REVIEW: ‘Platinum End,’ Episode 23 – “At the End of Thought”

Content Warning: Platinum End Episode 23 deals with themes of suicide.

Platinum End is a dark fantasy anime produced by Signal.MD. As Mirai prepares to be struck down by Yoneda’s white arrow, a last-minute intervention spares his life. But this action will send the struggle into some unexpected places in Platinum End Episode 23.

This will have to be one of my most obtuse reviews ever, as there is virtually no aspect of this episode that doesn’t fall firmly into the realm of spoiler territory. What transpires delivers a wonderful mix of surprises, emotion, and a conclusion to the competition that the series has revolved around.

While last week’s entry brought much of the series’ weakest aspects to the foreground, Platinum End Episode 23 happily goes in the complete opposite direction. Highlighting the show’s best qualities, this episode brings the show’s philosophy into play while not becoming overwhelmed with long-winded debates and delivering great character moments, allowing the cast to shine, each in their own way, bringing them to a satisfying place as the competition wraps up.

But while Platinum End Episode 23 gives everyone their own time, the true stars of this episode are Mirai, Sakai, and Nasse. Despite how the cast grew over the last 23 episodes, Mirai never stopped being the lynchpin of this show’s story. As such, its only fitting that he and the two closest to him should shine the brightest in this episode.

While I hoped that some of the more key Angels in this series might find themselves with some measure of personal growth during this series, that largely did not come to pass. Aside from one particular episode, the creatures who have guided the candidates throughout the competition have reminded largely stagnant from a character perspective. Happily, the sometimes disturbingly cheery Nasse gets some huge moments in this episode as she takes actions that alter the course of Mirai’s fortunes. As her only wish in all of this was to see Mirai happy, her actions are not motivational surprising, though the ramifications of them are.

Sakia’s presence throughout this episode provides the character with one last opportunity to shine both as Mirai’s love interest and as herself. We see Sakai take the initiative while being held hostage and use her deductive reasoning and attentiveness to help resolve her situation. I can’t believe the shy young woman we met all those episodes ago would’ve dared to confront a dangerous situation with all the calm and clear-headedness she presents here. You love to see it.

The visuals in Platinum End Episode 23 deliver some breathtaking moments. There is one moment in particular that looks like it was lifted right out of a Renneassince Era painting. This energy goes perfectly with the show’s atmosphere, driving home the themes of life, spirituality, and love. These key moments are augmented through the visuals at every turn.

When all is said and done, Platinum End Episode 23 delivers a surprisingly satisfying conclusion to the show’s main struggle. With one last episode to go, I look forward to seeing how the show wraps up its character arcs now that the main story is complete.

Platinum End Episode 23 is streaming on Crunchyroll.