Darling in the Franxx (Japanese: ダーリン・イン・ザ・フランキス, Hepburn: Dārin In Za Furankisu, stylized as DARLING in the FRANXX), abbreviated as DarliFra (ダリフラ, DariFura),[6] is a 2018 Japanese science fiction monster romance anime television series co-produced by A-1 Pictures and Trigger and animated by Trigger and CloverWorks that premiered in January 2018.

[10] Darling in the Franxx is set in a dystopian future where children are artificially created and indoctrinated solely to defend the remnants of civilization.

The children are kept in isolation from adult society in environments nicknamed "birdcages," which emulate that of a bygone era so that they can develop the emotional responses required to pilot Franxx.

Scientists contributing to the breakthrough form "APE," an organization that would significantly influence world politics and the global economy as a result of their discoveries.

Now governing the remnants of civilization, APE leads humanity to abandon Earth's now desolate surface for the relative safety of the Plantations.

In a post-apocalyptic world, humanity is pushed to the brink of extinction by the constant threat of giant creatures known as klaxosaurs (叫竜, kyoryū), which are subdivided into at least four categories based on their size: "Conrad,"[d] "Mohorovičić,"[e] "Gutenberg,"[f] and "(Super) Lehmann.

While skipping his squad's graduation ceremony, Hiro encounters Zero Two (Code:002), an elite Franxx pilot with klaxosaur blood, red horns, and an infamous reputation as the "Partner Killer."

21–23) were performed by XX:me (read as "Kiss Me"), a unit consisting of the series' main female castmembers, Zero Two, Ichigo, Miku, Kokoro, and Ikuno.

[41] Kyle Rogacion of Goomba Stomp called the series "an endearing character-driven coming-of-age story" but criticized it for having by the end "eschewed everything that made it great and settled for the easy way out.

"[42] Random Curiosity voiced a more positive opinion to its ending, stating the series will be "well-remembered for seasons to come" and "kept us all fixated and eagerly anticipating every episode set to air.