ERASED originally aired during the Winter 2016 anime season, and it has since gained a reputation as one of the highest-quality psychological thrillers to appear in the past few years. It follows Satoru Fujinuma, a manga artist who can travel back in time to make changes and has even saved a few lives. One day, he is sent back to his childhood into the body of his elementary school-aged self.
His mission is not easy: he must rescue his schoolmates Kayo from the hands of a serial killer. This turbulent story will keep you guessing until the end, but once you’re done, you’ll probably want to watch anime like Erased. Fortunately, you have many options. Here is a list of the top ten anime similar to Erased that we have recommended.
10. Blast of Tempest
Fuwa Mahiro and Takigawa Yoshino, two best friends, set out on a journey to solve the mystery involving the murder of Aika, Mahiro’s younger sister, who also happens to be Yoshino’s secret girlfriend.
The anime combines supernatural elements with Shakespearean references. Its melancholy tone attracts you. If you enjoy tragic deaths (as a genre), you should not pass it up.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both have unexpected plot twists and feature people with disabilities or who have been given unfair life opportunities; both have lovable characters too.
9. ReLIFE
If you enjoy Erased, you should check out ReLIFE. Kaizaki Arata, 27, has yet to find a suitable job after leaving his previous job. When he meets Ryou Yoake, a ReLIFE Institute employee, he is offered medicine that will transform him into a 17-year-old.
Soon after, he discovers that he is a study subject and must avoid repeating his past mistakes while struggling in high school due to new policies made in the last ten years. Kaizaki, like Saturo in Erased, is given a second chance to do things right.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both male protagonists are presented as mature personalities who travel back in time in their younger bodies to make things right.
8. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Losing a childhood friend is always difficult, but things become infinitely more complicated when the supernatural is involved. While Satoru travels back in time to try to undo his childhood friend’s brutal death, Jinta Yadomi and his friends are left with no choice but to deal with Menma’s untimely death.
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They do, however, have Menma’s ghost. Her spectral presence aids them in grieving, healing, and moving on. Both anime tell emotionally resonant stories about complex subjects, but Anohana does so without the thriller vibes of ERASED.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both have MCs who regret something involving a girl in their childhood and try to “fix” it.
- They’re both emotional, psychological, thrilling, and dramatic.
- Both are made by A-1 Pictures and have brilliant directing and production, the same director, stunning visuals, detailed backgrounds, and some hidden stuff in their op and ed.
7. Re: ZERO – Starting Life in Another World
When Subaru Natsuki found himself in a fantasy world, he discovered that he had the ability to travel time. After his death, it became more vivid.
However, the process enables him to save other people’s lives while also dealing with the insanity of living in a magical universe. It still causes him a great deal of pain.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both anime feature the protagonist going back in time several times to try to fix the past. He travels back in time to save the lives of people he cares about.
- Both male MCs did not ask for this situation and didn’t know what to do half of the time, but they eventually learned to deal with it. There was also a hint of romance revolving around the main characters.
6. From The New World
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a thousand years after our own, the remaining humans, now gifted with telekinesis, live in a seemingly peaceful society. However, dark secrets from the past will soon be revealed between a small group of friends.
The slow pace of the show pays off as it develops a complex narrative about the tension, violence, and even homosexuality that exists within humanity.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both are of the psychological and supernatural genres.
- They are both trying to explain the vanishing of children.
- Both reflect the differences between a child’s and an adult’s minds.
- Both were produced by A-1 Pictures.
5. Orange
Orange follows Takamiya Naho, who receives letters from her future self. The letter’s contents shocked her, making her suspect that something terrible was about to happen.
When Naruse Kakeru, a transfer student, joins her class, Naho finally believes the cryptic warning in the letter.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both Erased and Orange are sentimental stories. They are also full of mystery and supernatural forces. These shows accomplish the same goal but in different ways.
- Both main characters try to change the course of history to save some of the most influential people in their lives.
- Both shows reflect the importance of friends, even if you haven’t known each other for a long time. They would do anything to save you, even if it meant risking their lives.
4. The Promised Neverland
Grace Fields House is an orphanage. Even though they do not have blood relatives, they are all part of one big family. That is until they are adopted out at the age of twelve.
The kids are also aware that they are not permitted to leave the fenced-in yard, but two of them break that rule one day. They then discover that the “adopted” children are subjected to something far more sinister.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both shows fulfill your deep craving to watch children struggle to survive. Their ability to blend adult themes with innocent young characters creates an atmosphere of tension at times as the plot twists and turns.
- Both of them evoke various emotions. Angry, mysterious, sad, mind-blowing, and incredibly amazing with fantastic stories!
- Both are compelling thrillers about children who must deal with problems more significant than themselves! If you already like one, give the other a shot.
- Both shows are centered on murder mysteries.
3. Your Name
Makoto Shinkai’s renowned film “YOUR NAME“ is a must-see for anyone, but ERASED fans may find it especially fascinating. Taki and Mitsuha live very different lives: Mitsuha is an isolated country girl, while Taki is a hardworking city person.
Moreover, they exist on different timelines, with Taki living a few years in the future. They met when they started mysteriously switching bodies, bringing them so close together that they fell in love.
But there’s a catch: they not only exist on different timelines, but Mitsuha’s timeline has ended because a meteor wiped out her town. Taki will have to alter the time-space continuum to save Mitsuha.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both anime have this ‘time travel aspect.’ They’re both about this impossible love, separated through time.
- The main character switches between different realities to change history, save a loved one, and stop a tragedy. Both anime are about young people who don’t give up on their dreams, their first friendships, romantic relationships, and childhood.
- Both of these anime have splendid animation that tells a time-traveling tale. They are thrillers in the classic sense, giving you teeth-gritting moments as you watch the mystery come to light.
2. Tokyo Revengers
Takemichi Hanagaki, the protagonist of Tokyo Revengers, is an ordinary man with no notable accomplishments. He is baffled by the news that reveals the Tokyo Manji Gang is responsible for the senseless murders of his high school girlfriend and her brother.
Immediately after, he is run over by a train, ending his life. However, Takemichi goes back in time and comes back to life.
He promises to do his best after realizing his ability to change the lives of two people he once adored. Will Takemichi be able to achieve his impossible goal of changing history?
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both involve traveling back in time to save someone from a long time ago.
- Both anime contain psychological, emotional, and time-travel elements.
1. Steins;Gate
Rintaro is a “mad scientist” who spends most of his time inventing. One day, he invents a device that allows him to send messages back in time. This unexpected development provides him with the opportunity to save his friend from a terrible fate, similar to Satoru’s time-traveling feats.
Why it’s similar to Erased:
- Both series feature protagonists who may feel isolated from those around them but are determined to do the right thing and make amends – this may sound clichéd, but they both have enough quirks and charm to keep them interesting.
- Both feature time travel and the concept of alternate worlds and realities, as well as the idea of preserving relationships across these boundaries
- Rather than physically traveling back in time, the protagonists find themselves in younger bodies, by either a few days or decades, with knowledge of the future.
Final Thoughts
So, those are our recommendations for anime like Erased. Have you seen any of them before? In the world of the internet, whenever there is one person who agrees, there is another who disagrees, so we invite everyone to leave a comment below about anime you think is similar to Erased.
