Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased): Season 1/ Episode 12 “Future” [Series Finale] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Episode Overview

In the series finale, Satoru and Yashiro face off once more and we see who ends up the ultimate victor.

Episode Summary (with Commentary)

In the end, Satoru and Yashiro are like the Joker and Batman. Yashiro is like a more sophisticated Joker. A crazed maniac hell-bent on breaking his adversary, yet at the same time can’t live without him. His Batman, Satoru, is the one who challenges him, makes life worth living, and perhaps is the only person who truly knows him. So even with Yashiro pinning a new murder on Satoru, he can’t have Satoru kill himself. No, that is Yashiro’s job, he has to win in the long run, but ultimately he doesn’t. For Satoru was prepared for Yashiro and despite how fearful things seemed, he set Yashiro up and had a backup plan for if Yashiro discovered Satoru’s cell phone. Leading to Satoru defeating Yashiro once and for all and us getting to see, one last time, everyone Satoru saved from death, imprisonment, and more. Though perhaps the most emotional moment was seeing Airi at the end. For while she likely is still too young for Satoru, considering she was one of the first people, outside of his mom, of course, to really believe in him, and that has been one of the driving forces for him, especially in his former fate line, to see her once again sort of meant he truly has won.

Things To Note

While likely too young for Satoru, it is hard to not think that perhaps Airi might be the one for him. After all, what are the chances of him meeting her after all he has changed? For not only has he saved his friends and even Misato who he wasn’t really friends with but now he is working as a manga artist. One whose manga was adapted into an anime. So for him to meet Airi under a bridge, as she takes photographs, has to mean something right? Perhaps part of Satoru’s reward for being a hero instead of a coward or, to put it more kindly, someone who during his childhood was formerly passive.

Highlights

Satoru’s triumph over Yashiro really made me think, for a few moments, Satoru was going to commit suicide just so Yashiro ultimately wouldn’t win. But when you realized Satoru’s grand scheme, oh it was so satisfying.

Seeing every last person Satoru saved made for good closure, especially seeing him with Airi in the end.

There was a quick note about Satoru’s dad leaving after he was born and, for me, that cleared up one question I had in my mind.

On The Fence

A part of me wishes that we got to see Airi and Satoru together a little bit more. For while the age difference does give me pause, who is to say she isn’t older than she was before? Plus, with damn near most of Satoru’s friends now with someone, it would be nice if he had someone too.

Also, I sort of wished they would had followed up on Kimo and said if she survived the surgery and showed us Yashiro in the position Yuuki was in the other fate line.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

Satoru notes in the end that the revival hasn’t happened much, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t at all. So, what has happened as of late when that butterfly comes around?

How did Satoru keep a journal from a different fate line in which it seems he didn’t befriend Kenya and the rest of his crew? Or was that journal from right before he really befriended everyone?