This Anime was very attractive from the start that it took the Top of MAL, even higher than the OPM have exceeded one of the best anime LoGH what's more is that many people have believed that this the only light to the dark age of seasonal animes where most of the animes are inferior to its predecessors, but still this anime joins but not in the same way of the other but rather because of unexpected developments which divided the viewers.
Honestly this series has so much potential but it was destroyed after the end of "Kayo Arc", the anime did well in for its First until Ninth episodes, but only until that part that "ERASED" was good, the rest have become so rushed that the actual anime have remove so much from the manga and has ended with an original ending which leaves the anime too bad that has removed the characters depth shallow.
One of the problem I've encountered on Erased was the unexplainable ability of Satoru, the "Revival" which gives him the ability to go back time if something is wrong in his surrounding, this ability can be pretty convenient to used as a plot device but also as plot armor which makes the whole series predictable and makes all the genres about it null, so basically it's not a Mystery Psychological, the only thing that I can agree was this series is a supernatural. At least the Author decided not to use it much to make the series more engaging which he has failed in the later part of the series.Bespectacled Protagonist Comic Artists, Kidnapping, Murder, Past Plays a Big Role, Serial Killer, Time Loop, Time Manipulation, Time Travel, Tragic Past, these are the main elements of Erased, but most of them were used in simple ways but tried to become complex but it didn't go well and ended in anti-climatic way and does not deserve to call it a masterpiece
Another problem is the unbalanced screen time of pivotal character and the removed details of the character in critical situations. I love the interaction of Satoru and Kayo that even my self has been fooled that this series has a Romantic Plot, since I've encountered this series before the Fall anime was released and one of the genres in the manga was ROMANCE, i didn't read the manga because of no update and bad-art, also I was thinking of this series is much better to be watch than to be read, but I decided to read the manga after watching the 3rd episode of ERASED and that's the time I've seen the flaws of the whole series, where there's too much Foreshadowed elements that will lead to Romantic Relationship but was destroyed, and it was destroyed further by the anime. The unbalanced screentime which makes the "Kayo Arc" notable destroys the depth of whole characters especially Airi. After "Kayo Arc" kayo was thrown out in the plot and was used as a character device in order for the story to move like completing a mission in a game to make the Main Character's Development Progressed.
Another problem was Airi was supposed to be the Main Heroine of the series who triggered the memories of Satoru in manga but wasn't in Episode 11 which gives her a small impact to the anime. The Author have shown the similarities of Sachiko(Satoru's mom) and Airi which is the best evidence to prove that Airi is the real Main Character, but the author messed up that she was also used to cover what Kayo was supposed to be, of coarse even Sachiko was used as a plot device for Satoru, but she was became one of the best mothers out there with great ideals and identity, but was also thrown out in the anime. Well Kenya was alsono exempted to this problem, he was an interesting anime yet his critical moments from the manga was removed.
Also Yashiro, the antagonist was given a short time and his back story that lacks so much compared to the twisted back story of him in the manga, also one of my problems was his characterization of the manga and anime, in manga he's waiting for the moment to make the best way to kill Satoru and prefers to be ecstatic by doing it, but was changed on the spot, the manga is consistent to Yashiro's character but was later destroyed. The anime is even more inconsistent, Yashiro have turned into caring person, he's not even preparing to kill Satoru and just did what the director wants in the last episode like what the director of Tokyo Ghoul. The real problem lies to his motive against Satoru, He was so pissed that he tried to kill Satoru by destroying his own car, honestly any villain with the same knowledge would not yield to such petty reasonings to take revenge, and after that the whole anime contradicts his character, at least he was foreshadowed, unlike some series who can gives this deus ex scenes where there's no villain at first then appears all of a sudden without logical explanation.
And now, Satoru who is a 29 years old but his mindset is perfect for his Kid version, honestly even Kenya is smarter than him and after 15 years in come(he's litterally 44 years old combined with the old timeline) he suddenly turned into Adult who can make reasonable arguments and can die with resolved, I've got no complains to his character since it's the Author and the Director made him good character by sacrificing the character development of the cast except for Kayo. The Manga turned him into a Similar Character from the "Undertale" Frisk who believes in "Determination" and "Resolve" as a Pacifist Character and has used the these lines "My Determination of wanting to accompish and my Resolve to step forward" and added some lines that his Friends are the ones who've saved him while in the anime was different, Satoru was so focus on himself that he even stated that he saved all his friends and have also saved Yashiro, which makes Satoru character inferior to his counterpart in the Manga.
I've enjoyed this anime for its first episode but after reading the manga, I would say it's Decent(not sure why 4 is decent in MAL Score in review) It has flaws especially for its Characters and story, but the Art and the Sound are so good that even with these flaws can make the anime exceptional to other, also I didn't hate it overall and I've even enjoyed it despite of my criticism because of Opening and Background Music(well that's the reason Why I've loved anime, it's the Sound)
I don't believe that this anime was so bad that it need to be burned, at least the anime staff from A1 Pictures tried a different kind of anime instead of making sure profit but mindless anime, although I don't like its over rated score as the people tries to imply, overall this anime was good enough to be watch but there are so much problems that it has overshadowed good sides of it.
Also don't think that this is NTR ...
