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Erased Anime Ending Controversy: Why It’s So Controversial for Manga Readers

Penned by Kei Sanbe, the esteemed manga, “Erased”, underwent an anime adaptation while still in circulation. As is common with contemporaneous anime and source material, the denouements differed. This discordance generated much debate regarding the outcome of “Erased”.

“Erased” can be consumed in a weekend, affording manga enthusiasts ample opportunity to critique the anime’s plot. Prior to the central conflict, Satoru had the ability to time-travel, primarily backtracking mere minutes. However, after his mother’s demise, the twenty-nine-year-old is flung back to his primary school years to prevent a classmate’s murder. The manga and anime both follow this pattern until Satoru returns to the present. Then, the two renditions diverge significantly.

Following a fifteen-year coma, Satoru undergoes physical rehabilitation where he meets Kumi, a young cancer patient. His recollections of Yashiro – the murderer – and his life prior to the main events of the manga are also latent until he reunites with Airi. It’s around this time that Yashiro resurfaces with a scheme to “kill” Kumi and implicate Satoru.

Thankfully, Satoru, Kenya, Sawada, and Sachiko conceive a plan to safeguard Kumi while they embark on a camping trip. For several chapters, Yashiro and Satoru engage in a game of one-upmanship until their ultimate showdown on a bridge. Here, it’s revealed that Yashiro had no intention of harming Kumi but simply sought to lure Satoru out to kill him. After Satoru reveals how he had been ahead of Yashiro, his erstwhile teacher sets the bridge ablaze. Yashiro intends to die with Satoru, but Satoru jumps off the bridge, taking Yashiro with him, and they plummet into the lake, where Kenya, Sawada, Sachiko, and Kumi await.

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How the Erased Anime Adaptation Ends

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In the anime, the encounter between Yashiro and Satoru is contained within the confines of the hospital. Yashiro, having made progress with his physical therapy, is ambushed by paparazzi attempting to snap photos of him, but he promptly destroys their footage. Furthermore, he confronts Satoru directly, rather than observing him from a distance. Subsequently, Yashiro escorts Satoru to the rooftop, where the latter confesses to recollecting everything. The audience is also made aware that Satoru has informed Kenya and Hiromi that Yashiro is the perpetrator.

Yashiro demands an explanation from Satoru as to how he obtained knowledge of his own fate, to which Satoru responds by revealing that Yashiro was responsible for Kumi’s botched operation, framing Satoru for the crime. Yashiro also intends to cast suspicion on Satoru by pushing him off the rooftop and making it appear as if he had committed suicide. However, Satoru realizes that Yashiro has refrained from killing him because he requires Satoru’s presence in his life, which Yashiro admits before allowing him to plummet to his supposed death. In the end, Yashiro discovers that Satoru orchestrated the entire sequence of events, and Satoru survives the fall. Yashiro is apprehended, and Kumi is rescued, effectively bringing an end to Yashiro’s game.

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Why the Erased Anime Ending Is So Controversial

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Although the events in both versions are the same, with Yashiro being brought to justice, the crucial deaths being prevented, and Satoru living a more gratifying life, the anime’s ending feels rushed. With only 12 episodes, the adaptation dedicates just two to Satoru’s return and his final showdown with Yashiro. In contrast, the manga spans 44 chapters, with Saturo’s return to the present commencing in Chapter 33, and Yashiro’s reappearance occurring only in Chapter 37.

This extended length allows the manga to concentrate more on Satoru’s rehabilitation, making his memory recovery more natural and establishing some of the critical variables for the ultimate confrontation. Furthermore, it expands the final confrontation, presenting viewers with an additional cat-and-mouse game between Satoru and Yashiro. In summary, the manga’s ending showcases the ingenuity of these two characters, while the anime relies more on exposition.

Additionally, the way Yashiro utilizes Kumi differs greatly between the two versions. In the manga, Satoru believes that Kumi’s life is at risk for several chapters, and he works diligently to prevent her harm. In contrast, the anime reveals that Kumi’s life is actually in jeopardy during the final showdown. The manga’s approach highlights Satoru’s heroism and Yashiro’s cunning more effectively than the anime.

Although the anime takes certain liberties with the conclusion, it is understandable given that it was produced while the manga was still being published, similarly to Soul Eater and Fullmetal Alchemist. Consequently, when it was time to end the anime, the conclusion of the manga was unknown. The anime had to create its own ending, which can be satisfactory for those unfamiliar with the manga, especially since it still provides Satoru with a happy ending and addresses the complex relationship he has with Yashiro in a condensed timeframe. However, for diehard fans of the original source material, seeing the murder mystery condensed to such an extent does not do justice to Erased’s plot.