Anime Title: Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 東京マグニチュード8.0
Production Studio: Studio Bones
Director: Masaki Tachibana
Composer: Kow Otani
Air Date: Summer 2009
Episode Count: 11
Genres: Drama
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.
~Similar Anime Recommendations~
Grave of the Fireflies & Typhoon Noruda
~Upcoming Review~
Stay tuned until next week when I review Usagi Drop.
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.
Magnitude Reviews 
One Comment Add yours