One of the best anime series ever even though it’s only twelve episodes, has no epic battles and features elementary school kids as the main characters. A young man travels back in time to prevent the killing spree of a child murderer. Violence against kids is very tricky to depict, something that can easily be overdone and become offensive, but “Erased” does it right so that we feel the tragedy without being repulsed. In fact, “Erased” is quite an understated series, especially for anime; like the greatest films, it communicates its horror indirectly but more impactfully than any shock scenes can do. And like the greatest works of art and literature, it goes deep into the human psyche, it touches our hearts, it makes us laugh and cry, it keeps us on the edge of our seats, all just with great writing and animation, without fanfare, explosions and large-scale battles. Whether you want to see great entertainment or great cinema, you’ll find both here. Beautifully done.

2021 Update: The passing years have not diminished this series. It has become a classic and a hallmark of anime.

Not For Kids
Japanese with English subtitles

Extra:

• The title in its original Japanese is “Boku Dake ga Inai Machi,” which supposedly means “The Town Without Me.” The Japanese title directly references a poem that is recited in the program.

Erased (2016)