REVIEW: ‘Platinum End,’ Episode 15 – “Diffused Power”

Platinum End is a dark fantasy shonen anime produced by Signal.MD. With both Metropoliman and Nanato dead, Mirai and Saki take a moment to catch their breath. However, other god candidates are on the move and the game to determine the next divinity is about to change in Platinum End Episode 15.

With so much of the show’s previous plot getting wrapped up in the last episode, it is only natural for much of this week’s entry to be dedicated to seeing our core characters react to, and attempt to move on from, the devastating loss for their friend Nanato. This process would be hard enough under normal circumstances but is further complicated by the fact that Saki is still under the influence of Mirai’s red arrow. This leaves Mirai doubting things Saki says as he cannot be certain if it is her or the red arrow talking.

Despite the uncertainty that Mirai feels about Saki’s current state of mind, Platinum End Episode 15 does a great job of establishing just how sincere she is toward Mirai. One simply needs to look at how less authentic emotions brought out by the red arrows in previous examples have been to tell that what Saki says is real. The arrow just seems to be giving her the push she needs to express herself. Though why Mirai’s fragile mental state is not capable of seeing this is understandable.

Serving as the midway point of its narrative, Platinum End Episode 15 leaves our main protagonists briefly to see a meeting of the remaining angels. With half the God Candidates eliminated, the angels gather to take stock of the situation. Here we see the remaining three angels that have not yet been shown, as well as get initial impressions of some of the remaining candidates. And for anyone who may recall my previous wondering about whether any angel designs may be odder than Revel’s wings coming off of his butt, well, there are definitely a couple here that are a sight odder than him.

The closing section of this episode takes the story in a new and unexpected direction. I won’t spoil the big surprise, but it has massive ramifications on how the rest of this season will play out. I’m curious to see exactly how next week’s episode will follow up on this week’s big finish.

This week’s visual presentation was the usual standard that the show has established, along with some noteworthy details that stood out to me. The biggest of these was our heroes’ injuries from last week’s fight. While anime often utilize things like bandages and other visual cues to signify injury, more often than not the character fails to exhibit any signs of hurt themselves. It’s as if the bandages are applied simply for show. In Platinum End Episode 15 the damage to Mirai and Saki is crystal clear. Eyes are swollen, cheeks are discolored, and movements by the duo in general also feel stunted as their sore bodies fail to respond with their normal fluidity.

When all is said and done, Platinum End Episode 15 delivers a strong aftermath episode that both explores the ramifications of the previous episode’s battle, while also getting the series headed toward its next storyline.

Platinum End Episode 15 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.