Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased): Season 1/ Episode 9 “Closure” – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

In this episode, we learn of Kayo’s fate, for now, and find Satoru trying to move onto making sure Aya and Hiromi also aren’t killed. Though there remains no investigation into who the kidnapper maybe.

Trigger Warning(s): Domestic Violence & Blood

Characters & Story (with Commentary)

Topic 1: It’s All My Fault (Akemi, Satoru, Yokai, and Kayo)

It was all a setup. Kayo, Satoru, and Yokai came to Akemi’s door and it was just so the child protective services could see her in action and finally talk to her and oh did they get a show. Not only was Akemi’s first action damn near slapping Kayo, as we saw at the end of the last episode, but she uses a shovel and just barely misses causing a significant wound on Yokai. For, you see, the end of that shovel was metal so it seems she could of damn near murdered the woman.

Luckily, though, there would have been witnessing which, after some back and forth, would have included Akemi’s mother. The person who ends up becoming Kayo’s guardian for it seems Akemi is in no position to raise a child on her own. Not only because she is abusive, but it seems she may have a pattern of deadbeats who would use and abuse her, and then she passes that pain along to Kayo. Which is something Kayo’s grandmother tried to put an end to, but Akemi seemingly is stubborn and decided to run away with the boy vs. listening to her mother.

The whole situation ends though with Akemi crying, and only Yokai really having any sympathy for her, and Kayo eventually being taken away. Good tidbit, though! We learn Satoru’s father must have left Yokai when she was pregnant for he never met him and seemingly only has an imagined version of him. Perhaps leading to why, after all that happened, Yokai could feel sympathy for Akemi for between single motherhood, or deadbeat dads, she could understand the situation.

Topic 2: Onto The Next Ones (Satoru, Hiromi, and Kenya)

With Kayo off living with her grandmother somewhere, assumingly she is safe. Thus leading Satoru to move onto trying to prevent Hiromi and Aya’s death. Now, with Hiromi already being Satoru’s friend, he is easy; however, being that Aya goes to a different school, that is more of a challenge. Especially since, with Kayo just leaving, him asking about another girl seems weird and suspicious to the point Kenya pulls him aside, as he did before. Leading to him wanting to join Satoru on this new adventure and wanting to help. So, in the big scheme of things, it seems Kenya is going to be the one to focus on Hiromi while Satoru focuses on Aya. Someone who he stalks to know her pattern and is so unsure of how to befriend.

But while he is trying to become friends with this one and that one, he is missing this one girl who is alienated and vulnerable. The one who accused Kayo of stealing and since he debunked that, it seems she now has no one on her side. Thus leading to the idea being pushed further that while Satoru may have saved one, and maybe planning to save two more, he isn’t solving the problem. All he is really doing is saving one victim and forcing the killer to choose another. An endless cycle which won’t end until there is a push to find out who the killer is.

Highlights

The End of One Chapter and Beginning of the Next: Kayo’s chapter is over and I hope we get to see her and Satoru meet again in the future. But with her chapter ending comes the next two Satoru has to save and us hopefully not feeling like the best times are in the past. For after a storyline like Kayo’s, can Hiromi and Aya match it? They both seem well adjusted so, at best, one of them have to lead to the killer. Especially since we are coming down to the wire when it comes to episode counts.

Addressing Satoru’s Father: For me, this topic was a bit of an elephant in the room. Satoru had to come from somewhere, there had to be a reason his mom was single and never mentioned the dad right? So with Akemi’s background revealed, one can only assume that Yokai had some problems with Satoru’s father and that is why we have never seen a picture and likely Satoru hasn’t as well.

Low Points

Still No Push Toward Finding The Killer: With this show having an established storyline in the past and present, it makes there being no push toward finding the killer frustrating. Granted, there are quite a few suspects, and for a while it seemed sensei Yahiro could have become one, but we aren’t even given a hint episode by episode. That is unless I’m missing something.

Collected Quote(s)

I want to believe you for my own sake. It’s the flip side to someone saying ‘please believe me.’

—           “Closure.”  Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)