For manga artist and pizza delivery man Satoru Fujinuma, life is pretty ordinary – at least for someone who occasionally makes involuntary short jumps back in time to fix problems. But when a grisly murder case from his hometown comes back to haunt him, Satoru finds himself leaping all the way back to 1988 …and inhabiting the body of his 12-year-old self.

Realising that the only way to save his future is to solve the case and save the victims he couldn’t help the first time, Satoru befriends his imperilled classmate, the troubled – and seemingly doomed – Kayo Hinazuki. Will he be able to stop the fiendish killer in time, or is history destined to repeat itself?

Adapted for the screen from an acclaimed manga by Kei Sanbe, Erased is one of the tensest and most intriguing mystery series we’ve seen in years. Right from the opening episode’s supernatural hook, lovers of the suspense thriller genre will be binging on episodes to get to the end of this heady and engaging first instalment.

But where Erased really sets itself apart (aside from A-1 Pictures’ masterful work when it comes to art and animation) is with its characters. Development is difficult in a short series, but Erased’s characters are relatable, believable and very, very human. Equal parts emotional and suspenseful, you owe it to yourself to check out this gem of a series. Reviewed by Jacob Boniface

INFO
Release: 7 August 2017
From: All The Anime
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Price: £24.99 (DVD), £59.99 (Blu-ray Collector’s Ed.)
Age Rating: 15