Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. One of the burning questions of any religion is: what is God like? What does he look like? Why does he do the things he does? The list goes on. Another question that people have always asked: what would happen if I became God? Would the world be better off with you controlling the vastness of the universe or would we all be doomed? It’s a subjective question that only you can answer, but that hasn’t stopped writers from playing this out in their stories such as Platinum End. Released in 2015 and ending 2021, Platinum End was a manga that graced the pages of Jump Square best known for its more mature and action stories. Platinum End went on to have an uneventful run as you didn’t really hear that many people talk about it. After the manga’s conclusion the studio Signal.MD (a subsidiary of IG Port. You know, the same people who own Wit Studio and MAPPA) announced that they would be producing an anime based off the series. At first nobody really cared including myself but when it was discovered that the series was written by Tsugumi Ohba, The Tsugumi Ohba, the same guy who wrote Death Note one of the most popular mangas of all time, everyone was excited in the weeks leading up to the anime’s premiere. Like most people I didn’t read the manga so I was going into this anime blind but excited nonetheless. We all thought we were going to be getting another Death Note for the next generation and today we’re gonna see if this anime delivered on our platinum expectations or left us in a bronze covered dirt pile. This is Platinum End.
Opening and Ending Theme
The opening is “Sense” by Band-Maid. This opening is more epic than I originally thought. The build up at the start gets your attention and then when it finally does drop it takes you on a roller coaster of interest and intrigue. I do like how the opening doesn’t spoil anything for us. If you’ve never read the manga you have know no idea what this series is about and this opening keeps that’s mystery going. You have no idea what you’re getting into. However, that final scene of a boy committing suicide and an angel flying after sticks with you. So many questions are going through your mind.
For the ending we have “kudafukuron” by Yuu Miyashita. Fun fact, I thought he was a female when I heard the song. Imagine my shock when I found out he was a male. He’s got range. The song is good and served as a breakout moment for the artist who developed an underground following at the time of the anime’s release.
Episodes 1-4
The anime starts off with our main character Mirai voiced by Miyu Irino (Sabo from One Piece) who just graduated middle school and has decided to commit suicide. At the age of 7 he lost both of his parents and little brother and was taken in by his uncle and aunt who abused him. He had no friends in school and life was nothing but pain for him. When he jumps off a building he gets saved by an angel (with, dat ass) named Nasse voiced by Yui Ogura (Priestess from Goblin Slayer) who offers to give him hope in the form of two items. Mirai can either choose to have wings which give him the freedom to go wherever he wants or a red arrow which will make anyone love him unconditionally (or you can trade it all in for the mystery box). Mirai asks for both of them and Nesse gives it to him. He summons his wings and flies around the world giving him his first sense of happiness (scene here: https://youtu.be/h2VaLM85L3g?si=4MK2MCjg2CBvaoY-). After flying around, Nesse tells him it was his uncle and aunt who killed his family (I would say I’m surprised but they seem like the kind of people who would do something that low). At first, Mirai doesn’t believe this, so he uses the arrow on his aunt to make her fall in love with him (oh hey, the anime turned into a Bunnywalker hentai) where she confesses to everything. They rigged his parents’ car to explode to get the inheritance money and then took him in to get the insurance money. Filled with anger he says they should have died instead and the aunt kills herself as a means to repent for the person she loves (wow, killed by the power of love). Rather than be happy, Mirai feels terrible as he starts to remember that his mom wanted him to seek a life of happiness, not sadness and anger. Nasse sees his resolve and promises to give him a happy life. Three days go by where Mirai is staying at a hotel for the time being. He hasn’t used his wings to steal even though he could according to Nasse (you know, for such a holy being she sure loves to kill people) and she reveals that he has another arrow called the white arrow which can kill anyone or anything he chooses. Nasse finally reveals to him that he’s in a battle to the death between 12 other people with personal angels where the winner will become God and the angel lives the good life as God’s right-hand angel.
In episode 2 Mirai says he has no intention of becoming God and just wants to live an ordinary happy life. We see another God candidate named Tonma, a D-rank comedian use the red arrow to make women fall for him (well it had to be someone who would abuse that power) get quickly killed by another God candidate. The next day, Mirai sends in his application for high school and intends to study hard to get in and not rely on holy powers. He does use the red arrow to turn his bastard of an uncle into the authorities, manages to get into high school, and finds out about Tonma’s death (no big loss). After turning his uncle in, Mirai gets his parents’ money back and uses it to buy a condo, however, he’s still unhappy (would it kill you to crack a smile? Seriously, you got your uncle arrested, have a condo, an angel, holy powers, and you’re the next God candidate. How are you still sad?). While out shopping for his new place, he sees a bank robbery happening on the news. The robbery gets stopped by another God candidate posing as a hero of justice called Metropoliman and is the star of this Sentai Ranger inspired show (actually, it might be the next season for Sentai Ranger). Metropoliman easily kills the robbers (which he didn’t have to do) and puts all the other God candidates on notice while winning over the masses. Later that night, Mirai tries to quit the battle but Nasse says he can’t. Since Mirai accepted the wings and arrows from Nasse they became his hope to live which means if he gives them back his hope dies and he has no reason to live. The next day he starts high school where he tells Nasse to stay behind so other candidates won’t find him, but that’s going to be tricky as apparently Metropoliman is a student at his school.
At the start of episode 3 Mirai comes face to face with an angel named Revel (scene here: https://youtu.be/YUV4Ylgvyvc?si=mtbfXhc6oYT6jgRO) and to everyone’s shock it’s not Metropoliman’s angel but instead Saki’s angel, a new character who just happens to be Mirai’s childhood friend (which means she’s a love interest). Saki hits Mirai with a red arrow to make him fall madly in love with her (in hindsight I don’t think it was necessary seeing as how he already had the hots for her) and tells him to wait in her room. Mirai complies and flies to her room where she joins him after the school’s opening ceremony and begins to question him. We do discover that Revel isn’t as strong as Nasse meaning Saki doesn’t have access to the white arrow and can’t fly either. Using the power of the red arrow, Mirai shares his wings with Saki and takes her on a flight. After this, Revel manipulates Mirai to go and fight Metropoliman in Saki’s place, but before Mirai can take off Nasse arrives to talk some sense into him (yeah, being in love will make you do stupid things). Nasse returns Mirai to his senses and even Saki stops him from leaving as she doesn’t want to risk him dying. The two sides agree to a truce and decide to work together to take down Metropoliman (who is the biggest threat so far as he’s not afraid to kill). 33 days go by with nothing happening and Metropoliman decides that if threats won’t lure anyone out then maybe talks of peace will. He sends out a public message asking to meet the other candidates face to face at a baseball stadium where it’s obviously a trap. Despite this, Mirai and Saki go to the stadium along with the other candidates and a few citizens who want to spectate (angels in the outfield). When Metropoliman arrives, two more candidates arrive in battlesuits prepared to fight (oh boy, I hope kids aren’t watching).
Episode 4 begins with the other two candidates attacking Metropoliman with a red arrow only to find out that he’s already been shot by a red arrow meaning this Metropoliman is a fake (scene here: https://youtu.be/yB_brbNKVgY?si=0uLP9BTU0VsXocdJ). We do learn a little about the two new candidates named Hatakeyama and Tabuchi. Both are college dropouts who failed their entrance exams and decided to commit suicide together. Before dying they decide to have one night of fun where they met their angels (and thankfully it’s not the alcohol playing tricks on them. . .this time). After receiving their blessings, they both vowed to become God in order to make each other happy. The real Metropoliman finally appears on the jumbotron where they order him to come out but he refuses and takes his leave. Just when Hatakeyama and Tabuchi are about to leave another candidate named Chiyo appears who begs them to form an alliance with her. She was bullied in school and just like Saki has a low tier angel making her easy pickings (okay no offence, but this battle for Godhood seems very unfair. Different tier angels and they either have a white or red arrow. Can’t they all be at the same level and have different abilities?). They agree to let her join them, but she gets shot by Metropoliman and she becomes his hostage. Knowing that strength is numbers, Hatakeyama and Tabuchi beg the other candidates to come out and form an alliance with them to defeat Metropoliman, but they’ll only accept candidates willing to be shot by a red arrow (oh how is that fair?). Mirai and Saki chose to stay hidden, but two more candidates give themselves up and allow themselves to be shot. While everyone was focusing on that, the real Metropoliman switched places with the fake on the field and manages to kill Hatakeyama with a white arrow and shoot Tabuchi with a red arrow (scene here: https://youtu.be/pIV5VPkEK34?si=fn9b5Ty2wS0IqQ6h). It turns out the other two were fakes as well as working under Metropoliman (sometimes the bill is mightier than the arrow). He then kills Tabuchi and threatens to kill Chiyo if the other candidates don’t show themselves (this may sound like an asshole move, but don’t you dare show yourself Mirai).
Episodes 5-8
In episode 5 just when it seems like Mirai is about to jump in, Nasse makes her appearance and stops him from acting. She has a little chat with Metropoliman where she says she looks forward to watching him die (damn, behind that angelic smile is a devil) and telling him no more candidates will appear. Since Chiyo has no purpose to him anymore, he kills her and inherits the wings and arrows of the fallen candidates thus becoming stronger. Everyone leaves and heads home with Mirai and Saki still in shock over what they saw (the same could be said for everyone else at the stadium. Good luck filling up those seats again). Mirai knows he has to kill Metropoliman but doesn’t believe killing will set him on the path to happiness. Saki suggests they get allies and one comes knocking at their door (literally). We get introduced to Nanato a man with terminal cancer who also has a wife and a child. Because of his cancer he knows he doesn’t have long to live so he decided to use his time the best he could. First off, he used his red arrow to get money and keep his family financially secured and then he decided to meet the other candidates and see which one was fit to be God. He has decided that Mirai and Saki are worthy to be God, but neither of them want the title (what decent human being would?). However, they all agree that Metropliman must not be allowed to win (yes, he will fuck this world up). Mirai agrees to form an alliance with him on the condition he continue his treatments as he doesn’t want him to give up on life and leave his family behind. Nanato agrees and the alliance is formed. The next day at school, we find out Metropliman’s true identity, Kanade, grandson of the school’s principal. We actually do see that behind his malicious actions, he actually has a noble reason to become God. He wants to bring back his little sister (the means don’t justify the ends).
Kanade has laid down a new trap for the God candidates in episode 6. Using a red arrow on a serial killer named Mimimi, he gives her a red arrow and wings so that she can go out and kill people. Kanade hopes that by doing this he can lure out the remaining candidates who will most likely show up to stop her. From there the rest of the episode does its best to make you hate Mirai as Nanato says they have to kill Mimimi as well as Kanade, but Mirai thinks it’s wrong to kill people and won’t do it (dude, fuck that. You’re in a death battle to decide who God is. Get over yourself and start killing before you lose something precious to you because of your bullshit morals). When Mimimi appears on top of a tower, Mirai and Nanato go to face her. Nanato will act as bait and lure out Kanade and Mirai will shoot him with a red arrow when he appears (you better pull out that white arrow and shoot him in the head. Big baby). Anyway, as soon as Nanato lands on the tower to talk to Mimimi it explodes to end the episode.
Episode 7 is a good episode (even if there’s not a whole lot to breakdown). By some miracle Nanato survives the explosion and he along with Mirai get discovered by Kanade. After threatening to set off another bomb, Nanato and Mirai agree to let him kill one of them. After tricking Kanade into believing Nanato has a special rank angel, Kanade targets him, but Mirai protects him with his red arrow (who knew he had it in him). This then leads to a surprisingly good fight between Mirai and Kanade where Mirai defends himself against Kanade’s attacks by using the red arrow as a sword and going all out (it’s not disciplined fighting its more of a kid spinning his arms around wildly and hoping for the best). Nanato finally has an opening and shoots Kanade from behind in the head to give Mirai an opening but he hesitates and this allows Kanade to escape (scene here: https://youtu.be/w-1ZDH-bJS4?si=abjW3rz1Q3IYGVYk). While this is a hollow victory for Mirai and the others, Kanade sees this as a major defeat (the man’s a perfectionist. Anything outside of absolute victory is a loss to him).
In episode 8 we focus on Saki. We see how she joined in the bullying of Mirai back in middle school despite making the promise that she would always be his friend (she lied). After graduation she wanted to apologize to him directly, but she saw him jump off the roof to his death (well at least somebody noticed). Overflowing with guilt, Saki decided to take her own life as well before Revel saved her and made her a God candidate. Once Saki found out Mirai was also a candidate she was overjoyed but her guilt from the past still haunted her and now she feels the only way she can make up for it is allow Mirai to kill her (wow killing the girl you love. That’ll mess you up). Mirai takes Saki into the night sky where he gives her the option to let go of his hand if she really wants to die (yeah if you want to go out like a bitch you do it yourself. Don’t go asking anyone else to get their hands dirty). Saki of course can’t let go as she still wants to live and apologizes profusely. The next day Saki changes for the better. She’s more upbeat, helping out more, participating in the conversations, and even uses her red arrow to make her parents agree to let her live on her own (yeah I was kinda wondering about the parents this whole time). Revel also swallows his pride and asks the others on how to get promoted.
Episodes 9-14
We get introduced to a new God candidate named Hajime in episode 9. In the past Hajime was looked down on because, he ugly (in their defense he was a really ugly child. I know it’s wrong to say that but it’s true. That was one ugly baby). Just when he was about to commit suicide, an angel named Balta came into his life and made him a God candidate. Using his red arrow he stole money to get plastic surgery done and transform his face into a Jojo character. Still, despite having a beautiful face, he lacked the one thing that matters, confidence (https://youtu.be/HQwxUAF_YCQ). He was a huge fan of Kanade despite his cruelness and when he saw the battle he had in episode 7 he vowed to get revenge on Mirai and Nanato. He finds out Kanade’s identity and approaches him where he wants to be his servant. Kanade had reservations but decides to use the idiot to his advantage. Hajime is able to track down and capture Nanato’s family and uses them as bait to lure out Nanato and the others (scene here: https://youtu.be/SqvO0NyMq2g?si=irhtrSqCJt4nfYUK). While this is going on, Revel spends his time absorbing heavenly knowledge in a bid to get promoted.
In episode 10 Nanato and Mirai arrive at the abandoned park to rescue Nanato’s family. Nanato quickly falls into the trap leaving Mirai to fight Kanade and Hajime (one’s a psycho the other’s a madman. It’s like deciding which poison you want to drink). In order to buy themselves some time, Mirai locks himself in the room with Nanato and his family and they both begin flying around trying to come up with some way to escape. Kanade leaves and puts Hajime in charge of watching them where he struggles to understand what is love (no, I’m not using that meme). Apparently, they were in there for a while as Saki grows worried and starts to revert back to her depressing self with Revel feeling so bad that he cries and this allows him to get promoted. By coming to understand human emotions he has become the angel of emotions. Saki and Revel fly off to the amusement park where she hits Hajime with a red arrow. Hajime tries to fight against the red arrow but Saki uses her charms to win him over (scene here: https://youtu.be/as-KaPHA5ec?si=Zf07QJ0ZadgZyD7f).
Saki’s charms finally manage to win over Hajime in episode 11 and he frees the others. Once Kanade sees this he’s pissed and brings brainwashed followers with him to the theme park to fight and settle this once and for all. Kanade allows Nanato to get his family to safety before they fight (that’s actually noble of him. Too bad he’s a psycho with a little sister complex). Once Nanato’s family is at a safe area and they each shoot each other with red arrows to keep themselves safe, the fight begins. They take down the first of Kanade’s followers who is a former military officer by chopping his arms off. However, they find themselves standing still when facing a crazy female doctor who gets off at the thought of killing millions of people with her viruses (she would totally rape Covid if it was a person). She threatens to release an airborne virus that’ll kill millions of people unless the others agree to be her guinea pigs and test out her new drug which melts people.
So episode 12 starts off where we left. Not wanting the virus to be released, Mirai is forced to be the first guinea pig where just when he’s about to get shot he stops the crazy doctor and she gets ready to release the virus only for Mirai to stab the virus with a white arrow and destroy it. Since the virus never left its container, it was never released and thus humanity is safe (okay, I’m not gonna lie. That was a smart and badass move on Mirai’s part). However, the wimpy MC returns when he can’t finish the job and stab the doctor (are you fucking kidding me? She just threatened to release a deadly virus on the world. Kill her). After needless stalling Kanade fires a white arrow at Mirai while the doctor fires syringes containing the drug at him. Saki decides to use her body to protect him only for Hajime to save her and kill the doctor. He unfortunately does get hit with a syringe and starts to melt (at least he went out on a badass note). Saki inherits his red arrow as he gets taken to Heaven. The last of Kanade’s followers who is a kid runs away so now it’s down to Kanade and Mirai (is it wrong to say I’m rooting for Kanade to win? If you’re not going to kill him can you least chop off his arms and legs or paralyze him?).
In episode 13 with Mirai and Kanade having a shootout against each other with their arrows. During their shootout we discover that Kanade’s little sister is named Rea who he was obsessed with (so he’s a siscon. Had a feeling something was off about him). He wasn’t in love with her per se, but rather he considered her the purest thing in the world that needed to be protected at all costs, and anything born in poverty is ugly and doesn’t have a place in the world. When Rea told Kanade that a boy confessed to her and how she’s considering dating him, Kanade just snapped. He accidently pushes her off a platform where she suffers a concussion. At first, Kanade was going to call for help but then realized that if she were to die now she would be forever young, beautiful and untainted by the world (just like a Barbie doll). So Kanade let Rea die and put her body on cold sleep so that he could admire her forever. However, he couldn’t help but wish she was still alive and decided to take his life, but was stopped by the appearance of an angel who selected him to be a God candidate (what exactly is the criteria for a God candidate? I mean the guy practically wants to rape his sister. How is he not going to Hell for that?). Someone starts streaming their fight where Kanade says what he really feels about the world (basically Purge ideology) and some are all for it (you do realize he’s insulting you and wishes you were dead) while others are turned off by it.
So not much happens in episode 14. With the help of Saki, Mirai is able to bind and blind Kanade which allows Nanato to use the last of his strength to fill Kanade’s body with holes (well Nanato got to fulfill his wish. Now he can die happy). After this, Nanato sadly passes away and Kanade gets taken by his angel (really? The angels came for this asshole? Scene here: https://youtu.be/5sjf-oy0Zmc?si=_pEKrOIKDj5Tfltm).
And that ends the first half of Platinum End. Join me again next week as we review the second half. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.