Darling in the Franxx (Japanese: ダーリン・イン・ザ・フランキス, Hepburn: Dārin In Za Furankisu), abbreviated as DarliFra (ダリフラ, DariFura),[6] is a 2018 Japanese science fiction romance anime television series co-produced by A-1 Pictures and Trigger, and animated by Trigger and CloverWorks that premiered on January 13, 2018.[7][8] The series was announced at Trigger's Anime Expo 2017 panel in July 2017.[9] A manga adaptation by Kentaro Yabuki and another four-panel comic strip manga began serialization on January 14, 2018.[10] Darling in the Franxx is set in a dystopian future where youth are artificially created and indoctrinated solely to defend the remnants of civilization. The story follows a squad of ten pilots, particularly focusing on the partnership between Hiro, a former prodigy, and Zero Two, a hybrid human and elite pilot who aspires to become entirely human. The animation began international distribution simultaneously upon its domestic release. The streaming service Crunchyroll internationally simulcast the series, with Aniplus Asia simulcasting the series in Southeast Asia. Service partner Funimation began the dubbed release of the series on February 1, 2018.[11][12]