Boku Dake ga Inai Machi

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi
Cover of the first manga volume
僕だけがいない街
Genre	Fantasy, mystery, thriller
Manga
Written by	Kei Sanbe
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Young Ace
Original run	June 4, 2012 – March 4, 2016
Volumes	8
Anime television series
ERASED
Directed by	Tomohiko Itō
Produced by	Kenta Suzuki Taku Matsuo
Written by	Taku Kishimoto
Music by	Yuki Kajiura
Studio	A-1 Pictures
Licensed by	AUS Madman Entertainment BI Anime Limited NA Aniplex of America
Network	Fuji TV (Noitamina)
English network	SEA Aniplus Asia
Original run	January 8, 2016 – March 25, 2016
Episodes	12
Live-action film
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (film)
Manga
Boku dake ga Inai Machi Gaiden
Written by	Kei Sanbe
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Young Ace
Original run	June 4, 2016 – present

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (僕だけがいない街, lit. The Town Where Only I am Missing), also known as ERASED, is a Japanese fantasy thriller seinen manga series written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe, which was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine between June 4, 2012 and March 4, 2016. An anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block between January 8, 2016 and March 25, 2016, and a live action film was released on March 19, 2016. A spin-off novel series by Hajime Ninomae was released in Kadokawa's Bungei Kadokawa magazine between November 2015 to March 2016 and a spin-off manga series by Sanbe will begin serialization in Young Ace on June 4, 2016.

Plot

The story follows Satoru Fujinuma, a man who somehow possesses an ability that sends him back in time moments before a life-threatening incident, allowing him to prevent it from happening. When his mother is murdered by an unknown assailant, Satoru's ability suddenly sends him back eighteen years to when he was still in elementary school, giving him the opportunity to prevent a kidnapping incident that took the lives of three of his classmates.

Characters

The four main characters of ERASED (from left to right): Airi Katagiri, Kayo Hinazuki, Sachiko Fujinuma and Satoru Fujinuma (29 years old) (Background)

Satoru Fujinuma (藤沼 悟, Fujinuma Satoru)

Voiced by: Shinnosuke Mitsushima (adult), Tao Tsuchiya (child)

Played by: Tatsuya Fujiwara (adult), Tsubasa Nakagawa (child)

Satoru is a 29 year old (c.2006) manga artist who also works part-time as a deliveryman at Oasi Pizza (28 years old in the manga). He possesses an ability he calls "Revival," which would bring him back to a time before a life-threatening incident would occur and allow him to prevent it. When his mother was murdered for noticing a serial kidnapper in action, his "Revival" triggered and he was brought back 18 years back to when he was 10 years old (c.1988), around the time the same kidnapper had killed two young girls and a young boy in his hometown, two of whom were his classmates. Satoru eventually attempts and succeeds in preventing the original three victims from their deaths, which drives the kidnapper to attempt to drown Satoru in a frozen lake for thwarting his plans. Fifteen years later, Satoru wakes up from a coma to realize he had lost some of his memories, including the real kidnapper's identity.

Airi Katagiri (片桐 愛梨, Katagiri Airi)

Voiced by: Chinatsu Akasaki

Played by: Kasumi Arimura

Airi is a high school student and Satoru's co-worker at Oasi Pizza. She became involved with Satoru when she witnessed oddities such as when Satoru managed to save people from certain life-threatening situations. Airi was one of the few who decided to trust Satoru when he was framed for his mother's murder. In the manga, Airi is the key to unlocking Satoru's lost memories.

Kayo Hinazuki (雛月 加代, Hinazuki Kayo)

Voiced by: Aoi Yūki

Played by: Rio Suzuki

Kayo is one of Satoru's primary school classmates, and one of the original victims of the serial kidnapping case 18 years ago. She was saved due to Satoru's attempt to stop the kidnapper through his "Revival". By befriending Kayo and making sure that she ceased being a loner, Satoru made her a difficult target for the kidnapper. When Satoru wakes up from his coma, it is revealed that Kayo has married Hiromi and has had a son.

Sachiko Fujinuma (藤沼 佐知子, Fujinuma Sachiko)

Voiced by: Minami Takayama

Played by: Yuriko Ishida

Sachiko is Satoru's mother and former news announcer. She possesses a sharp eye and is quick to observe any irregularities. She knows about the cold cases of serial kidnapping in her town, but decided to keep quiet and ignore it due to her child's growth and safety. However, after having eye contact with the criminal at his latest kidnapping attempt, she was silenced and killed by the kidnapper. This event triggered Satoru's 18 year "Revival".

Kenya Kobayashi (小林 賢也, Kobayashi Ken'ya)

Voiced by: Yō Taichi

Played by: Seiji Fukushi

Kenya is one of Satoru's primary school classmates who has a strong sense of justice. He is an aspiring lawyer who has a keen eye, and noticed abnormalities due to Satoru acting much more mature than he was after "Revival". Kenya offered a lot of help to Satoru in stopping the possible kidnapping attempts. As a result of what transpired during Satoru's "Revival", he becomes a lawyer who is still in search of the real kidnapper 15 years later.

Hiromi Sugita (杉田 広美, Sugita Hiromi)

Voiced by: Akari Kitō, Atsushi Tamaru (adult)

Hiromi is one of Satoru's primary school classmates who appears feminine even though he is a boy. He is one of the original victims of the serial kidnapping case. Hiromi was killed in order to lead the police into thinking that the suspect did not know that Hiromi was male. He also participated in Satoru's attempt in stopping the kidnappings. He is married to Kayo 15 years later.

Osamu (修, Osamu)

Voiced by: Ayaka Nanase

Osamu is one of Satoru's primary school classmates.

Kazu (カズ, Kazu)

Voiced by: Yukitoshi Kikuchi

Kazu is one of Satoru's primary school classmates.

Aya Nakanishi (中西 彩, Nakanishi Aya)

Aya is a perfect student studying at Izumi Primary near to Satoru's primary school, and is one of the original victims of serial kidnapping. She befriends Satoru's friends, which prevented her from being kidnapped.

Jun Shiratori (白鳥 潤, Shiratori Jun)

Voiced by: Takahiro Mizushima

Played by: Kento Hayashi

Jun is a food delivery worker who lived in Satoru's hometown, and would often approach lone students around his house. Because he advises children to be more "courageous" he is nicknamed "Yuuki", he was originally framed as the killer of the three kidnapped students in the town and sentenced for murder.

Gaku Yashiro (八代 学, Yashiro Gaku)

Voiced by: Mitsuru Miyamoto

Gaku is Satoru's homeroom teacher during his youth. Later on in the series he is revealed to be the real kidnapper and serial killer behind the scenes. After Satoru attempted to stop his actions, Gaku decided to drown Satoru in a frozen lake, resulting in Satoru's 15 year coma. In the 15 years since, he became a politician and changed his name to Manabu Nishizono.

Akemi Hinazuki (雛月 明美, Hinazuki Akemi)

Voiced by: Akemi Okamura

Akemi is Kayo's abusive mother.

Media

Manga

The original manga, written by Kei Sanbe, was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine in between June 4, 2012 and March 4, 2016. The first tankobon volume was released in Japan on January 26, 2013, with seven volumes published as of December 26, 2015. The series is licensed in France by Ki-oon. Sanbe will begin serializing a spin-off manga titled Boku dake ga Inai Machi Gaiden in Young Ace on June 4, 2016.

Volumes

• 1 (January 26, 2013)
• 2 (June 4, 2013)
• 3 (December 4, 2013)
• 4 (June 4, 2014)
• 5 (December 29, 2014)
• 6 (July 4, 2015)
• 7 (December 26, 2015)
• 8 (May 2, 2016)

Anime

A television anime adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block between January 8, 2016 and March 25, 2016 and was simulcast on Crunchyroll, Daisuki, Funimation and AnimeLab under the name ERASED. The series is being directed by Tomohiko Itō and written by Taku Kishimoto, with character design by Keigo Sasaki. The opening theme is "Re:Re:" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation while the ending theme is "Sore wa Chiisa na Hikari no Yō na" (それは小さな光のような, It's Like a Small Light) by Sayuri. The series is licensed in North America by Aniplex of America, in Australia by Madman Entertainment, and in the United Kingdom by Anime Limited. A dub in English has been announced.

Episode list

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Flashing Before My Eyes" "Sōmatō" (走馬灯)	January 8, 2016
In the year 2006, Satoru Fujinuma is a 29-year old manga artist who occasionally experiences a phenomenon he refers to as "Revival", in which he is sporadically sent back in time by a few seconds, allowing him to perform life-saving feats. He uses this to save a boy from a runaway truck, whose driver had died from a heart attack, though becomes hospitalized for a few days as a result. As his co-worker, Airi Katagiri, praises Satoru for his life-saving efforts, Satoru is visited by his mother, Sachiko, who reminds him of an incident 18 years ago in which an adult named Jun Shiratori, who Satoru had trusted, was arrested for the kidnapping and murder of some of his classmates. The next day, as Satoru experiences another Revival phenomenom, Sachiko takes note of a man who seemed to be trying to kidnap a child. Looking into the matter, Sachiko deduces that the man was the true killer, but before she can inform Satoru, she is killed in Satoru's home. Just as Satoru discovers Sachiko's body and is accused of killing her, his Revival sends him all the way back to 1988, when he was still an 11-year old elementary school student.
2	"Palm of the Hand" "Tenohira" (掌)	January 15, 2016
As Satoru becomes bewildered with the situation he's been put in, he finds comfort in being able to see his mother again. Realising being sent to this period by Revival is connected to Sachiko's future murder, Satoru takes notice of Kayo Hinazuki, one of his classmates who was killed during the kidnapping incident, noticing a bruise on her leg. Upon the suggestion of his friend Kenya Kobayashi, Satoru reads an essay written by Kayo, which further hints at her troubled life at home. Wanting to understand Kayo more, Satoru decides to invite her to his birthday party, hoping to change the future so that she won't be killed.
3	"Birthmark" "Aza" (痣)	January 22, 2016
During an ice skating race against a classmate, Satoru holds back from winning to avoid inadvertently trying to change the future, angering the classmate and disappointing Kayo. After learning that Kayo's birthday is on the same day as his, March 2, Satoru deduces that she will be abducted on March 1, as the abduction was in March but before her birthday. Satoru spends some time with Jun, still convinced that he is not the kidnapper. Afterwards, Satoru finds Kayo beaten up in her home's shed, learning of the full nature of her abusive relationship with her mother, Akemi. The next day, Satoru speaks with his teacher, Gaku Yashiro, who explains how he has suspected Akemi of abuse for almost a year but hasn't been able to find proof to convict her. Later, Satoru stands up for Kayo when she is accused to stealing lunch money, before taking her up a mountain to show her a frost-laden "Christmas" tree.
4	"Accomplishment" "Tassei" (達成)	January 29, 2016
With help from Sachiko, Satoru manages to invite Kayo out with her to the local science center. During the outing, Satoru feels a sense of deja vú, becoming worried that he's repeating the same things. After March 1st, the day Kayo originally disappeared, passed without incident, both Satoru and Kayo are able to celebrate their birthday the next day, with Satoru confident he has managed to change history. The day afterwards, however, Satoru is shocked to find Kayo hasn't come to school.
5	"Getaway" "Tōbō" (逃亡)	February 5, 2016
As Satoru becomes angry that he wasn't able to make a difference about Kayo's disappearance, another schoolgirl goes missing several days later. After witnessing Akemi throw out Kayo's belongings, Satoru suddenly finds himself back in 2006, still under suspicion of Sachiko's murder and forced to go on the run from the police. Satoru soon comes across Airi, who believes him to be innocent and lets him stay at her house, where he learns the details of Kayo's disappearance did change slightly because of his actions. The next day, as Satoru investigates as much as he can, Airi stops her manager from reporting Satoru to the police. Later that night, after helping Satoru hide elsewhere, Airi receives a text from Sachiko's phone before becoming trapped in a house fire.
6	"Grim Reaper" "Shinigami" (死神)	February 12, 2016
Coming across the burning house, Satoru rushes in to rescue Airi, who slips her phone into his pocket before the manager takes over the rescue. Finding the message left on Airi's phone, Satoru calls a number that Sachiko had left behind, arranging a meeting with an acquaintance of hers named Sawada. Sawada tells Satoru about the last phone call he received from Sachiko, in which she claimed to know who the true kidnapper was but was unable to tell him before she was killed. He also explains the reported details surrounding Kayo's death, noticing Jun's framing matches with another kidnapping incident in a nearby town and deducing the true kidnapper was the one who killed Sachiko. While Satoru looks up Sawada's findings on the kidnapping incident, including a list of previous suspects, Sawada goes to the hospital to meet up with Airi, only to discover that her mother has swapped places with her so she can prove Satoru's innocence. Airi meets up with Satoru, informing him of a mysterious man named Nishizumi who may have been responsible for the fire, but police show up to arrest Satoru. As he is taken away, Satoru spots the man he saw leaving his house on the night of Sachiko's murder.
7	"Out of Control" "Bōsō" (暴走)	February 19, 2016
Determined not to let things end the way it is, Satoru successfully triggers his Revival through sheer willpower, returning him to February 28th, 1988. During school the next day, Kenya confronts Satoru about Kayo's situation at home, admitting that he's known for a while now about the domestic violence, and offers his assistance. Following the birthday party on March 2nd, Satoru throws a rock through Jun's window to bring about the police, providing him with an alibi for his whereabouts. Afterwards, Satoru seeks out Akemi and comes close to pushing her down some stairs, but is stopped by Kenya, who convinces him to choose a different course of action. Instead, Satoru decides to 'abduct' Kayo with her permission, taking her to an abandoned bus to hide out for a few days until she is confirmed to be safe. On the night of March 3rd however, an unknown character enters the bus while Kayo is sleeping.
8	"Spiral" "Rasen" (螺旋)	February 26, 2016
Kayo barely manages to hide from the intruder before he takes his leave, leaving behind a footprint on a box he kicked. The next evening, as Yashiro goes with some people from the Child Consultation Center to investigate Kayo's house, Kayo tells Satoru and the others about the previous night's intruder. Looking into a rucksack that was left behind, they find tools that Satoru recognises as the ones used to implicate Jun for Kayo's murder, as well as a briquette presumed to belong to the killer. Realizing he is still stuck in the loop of abduction murders, Satoru takes Kayo to spend the night at his house, where Sachiko had been expecting them. The next day, Satoru and Sachiko accompany Kayo back to her house to confront Akemi.
9	"Closure" "Shūmaku" (終幕)	March 4, 2016
As Akemi reacts violently to the accusations of Satoru and Sachiko, she is caught red-handed by Yashiro and the consultants, who suggest that Kayo be taken into custody. Just as Akemi prepares to storm off to the police, she is approached by her own mother, who regrets not being able to support her after having her divorce her abusive husband and raise Kayo on her own, leading Akemi to lament her own actions. With Kayo going off to live with her grandmother, Satoru turns his attention towards the other two potential victims; Hiromi Sugita, his classmate, and Aya Nakanishi, a student from the neighboring school. While keeping a watch on both Hiromi and Aya, Satoru is given a ride home by Yashiro, discovering a stash of candy in his car. Later, Satoru goes with Kenya and Hiromi to inspect the bus, the contents of which have now been removed, and tells them about the serial killer that was targeting Kayo.
10	"Joy" "Kanki" (歓喜)	March 11, 2016
Satoru and his friends approach Aya who, despite some initial resistance, starts joining them at their hideout. Later, Satoru starts to keep an eye on Misato Yanagihara, who has been by herself since being accused of framing Kayo, who seemingly disappears after going to the bathroom. Noticing a truck belonging to Jun's family leaving the scene, Satoru goes with Yashiro to chase after it, only to discover that Yashiro himself is the killer, who had used Misato to lure him into a trap. Realising that Satoru was the one thwarting his plans, Yashiro traps him in his car, which he sends into a frozen lake.
11	"Future" "Mirai" (未来)	March 18, 2016
Satoru wakes up in the year 2003, having been in a coma for fifteen years following Yashiro's attempt to kill him, and discovers that he has lost most of his memories, including the killer's identity. While undergoing rehab, Satoru is visited by his Kenya and Hiromi, as well as Kayo, who has grown up to become a housewife with a child. Later, he meets a leukemia patient named Kumi, who is to undergo surgery, as well as Yashiro himself, who has become a politician. Two days before Kumi's surgery, Yashiro brings Satoru to the rooftop, where Satoru reveals that he has regained his memories.
12	"Treasure" "Takaramono" (宝物)	March 25, 2016
Having regained his memories after talking with Kayo, Satoru tells Kenya and Hiromi what he knows before confronting Yashiro. Boasting that his past crimes have already passed the statute of limitations, Yashiro reveals he has arranged to kill Kumi with a sabotaged IV drip and frame Satoru, plotting to murder him to look like suicide. However, Satoru calls Yashiro's bluff, stating that he can't live without him, which is proved when Yashiro stops him from jumping off the roof. Realising this to be true and letting Satoru drop, Yashiro prepares to commit suicide himself only to discover that Satoru has been safely caught by his friends, after which Yashiro is finally arrested. Several years later, Satoru becomes a manga artist and he meets Airi by chance or miracle once more.

Live-action film

Main article: Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (film)

A live-action film adaptation of Boku Dake ga Inai Machi featuring Tatsuya Fujiwara as Satoru Fujinuma debuted in cinemas throughout Japan on March 19, 2016. The theme song is "Hear ~Shinjiaeta Akashi~" (Hear 〜信じあえた証〜, lit. Hear ~A proof that you could trust~) by Chise Kanna.

Novel

A spin-off novel titled Boku Dake ga Inai Machi: Another Record, written by Hajime Ninomae, was serialized in Kadokawa's monthly digital novel magazine Bungei Kadokawa from November 2015 to March 2016. A volume collecting the chapters was released on March 30, 2016.

Reception

Volume 4 reached the 12th place on the weekly Oricon manga chart and, as of June 15, 2014, has sold 73,983 copies.

The manga was number sixteen on the 2014 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Top 20 Manga for Male Readers survey. It was nominated for the 18th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Reader Award. It was also nominated for the 7th Manga Taishō, receiving 82 points and placing 2nd among the ten nominees. It is nominated for the 8th Manga Taishō.

The staff at manga-news.com gave the French edition a grade of 17.33 out of 20. On Manga Sanctuary one of the staff members gave it an 8 out of 10.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Official anime website
• Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Bokudake ga inai machi (series) at IMDb