Platinum End episode 7 feels like the straw that breaks the camel’s back in some ways. The show has always had something “off” about it. It’s in this episode that one of the show’s biggest problems rears its ugly head. Its protagonist, Mirai Kakehashi, remains insufferable and infuriating, ultimately dragging the show down in one of its worst episodes to date. Let’s look at what went on here in a spoiler-filled discussion.
Platinum End episode 7 sees Mirai faced with a tough decision. With Nanato having survived the explosion, the two now face a Metropoliman who is ready to kill them. With some quick thinking, Nanato is able to create a plan that sees the opportunity arise for Mirai to shoot Metropoliman. Seeing this golden opportunity, there’s only one thing that Mirai was ever going to do.
That’s right. He doesn’t shoot Metropoliman. He instead opts to attack him in some bizarre manner that allows Metropoliman to weave in and out of his attacks. Despite knowing what’s on the line, he chooses this absolutely moronic method of combat. While the animation for this fight was quite above par for the series, the same can’t be said for the moment itself. It’s absolutely ridiculous and spits in the faces of viewers suspending their disbelief.
It feels exhausting having to root for Mirai as a protagonist. Over the series, he’s grown whinier and more annoying. It all really comes to a head here in this episode. Making your main protagonist so incompetent is the fastest way for them to lose the audience’s sympathy. That can’t be more true for Mirai in this episode.
A big part of Mirai’s incompetence stems from this code that he adheres to. Throughout the series, the show’s been abundantly clear that Mirai is someone who values life. In a nutshell, that’s what Mirai boils down to. He’s someone who doesn’t want people to die.
Throughout mainstream media, there have been a lot of characters who share this trait. To name a few, there’s Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tanjiro from Demon Slayer, and Batman. However, what distinguishes these characters from Mirai is the fact that they acknowledge the consequences of adhering to this code. They know it’s easier to resort to death, but through their perseverance find a way to uphold their beliefs.
On paper, Mirai is the same. However, his dedication to valuing life comes off as so incredibly naïve. His view on the matter is so narrow-minded, and it’s so incredibly stupid seeing the lengths he’ll go to justify his incompetence through his beliefs. For example, he doesn’t want to kill Metropoliman because life is sacred, but he doesn’t even consider how many lives Metropoliman has taken and how many more will die because of his actions.
All in all, Mirai’s code is dumb and ridiculous, no matter how much the show tries to pretend it isn’t.
The problems that surround Mirai seem to stem from some rather poor writing over the show’s run. As was mentioned earlier, there are many other characters who can value life the way Mirai does without it being stupid or naïve. However, the cracks in the show’s writing appear even beyond its protagonist.
For example, Saki, who is one of the show’s more prominent side characters, has no characterization up until this point. She’s a bland husk of a person, who contributes nothing to the show’s plot. Honestly, she and Mirai deserve each other; no other pair could be as incompetent as the two combined.
And then there are little things scattered throughout the show. The angels making new discoveries about the powers of the wings and arrows multiple episodes in a row feels really stupid. They’re literally the ones granting these powers, why are they so unfamiliar with how they work? There’s also an air of edginess in the show that feels so contrived. It can be seen at the end of this episode, where Mirai stands in the middle of a crowded area, hood on, watching Saki from afar.
Overall, this was a bit of a dud episode. I imagine this is where many people will drop the show, and no one can be blamed for doing so. Sure, there’s a good amount of episodes to turn this around. But the way things are going, it looks like it’s gonna need to do a lot to rebuild its reputation in many viewers’ eyes.
Platinum End is streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation! Episode 8 will air on November 26th, 2021.
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