Boku dake ga Inai Machi
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This manga is one of those rare gems that you sometimes stumble across. To be honest, I did not expect much, especially because the title isn't particularly catchy nor is the artwork especially powerful or elaborate. But within the first five pages, this manga had me hooked: I had this uncanny feeling that I was reading something that was bigger than life. Boku Dake ga Inai Matchi reads like a Greek tragedy; by going back to save lives, to save himself, the protagonist destroys his own future.


Although the panels are very clean, almost to the point of being bare, the mangaka managed to keep the ... speed in the story, without relying on dazzling effects. It is the dialogue that cuts into you like a sharp razor.
This is one of the best mystery/crime stories I've read in a while - because despite the fact that you know the identity of the culprit (because it just had to be that person, in an ugly, hopeless way), it is still a gripping read. Unlike in other mysteries, I cannot find any fault with the protagonist for not figuring it out earlier... there is a reason, a very human reason for him not making the connection. Because it hurts to be betrayed by those that you look up to. At the same time, the story makes you feel guilty for judging a person without any evidence other than this horrible premonition. And, of course, Satoru doesn't have any time to stop and think things through... he is unable to realize that with each person that he "saves", he is painting a large target on his own back. Due to that, the reader begins to feel the noose tighten around their own neck.
The last selling point of this incredible manga is its depiction of women. I've read lots of manga, and I am fairly used to Japanese stereotypes. Despite the fact that this is essentially a story about a guy saving girls from being preyed on, it doesn't feel like the female characters are weak at all.

I've longed to read the manga since the moment I had finished watching the anime. I had the feeling something wasn't right about the way anime ended. Fortunately, I was right.

The story begins quite smoothly and slowly giving the time to get to know the characters, their way of thinking and living.
There are some things which are just given to a reader without any further explanations. You just have to assume them. I wouldn't say I liked it but that's not the most important part here so let it be.
The story tells us about a "detective game", involving time traveling. The most ... part of it is dedicated to monologues of the main character which makes the story very engaging. There's not much action in it, but that's for the greater good.
It's smartly constructed. There are in general 3 large parts of the story which are deeply connected with each other. Lots of minor details which seemed to have no significance eventually turned out to be very important.
You'll think with Satoru. You'll analyze with Satoru. You'll find the culprit with him. You'll feel yourself in his shoes.

To be honest, art isn't something to admire here. It has its own style which I would call as "a bit edgy". It makes a good job of conveying emotions, actions and thoughts. So I wouldn't count it as bad either. Also, there are some frames which are just great.
It makes its job in a proper way.

I guess you would never forget Satoru, Kayo, and Satoru's mom at least. They became quite real for me. Besides them, lots of another cool characters out there. Characters are a core of the manga. Everything's based on them. A reader has the opportunity to see how they grow supporting each other. Such thing as a "friendship" is showed here in a right way. It's not that pretentious as it might be in some shounen manga, yet very gorgeous and simply a nice thing.
To add more, few characters have their own philosophy. I've found some interesting thoughts.
The antagonist deserves some praise. I didn't understand to the end his philosophy but it was the interesting one without a doubt.

I like stories like this one. Very much do. It's not perfect. To some degree, it may be even absurd. But, what's more important, it gives a reader something to think about. Something to live with.
It's sincerely kind.

I would recommend it to anyone. Especially to those, who are, alike me, unsatisfied with the way anime ended. You'll find a gap and a proper ending right here. And don't forget about additional 5 chapters, please note, they are very important!

The reason why I knew of this manga's existance was due to it's anime adaptation that was rather popular when being aired yet critisized for the change it made in it's last episodes. Hesitent about watching the anime or not, I chose the manga.

Story: 6
Art: 6
Characters: 5
Enjoyment: 5
Overall: 6

Boku dake ga inai machi starts in a not really interesting way, to the point where I just stopped reading it before coming back.

... You know that there something's gonna happen but you haven't given anything that can help in what you should expect.
There is a mystry but what is it? what to expect?

Well it turns out it's about a serial killer whose main victims are elementry school kids, specifically girls.


When the mother was killed the story really started showing it's true nature, promising us that it's villain will be a dangerous and calculating person, someone not to mess with.

Then an expected turn in the story, a rerun, happens and turns the story's focus to saving a girl named hinazuki kayo, a young girl who fell victim for this serial killer.

Even then the story was interesting.
I knew it was trying to distract us from focusing on the killer's identity but it was interesting nevertheless.

Kayo as a character was fine, what you'd expect from a young girl whose being abused by her parent.

(Oh a thing I forgot to mention was that I already knew the killer's identity. Yeah it was spoiled for me by some fan work.)

There wasn't any outsanding character by the way, though you could say that the mother had some remarkable traits along with kenya who was an intersting character yet with some wasted potential.

Whichever, the first rerun ends then the MC comes back to the future, things happen (nothing really happen) and then it's the second rerun.

I should say, everything at this point was fine until kayo was saved from her abusive mother.

There were really nive touches in the second rerun, and overall it was a continue to the main goal of saving kayo. ​

After that she disappeared for a while before returning to be an extra with nothing really to do.


I believe that since then the manga felt like it was loosing it's path.
It was like:
" Hey so kayo we don't need her anymore oh right there's another girl we need to save, yeah yeah aya-chan, oh nevermind she likes that boy, you know the one who appeaerd two or three times, oh but misato is lonely let's save her cuz you know there's a SERIAL KILLER here haha"

Before revealing the killer's identity.
And after that it was the end, this manga lost any care I had for it, it completely lost my attention. It was all pages of nonsense and nonsense and nonsense, people just talking and talking with no real value.

From the f***ing moment where MC wakes up from coma till the end, around 14 chapters, of bulls**t.

I have never understood why the manga revealed it's villain so fast. What where they thinking?
Did they think it'd be interesting watching satoru (yeah finally remembered his name, btw finished the manga just an hour ago) trying to remeber the identinty of the killer which WE ALREADY KNOW??

Not to forget what they did with the character of kayo, a disaster.
I can't believe that a character whom the story spent more than half focusing on is just brushed off like that!
Only one scene, only f***ing ONE SCENE, where she was holding her baby from Hiromi.
And I know, I know this was to show us that she wasn't the love interest and that it was Airi (gonna talk about this one soon) but the treatment she got was awful!

I'm not saying that I loved her or liked her or even shipped her with MC, I knew Airi was the love interest but god f***ing dammit!

God f***ing dammit.

Those two, Satoru and Kayo, were the main focus of the story, the reason why it existed.
Those two were walking while holding hands, defending eeach other and blushing because of one another.

If the story wanted to tell from the start that there relationship let's say, was something like a brother-sister relationship, why did they need to blush? why did satoru need to thing of how he misses Kayo before she comes back and eases him from a diffucult situation?

If she was going to end with Hiromi couldn't we have been shown just a hint? just a small hint so it doesn't feel like an a**-pull?

Oh yeah and let's talk about Airi, see I don't mind her being the love interest, she's not interesting and a typicall energitic girl with dreams, the problem is that she RARLY F***ING APPEARS.

I mean if I was an author I would consider my main love interest appearing for less that 5 times a huge problem but what do I know?

Lastly becuse I'm getting tired, I want to talk about how much the villain was wasted.

I really won't say much, this was supposed to be be a dangerous and caculating villian like I said previously yet he feels like such a pathetic person.

I mean yes a guy who kills elementary school girls is of course pathetic, but this is a serial killer with a victim count of 30, ​30!

Honestly there are f***ing Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi doujinshis that showed the villain in a much more better way than how it was done in the original story.

Doujinshis!

And you know now that I think about it, what I felt was missing in the story and its villain, the thing that I feel the story needed most, the thing that really affected it?
It was the lack of the sense of danger and horror that was supposed to be present in a story about a cold-hearted long-time serial killer.

See I'm a maniac when it comes to serial killers, I read about them, I search about them. And for me, this feels like a half-a**ed story.

That's also the reason why I think it could've been more thrilling if there was more tackeling of the serial killer fact, just like when they discovered the backpack of the killer with the equipments he killed his victims with. A totally amazing scene.
Or even if there was actually a victim who MC couldn't save.

It would've shed a much darker and realistic yet intresting side to the story but alas.

Last thing I wanna say is that for the last 14 chapters I was just scrolling down barely reading anything of their nonsense yet I understood everything just fine.

It was all nonsense.