English Dub Review: Platinum End: “Your Own Worth”

Overview: Saki (Laura Post) manages to rescue Mirai (Alejandro Saab) and Nanato as Hajime joins their side to fight against Metropoliman (Griffin Burns) and his fellow god candidates who are loyal to him. 

Our Take: If this episode proves anything, it is that I was indeed correct in assuming that the only possible entertainment value Hajime provides is acting like that of an infatuated idiot for Saki. His melodramatic realization of “love” and excessive comical doting makes him more ridiculously fun than he ever has been up to this point. Could one say that it translates into an absurdly fast motivational transition that is ill-founded? Absolutely. However, it almost feels as if that was intentional just to highlight how gullible and desperate of a character he is. So, for now, it remains to be seen if that’s true in how Hajime will react in the aftermath of his newly formed partnership, especially if he should be rejected by Saki. While Hajime’s development into becoming an ally with Saki, Nanato and Mirai while siding against Kanade’s warped sensibilities is questionable, it, at the very least, makes him more likable on account of his understanding something resembling virtue.  

The plot finally begins to chug along at a quicker pace as a no holds barred battle Metropoliman finally takes place. With him he brings some new lackeys in that of sadistic nurse with a poison fetish and gun-crazed military maniac and unfortunately, don’t give the best initial impression with their character often being reduced to their gimmick, with them constantly explaining it in the hopes we will eventually find them imposing.

With Saki, Mirai and Nanato shooting each other with red arrows to avoid being controlled, it nicely shows not only their commitment to the coming conflict but also the severity of it and the consequences it could bring thereafter. The animation with action in mind has ever so slightly improved with motion being a bit more fluid. Although, the speed of takes is also a contributing factor and the movement is still stiff as a whole with the overall product being a lackluster one. With an ultimatum given of Mirai and the gang being killed or millions of people dying, although the endgame of defeating Kanade is absolute, it is the moral and emotional struggle that will make Saki, Nanato and Mirai’s handling of the situation interesting moving forward.