Darling in the FranXX

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👁 Darling in the FranXX

15 Recommended

5 Mixed Feelings

2 Not Recommended

Nov 16, 2025

Gurenxxx

For every manga volume, the shipping took 20 days to reach my beautiful country. But it was worth the wait. If you finished watching its anime years ago, reading the manga again is more than enough to bring back those same feelings.

While reading some chapters, you might be a bit surprised to see the differences from the anime. But the emotions are generally the same.
Backstories are revealed in the manga some time after the events unfold, and until those chapters, we don't get much information. But as you progress, all the questions in your mind find their answers.
If you don't like Zero Two, then ... I wish you happiness with cosplayer girls. You will never find Zero Two's pure and innocent love in them.

and don't forget to listen to 'Kiss of Death' as well. It will draw you in.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Aug 4, 2025

hexashadow13

This is the manga adaptation of the famous original anime by Trigger. The anime is very different. For one, the manga is considerably rushed compared to the anime to the point that it skips as much as it adapts. It’s missing so much, that in and of itself it’s just not a very good manga. The character arcs are completely underdeveloped, the plot is overly simplistic but still full of holes, and the core themes are completely superficial. I’d have to say the manga on its own just straight up isn’t really worth reading. Thus, for those that haven’t seen the anime, I recommend watching ... that first or if that’s not an option just skipping this manga.

As for those that have seen the anime I think this manga still isn’t all that great but it is worth reading. The manga cuts out a lot, but what’s interesting is how it does so. It essentially cuts out everything controversial or messy in the anime. This of course includes completely changing the infamous ending and all the world building associated with it. But there’s lots of smaller stuff too, such as taking out all the complexities of the Kokoro/Mitsuru/Futoshi love triangle. What you end up with is essentially a take on what if Darling in the FranXX was not made by Trigger with all the craziness and creativity that entails, but instead was a much more straightforward and by the books mecha story. I definitely prefer the anime, but reading the manga in the context of the anime was really interesting because it makes it a lot easier to understand and appreciate some of the wilder aspects of the anime.

Furthermore, even if things are rushed and lacking, it’s pretty satisfying seeing the cast of Darling in the FranXX again. The manga overall being happier than the manga plays into that feeling well and is enough to make the manga enjoyable. And the art is also fantastic, as one would expect of Yabuki Kentaro, with lots of great color insert illustrations. All in all, that made this a worthwhile read.

tl;dr: A lackluster adaptation with very interesting differences to the original work.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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May 15, 2025

_DominiC_

Look, I watched the Darling in the Franxx anime and recently finished reading the manga, and my honest opinion is… IT'S NOT WORTH IT. The story is good, but poorly executed. The characters and their traits are unique, but very underdeveloped. In the anime, Kokoro gets pregnant, but in the manga, the author simply forgets about that, making it seem like he was just in it for the money, constantly throwing in ABSURD fan service, sexualizing ROBOTS… Gross.

On top of that, the ending was extremely rushed, with a ridiculous conclusion that gives the impression the author just wanted to wrap it up quickly to ... move on to another brainless and stupid ecchi. As for the anime, it’s the complete opposite. Sure, there's still some sexualization, but in a much softer (though still unnecessary) way. Overall, the anime is a work of art compared to the piece of crap that is the manga

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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by ImNotAnOtaku1

by stefanoiulli1999

by etanmess