User blog comment:Genista882/Mitsuru and Kokoro 2/@comment-26567684-20190507210542

I find it bizarre how the memory wipe played out for MitsuKoko in episodes 19-24. In episode 19, Mitsuru was not as cold as he used to be but he was brutally honest with Kokoro; after her failed attempt to partner with Futoshi again, Mitsuru apologized for eavesdropping but said he found it hard to believe he would ever have feelings for her, despite the wedding rings they still wore and the testimonies of their friends. And she agreed with him. Since they didn’t remember, they didn’t know whether to believe what their friends were saying.

In episode 20-21, Mitsuru and Kokoro seemed to treat each other with a degree of indifference; he seemed unconcerned when she first began getting sick and she largely avoided him. They seemed to only interact before going off the battle, but he assured her they should be able to connect if they were partners before and she became perplexed of 02’s words to 9’a about aiming for the future, as she stared at her ring finger, remembering Miku telling her that MitsuKoko taught them about leaving their mark for the future. Mitsuru tried calling her by her code number (his way of treating her as a fellow squadmate) but then decided to call her by her name, triggering the painful headache. The same thing happened to Kokoro when she called him by his name. This frightened them both, as it was their bodies and minds way of trying to remember the memories that were taken away. This made them realize that everything they were told was true but their reactions were different. Mitsuru seemed to have felt guilty for not believing what he was told and not doing anything to help Kokoro. He felt this urge to be the one to take care of her and be by her side, as he constantly stared at her. However, she grew colder towards him and avoided him at all costs, not wanting to feel the pain nor be reminded of her past because it scared her.

In episodes 22-23, their interactions were very minimal after the battle. Mitsuru began to deeply worry for Kokoro as her morning sickness got worse and he felt the need to take care of her grow stronger but because of her avoidance of him, he hesitated to approach her. He probably didn’t understand why he felt that way but he did. Kokoro still avoided Mitsuru and didn’t speak to him or acknowledge him during the meeting about supplies. When she collapsed on the fields, Mitsuru was quickly by her side and calling out for her despite how painful it felt, and he was the last image she saw before she passed out. The pregnancy news was a wake up call for both of them; like any 14 and 15 year old pair finding out they are having a baby, MitsuKoko were completely shocked and scared, but not remembering their previous relationship made it scarier for them. Although abortion is offered as a choice if Kokoro wanted to continue piloting the FRANXX, she felt torn because this is her child but she didn’t want to lose being a parasite and she believed Mitsuru wouldn’t want anything to do with her and the baby. For his part, Mitsuru underwent some soul searching and, based on Hiro risking so much to protect the most important thing in the world to him (02), Mitsuru decided his unborn child was the most important thing to him and he would do anything to prove his resolve to love and support Kokoro no matter what. However, Kokoro still absolved the responsibility from Mitsuru because she believed the memory wipe was justification for him to not take responsibility. She never said in episode23 if she made a decision; based on her gloomy expression, she likely still didn’t and felt hopeless to her friends because of it, and she was willing to go as far as to sit in a thunderstorm to protect 02 despite knowing she could fall ill and risk the baby’s health. Seeing her despair and frustrated with her rejections, Mitsuru had the courage to finally pour his feelings out to her; that he wants to protect her, he wants her to keep the baby, and start over with her, and calling her name is his way of showing how important she is to him. As proof of this, he kept his wedding ring and she shows she kept hers, which may mean both felt it was wrong to get rid of them and they felt some connection to each other. Them holding hands and wearing the rings is the conclusive proof of their reconciliation, not because of the baby but because of their mutual desire to be together.

In ep24, Mitsuru tending to Kokoro throughout the pregnancy helped them bond but Ai’s birth is ultimately brought them together for good as they both love their daughter. Devoting themselves as parents and working together as a family allowed them to grow to love each other, so much that they remained happily married had four children within 10 years.

Got carried away >o<