Anime is no stranger to heartbreaking stories, especially those centered on disaster. The recentJapan Sinks 2020garnered quite a bit of attention after arriving on Netflix, whileMakoto Shinkai’s biggest workshave used disaster as the backdrop, as can be seen inSuzumeandWeathering With You.
However, one of anime’s most underrated disaster series, 2009’sTokyo Magnitude 8.0willfinally be returning to streaming in the U.S. soon. Anime fans should be warned, though: it isn’t a Makoto Shinkai feel-good film that will deliver its characters to a satisfactory ending despite disaster. It’s an honest and brutal depiction of destruction.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 Is Returning to Streaming
The Classic Disaster Series Is Set to Break the Hearts of a New Generation of Anime Fans
The series takes place after a massive 8.0 magnitude earthquake lays waste to a large chunk of Tokyo, and follows two young children named Mirai and Yukiwho are desperately attempting to get back home to their mother. In the immediate aftermath, they come across a single mother named Mari, who is also trying to return home to her daughter.
The woman takes the children under her wing, and together they attempt to brave the destruction waiting for them outside.Tokyo Magnitude 8.0is a gut-wrenching experience at times, and by taking cues from another heartbreaking classic,Ghibli’sGrave of the Fireflies, it puts young children at the center of the disaster, making its events all the more difficult to stomach.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0will be streaming on RetroCrush, a streaming service that largely focuses on classic anime series that aren’t available on many of the other major streaming platforms, such as Crunchyroll or Netflix. Anime fans won’t want to miss out on the somewhat forgotten disaster classic, but it would be smart to keep a box of tissues nearby while they watch.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 Does Disaster a Bit Differently
The Series Received Help From Real World Forces
InTokyo Magnitude 8.0’s depiction of the massive earthquake and its consequences, the series features relief efforts by the very real Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan Coast Guard, and Tokyo Fire Department, and Tokyo Disaster Medical Assistance Team. Apart from the story being told,the series offers an incredibly realistic look at a natural disasterand what to expect from its aftermath.
Unfortunately, this depiction would prove itself a bit too realistic for Japanese audiences, who had to endure the 9.0 magnitude Tohoku earthquake and tsunami only two years after the anime’s premiere.Tokyo Magnitude 8.0will be streaming for those who have yet to experience its tragedy, but fans should prepare themselves for heartbreak before diving in.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Cast
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is an anime series that follows siblings Mirai and Yuuki Onozawa as they struggle to reunite with their family after a massive earthquake strikes Tokyo. The show explores themes of survival and resilience amidst the chaos and devastation caused by the natural disaster.
