Ep 3. Birthmark

In Erased season 1 episode 3, titled "Birthmark," the story continues to follow the life of the protagonist, Satoru Fujinuma, as he tries to solve a string of murders that happened in his hometown 18 years ago. Previously, Satoru was sent back in time to his 11-year-old self in 1988, where he begins to relive his past and make changes in order to prevent the upcoming tragedies.

The episode starts with Satoru staring at his mother's diary, which mentions a note about a "revival" that his mother experienced when she was young. Satoru starts to believe that he has inherited the same ability after his own "revivals" that have allowed him to go back in time. With this newfound knowledge, he continues his mission to solve the murders, hoping to uncover some crucial information from the past.

As he tries to piece together the clues, Satoru runs into a classmate from his elementary school, Hiromi Sugita, who he remembers as being a shy and introverted child. Hiromi is now a victim of bullying from some of the other students, specifically Kayo Hinazuki, a quiet girl who is often isolated from the rest of the class. Satoru takes it upon himself to talk to Hiromi and offer him some words of encouragement, but he also discovers that Hiromi has a strange birthmark on his arm that he had not noticed before.

Later on, Satoru bumps into Kayo in the park and tries to befriend her as well. He notices that she also has the same birthmark as Hiromi, which leads him to believe that it could be a significant clue in the case he is investigating. Satoru then decides to keep a watchful eye on both of his classmates and follow them around to gather more information.

At home, Satoru confronts his mother about the birthmark and asks her if there is any history of it in their family. She dismisses his question and tells him to focus on his schoolwork instead. Satoru then overhears his mother talking on the phone with someone about his "revival" ability, and he confronts her about it. She explains that she knows about his ability and tells him to use it to help others, but warns him that it could have dangerous consequences.

The next day, Satoru tries to intervene when Kayo is being bullied by her classmates. However, his plan backfires and he ends up getting into a physical altercation with the bullies. Kayo runs away, but Satoru manages to catch up and talk to her. He tells her that he will protect her from now on, and promises to be there for her when she needs him.

As the episode comes to a close, Satoru is seen sitting alone in his room, deep in thought. He realizes that his actions have caused some unintended consequences, and he wonders whether he is capable of changing the past after all.

Overall, the episode "Birthmark" is a captivating continuation of the Erased story. It offers some intimate insights into Satoru's character and motivations, as well as some thought-provoking ideas about the nature of time travel and cause-and-effect. The interactions between the characters are emotionally charged, and the tension builds up as the viewers wonder what the future holds for Satoru, Hiromi, and Kayo.