Boku Dake ga Inai Machi: The Town Without Me

[Buffalobiian]

I found this ending somewhat ordinary. Sure sure, Satoru outplayed Yashiro, but how does this change anything about surgery-girl about to get a drip that had his fingerprints on it? Yashiro diving off the roof after failing to save Satoru's fall is also perfectly plausible. Who the hell holds onto a wheelchair + person with one hand?

Not explaining the timejump was something I expected but still find vexing. The blue butterfly has always meant a time-reversal as well. It makes no sense for it to precede Airi's meeting since it should mean something needs to be redone (ie their meeting).

The ride was good. The ending was kind of just "okay, time to get off".

@Ryll: I get Airi, Kaya and Aya, but Misato?.. make-up much?

[shinta|hikari]

After Satoru fell, he can just say to one of his allies to stop the operation because of the tainted IV drip. The time on his phone when the teacher showed him Kumi's message was 15:42, while the IV drip is supposed to go off at 16:30. There was easily enough time to do that.

The teacher was holding onto the wheelchair with one hand because he was grabbing onto the rooftop railing to prevent himself from falling too.

I must say this is unlike you, Buff. You usually catch these details.

I'm fine with not explaining the powers. I'd prefer that over some half-baked explanation or a reused one, and what's not reused nowadays?

[Buffalobiian]

Charging Yashiro for attempted murder can mean one of 3 things:

1) attempted murder of surgery girl via IV
2) attempted murder of Satoru via dropping him
3) All of the above.

After Satoru fell, he can just say to one of his allies to stop the operation because of the tainted IV drip. The time on his phone when the teacher showed him Kumi's message was 15:42, while the IV drip is supposed to go off at 16:30. There was easily enough time to do that.

Saving IV girl doesn't change the fact that there was muscle relaxant in there, with Satoru's fingerprints all over it. Where's the evidence to point it towards Yashiro instead?

The teacher was holding onto the wheelchair with one hand because he was grabbing onto the rooftop railing to prevent himself from falling too.

Exactly. Holding onto Satoru with one hand only gives a perfect explanation for why Yashiro ultimately "lost his grip" and let Satoru fall. He was even then so grief stricken that he tried to commit suicide afterwards.

Note that holding onto just a single wheel while maintaining both wheels balanced on the ledge is pretty dodge physics, hence my previous comment. He's not even supposed to be able to save Satoru, let alone be charged for "attempted murder" for deliberately dropping him.

None of this can convincingly put Yashiro behind bars.

[shinta|hikari]

What?

Satoru fell off the roof after Yashiro took him there. Even if Yashiro didn't push him off, Satoru can simply claim he did. It'd be a frame up, but it's what Yashiro intended anyway. Isn't that epic? The master framer gets framed up at the very end.

The judges didn't see what happened on the roof, but all the witnesses down below, including the victim Satoru, can testify to Yashiro dropping him.

It's not rock solid video evidence, but all the circumstantial evidence will support their testimonies, including the broken roof railing lock, why Yashiro took him to the roof, etc.

[Buffalobiian]

What?

Satoru fell off the roof after Yashiro took him there. Even if Yashiro didn't push him off, Satoru can simply claim he did. It'd be a frame up, but it's what Yashiro intended anyway. Isn't that epic? The master framer gets framed up at the very end.

The judges didn't see what happened on the roof, but all the witnesses down below, including the victim Satoru, can testify to Yashiro dropping him.

It's not rock solid video evidence, but all the circumstantial evidence will support their testimonies, including the broken roof railing lock, why Yashiro took him to the roof, etc.

Yashiro took him to the roof, and Satoru offered no resistance. If Yashiro said Satoru asked to be taken to the roof you wouldn't be able to argue otherwise.

As for witnessed events, they saw Satoru go driving backwards off the railing which broke, then Yashiro hang onto him for some time before his grip failed him. Why bother saving someone if you're going to kill him? Did he have something you were after?

And sorry, what was with all those fingerprints over the girl's IV bag again?

None of this works.

[shinta|hikari]

No, you're not getting it. They can simply say that Yashiro pushed him off the roof. Period. No one else saw or heard the events at the roof after the celphone call got cut.

Your basically saying that it's going to be Satoru's word against his, but in this case, all the circumstantial evidence points to Yashiro. Satoru spoke to his friends and mother before he pulled off the plan. Yashiro took him to the roof and he fell. His allies even heard part of their conversation on the roof before Yashiro took his phone.

You simply have to imagine this case going to court. The prosecution is gonna massacre Yashiro. Satoru and the others have no reason to waste their time (and risk Satoru's life) to frame Yashiro, but them trying to trap Yashiro makes complete sense because of all the other factors.

I actually find Yashiro's plan of framing Satoru with the IV bag hilarious. The guy is on a wheelchair for crying out loud.

[Buffalobiian]

Satoru:

So, there's this teacher who is out to kill me. I know, because I know. I told all my friends this and they believed me. Together we decided to let him take me to the roof, because that's where it would happen. We knew exactly where he'd push me off beforehand because we scouted the place out. There's this particular bar that's cut. We set up this giant air-bag so that when he pushes me off I'll be saved.

This is all to catch this guy who I know is coming to kill me.

Oh, that IV bag with all my fingerprints over it? Yeah, he did that too.



Yashiro:

I don't know wtf just happened. Satoru asked me to take him to the roof for a chat or some shit, then he just drove himself off the bloody rails! I tried to catch him, but one hand just wasn't enough. I thought he had died, but then all his friends saved him with their giant airbag. Now this cunt says I'm trying to kill him! dafuq?

...
IV bag? What IV bag?


Judge:

Jury, please make your decision. Raise your hand if you you think beyond reasonable doubt that Yashiro attempted to murder Satoru. :S

[shinta|hikari]

You're forgetting one gigantic thing here: Motive.

That's why the IV bag is irrelevant. Satoru has no motive to kill Kumi, especially with the testimony of his allies about them trying to trap Yashiro. So that IV bag, in fact, becomes evidence against Yashiro once Satoru tells the jury about Yashiro's kind explanation of his plan.

So the question in court is gonna be simple: Why would Satoru and everyone else go through all this to catch some random teacher from the old days? Because Satoru was almost killed by him as a kid and slept 15 years. That case has passed the statute of limitations, but you can bet your house the prosecution is gonna get Satoru to squeeze that in as a witness.

So you see, Satoru isn't trying to trap Yashiro randomly. His past case of attempted murder will become his motive, and it's a completely logical one. Yashiro taking him to roof on a rainy day by using a secret route, on the other hand, is completely illogical.

So it's gonna be Yashiro playing dumb with nothing else backing his statement, while Satoru and his allies have all the circumstantial evidence behind them. In fact, it's not even circumstantial. Yashiro did indeed drop him.

It's gonna be a fun time watching Yashiro try to blame a guy on a wheelchair for framing him in the courtroom.

[Buffalobiian]

And what motive does Yashiro have for killing Satoru? To finish the job he attempted 15 years ago? Where's your proof there? Satoru saved a bunch of kids who would have been killed by Yashiro? Where's the evidence? Why hasn't he killed anybody since? He promised you he wouldn't? Come on.

Your "circumstantial evidence" is the friends knowing where Satoru would drop.

Yashiro did drop Satoru. Now was he trying to save him, or was he trying to kill him?

Jury, beyond reasonable doubt now please.

[shinta|hikari]

You're mistake is in thinking that circumstantial evidence isn't enough. With enough of that, many juries judge someone guilty. Beyond reasonable doubt is reached if so much circumstantial evidence is stacked up that it's much harder to believe the case isn't true. That's what's gonna happen in this case.

Yashiro did several strange things he cannot explain, like taking Satoru to the roof on a rainy day and using a secret route to do so. On the other hand, Satoru and company can easily explain each and every part of their plan. Well, except Satoru trying to wheel himself off the roof. He can simply say that Yashiro pushed him off, and he was lucky that the phone call that got cut told his allies enough to bring that bag there at that time.

The case isn't airtight, but Yashiro isn't winning this unless all of the jury are blind.

EDIT:
I almost forgot that Yashiro was actually dumb enough to admit to Satoru foiling his plans 15 years ago BEFORE he took his celphone, so I wouldn't be surprised if his words got recorded. Even if they didn't, the person on the other line can easily testify to the conversation. So yeah, case closed.

[Buffalobiian]

Yashiro doesn't have to explain why he took Satoru to the roof. He can say that Satoru asked him to do so. He said he had something to discuss. Same deal as Satoru saying Yashiro took him up to the roof because he wanted to kill him.

The only thing Satoru has to say about all of this is "I knew it would all happen and how it would happen", while Yashiro gets to say "I don't know how any of this happened"

What's more fishy, the "15yr old guy who just woke from coma" who is getting killed knew exactly how he was going to be killed and how to save his ass, or the old teacher-turned-politician who is somehow trying to kill his young student?

Please spell out what your circumstantial evidence is exactly. Whatever I'm seeing is weak as hell.

[shinta|hikari]

Circumstantial evidence:

1) The roof is off limits. Yashiro said so himself. Why the hell would a former teacher and public official take an invalid to an off limits area even if he requested it?

2) The rooftop conversation that got covered by the call. Yashiro confirmed that he knew that Satoru regained his memories and even said that Satoru foiled his plans 15 years ago. Yashiro even mentioned that he was taking Satoru's cell and the possibility of Satoru trapping him for crying out loud. Since this "attempted murder" was all planned, it's very likely that Kenya recorded that conversation. Why wouldn't he? So that's not even circumstantial, but physical evidence. I just included it in here in case Kenya didn't record it and has to testify.

Yashiro was this careless because the case 15 years ago is past the statute of limitations, but this new case will admit this into evidence.

3) The IV bag. How the hell can a guy in a wheelchair even plant that? Where did he get the poison? It's one thing if Satoru is dead and can't show up to defend himself in court, but he's gonna be there. If Satoru went through all the trouble of setting this trap, something his allies will testify to, trying to murder Kumi on the side wouldn't make sense. Yashiro doing that to frame him does in the backdrop of Satoru's grand story.

4) Yashiro was on the roof when Satoru fell. Believe it or not, that's circumstantial evidence usually solid enough to convict people. He was there at the scene of the alleged crime. Heck, the people down below even saw him looking down after the deed.

[Ryllharu]

Buff is being Bufftarded again.

Satoru blatantly asks Kenya if they saved Kumi (15:05).

Japan doesn't have jury trials. It's confession based. Judge, prosecutor, and defense (who won't even try). Satoru beat Yashiro to such a degree that he will confess. Yashiro has given up after being outplayed to such a degree.

He'll admit to both the attempted murder of Satoru in the past, planning to push him off the room, and the tampering of Kumi's IV bag.

[MFauli]

I mean, Buff is right here.

However, I´m still more disappointed that they didn´t explain the time jump ability. Again, not explaining it is lazy writing. Without the time travelling, it´d be a simple, traditional murder crime story. So the author wants to make something special and introduces time travel. Which is fine. But then he never explains it. Which is not fine. I guess some people like shinta are more forgiving because it´s a subtle power. Now imagine Satoru´s ability was to shoot a Rasengan, something everybody can witness. Would you still be fine without any explanation?

I think it´s weak.

[shinta|hikari]

Buff, you know there's something wrong when Mfauli agrees with you.

I actually agree with Ryll, but I mentioned the evidence anyway because Buff was focused on that.

[Kraco]

If I was going to use a phone for remote listening/recording under circumstances like that, I'd actually take two phones with me. That would have been perfectly viable for Satoru with his number of allies. It's all well if Yashiro hadn't paid any attention to begin with, but as it was, he totally ceased to pay any attention whatsoever once he got the first (obvious) phone from Satoru. I can't even blame Yashiro because after 15 years of waiting, he probably wasn't in a perfectly calm and cool state either.

But yeah, this is Japan. Once you get accused, it must be 90% sure you'll get declared guilty. Since Yashiro was taken away by the police in that manner, he was finished. He would lose his allies immediately as they wouldn't care to wait for the verdict in that land where face and reputation is everything. Without those allies, his situation is hopeless in the system. After all, he had some profile, so taking credit for his arrest, accusation, and judging will boost other people's careers.

[Buffalobiian]

Satoru blatantly asks Kenya if they saved Kumi (15:05).

I never once thought Kumi died. I'm saying that the IV bag could not have been a case for attempted murder against Yashiro.

(1) Roof off-limits: assuming Yashiro knows. Satoru didn't have his hand is his pocket at that point so you couldn't record that message. You can't assume he'd have his phone on by then either because if that was the case, he wouldn't have to dig his pocket later.

(2) Phone recording: Yashiro said Satoru foiled his plans. Satoru asked him if he was going to murder him. Yashiro says "I know you've got a phone in your pocket". This bit here is circumstantial since you'd assume any ordinary person would just deny it. Not denying an accusation of murder is suspicious.

(3) IV bag: I don't think you can say "wheelchair has access problems, therefore the prints are fake". You say killing Kumi doesn't make sense, but what also doesn't make sense is how Satoru predicted past murders and also thinks this one will happen on the roof with enough time to organise an escape route. Doing it to set someone up makes sense. If you were a person to do all of that, what's killing a girl?

(4) Yashiro present on rooftop: I believe I gave a good explanation for that in one of the above posts.

Thing about circumstantial evidence is that it can happen due to various causes.

I believe that the evidence is weak to say points (2)+(4) +/- (3) is good enough to convict Yashiro, when alternative explanations are pretty valid.

If we're to say that once police convict someone in Japan they're pretty much done for (etc etc) then I'll concede. I'm used to a "innocent until proven guilty" system regardless of whether or not you're arrested.

I'm also assuming Yashiro will actively try his best to get his ass out, which Ryll suspects won't happen.

[shinta|hikari]

Well, judging from how broken he looked when he realized he has been living for Satoru and then Satoru beat him, he's gone for good. It's a victory of spirit over logic.

1) You don't need to record that part. The very fact that Satoru got to the roof is already suspicious. It's a secret path to an off limits area. Bringing anyone there, even if they ask you too, is already damn suspicious, especially for a politician who should be concerned about his image. Lawyer would simply ask, "What did you plan to do on the roof?" Just a note, rooftops are generally off limits.

2) Is hella suspicious. How can he even explain it?

3) Killing the girl has no motive. Motive is critical in murder cases. They do say that there is no perfect crime because there is always a motive. You keep forgetting that Yashiro has motive because he did not deny Satoru foiling his plans 15 years ago. What plans? Satoru has an answer that makes complete sense (because it's true). What will Yashiro say? You foiled my plans of failing you in class and I waited 15 years to acknowledge that?

4) Imagine how much explaining you had to do just to make it seem that Yashiro is not completely guilty. Now imagine trying to prove that with a whole bunch of people testifying against him in court, where lying is perjury.

5) Last minute addition because you mentioned it. Yashiro said that Satoru was using his phone to record or call someone while the phone was running. Then right after that, Satoru sent a suicide note on his cell. How suspicious is that?

None of these by itself is enough to convict Yashiro, but all these combined? It'd be stranger if it's all coincidence.

That's about all I can say on the topic, which is pointless anyway because I always thought that Yashiro has no will left to struggle in court.

EDIT: WTF, I rewatched the recorded/overheard part of the conversation, and this is what Yashiro said in complete form:
"I thought so. (In response to Satoru claiming to have regained his memory) When I intentionally tapped my finger on the way here, you stifled a response, right? 15 years ago, you completely ruined my plans. That was far beyond the level of a child. It was as if you could see the future. How did you know what I was thinking? What did you mean by 'I know your future?'"

"You intend to kill me as soon as I tell you, right?" - Satoru.

"I know what you're doing. You have a celphone in your pocket. Are you recording this? Or are you on a call with someone? Is that Kenya?" --- This is the clincher LOL. This reply screams villainy all over it, and the judge will likely agree.

Then minutes later, a suicide note goes out from Satoru's cell and he falls off a roof. Good luck defending yourself, Yashiro. Buff, if you were his lawyer, what would you tell him to say on the stand?

[Buffalobiian]

What will Yashiro say? You foiled my plans of failing you in class and I waited 15 years to acknowledge that?

I tried thinking of a few things... like foiling my plans to become a politician.. foiling my plans to marry your mother..

I can't think of a really good one.

-----------

I'd go something like this:

"As his homeroom teacher, I thought Satoru had a bit of a hero complex. He admired the superheroes he saw on TV a lot. Sometimes he's a pretend bodyguard. Other times he play detective, looking for things to solve. He actually picked up Kana's domestic abuse one time and we managed to keep her safe. At one point however he began to think I was some sort of criminal. Kenya was involved to some degree.

**enter story about how he foiled Yashiro's plans to date mother here, "I know your future"**

Satoru didn't seem to remember any of this when he came to, but then he asked me to take him to the roof. He directed me there and even pressed the elevator button himself. I grew suspicious, so I tapped my fingers in a peculiar manner. Satoru used to freak out a little when I did that in class.

As suspected, he regained his memories and ideas that I was some sort of criminal. On impulse, I asked about what "I know your future" meant. Those were the lines he used when he foiled my marriage proposal.

But even now, Satoru thinks I'm going to kill him. He was even trying to record our conversation thinking it would help. He hung up after I pointed that out. Having felt lost afterwards, he said the last thing he could do was keep this Kumi girl out of my hands by giving her a peaceful death. He sent some SMS and drove himself off the edge. I tried catching him. I really did. I wanted to kill myself after having dropped him, but it turned out this was all a plan to frame me!"

That was difficult.. I'll concede.

[shinta|hikari]

Actually, that sounds pretty convincing. If the prosecution put Youkai on the stand, the judge will automatically believe Yashiro's motive of marrying her, even if the judge is female or a plant.

The most unbelievable part of this show is how no one, including Yashiro, was shown to make advances on Youkai. Stupid plot hole.