ERASED / Boku dake ga Inai Machi

Review By: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: Mystery, Psychological, Drama, Supernatural, Time Travel

First Aired: Winter 2016, 12 episodes

Summary: On the surface, Satoru Fujinuma is an average adult. He’s in his late twenties and works at a pizza place to cover the bills while he tries to make it big as a manga artist. Beneath the surface, Satoru has an ability he calls “Revival” which uncontrollably triggers a time leap to send him back to right before a life-threatening event occurs. Satoru is unaware of why he has this ability and what causes it to trigger, but he knows that when it does he must act immediately to save somebody’s life.

Everything is pretty much under control until a devastating incident causes a “Revival” that sends Satoru back to when he was a young elementary school student, one month before his classmate Kayo went missing. He is compelled to solve the mystery behind the serial kidnappings in his hometown and protect his childhood friends.

Erased is an exciting series that had my attention from the first episode. The mystery and intrigue kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting anxiously for each new episode. The use of time travel was a fascinating aspect of the series. It reminded me of the butterfly effect, which states how small changes in present time can have massive effects on the future. Erased shows how character development changes based on various interactions. The characters were a positive part of the show, another reason to watch.

You might enjoy this if: You are ready to binge-watch an entire season of a show in one sitting. The progression of the series and cliffhangers at the end of some of the episodes will keep you awake until late in the night to finish this anime.

You might not like it if: Dark and gritty content is not for you. The series contains some disturbing deaths that will not sit well with a young or sensitive audience.

Note to the Viewer: Erased is directed by Tomohiko Ito, director of both seasons of Sword Art Online and Silver Spoon. He was also the assistant director for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

ERASED Trailer

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