Anime Review: Erased

 If only I could watch this one again like I did the first time... To be honest, I’ve said this for quite a few anime I’ve seen, but with this one in particular, it just feels different from the rest. This story follows a young man who gets the chance to revisit his past and save the life of one person. How this concept gets executed isn’t exactly like time travel as the main character literally gets flashed back to his past through some mysterious power he has, and the events that happen within the present day are a reflection of how he navigates through these past events. 

Hopefully that explanation made some sort of sense, but if not, you’ll just have to watch the anime for yourself. Satoru’s experiences in his adulthood are mostly normal. He has an apartment of his own and a decent job delivering pizzas. He keeps to himself for the most part, but once his mother comes to visit (along with a slowly growing bond with one of his co-workers), some strange things start to happen. 

Now I don’t plan to give away the entire plot here, but I do want to disclaim that there are a couple episodes that are heavy. The story is driven by two things: mystery and suspense, and character backstory. So if you’re someone who likes that kind of thing, I’d definitely recommend watching this. 

I’d say that this anime, while having a focused plot, is also very much focused on its characters and how they’re placed. Each supporting character is there for a specific reason, and while some of them may only have a minor role, they do hold significance to the overall story and what happens as the story progresses. There are also a few context clues that you’ll have to be mindful of, and thankfully, the anime gives these away in an obvious, but also casual manner. 

So overall, I think that Erased does a great job of keeping the viewers on their toes. Some episodes provide a more emotional response, while others provide a lot of information and dialogue. From start to end, I was hooked as I wanted to know what would happen next, so for that, I’d give this one a full five stars.