Platinum End – Episode 1-9 Impressions

I’m a huge fan of Death Note so naturally, I had to check out Platinum End.

Platinum End is a killing game in which the winner becomes the god of the world. Mirai Kakehashi is granted wings and red arrows that make people fall in love with him. He learns that his childhood friend and crush, Saki Hanakago, is also a god candidate. Things become complicated when a god candidate that goes by the name of Metropoliman begins killing other god candidates. Kakehashi and Hanakago team up with another god candidate, and they try to stop Metropoliman.

I didn’t go in thinking that Platinum End would be on the same level of greatness as Death Note. After all, it seems too difficult to make something at the same high standard. However, I couldn’t help but compare Mirai Kakehashi with Light Yagami of Death Note. Although I was not a Kira supporter, I prefer Light Yagami over Mirai Kakehashi any day. They are opposites. If anything, I felt frustrated watching Kakehashi’s behaviours and words in the show. He has no backbone, and he doesn’t act when he needs to. Does he want to stop Metropoliman or not!? I may be a bit harsh, but I also don’t understand his logic. He rushes in to stop Metropoliman, but then he hesitates in the crucial moments.

Hanakago does not stand out at all. She’s also unhelpful in stopping Metropoliman. I thought she had changed in episode 9. I was excited (even though I thought it was an unbelievable and dramatic change) but perhaps I was wrong.

The events in Platinum End are random. The characters have no plan when they try to stop the villain. Metropoliman, on the other hand, is intelligent. I can think of a long list of characters from other shows that can do a better job than Kakehashi and his group.

The characters feel so unbalanced. I’ve written about intelligence and ambition, but even the characters’ appearances seem so unbalanced. Kakehashi and Hanakago look so plain compared to Kanade Uryu (Metropoliman). Even the other villains so far have more eye-catching designs (e.g., Mimimi Yamada, Hajime Sokotani).

I’ve been complaining a lot. I don’t think I’m being nitpicky, though. I really enjoyed a certain episode, as it was exciting and intense. However, I finished episode 9 and have yet to experience that again.

The question is whether to continue this series or not. There are 24 episodes, so we haven’t reached the halfway mark yet. At this point, I’m reluctant to recommend this anime.

For those of you who are watching this show, what do you think?

Day 15: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 15: What would you do if you got a Death Note?

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I’ve actually thought about this question before. Let’s start from what I thought when I was younger (childhood and adolescent years).

When I was younger, I thought that I would keep a Death Note if the shinigami cared about you. For example, the way Rem cared about Misa and even gave up her life to save Misa. Lots of anime protagonists have companions (i.e. Sailor Moon, Hikaru no Go, Shaman King, Cardcaptor Sakura, Shugo Chara, Full Moon o Sagashite). I saw it as the same thing but only if the shinigami cared about you. After all, they are gods of death. I wouldn’t want a menacing shinigami to follow me everywhere. I would not write in it though.

At the time, I thought that a Death Note would be useful for self-defence. I think differently now. What are the chances of actually needing it? Furthermore, you would have to 1) recognize that you’re in danger and be certain of it, 2) have enough time to write down their name, and 3) know their face and name (assuming you don’t have the shinigami eyes). I don’t think we need one for that reason.

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If I picked up a Death Note today, I would give it up. If possible, I think I would destroy it because we don’t need such a destructive weapon in the world. No good follows those who use them.

Take Minoru Tanaka from the Special One-Spot from this year. (You can read my review here). He didn’t have a grand vision like Light did. He was more selfish, like most of us. He was smart enough and succeeded in earning a lot of money by selling the Death Note. He was never caught and his memories of the Death Note were erased. Spoiler alert: He meets a bitter end.

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That’s a wrap! I actually blogged for 15 days in a row. Next month, I’ll be participating in Inktober. We’ll see how far I go with that. As always, thanks for reading.

Day 14: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 14: Favourite Theme

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Favourite OP

the WORLD – Nightmare

This song used was my ringtone for years. I’ve only had two ringtones. My current one is Next to You (Parasyte).

Favourite ED

Alumina – Nightmare

Favourite Character Theme Song

L’s Theme (A)

Favourite Instrumental Song

Boredom (Taikutsu)

I think that Death Note has one of the best anime soundtracks.

I watched Death Note when I was around 11 years old. I’m turning 24 next month. In a way, this blogging challenge is nostalgic for me. Death Note is that memorable, and that includes the music.

Day 13: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 13: Favourite L Tactic

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My favourite L tactic is also my favourite scene of L’s (Day 2). You can read it here.

It’s the scene where L tricked Light into revealing that 1) Kira exists, 2) he does not need to be present in order to kill, and 3) he lives in the Kanto region of Japan.

Day 12: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 12: Favourite Kira Tactic

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My favourite Kira tactic is when Light hid the Death Note.

Let’s say you obtained a Death Note AND you decided to use it. You would need to hide it, right? It’s not realistic to keep it on you at all times. How would you hide it? You can’t just stuff it in your drawer. I mean, you could but that wouldn’t be very smart of you.

Light made a false-bottomed drawer… and put an ordinary diary there. The real Death Note was under the false-bottomed drawer. It’s not hard to figure out there’s a false bottom. But would you expect there to be a false bottom under the false bottom? That’s not all. The best part is that if you realize it and use force to get the second notebook, it’ll go up in flames. If that happens, you’ll see the remains of a notebook. You wouldn’t know it was a Death Note. Light even thought of how to explain it.

There’s a certain way to get the Death Note and you need to use a part from an ink pen. Do you see how smart Light is?

Day 11: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 11: Favourite Police / FBI Agent

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Stephen Gevanni. He is a member of the SPK that works for Near.

I wrote about him in Day 10.

Day 10: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 10: Kiss, Marry, Kill

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Kiss L Lawliet

Marry Stephen Gevanni

Gevanni is highly underrated. He’s one of my favourite characters.

For those who don’t remember, Gevanni worked for Near. He was the one who replicated the Death Note in one night. Without him, Near probably would not have succeeded.

Gevanni is incredibly talented. He was asked to join Near because of his skills. If he was a character in Danganronpa and younger, I think he would be an Ultimate student.

Kill no one

This is a lose-lose type of question. If I say a name, some people might think that I’m violent or whatever. If I don’t say a name, some people might think that I’m no fun.

Although there’s a handful of characters I don’t like, there isn’t a character I would want to kill. If anything, Kira is the evilest. Funnily enough, Light is also my favourite character (Day 1). Villains are essential to the plot.

Death Note – Misa Amane Cosplay

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Day 9: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 9: Favourite L Quote

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I am a bit late but it’s still Day 9 for me since I haven’t slept yet…

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There are many types of monsters that scare me: Monsters who cause trouble without showing themselves, monsters who abduct children, monsters who devour dreams, monsters who suck blood… and then, monsters who tell nothing but lies. Lying monsters are a real nuisance: They are much more cunning than others. They pose as humans even though they have no understanding of the human heart; they eat even though they’ve never experienced hunger; they study even though they have no interest in academics; they seek friendship even though they do not know how to love. If I were to encounter such monsters, I would likely be eaten by them… because in truth, I am that monster.” – L Lawliet

I thought about this quote a lot some years ago. Which one is more terrifying – an evil person who shows their true colours or an evil person who hides behind a mask? I think it’s the latter.

What kind of “monster” devours dreams? Is it society as a whole? Could it be a close-minded parent?

RE: “they study even though they have no interest.” I think this is quite common.

There’s a lot to unpack here. But the thing that strikes me the most is the last part:

“because in truth, I am that monster.”

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Judging by this quote, I don’t think that being a monster is a bad thing. Isn’t it just being a human?

From what L is saying, I am a monster. I don’t see anything wrong with this… but maybe I am proving his point.

Day 8: 15 Days of Death Note Challenge

This challenge is from Ryuugi’s Tatsuya’s Anime Corner.

Day 8: Favourite Light Quote

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Surprisingly, I don’t really have a favourite quote by Light. This one is not bad:

You can’t ever win if you’re always on the defensive. To win, you have to attack.” – Light Yagami

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One of the games I’m playing is Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward. You play Prisoner’s Dilemma in the game, where you choose “Ally” or “Betray.” It seems that choosing “Betray” often leads to the better outcome. Some food for thought.

This quote makes me think of the survival of the fittest. I’ve talked about this topic a few times. If you’re interested, here are a couple of posts:

Song Interpretation: 薛之謙 Joker Xue – 動物世界 Animal World

Parasyte Episode 14: The Selfish Gene