Written by: Kevin Berge
Come in expecting a romance, leave having experienced time traveling mystery. (Image Courtesy of: hulu.com)
I am constantly trying to catch up on the classic anime, so I rarely look out for modern shows. However, multiple recommendations pushed me toward looking out for Erased which debuted just last year and has been incredibly popular since. It even inspired a live action Netflix series that will be debuting in Winter 2017.
While I continue to watch classic anime, Erased took hold of me from the moment I started watching, a captivating tale that does not fall too far into any of the annoying anime tropes with a story that will appeal to most anyone.
While I continue to watch classic anime, Erased took hold of me from the moment I started watching, a captivating tale that does not fall too far into any of the annoying anime tropes with a story that will appeal to most anyone.
Concept and Set-Up
Erased follows Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year-old aspiring manga artist who is struggling to find success. Meanwhile, he is followed by a powerful ability that forces him to travel back in time to save lives. However, Satoru is not ready when that ability sends him back 18 years to solve a crime in his hometown that he had long forgotten about.
Maybe he's facing horrible tragedy or maybe he's just realizing slowly he's actually pedophile. This show puts him through the ringer. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
Story Arc Analysis
***This is the only section of the review that contains spoilers. If you have not seen the anime before and wish not to be spoiled on events, skip ahead to the Impact and Art Style section.***
The Failed First Attempt (Episodes 1-6): This first section takes a while to get going but moves quickly to a surprising conclusion. A whole episode is spent in the present day with Satoru taking on a quiet hero role with his uncontrollable time traveling ability to save lives only to find his mother dead with him thrust into the past to stop a crime he barely understands.
Satoru meets Kayo Hinazuki and must quickly figure out how to save her from a serial killer who originally killed her in order to save her life and change events to save his mother as well. There are huge stakes, and any usual anime would take more than 12 episodes just to resolve the original mystery.
Instead, Erased takes 5 episodes before Satoru fails. Overconfident in his limited knowledge, he sets a path to save Kayo and passes her original capture date only for her to be taken the next day, changing nothing and sending Satoru back to the modern day.
Outwitting the Killer (Episodes 7-12): The step up in pace in the second half is great, quickly making characters stronger particularly Airi Katagiri who felt completely unnecessary early on. The build up to the murderer's reveal takes a bit too long to the point where it becomes blatantly obvious, but it is an effective moment for Satoru.
Satoru repeatedly idolizes his teacher Gaku Yashiro, even seeing him as a father figure. With it obvious he is the killer long before he is revealed, this makes for an interesting dynamic with Gaku being the one he is both in conflict with and is the man who killed his mother.
If there is one section of this anime that doesn't land as well as it should, it is the ending. After build up of the dynamic between Satoru and Kayo as well as the overall threat of Yashiro, nothing feels quite paid off. Satoru wins but only after an awkward fifteen year coma that destroys his dynamic with Kayo and quickly leads to an arrest of Yashiro.
The Failed First Attempt (Episodes 1-6): This first section takes a while to get going but moves quickly to a surprising conclusion. A whole episode is spent in the present day with Satoru taking on a quiet hero role with his uncontrollable time traveling ability to save lives only to find his mother dead with him thrust into the past to stop a crime he barely understands.
Satoru meets Kayo Hinazuki and must quickly figure out how to save her from a serial killer who originally killed her in order to save her life and change events to save his mother as well. There are huge stakes, and any usual anime would take more than 12 episodes just to resolve the original mystery.
Instead, Erased takes 5 episodes before Satoru fails. Overconfident in his limited knowledge, he sets a path to save Kayo and passes her original capture date only for her to be taken the next day, changing nothing and sending Satoru back to the modern day.
Outwitting the Killer (Episodes 7-12): The step up in pace in the second half is great, quickly making characters stronger particularly Airi Katagiri who felt completely unnecessary early on. The build up to the murderer's reveal takes a bit too long to the point where it becomes blatantly obvious, but it is an effective moment for Satoru.
Satoru repeatedly idolizes his teacher Gaku Yashiro, even seeing him as a father figure. With it obvious he is the killer long before he is revealed, this makes for an interesting dynamic with Gaku being the one he is both in conflict with and is the man who killed his mother.
If there is one section of this anime that doesn't land as well as it should, it is the ending. After build up of the dynamic between Satoru and Kayo as well as the overall threat of Yashiro, nothing feels quite paid off. Satoru wins but only after an awkward fifteen year coma that destroys his dynamic with Kayo and quickly leads to an arrest of Yashiro.
He could only afford a flip phone, and you snap it off. Real rude. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
Impact and Art Style
Erased seems to be a fairly straight forward tale of crime and mystery, but ultimately the true purpose of the anime is to show why everyone needs other people in their life. From the start, Satoru is a lazy and uninteresting character who has little social life with only his time traveling power (which he has little control of) pushing him forward.
He is failing in his attempts to become a manga artist and is left working a pizza delivery service. Turning back the clock, this is also about how he grew up. He tried to be friendly, to create a group, but he had no real interest. His retry at growing up forces him to find actual value in his friendships.
More importantly, he adds himself to Kayo's life, saving her from isolated and abusive life that left her vulnerable. Through each step of the way, you see a character evolving as those around him evolve because he is actively involved in their lives. It is a simple message for an anime but one told without any wasted exposition.
Erased looks good as a whole with its modern touches on a fairly ordinary anime art style. Nothing is overly complicated with fairly simple designs that avoid the outrageous. What is most interesting are the plays on color throughout the anime with quiet use of color contrast in highlighting scenes.
He is failing in his attempts to become a manga artist and is left working a pizza delivery service. Turning back the clock, this is also about how he grew up. He tried to be friendly, to create a group, but he had no real interest. His retry at growing up forces him to find actual value in his friendships.
More importantly, he adds himself to Kayo's life, saving her from isolated and abusive life that left her vulnerable. Through each step of the way, you see a character evolving as those around him evolve because he is actively involved in their lives. It is a simple message for an anime but one told without any wasted exposition.
Erased looks good as a whole with its modern touches on a fairly ordinary anime art style. Nothing is overly complicated with fairly simple designs that avoid the outrageous. What is most interesting are the plays on color throughout the anime with quiet use of color contrast in highlighting scenes.
Sub vs. Dub
It takes only one episode to figure out whether you'll be able to sit through the dub of this anime as the styles of the anime means that you will hear a lot of Ben Diskin (Codename: Kids Next Door) in the lead role who gives an intentionally dreary tone to Satoru.
I personally had trouble getting through the dub and found the subbed version a far smoother listening experience. Some of the English voice actors are solid in their roles particularly those voicing the younger characters, but this Aniplex dub does not quite match up to the sub.
Recommendation: Sub
I personally had trouble getting through the dub and found the subbed version a far smoother listening experience. Some of the English voice actors are solid in their roles particularly those voicing the younger characters, but this Aniplex dub does not quite match up to the sub.
Recommendation: Sub
Seriously, this show doesn't shy away from pedophile subtext... and it really should have. (Image Courtesy of: otakucollision.files.wordpress.com)
Conclusion
Anime has often been defined by its inaccessibility, using memorable but fantastical characters in stories that are often intentionally over the top for the sake of entertainment. While Erased is entertaining, it is far more down to earth. Yes, it is about time travel, but it is mostly a well-built mystery.
The story is not perfectly told. While the mystery is affecting, it is also easily solved with little time spent diverting the viewer from the truth that seems to casually spoiled several times for those paying close attention. The ultimate resolution is unsatisfying in many ways.
However, this is a tale that is so gripping that it does not matter that it sacrifices subtle set up for tension and drama. Satoru is not even a wholly likable character, but he is honest one who feels real in his reactions and decisions.
This was a complete story through a concept that feels fresh enough that it could have gone far longer. It is almost a shame that this was only a twelve episode series, but, by not overstaying its welcome, the anime stands tall over most of its predecessors and peers.
The story is not perfectly told. While the mystery is affecting, it is also easily solved with little time spent diverting the viewer from the truth that seems to casually spoiled several times for those paying close attention. The ultimate resolution is unsatisfying in many ways.
However, this is a tale that is so gripping that it does not matter that it sacrifices subtle set up for tension and drama. Satoru is not even a wholly likable character, but he is honest one who feels real in his reactions and decisions.
This was a complete story through a concept that feels fresh enough that it could have gone far longer. It is almost a shame that this was only a twelve episode series, but, by not overstaying its welcome, the anime stands tall over most of its predecessors and peers.