Every once in a while do we come across a character that is set to show determination and hopeful light. One of the most anticipated anime of the fall of 2021 was Platinum End; an anime associated with the glorious history of Ohba and Obata, the genius creators of hits like Death Note and Bakuman. However, several viewers were met with disappointment as they compare the show with the duo’s previous masterpieces. Platinum End has introduced an interesting set of characters, each of whom has a story to tell. Mirai Kakehashi, the protagonist, has a nice ring of relatable vibes to him at times perhaps which is why researching him was never not fun. He is a rather oddball too at times, which is why a complete Mirai Kakehashi character analysis is much needed to understand the character better.
Platinum End, as aforementioned, is created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The manga was published by Shueisha and later serialized by Weekly Shounen Jump. It revolves around a tournament of God Candidates, the winner of which will become the God of the world. Throughout the story, we are slammed with Mirai’s adamant morals. His no-killing rule made him the odd one out of the several God Candidates who were prepared to kill anyone that crossed their path. While his morals are temptingly pure, viewers have also admitted to having found it a bit annoying.
Is Mirai a good protagonist? Here is a complete Mirai Kakehashi character analysis to help us decide the answer.
Also Read: How Many Episodes Will Platinum End have?
Who is Mirai Kakehashi?
Mirai Kakehashi is the central character of the Platinum End manga and anime series. The character has black hair in the anime but in the source manga, he was illustrated with red hair.
Kakehashi lost his parents and brother as a young child in a car accident. After being targeted towards his uncle and aunt’s cruel treatment, he faces massive depression, which leads him to get suicidal. In high school, he decides to jump from a building and give his life up. But when he attempts suicide, he is surprisingly saved by an angel, named Nasse. Mirai eventually becomes a part of a tournament as a God Candidate amidst 12 other God Candidates. The goal is to eliminate the others and be the last man standing and the reward is to become God.
Mirai’s accompanied angel, Nasse, is a special grade angel. He is granted a pair of wings, red arrows that can make anyone fall in love with him, and white arrows that can instantly kill anyone. However, Mirai depends on the first two more and decides to never use the white arrow since he had a “no-kill” policy. Initially, Mirai is uninterested in the tournament but when he realises that the love of his life, Saki is also a part of it, he is no longer hesitant and becomes determined to protect her.
Mirai Kakehashi is introduced as a timid character, with little to no desire to continue living. All he seeks is happiness. As the plot thickens, we see him get stronger and bolder, prepared to make tough decisions too.
Mirai Kakehashi: Character analysis
Mirai Kakehashi is perhaps one of the most pitiable characters with a history filled with sadness and loss. He depicts the very journey of hopelessness and despair to wanting to expect good things out of life. Despite his shortcomings, Mirai has always been one seeking happiness over everything else: be it power or something as materialistic as money. The first signs of this are seen in the very beginning when Mirai is taken in as a God Candidate by Nasse but he refuses to give in to the temptation of having the power to do whatever he wants. He even explains that despite having the power to kill anyone at an instance, he would not use this power as that is not something that would make him happy.
Instead of creating a buffed, overpowered protagonist, Mirai Kakehashi has been built with relatable elements. He admits to being a coward and being afraid. It reminds us that Mirai is only a high school student and that should be the most normal reaction for any kid who just got admitted into a battle royale unexpectedly.
The very dynamic reason why Mirai Kakehashi makes a very good protagonist is not his personality but his character arc. Sadness is not unfamiliar to anyone. Mirai portrays that very journey of life. He begins off as a gloomy boy in his high school. But as his arc blossoms, he finds reasons to be happy, reasons to stay strong, and reasons to live on. It’s quite satisfying to see a character grow and Platinum End does it beautifully for Mirai.
Unreal Aspects of Mirai Kakehashi
While the idea of morality and rightfulness is embedded in gold, they are also an incredible facade in the world we live in. It’s not that people cannot be moral or rightful, it’s just that they chose not. Lies and deceit have become a way of life. Mirai had high morals, a part of his character that makes him quite unbelievable at times. His “no-kill” policy almost brings humanity to destruction. Wanting to do the right things is not always easy and if it is easy, it is probably not as right as one thinks.
As someone who seeks characters to be bolder, Mirai Kakehashi was not one that met the needs. Through the series, there are several times that the character would make you clench your hair as he chooses to not kill terrible people, who deserve to be killed.
Luckily enough, Mirai grows. He realizes (finally) that he needs to make tough choices, especially after the climax of his battle with Metropoliman. At a certain point, he even agrees to use the white arrow on Dr. Yoneda. Quite surprisingly, he continues to do so until he thinks of Saki, who was held, hostage.
Mirai holds on to his statements through most of the tournaments. It’s admirable but nonetheless unreal. The resolve was undoubtedly inspiring yet at times, I’m sure there were others like me who believe that he should have let go of his belief and seen the bigger picture.
Nevertheless, Mirai Kakehashi is an entertaining character who drives people to be more passionate towards others.
Mirai Kakehashi and Death Note
While both revolve around the concept of supernatural beings, both Death Note and Platinum End have their differences. The former deals with Shinigami (or death reapers) while the latter allies with angels and Gods. Creating a shonen manga is definitely not easy and giving out multiple hits is impossible that Ohba and Obata seem to have succeeded in. Death Note and Platinum End differ hugely when it comes to their protagonist. Light Yagami, despite being a murderous maniac was immensely popular because his moral standpoint, despite being a complete mess, was understandable. He did not have a low moral compass, just a broken one at that.
Coming to Mirai Kakehashi, the protagonist of Platinum End is the exact opposite of Light. He is not a ruthless character and even the idea of killing someone repels him. Although he no way resembles Light Yagami, Mirai Kakehashi is quite similar to Sōichirō Yagami, Light’s father, in several contexts. The two carried high morals, which were similar too. Perhaps it is because we do not have a closer look at Sōichirō Yagami due to the less screen time he received that we often fail to see the resemblance.
Mirai’s change in heart and using the white arrow on Dr. Yoneda also resonates with Sōichirō giving up on his righteous ways and agreeing to kill Mello should the situation ask for it. In the grand scheme of things, people are always met with tough choices and the same can be seen in the case of Mirai and Sōichirō.
Conclusion
Leaning into the character of Mirai Kakehashi we see a lot of things that we see in generic shonen leads. He is strict with his principles and tends to do what’s right instead of something revolutionary. At the same time, he comes off as quite passive and undetermined at times but that is also the most realistic part of him. Mirai Kakehashi is in several ways a very inspiring character that leads us the lamp through the darkness of facing depression.
Where to watch Platinum End?
Platinum End is currently streaming on Hulu, Funimation, and Crunchyroll.
Also Read: Platinum End Manga Ending Explained: A Surprisingly Splendid End