It looks like the anime fandom is arming themselves against one controversial episode of DARLING in the FRANKXX. After all, the show did just share its latest episode with fans, and its exploration of Hiro and Ichigo had a whole lot of people seeing red — and that is just the start of it all.
No, really. The contentious episode has prompted a wave of death threats to go live, and casual anime fans aren't sure how to take the sudden hostility.
For those of you who aren't aware of the controversy with DARLING in the FRANKXX, it boils down to a shipping war. The show focuses on a boy named Hiro, a pretty nice guy who ends up falling for a monster girl named Zero Two. The pair work well in their post-apocalyptic world, but a brainy girl named Ichigo suffers from the pairing since she has a big crush on Hiro. And, in the anime's latest episode, Ichigo finally moved forward with her confession.
Fans watched as Ichigo tried to prevent Hiro from going after Zero Two when the pink-haired girl was taken away by her handlers. The devilish heroine was isolated after she turned her back on her squad, leaving Hiro stunned yet still in love. When the boy tried to go after Zero Two to get answers, Ichigo held him back and said she would not allow him to turn into a monster like his crush. And when that did not dissuade the boy, Ichigo decided it was time to land a big kiss on the boy.
Fans of the Hiro and Ichigo ship loved the moment, but anyone who pairs the boy with Zero Two were left furious. A slew of angry hashtags popped up insulting Ichigo after the new episode went live, but that isn't all. A handful of overzealous fans have sent death threats to the voice actress playing Ichigo and the show's animation producer Yuichi Fukushima. And, as you can see below, anime fans are going to war over those unreasonable reactions (via ANN).
If you're interested in the series, it's currently streaming on both Crunchyroll and FunimationNOW. Crunchyroll describes DARLING in the FRANXX as:
"The distant future: Humanity established the mobile fort city, Plantation, upon the ruined wasteland and civilization flourished. Within the city were pilot quarters called Mistilteinn, otherwise known as the "Birdcage." That is where the children live... Not knowing anything of the outside world, and unaware of the vast sky. Their only mission in life was the fight.
Their enemies are the mysterious giant organisms known as Kyoryu. The children operate robots known as FRANXX in order to face these still unseen enemies because they believe that is their purpose in life. Among them was a boy who was once called a child prodigy: Code number 016, Hiro. However, now he's a failure and considered unneeded. Those who cannot pilot FRANXX basically do not exist. One day, a mysterious girl called Zero Two appears in front of Hiro. From her face grew two alluring horns."
Did this new episode leave you feeling frustrated? Or does this whole debacle just confuse you? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!