Boku dake ga Inai Machi (2017)

My first Japanese drama, “Boku dake ga Inai Machi” was something I previously did not want to watch. In fact, Netflix shoved this at me in a highlight merely because of my previously watched Japanese content – they did this 20 different times. Eventually, I caved, watch the trailer and decided to go for it because it seemed pretty interesting.

Oh boy, I absolutely adored this.

This drama took me to the edge, it reeled me back in and then it chucked me in the deep end. Full of wonderful twists and turns, surprises, harrowing moments and as equally sweet moments, it’s hard to summarise this fully. I’ll keep this as spoiler free as possible since there’s a lot going on and each was a wonderful moment on it’s own, spoilers definitely take it away.

First of all, I’m not too much of a fan of crime or time travel. I find often that directors tend to do too much or too little in both genres and it never maps out the way it should – especially in content that is both crime and time travel. Ho boy, we did not have any issues with that here. We stuck with one plot that divided into one or two sub plots, but each had it’s own place within the content, didn’t seem out of place, nor did it come across as being odd in the drama. This is pretty rare from my few encounters with time travel and/or crime dramas.

Secondly, the casting was absolutely superb. I find often with time travel/flashbacks/etc, the children don’t really much look like their adult counterpart. This was not an issue at all with any of the cast of “Boku”. Every cast member looked like their child/adult counterpart and it wasn’t hard to imagine any of the children growing into their adult versions. The cast all also did absolutely stunning. Again, all the personalities of the children and adults matched their character and the children didn’t seem out of place for child counter parts of the adults we’re introduced to. It all felt finessed, and like these children genuinely grew up.

These two points alone are enough for me to give it such a high rating, but I also want to take a moment to speak on the cinematography as well. Cinematographer Kiyokawa Koshi made such beautiful shots in this they absolutely took my breath away, left my jaw hanging open and left me glued to the screen. I definitely want to go on to watch everything this man has choreographed because it was just pure art. There’s no other word for it – the shots that Kiyokawa made are just pure art.

All in all, after watching this, I want to watch the live action movie, watch the anime and read the manga. This is pretty rare for me – usually when I watch one part of a universe’s content, I’m done with it from then on. For me to want to go on and consume every piece of media of this that is available to me… this is probably only the third piece of media to ever do this for me.

Give this drama 6 hours of your life and give it a go. I cannot recommend it more highly enough.

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I watched the anime, but I didn't read the manga, so here is my review:

Story: 9
The story is really good, and people who watched the anime will not be disappointed. The ending (no spoilers) is a little different than the one in the anime, but still worth it. It's a story with good characters, and a envolving plot. I don't give it a 10 because there are some minor plot holes, but nothing that will affect the main story.

Cast: 8
Some of them were really good, and some didn't convince me. But it's still watchable.

Music: 10
The music is really good, it suited well with the series.

Rewatch Value: 10
Yeah, I would definitely watch it again.

I also want to say the photography and sceneries are amazing. They did a really good job! It's a good J-drama, it has been some time that I watched one so good.

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A suspenseful story about a boy who tries to save his friends from an unknown enemy and gets erased.

There are no spoilers here, proceed safely. :)

“Boku Dake ga Inai Machi” also known as Erased is a thriller live action adapted from a popular manga (which further inspired an anime) of the same name and I must begin by saying that I have watched neither. I went into the story without comparing it with other adaptations, and without having an idea of the storyline.

Erased has a very fast paced plot packed into twelve half-hour episodes; it has no "filler episodes." But don’t let this deter you from picking up this drama because despite its fast pacing, the story is well explained, brilliantly executed and supplemented with great characters and good acting.

“Boku Dake ga Inai Machi” follows our protagonist Satoru who has the unique power of undergoing spontaneous "Revivals" which pull him back into time again and again until he manages to correct the wrong happenning around him. In the very first Revival that the audience see, it is clear that while Satoru emerges as a hero, there are still collateral damages involving him.

The story picks up after his mother’s murder; Satoru is a wanted suspect and is taken in by Airi, an eccentric co-worker, when he is pulled back in time. Normally Revivals take place for incidents taking place within one to five minutes ago but this Revival surprisingly takes Satoru back to his childhood. Satoru soon understands his mission; to save his mother in the future timeline and to stop the Revival, he must save three children who were kidnapped and murdered in his childhood.

“Boku Dake ga Inai Machi” keeps you guessing. Even when you narrow your suspect, the story twists. And there is always a collateral damage. Will it be Satoru this time? Will he be Erased?

“Boku Dake ga Inai Machi” combines beautiful scenery from Satoru’s hometown which will not only indicate the passing of time but also reflects on the current mood and is used to depict that yet another Revival has taken place pulling out protagonist back in time. Satoru was a brave person for that was how he was raised by his mother. This drama had a interplay between two mothers—Satoru’s mother who is one of the best I've met in a drama, and Kayo’s abusive mother. Apart from Satoru, the side characters were pretty real, they had their motivations for what they did and contributed to the story in their own way.

Speaking of characters, Erased had a really well written antagonist; a serial killer with an obsession to fill his void in his convoluted way. The most surprising thing was how the show traced the similarity between the murderer and Satoru; each trying to fill a void in their own way. This was something I also noticed in another Japanese drama I watched recently, "Ishi no Mayu."

The concluding scenes were heartening, with each of the older children from the town leading healthy lives and pursuing their own passions. Satoru stops trying to hide himself away, and that shows in the success of his mangas.

Two themes strongly resonated with me after watching Boku Dake ga Inai Machi; first being the importance of a family and no, I don't mean blood bands. I mean a family; people who keep you safe. People who cherish you. People who protect you and become your safe spot. A family can be anybody really, it can be a group of three boys who protect you. The second is trust and the faces people put up. Another underlying message is that there is always something that can be done.

Rewatch value is a bit low because I hardly rewatch dramas except my favorites, and because once the criminal is exposed a second time will not hold the same amount of suspense but the emotional journey may be worth a second time; there are many scenes like the Christmas Tree and scenes with Satoru and his mother and of course my eccentric girl Airi, that I would like to revisit.

8.0/10 for this gripping story, I would encourage everyone to give it a go. :)

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The story was predictable for anyone who reads sci-fi or time travel fantasy, but this particular version had some decent quirks worth watching. I do not think the pacing did the storyline any favors -- too slow and draggy (and boring) in some parts, and jumped inconsistently for, apparently, reasons known only to the director and accountants who were presumably whacking him over the head with their calculators and demanding it be shortened due to cost overruns.

The cast seemed good, with the children stealing the show. They were particularly good at demonstrating friendship, trust, and transitory happiness of being a kid. Sadly, the adults were prone to overacting and being either unbelievably bad or ridiculously good and virtuous. Maybe that was the script.

I didn't even notice the music, which is fine IMHO.

The biggest downside was the dubbing/voice overs. They really, really should have stuck with subtitles because the voice overs were 1) obvious and no attempt made to put in background noises for compatibility with the scene, 2) completely inappropriate for every single character, with clear age mismatch, and little professional acting emphasis to differentiate mood and content, 3) bad, they were just bad and reminded me of martial arts movies from the 1970's where the face motions were not even close to synching with the spoken dialogue, and laughable because of it. Really, stick with subtitles so that the original voices are heard and there is not that dissonance between dialog and visuals -- it was distracting and made it hard to suspend disbelief.

All that aside, the beginning three or so episodes were interesting and paced well, and the last two or three were also quite good. The middle ones were tolerable, and overall the whole show is rewatchable if you want to clear up timelines and events.

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Une intrigue intéressante mais qui s'essouffle très vite.

Critique en mode fainéante :

Sur les conseils de mes enfants, nous nous sommes lancés sur ce drama (après avoir adoré "Alice in borderland"). Mes enfants ont tous vu l'animé, et l'un de mes enfants a aussi visionné le drama afin de savoir si l'adaptation était à la hauteur de l'animé. Verdict de mon ado : carrément pas ! (on ne peut pas être aussi catégorique). Verdict des vieux : Ca se regarde.

Point positif : Le visuel qui est plus que correcte, avec de très jolie de scène sous la neige notamment avec le rendu du manteau rouge de Kayo. L'intrigue mêlant habilement le voyage dans le temps et l'enquête criminelle qui prend effet rapidement.

Point neutre : Une intrigue qui n'a pas réussi à nous surprendre, nous avions déjà trouvé le criminel presque dès le début. C'est plutôt embêtant pour un drama dont l'intrigue s'en abreuve. Ce fut la même chose avec une fin classique et une pensée philosophique certes "profonde" mais "déjà-vu" et dont la mise en scène n'a pas su nous accrocher.

Point négatif : Je ne sais si c'est le jeu des acteurs ou l'écriture des personnages, mais nous n'avons pas réussi à rentrer dans leur histoire. Nous n'avions eu que le rôle d'observateur avec pour conséquence de ne pas ressentir d'empathie ou d'être impliqués émotionnellement. Les enfants n'ont pas délivré cette impression nécessaire à la suite des événements, leur amitié n'a pas été mise en valeur. Nous restons sur notre faim sur comment, pourquoi les crimes ont été commis. Nous pourrions penser que l'esprit d'un adulte dans un corps d'enfant apporterait son lot de situation atypique, une enquête en décalé. Mais j'ai été étonnée du nombre d'erreur de jugement et d'action de la part de Satoru dans le passé. Je pense que ce qui m'a gênée fut aussi le jeu des acteurs que j'ai trouvé un peu mou, un peu trop forcé. Et puis, il faut avouer que le "tueur" est tout sauf diabolique. Il ne fait ni peur, ni séduisant, ni frustrant.

Ce drama est loin d'être mauvais, mais il n'a pas su trouver d'écho en nous.

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Since this drama get a high score and good reviews, i started to watch it. I have not seen other adaptions (like the one made in 2016), or manga/anime version, but i really do feel disappointed.

1. Story: This drama should better be a movie: The first 4 episodes are super slow (the whole drama is slow). The story is being stretched too hard. Each episode last for around 25 minutes, why don't make a movie instead (or at least make it more interesting. This drama could have been done a lot better)? 5/10
2. The character's mentality, decisions, feelings are not well-described/expressed. The connections between the main characters and support characters are loosely coupled.
3. The cast: The main character acting is acceptable, but expression is quite poor. I understand that his character has gone through a lot, and he is a nerd himself, but the face expression is not really good. 6/10
4. The music is ok. Not special, but not disrupting. 7/10

Overall: 5/10.

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Based on the manga which I haven't read or watched the anime, the whole story/concept is very cool and there were some great scenes and parts which sparked real emotion and left you wondering what would happen next but the development and revelations felt rather dry in the sense that the plot was drawn out quite a bit and left you yawning at times rather than being on the edge of your seat, the anticipation was there but it just wasn't enough to make this show magnificent. That being said the character relationships were very compelling, there was a real sense of friendship, overcoming and determination. Overall a very enjoyable watch but don't set your hopes for anything magnificent.

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Uchikawa Reo was the biggest highlight.

It's necessary to say that Uchikawa Reo's acting level (Satoru - child) is much, but much higher and better than the performance of his adult version, which isn't exactly hammy, but falls quite short. Uchikawa managed to show us a protective Satoru, someone who seeks to fill others' voids without worrying about his own life and setbacks, someone who from the initial episode dominated the drama from start to finish. It was a pleasure to get to know this actor; it's a shame he hasn't acted for years, but he is fantastic. Also deserving of praise is the actress who played Kayo in the childhood phase, she managed to convey sensitivity in all her scenes and scenic care in her lines, it was another pleasant surprise. From the adult cast, although he had very little screen time, we have to praise the Kenya played by Shirasu Jin who did very well and in his few scenes gave an emotional and sincere tone to his character.

A well-rounded and flawless drama, I liked it a lot. I watched it because of a friend's recommendation and it was a beautiful suggestion.

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The best live-action drama ever

I think I have never ever talked about this
masterpiece with anyone and that is a big
shame. It is based on a very famous
Japanese anime and as I was very lazy to
watch so many episodes of an anime I
watched this short drama with my mother
and well we pretty much were addicted.
Like it was so good.

The mystery as who the killer was superb
and well we are proud to say that we
guessed right! Our guess was right! But it
is not all about the serial killer. I mean the
most part is of that bit also as to how he
will fight with him. It is totally a mystery
drama with a mix of time travel but is
totally worth and I seriously love how
realistic it was.

For example spoiler alert!! The fact that in
order to save agirl from getting killed he
himself fell in coma for 5 years and in the
end that girl married his bestfriend stil kills
me. Like this is so real lol. Spoiler end.

I swear this a masterpiece kind of drama
with perfect acting, cinematography and of
course the story was all just perfect!

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I've only read the first volume of the manga and have not watched the anime nor the movie, so I can't compare. This series was really good! I was hooked from the very beginning (I did not even read the plot beforehand, so I didn't know what it was all about and had many surprises here and there). The pace of the story was very well done: the series is just 25min long -or less- and in spite of being too short, it was never rush and I've never felt lost in regards to the plot. I think everything was well explained. I do think that the last 3 episodes were not as good as the first 9... I think that what Fujinuma experiences later, starting ep08 (or was it 9?) made the story less exciting as what he lived in the first 7 episodes.

The acting was excellent, especially from the children. And I liked Furukawa's voice in off, it was calm but not bored. There was even one scene where I was moved by young Satoru's tears... I am amazed this boy, Uchikawa Reo, has not a longer filmography! Apparently he was also Ciel Phantomhive in a couple of musicals that I have yet to see (booo, there are no more subbed musicals since the 3rd one...).

This is a mystery-suspense story where family and friends play a big role. Both were important for our main characters. I am grateful this dorama is on Netflix... while I was watching this, I searched for reviews (with no spoilers) and I am surprised there are so many! And all of them positive reviews. I am not used to read so many reviews of a Japanese dorama... our fandom is mostly quiet and not very vocal.

Recommended. I'll start watching the anime tonight, which I've read is not as good as this live action.

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Não vi muitos doramas japoneses, os que vi havia comédia por toda parte, por isso não consegui me adaptar a seu estilo, mas vi este e fiquei feliz de pela primeira vez ver algo sério vindo do Japão.

Ele me prendeu mesmo quando vi que minhas teorias estavam certas, pois o ritmo nunca era totalmente perdido, mesmo que em algumas horas passasse do mistério nervoso ao calor bom de amizades puras e vice-versa. Nem consigo contar quantas vezes minhas emoções se conectaram aos personagens e como me sensibilizei com a luta solitária do começo de Saturo.

O elenco jovem com certeza levou nas costas muito mais que os adultos, mesmo assim brilharam muito bem.

Achei que nada me surpreenderia até vir o plot twist do episódio oito e me surpreender, em todo caso o dorama não é apenas sobre um adulto voltando no tempo em seus dias de escola e tentando salvar sua mãe e amigos, também é uma demonstração de coragem e lealdade com os amigos.

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This was my first completed Japanese drama! I’ve watched korean before, but my coworker convinced me to try Japanese.

Story:
The story was solid! It kept you on your toes, but was also heartwarming. It’s really more a story about friendship than about finding a killer. Neither robs from the other though and both are done well. Kids story is the best, but adult story wasn’t bad too.

Acting:
IMO korean acting is better. The acting wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t the best I’d seen. It was good enough to watch though, and was a tearjerker at some parts. Kid actors did great though! Especially Kayo, really was impressed with her.

Characters: characters were all loveable! I rooted for all of them!

Would definitely recommend for someone who wants a good jdrama!

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