Anime Review: Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

Wow, it's been awhile since I've done an anime review. Then again, it's been awhile since I've watched an anime all the way through. Huh.

I'm sure that the majority of you have already heard of this show at least. Majority have probably already watched the series completely. Not to mention me having marathoned it as soon as I read the description. It was a good thing it was Friday.

Yes, I was one of those people that was watching the show as it came out. I started it a week before the final episode was to be released. It was great. People are already talking about it being one of the contenders (if not already the winner) of best anime 2016. However with the popularity rising for Iron Fortress, I feel like this will be a good year for anime.

(summer seasons release K-on! season 3, Bleach remake, and School Days: The Return)

Sorry if I jinxed it guys.

But alas, we are here to discuss the 2016 Winter anime, Erased. Official title, English and Japanese, Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, the Town Without Me.

Everyone and their sister has heard of it, and all of the famous anime reviewers have reviewed it.

The anime begins with cynical, 29 year old Satoru Fujinuma and his pizza delivery job. He's an aspiring manga artist and is really just trying to get by. As he is driving down the street we are introduced to his strange power. It allows him to go a few seconds back in time to stop a tragedy from occurring. Unfortunately it sends him back before the tragedy happens and he is forced to notice when, where and how it is going to occur. But its always close by, it's always only a few seconds, and it's always because something terrible is soon to happen if he can't stop it. Usually when he succeeds, something is taken from him in exchange. (Full Metal anyone?) For example, as he's driving down the road to deliver, he is suddenly realizing that he drove down the same road, twice. Realizing his power had taken affect, always at the sign of glowing, white butterfly, he notices a large truck. In it, the man fell asleep. He effectively turns the wheel in time to save a child from being hit and the truck is stopped, but not before he's hit full on in a collision. He survives with a minor concussion. His yokai mother (you'll find out why later) comes to visit him, along with his coworker Airi, whom he never really talked to. The next day, you find out about the murders that Satoru was involved in 18 years ago.... and it all progresses from there.

Airi, Kana and Mother

It's not even a full summary of the first episode because I don't want to completely spoil it. WOO! But I'll just say, he's similaur to Eren Jeager in one way. (snicker) I will mention one thing in order to be able to review this but SPOILER ALERT anyway. Later on he is sent back 18 years to a few weeks before the first kidnapping of his classmates.

Boku Dake is set up like a thriller mystery series, even though the killer is very evident. The process he goes through to save the abused and lonely little girl, Kayo Hinazuki, is really touching and always suspenseful. He's up against a time limit and there's no guarantee that it'll be safe after it passes, since after that, he has no idea what to do. Not to mention that he never was given any hint from when he started either.

It's a first person point of view, with an older him voicing the inner monologue. The voice acting is aamazing to the point where I just HAD to point it out. The animation style is pretty and the music is something that you would look up on its own.

In the production of it, it was a masterpiece. The animation was fluid and the art really helped shape the atmosphere of the show. Not to mention the widescreen, black sides cinematic vibe it had. Alongside the music, the production made it into a supremely immersive show that matched the rising sense of dread, curiosity and caution that came along with each new episode. (Especially since only 2 of the 12 episode series weren't cliff hangers. EVEN THE LAST EPISODE WAS ONE)

Me while watching this show sometimes...

The suspense that it left you hanging was destructive. Even though the killer was obvious, and the show never focused on really finding out the identity of the killer for the most part, it had an amazing sense of suspense and you could never feel bored watching it. Matched with the amazing production, the show was golden.

Look at these sweet baby children!

I personally like to leave the openings and endings separate from the OST soundtrack for the whole show, and the op and ed was just as good. I heard the song Re:Re by Asian Kung Fu Generation before it was made as the opening theme to the show, and it was a nice match. The opening sequence of the show was very well done, weaving in key plot changes that occurred in the show into it's opening sequence. Not to mention the one right before the last episode if I remember correctly where was gone from it completely. The ending song and sequence just as pretty.

The characters then. Just a quick shout out to yokai mom. She's the literal best thing in the world. Right up there with Hana from Ookami Kodomo in best anime moms ever. Hell, TV moms ever.

Now onto characters. These lovely batch of broken souls is too precious. I already mentioned the mom and the budding friendship that grows between Kana and Satoru is more than I could've ever asked for. The show makes the characters seem extremely real (at least for me) with the children acting like children (exempting that one genius child) All of the kids have their own motivations, even Satoru's little self as he is set between wanting to be a hero and not wanting to be left out of his friends. It's very interesting and just the slightest bit of a physchological thing too.

Everybody's reaction to after the 15 years though.
Like damn. Really?

There's plenty more I could talk about, but I'll leave it at that for now. I entirely suggest you go watch this anime. It's amazing in so many ways and it's pluses out weigh it's minuses 10 to  2. Which is still really good.