The fan favorite of the Winter season, “Erased”, has been dominating the internet, and for a good reason. With an engaging plotline and characters, “Erased” deserves its popularity.

The anime follows 29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma (Shinnosuke Mitsushima and Tao Tsuchiya), an aspiring manga author who can’t get anything published and works at a pizza joint to get by.

Fujinuma is not an ordinary person. He posses a strange ability to go back in time a few minutes to prevent fatal incidents. But some incidents can’t be solved by going back just a few minutes. To save someone important to him, Fujinuma must go back 18 years.

The concept of time travel is nothing new, but time travel stories done well are hard to find. Thankfully, “Erased” makes good on its promise. The storytelling itself is well structured. The pacing is consistent and never lags. The intensity of the show never weakens, keeping viewers glued to the screen.

Another one of the selling points of the anime is the consistent animation. Many animators in Japan have hectic schedules and as a result, the animation can be lacking. But the team behind “Erased” managed to pull through and deliver well animated episodes each week.

The characters were also superb. Fujinuma’s internal feelings were made clear from the first episode and continued to evolve throughout the series. Even side characters get to shine. Airi Katagiri (Chinatsu Akasaki), a co-worker of Fujinuma’s, becomes involved in the mystery and is able to understand her own heart by helping Fujinuma.

The series also deals with difficult subject matters such as child abuse. The writers did their best to handle the subject with care and it shows. The characters do everything in their power to protect the victim and give her a support system.

The conclusion is satisfying and emotional, giving viewers closure. “Erased” is definitely worth checking out.