Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

========
Constructive Criticism would be appreciated through either PM or Comments
========

She's Breaking Bit by Bit

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is something special. A human story told through naked eyes, this show did something that a lot of anime hasn't done for me lately, spark an emotional connection. It gently nudged me through the tale of a young girl named Mirai, her little brother Yuuki and a motorcycling delivery woman name Mari, as the world around them shattered into pieces.

Tokyo is crumbling; foundations are upheaved, buildings are leveled, and bridges are twisted till the tensions snap, as a magnitude 8.0 earthquake roars. Fires break out like crimson rashes, ... burning away homes all over the Kanto region. From the wake of the chaos, people stumble and endure, somehow crawling back home.

Mirai and Yuuki are tremendously endearing. Mirai is terribly pessimistic, always believing that fate has a bone to pick with her. She snaps at her brother for being her antithesis, a hopeless optimist at heart who believes that everything has to turn out alright. The older lead, Mari, serves as a nice foil to the pair, level headed and calm; she serves as a guide and guardian to the children. It's easy to appreciate how each character grew over the course of the tale; Mirai gaining a drop of her sibling's positivity, Yuuki gaining a touch of his sister's pragmatism and Mari learning she's not so invulnerable, as they hobble over the fractured roadways and splintering scenery.

The plot focuses on the trio as they trudge their way back to their families. The urgency is palpable as snapshots of destruction litter each episode from radio snippets to television clips. The three are twisted by stress and struggle to best figure out a way to deal with death and disaster. Even Mari, grounded and collected, stumbles from this tightrope. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is fueled by emotion and the most fundamental instinct any human has: to survive. It starts off slow, but it builds like a powerful crescendo into an unforgettable ending.

Production

The art and animation are inconsistent. I love how most of the character models were plain, unadorned figurines on the broken canvas of Tokyo. It lets the viewer focus on the detailed scenery; the cracks veining through the pavement, uprooted trees, shattered windows, twisted steel, and burning buildings. The artists captured the ruination and didn't seem to want ornate models taking away from it. On a more technical aspect, the CGI that is sprinkled throughout is done well, opting for a distinct cell-shaded look. It was irksome to find the animation to be uneven and, at some points, even choppy. It's a shame, considering how much effort and thought was put into the art direction.

The music is nothing amazing, but it works with the show. The score moves with the ebb and flow of the small group's journey, cascading gently with the moments of calm before beginning to tumble with scenes of tragedy. I didn't quite enjoy the OP by the Abingdon School Boy, the upbeat tempo being too much of a contrast to the carefully paced tale. The voice acting is commendable for weaving the powerful tale. Mirai's faltering voice, echoing loneliness, pulled at my heartstrings, while Yuuki's voice brought a smile to my face.

Watchability and Enjoyment

The story slowly burns itself, never exactly rushing within the small frame of eleven episodes. I took Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 in tiny doses, an episode here and there. Nothing really pushed me to watch the next episode until I reached the last quarter. Things really pick up in the last three episodes, as the journey winds to an end, for a strong conclusion. It was only then that I felt satisfied with my investment in the series and appreciated the first eight episodes.

Closing Thoughts

It's the realism that shook me. Every episode began with a disclaimer stating that the series was based on seas of research and simulations. Sure, the science is well and good; but it was really about the 'human' realism, overcoming the hopelessness. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a great anime, worth a watch by anyone who appreciates a good story.

This anime is really bad.

I watched this anime and suffered through it's entire 11 episodes.

First of all I think some explaining is needed. I live in Chile, and I experienced three earthquakes of over 8.0 in the last 5 years. I have a niece 12 years old now, and in 2010 she was frozen solid with the 8.8 earthquake, she didn't move unless told to do so. This anime LIES about how people react to earthquakes.

Story: 3

This show follows a couple of brothers and their amazing adventure in an all-too-shaky japan. How they UNREALISTICALLY live through all the aftershocks and find out that friendship ... and family bonds are stronger than 10.7 megatons of energy.

Little tsundere-chan happens to have tremor immunity, because after standing in a dancing bridge, she walked head first inside a crumbling building.

The land shook too much for a 8.0 earthquake, and Japan being Japan, it's highly unlikely for their buildings to be that poorly built.

That is NOT how people react to these events. Children like tsundere-chan end up traumatized and the odds of rebellious shit are null.

HEY THE EARTH JUST SHOOK HARD ENOUGH TO DESTROY BUILDINGS AND BRIDGES, LETS JUMP INTO THE WATER. really japan?

I also loved how people were free to walk wherever they wanted, almost as if there were no institution to keep public order.

Art: 6

Bones did a "meh" job, though the CGI sometimes made background people look like zombies.

Sound: 3

Aww come one! That is no way near to how an earthquake sounds... SFX's were unnatural and didn't fit whatever was going on. Aside from music, sound sucked.

Character: 4

From the hyper annoying little brats to the extremely irresponsible lady, characters gave off a feeling of "I don't give a fuck about earthquakes". No, really. I insist, children become a bundle of stress and panic. If aftershocks are too strong, they may develop tremofobia, which happens a lot with kids. But tsundere-chan was fine enough to bitch at her little brother, that, ladies and gentlemen, is not stress nor panic nor fear nor related to earthquakes, that is being whiny.

K KIDS IMMA GO LEAVE U GUYS ALONE AND BRB!!... really lady?

Enjoyment/Overall: 3

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a breath of fresh air amidst all the crazy ridiculous shows filled with giant mecha, deadly monsters, hot chicks, and moe guitar plucking girls. It takes a seemingly normal life of a bratty teenager and literally shakes up her world as she confronts the very face of humanity.

Story [9]: Mirai is one of those bratty teenagers who is entering that stage of life where they just simply hate everything and anything. Being dragged to a robot exhibition by her younger brother Yuuki, in Odaiba, a catastrophic earthquake hits Tokyo and the city falls into chaos. The story follows Mirai's journey home ... as she is accompanied by her brother and their guardian, Mari. It slowly paces itself through 11 episodes as Mirai and co. meet new people, and face the reality of such a life altering event. The pacing does seem slow at times, and there were certain events that could've been handled better, but it comes to a strong end as she reaches her destination.

Art [7]: The animation is definitely not the strong point of this show. The character models were mediocre at best, and there were parts where it was just simply full of QUALITY. The backgrounds however, were designed quite well plus a mixture of CGI models interacting in the background gives it life. The OP and ED were done well consisting of montages of a ruined Tokyo. For a show that's not focused around sexy looking chicks or big bad explosions, the artwork by BONES is acceptable.

Sound [8]: There wasn't a lot of memorable music in the show but it does the job. The BGM is calm and serene as it is sharp and chaotic, and fits most of the scenes well. It's not like you really need some jarring suspenseful action music when you see buildings falling into pieces and such.

The voices fit the characters well. Mirai sounds like how a teenager should sound. Yuuki and Mari's voice job was done well too. They should like their own age, unlike some other characters in other shows where 16 year old girls would have deep silent voices, etc.

The OP, done by abingdon boys school, doesn't exactly get you pumped up and excited, but rather brings a sense of melancholic urgency. The ED fits in where it should be. An ending theme of everyday life as Mirai and co. look forward towards their destination.

Character [9]: There wasn't a huge cast nor was it centered on many characters. The show reveals how humanity can react in such a crisis. There will always be the rash unreasonable people but there will always be the shining lights of hope who will assist you when you need it most.

Mirai got the brunt of all the development that was there in the show. She started off as a bratty teenager who rejects everything around her, like a prepubescent teenager should be, and slowly changes through the show as she faces the harsh reality that she's in. Yuuki is pretty much the catalyst in all of her development as he's the basic opposite of Mirai's initial personality. Yuuki was your typical happy kid. As the show progresses, we see a more mature face to his chippy exterior as he traverses through the desolate Tokyo city. Mari was their faithful guardian as she led them through the ruined city, in search of her own family. Mari started out as the cool, responsible, and protective character but as she finds out the whereabouts of her family, it is revealed that she is human just like everyone else.

Enjoyment/Overall [9/8]: Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is not filled with giant beam shooting mecha. It doesn't have scantily clad magical girls. It has no moe school girl clubs nor giant tentacled monsters. It is a slice of a possible life that faces Tokyo in the modern day. The show may have its setbacks, but it is a show that reveals what realities we take for granted. It takes the everyday lives of regular people and turns their world upside down in the aftermath of an event that can happen to us all.

Among the debris of high school comedies and unoriginal harem anime that we find dumped at our feet every season, there is normally one or two series which look salvageable. Perhaps they have a premise that sounds interesting or an unusual art style. It may even just look like something that won't be filled with tsunderes and panty shots. For those who find themselves feeling dissatisfied with the majority of anime on offer every season, these titles provide a sense of hope. They are like a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

But there is a downside to these shows that seem ... to promise so much, and that is that sometimes they fail to deliver. What sounded like an interesting premise has become nothing more than a change in setting; the eccentricities of that peculiar art style have been overlapped by substandard animation. We have escaped the torrent of lingerie, but still have to contend with that annoying tsundere character.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 suffers from all of these faults to varying degrees, and it is an almighty shame, because it absolutely was not inevitable. While the emotional tale of two children caught in the middle of a natural disaster of an unprecedented scale will be enough to take in some, those who are not easily swayed by sentimentality will find themselves searching for the substance here, and be left feeling incredibly disappointed when it fails to materialise.

The problem of Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is twofold: the first is the nature of earthquakes and disaster relief; the second are the leading characters, the pre-teen girl Mirai and her younger brother Yuki. These two forces alone are largely responsible for the complete collapse of the show.

The idea of a series which has a realistic take on an earthquake is one that would seem enticing to most; so often are stories of natural disasters exaggerated for dramatic effect that the idea of portraying them as they are in reality is quite refreshing. However, the reality of earthquakes is that they involve somewhere between ten seconds and two minutes of sheer panic and terror, after which they subside completely, barring the occasional aftershock or delayed building collapse. After the initial danger has passed and you've made your way to safety, it just becomes a matter of waiting to be rescued.

Spending several episodes on ‘waiting to be rescued’ would of course be incredibly boring, and the creators recognised this. For this reason the children set out on the highly perilous and ludicrously impractical task of making their way back to their home, inconveniently located on the other side of one of the world's largest cities, which has just been struck by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. However as unlikely as this story seems, this is not the least of TM 8.0's worries: because even though it gives the cast a goal to work towards it still doesn't provide them with anything interesting to do on the way.

There are times where we break away from the dullness of the main story, but sadly these are no more satisfying than the main plot. There is the occasional brush with danger, where an unfortunately timed aftershock will strike as the cast are stood underneath a swaying lamp post, are walking around carelessly inside a structurally unsound building, or just happen to be walking underneath a suspended grand piano... oh, what a rotten bit of luck.

Alternatively the distraction will be minor sub plot. This will invariably take the form of a side story involving people the main characters encounter, and is always aimed at making the viewer realise that no matter how big you think your problems are, there is always someone worse off than you are. Some might say that a story about two young children separated from their parents by an earthquake would have already achieved that goal, but for some reason the writers decided that the point really needed to be hammered home; probably because otherwise people might notice just how uneventful this show really is.

The experience of watching Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 feels somewhat similar to a being a passenger on a long car journey, a resemblance made all the more uncanny by the two annoying little children that accompany you throughout its run: the annoyingly self-centred preteen brat called Mirai, and her eternally optimistic young brother Yuki. Let us be grateful that this is one journey we can stop whenever we feel like it, without having to apologise to Grandma.

While the series does not have a 'narrator' as such, Mirai takes the role of the main protagonist, and acts as our eyes and ears as we make our way through what was formerly known as Shibuya. Immediately this presents us with a problem, because unless you're a twelve year old yourself or are amazingly conscious of how you behaved at that age, then you are going to find it incredibly hard to identify with Mirai; and harder still to sympathise with her.

What's so remarkable about her character is that she manages to remain her vain and selfish old self throughout the show. Almost unmoved by the catastrophic event she is stuck squarely in the middle of, not to mention the suffering all around her, she struggles to find the time to worry about anyone else for any longer than two or three consecutive scenes. It is hard to ignore the conscious effort being made to portray her character as human underneath all that self-absorption. That it seems so improbable only amplifies the problem; it's not hard to picture a twelve-year-old acting conceited, but to behave that way during the aftermath of a major earthquake?
Surely there is a point when instinct takes over, when the shallow front crumbles to reveal the scared little girl who is just old enough to recognise how powerless she really is amidst the chaos all around her? It's all just too much.

While Mirai's character is annoying, she does have one redeeming quality and that is that she is not annoying as her younger brother's character. A little boy so filled with naivety and youthful optimism that it reaches out and pokes its finger down your throat. His very presence irritates his sister and she makes no attempts to hide her contempt, but Yuki doesn't bat an eyelid. He continues to talk, laugh and smile through it all, never once letting her nastiness form so much as a crack in his perpetual smile.

While his character is much more believable than Mirai's is, because while it seems unlikely a preteen who is entirely aware of her situation would be able to distract herself enough to be self-conscious, the idea of a post-toddler not appreciating the gravity of the situation seems plausible enough. The problem is that while it is believable, it's still incredibly irritating. It all makes sense, but it's not in the least bit intriguing.

Our two little darlings may be the leading roles but it is the guardian angel figure looking after them who is the true star of the show. While she is perhaps a little too idealistic to be believable, watching her is at least bearable. Her name is Mari and like all strong women she is a single mom who runs her own business. Needless to say these qualities make her not only dependable and quick-thinking, but also give her that caring instinct necessary to make someone go out of their way to help two lost young children. Of course, as the series progresses we become more and more aware of the imminent danger faced not only by Mari's young child, but also by her elderly mother. And of course, this does nothing to weaken her resolve to help our heroes or indeed to attempt to save her own family. It's a lovely thought, but sadly not one that seems terribly realistic.

It's not all a shambles though, because the artwork for Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is of a reasonable standard. As a product of the Bones animation studio, it shares similar qualities to their other work- although the animation takes a noticeable plunge when compared to their cinematic works, which though hardly unsurprising or unique to this studio, since these are their most prominent titles it seems to become more noticeable. The backgrounds are fairly well detailed, although it should be noted that the promotional artwork is misleading in this respect. The animation is solid but alas, it does not attempt anything interesting either.

The soundtrack however fits the show like a glove; the opening and ending theme is precisely the sort of music we would expect a pre-teen like Mirai to listen to, in other words Japan's answer to Linkin Park. The angsty sounding pseudo-metal, aside from being incredibly irritating, utterly fails to capture the seriousness of something as catastrophic as an earthquake. And if anything, this only emphasises the main story's failure to do so.

As for voice acting, well I can tell you that the two main characters from the show are children. I believe no further explanation is necessary.

Reflecting on the points that have been brought up over the course of this review, as well as its overall tone, it should not come as much of a surprise that I did not think much of Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and have gone to great lengths to justify that position. However while that may explain my overall perspective on the show it perhaps does not adequately explain why I dislike it so passionately. This was alluded to at the beginning of the review, but I would like to elaborate on it further before I conclude.

Irrespective of the quality of the finished product, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 remains an example of something interesting; it shows a new direction for anime to take in the future. As it turns out, on this occasion it was a failure, and ultimately it failed to provide anything 'new' at all. This is the fault of the writers, who failed to make the best possible use of the great opportunity before them. Nonetheless, it has proved to be a success and TM 8.0 has managed to win awards and many fans.

Do I think that it is worthy of such praise? No I don't, but I am very happy that it did, because it opens up more opportunities further down the line. If more animation studios recognise they can dare to be different, then they will. And from there it is simply a matter of finding the creativity or the talent to make something truly worthwhile.

At the same time, the fact that TM 8.0 was not something great is the source of frustration, because while further opportunities may exist further down the road, at least one opportunity to make something fresh and exciting has presented itself, only to be squandered to provide some Land Before Time rip-off for twenty first century Japan.

And just like real earthquakes, we can never quite work out when the next one is going to strike.

Score: 7.5 and here's why.


Imagine metropolis Tokyo. Full of large display screens, high-rise buildings, lights. People walk at a fast pace, cars honk through traffic, and trains drop off passengers. Now add in two vaguely drawn main characters and allow the seismism to begin. No, actually it's nothing like that. This isn't a Michael Bays' movie with stuff falling all over the place, you know?

Let's get down to business.

Story: 9

Without spoiling the main points, let's get to the point. Follow siblings, Mirai and Yuki Onosawa, into the world of Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. One is in her rebellious teenage stage, the other is a talkative, curious ... boy. As the story unfolds from a pre-earthquake state, the two embark on a journey to Odaiba, an artificial island located in Tokyo Bay, Japan (There goes away that mainland Tokyo scenery I just told you about). Little did the two know that what will behold them is a whopping ("Forced", I might add; Just watch for yourself) 8.0 on the Richter scale. The story unravels from there, depicting the hardships, the unpredictable, and a bond that seemingly grows stronger (Without being tedious in discord) as the series winds down. Portraying what would happen if an 8.0 actually hit Tokyo, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 actually does the trick in showing the realism of family, trust, and humanity.

Art: 6

Good grief. What year are we in? The character designs, done by BONES and Kinema Citrus, could've been way better. It looked as though a first year elementary/grade school student did the work on the characters. In
that sense, the characters seemed "flat." The buildings and whatnot aren't too bad. But I'd tell you this. The animation quality could've used some more work on cell overlays and whatnot. However straightforward, the anime is still very effective in executing its job. Designs alone aren't judgmental in Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.

Sound: 10

With the widening chaos (Pictures) in the opening theme and a seemingly happy ending theme, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 did an excellent job in showing surrealism through the themes. The songs are pretty good, and go well
with the anime.

Opening Theme: "キミノウタ (Kimi no Uta)" by abingdon boys school
Ending Theme: "M/elody" by Shion Tsuji

The insert sounds, such as windows cracking and buildings falling, aren't too bad either. Put that in HD Audio and you got yourself something serious.

Character: 10

As stated in the Story review, the main characters undergo through carnage, building upon their indestructible (I don't know if that is the right word) bond along with bike rider, Mari. They undertake tough choices, cower from seemingly powerful aftershocks and other dangers, and most importantly, set an emotional standpoint where the viewer can see and sympathsize with. That, I believe, is the important element in Tokyo Magnitude 8.0's characters.

Enjoyment/Overall: 7.5

Albeit the "forced" situations and poorly drawn characters, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is still a must-see. In fact, it is a one of a kind anime - truly unique in that sense that it deals with realism. *This* realism that deals with the situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly.

Side note: You will love life.

In Loving memory of those who died in the 11th March 2011 Tsunami tragedy.
(Note to people, I'm not making a joke out of this review as I do with my other reviews)

So yeah, it's the latest news everyone is currently talking about. However since I'm not in Japan but I do want to have a feeling of empathy towards them so I decided to continue watching this series after dropping it. And I agree this is the best time to watch it (for those who have not) to get a feel of the situation

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is something unconventional. So you've seen before an anime ... service about zombie outbreaks but how about something nearer to the fine line of reality? Sure, the story takes place in Tokyo whereas the current circumstances takes place in the north-eastern area of Japan, and based on this story, it was an 8.0 magnitude, whereas in reality this one is WAY bigger, a scale of 8.9. A natural disaster is always best told through the perspective of the 1st person rather than reported by the news network, which is what this anime is all about.

Of course who would want to see their beloved land of the creation of animes and manga to be destroyed (though a lot of trolls and haters would joke about it) this is no laughing matter.


The story centers on three individuals as they try to live their best in their state of despair. Kusakabe Mari, Onozawa Mirai, and Onozawa Yuuki, three distinctive characters but with the same goal of returning to their families after enduring the tragedy. What holds before them is nowhere near anyone's guesses. What the anime have given us is a sense of realism. There's no macho superhero here to save them all. All you get is an everyday people, with their everyday life, trying to cope with what is in stored for them. I wont spoil further into the story as this is something you must experience for yourself. The first few episodes may be slow but it picks up fast during the climax of the story.

I have heard criticisms and experience first hand the artwork of this anime. Although I much impress by the production of the CGI, there were other parts that needs serious amendments. The scene where countless of buildings are destroyed in an instant (not to mention the destruction daily routine of an average person) would send chills in your spines.
Music is mediocre but blends in well with the scenario. The voice actors for each character brings out their true nature in the series. Their passionate voices during emotional scenes would send heart throbs throughout me during the course of the entire series.

Though I would prefer a shorter or movie version of this anime, eleven episodes may tend to drag the story longer than it is needed. As I've said before, the story only started to get interesting nearing the ending. (But that doesn't mean you should just go skip it till the ending) Still it was enjoyable to watch nevertheless. No matter who's power you believe was responsible for this destruction, (God, mother nature, or even humans themselves) it gives us time to ponder, are we doing anything beneficial with our lives right now? Why are we wasting time reading manga and watching anime when disaster could strike anytime? Now you have a reason! To support back the rebuilding of Japan. Thus, don't only stop at watching free anime on streaming tubes, go buy yourself an original copy of the DVD!

Note: If you found this review helpful (or not), leave me a PM or comment, and give me some constructive criticism!

Post-note: All scores are compared to titles I have watched personally and represent the verbal "score" of that number, with a 7 meaning “Good". It is unrelated to the 1-10 grading that a lot of people seem to solely apply, without thinking of what it means.

And now, without further ado, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 !

From reading the synopsis, we come to understand that there is a 70% chance of a magnitude 7 or above earthquake occurring in Japan (and a 90% chance of one of 8.0 ... or greater in the next 50 years for anyone interested). This is the major theme, if not the only one, due to which Tokyo Magnitude was created. We should keep this in mind when analyzing the strong and weak points of the plot. The fact that this particular anime was created with such a theme playing in the back of the minds has its effects on other parts of the plot, namely that one factor strongly determines how and what the plotline will look like.

BONES chose to follow the life of a brother and sister, helped by a new (somewhat older..) friend, as they travelled across Tokyo following such an earthquake, as they try to find their way back home to their loved ones. We encounter both tragedy and hope, both misfortune and luck. The theme of the earthquake is however, ever-present; not only in the artwork (it's hard to ignore the major upheavals caused by it on the skyline and buildings of Tokyo..), but also in terms of the personal stories told by both the main characters and the supporting cast.

This is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it brings a breath of fresh air into an industry heavily influenced by highly unrealistic storylines which seem to break the laws of physics (and logic too, at times..) at every turn and twist. Tokyo Magnitude shies away from this, and tries to accurately represent how life in Tokyo would be like right after it was hit by a massive earthquake. This should be applauded, for obvious reasons; however it also causes one major problem with Tokyo Magnitude as a whole. Firstly, there's the fact that there really isn't much room for originality (story-wise), seeing as everything is already pre-determined. For the first half of Tokyo Magnitude, this makes the anime look more educative than enjoyable, while for the second half, when the creators try to move away from the earthquake "theme", new problems arise.

The major problem with moving away from a theme so ever-present is that it moves away from exactly that which BONES has endorsed, a "realistic portrayal" of life in Tokyo after a devastating earthquake. The last few episodes of Tokyo Magnitude, although very emotional, do not go along with the flow which has been set from the start. I see it as nothing more than the creators trying to fit in existing elements of anime, something which shouldn't happen. It has its merits and doubts, but I'd prefer if BONES had stayed true to their formula all along.

One thing I did find very enjoyable in this particular anime was how they represented society, the main characters, and how they dealt with such a disaster. We all know Japan to be a somewhat artificial and materialistic society, which sometimes cares too overtly about appearances and such. This is exactly how society is represented in the start of the anime, and also to a certain extent our main protagonist, Mirai. With the advent of the earthquake, these characters wake up to a nightmare. Their carefully created facades no longer hold any value. Although at first self-survival seems to be the norm, as the plot progresses, characters tend to open up and shed their facade. Nothing can so well illustrate this as the transformation that occurs in Mirai. Originally a spoilt girl, who cares more for texting than for her family, and who ridicules her brother's interest in robots, she opens up and sees that there's more to life than complaining and societal judgment. We can see this as a general criticism of Japanese society, although personally I tend to think that the difference between anime and reality in this particular case is somewhat overblown.

The artwork is generally simplistic. I won't criticize it extensively because it does after all grow on you, other than the fact that with current technology, especially that which is available to BONES, more effort should have been put into this department. Character faces are generally more realistic than many other anime, but they're not the epitome of realism either. Character designers should have made a more clear-cut decision on this particular aspect. Background artwork is very good though, well drawn and realistic. One could clearly picture oneself in a particular part of Tokyo just by looking at it, if you're familiar with the city that is.

The music score is nothing spectacular. The opening score by Abingdon Boys School (if the name doesn't hint it, I'll tell you that they're quite influenced by Radiohead) is enjoyable, yet not very original. The insert songs, although nice the first time, get somewhat overplayed, even for a 11 episode short anime such as Tokyo Magnitude. In short, nothing spectacular, but not bad either.

Coming back to my earlier argument of educative vs. enjoyment, I’d have to say that you're somewhat more hard-pressed to find examples for the latter than for the former. This has its merits, but trying to counter-balance it with forced in emotional dialogue and events, which does happen, is not the way of doing this.

In conclusion I'd like to say that this particular anime brings up somewhat mixed feelings in me. Although I’ll readily highly praise the decision to give realism a go, I’m just as likely to criticize this show when it moves away from it. It was moderately enjoyable. I did not like watching the series, nor did dislike it either. I am however quite ready to admit that this show is far from average when comparing to the rest of the anime industry, which is why a rating of 7 (" Good") should suffice quite nicely.

Who should watch this?

Recommended: For those of you less interested in unimaginative drab and looking for something original, at the cost of enjoyment.

Not recommended: To those that like action, romance, fan service and whatnot, and watch anime for this reason, you will not find any of that here.

So first of all, hello everyone! This is my very first review on an anime even more so on myanimelist.net so... yeah. yoroshiku~ XD lol. Okay let's start shall we?

Story- 9 (Great)
The story is great because it was something that I could relate to (even though this anime is not the type that I would watch) and I'm sure most of the people who watched this does too. It also pinpoints really good morals. It makes you feel guilty in a way and it makes you want to renew yourself you know. As you can see, my score is a 9 because although it ... was really organized well and well thought of (the research that they gathered and the fact that this story is inspired by The Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923), the "this would happen next feeling" really comes true and I really hate it when that happens. But overall, I think the story was clever and well-made of. Didn't really seem that rushed in my own perspective. It will really touch your hearts watching this anime. :) (AND YES, THIS IS AN ANIME WORTH WATCHING) Honestly, I hate the genre but one friend really told me to watch it and I ended up watching the whole thing and it was just great. :D

Art- 10 (Outstanding)
Ok. Although the anime was not my type of art, to be honest, they did a really good job on making this as I watched throughout the whole anime. How they drew the different places that were mentioned in the anime was just superb. :D

Sound- 10 (Outstanding)
I am not lying! The opening of Tokyo Magnitude is really good. Why? It's because of the message (the lyrics) related to it word by word and I am really surprised how it turned out to be a good song. The ending too. (WILL DOWNLOAD IT AFTER I WRITE THIS... ^^)

Character- 10 (Outstanding)
HAHAHA. You ask another 10 why? Well, let's have Mirai as our explanation as to why. So in reality, I am an older sister and so is Mirai right? She really has the character of what an older sister would be: bossy, lazy, wishing that the world would end because her parents gives her a lot of responsibilities and that they nag at her a lot. I also really loved her character and I could even relate to it because when Yuuki (his brother) was missing at one point, she did her very best to find him, crying and saying "I hope he didn't die yet. His not dead yet". Well all sisters are exactly like this. Even if we fight with our siblings a lot of times, we do not hate them. We simply get angry over the littlest details but even we care for them when something bad happens to them exactly like Mirai.

Enjoyment- 10 (Outstanding)
It was really fun to watch because it had it's silly moments and the enjoyment was really well-balanced in this anime (its happy moments and sad moments).

Overall- 10 (Outstanding)
Okay I have to be honest, it had its plot holes but this anime does not deserve bad ratings. This was something that the producers really researched on and when it came to the sad parts, this anime killed it because I really cried at the sad parts of the anime. This anime is really one brilliant anime I have to say. You don't really get to watch animes that have natural disasters so often so its really good. I highly recommend that you watch this anime guys!! ^^

So this is the end of my review. I AM SO SORRY IF ITS LONG. I tried to keep it as short as possible but ugh. hahahaha! I hope that this was helpful in a way AND I AM BY OPEN TO YOUR REMARKS, SUGGESTIONS AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON MY REVIEW/S because I want to hear what you guys have to say about it and work on the stuff either I missed or lacked or on the way I write my review/s. Thank you so much for reading guys!!!~ ^^

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 deviates from the norm immediately in that it has a premise that's both interesting and factual—researchers predict that within the next thirty years, a major earthquake will strike Tokyo, a city of over forty million people.

The series takes this science and humanizes it into a modern, disaster-induced coming-of-age story: Bitter, unreceptive teenager Mirai is on a trip with her annoyingly upbeat brother Yuuki. After a day in which just about everything goes wrong for her, she finds herself wishing that the world would be destroyed. Lo and behold, just as the thought enters her head, a colossal earthquake rocks the city. ... With much of Tokyo in ruins, Mirai, Yuuki, and a single mother named Mari band together in an effort to get back to their homes and loved ones using the only available means; their own feet. The story follows them as they navigate a veritable maze of dilapidated streets and buildings, with only each other to depend on when danger is encountered.

Make no mistake that it isn't the kind of story that will have you on the edge of your seat, eager to start up the next episode. It's slow, and heavily focused on the interactions between characters, rather than on creating plot momentum. In the early episodes it's somewhat formulaic—suspense is normally generated by either Yuuki or Mirai doing something stupid and becoming separated from the rest of the group, and when they're found, there's a lot of we're-so-happy talk. This quickly gets old, although, to its credit, the series finds a better stride five or six episodes in. There's also a lot of emphasis placed on the realistic reaction of the government to the crisis; various scenes show the army and other public bodies transporting citizens to safety, rescuing those trapped in debris, and handing out supplies to survivors. In a lot of ways that's neat, and it does lend a note of credibility to the series, but on the other hand I question how much of it is really necessary. After all, at its core the show is about the reaction of the three main characters to the crisis, not the crisis itself, so while the emphasis on the government relief effort is proof that the show's creators did their homework, it does end up feeling a a bit excessive at times.

In addition, despite all of these efforts, the series falls a little short of creating the real atmosphere of panic that would have been necessary to make some parts of the show feel genuine. After the initial shock of the earthquake, nobody really seems overly concerned that large portions of their nation's capital have been destroyed; many of the extras just seem a tad irate, as if the wholesale decimation of the city is no bigger a deal than being late to the office. In fairness, Japan is a country that's not exactly a stranger to natural disasters, so a little bit of understatement in the reaction of the populace to the earthquake is expected, but this just felt off, as if some of the characters are third parties viewing the disaster rather than being there themselves.

The main characters are the high point of the series. The show presents us with Mirai, who is resentful of her parents and has a sour view on the world in general. However, at the same time, it doesn't villainize her or make her unlikable. It's clear even in the first episode that she has a bit of a soft spot for her brother, and we're given the sense that at least part of her bitterness is due to genuine neglect from her parents, and a very real teenage uncertainty about her future. The events of the earthquake show her just how fragile the world really is, and slowly force her to reconsider her thoughts towards her family and her life. The show strikes another excellent note with Mari, the single mother who accompanies Mirai and Yuuki on their walk home. She has her own child, who is at her home, but she opts to help the two siblings out of a sense of duty. As a strong-willed and optimistic woman who tends to make the best out of bad scenarios, she's a great role model for the pessimistic Mirai, and forces the teen to accept help and express herself in ways that she otherwise wouldn't have. At the same time, the attention she gives the children is a stark contrast to the apathetic attitude of their own mother, a career woman who's always just a little too busy for the kids. The cast's weakest link is Yuuki, who, aside from being one cheerful little bugger, doesn't have much going for him. This is forgivable in that he's mostly supposed to be a foil for Mirai, to show that she does, in fact, have a heart. The character relationships are effective enough to carry the show to places where its storyline and atmosphere alone could not have taken it.

The art is notable for reasons both good and bad. In terms of background art and setting design, this is a reasonably high-caliber production. The metropolis of Tokyo is created (and destroyed) with an attention to detail that's definitely worth praising, and there is an impressive use of CGI for some of the more important structures (a huge bridge that's shown several times is a particularly good example). The CGI is sometimes conspicuous, but never to the point of being distracting or subtracting from the artistic quality as a whole. It's abundantly clear that realism was a goal for all facets of the series, and on this particular front, the art succeeds in generating a certain amount of believability. What doesn't work quite as well are the character designs, which are sub-par at best. All of the characters have abnormally broad, flat, oval-shaped faces with very few distinguishing features. They look generic, a little absurd, and rather unappealing in comparison to the distinct realism that characterizes the rest of the artistic effort.

The soundtrack comes in at right about average. It's a musical score that's fitting, and not bad by any stretch, but also not memorable or particularly powerful. A lot of it is appropriately subdued and tending towards atmospheric, but in its more dramatic moments it can be overbearing, bordering on cheesy. For the most part it doesn't have a net negative or positive effect on the series; it's simply there.

Despite some awkward stumbles, this series is a pretty solid coming-of-age tale with commendable character building, a strong premise, and a noteworthy emphasis on realistic depictions of a disaster in its art and story. I would recommend it with the caution that if you don't like slower dramas, this one probably won't change your mind. But for those who don't mind a more character focused series, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 has more than enough positive aspects to merit a viewing.

Let me start off by saying that this is my first ever review and I am no anime expert.

Getting to the point is why Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a masterpiece to me is because I like series that shows the reality of life, the 'Slice of Life' genre. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 gave a beautiful portrayal of that viewpoint, also to mention that this is the first anime to make me cry, call me heartless and all but upon watching Angel Beats, AnoHana and other tear jerking anime this is by far the one and only anime that made me cry like a little annoying brat.

Story ... 10/10
To avoid any spoilers I'll be only pointing out the plot.

"Everything should just be destroyed."
So we have this brother and sister that went to a robot convention far from their home but then a sudden earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 8.0 now Mirai and Yuuki along with Mari (a person they met and help them all throughout) finds their way back home.

The story pretty much showed that how life can suck badly. Along the way you can see the tragedies that the Earthquake caused and the sufferings of other people. It gives you the other outlook of life and it just speaks to you how people strive hard just to live. Tokyo Magnitude's story at one point makes you question if your outlook in life is wrong. The story is so overwhelming that it makes it a little hard to explain.

Art 7/10
I know the art isn't stunning like your typical moe anime or just the typical anime considering that anime is made at 2009, but you can digest the art and it isn't horrible at all. You'll get used to it.

Sound 8/10
I'll be really honest with this. I don't remember what the sound is like considering that I watched it a year ago but the sounds didn't bother me at all. The voice actors fits their characters so I say all is well.

Character 10/10
The developments of the characters are amazing, just straight up amazing, they changed in the few 11 episodes in this series.
Again, not to spoil anything I'll just cover the icing on the characters.

First up we have Mirai, a rebellious pessimistic girl who just really hates the whole world. Upon watching Tokyo Magnitude I found her development best you really see her change each and every episode.

Second we have Yuuki, the younger brother of Mirai, a cheerful optimistic boy that loves everything, the complete opposite of his sister, Mirai. Yuuki is a beautiful character you'll really like him at the start (at least I did) he is like the one that pulls you up in a bad day. Not much of a character development but Yuuki matured in every episode.

Lastly we have Mari, the girl they met at both the street and the mall, she's the adult that aided the two kids back home. When the earthquake occurred she helped Mirai find Yuuki when no one else wants to help Mirai, safe to say that Mari is a very good Samaritan. Like Yuuki, there wasn't much of a development for her but in every episode she matured more and more, not physically but mentally ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Enjoyment 1000/10
Every episode just sucks you back in. It makes you want to watch more and see what'll happen. Plus, I didn't feel that the story was rushed.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone just unless they can understand the story, it's just sad that many people overlook this series because of the art. It saddens me a bit that this is a very underrated anime.
With that being said, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 landed top in my favourites.

I would like to start this review with a few words that truly express the ending of the first episode. "Be careful what you wish for".

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a 2009 anime that presents us with a what if situation and how people will react to said what if situation and it does a pretty good job showing what happens when a earthquake of that magnitude hits Tokyo.

Story: The story is set around 3 characters who all meet up on the island of Odaiba after the initial quake and set of on a journey to make their way back home. The story in Tokyo Magnitude ... 9.0 is great because it shows the journey it takes for our 3 MC's (Mirai, Yuuki and Mari) to get back to their homes but also explores what happens to friends, family and strangers as they traverse a destroyed Tokyo.

Art: The art is pretty to look at and shows the world around them being destroyed and ripped apart. even the OP art design is beautiful to look at.

Sound: The sound in Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a joy to listen to as the sound mixes in with the environment and changes to reflect the situation. If there was one complaint I had which is a minor one and I can look over is the lip syncing in the dub is sometimes off as in some scenes the characters mouths start moving and there is a slight delay but that shouldn't ruin your experience.

The character development in Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 was really essential to pull of such an amazing story and they pulled it off. Everybody had their own character development but the one I was interested in was Mirai's as she went from a 7th grader who always thought about the bad things of here family to caring for her younger brother and to getting him home safely.

Overall this is one of the anime's on my list that is a tearjerker and I will almost guarantee that someone would've have almost cried at some point of the anime as I almost did so it really deserves that nine and once you've watched one episode you will be hooked on it to see it to the end :)

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0: catastrophe, and tremendous disaster.

Have you already said to your family that you love them very much?
Does it necessary for you to someone to be disappear before you realize that they matters?
Have you already realize the possibility that anytime from now a devastating tragedy will come?
Do they need to disappear first before you act?

Those are the possible questions that will sink into your mind while watching Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.
Story depicts and illustrates the possible damages when a Magnitude 8.0 earthquake hits Tokyo. Still no one knows what would be the real damages when this one comes up.

Story 9/10: Storyline of this anime is ... precise and very detailed. It comes into a narrow classification which is Drama. Carrying only 11 episodes might not be enough to illustrate the whole story for this anime, yet still even the story was driven into a fast paced TV series you’ll end up into a tragic and yet inspiring ending. As this anime illustrates and replicates all of the reality here in this world, people will surely love this one, since most of us can relate with the story of Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

Art 9/10: Art for this anime is excellent. It is obvious that too much effort was exerted just to make this one very realistic. When you come up and see, starting from the hometown of Mirai (Female Lead Character) all of the resources and structures are very detailed. Also you can notice that the implemented art is realistic including the traditional houses, roads, and structure forms of every single location in the series.


Sound 8/10: When it comes to SFX elements, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 never failed to deliver the realistic illustration in any events. Plus Intro and Outro music are really nice and they were really fit for each animation. Voices of the characters really matched on how they act and how they speak.

Character 8/10: Mirai contains the most annoying characteristics and traits in real life. But, this one is really good to demonstrate and illustrate both words which are “REALIZATION “and “RELATE”. Also having a personality that replicates a non-fiction individual in real life would be the best asset for this Anime. Since most of us can relate with the characters and to the story as well.
Not to forget that characters in here replicate the real life so they come up with generic and typical personalities.

Enjoyment 9/10: If you are into an anime that replicates the real life, then you will probably enjoy this one. So I hardly recommend this one to watch.

Overall 9/10: Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 would probably the best series that I’ve already watched under this category, though I am not sure if there are some anime that is relevant with this one.


Note: This review never intends to please everybody. Also criticisms are always welcome.


Regards,
AviJii Anne

The ability to survive is something that exists in the core of every human being on this planet and it is always an experience to watch a piece of work try to depict what someone would do in a disaster scenario. Case in point Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.

Tokyo Mag 8 follows the experience of Mirai Onozawa, a freshman middle school student who takes her younger brother, Yuuki, to a robot exhibition on a man-made island when, well read the title, in the course of this they meet Mari Kusakabe and then the three try to get back to the mainland and back home, and based ... off personal experience and from what I know off news reports and stuff, the production team has done a pretty good job for creating a Mag 8 earthquake, aftermath included. On a side note the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit the coast of Japan in 2011 was a Mag 9, just for comparison.

With the basic premise down, aside from the immediate shock one goes through when experiencing an earthquake, the anime goes a bit further by taking our characters through aftershocks and the general chaos that comes with an earthquake, hell the fucking Tokyo Tower comes down at one point, the only thing that the anime doesn't show really is looting.

With a cast of only three characters you will come to feel for these characters, even if the anime is a mere 11 episodes, granted it probably does this by somewhat breaking the trope of the protagonists being high school students, with Yuuki only being 8 and Mirai being at least 12 or so, the feeling of vulnerability inevitably creeps in, because these aren't capable 16 year olds, these are kids, granted they have an adult with them but still.

The sound is average I supposed, although in my opinion the ED feelings out of place compared to the rest of the anime.

The art is... difficult for me to describe, but the two things I can say about it is that the people's smiles are triangle and they manage to slip in some CG that you'll miss if you're not focused on the background.

Tokyo Mag 8 is a great watch, it gives a refreshing break from the dim-a-dozen Shounen, Romance, Fantasy, and Mecha shows. There will be points where you are going to tear up in this anime, hell I teared up in the second episode, and the home stretch is a fitting end to a very good journey.

Goodbye my brethren, see you in the next one.

Though it certainly reaches a level of quality that would warrant a detailed, gripping review, I don't think I can write one. There are a handful of very well handled reviews already for 8.0, however I don't feel that enough emphasis is placed on two pivotal aspects of this series; the leading trio, and the ending. Tokyo Magnitude is not without it's technical flaws, which I really have to keep reminding myself of. Because the cast completely blows away what you expect in any anime series, even the most artsy of shows. Mirai is a normal, broody, moody, angsty preteen. She has no superpowers, no ... secret, she is not a hidden genius and she is not a kind-hearted maiden that treats even her enemies like kings. She's a prepubescent girl who gets bitchy and doesn't know why, which is a kind of realism no one else has yet to take a stab at. This is what teenagers are, and the little brother Yuuki is a great rendition of the classic little brother. While he isn't nearly as groundbreaking as his sister, his character works so well with hers, and it just creates this incredible atmosphere that really gets you rooting for them. Which leads me to probably the most noteworthy thing here: the ending. I really, truly have never cried in any movie besides American History X. And as far as anime, outside of Air, I don't think I've ever even teared up a reasonable amount. That is, of course, until I finished this show. I started to catch on to things around the second or third to last episode, and by the final one I think I cried for 3/4 of it. Maybe more. It is no doubt, more powerful if you have a sibling you are close to like I do, but if you have a soul at all, your going to cry to some extent. I bawwwww'd like I've never bawwwww'd before, and it's the only series that remembering makes me want to bawwww some more. I don't know if there will ever be an ending to rival the pitiful OH GOD WHY ending of this series, ever. When all is said and done, I think my biggest recommendation besides to be prepared for unstoppable sadness, and watch it alone. Unless you are having a crying party.

If you have an animelist similar too my own you're probably used to the typical action packed anime with a hint of drama and romance. You've seen the bit on "believing in the strength of your friends." You've seen the occasional explosion wreck planets and cities and, if you're like me then you're probably looking for a breath of fresh air every now and then. For me, Tokyo Magnitude was more like a strong gale.

Story:
When starting this show I kind of figured what to expect considering it's title. It's, what I suppose you could call a "disaster drama," or a series that starts with ... a natural disaster and plays from that point. While this was an accidental find I took the time to get into it, and in the very first episode I found myself hooked.


Art:
A rarity for me is that the art of this series caught my attention before the story. If you're a fan of Higashi no Eden's art style then I think you'll find adjusting to this anime very easy. That said, even if you don't like the art I think you should give it a try, after all, drawings alone makes no story.

Sound:
As far as music and sound effects go, In my opinion Tokyo Magnitude does a good job at connecting the tone and the mood. Upon hearing it's opening theme I found myself a bit nostalgic and began a search as to where I heard the familiar beat.

Characters:
The characters are as real as any event in this show can be. No exaggerated reactions, no unexplained buffoonary, just typical people you'd find in everyday life. Mirai, a junior high girl troubled by her parents relationship. Yuuki a understandably naiive grade schooler, and Mari, a working single mother are the main focus of the story and it's not imposible to believe that people like them can exist.

Enjoyment:
I have to say that this series is highly captivating, although it took me a few days to watch from episode three onward, when I finally got the time I managed to finish it in a few hours. In the end, it was the type of series I was satisfied with the length of. It wasn't so long that it dragged out a story, and it wasn't so short that the story seemed rushed.

This was one of the most realistic and well done anime I've ever seen. The plot is incredibly fantastic as it shows a view of the author in a situation of an earthquake in Tokyo. It was beautiful and showed people's feelings into something so catastrophic and their union to overcome the obstacles of the damage he has caused, the search for a desperate for her little brother to the rubble sister, and the struggle to achieve both survive.
Great anime, I recommend to anyone who wants to watch something different and exciting ^^

I’ll be totally honest, I’ve never been a big fan of disaster movies. The premise looks good on paper, certainly. A catastrophe of immense proportions occurs, usually a force of nature, and we follow a cast of characters as they, and mankind as a whole, brave the elements and fight for survival. It sounds great, but rarely do disaster films live up to that potential. More often than not, what we get is a trite drama with wooden characters set to the backdrop of said catastrophic disaster, and of course, a lot of collateral damage. Even worse, most of the time these disaster movies are ... high budgeted blockbusters that do more to sensationalize these disasters than capture the terror of actually experiencing one. Fortunately, this is not the case with Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, a well-researched and rigorously realistic account of a magnitude 8.0 earthquake hitting Tokyo, and the disaster’s aftermath. It is a simple but powerful story that captures the best and worst of the human species in the midst of an extreme situation.

In most respects, the plot of Magnitude 8.0 follows the same formula as most stories of this nature. It follows a small group brought together by the disaster, in this case middle-school student Mirai, her younger brother Yuki, and a single mother named Mari, who the siblings meet in the ensuing chaos of the earthquake. The three decide to travel together in order to get home and find their love ones: for Mari, her mother and 4 year old daughter; for Mirai and Yuki, their parents. As they travel through the ruined city, they encounter the great devastation and numerous tragedies caused by the earthquake, the various measurements put in place for such disasters, and individuals doing their best to pick up the pieces of their lives. At the same time, they must survive the earthquake’s multiple aftershocks and the uncertainty of their loved ones’ safety.

Tokyo Magnitude’s depiction of people during and after a major catastrophe is both harsh and humane. It captures the shock, panic, and sometimes indifference to the plight of others that people exhibit in dire circumstances. Even as Mirai runs around looking for her younger brother, worried sick about his safety, droves of people walk past her too shell-shocked to help. People push and shove and argue in lines for evacuation or supplies, sometimes even taking advantage of their seniority over Mirai and Yuki. These acts don’t come from cruelty as much as desperation, people naturally put themselves over others during times of hardship. And yet, there are people like Mari, who go out of their way to help strangers who are clearly in need, even though they have worries of their own. There are trained professionals working hard to serve the needs of the countless affected by the disaster, and rescue teams searching through the rubble to find survivors. Even in the midst of such devastation, there is hope and admirability, and the show illustrates this just as strongly as its heart-breaking tragedy and harsh realism.

The earthquake and its multiple aftershocks are horrifying and unsparing. Buildings crumble, landmarks like Tokyo Tower topple over, causing more devastation in their wake. People die by the dozens, even as they flee for safety. Homes are shattered and abandoned; families are torn apart. The damage is so wide-spread and expansive that the news can do nothing more than briefly summarize it, covering only a fraction of its extent. It’s a horrifyingly realistic depiction of a natural disaster, one that resonates despite the fact it is animated. The research and effort that the staff put into creating as true-to-life a scenario as possible comes through clearly, and it is quite harrowing. Though the tragedy is very heavy here, it is justified by the realism of the situation. This is exactly how metropolitan area would look and feel if it was hit by an earthquake of this magnitude.

What really separates Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 from other disaster movies/TV shows is its human story, which centers on the grueling and perilous journey of the three protagonists, particularly the negative-thinking Mirai. As the story progresses, Mirai transforms from a whinny and dissatisfied middle-schooler who is irritated by her life to a young lady who is grateful for all that she has. She does so through all the hardship and tragedies she encounters on her quest to reunite with her family; the things she learns, and the things she loses along the way. It’s a conventional story, but one which is deeply impacting, both heart-breaking and uplifting. It’s especially powerful considering the uncertainty of Mirai and Yuki’s parents, and Mari’s family, as the trio trek across the city. Plus, the last half packs a hard-hitting, if somewhat foreseeable, emotional dozy that very well might have some eyes watering. Enhancing the story is the sheer gravity of the situation, which is relatable in part because it is a terrifying possibility for anyone living near a fault line.

As far as Tokyo Magnitude’s technical merits go, this isn’t one of the best animated shows by Studio Bones. That’s not to say the animation here is bad by any means, in fact it is quite good, but it is not up to par with some of the studio’s previous visual achievements. In particular, there are some character rendering issues and the character designs themselves do not allow for as much expressiveness as some other anime series the studio has done. The backgrounds on the other hand are incredibly well detailed, effectively capturing the cataclysmic devastation of a high magnitude earthquake. The direction is mostly straightforward, usually utilizing well composed medium and long shots to capture the characters traveling through the ruins of Tokyo, and close-ups for character reactions. There are some sequences and flashbacks which also add a bit more artistic flare in places, particularly in the last third of the show. The soundtrack by the great Ko Otani is simply exquisite, though the music is not used as often as in other anime. The music supports the material well when it is used, and frequent use of silence grounds the show a bit more in reality.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a powerful experience that stands as one of the best disaster stories put to screen. It is frequently sad and emotionally devastating, but also has faith in humanity. It is a reminder of the human spirit’s ability to endure, and even find new strength in the face of great tragedy. The show came out in 2009, two years before the Tohoku magnitude 9.0 earthquake, and in that regard it is unsettlingly prophetic. It is not a stretch to think that there are some real-life stories which are similar to the one in this show.

The best stories sometimes have the simplest plot. Here in America we do love a disaster story. However, of late we have gone to exaggerating the theme. Now we invent disaster that have never really happen. With Meteor (Armageddon and Deep Impact) a new ice age (The day after tomorrow) to the ultimate disaster film to date (2012). Since none of this has ever happen you rightly don't feel it will happen to you.

Now with Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 we all know that this isn't just some possible science fiction but a real event that will happen. I myself live in Los Angeles and ... know its only a matter of time before this actually does. And its that simple disaster of a normal earthquake that makes this piece so real. No super government organization will come to our rescue. It will be real heroes of everyday people that will do all they can for complete strangers. Hollywood has become so enamored with special effects that they have forgotten its actual the people that make the best stories. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 doesn't tell its story from the viewpoint of the military, public office or special services but from a 11 year old girl and her brother as they try to get home. The characters are well thought out and believable. The music is very subtle and appropriate to the piece. You will quickly come to care from the characters and want to see then make their journey unharmed. Trust me even without all of the magic girls,mecha and vampires that are flooding anime of late this gem is definitely worth your time to watch. I sincerely hope it gets an American license I would love to own the actual dub.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, animated by Studio Bones back in 2009 and is 11 episodes in length.

This series is what my username is based off of and is also where my profile picture is from. This show is one of the few that has dragged me in from the very beginning until the very end, and I was completely in love with each and every aspect of this show. Partially due to my love of geology which is what I plan to pursue as a major in college, and mostly because of my love of world building. And now, on with the review!

==================================================================

~Story 8/10~
The story ... of this show is just as the title implies, there is an earthquake at the beginning of the series with an magnitude of 8.0 that strike havoc in the city of Tokyo, Japan. Meanwhile the remaining part of the series picks up with two children that go by the names of Mirai and Yuuki that were off on their own when the quake had occurred and as the viewer you watch the two later unite with an older woman in her early 30’s named Mari who ends up helping the two travel back to their home in order to reunite with their parents. But of course there are some obstacles in the way of these three in which they must overcome so that they can meet up with their family once again.

~Characters 10/10~
As I had previously mentioned above the main cast of characters include the following: Mirai, Yuuki, and Mari.
Mirai, this 13 year old girl is a real brat at the beginning of the series but as time passes by she slowly becomes more and more mature for her young age. In the beginning of the show Mirai didn’t care about what her little brother Yuuki had to say when considering what to get for their mother’s birthday, but over time she slowly grew more and more attached with Yuuki to the point where she was worried even when he left her for just one moment in order to go get food or to go to the bathroom alone.
Yuuki, the 8 year old boy who always made me want to reach into my monitor and give this kid a giant hug. Having to go through a catastrophic event at such a young age must have been traumatizing. This boy reminded me of my younger self in a way, always being needed to have been looked after and taken care of while also being someone who kept a smile on his face no matter what was going on in the world around him.
Mari, the 32 year old mother who was brave and nice enough to take in two children that she just met and treat them as if they were her own children. Someone who always went out of her way to protect Mirai and Yuuki whenever an aftershock was to occur and to help provide food, water, shelter, and a sense of direction no matter where they were in the rubbles of Tokyo.

~Music 6/10~
The opening theme is a fun rock song but isn’t memorable in the slightest. However the ending theme is calm and relaxing and just brings up a sense of joy in a show that can be quite saddening at times, but over time the song slowly represents a memory of how far the characters have come since the beginning of the show. As for the soundtrack, I don’t remember much of it so there isn’t much to talk about it.

~Art/Animation 7/10~
The artstyle is extremely realistic and detailed, tho the show doesn’t have an extremely high budget so there are some derp faces here and there but that is not a big concern since it isn’t impacting the series in any way. There is some cgi in the show but it is used in very short and small increments, nothing majorly important that would take you out of the show like for example the Fate/StayNight 2006’s CGI Dragon. The animation is fluid throughout the show but never did anything groundbreaking that is worth pointing out.

~World Building & Character Interactions 10/10~
From the very beginning of the show you can see people going to work or eating in a restaurant and doing other common day to day tasks until the initial quake occurs and then the city is near the verge of collapse within an instant, you can see pipelines bursted, electrical wires dangling, bathrooms flooding, and entire buildings destroyed while having hundreds upon thousands of people running for their lives in seek of shelter. Every street you look down there is a new structure that was just a hollow shell of what it once was, every way and which you look you can see people crying out for help, and every park you visit you will find free food and water distribution stations organized by the Japanese Government and/or from other emergency non-profit services such as The American Red Cross. Inside every church or school building you will find people who are offering blankets, food, and a place to sleep for the night while also having a rooms dedicated for those who are mourning the loss of a loved one.
As for the character interactions, they are the most realistic and detailed that I have ever seen before in an anime. Complete and total strangers are helping out one another whether if it is to search through the rubble of an aftershock, or volunteer to help distribute supper or help wheel patients to the ER Room, and some who even to help guide other people by simply giving directions on where a certain building is located. There isn’t a single person causing drama in the show because everyone has one goal in mind and that is to stay alive.

~Final Thoughts~
This show was originally my replacement series to fill the void that was left behind by Zankyou no Terror, however it not only filled it but made it even larger than it initially was. A series with extreme detail and research that was taken into consideration when making an extremely realistic series such as this one needs to be acknowledged and applauded for their hard work and dedication. For being someone who already wanted to study the field of geology, this show did nothing less but strengthen that desire. Long term short this series is nothing short of a masterpiece, but it is a shame at how this show went completely unnoticed to the general anime watching audience.

I am awarding this show with an 9/10 and it has currently maintained its position in my Top 5 Anime List that I have seen up until this point in time. I just wish that I could find a series that is even remotely similar to this one.

P.S. You are going to need a box of tissues because you will be crying like a baby while watching this show, unless if you are someone who has no soul or sympathy for human life.

This is a special kind of favorite of mine.

It's not my absolute #1, it's not the greatest thing I've ever seen, and it does not get everything right. However, it is a very good production and experience with outstanding and fleshed out themes such as death, family, and friendship.

Each episode is wisely used, most every moment serves a purpose, the setting is used fantastically, characters have motivations that are clear and feel real. The problems presented to the characters are tackled with great responses that may be irrational at times but are themselves genuine and believable.

Admittedly, the story is somewhat predictable minute to minute. ... However, there are few to no missed opportunities because of it; it won't leave you asking, "Why didn't they...?"

Lastly, there is an actual character arc, and an ending to a legitimate story with an epilogue; I felt very satisfied by the end.

Though looking back on it, the show perhaps would have made a better movie. It still is is one of the finest examples of being the-sum-of-all-its-parts. This is one I feel anyone and everyone should watch.