Platinum End: Volume 7 manga review

Platinum End Graphic Novel Volume 7 cover image

He is an orphan who is just tired of living, so Mirai Kakehashi attempts suicide by jumping from the roof of a building.  Instead of dying, Mirai is saved by an angel named “Nasse.”  Through her, Mirai learns that 13 humans have been chosen as candidates to replace God.  Each candidate has a guardian angel, and Nasse is Mirai's.  But one “God” candidate, Metropoliman, is hunting the other candidates.

As Platinum End, Vol. 7 (Chapters 20 to 23) opens, Mirai struggles with Metropoliman's ally, Kohinata, in order to keep her from releasing syringes of a killer virus.  After the struggle, Metropoliman makes Mirai an offer, a duel against him.  Mirai's “red arrow” of control against Metropoliman's “white arrow” of death.  How will Mirai fight against a killer when he himself does not want to kill?  Plus, the origin of Kanade Uryu a.k.a. “Metropoliman,” the God candidate the public believes is a superhero, is revealed.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Platinum End manga is “another bad creation” (get the 1990s R&B reference?) from the mangaka duo of writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata.  Like their previous manga, the controversial Death Note and the illuminating industry insider manga, Bakuman。, Platinum End is eclectic.

Platinum End Graphic Novel Volume 7 is dark and edgy, probably the darkest and edgiest volume at this point in the series.  I really enjoyed how Ohba brought out more elements of Mirai's perplexing personality.  Ohba reveals how depraved and sick Kanade Uryu is, while also presenting, in Uryu, a philosophical argument that currently reigns so strongly in certain right wing circles in our own world.  All of it is presented clearly via Stephen Paul's translation.

Vol. 7 is timely, and guess what, dear readers.  A cartoon version of U.S. President Donald Trump makes an appearance.  Takeshi Obata draws so beautifully that even he cannot help but make Donald Trump look younger and less like the orange-faced, geriatric gargoyle he is.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for good comic books will want to read Ohba and Obata's latest “Shonen Jump” title, Platinum End.

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8.5 out of 10