Why Hiro?

Why did 02 choose him of all people. I try to find hints but to no avail. what does Sup Forums thinks 02 chose him?

It's literally spelled out in the show but whatever
1) He wasn't taken aback by her horns and wasn't scared of her.
2)He is the only one that doesn't take damage while riding with her
3) He is fun to tease
4) Nice taste

Hiro was basically her best shot at getting close to other people since if he is with her then it means that no one else will die by riding with her. Prior to that she tried to act and convince herself that she didn't care about other people when she , in fact, was lonely.

Because he's the MC.

Because he's a spongey, weak-willed beta codependant with no hint of backbone, self-worth, or willpower. Yet.

This show is about sex, and how sex forms and defines relationships. From what I've seen (and this is assuming that Trigger actually gives a fuck about the story and isn't just churning out moe marketing robots with dumb teeen angst attached) Zero Two represents not Best Girl Waifu who's totally Oppressed Because She Looks Different, but rather, she's the definition of an abusive relationship.

Look at how they define her, and that she doesn't deny being, a partner killer. She uses people up and spits them out. She's aggressive, self righteous, and dangerous; she has no regard for other people or the consequenses of her actions. She doesn't care about Hiro, she just wants him Her being able to pilot a Franxx by herself showcases that she doesn't need a partner, she's strong willed and independant enough to operate on her own. She's taken a liking to Hiro because he can be controlled. He's weak and manipulable, and she can mold him into the partner she wants.

It's a classic abusvie relationship getting ready to start. Seriously rewatch ep 4, where Hiro runs to catch her before she leaves, and you can replace Zero Two with any drunk, scraggly meth-head with no teeth in a wifebeater from Cops and Hiro's the fat, greasy-haired woman in a pink housecoat poundin on the window of the squadcar going "Don't take my baby away! I can't live without him! He didn't mean what he did to me, he just can't help it!".

>horns
her horns are modeled after a genus of flowering plants that symbolise faithfulness in romantic relationships, love, and thoughtfulness, besides the 9th wedding anniversary for a married couple, freedom and the ability to travel (due to the flower’s resemblance to birds-of-paradise in flight), magnificence, excellence and success, joy through challenges and successes alike, and optimism towards the future.

Because he's the designated self insert character

Because he is a Beta faggot that easy to be dominated by 02

Well done user

10/10 user

Watch the show you fucking retard.

They're both rejects that have no sense of belonging but sill want to do their best to be useful because that's the only way they find meaning in life. Exept not anymore now that they got each other.

Because everyone around 02 is some some kind of cunt that treats her like a weapon so Hiro appears special and considerate by comparision, even though anything he does towards her is basic social etiquette, but because everyone else is dumbed down to oblivion it's somewhat considered extraoridinary. The only way to make this type of MC appear special is to dumb down everyone else around him. To sum it up, she likes him because he's the designated "nice guy" self-insert.

Weak

Good pasta, but it entirely ignores 02's character in favor of her reputation.

Hiro is definitely pliable, but until we see their dynamic expanded upon, she's managed little emotional damage and a bare minimum of physical damage.

I think it's more likely that, considering Trigger's never been subtle, that the opening narration about the Jian is implying they're both broken people trying to connect to someone who's willing to reach out.

Don't get me wrong, it's entirely possible, and even likely that abuse is going to be at least a temporary theme of their partnership, but it's way too early to suggest 02 is just going to break Hiro.

because he's le generic black haired "muh resolve" MC

Because Hiro is (You). So of course all the hot chicks just have to crave Hiro(your) dick.

Perhaps abusive was the wrong term, but certainly a damaging relationship.

I don't think she's out to destroy anyone. I don't believe she would deliberately "break" Hiro, but that (much like anyone that keeps returning to a damaging relationship) the two of them together will only hurt each other in the long run.

Of course, this is only if my impressions of how they're treating sex and relationships is accurate.

Your mention of the Jian is something I've been thinking about too, because it's also the ultimate image of codependance. Two beings who can't even function without each other, which is a damageing precedent for a healthy relationship.

It's why I think we're not done seeing the kids hook up with each other.

They're split off into the most dull, well of course they're together pairs, and I can't think that they'd be that bland with it. Whether through partner drama, NTR, or just straight up brutal deaths, I bet we're going to see the pairs start combining differently before the show is over once they start getting a better understanding of themselves and the Franxx.

Because he had great abilities as stated before and she was attracted to his loneliness as she felt the same way

>gets in the mech, risking his life so she doesn't go on what was basically a solo suicide mission.
>literally the only guy who is piloting-compatible with her (as far as we know).
>guy doesn't think you are a freak, monster or is scared of you like everyone else because of your title as partner-killer.
>show interest in you.
>can relate to your loneliness.
>willing to go with you even after seeing how much you fuked up your previous pilot.

I honestly see no way this show can actually make Hiro a likeable character. I doubt they will go for "Simon becomes a man" approach, a person with a strong ego and unbreakable willpower will overshadow 02 whose entire shtick is that she's dominating in their relationships.

He's gullible enough to trust her.

>there are people who unironically think 02 is evil and will betray Hiro

Did you see the poster?

>guy doesn't think you are a freak, monster or is scared of you like everyone else because of your title as partner-killer
That would work if she actually looked like a freak and monster, not some cute anime girl with hot body.

>title as partner-killer
I'd be afraid of a hot girl who can kill me user, what are you on about.

1. He didn't comment on her horns.
2. He tried to save her when he thought she was drowning.
3. He offered to pilot with her.
4. He has the same feeling of not belonging anywhere.
5. He did not take any damage from her when piloting.

He's the best thing to happen to her and vice versa. Why WOULDN'T she choose him?

She's "partner-killer", not a serial killer. As long as you don't get into cockpit with her you're fine.

2d eliminates a lot of uncannyness.

If you saw a girl with devil horns and red-rimmed eyes on the street, you'd stare. If you knew she was descended from monsters who've killed a bunch of humanity, you might even think about getting the tire iron.

Coming out of animation, you only get to see her in an idealized form.

But Hiro wants to do just that.

The point is that there's no reason to be afraid of her.

Interesting theories. If this turns out to be the case, I just hope they stay true to the "faithfulness in romantic relationships" aspect of the flower Strelitzia. My heart won't be able to take it if they don't.

Because he's the last in a series of clone she's been with.

^this

thats why she exclaim I found you!

The name is already ironic since up till now it's been a robot piloted with no romance or faithfulness, cursed to drag a new man again all the time.
But I do hope in the end faithfulness and love will prevail.

>CC liked Lelouch because he's smart, strong-willed and confident
>Nia liked Simon because he stopped being a little bitch and grew up
And 02 likes Hiro because he isn't afraid of her horns and a special snowflake
Why did the anime go so wrong?

Not an argument.

That's something I didn't really know about ahead of time (I completely avoid prediscussion threads and basically everything about the show until after it's aired because I want to go in as blind as possible).

It may be that I'm reading into the show in all the wrong ways. I'll wait and see.

Big dick

Simon was too good for Nia.
Honestly it's like reversed Franxx where female lead is just way too fucking shallow, why there's so little titles where both male and female lead are cool.

You need to reverse the roles for it to make sense.
Hiro liked 02 because of her confidence, her selflessness, bravery and her strength.
He's the heroine after all.

>selflessness

I've been thinking hard about how Zero Two hurts her partners. We only see them after piloting Strelizia, all bloody like they were assaulted by a gang of thugs. Anyone has ideas? I've got a theory but it's a little unconventional.

Ep 1 theory: oni dick pegging.
Ep 3 theories: the ride with her is so rough and bumpy her partner can't handle it
Ep 4 theory: she sucks her partner's "energy" dry and consumes them.

well she definitely age them, then they recive the damage of strelizia multiplied.

kinda like in the matrix.

Shit, now that you have me thinking about this , I'm just gonna throw out random predictions and see what sticks in the long run.

The whole codependance thing is also tied to sexual immaturity. The Franxx are set up with sex as beasts, ie the female is crouched, submissive and presenting while the male is standing and dominant.

Strelitzia, I think, is different. It's base form when just Zero Two is piloting it is beastial, but it transforms. I think it's cockpit transforms as well. I guarentee, when we see Zero Two and Hiro go "all out" like what happened to Draco Malfoy, they're going to change positions, with Zero Two on top of Hiro and controling the robot.

Eventualy, in the climax, when they come to terms, the cockpit will transform again, and Hiro will be on top of Ichigo, with the two in missionary position, controling the robot together.

>ichigo
she lost in literally episode 2 and loses everytime in the ED

Wasn't Strelitzia in beast form with the Stamen from episode 1?
Probably a bit of a reach, but I wonder if when Zero Two piloted with Hiro was the first time Strelitzia transformed. I know Doc was surprised, but he didn't seem THAT surprised.

I guess I'll just tell you my theory. So first, Zero Two must stay in doggystyle position, otherwise the mech cannot work.

Then what she must do is make it so her partner cannot let go of the "controls". I don't know how she would do this, some sort of klaxosaur magic maybe?
Since the controls are the only physical link to her partner, I assume she drains her partner's life through those controls attached to her butt.

But as I said before, why don't the partners just look like zombies after piloting? All of this doesn't explain the external injuries and the blood.

Zero Two then has to repeatedly move her butt in and upwards and downwards motion in order to beat her partner, who cannot let go, into submission while draining his energy at the same time. This is why we see the injuries and the blood. Pic related.

I mean she did say she didn't care about dying if she stopped that klaxosaurus that was gonna kill everyone else. That is a selfless act with nihilistic roots I guess but it's still selfless.

Damn user those are some high quality illustrations.

>nice trips
about point 2 there is one thing worth to mention. anyone finds it really strange they have absolutely no elements to hold them in position in the cockpits ?
Robots are able to fly, spin and roll around like crazy without much trouble but its like they dont care how the pilots handle it. especially guys who basicaly just sit there like that. You dont even need a demon copilot to suck your life, everyone of them would be pretty trashed after each mission

I think it could have been becasue her male partner was basically a dead weight at that point so she was piloting it alone so it reverted to that form.

She saw the lake, as far as we know.
Hiro could be cooler from now on, now that he isn't worried about piloting/02 anymore. We'll see.

>but I wonder if when Zero Two piloted with Hiro was the first time Strelitzia transformed

Definitely not.
A part of Nana's dialogue goes like: "Stampede mode! Now of all times."

He was the star of their academy and just sucked at pilot sex.
She probably sensed he was high quality and malleable enough that she could sculpt him into a good sex slave/copilot.
The other stamen seem to have too strong a personality to be her darling.

Because she likes cute, timid boys that are easy to (sexually) bully.

>That illustration combined with what's on it.

She sees a boy that needs to be dominated.

Everyone acts like they bring in Strelizia all fresh from assembly line, when both robot and 02 are frontline veterans. So no, she doesnt need magic Hiro kissu for tranformation.

She's a romantic girl deep inside and wanted a guy that she could go all out darling~~ with.
Look how happy she was when he gave her that awkward-cool confession, it really moved her. She's basically like those guys that want a pure moe moe waifu to do cute innocent vanilla things but instead she wants her pure moe moe husbando for that.

Rewatch the first episode, Hiro kind of pushed all her right buttons in a very short period of time, it's been enumerated in this thread a couple times but:

1. She noticed Hiro wasn't put off by her horns, already a rare experience for her.
2. She liked how Hiro tried to save her when he thought she was drowning.
3. She liked watching how Hiro reacted to her.
4. She appreciated that they had nigh identical "relationship" problems with regards to finding a partner.
5. His taste made her heart race.
6. He wanted to prevent her engaging on a suicide mission, showing concern for her wellbeing.
7. She commiserated with his feelings of being alone without a place to call his own.
8. She was moved by his willingness to sacrafice himself if it meant giving her a better chance.
9. The way he looked at her, again, made her heart race.

She already told Hiro, albeit ina teasing manner, that she thought she might've fallen for him at the end of their first encounter. By the time she found herself in a mortal situation where she's about to embark towards her likely death, Hiro's appearance was a godsend. That he continued to hit all of her right notes cemented her feelings he's the one she's been looking for and gambled on it with nothing to lose.

After piloting together for the first time, she was certain that she had found her darling.

Because they have good chemistry.

Love is not a matter of reason. People fall for horrible people that end up treating them badly all the time even though they know better.

They literally spell it out on the first episode. It's because they are more similar than they look like.

Also he wished for her safety, that was a first.

Hearing his confession must have made her so hot.

This.

>tries to save her from drowning
>likes her horns and isn't scared
>she likes his taste
>he's alone and partnerless just like her
>doesn't want to let her risk her life by piloting solo, volunteers to risk his life alongside her
>is compatible with her

She's been waiting for one for a long time.

If you reverse the roles this is like a very standard "boy meets magical heroine out of nowhere and she comes to save him" scenario.
Considering that to 02 Hiro is basically magical, he can ride with her, let her tap her full potential and he doesn't get hurt from it at all.
On top of that there's the emotional aspect. He saved her from being lonely, with nobody and gave her life some affection and love. Before meeting Hiro, and anytime she's not with him, 02 is usually detached, cold and impersonal.
With him she's straight forward, sentimental, sweet and playful.
Not to downplay the importance of 02 for Hiro but I think in fact Hiro is more meaningful to 02.

Have you guys considered that, even if Hiro is a "generic MC", such types of personalities aren't actually worthless and some people might like them? That maybe there are people who could like (You) as you are for their own reasons and needs, instead of some imagined superman with all the best traits? That sometimes it's the world that is wrong, and not you?

No? You think that's wishful thinking? Or do you despise yourself?

>Two beings who can't even function without each other
I think you're off the mark. They can't fly without each other, but they can live their life on the ground, as Hiro puts it. The male and female coming together in the story are doing so to lift each other up in a symbiotic style of relationship where both sides are better off because of the other, not because they cannot function apart. The relationship in the Jian metaphor is not destructive because the relationship does not diminish the partners. To call it damaging would mean the partnership somehow harms and brings them lower than if they stood on their own, but that's not it.

There's people who liked Shoe.
This doesn't mean Shoe is a good character.

And i don't want a superman. Make him actually fun to follow, flawed yet with interesting traits. We had Kennosuke a few years back, that's how you do an enjoyable mecha protagonist.

>As long as you don't get into cockpit with her you're fine
As long as you don't do exactly what MC did immediately after meeting her. Got it.

That's wishful thinking. Women desire strong men because their DNA says so.
I wish it was like that though, that would be easier. Soon maybe VR waifus will compete with real women so hard the dynamic will shift.

We won't need VR, sex dolls are already around the corner.

Probably not the first time, I mean Strelizia wasn't animal form when 02 piloted with Mitsuru. The guy was just busted and probably couldn't keep up anymore, so Strelizia couldn't use her maiden form.

Hiro is actually cool though. In childhood flashbacks we see him coming up with the fun names and the other kids look up to him, he was the ace back in the training robots but he fell from grace because his partner could not keep up with him and he couldn't pilot while all the others managed to do it.
Now he has found a girl that is much stronger and braver than him, but who actually wants him, and he can ride with her so he's embracing his role as hero once again while relying on her as she relies on him too.
He had issues being alone but actually accepted the change and now will work with a partner.
And at first he only cared about piloting, then he got a bit scared of 02 and now he got over those fears and openly confessed to her in the most over the top way he could.
In 4 episodes he has already shown a very good range of emotions and changes. He only seemed bad before because he was literally at the lowest point of his life after his partner got shipped off and he was considering quitting as well.
We saw him when he was down and assumed he was another weak useless MC but he is in fact more assertive than he seemed.

Possibly. Again, this based on the idea that they're intending to take a deeper and more nuanced look into relationships and sex that's not "gee, the first person an impressionable, hormonal young teen ever gets the hots for and wants to bang it totally going to be thier soulmate forever" kind of thing. It hings on whether or not we're supposed to take everything at face value: that the two of them pairing off is a good outcome for both, and will always be a good outcome.

It's possible i'm reading too much of personlal bias into it: mainly it hinges o whether her past partners(relationships) were destroyed by her in order demonstrate the danger she presents to people who can't stand up to her, or if it's just an easy way to demonize her to make her more sympathetic.

Because I do think they've gone a long way to make her sympathetic. They're presenting her as "damaged goods" that need to be healed. But the questions is, is she damages because of what's happened to her, or because of what she does to others.

Did she? Or she just winning slowly? If she was actually out of the picture, why would Zero Two feel the need to give her that snide smirk in Ep 4 as they blew past to exert dominance over her by claiming showcasing she "stole" Hiro to her. Whether she "wins" or "loses", I'm can say with pretty much certainty the drama isn't over yet.

we don't need sex dolls, holographic wifes are already a thing

I feel a bit embarrassed that my mind blanked on remembering that.
That theory probably checks out then. They obviously needed the 'maiden' form to defeat the Klaxxosaur, but instead of being able to transform the guy just died instead.

But Hiro has been fun to follow. No amount of interesting flaws will save a character if the execution isn't good, because what makes a show good aren't character descriptions or deveolpment but how they are played out.

I mean, there's a reason why the generic MC is the way it is. Replacing it with something completely different isn't going to change much because people are still going to gravitate towards it. People enjoy seeing what they identify with be validated on the screen, and if it's not then you'd better have a reason for why that's not the case. Showing them how they can use what they have, or develop themselves from it, or what strengths they should be focusing in on and what weaknesses they can do without, is simply the best way to fix the issue.

Just looked this up, very impressive. Bladerunner types can't come soon enough.

>I mean, there's a reason why the generic MC is the way it is
Because the target auditory of this show is composed of the same low-esteem betas in permanent depression about their life.
It doesn't make this character good in any shape or form. He's as bad as auditory.

I know, user. You've been repeating this to me for some 10 years. It hasn't gotten me out of here.

>betas
you guys really need to get out more.

holy kek

>It doesn't make this character good in any shape or form.
But it does.

If the way the character is written pleases the target audience then he's good.

Is 02 a cuck? She has horns.

Fifth post best post.
MC was chosen because the crazy naked girl licked him and declared him to be her daaarling.
Kids, don't stick your dick in crazy. At least find better self insert fantasies.

>gee, the first person an impressionable, hormonal young teen ever gets the hots for and wants to bang it totally going to be thier soulmate forever
This is reductive and facetious, it's not what actually happens even within just the episodes we have seen thus far. Plenty of reasons have already been posted by many people ITT as to why this is not the case.

>her past partners(relationships)
She said she's always been alone. She hasn't actually had a partner before due to what she is making this impossible, that's kind of the point. Any attempt at a 'relationship' always resulted in quick failure due to what she is, not due to any action she has taken. I don't really agree with saying this demonizes her (in the viewers' eyes) since it's not something she does by will.

>But the questions is, is she damages because of what's happened to her, or because of what she does to others
What she does to others is innate to her nature. It's not like every pistil can kill her stamen yet doesn't, but 02 is the evil one who murders by choice. The consequences on her are also unavoidable. We see her try to avoid that role she was handed immediately once she sees a way out, she would rather pilot with Hiro who does not get hurt by her, so she probably doesn't like the hand she was dealt, or else she'd have been content and happy killing everyone she pilots with.

>but certainly a damaging relationship.
It seems to me like it's going to be ahealing relationships, actually, where they both end up making each other self-reliant but will stay together and fly together because they stat to love and understand each other much more deeply.

>she would rather pilot with Hiro who does not get hurt by her, so she probably doesn't like the hand she was dealt, or else she'd have been content and happy killing everyone she pilots with.

I would say this is an accurate description. Portion of her cold personality is probably due to her experience of people dying next to her over and over and over again. This is why she says Hiro's friends are weaklings and unimportant. She probably have seen their kind die by the dozens, sometimes right there behind her in the cockpit. This would eventually decrease the perceived value of life for anyone.

Her behavior with Hiro, on the other hand, seems more genuine, as if that's what under the battle hardened shell.

FROM
ZERO TWO
HIRO

In no time flat~
ZERO TWO HIRO IN JUST LIKE THAT.

Did you just...

Yeah, there's no way people constantly dying next to her (and due to her) wouldn't have affected her. Even more than the direct impact she was probably alienated by other pilots too. Stamens don't come from nowhere, so whatever squads they came from in order to be sacrificed to her quite possibly left a lot of her 'comrades' with very poor opinions of her.

He's cute!

actually why the fuck don't these people wear fucking seatbelts? in most any mecha. it's like they want to die.

Mechs must have some mechanisms to absorb the shock from impacts and lower the G forces in the cockpit and shit like that.

>seatbelts in my sexual metaphors mecha anime

Because pegging.