This is my first review, as I joined..maybe 2 days ago? But nonetheless, I decided to write a review on 僕がいない街 or Erased because of how much I enjoyed it.

Story: 9
The story takes place in two places, 2006 Japan, and 1988 Japan, with the two eras revolving around a 29, and 10-year-old Satoru Fujinuma respectively. He has a phenomenon happen to him called "revivals" in which he is sent back in time, to fix something bad that is about to happen around him. I won't spoil the rest of it, because what I need to explain to advance the review is well..spoiler. The only negative thing I have about this storyline is, The revivals. It makes no sense. The revivals are not explained as to why they happen or if they happened all the time, it just comes along out of convenience to the plot. The story itself is deeply thought-provoking, and it's once of the few manga in which I don't cringe at the over the topness of it all.

Art:7
Because I actually read the manga first and not the anime, I can't complain too much about it. It's very crude and a sore sight for many readers who watched the anime first, but the art style itself gives the manga a nice charm. For anyone who watched the anime first, be warned, many of the characters like Kayo, Satoru, and Yashiro, looks extremely different, and it might throw you off a bit.

Characters: 10
I think this is where most of the manga really shines. Everyone interacts fluidly, and nothing seems off. The dynamic between Kayo and Satoru is the best part of it all, though. It's sweet and innocent, and it ditches the stereotypical, blustered, blushing, awkward kind of romance, and instead focuses on more of a friendship than a romance. Everything about each and every one of the characters just felt perfectly aligned.

Enjoyment: 9
Even thought the art was pretty hard to handle, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Nothing felt out of place, and nothing was too over the top. Overall it was a very good read.

Overall: 9
I highly recommend reading this. Even if you don't want to spoil the anime for yourself, the manga provides some smaller subtle details that the anime missed. It is not on par with masterpieces like FMA, but it certainly stands above the rest in terms of quality.