Day 7: Erased by Kei Sanbe

Many people think over what they would do if they got a second chance in life to redo certain situations. For Satoru Fujinuma of Kei Sanbe’s 2013 series “Erased,” these opportunities become his responsibilities.

Satoru is nearing the age of 30 as works part time as a pizza delivery driver and has yet to progress his career as a manga creator. He published a small series but hasn’t taken the next steps to a new story of his own. While he is stuck in this rut, he must keep on moving because he doesn’t know when the next “Revival” will occur. With barely a warning, he relives a certain part of his day because a tragic event will soon follow. During the Revivals, he must find a way to prevent the disaster even though he has no clue on what it is. Satoru carries out his important obligation though he constantly puts his own life on the line. He starts to look back at his childhood, specifically the death of his classmate Kayo Hinazuki which left a mark on him. Worried about her son, his mother stays at his place as he takes time off to recover from his injuries. Little does he know that it is just the start towards his biggest Revival mission and possibly finding a way to save Kaya.

Yen Press released “Erased” omnibus Volume One earlier in February but some readers are already familiar with the series thanks to the anime adaptation A-1 Pictures created in January last year. Somehow the studio compacted Sanbe’s eight volume long series into 12 episodes, giving viewers a slightly diluted version of the story that still has the same essence. Those that check out the manga will discover more insight into the characters’ personalities and thoughts. It is worth looking into a series that earned multiple award nominations such as the 2014 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Reader Awards and the 2016 Kodansha Manga Awards.

As mentioned before, the English subbed anime of “Erased” has been out since since last year. Fans that can’t wait for the next translated installment of the manga can head over to Crunchyroll to watch it online. The next hardbound omnibus volume will be out in June and readers can visit Yen Press’s site for more information.