The story of erased plotted as when their tragedy is about to strike nearby, Satoru Fujinuma sent back several minutes in time as the accident occurs. The unsocial, 29-year-old manga artist has benefited from this compelling yet mysterious phenomenon, which he calls “Revival,” to save many lives.
However, as he got accused of murdering someone close to him, Satoru is sent back to the past once again, but this time to 1988, 18 years in the past. Soon, he realizes this is his chance to make things right as he figures that the murder may be connected to the strange abduction and killing of his classmate, the lonely and mysterious Kayo Hinazuki when he was a child.
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi follows Satoru, the protagonist, in his mission to reveal what truly happened 18 years ago and prevent the death of his classmate and protect those he cares about at present.
Review
Erased is one of the most amazingly presented and well-executed series we will see in a long time. A not-so-complicated story portrayed with an incredible blend of emotions, feelings, drama and a tinge of time travel can be cited in this show. The series is delightful and engaging for its viewers as they look into the life of Satoru, who has lived with an inevitable regret throughout his life and that regret is what scares him from digging deep into his heart. But let’s take a more in-depth look at the show, shall we?
Narrative
The story revolves around Satoru Fujinuma, who has this magical ability he calls ‘Revival,’ which brings him back to a particular moment when something terrible is about to happen. He is a real struggling mangaka facing the issues most of them meet in their career. However, Satoru has an inevitable regret in his life that stops him from diving into his heart/feelings. The story progresses with the death of his mother, which causes him to use Revival as the aid to save her, but it turns out that her murder is closely related to the regret our boy has.
The series has kept it all simple and sweet. Whether it’s time travel, emotional connections, tragedy, or humor, all of them are portrayed in a straightforward yet heart-touching manner. The series is just 12 episodes long but has a compelling plot for the most part. Viewers can relate to Satoru as he replays his life as a kid and realizes more about his friends and self.
If we are specific to the time travel aspect, we can see the precision in this storyline as a small change in events can cause a drastic change even after 18 years of that event. Time travel is relatively easy to mess up since the concept itself is complicated and can confuse its viewers. But Erased kept it low, precise, and simple to understand.
The aspect of replaying your life once again and realizing the assets you had during that time but ignored their importance is relatable and accurate. The series ensured that the plot didn’t go too far from reality and kept it meticulous for its viewers. One always has regrets but getting a chance to overcome those regrets and finding your true self during that process is the theme of this story.
Execution
So why did this simple series strike our hearts so much? Well, the answer lies in its fantastic execution and presentation. The series has nothing too shiny or sparkling that can attract viewers in one go, so they have to focus on beautiful implementation to ensure engagement from its viewers. The trauma, tragedy, and humor are depicted in a commendable manner.
They took the characters to be the star of this series and served them as the shining factor. Now don’t get the wrong idea, the story is excellent as well, but the feelings and emotions of the characters and their personalities and approaches are the spears that pierced through viewers’ hearts. Twelve episodes can be a bit low in developing strong connections between the characters and viewers but Erased played through this and created adorable and lively characters that anyone can enjoy.
If we dig deep down, the series also gives us the message of ‘Believing’ in yourself and your loved ones. The idea of having faith, trust, and belief towards someone no matter what the reality says, is put forward in an emotionally precise and graceful manner. Every episode progresses slowly and steadily, giving time to both its viewers and characters to enjoy those precious moments they spend together. A perfect example of a simple and heavy drama story presented fantastically.
