“Erased”
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi
Genre: Sci-fi Detective
Where can I watch it? Crunchyroll and Hulu
What's it about?
Erased is a story about ,Satoru, a struggling 29 year old who works two jobs and doesn’t really feel like he’s doing anything worthwhile in life. He experiences things called “Revivals” which allow him to jump back in time to prevent something bad from happening, this usually only happens in short bursts. However the entire series revolves around him having to go back nearly twenty years to stop a chain of events that result in the murder of someone dear to him.
Satoru has the mind of his 29 year old self but is stuck in his elementary school body and must work to discover not only the identity of the serial killer but foil his plans.
Turned into an anime by A-1 Studios they have a long history of some really good quality animation and they deliver again. They are the same folks responsible for animes like Fairy Tale, Black Butler, Sword Art Online, and Magi. Love or hate the animes in question they have pretty much set industry standards and I like the direction if Erased is a guide.
What I liked
The story writing is solid and while I had the main villain's identity pegged from like episode 2 of the 12 episode series it was good. Character’s are really developed and no one feels disposable. The dialogue all feels pretty natural and flows well. The soundtrack while definitely no “Your Lie in April” was on point and never felt bland.
Trigger Warning: This anime depicts and addresses the issue of child abuse head on. They are tasteful but appear several times as it is a major plot point. Several episodes deal directly with this issue. I think this is one of the strongest points of the anime as it addresses the issue in a way I rarely see in anime. However it's there and I know it's a possible issue that certain viewers may wish to avoid.
What I didn’t like
Some of his child friends were way too mature. His friend Kenya for example was way too level headed and analytical for his age. Which is honestly my biggest complaint with the show. For an anime that spends a long part of the show with elementary kids they are too mature.
Minor quip that was kind of weird. There are moments of romance between the MC and one of the elementary school kids which on the surface is fine but when you consider and are constantly reminded that Satoru is a 29 year old man it gives you a creeper alert. Thankfully the truly weird are few and far between and usually for comedic relief.
Final Score: ★★★★☆
This is a pretty serious anime that takes some dark turns. There are pretty emotional scenes throughout it as the story progresses. If you’re the kind to easily cry I would bring some tissues but it also has moments of vibrant hope made all the brighter from the struggles Satoru goes through. It's only twelve episodes so it isn’t a major commitment and you can get a full feel for whether you will enjoy the anime by episode two. It's still pretty early in the year but for now Erased is the bar I will judge by for the 2016 year.
