ERASED

Episode 6

ERASED pulled together nicely this week, in an episode that wasn't a series highlight, but was still a fine board-adjusting maneuver. “Trapped” in the present for the moment, Satoru found it no easier to change his future there, in spite of seemingly receiving some legitimate, earnest help. For all of his efforts to change the world and arrive at a better ending, it feels like doors just keep closing with every step he takes.

We opened this week with Airi reflecting back on her (frankly pretty ridiculous) backstory, and articulating what was easily this episode's central theme - her mother's “Why couldn't I believe him back then?” being matched by Airi's “I realized that believing in people was my strong point.” Airi wasn't wrong to believe in Satoru, as he proved by leaping into her house to save her. And in the end, even her initial belief in the manager seemed to be rewarded, as he also arrived and gave Satoru a chance to escape.

But believing in people can be pretty hard in a world filled with red-eyed villains. The next character to get the old red-eye treatment was Satoru's mother's old friend at the TV station, whose number Satoru found on the scrap of paper back in the first episode. I have pretty mixed feelings on the red-eye motif - while I like the idea of using one strong color to signal menace in an otherwise desaturated world, and the color's ability to pop up in all manner of situations, red eyes are just the most over-the-top expression of villainy imaginable. It plays into the show's issues with overselling its drama, and even beyond that, it color-codes characters in a way that removes any hope of nuance or suspense. Unless the red is actually going to eventually signify “distrust” more than “evil,” dehumanizing characters by reducing them to red-eyed villains just feels like terribly ham-fisted storytelling.

That one piece of oversold visual storytelling stood at odds with the rest of this episode, which was actually quite graceful in the ways it explored the importance of trust and believing in others. I mentioned previously how the way Hinazuki's mother was able to get away with abusing her daughter seemed framed as reflective of a society where people no longer felt like true neighbors, and that message came through clearly in the ways this episode contrasted the clear danger of a serial killer with the need to believe in the people around you. Airi's mother is “redeemed” when she chooses to believe in her daughter, and thus become a shield for her. And when Satoru visits a park and helps some boys with a paper plane, he realizes he's taking on the role of another Yuuki, complete with suspicious mothers whispering about “what an adult is doing here at this time of day.” There are villains out there, but a society that has lost any degree of public trust may not be able to find them.

The degree to which Satoru's journalist acquaintance can be trusted is unclear (his actions this week seemed genuine, but again, that blinking red eye really is a giveaway), and Satoru actually finds himself taken in by the police when he meets with Airi again, but this episode overall seemed to come down firmly in favor of trust, both of others and yourself. As Satoru described a cynical old manga plot he once wrote, about a grim reaper who tries to make up for a mistake but only makes things worse, Airi chided him for his negativity. “The stuff about hurting other people is just the grim reaper's impression,” she said. The future is always full of possibilities. And Satoru returned this positivity to the last, telling Airi as he's dragged away that he is glad he trusted her. Satoru's thoughts of childhood heroes resolve in “isn't it hard fighting all on your own?” Either we all trust together, or we all fall apart.

This episode didn't quite match the execution-lifted heights of the series' best, but it was dramatically propulsive while also being full of ideas, and the direction and sound design never overstepped their bounds. While aesthetic flourishes like the red eyes remain a somewhat questionable choice, everything else is proceeding smoothly. ERASED remains an excellent overall production.

Overall: A-

ERASED is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.