REVIEW: ‘Platinum End,’ Episode 18 – “Last Supper”

Platinum End is a dark fantasy shonen anime produced by Signal.MD. Having made contact with the fifth of the remaining God Candidates, the group brings everyone together to have a preliminary discussion about who they think should be God. But even if the group can reach a consensus, it might not matter if the last candidate can’t be brought on board in Platinum End Episode 18.

After this episode’s opening escape from the authorities by the recently introduced God Candidate Miss Yuri, the episode settles in to be one of its more dialogue-heavy entries. With the group debating who should be God and what that individual should do with their elected power, Platinum End Episode 18 is mildly interesting while largely predictable. All the characters who participate in this discussion behave precisely how one would expect. Even the two newest members of the group speak in a way that always aligns with the limited knowledge we have of them. Unfortunately, this predictability causes the bulk of this episode to feel a bit uninteresting as the viewer watches the discussion play out.

Despite this predictability, the episode still manages to execute what it attempts to do well. Each character behaves naturally, and the moments connect in a smooth flowing way.

The other aspect that makes this episode a bit low impact on the story is that whether or not the final God Candidate will agree is unknown. Since the decision to end the competition early seems to need a unanimous vote, what the final candidate decides could upend the whole process.

The final element of Platinum End Episode 18‘s story is the introduction of that final candidate. Like all the personalities introduced to this series, this one feels like a character who will stand apart from the previous candidates. There is an air of mystery around him; I couldn’t begin to guess how he would interact with the rest of the group. But given the reveal that his angel is the Angel of Destruction, things seem poised to slide out of control again.

Speaking of the newest angel, the visual design for the Angel of Destruction is truly the stuff of nightmares. Looking like something that dropped out of a Guillermo del Toro movie, the visual design of this angel is easily the most striking one yet. This visual appearance instantly puts the viewer at ease with the newcomers to the show. However, I could see the show using such a design to do a bait and switch with the audience where the new candidate’s goals are concerned.

When all is said and done, Platinum End Episode 18 delivers a suitable entry into the series. While it feels a bit slow and dry, the concepts and elements the episode explores feel practical and necessary for the moment. Hopefully, with this setup concluded, the series will come back stronger with its next entry.

Platinum End Episode 18 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.