'Erased': It’s time for the next ‘revival’

Going back 18 years to 1988

Japanese dramas may be little bit overshadowed by the more popular Korean dramas, but that doesn't mean there aren't a number of noteworthy ones that you should give a try. And one of those amazing drama is ‘Erased’.

Based on a Japanese author Kei Sanbe’s mystery manga series of the same name, ‘Erased’ (BokudakegaInai Machi or ‘The Town without Me’) is a character driven story about a 29-year-old aspiring manga artist Satoru Fujinuma (Yuki Furukawa) who has the ability to travel back through time in moments before a life-threatening incident occurs, allowing him to prevent it from happening and which he calls ‘revivals’. As Satoru unwittingly jumps between the alternate present and past, Erased’s mystery absorbs every aspect of the show and timelines making it impossible not to be drawn into the narrative.

Anime version of 'Erased'

Satoru went through these type of ‘revivals’ by going back 5-10 minutes back of the time mostly every day. But after some time he witnesses that his mother Sachiko is brutally stabbed in the back by an unknown male, who waits for Satoru to find his mother’s body and then coaxes him into a chase that leaves Satoru the blood-stained number one suspect in his mother’s murder. Trying to avoid the police to set the record straight, Satoru runs head-long into another ‘revival’ but he’s gone back much further than ever before. Satoru finds himself 18 years back in 1988 at his former school, Mikoto Elementary in Hokkaido, Japan.

'Erased' original poster

He knows he must have been sent back this far for a reason, and soon recalls a string of kidnaps and murders that took place in this year while he was in the fifth grade. Three children disappeared and were later found dead but the perpetrator was never discovered. So, Satoru uses his time traveling gift to go back to prevent his mother’s death. Placed in his body as a young teen, Satoru retains his adult conscience and works to solve the crimes both for the sake of his three friends’ lives that were taken, using his knowledge of how the murders were carried out. He also cannot return to the present until the murders are solved.

It sound like a series that would be difficult to keep up with, doesn’t it? But ‘Erased’ chops and changes between time periods and indeed actors, with two different performers playing Satoru in the present day and in 1988. The narrative elements are gently introduced and the characters well established, making time transitions easy to get on board with. It can feel at first that the present day, established in the first episode, is miles apart and almost unnecessary to the unfolding story in 1988 that we see from the second episode onward, but as the series progresses it becomes clear that no time period is irrelevant or left behind. Also, the villain is cunning and adapts to each curveball despite the changes Satoru causes.

The real stars of the series are the children. The child-actors portraying the characters' younger selves in the 1988 timeline all do a superb job, frequently outperforming their adult counterparts. The show develops the aura of a children's series at times, with kids hiding out in clubhouses and reaffirming the centrality of friendship. They're quirky, endearing, and pull off brilliantly the challenge of bringing a fantastical plot into reality. Indeed, one might at times wonder what age group the series is designed for.

Young Satoru bonding friendship

The children's scenes, while endearing and absorbing for adults, share all the characteristics of a show suitable for grade school kids. The chemistry of friendship and family relationships is beautifully expressed and the children's acting renders it entertaining even if you already know who the murderer is. Filmed beautifully but without relying on special effects, and eschewing violent drama for a focus on friendship and interpersonal relationships, the series offers an excellent example of manga live-action adaptation superbly done, while the manga on which it is based remains an exemplary model of beautiful storytelling.

‘Erased’ also touches on heavy themes such as suicide, child abuse and also a coming-of-age story for the young Satoru who now has people's lives in his hands.

Importantly, ‘Erased’ is one of those growing numbers of stories that highlight the subtle capacity of time travel to underscore the significance of living in the present. The whole point of 'revival' is to allow Satoru to relive the past while struggling to notice the things he missed first-time round; things that seemed insignificant at the time but which have serious consequences. Instead, it's deeply introspective, and reminds us that the haste with which we live our lives ignoring the people around us, or treating them with impatience and haste, can come back to haunt us in unexpectedly serious ways.

Grown-up Saturo

Moving between the past and present, the 12-episode series weaves a beautifully complicated melodrama as Satoru narrowly stays ahead of the murderer before climaxing into a head-on confrontation. The crimes are made even more chilling after the villain is finally exposed.This is an often mentally taxing show that requires no small amount of attention to follow. The episodes are 30 minutes long and the writers concisely yet poignantly pack in tons of details.The suspense pulls you along tactfully without giving anything away as the mystery slowly unravels. It’s a well-built story and literally, not one minute of this show is wasted.

The story weighs heavily on the importance of friendship along with accepting individuals that society otherwise tosses aside. Satoru’s going back in time also gives him a chance to forge better relationships he missed the first time around. If there’s one message that Erased is trying to convey, it’s that we need to learn to accept help and trust one another.

Since his first attempt fails, when he does return to 1988 he decides to confide in his friends Kenya and Hiromi. This change is an important part of Fujinuma’s character arc over the series. It’s the changes he goes through that gives him the ability to fix the past and save the day, he becomes more courageous and it’s especially thanks to the support of those around him that he is able to learn. The show expertly connects the future with the past, and for a time travel spectacle, carries moving emotional stakes.

While the series does have its ups and downs, ‘Erased’ is a solid murder mystery. Featuring some excellent twists along the way, the show is at its best when stuck in the past. It leads to some of the more emotional challenges for its lead character, and to see him grow over the course of the story is the most satisfying of all. His dynamic with his mother and the girl he’s desperate to save provide some great moments onscreen, and had the series not overused melodramatic tropes to present unpleasant people and topics it probably would have been flawless. A solid ensemble of supporting characters such as his close friend Kenya’s keen perception and his mother Sachiko’s upstanding righteousness push Satoru along when he finds himself stuck.

The Japanese manga, already became an anime series and a live-action film in 2016 before being given the Netflix treatment. But the Netflix drama series is the closest depiction of the original material which makes it the most authentic watch out of all the adaptations. If you could turn back time and stop an unforgivable tragedy from happening, wouldn’t you? Since you can’t actually do that, so make sure to watch this amazing drama to know how it can feel to time travel at least.

*Rumaiysa M Rahman is a 10th grader at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Dhaka