Anime Reviews

Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)

Synopsis: When tragedy is about to strike, Satoru Fujinuma finds himself sent back several minutes before the accident occurs. The detached, 29-year-old manga artist has taken advantage of this powerful yet mysterious phenomenon, which he calls "Revival," to save many lives. However, when he is wrongfully 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 that the murder may be connected to the abduction and killing of one of his classmates, the solitary and mysterious Kayo Hinazuki, that took place when he was a child. This is his chance to make things right. Boku dake ga Inai Machi follows Satoru in his mission to uncover what truly transpired 18 years ago and prevent the death of his classmate while protecting those he cares about in the present. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Initial thoughts on the premise of the anime: I thought it sounded rather interesting and honestly I was rather hyped for it. It sounded intriguing and something I could easily get on board with.

Thoughts on the art style: I thought the art for the anime had a sweet yet heavy tone to it, much like the anime itself. The transition from one scene to another was rather fluid and I couldn't find many faults with it, the small bits of symbolism within the opening and the anime itself (blue butterflies to represent the butterfly effect caused by Satoru using Revival) was something I found really nice and the way it wasn't too in your face clearly shows it isn't insulting the intelligence of the viewer.

Thoughts on how the story played out: I thought the story played out really well, the twist of who the actual killer was still has me a little shocked although it was one of the characters I somewhat expected to be the killer. The final episode genuinely had me in tears because it felt like it was how it should have ended and didn't feel forced at all. The final scene was beautifully done and although it doesn't give hope for a sequel it ended in a way that the viewer can actually think about what happens next.

Score: 10/10 - I know it seems generous but I very much enjoyed it.

Overall thoughts: Beautifully animated, fantastic storyline and characters that are relatable. It's an anime I will recommend. If you are sensitive to things such as murder, child abuse and family issues (divorce ect) or don't like time travel storylines this isn't for you but if this sounds like something you'd like then please go watch it. Also, I understand if you don't feel the same way about this anime, this is just my opinion.

Thank you for reading.

Sources.
Synopsis: http://myanimelist.net/anime/31043/Boku_dake_ga_Inai_Machi
Image: http://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/10/77957.jpg