If You Could Go Back in Time: Erased
In the realm of anime and manga, crime-solving and detective series are incredibly popular.
Think of Case Closed [Detective Conan], now considered a classic, which supported the creation of tons of other similar plots. One binge-worthy mystery manga, which was also adapted into an anime in 2016, is Erased [Boku dake ga Inai Machi].
Written by Kei Sanbe, Erased is different from every other manga in its genre because of the main character, Satoru Fujinuma. Satoru is overall an average Japanese citizen with the ability to travel back in time, except this happens unnaturally against his will. It seems like this power, which he calls “Revival”, only happens when someone’s life is jeopardized, therefore giving him a second chance to change fate.
However, this time, his mother is brutally murdered by a mysterious man, and Satoru is instantly brought back to when he was 11 years old. The plot unfolds in the thick winter of Hokkaido in 1988, as a 29-year-old man in the body of a child goes on to solve a case forgotten for decades. Satoru transformed into an elementary schooler befriends the shy Kayo Hinazuki on his quest to prevent a serial kidnapping from happening.
On the other hand, the anime, directed by Tomohiko Ito, was received just as well. Viewers were fond of the breathtaking visuals and the steady pace of the story. Although there is that key element of supernatural time-traveling, this manga shouldn’t be considered fantasy, since the plot relies heavily on realism, with the crime resembling a lot of situations that unfortunately happen too often. Erased is a psychological thriller that won’t shy away from making you shed a tear or two. Touching on topics such as rough childhoods, isolation, and familial dilemmas, this manga melts away the objective point of view that we take studying such incidents and focuses on the complexity and development of these kinds of tragedies.
All in all, heartwrenching, stressful, and unfair could describe Erased’s story but, despite this, it’s one of the most touching and captivating mangas to date. Sanbe does not fail to bring us back to our childhood and our innocence and naiveness, all while keeping us glued to the plot with unwavering interest. And for those who have already watched it: it seems like there will be a second season sometime soon.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
