IchiKuno

IchiKuno is the femslash ship between Ichigo and Ikuno from the DARLING in the FRANXX fandom.

Canon
Ichigo and Ikuno knew each other since they were young children living in the Garden. When Hiro started naming the children, other children began mimicking him. With Ikuno’s code number, 196, it read as ‘Ikuro’, causing her to get teased for receiving such a weird name. Ichigo, however, cheered her up by rotating the '6' 90 degrees clockwise, so it looked like the hiragana character の (no). This made her the name ‘Ikuno’. Since then, Ikuno developed a deep crush on Ichigo.

When they turned 14, they were assigned to the same FRANXX squad. When Hiro failed to show up for the pre-graduation briefing, Ikuno looks to Ichigo, who is irritated at Hiro for ignoring her messages.

During their squad's first mission, Chlorophytum is ordered to stay behind due to Ikuno and Mitsuru being unable to synchronize, which Nana contributes to Ikuno feeling unwell rather than the pair’s incompatibility. Ikuno’s feelings then were hurt by Mitsuru piloting Strelizia and saying Zero Two is a better partner. Following this incident, Ikuno became slightly depressed for failing to pilot. Upon noticing this, Ichigo put a hand on Ikuno's shoulder and assured her she can connect this time, adding that she needed to be there for Mitsuru as his partner. Ikuno agreed and supported Mitsuru when he walked to the FRANXX hangar, despite his coldness and initial rejection for her to help him. Later on, as she and Mitsuru prepared to connect for another battle, she touched her shoulder where Ichigo’s hand was and thought of her. This allowed her and Mitsuru to synchronize for the squad's second sortie.

During a vacation to the beach, Ikuno and Ichigo sit under an umbrella and chat. Ikuno asks Ichigo to go swimming and then reads a book while Ichigo goes into the ocean. Mitsuru then tells everyone he found an abandoned modern city and they all go to explore. While walking, Ikuno notices Ichigo looks flushed and touches her check, which startles Ichigo who was thinking of Hiro. A few days later, during the Boys vs Girls conflict, Ikuno quickly joins along because, as she tells Ichigo and Miku, she prefers to keep the boys and girls separated forever.

Shortly after, when Ichigo decides to make a risky rescue mission after Delphinium and Goro are absorbed by a klaxosaur, Ikuno is the most worried about her but agrees to help her. In the manga, it was Ichigo who was left in Delphinium and absorbed by the Klaxosaur, which served as a factor in Chlorophytum disconnection (along with the embarrassment of the girls’ suits melting in front of the boys). When Mitsuru blames Ikuno for causing Chlorophytum to disconnect and causing the mission to end in failure, she starts crying and agrees. Seeing her cry, however, makes Mitsuru double down and he shifts the blame to Zero Two for acting against orders.

Due to Ikuno and Mitsuru’s incompatibility, Nana proposes the squad try a partner shuffle. Ikuno asks to do a pistil-pistil connection with Ichigo, who is surprised and hesitant but agrees when Ikuno politely asks her. Kokoro then offers to try with Mitsuru. During a capacity test, Ikuno and Ichigo fail to connect and time out while Kokoro and Mitsuru maintain a low but stable connection. Ichigo later says she knew it would t work without a boy but Ikuno angrily retorts she was serious before storming out of the room.

A couple of months later, when Nine Alpha shows everyone the baby book Kokoro has been hiding, he berates her for wanting to have a baby because humans have casted their gender aside for evolution and it’s a nuisance. This deeply offends Ikuno who slaps him across the face. This surprises everyone and Ichigo jumps from her seat, not expecting this type of behavior from Ikuno. A few days later, when Hiro announces Kokoro and Mitsuru have decided to get married before they leave for the Bird Nest, Ichigo notices Ikuno looks sullen. In their bedroom, Ikuno lays on her bed and Ichigo comes to check on her, as she had a fever recently. Ichigo thanks Ikuno for defending Kokoro and Mitsuru from Nine Alpha But Ikuno says it wasn’t because of them. Ikuno sits up and asks Ichigo what she thinks of her but then pushes her down on the bed while unclipping her hair. Ikuno says she hates the boy-girl pairing system and she wants to keep Ichigo all to herself, and confesses she has loved her ever since the day Ichigo gave her her name. However, Ikuno is confused of herdeelings and she feels ashamed and hates herself that she is not normal, and makes her feelnlike a pain. Ichigo hugs her to comfort Ikuno, who is now crying. Ichigo says they all are a pain and it’s just part of life. Ikuno keeps crying but seems to take in Ichigo’s words. Ichigo later brings Ikuno outside to pose for a group picture.

A couple of weeks later, during the second battle at Gran Crevasse, as the squad tries to help Zero Two reach Hiro, the passage to where Strelizia is located is blocked off. Ikuno and Futoshi go full power to blow their way through. Then Chlorophytum deactivates and Futoshi sees that Ikuno is panting and her hair has turned white. Ichigo is worried about her and is reluctant to leave Ikuno behind Due to her weakened state. However, everyone resolves the strategy on how to help Zero Two save Hiro. Ichigo orders Genista and Argentea to look after Chlorophytum while she and Goro take Zero Two to Hiro, and she tells them all that they better not die.

A few days later, while planting crops in the fields to grow food, Ichigo notices how tired Ikuno looks and advises her not to push herself. The next day though, upon seeing the crops have died, Ichigo faints from exhaustion and Ikuno goes to care for her. Upon putting Ichigo to bed, Ikuno tells Goro that she had been so busy worrying and caring for everyone else that she had been neglecting herself.

72 days after Hiro and Zero Two left through a warp gate to find and eliminate VIRM for good, Ichigo helps move boxes of documents into Ikuno’s new office. She asks what they are for and Ikuno says there is something she wants to get done. A year later, as Goro prepares to leave on a journey to find missing children and gather supplies, he kisses Ichigo. Ikuno is jealous of the gesture but doesn’t do anything and smiles when Goro promises to bring back what she asked for. As he leaves, Ikuno tells Ichigo how much Goro has changed.

Over the next eight years, Ikuno and Ichigo remain close friends. Ichigo marries Goro and Ikuno develops a relationship with Naomi. When Ichigo becomes pregnant with her first child, she goes to Ikuno, who becomes a doctor, for prenatal care. During one checkup, Ikuno assures Ichigo that the baby is growing fine and she wonders what the baby will be like. As the rest of the squad gathers for a reunion, Ikuno tells Ichigo that Goro said he would be postponing his traveling to stay with Ichigo and take care of the baby. While the squad reunites at a cherry blossom tree, Ikuno stays in her hospital bed with Naomi by her side.

Fanon
This shipping is relatively popular, as it has been highly suspected Ikuno had feelings for Ichigo since as early as Episode 4. The shipping gained popularity when a shadowy image of Ikuno kissing someone who looked like Ichigo in the third end credits. It gained more popularity from Episode 18, when Ikuno finally confessed to Ichigo.

Even after Ichigo ends up with Goro and Ikuno pairs with Naomi in the final episode, the IchiKuno shipping remains popular among fans.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

FANART
@momochii

Trivia

 * Ikuno was the one parasite who wasn’t named by Hiro; Ichigo was the one who gave her her name.
 * The only way Ikuno is able to synchronize with Mitsuru/Futoshi in Chlorophytum is by thinking of Ichigo.
 * In the first Drama CD, Ikuno reveals she meticulously keeps track of Ichigo’s daily activities, including how she bathed and sleeps.
 * Ikuno also reveals that what she wants the most is to be the only person who truly understands Ichigo.