<b>Review of Platinum End - Chapter 2 by Ian Wolf</b>
<strong>WARNING: Contains spoilers. Review for Chapter 1 here.</strong>
<strong>Platinum End © 2015 by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata. SHUEISHA Inc.</strong>
<em>"Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation. The other eight are unimportant." - Henry Miller</em>
Following on from their opening chapter released last month, this new manga from the creators of <em>Death Note</em> delves more into some graphic territory, but whereas in the opening chapter it was mainly violent, here it is sexual.
We return to Mirai Kakehashi, who has been given great powers by an angel named Nasse: he can fly with angelic wings, and shoot red arrows that make anyone fall in love with him for 33 days. In the previous chapter Mirai learned from Nasse that his abusive uncle and aunt killed his family, and his powers resulted in him accidentally killing his aunt. As a result he is having nightmares and flashbacks.
Nasse tries to encourage Mirai to just use his new tools to make himself happy, even if the things she suggests are illegal, but Mirai thinks it is wrong to use them to steal people's things without being caught. Nasse then reveals the contest that is going on in Heaven: that 13 people in the world are being guided by angels, and at the end of 999 days one of them will be picked to replace God. Mirai however just wants a normal life, the life he was not able to lead before. Nasse solution to this shocks Mirai more than any of the others: killing his uncle and cousins using another form of the "Angel's Arrows". While red ones will make people fall in love with you, white ones will kill anyone instantly. Mirai refuses.
Things though start to change when Mirai spots his first rival to become God: a failed comedian named Tonma Rodriguez, who has been using his arrows to make women fall in love with him and have wild sex with them. The fact that the red arrows only work once on a person doesn't stop him, but someone else does…
The main feature in this second chapter is the establishment of both new characters and plot elements. Now we have the death aspect of what makes <em>Platinum End</em> a "Death Game" with the introduction of the lethal white arrows. Apart from Rodriguez, we also have the introduction of another God candidate, a much more sinister man whose name is yet to be revealed. Aside from this, there is a character who has yet to make an appearance aside from in name: Saki Hanakago, Mirai's childhood friend and crush.
Another aspect that clearly stands out is the sex scene in this chapter. Rodriguez doesn't just use his arrows to make women love him, he has a massive orgy in a 4x4 stretch limo with all of women dressed as schoolgirls. Not surprisingly this manga is now pushed up to a "Mature" rating. However, while for many this will be gratuitous, things take a dramatic turn near the end of this sex scene.
Some else worthy of mention is that unlike most print versions of Viz Media's manga, these digital chapters comes with colour illustrations. It is a shame their print titles do not show colour pictures. Presumably there is a cost issue.
This chapter has been entertaining in its own way, but the introduction of the other God candidate at the end of this chapter seems to pave way for greater things to come.
<b>Final score: 9 out of 10</b>
<strong>WARNING: Contains spoilers. Review for Chapter 1 here.</strong>
<strong>Platinum End © 2015 by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata. SHUEISHA Inc.</strong>
<em>"Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation. The other eight are unimportant." - Henry Miller</em>
Following on from their opening chapter released last month, this new manga from the creators of <em>Death Note</em> delves more into some graphic territory, but whereas in the opening chapter it was mainly violent, here it is sexual.
We return to Mirai Kakehashi, who has been given great powers by an angel named Nasse: he can fly with angelic wings, and shoot red arrows that make anyone fall in love with him for 33 days. In the previous chapter Mirai learned from Nasse that his abusive uncle and aunt killed his family, and his powers resulted in him accidentally killing his aunt. As a result he is having nightmares and flashbacks.
Nasse tries to encourage Mirai to just use his new tools to make himself happy, even if the things she suggests are illegal, but Mirai thinks it is wrong to use them to steal people's things without being caught. Nasse then reveals the contest that is going on in Heaven: that 13 people in the world are being guided by angels, and at the end of 999 days one of them will be picked to replace God. Mirai however just wants a normal life, the life he was not able to lead before. Nasse solution to this shocks Mirai more than any of the others: killing his uncle and cousins using another form of the "Angel's Arrows". While red ones will make people fall in love with you, white ones will kill anyone instantly. Mirai refuses.
Things though start to change when Mirai spots his first rival to become God: a failed comedian named Tonma Rodriguez, who has been using his arrows to make women fall in love with him and have wild sex with them. The fact that the red arrows only work once on a person doesn't stop him, but someone else does…
The main feature in this second chapter is the establishment of both new characters and plot elements. Now we have the death aspect of what makes <em>Platinum End</em> a "Death Game" with the introduction of the lethal white arrows. Apart from Rodriguez, we also have the introduction of another God candidate, a much more sinister man whose name is yet to be revealed. Aside from this, there is a character who has yet to make an appearance aside from in name: Saki Hanakago, Mirai's childhood friend and crush.
Another aspect that clearly stands out is the sex scene in this chapter. Rodriguez doesn't just use his arrows to make women love him, he has a massive orgy in a 4x4 stretch limo with all of women dressed as schoolgirls. Not surprisingly this manga is now pushed up to a "Mature" rating. However, while for many this will be gratuitous, things take a dramatic turn near the end of this sex scene.
Some else worthy of mention is that unlike most print versions of Viz Media's manga, these digital chapters comes with colour illustrations. It is a shame their print titles do not show colour pictures. Presumably there is a cost issue.
This chapter has been entertaining in its own way, but the introduction of the other God candidate at the end of this chapter seems to pave way for greater things to come.
<b>Final score: 9 out of 10</b>
