(L+CR) Boku Dake ga Inai Machi - ERASED [Manga comparisons forbidden]

[Soverence]

I don't get why so many people are disappointed with the teacher being the killer? While everyone said it was easily predictable, which it was, before the reveal a lot of people thought that the predictability was a red herring because its a common writing tactic. Once it was revealed that he was in fact the killer everyone acted as if they never had any doubt. The way I personally see it is the author tried to hide the solution in plain sight by making it obvious which is something a mystery series never does. In hindsight it seems like a weak mystery cause it was "obvious" but before the reveal the obviousness of it threw so many people off and made them believe it was in fact someone else.

I could be over thinking it but I feel it being the teacher was really well done. Satoru never suspected him because he admired him and saw him essentially as a father figure which was something we as the viewer also got to experience. That image made it harder to get to the idea that he was without a doubt the killer. I think Satoru says it the best, it was so obvious we just couldn't accept it.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by Iron Maw

I suppose just means this was never so much a mystery than as it was a thriller.

This is a point I've been making for weeks now. Yet so many people continued to treat it as mystery - and some kept expecting mystery - despite the fact that one of the central aspects of mystery (the availability of multiple suspects) was completely missing here.

[ReddyRedWolf]

I think we got a bit of what goes on Yashiro's head. To him it is game. A game between him and the detectives. Setting patsies for the fall making things elaborate. He just wants somebody to get a clue. Thing is only the journalist friend of Sachiko does so. But if somebody figure out his identity he will kill that person.

Satoru is different. From his perspective he has insight against his machinations. When Yashiro heard he was using the bus for Kayo and they left it immediately he knew this kid was different. After Kayo's case was solved Satoru brought Aya into his circle frustrating him even more. Thus he sets up Misato as a litmus test on his suspicion. Finally he hears from Satoru himself he is playing a detective. Holy crap a ten year old kid outsmarting him giving him better excitement than those cops. That is why he revealed his identity as he was impressed. Of course he had to kill Satoru when he unmasked himself. When he heard his own words from Satoru he thinks they are made from the same cloth. Only Satoru chose to be a hero while him a villain. A serial killer Chuuni finding his detective Chuuni counterpart.

[Benigmatica]

Episode 10:
All I can say is, damn that Gaku Yashiro... He sure wants no witnesses!

Anyways, I'm hoping that someone save Satoru Fujinuma.

[Triple_R]

Better for the teacher to be the killer than some random nobody. By Episode 6 or 7, it was pretty clear that the killer was one or the other (teacher or random nobody), so from a simple "good storytelling" perspective, I'm glad it's the teacher.

ERASED doesn't have to be some brilliant murder mystery. That's not really the core of the story, and I think the anime has been pretty clear about that given what the episodes set in the 80s were like.

ERASED is a very emotionally strong character drama, which liberally uses sci-fi simply as a vehicle to tell its emotionally intense/gripping story. Now, I can see why that would disappoint some viewers, but ERASED has been consistent here. Satoru spent far more time trying to protect the innocent than he did trying to catch the guilty, which pretty clearly shows that this isn't a Jessica Fletcher/Phoenix Wright style murder mystery show.


Now, when it comes to emotional engagement, I felt that Episode 10 was superb. The overall framing of Gaku Yashiro was exquisitely chilling, making it very easy to emotionally connect with Satoru and understand just how shocking and disturbing this is to Satoru. Granted, Satoru probably can be faulted for not taking some basic precautions for his own personal safety, but as character flaws go, this is certainly a sympathetic one. I mean, if I was in Satoru's shoes, I'd probably make it a point to never be alone in the presence of an adult (other than my mom or Jun Shiratori ) while I'm a kid in the 80s. Satoru is so focused on saving others that he forgets to keep himself safe, which is certainly worthy of criticism, but is also admirable in a way.

ERASED is not a brilliant show, from an intellectual perspective. Satoru's time-leaps do come across as rather convenient at times, and those time-leaps are not explored much from a broader sci-fi perspective, and not much effort is made to get the viewer engaged in elaborate guessing/speculation over who the culprit is. While it might have been nice if the show was different in these three areas, I also see the value in having a very tight narrative that remains steely focused on Satoru single-mindedly trying to play rescue-hero.

On the whole, ERASED is still a very satisfying watch, and currently my favorite anime show of Winter 2016.

[larethian]

I think maybe he thinks of himself more as an adult than a kid.

[com_gwp]

Originally Posted by larethian

I think maybe he thinks of himself more as an adult than a kid.

On the contrary, the show went to great lengths to show that he still is as much of a child as he is an adult. There was his retort at Aya, the constant blurting out of his overlapping thoughts, and reminders of his powerlessness be it as a child or adult; The more you change, the more you stay the same.

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

This is a point I've been making for weeks now. Yet so many people continued to treat it as mystery - and some kept expecting mystery - despite the fact that one of the central aspects of mystery (the availability of multiple suspects) was completely missing here.

Right on the nose; the best aspects of the show has always been the characters and the accompanying drama.

I understand that there's really not much to discuss in these threads beyond the whodunit of the case, but it's purpose was always in serving the more central themes of the show (especially in light of how straight the show played it).

[Goty]

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

This is a point I've been making for weeks now. Yet so many people continued to treat it as mystery - and some kept expecting mystery - despite the fact that one of the central aspects of mystery (the availability of multiple suspects) was completely missing here.

Yeah. After the first episode, i told a friend there was a cool new mystery show. He came back to me a couple weeks ago to ask if it was still any good, and i said yes, but that it was much more drama than mystery.

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by com_gwp

Right on the nose; the best aspects of the show has always been the characters and the accompanying drama.

I understand that there's really not much to discuss in these threads beyond the whodunit of the case, but it's purpose was always in serving the more central themes of the show (especially in light of how straight the show played it).

And what are these themes? Abuse is bad? Save lonely people? Satoru sees all the people he could have helped in his past and now is acting out on it? Sure people can stand to be "heroes" more, but hindsight is also 20-20.

The show has been remarkably transparent in its attempts to make us "feel" for Kayo rather than it being a good exploration of child abuse. It was a nice little heart warming story, but it hardly felt like the whole point of the show.

I agree that the drama is best part of the show, but that's more of an indictment of its other aspects than the drama itself being especially noteworthy.

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

This all goes back to the fact that this show has not been a particularly good mystery or thriller.

It isn't a mystery or thriller at its core. You've missed the point of this title...

Maybe you'll figure it out by the time Episode 12 is done...

I doubt it...

That said, Episode 10 was down by the usual standards.

[Mister Twit]

So looking back, I had a thought, not sure if this had been brought up yet:

Doesn't it seem like Satoru's power only activates when he's trying to save a kid? First he saves a kid from getting run over by a truck, then he saves another kid from being abducted. And even when he found his own mom dead his power's reaction was to take him back to his childhood and save another kid or two. I don't know, maybe it's just a coincidence and the author has a one-track mind but I feel like this may be somehow significant.

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

ERASED doesn't have to be some brilliant murder mystery. That's not really the core of the story, and I think the anime has been pretty clear about that given what the episodes set in the 80s were like.

Should have known that if one person would understand that, you would.

[ookamigirl]

On the the next one..
Trying to save another girl.
That sensei is still suspicious..
Him and sensei playing detective.
He finally showed his true colors.
Damn, what a dramatic ending.
I'm glad there are more episodes left.

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by Last Sinner

It isn't a mystery or thriller at its core. You've missed the point of this title...

Maybe you'll figure it out by the time Episode 12 is done...

I doubt it...

That said, Episode 10 was down by the usual standards.

It is not about it being the main point, it is about that being the framework for whatever else happens in the story. It is not functionally an ordinary drama. It probably would have been better if it did away with this whole murder victim plot.

And yes, please belittle me some more. Shows how much substance you have .

[DemonneoPT]

Too bad the mistery part in this anime had such bland execution. It was obvious it was the teacher since like episode 2 or 3. The only doubts i had about it were just because it was so obvious for him to be the killer, i thought it definitely must have been some other character...lol. But no real suspects were actually introduced in the following episodes destroying my hopes of someone else being the killer. But anyway, for me the greatest strenght of this anime was not it's mistery but the characters interactions and how well some scenes were executed. I still hope for some crazy twist at the end like Hinazuki still dying but Satoru's mother being saved, since he only went to the past because it was his mother's death that triggered his ability and not Hinazuki. Or something like that!

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by DemonneoPT

Too bad the mistery part in this anime had such bland execution. It was obvious it was the teacher since like episode 2 or 3.

How often does it need to be repeated again, it's obviously not a mystery show. If the author never bothers introducing another suspect, then it's clear, that he doesn't treat it as mystery.

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

How often does it need to be repeated again, it's obviously not a mystery show. If the author never bothers introducing another suspect, then it's clear, that he doesn't treat it as mystery.

Truer words were never spoken.

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

How often does it need to be repeated again, it's obviously not a mystery show. If the author never bothers introducing another suspect, then it's clear, that he doesn't treat it as mystery.

That's actually objectively incorrect... There have been other suspects.

Regardless, if he didn't want to it keep it a "surprise" he would have just showed the audience who the killer was to begin with.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

That's actually objectively incorrect... There have been other suspects.

Who, the mother, her boyfriend? Were they developed as suspects the way Yashiro was? No. Especially so if you consider the (before the recent episode possible) connection of Nishizono with the 1988 killer.

Regardless, if he didn't want to it keep it a "surprise" he would have just showed the audience who the killer was to begin with.

While mystery requires suspense, suspense doesn't equate mystery. The author may have simply preferred to keep people guessing the obvious as a tool to keep suspense up.

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

Who, the mother, her boyfriend? Were they developed as suspects the way Yashiro was? No. Especially so if you consider the (before the recent episode possible) connection of Nishizono with the 1988 killer.

Whether or not they were developed to the same point isn't my primary concern, but there have been other suspects. Kayo's mother, Kenya, Jun Shiratori (Even if Satoru didn't believe it was him, it doesn't automatically exclude him), the reporter friend Sawada (The most likely candidate aside from sensei).

Yes, at this point of the story it became obvious it could be no one else without it coming out of left field. I think that's just a sign of a poorly built mystery.

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

While mystery requires suspense, suspense doesn't equate mystery. The author may have simply preferred to keep people guessing the obvious as a tool to keep suspense up.

And yet the show has been giving us clues along the way about who the perpetrator was. The police suspect list, glimpses of his face so we would guess his age (and even trying to make us think he was similar age to Satoru), the fact that his mother knew him, etc. This anime has also intentionally played with the details. Really pushing what was believable for Kenya's age, highlighting the newsroom photo, not explaining where Satoru's father is and more.

Suspense does not always have to be mystery, but this has not just been a suspense story.