English Dub Review: Platinum End: “Two Painful Options”

Overview: Mirai (Alejandro Saab), Saki (Laura Post) and Nanato discuss and strategize how to take down Metropoliman’s newest subordinate in that of the sadistic murderer, Girl A. 

Our Take: Demonstrating his dominance, Metropoliman puts a new chess piece of his on the table in that of the psychopath serial killer known as Girl A. The concept of her is nothing too terribly original in being a creature desiring the purest sensations from underage girls both sexually and violently. However, that matters little when she is executed so well in being so deadly menacing in how demented she is, from how nonchalantly she treats death to how much she takes pleasure in it making her an eerie sight to behold. 

The news of the heinous murders Girl A conducts eventually reaches the ears of Mirai, Saki and Nanato. What it instills upon Mirai, similarly to our new villainess, isn’t very unique in concept and, unfortunately, unlike her, not implemented well either. Mirai’s moral compass started off decent, albeit broad, for it’s relatable kind simplicity. Now when faced with a life or death situation in taking down Girl A, rather than tackle the issue in a personal way that is sensible and or any distinctive way identifying to him, he runs the risk of becoming every other self-righteous stale white bread character that abstains from killing. Nanato acts as the mature voice of reason, often forcing him to come to terms with what is necessary for the greater good, making for a great dynamic between the two. Saki, unfortunately, is starting to feel inconsequential to the narrative as a whole by contributing next to nothing other than harrowing looks and being consistently mute. The character designs and animation don’t get much of a leg up either, often looking crude and/or minimal, even when not much action is in the forefront. Hopefully as Nanato confronts Girl A in an explosive standoff, both literally and figuratively, it will begin to liven up the visuals and characters along with it.