This anime opens in 2006 where protagonist Satoru Fujinuma has a strange power; if he witnesses something bad happening he travels back in time to just before it happens so he can prevent it happening. Typically he goes back a couple of minutes but after his mother is murdered, shortly after reminding him of a crime that happened when he was a child, and he is accused of killing her he finds himself back in 1988 when he is still in elementary school. The date seems relevant; a few days before Kayo Hinazuki, a girl in his class, had been kidnapped and murdered; he is determined that he will befriend and save her and in doing so hopefully have his mother as well. As the series progresses he will have to relive painful moments before learning who the killer is and in doing so he will but himself in real danger.
This is a contender for the best anime of the season; the central idea works surprisingly well and one can't help but feel for Satoru as he struggles to save his mother, Kayo Hinazuki and other potential victims. The story is told in a gripping way and the fact that he occasionally jumps back in time means that he has to see them die again before he can save them. As the end approaches there is a feeling that the price of saving others could ultimately be his own life. The end isn't this bleak; some may even find it a bit of a cop out, but I felt it worked well enough. The characters are mostly likable, there are however some deliberately unpleasant characters; most notably Kayo's mother who routinely mistreats her. The series looks really good; beautifully capturing the downbeat nature of much of the story. I'd definitely recommend this to all anime fans as it is one of the best series I've seen in a while.
These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
This is a contender for the best anime of the season; the central idea works surprisingly well and one can't help but feel for Satoru as he struggles to save his mother, Kayo Hinazuki and other potential victims. The story is told in a gripping way and the fact that he occasionally jumps back in time means that he has to see them die again before he can save them. As the end approaches there is a feeling that the price of saving others could ultimately be his own life. The end isn't this bleak; some may even find it a bit of a cop out, but I felt it worked well enough. The characters are mostly likable, there are however some deliberately unpleasant characters; most notably Kayo's mother who routinely mistreats her. The series looks really good; beautifully capturing the downbeat nature of much of the story. I'd definitely recommend this to all anime fans as it is one of the best series I've seen in a while.
These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.