FutoKuno

FutoKuno is the het ship between Futoshi and Ikuno from the DARLING in the FRANXX fandom.

Anime
Futoshi and Ikuno knew each other since they were young children living in the Garden but they barely interacted with each other. When they turned 14, they were assigned to the same FRANXX squad, with Futoshi paired with Kokoro and Ikuno paired with Mitsuru.

The two hardly interacted with each other other than during briefings and free time activities between the squad.

In the manga, after rescuing and hiding the 9’s, Futoshi and Ikuno eavesdrop on Kokoro and Mitsuru talking. Futoshi is sad that Kokoro and Mitsuru are getting closer. Ikuno says it can’t be helped because Mitsuru said the words Kokoro needed to hear. However, thinking about Ichigo, she says protecting someone dear to them makes them want to act. Wanting to protect Kokoro, Futoshi agrees with her. However, while Ikuno searches for Mitsuru, Futoshi tells her that he saw Mitsuru heading towards the greenhouse where Kokoro is. Miku tells Ikuno that MitsuKoko are acting strange. This catches Ikuno and Futoshi’s attention, and both seem intrigued.

In Episode 11, Nana proposed a partner shuffle due to Mitsuru and Ikuno’s incompatibility. Futoshi initially says there is no reason for him and Kokoro to split apart because he promised to protect her forever. However, after Ikuno asks to try linking with Ichigo, Kokoro asks to try riding with Mitsuru, which came as a complete surprise to everyone, especially Futoshi. During a capacity test, Ikuno and Ichigo fail to connect and time out whereas Mitsuru and Kokoro manage to maintain a low but stable connection. As a result, Futoshi and Ikuno are paired together, and Kokoro and Mitsuru are paired together.

During their first sortie as a pair, Futoshi is determined to try his best with Ikuno but Ikuno sighs in irritation at Futoshi for getting emotional as he goes off to fight without Kokoro as his partner. However, the two perform really well together. They use Chlorophytum to hold the klaxosaur off while Kokoro and Mitsuru try to talk out Mitsuru’s problems and reconnect.

After Kokoro and Mitsuru’s memories are altered, Kokoro attempts to partner with Futoshi again but he refuses and insists that he will team up with Ikuno so that Kokoro and Mitsuru will stay as partners.

During the second battle at Gran Crevasse, they are part of the rescue effort to help Zero Two reach Hiro. However, the passage leading Strelizia’s location is blocked off and they are cornered by VIRM soldiers on the other end. Ikuno and Futoshi go full power to blast open the passage but Chlorophytum deactivates. Futoshi is shocked to see Ikuno panting and her hair has turned white.

Despite Ikuno’s declining health, she and Futoshi take part in the galactic battle against VIRM and to help Hiro rescue Zero Two.

Two years later, when all the parasites join hands to send their thoughts and prayers to HiroZero in space, Futoshi and Ikuno hold hands, and he smiles at her as she says she is using whatever time she has left for others.

Ten years later, while Ikuno, who has aged into an elderly woman due to her retaining her accelerated ageing process, is confined to her hospital bed and checks on Ichigo who is pregnant, Futoshi visits her with his new bread recipe. While he chats with her, Ichigo, and Naomi, he is irritated at Naomi for joking how he hasn’t lost any weight and he blames Ikuno for getting his appetite back. He then credits Ikuno for her research in keeping the parasites’ accelerated ageing process under control, and she compliments his bread. He tells her that Kokoro and Mitsuru are expecting their fourth child and she replies she heard.

Manga
In the manga, Futoshi and Ikuno didn't interact much initially, but both of them are showing interest in Mitsuru and Kokoro's relationship. After Mitsuru suggested that they move Alpha and Delta to one of the abandoned rooms in the basement, they see Kokoro happily talking with Mitsuru. Futoshi is visibly jealous and Ikuno says to him that the one who said the words Kokoro needed to hear was Mitsuru, not Futoshi. Ikuno adds that she understand Futoshi's feelings and they should act when it comes to someone they love. Futoshi agrees while wiping out his tears.

Later, Futoshi and Kokoro bring Alpha food but he says he doesn't need them and Futoshi says he will eat it instead. While eating, Futoshi hears Miku talking to Ikuno that she saw Mitsuru going to the greenhouse, where Kokoro is. Miku says that Mitsuru and Kokoro are suspicious, and both Futoshi and Ikuno are shown in deep thought.

After the Squad fought a Klaxosaur, Mitsuru is caught with a child fever. Ikuno, who is worried for Mitsuru, tells him to go to the infirmary. Futoshi later appears, challenging Mitsuru for Kokoro and says if Futoshi wins, Mitsuru should leave Kokoro alone. Ikuno is confused but both Futoshi and Ikuno are visibly worried when Mitsuru collapses. Futoshi and Ikuno then bring Mitsuru to the infirmary and Alpha takes care of Mitsuru. Alpha reveals that he saw Mitsuru's personal information and that he took the Elixir Injection when he was a child, surprising both Futoshi and Ikuno. When Ikuno tells them that the Injection only has 15% survival rate, Futoshi worriedly asks Mitsuru on why he took the Injection. Mitsuru answers that he had a low aptitude, so he had to. Mitsuru then assures Futoshi that Kokoro is Futoshi's partner, surprising Futoshi, and Ikuno listens to their conversation.

Later, both Futoshi and Ikuno suggest a partner shuffle to Hachi and he allows it.

In the first battle with the new Chlorophytum pair, Futoshi and Ikuno work very well, impressing the other pairs. Futoshi thanks Ikuno for agreeing to his solution. Ikuno understands that this is for Mitsuru and Kokoro and compliments Futoshi, saying he is a good guy. When Mitsuru promises Futoshi that he will protect Kokoro, Futoshi is smiling tearfully and Ikuno smiles too.

DARLING in the FRANXX!
In Episode 11, after the partner shuffle, Futoshi is having a breakdown because of Kokoro choosing Mitsuru and do karaoke, boxing and eating to cope. Ikuno is shown accompanying him.

In Episode 24, Futoshi shares his cake to Ikuno and Naomi. Ikuno comments that Zero Two would love the cake.

Drama CD
In the second story of the second Drama CD, when Futoshi announces that he wants to go on a diet since the partner shuffle. Ikuno says that if Futoshi wanted to do that to spite Mitsuru and Kokoro, he should stop because he's making them uncomfortable. Futoshi laughs and says that it's not the reason, but he wants to become a full-pledged parasite and doesn't want to leave any regrets.

When Miku gives Futoshi the supplements she got from Nana, Ikuno says that the supplements are fishy but Futoshi swallows them all. When Futoshi feels sick, Miku and Ikuno are worried about him.

After Futoshi is successful in losing weight, Ikuno points out that Futoshi looks sick and can't bear to look at him. When the squad is visiting Futoshi, Ikuno stays with him in the room when everyone else left. Futoshi apologizes for worrying Ikuno and says that it won't happen again. Ikuno says that she understand his desire to try his best for something, even when it means forcing himself. Ikuno understands that Futoshi and Kokoro's partnership was important to him and he wanted to keep holding on to it. Futoshi starts to cry and Ikuno says it's okay to cry in front of her, even if she's not as gentle as Kokoro.

Ikuno says that from now on, she is Futoshi’s partner. Ikuno lends Futoshi a handkerchief to wipe his face. Futoshi thanks Ikuno and says he will do his best with Chlorophytum and asks her to take care of him from now on. Ikuno smiles and says she is in his care, too.

Fanon
This shipping is not popular in the fandom as Ikuno is attracted to Ichigo and Futoshi was initially infatuated with Kokoro. Some people ship them only because they are partners, much like the people who ship MitsuKuno and HiroMi. Others theorized that after the Partner Shuffle, Futoshi would lose weight to win Ikuno's heart. This didn't happen and the second drama CD confirms that Futoshi tried to lose weight to impress Kokoro. During the series finale, Futoshi married an unnamed parasite, while Ikuno got together with Naomi (IkuNao), sinking the ship.

Fandom
FANWORKS
 * Futoshi/Ikuno tag on Pixiv
 * Futoshi/Ikuno tag on Pixiv

Trivia

 * Ikuno’s English voice actress, Leah Clark, is both an IchiKuno shipper and a MitsuKoko shipper. Whereas, Futoshi’s English voice actor, Blake Shepard, doesn’t have an opinion.
 * In the second OP, while the rest of the squad are either looking at each or have their eyes closed while sleeping, Ikuno and Futoshi are looking away from each other with their eyes open. This indicates a degree of indifference between them.
 * This can also mean that they both have unrequited feelings for other people, in Ikuno's case Ichigo and in Futoshi's case Kokoro.