Tokyo Magnitude 8.0: Complete Collection (2009)

Mirai and Yuki are siblings. They are on a day trip together to have a good time in the Greater Tokyo area. While seeing the sights, an earthquake devastates the city. They join with a young woman named Mari, who is trying to get back to her home to see her family. Together the 3 struggle through the crowded and crumbling rubble of Tokyo hoping that their families are still alive.

This anime reminded me a lot of Grave of the Fireflies. The Animation even looks a little like some of the Ghibli films that we all love so much. There are some great voice actors like Luci Christian and Greg Ayres that really bring the characters to life. I was amazed at how realistic this story was. At first I dismissed some of the feelings I had as boredom, but soon realized that they were frustration. The feeling that I was right there with the characters desperately trying to reach my family were what I was actually experiencing.

The series started off very strong, with lots of action, stress, and confusion. Things started to settle down around episode 4 or so. I began to feel like the show started to drag a bit, but like I said earlier I think I was actually feeling what the characters felt. Things picked up again around episode 9. That's when the group reaches their destination and reality starts to set in. It's like everything that happened up to that point wasn't actually real. All the emotions and terrible truths crash down hard, and leaves your whole body in an uproar. Very few anime series have hurt me the way this one did. It's on the same emotional level as Clannad, 5 Centimeters Per Second, and Kanon. Which are all must a must see by the way. While I don't like Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 as good as the other titles I mentioned, it did touch me in a profound way and left me crying at the end. It's a good thing my buddies didn't see me that way. I highly recommend this series to any anime fan. It's very realistic and will make you think about what people may have went through when the Earthquake killed so many in 2011. Definitely give this series a chance.

The Great Tohoku Earthquake of March 2011 in which a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the coast of Japan and caused a tsunami in which 15,882 people were killed, 6,142 were injured, 2,668 people are still missing and over 650,000 people have lost their livelihood.

Prior to this devastating earthquake, there has been a lot of talk about what if a great earthquake hit Tokyo. Because back in 1995, people of Japan were rocked when a 6.8 earthquake hit the city of Kobe. Known as the "Great Hanshin Earthquake", 6,434 people lost their lives but with the Kansai area a distance away from Tokyo, the only major earthquake that was recorded in Tokyo was in September 1923 when a 7.9 earthquake hit Izu Oshima Island in Sagami Bay.

The earthquake devastated Tokyo and killed over 105,000 people.

Having been to Japan and have had discussions with friends about earthquakes, the only discussion prior to 3/11 was "let's hope it never happens in Tokyo!".

But with the Great Tohoku disaster, many around the world witnessed the destruction, the death and how Tokyo was crippled by the disaster, even though the epicenter of the earthquake was many miles away.

But the question still persists...what if an earthquake hit Tokyo?

In 2009, the anime studio BONES and Kinema Citrus released an anime series based on that "What if?" scenario with "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″. An eleven episode series directed by Masaki Tachibana ("Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex", "Eureka Seven", "Noir") and a screenplay by Natsuko Takahashi ("Antique Bakery", "Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black", "Gakuen Heaven", "Yatterman", "Vandread").

The series would feature music by Ko Otani ("Eyeshield 21″, "Ashita no Nadja", "Colorful", "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing", "Shakugan no Shana"), character design by Atsuko Nozaki ("Mass Effect: Paragon Lost", "Eureka Seven", "Ergo Proxy", "Naruto Shippuden") and art backgrounds by Mika Nakajima ("Motto to Love RU", "CANAAN", "Angel Beats!").

The concept of the series is based on a prediction that there is a 70% chance that an earthquake that is 7.0 magnitude will hit Tokyo in the next 30 years. Wanting to achieve realism, the series would show what happens if an 8.0 magnitude earthuake hit Tokyo. Bones collected and tabulated research on previous earthquakes and interviewed individuals who were affected by the earthquakes and also feature the efforts of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan Coast Guard, Tokyo Fire Department and Tokyo Disaster Medical Assistance Team deployed during the aftershocks. Also, to add some realism to the series, FNN newscaster christel Takigawa is featured as a news reporter during the series.

And now "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ will be released in America courtesy of Maiden Japan.

VIDEO:

"Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ is presented in 1080i High Definition. While an anime series released back in 2009, it's important to note that this is a TV series and that you can expect to see some softness. But the series looks incredible in terms of detail, especially capturing the scenery of well-known areas within Tokyo. The structures are full of detail and while character design is not as detailed compared to other series, it works perfectly for "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ as it shows the nature of the children and capturing emotion through their facial expressions. But the series looks great on Blu-ray!

AUDIO:

"Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ is presented in Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. It's primarily a front-channel driven soundtrack but the dialogue and the sound effects of the rumbling of the earthquake is quite clear. Both voice acting is well-done but for a series that is very emotional, I tend to prefer to watch the series in its original Japanese. Satomi Hanamura, Yuko Kaida and Yumiko Kobayashi do a stellar job in this series as voice talent. The addition of real FNN newscaster Christel Takigawa as a newscaster in the anime series is also awesome. But for the most part, depending on which version you watch, both soundtracks are well-acted.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ comes with the following special features:

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 Digest Version For those who want to watch an abridged hour version of "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″. I do recommend watching the entire series!

Clean Opening and Closing Animation

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ is an anime series that dares to ask people of what if there is an earthquake in Tokyo?

In my past visits to Japan, many times I have stood looking from the largest buildings in Tokyo, and just seeing how every structure is built so close together, how traffic is so busy but also asking the question, is Tokyo prepared if an earthquake hits the area?

I surely asked this question quite a bit after the Great Hanshin Earthquake. But the answers that I would hear from friends is they don't think about it and just hope it never happens.

But things changed after 3/11. I covered the Great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster on social media and also followed the coverage from Japan and abroad. And while far from Tokyo, the earthquake was so powerful that Tokyo had damage, people felt it from afar and like everyone around the world, we saw the damage from that earthquake and what came afterward.

A year later, I covered the rebuilding effort and even two years later, I still feel uneasy because many people are still displaced, damage may have been cleaned up but those areas affected are uninhabitable and even the nuclear plant still has issues to this day.

With discussions of having a second Tokyo which may be relocated or whatever ideas that government officials have in Japan, the fact is that the probability of a great earthquake in Tokyo is high. The expected death toll would be high. But there has to be preparation for such devastation.

But two years prior to the Great Tohoku Earthquake of 2011, BONES and Kinema Citrus had created "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″. Watching this anime series, I felt numb.

I have been to Odaiba several of times and I love the area. In Japan, it's still the area to visit for the Tokyo Anime Fair, the Gundam Front, Fuji TV or Joypolis. It's an area near Tokyo Bay that one wants to visit to get away (without leaving Tokyo) from the concrete jungle and be near the water.

But in the anime series, the earthquake happens right on the bay. While images of 3/11 and the tsunami still on our mind, it's important to remember that the wall that was built in Sendai to prevent a tsunami disaster, did not work. The earthquake was much too powerful that the flooding was unimaginable.

While I'm not sure if the same result would happen to Odaiba, for this series, the tsunami was less of the factor but more of the earthquake and its continued aftershocks.

The efficacy of this anime series lies upon its two characters, a seventh grader named Mirai and her younger brother, third grader Yuki. These two children are like any other children you would meet in Japan. But without their parents, they receive help from a woman who is a mother, and together, they are stranded in Odaiba.

We see the chaos that ensues as people want to escape from Odaiba to get back into the city and the only way out is through the water bus. But the continued aftershocks that were still big, were continuing the damage on the structures.

We know from the Great Tohoku earthquake that this is true, aftershocks continued continuously, nearly non-stop after the first major earthquake. We learned that damage blocked any way from people getting in and out and the trains were out of commission for over a week.

But Mari, Mirai and Yuki make it back to land and are brought to Shiba Park. For those who have been to Japan, it's the closest park to Tokyo Tower.

In the anime series, we see emergency services that are stationed for emergency supplies. But we see how the aftershocks are still causing damage and we see the fall of Tokyo Tower. The falling of Tokyo Tower is important because it establishes that nothing around Tokyo is safe, major landmarks, buildings, danger is all around you, especially since everything is close in quarters to each other.

But one thing you will notice is showing the Japanese spirit of how emergency services are deployed but even with a major earthquake, there is only so much that can be done and thus, chaos will be everywhere around the city. From people waiting to get into a port-a-potty to having no place to sleep but on the ground.

While I'm not going to explain any more details regarding the three primary characters and what happens as they try to get back home to their loved ones, it's important to note that like the Great Tohoku Earthquake and the many stories that aired on the news, for many family's that were near the epicenter, many stories of these individuals are not always happy.

Many loved ones are lost, many injuries, many homes destroyed, work destroyed and people are displaced to another location. Two years after 3/11 and the stories are still the same. People who can't go back home. Families separated or family leaving other family behind to pursue opportunities far from where the earthquake hit. And this is just a few of the problems as food contamination by nuclear waste, abundance of waste still needs to be addressed and the rebuilding efforts continue.

What "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ show us is that there is hope after tragedy but also not being 100% but still showing how Tokyo can easily be destroyed by an earthquake, tsunami or fires, because everything is in close proximity.

I know that people, especially people I know in Tokyo, don't want to imagine such disaster to happen in their lifetime but sometimes to prepare, one needs to be awakened by that possibility of "What if?". "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ did that in 2009, the Great Tohoku earthquake confirmed and also let everyone see firsthand the widespread damage but how devastating and earthquake can be for Japan and also Tokyo.

As for the Blu-ray release of "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″, picture quality is very good, the detailed background art for the noticeable locations were well-done but the voice acting is absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking. The animation and just the pain that you feel from the writing can be felt and if thought "Grave of the Fireflies" or even "CLANNAD" made you cry, "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ will also make you tear uncontrollably. As one can expect from a disaster storyline, it's inevitable.

You also get a digest version for those who don't want to watch all eleven episodes but seriously, I can't imagine this series being reduced to an hour long, it's a series that must be experienced and that is by watching all eleven episodes.

Overall, "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ was created before the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami disaster of 3/11. "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ was a bold anime series that posed the question of "what if" a significant earthquake hit Tokyo and people saw a glimpse of what could happen in 2011. "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0″ is an anime series that is heartbreaking but also a series showing hope. Highly recommended!

Buy Tokyo Magnitude 8.0: Complete Collection (2009) Now

I haven't seen either the DVD or the Blu Ray, so you'll have to check other reviews for technical details of either.

If you've read the description, you know the basic premise: two children are far from their home when a devastating earthquake hits, leaving them stranded with no transportation and no communication with their parents. They meet and are looked after by a working single mom who just happens to be in the same place. The plot revolves around these three; unhappy Mirai, her cheerful little brother Yuuki, and caring single mom Mari.

Watching the first five or so episodes, it seemed like each one presented a problem, and then resolved it. Things were getting a bit predictable. I found myself waiting for some sort of softening or a breakthrough with Mirai's relationship with her brother, Mari, and their circumstances, but Mirai was still just as unhappy as she was at the start of the movie (think Chihiro from 'Spirited Away', having a really bad day!)

Then in the fifth or sixth episode, things started getting a little strange. Dream sequences start showing up, leaving you to wonder whether they were dreams or reality. The predictability starts to vanish. What had started out looking like just another 'B' anime started to get interesting. You see the affect that this tragedy has on people. How they cope some with strength, others with disbelief and denial. Mirai starts coming out of her unhappy, uncaring shell.

The ending will probably have you in tears, something I had read, but didn't think would happen when I was watching the first half of the series. After the fourth episode, I thought the series was over-rated. By the end, I was thinking that it earned it's rating. Like many other movies with unforeseen endings, you probably won't watch it over and over again, but every now and then, you'll want to revisit it, and relive the experiences of these three characters.

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