Beloved Time Loop Anime is Still One of the Medium’s Best Mystery Series

Based on the original manga by Kei Sanbe, Erased remains one of the anime industry’s best mystery series ever. With a truly astounding plot twist that no one saw coming, the gripping anime series hooks viewers until the very last minute. The brief series is only 12 episodes long, but certainly packs a punch filled with dramatic action and tender heartfelt memories in a very short time.

The series has been nominated for and received multiple awards, including a few from the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Anime Trending Awards, and Behind the Voice Actors Awards, as well as being the IGN Summer Movie Awards 2016 Winner.

Further than that, the anime has also garnered an avid fanbase of eager watchers, which is a surprising feat for such a short series with no possibility of a second season or ongoing plot. Time loop anime is very popular, and the genre boasts many beloved anime such as Steins;Gate, Tokyo Revengers, and Summer Time Render, among many others.

Erased Stands Out From Other Time Loop Anime With A Remarkable Twist

The series’ phenomenal writing, relatably human characters, and shocking plot twist make this series stand out

The main character of Erased is a young man named Satoru Fujinuma, who works at a pizza shop and as a manga artist. He lives a seemingly ordinary life, except for a complicated ability he possesses, entitled Revival. This Revival skill helps him prevent murders from occurring by sending him back in time, so he can stop the course of events that led up to the murder and rewrite history. This gift, althought immensely helpful to others and responsible for saving a multitude of lives, gets exhausting and emotionally draining for Satoru, who grapples with the responsibility of singlehandedly preventing tragedies.

One day, true personal disaster strikes when someone close to Satoru is murdered: his own mother. Instead of being sent back a few minutes like Revival usually does, the protagonist is sent back to his childhood, specifically 5th grade, and must unravel a complex murder mystery with high-stakes. If he succeeds in uncovering the serial killer, his mother will be saved, as well as three young girls, including Kayo Hinazuki, a young girl he becomes close to after the time travel occurs. Interestingly, Satoru retains all of his previous memories, knowledge, and consciousness of his adult 29-year-old self, but he is now in an 11-year-old boy’s body in elementary school.

Satoru Fujinuma’s Gift Allows Him To Prevent Murders From Occurring

The young man’s truly extraordinary talent lets him rewrite history and save those closest to him from horrible catastrophes

Erased is filled with many tender, heartwarming moments, in spite of its depressing plot, numerous murders, and horrific story of a serial killer wreaking havoc. The anime does primarily tell the story of a devastating tragedy, but Satoru’s elementary school life is filled with touching and relatable scenes of youth, such as children playing games together, forming friendships, and fond school memories. His bonds with his friends, especially Kayo Hinazuki, are genuine and strong, and spur him on to catch the killer before he can cause any damage to these people Satoru loves so deeply and grew up alongside.

Another truly exceptional and interesting detail of Erased that helps it differ from other mystery and time loop anime is that the murders have already happened in another timeline. Satoru goes back into his youth recalling helpful details of the murder cases, such as remembering the victims’ names. He pays special attention to those three young girls who were killed and keeps a close watch on them, even forming an unexpectedly close bond with Kayo. In a lot of other murder mysteries, almost no details are known, but in Erased, Satoru knows a lot of information, except for the identity of the killer.

The Twist Reveal Of The Serial Killer In Erased Is Phenomenally Done

The murderer is someone Satoru never suspected, and his reveal is a disgusting betrayal

Towards the end of Erased, the killer responsible for the murders of multiple elementary school girls fesses up to his crimes in a shocking way. When Satoru is trapped in his car, Gaku Yashiro, the school teacher, admits to his cruel deeds, taking an appalling amount of pleasure in the vile acts he commits. He even attempts to kill Satoru next by drowning, but the boy miraculously survives, although he falls into a 15-year coma before waking up again. In the end, Satoru confronts Yashiro on the rooftop of a hospital and fakes his own death.

Shockingly, Yashiro admits his attachment to Satoru at this moment and almost kills himself when he believes his old student is dead. His affection for Satoru finally gets him caught and arrested, putting an end to the terrible string of murders. This is another intriguing and unique facet of Erased, that the killers’ fondness for one of his victims leads to his downfall and capture. The relationship between Satoru and Yashiro is complicated, as Satoru greatly respected and admired his teacher before he knew the truth, but he learned Yashiro is not who he thought.

Satoru Is a Beautifully Written, Strong, & Sympathetic Protagonist

His bravery, love for those around him, and clever use of Revival put a stop to years of crime and bloodshed

Often, anime protagonists seem impossible to relate to, as they are often written as larger-than-life superheroes that normal people can’t relate to. However, the beauty of Erased is that most of the characters seem like people one could meet in their daily life, with realistic ambitions, behavior, and mannerisms. Satoru is an average man with a typical job at a pizza shop, a passion for art, and a relatively normal life. He just happened to be born with a powerful ability beyond his control. The way he utilizes this ability to help those in need makes him a hero.

Satoru caught the killer in the end, but that did not occur without personal sacrifice. He put himself in physical and mental danger and spent 15 years in a coma, but it was worth it to him to protect his loved ones. Satoru’s compassion and unstoppable motivation to seek justice make him a character worth looking up to and make the series so memorable. Paired with the series’ sincere depictions of childhood, including both good and bad moments, careful handling of emotionally devastating topics like abuse and murder, excellent writing, and unforgettable characters, Erased is one of the best time loop anime ever.

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