the anime and make a review on the manga for "Darling in FranXX" like it is a completely brand new manga. So please, bear with me as this is a review written for the people who have not yet watched the anime and just want to read the manga.


As I pick up this manga, it is definitely influenced by the anime. Yet, as I flip through pages of the manga. I felt a sense of ecchi familiarity. Yeah, that is the moment when I decide to look up the artist for the manga and realize that the artist is the legendary ecchi master (Kentaro San).


Story: 9
If you are a HUGE FAN of stories relating to robotic warfare with a tiny bit of ecchi and harem. This is a go-to manga. Thank god the story and plot aren't written by Kentaro San so the amount of nudity is controlled. As a result, the story flows rather smoothly and continuously, and won't digress like that of "To Love-Ru". -1 for potential error as chapter 29 is still too early to tell if this will be a perfect or flawed manga.


Art: 10
Honestly, I don't know if anyone will hate Kentaro San's drawing (from male's perspective). Ecchiness on point. Expression on point. Design on point. Background on point. 10 without a doubt. Zero Two is so hot... >///<


Character: 9
So far, I don't see any unnecessary characters in the manga. But, I will give a -1 for room of error.


Enjoyment: 7-10
I won't rate this one because I am being influenced by the anime. Can't give a fair score on this one.


Overall: 8-10
9 is a fair score as to how this manga is being drawn and portrayed. If I actually know "Darling in FranXX" through reading manga. There is no way I am going to drop this manga. The setting and background of the story are interesting. With contents drawn by Kentaro San, this manga is a pure blessing. But, I will leave it a -1 for potential error because chapter 29 is still a fairly new manga



The section contains sentiment attached to the anime. Please read it with caution. (Minor Spoiler)
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If you want me to tell you how I feel about the anime, I will give your 4 words, "STRONG start, WEAK end". Honestly, this might be the hardest review I have ever written. I have never read a manga that is adapted from an anime (it has always been the other way around).
I wish the manga can and will end differently from the anime. There are instances that this can be possible, such as when Mitsuru was never able to ride on the same robot with Zero Two in the manga. Hopefully, my wish will come true. The manga of "Darling in the FranXX" deserves a better ending and create suspense and curiosity for its reader. However, the main story of the manga line will still be the same with that of the anime (Kokoro will find the forbidden book).
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I really hope Code:000 and Kentaro San can change how I feel about Darling in the Franxx. The Manga looks hella promising so far.