Tôkyô magunichûdo 8.0

A large earthquake hits Tokyo,two siblings are trying to their way back home, along their way they meet a kind lady who happens to live close to their home, during these hard times everyone helps each other to stay strong and keep going forward in life because their loved ones are always watching over them and that's what their loved ones would've wanted.

Full disclosure: I was studying abroad in Tokyo when the 9.0 Tohoku earthquake struck Japan. As someone with a minimal grasp of the Japanese language, attending a school run by disorganized idiots (Americans, in case you were wondering), it was a... let's say it was a "challenging" time. Nothing like fleeing thermonuclear meltdown to build character in a person, eh?

So when I saw this pop up on one of the streaming services, I thought at first it was going to be gross disaster porn capitalizing off the tragedy of 2011. I was disgusted, but as we were in pandemic lockdown and I'd watched everything else there was to watch, I put on the first episode to hate-watch.

I was shocked to discover that this wasn't disaster porn at all, but one of the most gripping character dramas I'd seen since Grave of the Fireflies. The focus of this story is squarely on the children and the happenstance stranger who takes it upon herself to see them to safety. This is a story about the relationship between a girl unhappy with her home life and her younger brother; the disaster that gives this series its title only serves as a setting and catalyst for their story. I binged the entire series over the rest of the day.

What shocked me the most, however, is that this series I thought was exploitative of the 2011 earthquake... actually came out TWO YEARS BEFORE that tragedy! I could hardly believe it, as there were so many little details in this anime that tracked with real life... so much so that, if I'm being honest, I was having little PTSD flashbacks watching it: the way thousands of people were stranded when a city that relies on public transportation had all its trains shut down, how cel service was overwhelmed, or how the convenience stores that were usually so well stocked were suddenly bare. It didn't help that the altruistic adult who comes to the childrens' aid drives (what appears to be) the same model of bike I was driving the day of the Tohoku quake.

(One tiny nitpick with the almost psychic accuracy of this anime? In real life the people of Japan were nowhere NEAR as selfish or rude as some of he characters in this show. The Japanese people came together to help one another in a way I would never have thought possible when real disaster struck).

I really can't recommend this series enough. I would absolutely put it in the top three to show to people who think anime is all silly cartoons. A definite must see!

"Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" is quite a depressing anime.

This is the story of two siblings who are surprised by a very strong earthquake during a trip that turns Tokyo into rubble and ashes.

Luckily, the two meet a woman who continues to take care of them.

Of course, the siblings want to go back to their parents and the woman to her little daughter, all three of them not knowing whether their loved ones are still alive.

The story is told appropriately to the situation, which progresses relatively slowly and sluggishly.

The animations aren't outstanding and neither is the character design, because more value was placed on visualizing the destroyed Tokyo.

Here a sad story is told, but which is occasionally interrupted by glimmers of hope.

The anime is really good and suitable for everyone who is looking for something emotional.

I love depressing anime, and this one delivers. It's not quite the sustained sadness of Clannad, but the emotional gut punch of Grave of the Fireflies. The second to last and final episodes will wreck you emotionally.

"Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" tells the story of two young kids, a brother and sister, surviving a post-apocalyptic world after the events of a catastrophic earthquake as they make a long journey home to be re-united with their family. Though it isn't the most creative and compelling story, it really is more about the 'journey' that these characters take and the people they meet along the way that makes the anime worth the watch.

Even with just 11 episodes in 1 exclusive season, some episodes simply come across filler material as certain elements become repetitive very fast due to the show's slightly slow pace. However, this is all forgiven when we reach the show's bittersweet climax and, without delving into spoiler territory, discover the surprises that the anime has in store, making you appreciate the time taken to reach the ending and, as previously mentioned, the journey taken to get there.

Aided by the admirable story are the beautiful visuals, the art style being very reminiscent of Studio Ghibli productions. It is also worth mentioning the delicate score too, which is often serene and led by an elegant piano in the show's calmer moments, complimenting the animation and contributing to the show's overall bittersweet ambiance.

An English dub of the series does exist and though the entire voice cast is not superbly talented, the performances are definitely sufficient and convey the characters appropriately, especially Luci Christian whose performance of teenager Mirai Onozawa stands out amongst the rest and comes across impeccably from episode to episode.

Whether you're new to anime or not, "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" is definitely worth the watch and with just 1 short season, it gets to the point with a definitive ending. It's worth noting that there's a "condensed" version of the series which runs under just less than an hour but I would strongly recommend just watching through all 11 episodes and following the characters' journey in these tragic events from the very beginning to the very end.

"Tokyo Magnitude" appropriately gets an "8.0" for its simple yet effective storytelling and memorable characters.