Erased

In 2012, manga artist/writer, Kei Sanne published a manga series titled, “Erased.” Set in 2006, an aspiring manga artist named, Satoru Fujinuma has an ability called, “Revival.” Whenever he sees a blue butterfly, he’ll experience a flash forward. His subconscious will rewind back in a few minutes. He must deduce what’s going to happen. Suddenly, Satoru goes back in time to 1988. He retains his young adult mind within his ten-year-old body. Back in the aforementioned year, three children including Kayo Hinazuki were slain by a serial killer. Satoru’s given a second chance to rescue Kayo and the other two kids from being murdered. Something he tried to prevent that from happening prior to obtaining the Revival ability. In order to save ‘em, Satoru befriends ‘em in the hopes of changing the present.

A twelve-part anime adaptation aired in 2016 (same year Mac Miller’s The Divine Feminine came out) earning praise from critics and viewers alike. Coincidentally, a live-action adaptation of Erased came out the exact same year as the anime. In 2017, Netflix produced a live-action mini-series of Erased. I haven’t seen the movie and live-action mini-series. I’ve only seen the anime.

This review contains no crucial SPOILERS.

Strong & Weak Qualities

Strong: Benjamin Diskin, (Number One from Codename: Kids Next Door) Michelle Ruff (Rukia from Bleach) and my all-time favorite voice actress, Stephanie Sheh (Orihime from Bleach) both did an excellent job for their respective voiceover performances.

Animation brings a few elements to life such as character models, fluid movement, lighting and environmental locations.

Pacing didn’t feel like a slow burn at all. I was hooked since the first episode.

Random Thought: First time I heard about Erased was Chris Stuckmann discussing a review on it. As an anime enthusiast, I was curious to give it a try.

Satoru’s chemistry with his friends and his mother serves as the main highlight. Every single character’s memorable. I cared about Kayo the most. Once you get to know her, you’re gonna cry.

Although it deals with serious themes, there’s some good jokes like Satoru saying his thoughts out loud and Kayo’s catchphrase, “You’re an idiot.” A good balance between seriousness and comedy.

I’m gonna come clean, this anime got me teary-eyed. Especially getting to know Kayo. I haven’t cried over an anime since “Madoka Magica.” If something makes me cry, you know it’s gonna be excellent. To quote Ron Burgundy, “I’M IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTION!”

There’s no forced romance between Satoru & Kayo. They’re just friends. A breath of fresh air. Not every pair eventually becomes a couple. Satoru & Kayo’s friendship felt realistic. Thank goodness Satoru didn’t act like a complete weirdo towards Kayo. He’s a gentleman.

Primary Themes are Abuse, Second Chance, Trauma, Destiny & Friendship. Each one’s handled maturely.

A Plot Twist changes everything.

Weak: I couldn’t find nothing wrong. I’m giving an Extra Point for the writers and animators for making a flawless short anime series as possible.

The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!

Erased is an excellent twelve-part anime series. I didn’t expect it to be a modern classic. If you’re looking for something unique to watch, I strongly recommend streaming the English Dub on Hulu/Disney Plus. Which anime should I review next? Please leave a comment.