History YMMV / Erased

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The Netflix series makes a few improvements over the source material:

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The theme song, Music/AsianKungFuGeneration[='=]s "Re:Re:" really puts out a mixture of somber wonder and excitement at revealing the truth while showing tender childhood moments mixed with adult hardships.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The theme song, Music/AsianKungFuGeneration[='=]s "Re:Re:" really puts out a mixture of somber wonder and excitement at revealing the truth while showing tender childhood moments mixed with adult hardships.

** The SerialKiller, [[spoiler:Gaku Yashiro]], is the intelligent and psychopathic [[TheChessmaster mastermind]] behind [[BigBad almost all of the terrible events in the story]]. As a child, the killer felt bored and "empty" in life, and as a result, began performing [[EnfantTerrible wicked actions]] to bring thrill into his life, from drowning numerous hamsters, to luring little girls to his violent older brother who would rape them. After killing said brother and getting away with it, he [[{{Sadist}} became obsessed with the thrill he acheived by murdering people]], and to this end, began kidnapping and brutally murdering [[WouldHurtAChild little girls]] and [[FrameUp framing innocents]] for his crimes, and, when his fiancée became suspicious of his crimes, he [[DestinationDefenestration flung her out of a window]] and made it look like a suicide. Spending decades kidnapping, murdering, and framing innocents, the killer spurs [[TheHero Satoru Fujinuma]] into action when he viciously murders the man's mother and frames him for it. [[spoiler:When Satoru is sent back in time to save three children from Yashiro, Yashiro attempts to drown him, now 11 years old, for thwarting his plans, which results in Satoru being plunged into a coma for 15 years, throughout which Yashiro murdered his way into a political position. Luring a now-awake Satoru to an isolated campsite along with Kumi, a young leukemia patient, Yashiro plans to drown Kumi while forcing Satoru to watch, before burning him alive. Even when beaten, Yashiro, refusing to be arrested for his crimes, tries to kill both himself and Satoru in one fell swoop]]. Claiming he is no worse than anyone else simply because he murders people, the killer used his "unfulfillment" as an excuse to perpetrate his decades-long list of atrocities.
** The unnamed, manga-exclusive, and [[PosthumousCharacter flashback-only]] older brother of the killer manages to stand out as horrific and monstrous despite only appearing in one chapter. A sociopathic {{b|igBrotherBully}}ully, the brother regularly assaulted his own little sibling and other kids at his school. Showing his true monstrosity, the brother formed a partnership with the willing killer where, after the killer lured little girls to him, he would rape them, a process that went on for years and resulted in [[SerialRapist dozens of rapes]]. When the brother [[AccidentalMurder accidentally strangled]] one of his victims to death trying to keep her from calling for help, he tried to [[FrameUp frame his younger brother for the crime]], showing no regret or empathy for his victim. Though only a {{teen|sAreMonsters}}ager, the brother made his mark as the most monstrous character in the story along with his SerialKiller brother.

* EndingAversion: The final two episodes of the anime adaptation, due to pacing issues and deviation from the source material, were not very well-liked even among those that were fans of the seriea.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The theme song, Music/AsianKungFuGeneration[='=]s "Re:Re" really puts out a mixture of somber wonder and excitement at revealing the truth while showing tender childhood moments mixed with adult hardships.

* BrokenBase: What genre ''ERASED'' exactly falls into is a huge topic of debate among fans. People either label this as a mystery, thriller, or drama and turn down any arguments that it falls into the other two. Some see ''ERASED'' as a mystery since the story is about Satoru trying to find out who the killer from his childhood is, some lean more on thriller since the whole purpose of the story is to keep you in suspense and create an intense atmosphere. It doesn't help that a lot of the detractors claim that ''ERASED'' fell short as a mystery due to the CaptainObviousReveal and fell short as a thriller since the cliffhangers only really worked if you read the manga while it was publishing or watched the anime while it was airing. Those who see ''ERASED'' as a drama however claim that the mystery and thriller elements aren't relevant as the story is about Satoru reconnecting with his inner child and the mystery is mostly there be one of many conflicts for his character.

* CaptainObviousReveal: Although many fans were still unaware, [[spoiler:the reveal that Yashiro is the killer]] was considered as far too obvious by those proficient in the mystery genre. Then again, the story fits more in the 'thriller' genre than being a straight-up mystery.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The theme song, ''Music/AsianKungFuGeneration'''s "Re:Re" really puts out a mixture of somber wonder and excitement at revealing the truth while showing tender childhood moments mixed with adult hardships.

** Akemi Hinazuki is less over-the-top with her abuse. Additionally, almost all of the onscreen moments where she abuses Kayo were omitted.

** Satoru's faces [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud when he echoes his thoughts]].

* HypeBacklash: When a single serirs towers above the rest of its season, even gaining a 9+ rating and spot in the top 10 on Website/MyAnimeList[[note]]An anime rating and listing website which currently boasts nearly 200,000 active members[[/note]] after only four episodes, this will obviously be the result. Over the years, however, this series became divisive thanks to the hype.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Looking at Satoru's behavior, one could argue he's going through a sort of identity crisis as a side-effect of being [[spoiler:put in his eleven-year-old body]]. For one thing, he, the emotionally-numb Satoru is almost creepily good at imitating the way his [[spoiler: child self]] talks, and indeed seems to actually be a much more emotional person overall. The fact that he constantly has to remind himself that he's a grown man when finding himself attracted to Kayo also points towards some confusion and/or mild amnesia.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The theme song, ''Music/AsianKungFuGeneration'''s Re:Re really puts out a mixture of somber wonder and excitement at revealing the truth while showing tender childhood moments mixed with adult hardships.
* AuthorsSavingThrow: The Netflix series makes a few improvements over the source material.
** [[spoiler: Yashiro]] is made to look more like an everyman, as opposed to how ObviouslyEvil he was in the other incarnations.
** Akemi Hinazuki is less over-the-top with her abuse. On that subject, the controversial scenes of her abusing Kayo on-screen were removed.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: The serial killer [[spoiler:Gaku Yashiro is pretty divisive. One camp appreciates him for being a genuinely frightening and devious villain. However, he also has his own fair share of detractors, pointing out his generic motive and predictability, and consider him to be one of the series' weaker points.]]
* BrokenBase: What genre ''ERASED'' exactly falls into is a huge topic of debate among readers and viewers. People either label this as a mystery, thriller, or drama and turn down any arguments that it falls into the other two. Some see ''ERASED'' as a mystery since the story is about Satoru trying to find out who the killer from his childhood is, some lean more on thriller since the whole purpose of the story is to keep you in suspense and create an intense atmosphere. It doesn't help that a lot of the detractors claim that ''ERASED'' fell short as a mystery due to the CaptainObviousReveal and fell short as a thriller since the cliffhangers only really worked if you read the manga while it was publishing or watched the anime while it was airing. Those who see ''ERASED'' as a drama however claim that the mystery and thriller elements aren't relevant as the story is about Satoru reconnecting with his inner child and the mystery is mostly there be one of many conflicts for his character.
* CaptainObviousReveal: Although many readers/viewers were still unaware, [[spoiler:the reveal that Yashiro is the killer]] was considered as far too obvious by those proficient in the mystery genre. Then again, the story fits more in the 'thriller' genre than being a straight-up mystery.

** The SerialKiller, [[spoiler:Gaku Yashiro]], is the intelligent and psychopathic [[TheChessmaster mastermind]] behind [[BigBad almost all of the terrible events in the story]]. As a child, the killer felt bored and "empty" in life, and as a result, began performing [[EnfantTerrible wicked actions]] to bring thrill into his life, from drowning numerous hamsters, to luring little girls to his violent older brother who would rape them. After killing said brother and getting away with it, he [[{{Sadist}} became obsessed with the thrill he acheived by murdering people]], and to this end, began kidnapping and brutally murdering [[WouldHurtAChild little girls]] and [[FrameUp framing innocents]] for his crimes, and, when his fiancée became suspicious of his crimes, he [[DestinationDefenestration flung her out of a window]] and made it look like a suicide. Spending decades kidnapping, murdering, and framing innocents, the killer spurs [[TheHero Satoru Fujinuma]] into action when he viciously murders the man's mother and frames him for it. [[spoiler:When Satoru is sent back in time to save 3 children from Yashiro, Yashiro attempts to drown him, now 11 years old, for thwarting his plans, which results in Satoru being plunged into a coma for 15 years, throughout which Yashiro murdered his way into a political position. Luring a now-awake Satoru to an isolated campsite along with Kumi, a young leukemia patient, Yashiro plans to drown Kumi while forcing Satoru to watch, before burning him alive. Even when beaten, Yashiro, refusing to be arrested for his crimes, tries to kill both himself and Satoru in one fell swoop]]. Claiming he is no worse than anyone else simply because he murders people, the killer used his "unfulfillment" as an excuse to perpetrate his decades-long list of atrocities.

* EndingAversion: The final two episodes of the anime adaptation, due to pacing issues and deviation from the source material, were not very well-liked even among those that were fans of the show.
* FandomRivalry: With ''{{Manga/Ajin}}'', ''LightNovel/{{KonoSuba}}'', and ''Manga/ShouwaGenrokuRakugoShinjuu''. Alongside ''Erased'', all three of these shows were the ones being labeled as "anime of the season" by their respective viewers. However, while ''Erased'' eventually fell victim to HypeBacklash, those three shows ended up being {{sleeper hit}}s with '''all of them''' getting second seasons. The most notable of the rivalries was with ''Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu''. Many people who watched that along with ''Erased'' were the most vocal about their dislike towards ''Erased'' and how ''Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu'' was the true anime of the season.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The hilarious candy scene in episode 9 is made much less hilarious when you find out [[spoiler: that the candy and the "dating tips" were used by him to abduct children]].
* HilariousInHindsight: Creator/MitsuruMiyamoto's role a Gaku Yashiro is pretty hilarious if you take into account he is the Japanese dub voice of [[spoiler:[[Disney/TheLionKing adult Simba]]: In Simba's case, he was framed for the murder of his father Mufasa by his uncle Scar, and he finaly gets rid of him at the end. On the other hand, and at least in the manga, Yashiro, while also framed for a crime by a relative of his, in this case his older brother, he also become into a SerialKiller]].
* HypeBacklash: When a single show towers above the rest of its season, even gaining a 9+ rating and spot in the top 10 on [=MyAnimeList.net=][[note]]An anime rating and listing website which currently boasts nearly 200,000 active members[[/note]] after only four episodes, this will obviously be the result, but this series has managed to be one of the most divisive in recent times, even more so than ''Manga/OnePunchMan''.

** Sachiko's facial character design, while apparently standard for the series (other female characters, thought not all, are drawn the same way), can be a bit silly due to her perhaps too exaggerated lips and mouth.
** The [[MarketBasedTitle English title name change]] looks quite ridiculous when the official subtitles plant them right under the title logo every time the opening plays, [[TranslationYes as if one word could translate the full phrase]].

*** This happens in a particularly tense moment in episode 10, and coupled with an oddly drawn facial expression, it might induce an unintentional chuckle.
*** The entirety of the first half of Episode 09 is even worse in regards to Kayo's mother's Hidden Depths. The reason she mistreated her own daughter was [[spoiler:because her husband was also an one-dimensional evil father that happened to mistreat his wife - which then led her into unleashing her own abusive nature]]. This was supposed to be a TearJerker as [[spoiler:she was revealed to be more human and broken than what was believed (her mother wasn't a good parent either, as her sudden appearance alongside Satoru, Sachiko, Yashiro and the Child Services before it was enough to trigger this whole mess)]], but for the most part it's just a failed RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap moment of a character whose backstory was just parroting characterization.
*** In the anime at the very least, this moment isn't played for sympathy really as Satoru comments. [[spoiler: Neither he nor Kayo feel moved by the overly exaggerated expression of sadness. He even says that Kayo's mother's tears were probably of self-pity rather than true sadness.]] What it really serves to show is that having bad things done to you is not a justification for taking it out on other people, [[spoiler: a sentiment that is echoed later with Yashiro. Feeling empty on the inside and having an abusive and monstrous brother doesn't justify his later murderous sprees as he would like to convince you.]]
* NeverLiveItDown: [[spoiler:Satoru's DidNotGetTheGirl end after Kayo marries to Hiromi instead of him.]]

* ShipToShipCombat: After chapter 35, with [[spoiler:the revelation of Kayo marrying Hiromi and the manga spending a large amount of time on Satoru and Airi's relationship]], Satoru/Kayo fans started to take offense at the very concept of Satoru/Airi, often subjecting Airi to DieForOurShip for those reasons. Interestingly, although there's copious amounts of ShipTease for both options, the story never establishes whether any of them have actual feelings for each other.

** The idea of the very much mentally still twenty nine years old Satoru taking the eleven-year old Kayo on dates. It's usually done subtly and platonically enough for the audience not to think about the implications too hard...other than an anime-original scene when he's listening to the sounds of Kayo having fun with his mom in the bath, and ''has to scold himself for his excitation, reminding himself that he's 29 years old''.
** Several fans are horrified and weirded out at the FoeYay of [[spoiler: Yashiro and Satoru]] due to how much the pairing reeks of MindGameShip.
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Akemi, who is revealed to have [[spoiler: suffered abuse at the hands of her husband, which led to her abusive behavior]]. Much like [[Manga/FruitsBasket Akito Sohma]], not everybody thinks abuse justifies abuse (although this sentiment does seem to be echoed by onlooking characters like Satoru, who doesn't look on all that fondly).
* {{Woolseyism}}: The title ''ERASED'' (used for the official English translation of the anime and the French translation of the manga) condenses the poetic but rather unwieldy-to-translate original title of "The Town Where Only I Am Missing". It also preserves the title's trick of employing a double meaning in regards to what it actually refers to: [[spoiler:in the same way "the town where only I am missing" initially seems to refer to Kayo's poem about the pain of her abuse but actually refers to Satoru's absence for fifteen years in the new timeline, "erased" could refer to either Satoru's actions of "erasing" disastrous events in his revivals or the fact that Satoru was effectively "erased" from the lives of those around him for fifteen years]].

* SpiritualAdaptation: With the use of Time Travel to solve a murder mystery and [[spoiler: the culprit being the protagonist's teacher]], many have called this an anime adaptation of ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange.''

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Looking at Satoru's behavior, one could argue he's going through a sort of identity crisis as a side-effect of being [[spoiler: put in his eleven-year-old body.]] For one thing, he, the emotionally-numb Satoru is almost creepily good at imitating the way his [[spoiler: child self]] talks, and indeed seems to actually be a much more emotional person overall. The fact that he constantly has to remind himself that he's a grown man when finding himself attracted to Kayo also points towards some confusion and/or mild amnesia.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: The serial killer [[spoiler:Gaku Yashiro is pretty divisive. One camp appreciates him for being a genuinely frightening and devious villain. However, he also has his own fair share of detractors, pointing out his generic motive and predictability, and consider him to be one of the series' weaker points]].

* FandomRivalry: With ''{{Manga/Ajin}}'', ''LightNovel/KonoSubarashiiSekaiNiShukufukuO'', and ''Manga/ShouwaGenrokuRakugoShinjuu''. Alongside ''Erased'', all three of these shows were the ones being labeled as "anime of the season" by their respective viewers. However, while ''Erased'' eventually fell victim to HypeBacklash, those three shows ended up being {{sleeper hit}}s with '''all of them''' getting second seasons. The most notable of the rivalries was with ''Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu''. Many people who watched that along with ''Erased'' were the most vocal about their dislike towards ''Erased'' and how ''Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu'' was the true anime of the season.

* InternetBackdraft:
** To some: The Anime being animated in a Anamorphic Scope (2.35:1 ratio), which results in an unsettling letterbox.
** The final two episodes of the anime adaptation, due to pacing issues and deviation from the source material, were not very well-liked even among those that were fans of the show.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Looking at Satoru's behavior, one could argue he's going through a sort of identity crisis as a side-effect of being [[spoiler: put in his eleven-year-old body.]]
For one thing, he, the emotionally-numb Satoru is almost creepily good at imitating the way his [[spoiler: child self]] talks, and indeed seems to actually be a much more emotional person overall. The fact that he constantly has to remind himself that he's a grown man when finding himself attracted to Kayo also points towards some confusion and/or mild amnesia.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Some people see Satoru as a pedophile. While his attraction towards Airi can be justified since she's well within Japan's age of consent, he also gets rather flustered with the 11-year-old Kayo and he constantly has to remind himself that he's an adult. However, you could also justify that Satoru, being in his approaching-puberty body, just isn't in control of his hormones.

* FandomRivalry: With ''{{Manga/Ajin}}'', ''LightNovel/KonoSubarashiiSekaiNiShukufukuO'', and ''Manga/ShouwaGenrokuRakugoShinjuu''. Alongside ''Erased'', all three of these shows were the ones being labeled as "anime of the season" by their respective viewers. However, while ''Erased'' eventually fell victim to SeasonalRot and HypeBacklash, those three shows ended up being {{sleeper hit}}s with '''all of them''' getting second seasons. The most notable of the rivalries was with ''Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu''. Many people who watched that along with ''Erased'' were the most vocal about their dislike towards ''Erased'' and how ''Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu'' was the true anime of the season.

* NeverLiveItDown: [[spoiler:Satoru's unhappy end after Kayo marries to Hiromi instead of him.]]

* CounterpartComparison: A [[GoodParents loving]], badass MamaBear with good perception and a prominent mouth design. Are we talking about Sachiko or [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse Garnet]]?

** To some: The Anime being animated in a Anamorphic Scope (2.35:1 ratio).

* InternetBackdraft: The final two episodes of the anime adaptation, due to pacing issues and deviation from the source material, were not very well-liked even among those that were fans of the show.

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: Gaku Yashiro]] is a psychopathic mastermind who brings excitement into his everyday life by murdering children and expertly framing innocents for the crimes. His genius extending all the way to childhood, where he effortlessly murdered his abusive older brother and made it look like a suicide, he carries his depraved intelligence into adulthood, where he spends years perfecting the art of charming and manipulating others, especially his preferred targets. Be it noticing signs of abuse or taking advantage of their innate naivety, he always gets his target, and in a notable instance, murdered one of his male students who resembled a girl, knowing it would eliminate him from suspicion as a killer who solely targeted females. Despite Satoru's time travel abilities, [[spoiler: Yashiro]] one-ups and outwits him at every turn, never even knowing of the man's powers, just being so naturally adaptable that nothing slows him down. [[spoiler: Yashiro]] is a truly terrifying killer, having not only the smarts and charms to kill whoever he wants with ease, but also the fast-thinking to ensure that he's never caught, no matter what opposition arises.

*** This happens in a [[{{Understatement}} particularly tense]] moment in episode 10, and coupled with an oddly drawn facial expression, it might induce an unintentional chuckle.

* FanPreferredCouple: Some fans weren't too happy when [[spoiler:Kayo ended up marrying Hiromi, her relationship with Satoru remaining as JustFriends]].

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: Gaku Yashiro]] is a psychopathic mastermind who brings excitement into his everyday life by murdering children and expertly framing Innocents for the crimes. His genius extending all the way to childhood, where he effortlessly murdered his abusive older brother and made it look like a suicide, he carries his depraved intelligence into adulthood, where he spends years perfecting the art of charming and manipulating others, especially his preferred targets. Be it noticing signs of abuse or taking advantage of their innate naivety, he always gets his target, and in a notable instance, murdered one of his male students who resembled a girl, knowing it would eliminate him from suspicion as a killer who solely targeted females. Despite Satoru's time travel abilities, [[spoiler: Yashiro]] one-ups and outwits him at every turn, never even knowing of the man's powers, just being so naturally adaptable that nothing slows him down. [[spoiler: Yashiro]] is a truly terrifying killer, having not only the smarts and charms to kill whoever he wants with ease, but also the fast-thinking to ensure that he's never caught, no matter what opposition arises.

* WhatAnIdiot: Upon finding [[spoiler:his mother's body]], Satoru's first reaction isn't to call the police, but to [[spoiler:chase who he believes is the killer]]. This is one of the primary factors that leads to [[spoiler:the police thinking Satoru is the prime suspect. To be fair however, the killer is very good at framing others and it is highly implied that he timed his exit so that Satoru would notice him and chase him]].
** Interestingly this is changed in the anime, where Satoru first reaction is to [[spoiler: go to his mother's body to see if she's still alive (This action in the manga causes a revival that kicks him back outside his door 2 minutes prior in time). He's then seen by a neighbor, who gets the wrong impression, and then the police show up. Satoru then tries to run from the police, which is understandable given the circumstances]].

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: Gaku Yashiro. He is ''terrifying''. His sadism and predatory blood-thirst is matched only by his intelligence. Cold, calculating and charismatic, he accounts for damn near everything that may or may not go wrong. He correctly deduced Satoru was interfering with his plans all along, and easily baited the boy to reveal himself as the savior of his would-be victims.]]