Boku Dake ga Inai Machi / First Impressions

「螺旋」 (Rasen)
“Spiral”

Family is a common theme in Boku Dake ga Inai Machi that was very unexpected when I first started this series. The idea of appreciating the family that you have or leaving a terrible family behind is so prominent that it actually brings tears to my eyes. From the second episode, you already see that family bond between Satoru and his mother, Sachiko which really makes you appreciate your own mother a little more. My family has always had its rough patches and especially with my mom, we’re both stubborn and don’t see eye-to-eye. Plus we don’t live together which makes me feel worse when I do see her and we argue. Sometimes when we do fight, I feel an overwhelming amount of guilt and remorse when I imagine that this could be the last thing that we talk about. You never want your last words to a loved one to be tainted so I can see where Satoru is coming from; but to a larger degree because he’s actually living with this time lapse over and over again, not knowing what’s going to happen. I hope that if Satoru manages to save his mother this time, he takes full advantage of the extra time that he has with her. Sachiko loves her son, but more so, she trusts his judgment and his decisions (as an 11-year-old!) and I think that says a lot about her character. She’s a pretty good mom to know what’s going on with his life even though he doesn’t say anything to her out loud. She’s also been doing it all on her own and I have huge respects for single parents that are able to raise a child up so well by themselves.

On the other hand, Kayo grew up in a horrible family environment – I wouldn’t even call it a ”family” at all. Her mother clearly doesn’t care about her and literally hasn’t notified anyone about her MISSING child for days! What is this? At first I thought, maybe Kayo’s mother has issues. Maybe she drinks a lot or has schizophrenia or MPD… but now I just can’t think of any more excuses for her behavior. She is simply a terrible mother – and human being for that matter. She still wants to save face, but she’s not helping anyone (especially herself) by avoiding the issue. Obviously the first step is to even admit that you have problems, but I don’t think Kayo’s mother will be admitting anything soon. She needs to be caught red-handed and that’s hard to do when Kayo is “kidnapped” and Child Services can’t really prove anything (other than Kayo isn’t at home). I wish they could do more to try and help Kayo but it’s hard when you have no child or parent to confirm anything.

The moment of the year so far has to be this episode… when Kayo looks at the breakfast which Sachiko prepared for her and bursts into tears. It makes me want to cry with her. Kayo is coming from a family that never behaved like a family and she’s welcomed into this home which treats her better than ever. That alone is enough to make me feel for Kayo. From the looks of it, Kayo’s mother never did anything for Kayo other than keep her alive. A few yen for breakfast? Eating alone in the park? It makes me want to pick Kayo up and adopt her as my own. How can any mother who gave birth to a child even think about abandoning her and not doing her due diligence as a parent? The tears from Kayo are those of a child that feels neglected and lonely and she realizes it now. Being with a proper family like Sachiko and Satoru has opened Kayo’s eyes to what she deserves. And that’s a better life with an actual family. I seriously hope that she gets it; whether it’s with Satoru or not, she deserves better.

Now that I’ve made my rant about what a terrible person Kayo’s mother is and how I’m incredibly passionate yet upset at the situation, let’s look at the rest of the episode. I don’t think it’s hard to guess who the murderer is at this point. All the signs point to one individual (whom we’ve already met) but it’s not even about the identity of the murderer anymore, it’s about how to prevent him from killing again. What’s more important to me is, what’s his motivation? Why does he do this and what does he get out of it? He’s a smart individual and he’s not mentally insane, so I think the killer is doing it because he’d be considered a “psychopath” by definition. He does everything for a reason and with careful consideration; even to the point of framing others for his crimes to cover his own tail. The interesting piece is how Satoru is going to stop him and change the course of his future. Will that mean exposing who the murderer is? Or will saving Kayo and Aya be enough? Interestingly enough, it looks like the killer has moved from Kayo to Aya very quickly just with the disappearance of Kayo. I think that means Satoru will still ultimately fail if the other victims are still being targeted (we’re talking about a serial killer afterall). His best bet would be to catch whoever is going after these children, but we’re now getting into uncharted territory which makes it harder to predict the murderer’s actions when Satoru doesn’t know what will happen. His biggest advantage so far has been his knowledge of the future from hindsight. Now that he doesn’t have that, he’ll have to rely more on his own wits and abilities to be keep one step ahead of the killer.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: It’s not about who the murderer is, but how Satoru is going to save Kayo. It’s getting super so nerve-racking! =X That final scene with Kayo made my heartache. I love the family theme in this series; so unexpected #僕街 #BokuMachi

48 Comments

    1. There’s always the manga, readily available online at just about any manga site! Come on, read it, you know you want to! Satisfy your suspense and join me on the Dark Side! Give in to the temptation join me in spoiler hell…XP

      Zen
      Reply

  2. Satoru’s mother seriously is the best mum in anime history. She’s just awesome!!! And the fact she knew what Satoru was doing all along and even gave him an extra bento knowing he would be giving it to Kayo… !!!

    So with you about how horrible Kayo’s mother is. Sadly there are many of such parents in this world…

    The scene where the intruder goes on the bus, I was holding my breath and hoping he wouldn’t open that curtain!!!!!

    xClueless
    Reply

      1. Your comment reminds me of my mom never really making breakfast for us too. We always had cereal in the morning because she was always too tired from her 2 jobs to support us and wanted to sleep in until we were ready to leave for school. She would get up and drive us to school and then get ready to leave for work. Love you Mom! T__T

        Mei
        Reply

  5. Just when I thought episode 6 was my favorite, this episode comes in and makes all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
    Kayo’s tears just came in and made me instantly say “Someone please give her a hug….”
    And Sachiko is….oh my god no word I say is gonna do her justice. She’s just one of my favorite anime characters of the entire year already.

    I don’t even wanna talk anymore about Kayo’s mother at this point. You pretty much said everything there is to be said about her Cherry. The last scene in the episode made it clear where she’s headed. It’s pretty much game over for that b****.

    Now for the killer. I’d be surprised if he turned out to be anyone else at this point. But just what drives this man to do what he does?
    At least he did something that would provide a little measure of insight into what he’s all about.
    We pretty much knew how methodical he is already, but what about his mindset as a psychopathic killer?
    Satoru hid Kayo in their gang’s old hideout, but unbeknownst to him, he hid her in what turned out to be the killer’s hideout. Just what are the odds? And when he kicked that cardboard box, I could feel it was out of anger, because he failed to hunt the victim.
    Which harkens back to why exactly is he doing all this. Is he thinking this is a game? That failing to catch a little, cute looking girl is somehow something very humiliating and abysmal?
    From what I gather, I think he’s sadistic. His anger from failure to get Kayo stems from his failure to have his way with her. Perhaps he just enjoys watching people suffer, whether from killing or from framing. He had an undeniable smile on his face when he murdered Sachiko and then walked out in front of Satoru also smiling right onto his face, knowing he’d be framed. Then he had that same ominous smile as Satoru was being detained by the police. It wasn’t just to cover his tracks. Two birds, one stone. Now that he couldn’t kill Kayo, he also doesn’t have a victim to frame for the murder, much to his displeasure. Now he can only move on from Kayo and onto his next victim. But that’s just speculation. Odds are that whatever drives this demon is more complicated than that.
    Next episode is set to permanently rid Kayo of her mother, so then the show should focus more on the killer.

    yoloalchemist
    Reply

    1. That’s my concern too – what the dude wants.
      Is he crazy? Is he a sadistic SOB? Does he have deep-rooted feelings about his childhood from his father and mother? o_O
      This is why I like watching shows like Criminal Minds because once you really understand the person targeting all these children, you have a better chance of catching them. Once you’re able to profile them properly, you’ll know who their next target is and hopefully stop them.
      In this case, I think Satoru already knows who the guy is targeting so he has the upper hand there. The only problem is how he’s going to stop him without making it too obvious that now he has to save both Aya AND Kayo.

      Cherrie
      Reply

      1. The problem is even the rage the killer displayed this episode isn’t enough of a hint as to what his criminal mindset is. And with the pace the show is going with at the current time, I’m just hoping it isn’t resolved in a rushed way. Something tells me they’re aiming for a second season, but then if that’s the case then there is also the risk that the plot might run out of steam if it only focuses on the killer for the rest of the run after Kayo’s crisis is over. Perhaps I’m thinking too much. Let’s just wait for the next episode.

        yoloalchemist
        Reply

  6. The feels…

    Change the title from “Spiral” to “Feels”.

    No mention of Sayo giving Satoru the hand-made mittens?

    And yeah, Sachiko is best mom. I mean how many mother’s in real life, even good mothers, would actually be SO supportive of what Satoru is doing if it were their own eleven year old child doing it? I mean sure, they would understand WHY their child did it, but I doubt they’d actually aid them so greatly either, but would want to find some way of doing so that wouldn’t be seen as breaking the law.

    I also just loved when they all went to bed.

    “Am I in the way here?”

    “Yeah” / “No”

    (“I said that out loud…”) “What do you mean ‘yeah’?!” *thump!*

    XD

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  7. I’m happy for you, Kayo! She deserved to feel motherly love.
    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi/Boku%20Dake%20ga%20Inai%20Machi%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2032.jpg

    ichigo
    Reply

  8. Sachiko is quite literally the best mom in anime that I’ve seen. She’s not some walking trope. That every day kind mother who lets their child do anything and everything like bringing home a walking trope of a love interest to spend the night and letting her have his kids and other crap like that.

    Sachiko is the epitome of what a mom is supposed to be. Not saying that she is what EVERY mom is supposed to be, because every mom has their own way of parenting their child. Sachiko’s is just one way and it’s effective.

    She trusts her son, as you said, but she’s visibly suspect about him too when she needs to be. I love it. And I love Satoru’s relationship with her. It makes me regret my relationship with my mom. Not that it’s bad, because it’s pretty good, but the feeling that I get watching Sachiko makes me wish I had the same feeling with my mom back in grade school.

    I’ma leave Kayo’s mom alone. She needs an ass whoopin. That’s about it.

    I also have mixed feelings with Kayo breaking down. All the feelings lead up to me getting teary eyed, but the reasons for the tears are both happiness and sadness. A 10 year old girl shouldn’t have to go through what she went through. She just got the meal that she was lead to believe that she didn’t DESERVE. Think about that. To the average person that’s exactly what it looks like. To Kayo and all of us who witness it, it’s so much more than just that.

    Right now, I’m soooooooooo happy for Kayo. She needs the unconditional love of a mother. Not the abuse of a monster. But knowing #BokuMachi this happiness will be replaced by rage and suspense very very soon :/

    SerYuo
    Reply

  10. The scene when Kayo’s “breakfast” appears to be instant ramen, plain white bread or two pennies in contrast with normal breakfast provided by Satoru’s Mom really warmed my heart.

    Amiluhur
    Reply

  12. Satoru is doing this thing all wrong, forget saving Kayo or anyone else, he comes from the future, his 29 year old self should have studied as hard as he could on the events that occurred when he was a kid.

    This is like no brainer, if you can leap back in time in one way or another multiple times, learn events in the present, alter them in the past. Think of this think way, you go to wiki, learn big boxing matches, who won on what round with how many knockouts, go back in time, 1/50 bet, win.

    Off Topic, if anyone interested in good time travel-y series going on right now, i suggest watch 11.22.63, it explores these facts fantastically.

    Jips
    Reply

    1. But he cant pick when to time travel or to the time he wants either. He also has a hunch that this might be the last time he can use the ability. Another thing is if the first thing you alter in your plan changes soo drastically that everything else you researched is useless, then the plan of oyurs is kinda of useless lol

      Pen3
      Reply

    2. For instance, you alter something that makes the murderer decide to frame you and end up in jail… plan over. Since he can’t control his power, he is stuck in jail for 5 years and when he suddenly goes back to the present time, hes still in jail..

      Pen3
      Reply

      1. All your posts are invalidated with one single reason, in the manga, he can control when to leap back, and he does it multiple times, this one fact adaptation has changed for some strange reason.

        Jips
        Reply

  13. Well everyone’s already said that but I guess I’ll piggyback off them anyway, Satoru’s mom is the best anime mom ever. Not only is she very perceptive, but she’s very caring and dependable. She might really be my favorite character of the series. Those scenes with her and Kayo tugged at the heartstrings, especially the breakfast scene that many of us can take for granted if we live in a good family environment. I was so scared there would be some god forsaken cliffhanger that made me worry, but at least this cliffhanger shows the three of them confronting Kayo’s mom.

    HAPPY ENDING PLS :X All these wonderful girls (and satoru) deserve it!

    ChromeNova
    Reply

  15. Other than the breakfast scene, what got to me the most was when Kayo flinched in response to Sachiko raising her hand. After years of horrible abuse, it’s become a reflex to react in that sort of way. It’s like instinct at that point. Really horrible, and very sad. Something that’s going to take years and years to recover from(if she’s even able to), and I just hope Kayo has some kind of happy ending when this show is done and over with. Poor girl. 🙁

    Anyway, this was a very emotional episode. And one of the best so far. As much as I like Airi, I find the past scenes much more compelling than the present.

    Sachiko is mother of the year, btw. Don’t know what happened to Satoru’s dad, but if he actually left a woman like her…well, that guy sure is a loser.

    Mormegil
    Reply

    1. You know, I hate to even suggest this, but that kind of knowledge and detail
      with Kayo wincing the author / writers have portrayed shows an uncomfortable
      familiarity with child abuse. I hope it wasn’t a personal experience for any of
      them and their SME / research for the series / story was a book.

      So, their secret hideout turned out to be the killer’s hideout as well? Scary.
      It’s good he didn’t realize that Kayo was there, and that she didn’t call out
      thinking it was Satoru. I don’t know if I could’ve survived if she had been
      murdered again.

      The ending of this episode was unexpected – I know what I’d like to see happen
      (Kayo to live with Satoru and his mother), but I also know that Kayo’s mother
      still has the legal right to her daughter. So I’m really curious as to how this
      confrontation will play out in the next episode; I can’t believe Satoru’s mother
      would allow Kayo to return to her home at this point and I kinda (hopefully)
      doubt that she’ll be remover from everyone she knows by Child Services…

      Gonna be a long week waiting!

      mac65
      Reply

  16. This episode really rams home for me that it’s Best of Season, if not Year.

    The suspense of the killer dumping his gear in the bus, to Kayo’s pain and joy, to Satoru’s humorous scenes at the bath and sleeping arrangements, to the police/child services abortive visits to Kayo’s “home” and the ending.

    We’ve even got useful adults, where in usual (from what I’ve seen in other shows) anime, they’d be clueless, powerless, often-missing entirely.

    Love it!

    Kailord
    Reply

  17. Killing the Children’s of these Killer what is his drive? Envy, that these Children has a better life them him, when he was a child. The Killer could had a much darker past that them… or it’s a sexual drive thing..

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

  19. I have to admit, they are really doing a great job adapting the manga.

    The manga is really great but, at least for me, the author drawing style doesn’t really transmit feelings well. The anime on the other hand is doing a great job. The breakfast scene was so heart-warming.

    youkai
    Reply

  21. Warm episodes like this give me anxiety.

    Me: This is everything I ever wanted. So warm. So nice. JUSTICE.
    Brain: HEY
    Me: No don’t you fuckin—
    Brain: What if sachiko is framed for kidnapping kayo and using satoru as an accomplis? 🙂
    Me:
    Me: I love suffering

    Ichigeaux
    Reply

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