"You can't change the past Gatsby." "Of course you can."
And Satoru will do it with no regrets.
This week's episode of "ERASED" is a season highlight, especially because of Satoru's new found will, and semblance of hope in the face of the past two weeks of despair.
If there was any doubt about the direction Satoru's emotional journey, a sign post appears just as he is about to be hauled off to jail as the wrong suspect. The sign post is in Satoru's inner monologue that this time around, he cannot have any regrets.
If you pair this with Satoru's initial statement about false regrets with his statement of having no regrets, you can begin to see just how far the events of this REVIVAL and his new found desire to save Hinazuki (and himself) have begun to take shape.
In fact, thinking back on the first episode, Satoru has changed enormously from a young man completely discontent with his actions and personality, to someone with a feeling of larger purpose. He's also changed from a person who previously could not open up to others and had passed his pleasantness off only to draw attention away from himself.
In fact, this episode is littered with sign posts of the progress that Satoru has made with not only his plans and understanding of the past, but also his understanding of himself. This is further highlighted when Kenya, his childhood classmate, asks him who he is.
Satoru's response about being a superhero, or wanting to be, is much more than he'd have ever admitted before.
The beauty of "ERASED" episode seven is the authentic redemption that continues to surface for Satoru in the face of the tragedy. There's still plenty of uncertainty of what his actions can ultimately accomplish, but the desire to fight has been restored in Satoru.
Overall, "ERASED" episode seven is yet another well-executed balance of plot and character development with the added bonus of a surfacing theme of second chances in the face of tragedy.
What makes episode seven the best is that Satoru's journey has allowed him to change. After all, isn't what we all want to do is change our lives?
