Anime: Boku dake ga Inai Machi REVIEW

Friends get to know each other in poverty
Trust is an extremely fragile thing. It's very hard to trust someone completely. There are many factors, but by far the most important is that it is the most valuable thing to give and the recipient is able to hurt us severely. Believing in others, however, is essential for a happy life and, as Boku dake ga Inai Machi points out, relying on friends can take you out of the worst swamp.
Satoru Fujinuma, not the best mangaka working in a pizzeria, has the unique ability to go back in time uncontrollably a few minutes. Whenever a tragedy can occur nearby, this ability is activated and gives it a chance to change the course of events. One day he is framed for the brutal murder of his mother and as a result he goes back in time to his childhood. Now, with the mind of an adult in the body of a ten-year-old, he has to connect a multitude of different facts and prevent the murder of three children. The irresistible impression that he could somehow have done something about it has haunted him for many years. Perhaps if he discovers the identity of the murderer, he will also prevent the death of his mother and completely change the future.
The city where I am the only one missing, alternatively called ERASED, was to be a huge hit that will win the hearts of hundreds of spectators. However, its eagerly awaited ending, announced to be identical to the manga, resulted in the loss of thousands of previously conquered hearts. Interestingly, it turned out to be quite different than planned. Well, a man is not recognized by the way he starts, but by the way he ends. If ERASED were a man, he... he certainly wouldn't be the guy of the year.
Graphic 9/10
I think that the graphic design of Boku dake ga Inai Machi met the expectations of many viewers. The graphics are simply beautiful. All its elements, from backgrounds, through colouring to shading, competently reflected the atmosphere of the whole production. Basically, they even significantly emphasized it, increasing the dose of characteristic mood. In general, the drawings are very detailed and realistic. They manifested themselves through such tiny elements as the steam coming out of the characters' mouths, their reflections in the panes, or the movements of the eyeballs. All the backgrounds were also drawn precisely and, what is most important, stunningly. Generally, in the moments important for the development of the plot, the graphics reached an incredible level. For a long time I will remember the scene under a tree lit by hundreds of stars. I haven't mentioned anything about the character's drawings yet. As far as silhouettes are concerned, they were reflected nicely and realistically, but the faces often reminded me of caricatures. Their huge simplifications had a good effect on the emotions, but... I just didn't like them. In my opinion, people are an important part of the psychological anime, so it's a little bit of a missed opportunity to make their drawings go downhill. I must also praise the idea of placing black stripes at the top and bottom of the screen, which made a striking impression, as well as the symbolism hidden in seemingly ordinary shots.
Music 9/10
Musically, ERASED has exceeded my expectations. Original soundtrack contains a lot of atmospheric tracks, which perfectly match the general mood of anime. They perfectly convey a touch of mystery and drama. What's more, I can boldly call a few tracks timeless. Not only have they remained in my head permanently, but their recreation brings to mind the most interesting fragments of the plot line. We are also dealing here with a characteristic leitmotif that has risen to the heights of catchiness. The soundtrack contains tracks that evoke various emotions, but too many of them are similar to each other. On the one hand, a small variety may be a plus, but in the case of a series with a rather emotional approach to the world, it becomes boring. Both the opening and the ending were also excellent. Actually, "excellent" is too weak a word to describe their greatness. The energetic opening song immediately attracted the viewer's attention, while the final one melancholically crowned another fragment of Sator's attempts. Of course, I couldn't help but mention the abundant symbolism scrolling around on the screen during the song. Musically, the whole thing is a great, coherent, well-made element.
Figures 5/10
That's where all the charm came from. We were presented with a modest number of heroes, the vast majority of which were single-track. Many of them were just single roles, and some of them... just were. This even applies to characters whose participation in the development of the plot should be significant, such as members of the school pack of Sator. However, the biggest problem in the case of young people was too mature behavior for the age of ten. Yes, sometimes they were childish, but usually they thought like at least high school students. In this respect, the record holder is Kenya, whose way of being a grown-up philosopher. Nevertheless, the relationship