I have a soft spot for a good time travel story. Within the realm of anime, time travel comes up quite a bit. It's a really common plot device, and I think that a lot of shows/movies use it to great effect. One of the most excellent examples in recent years would be Steins;Gate. I've already reviewed a time travel anime with this series (Re:Zero), and I'm sure I'll be reviewing more in the future. But enough preamble, you're here to hear about Erased. How did I feel about this time traveling romantic story wrapped in a mystery? SMASH THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON TO FIND OUT. (... That physically hurt to type).

Beyond a doubt, one of the most initially compelling parts of Erased is its distinct art style. It's colourful and vibrant, but also subdued when it needs to be. They use a fascinating blend of CG and hand-drawn aesthetics to great effect (though sometimes also to awkward effect). All of the environments, set pieces, and characters are distinct and detailed with loving care. I personally have no criticism of the art, as it is consistent throughout the show. High fives to that! Along that line, I enjoyed the music quite a bit too - add that to the stack of positives!

The characters are all fairly strong too! The main character (Satoru) has a good arc from the start to the end. One thing I appreciate is that he has his time travel ability right from the start, so there's no real need to explain its origins to the audience - he has it, he's aware of it, and it just goes. The rest of the cast is equally great, though I will refrain from naming them due to the show's brevity and how some may consider revealing their identities as a spoiler. The characters go through some really rough times (as is want to happen with a time travel show), and - in the end - the final arc shows some fairly lovely moments of redemption.

So the music, art, and characters are all good! How's the story?

Ehhhh it's alright. I would be perfectly happy in saying that the first half of the series is pretty great. It has a lot of intrigue, a lot of well-paced surprises/reveals, as well as a compelling setup and execution. It kind of falls apart in the second half, though. The pacing starts speeding up a little too much, and I was left thinking "wait, what's the point of this scene?" several times too many. The second half whiffs on some potentially cathartic character moments, and ultimately, the mystery ends up being a bit rote. I'd predicted its resolution to a tee a few episodes before the actual reveal happened, which is a bit of a bummer for a mystery show.

I walk away from Erased feeling fairly conflicted. I enjoyed it - that much is for sure. I think it was absolutely worth the watch, and it was memorable enough to stick in my mind for years to come. But I also found parts of it super disappointing. In particular, there is a scene in the last episode that is basically the conclusion of the mystery, and it is just... Bad. It breaks character and feels more like the quality I'd expect of a fan fiction than a canonical, clever story. The show as a whole? Good! Some of the parts? Bad!

If I were to point you in a direction, I'd say there are shows that handle what Erased tries to do a little better. If you like the conceit of time travel, then I'd direct you towards the aforementioned Steins;Gate. if you like a strong mystery, I'd say check out Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai (the second season). If you're into visual feasts, I'd recommend any Shinkai movie (5 cm per second, your name, etc). I think Erased does each of these well, but doesn't come out as a master of any. Worth a watch? Absolutely. Worth writing home about? Maybe not.

I rate Erased: 4/5

B2112's Anime Reviews: Episode 0