Platinum End episode 16 thrusts Mirai and friends into the craziness of the world’s hunt for God candidates once again. A mysterious new set of allies reveals themselves, and Mirai has to decide whether or not they can be trusted. Let’s look at the episode’s key talking points in a spoiler-filled discussion.
Something commendable about Platinum End episode 16 is the way that it has taken the powers the God candidates have and created a believable reaction to them in the world the show takes place in. There’s a growing tension surrounding the powerful people of the world, and these candidates are now viewed as the greatest weapons humanity has access to. It’s mentioned that in a way, having a God candidate on your side would make nuclear weapons obsolete, as these candidates effectively serve as flawless assassins.
This felt like a very natural way to view these candidates, should they come to exist in our world. This also effectively sets the stakes quite high for Mirai and his friends. As is mentioned later in the episode, any nation wouldn’t hesitate to torture and brainwash the candidates to effectively make them tools of mass destruction. It’s a cruel fate to fall into and creates a source of tension in the show.
All in all, this is a pretty good concept to introduce for the story. It spices things up while making the world feel just a bit more concrete.
Platinum End episode 16 gives a proper introduction to two characters that viewers have only seen in fleeting moments thus far. Yumiki and Hoshi, an engaged couple working as detectives, approaches Mirai and Saki out of interest in protecting them. They reveal that they have taken the God candidate announcement far more seriously than others, and have managed to deduce that the two are among these candidates.
Though the two seem quite sketchy, Mirai and Saki eventually come to trust them. Yumiki and Hoshi explain that they would want to gather all the God candidates in order to protect them from nations that would want to take advantage of the powers they have. Furthermore, they would also like to have Mirai and Saki’s help to do this.
There’s still an element of mystery surrounding these two new characters. What they really want is still a bit unclear, and they could very easily end up betraying Mirai. However, they could also just as easily end up being trustworthy comrades to them. Either way, they’re interesting additions to the cast of Platinum End. And, as virtual outsiders to the world of angels, they provide an interesting perspective to the show moving forward.
The ending of Platinum End episode 16 reveals that one of the God candidates has been captured already. This doesn’t bode well for the cast, as the clock they’re working against has effectively been started early. This sets off the urgency in the show to find the remaining God candidates. Together with the detectives, Mirai and Saki prepare to take action to find everyone who’s left.
It’s quite exciting knowing that we’re going to get to meet the rest of the candidates moving forward. With a ticking clock to race against, there’s an element of excitement imbued into the story too. As we approach the final quarter of the show’s story, we’re right where we want to be in terms of thrill and excitement. Who knows what lies ahead moving forward?
Platinum End is streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation. Episode 17 will air on February 4th, 2022.
© Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha, Platinum End Production Committee