Leaving You Wanting More

As much as the likes of Attack On Titan, Sword Art Online and One Punch Man have maintained the arguable notion that Japanese animation still has a viability towards Western audiences due to their respective popularity, it’s still disconcerting to come across a ‘lesser-known’ anime in this present day that would instantaneously make you emotionally invested. Although many anime series can implement emotional constructs that can make you feel excited and then sad in quick succession, they can also ultimately falter due to the lack of story-telling and how the corresponding conclusion fails to wrap up narrative elements that weren’t fleshed out to begin with. The ending, whether it’s an anime show or not, is always paramount since it can either make you feel as though you want to watch the series immediately, or it can leave you feeling disappointed; making you contemplate about the underwhelming outcome to such an intriguing premise. Much of this fits in-line with A-1 Pictures’ 2016 supernatural/thriller of Erased, a distinctive animated series that not only upholds a unique and suspenseful premise, that moulds time-travel elements with contextual tactics seen in detective narratives, but also utilises animation techniques that subtly differentiates itself from the norm. 

Set in a world filled with suspected mysticism, Erased depicts its story around Satoru Fujinuma, a 29 year-old manga artist who occasionally experiences a phenomenon he refers to as a “Revival”, an ability that sends him back in time moments before a life-threatening incident; allowing him to prevent it from ever happening. When he is confronted with a murderous incident caused by an unknown assailant, Satoru’s ability sends him back to eighteen years to 1988 when he was still in elementary school, giving him the opportunity to not only change the fateful future, but to also prevent a kidnapping incident that took the lives of three of his childhood friends…

As much as it might be necessary to delve into the specifics of the story that tries to be as different as many other anime shows play-out, to do so would be to infringe your viewing experience. Indeed, since Erased upholds a premise filled with mysterious suspense which in turn makes you, along with the main character of Satoru, piece together certain elements as to who the kidnapper/murder-suspect could be, it would be morally wrong to spout out story-details from this stand-point. What can be said however, is that Erased is a short series which, as seamlessly as possible, tries to amalgamate the all-so knowing murder-mystery tropes with time-travelling elements. Time-travel, in any forms of fictional entertainment, can be used in two very specific formatting ways. While one plot-line can see a character go back in-time to set a wrong-doing into a better scenario, another outcome can be seen when an individually subtly changes specific details of an event; which marginally shifts the course of the future. In the case of Erased, we’re displayed with both said constructs that coherently align with each other; with Satoru simultaneously handling the identity of the killer and preventing the unfortunate events that plagued his childhood. Nonetheless, while the first episode of the series presents us with the notion that Satoru’s ability, to randomly bend time and fix disastrous outcomes, will majorly factor into 12 episode mystery on a consistent basis, the deployment of said elements never manages to factor into the narrative as it should. Much of what we see of the phenomenon that is the “Revival” capability, is very much forgotten about and is only dispersed when circumstances require the necessity of it. In many ways, the threadbare occurrences of the already mentioned supernatural element can be, metaphorically, seen as another character; like an omnipotent entity that takes joy and pity on Satoru but does make sure to send him to the place where he can do the most amount of good. As it is with most time-travel related forms of fiction, the mere fact that the shifting of the past and present is utilised, adds this whole layer of unpredictability to the proceedings. Indeed, most astute viewers will be able to pick out certain outcomes and detailed specifics that will lead to the ultimate conclusion. However, it’s the journey of the many different scenarios shifting that keeps us glued to the screen. While Erased never once falters in being an interesting and gripping watch,  the whole ‘time’ element doesn’t impact onto the mystery as it should do. It’s only with the inner monologues of on older Satoru and visual cues of the already horrific transpired events that remind of us of the supernatural element that is subtly used. With this being the case, this in turn makes the whole arc of the identity of the killer, fairly predictable. By the time the series hits its half-way point, it’s not surprising who the main culprit of things is since there weren’t as many options as to who it could be, which is disappointing to say the least. While it may be easy to foretell the identity of the perpetrator, Erased doesn’t simply fall on what it is telling. In fact, by having characters that are all different from one another and having them fully-realised right-up until the concluding frame, Tomohiko Itō’s adaptation work of this recognised manga goes beyond more than just being a murder-mystery that inhabits otherworldly elements. Since we see the mind of the older Satoru jumping back to his younger self to prevent the deaths of his childhood friends, of which he mainly focuses his time preventing the death of the young introverted girl of Kayo Hinazuki, Erased maturely manages to cross together the mystery with ‘real-life’ circumstances that would be expected to be seen in a form of live-action. Differentiating itself from the norm of anime shows that, at times, deviate from their own premise to the point of absurdity, Erased respectfully manages to incorporate dark sub-tones of parental and child harassment motifs with the main context of the story. What are considered to be creepy areas of discussion in both the visual medium and in general life, the focal point of child abuse shown in Erased is never mishandles the sub-motif inappropriately. It very much esteems the theme to viable degree and somehow manages thread in humour, in regards to Satoru comically handling the prospect of being in elementary school again, in a fluid and carefully written structure.  

Unlike most Japanese animations of this modern era where they needless combine drawn figures with computer-generated backdrops and objects, which doesn’t look seamless or ‘convincing’ whatsoever, the visual aesthetic of  Erased never attempts to exaggerate its style in relation to the dark narrative that is being told. Whether we’re casted back to a snowy and grainy 1988, or a more traditional and contemporary look in 2006 where the story beings, the Japanese animation studio of A-1 pictures, responsible for some other notable titles in the forms of Blue Exorcist and Sword ArtOnline, manages to be consistent in presenting Erased as a watchable mini-series that doesn’t take a downturn in comparison to the previously said anime’s. One of the more perceptible features which Erased embraces in telling its mystery through visual means, is the distinct trope of the frame being contained within a letterbox. While the implementation of the widescreen helps to visually differentiate what time period we’re witnessing, the Letter-boxing, which is clearly emulating the classic cinematic style and is used to express the past events of Satoru’s childhood, is also used to express Satoru’s view, by breaking the fourth-wall through still images and inner-monologues, of the traumas that he had to grow up with previously. Certainly, through this feature alone, the art of the manga is expressed in a much more fluid and dynamic fashion; distinguishing itself from the normality of many other anime shows released in this present day.

While the visual look of any Japanese animated series is imperative to maintain throughout all the episodes shown, for a murder-mystery such as this one that instinctively inhabits supernatural elements, the characterisation of the central protagonists and side characters must correlate in conjunction with the mystery in-place and how it inevitability plays-out. In the case of Erased, it was pleasing to see an animated show in a long-while that purposefully utilises characters that are distinct from one another. Even though it’s arguable to question the clear motives of Satoru, especially when he ventures back to his younger-self and focuses on the three-victims’ whereabouts instead of finding out the mystery surrounding the kidnapper and who it could be, his character subtly brings about this unexpected emotionalism to him; considering the fact that he goes back in time to his younger-self to not only correct the murderous mistakes, but to try being friends with an introverted girl who is going through trauma’s of her own. His interactions with his classmates, and even his mother who both share their comical moments, bring about this fortuitous methodology of supplementing a light tone whilst being a coming-of-age tale, although he’s technically gone through the experiences of a child mentally. It’s majorly impressive how the makers of Erased have seamlessly incorporated despondent and light-hearted characters within a supernatural detective story that centres around a child, with a mind of 29 year-old man, figuring out what he has to do.

Much of the atmosphere can’t be ignored without the use of the sound/music that fabricate the blend of synth and instrumental resonance to mix and match the series’ high and lows; a stylisation of music that is synonymous with the previous workings that Yuki Kajiura deploys. As for the opening and ending melodies, they’re never bothersome considering the length of the series and they both attribute to the grounded sense of reality that Erased persistently tries to portray. 

While proceeding A-1 pictures’ animations such as Blue Exorcist and Sword Art Online upholded their intriguing premises in their very early episodes, they inevitably hindered the viewing experience for audiences by allowing unnecessary plot-lines and other constructs to tamper with the already established structures. What’s pleasing to see within a time when Japanese animation, as a whole, is struggling to rise to the demand of what was set in the mid 2000’s, is a well-structured animated piece in Erased that distinguishes itself from typical anime formalities by focusing on a distinctive murder-mystery which amalgamates supernatural elements with the serious natures of ‘friendship’ and ‘abuse’. Even though there are a few shortcomings to the proceedings, like with its unfortunate predictability and the ever-lacking time-travel element which is never truly explained as to why it exists, Erased consistently and simply manages to display an exciting amount of suspense that is identified in common murder-mysteries. Through the various actions that Satoru handles on his own, we’re also presented with an emotional-angle that coherently fits in-line with the dark-nature of the tale. As much as Japanese animation in this day and age is struggling to keep up with the demand of various demographics and finding hard to compete with the resurgence of Western animation, Erased serves as an example of what a beloved medium, such as this one, can still offer. One can only hope that more animations like this can come into fruition and be recognised foe their artistic value…

And on that note, it’s time for me to end this week’s review. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest anime review in Erased and I hope you’ve all enjoyed the read! 😉. If anyone has an opinion on either my review or the series itself, please feel free to drop a comment down below. Next week, I will finally bring you the expected retrospective review of Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 Japanese animation spectacular of Ghost in the Shell. Once again, thank you to everyone for readings this week’s Blog Post and I’ll see you all next week!! Have a nice weekend!! Adieu!! 😁😎✌

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ – Alex Rabbitte